Publishing Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 520
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
My pitch: I first fell in love with Lauren Oliver books when her Delirium series came out. I loved that series so much and ever since then, anything written by Oliver is a must read for me! This book was first pitched to me by the girls at HCCFrenzy and it comes in such a unique format. It has two stories: Lyra and Gemma, and you can choose to read one first, and then flip the book over and read the other side. You can also read them both at the same time with alternating chapters. The story follows Lyra and Gemma and they both search to discover the truth behind their identity in a world where replicas/human models are made. It is a thrilling read for those that are interested in clones and AIs. I definitely was reminded of Dollhouse. It was so intriguing and both characters stand-alone so strongly, you end up loving them both! This would make a great gift for the reader in your life who is a fan of dystopian/sci-fi fantasies.
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was given to me at an HCCFrenzy event. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Contemporary Romance
My pitch: A few of my friends and co-workers had read this book before me and by the way they were raving about it, I instantly picked it up and I could not put it down. The story follows Henry and Grace, two people who are completely different who find themselves paired together because of a school newspaper project. Grace is a new student at the school and she brings with her a dark past and secrets, and Henry is a hopeless romantic. They both get tangled into a sweet and complicated romance that simply tugs at your heartstrings. It reminded me a lot of Paper Towns by John Green, in a sense, where falling in love can be complicated. Sometimes you fall in love with your expectations of a person and not the actual person. It's also a great story about friendship and highschool experiences. I think fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Jenny Han will love this book!
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was sent to me as a bookseller from Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Fantasy
My pitch: I loved the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi so much and when I heard she was writing something completely different for young readers (9-12.. but I'm sneaking it on here under YA), I was so on board! I later learned that it was an interesting take on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (one of my favourite classics) so that only solidified my love for it. Immediately, you are introduced to a very interesting narrator who introduces you to Alice and the world in which she occupies. In a world full of colour, Alice is colourless and she attempts to find her father who has long gone missing. It is a charming read that has a wittiness to it! I loved all the characters and the world building so much. It focuses on identity, family and friendship. I think readers of all ages would love this book. We love it so much at my store that my co-worker and I, share a staff-pick sticker for it!
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was sent to me as a bookseller from Penguin Random House. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 464
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
My pitch: How could I write a holiday gift guide and not feature my favourite author? This book is this year's MUST.READ. I've been throwing it at everyone I know. It is a fantastic read. Schwab builds this world of monsters and chaos and gives us two opposing characters. We are given August, who is a monster and who is enticed by the human world and we have Kate, daughter of the man who will protect citizens from the monsters, and she wishes to be as ruthless as him. They are thrown together in a strange happenstance and they discover each other secrets. This is the first book in a duology and this story follows both of them as they figure their city out. This is a fantastic read because it does not push romance on you! These are two characters that have the potential to be together, but aren't. I really enjoy that. It is essentially Romeo & Juliet but without the romance, in a world of monsters! What more could you ask for. It is also written by Schwab who has amazing writing that just simply draws you in. I highly recommend picking this up as soon as possible!
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was sent to me by HCCFrenzy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Publishing Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Bloosmbury USA
Pages: 352 pages
Contemporary Romance
My pitch: I've seen Emery Lord books in the past, and I know people who absolutely love her, but I've never read anything by her until this book. I followed her on twitter and I absolutely love her personnality so I was a bit disappointed with myself that it took me this long to discover her. I will say, this book has fully converted me. I instantly went out and bought every book written by her after finishing this. I listened to it via Audible the first time and then I bought a hard copy. The book follows Vivi, a character who has bipolar disorder and Jonah, who is struggling with his five siblings after the death of his father, and his mother, who is experiencing deep depression. They both meet over the summer in Verona Cove and a magical romance begins. I don't want to get into details of it and spoil it, but as someone who suffers from mental illness, I found myself in many passages of this book. I empathized so much with Vivi and Jonah's mother. I felt like it was such an accurate depiction written by Lord. Nothing was exaggerated and especially the manic moments with Vivi, felt so vivid to me. I really enjoyed her writing and I just loved how the story unravelled. It is a beautiful story about falling in love, family and friendship. For those who love a good romance and are fans of complicated relationships, this one is for you! It focuses on mental health which is a great factor as well.
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
And because I usually like to save the best for last.... here is my NUMBER ONE recommendation for this year's YA books!:
[Book #2 in ACOTAR series] - (✮✮✮✮✮ - 5/5 stars)
Publishing Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Pages: 640
Fantasy
My pitch: I know it is a bit unusual to be picking a second book in a series, but I loved this book so much that you could honestly start from here. I read the first book in the series earlier this year and really enjoyed it. It was a Beauty and the Beast retelling in a way, but with fairies. I read the second book and I was simply blown away. Maas introduces the reader to new courts, new political deceit and NEW romance. Oh my, oh my. I was simply blown away by this book and I don't think I've had such a bad book hangover as this one. When I finished, I was simply in a daze for days... I honestly functioned as if I was in the Night Court. Maas gives Feyre and Rhysand amazing character development and I honestly felt I was right there in the novel the entire time. Maas also introduces the reader to brand new characters at the Night Court and you simply fall in love with them. It is a massive book but it definitely didn't fell long, I couldn't get enough of it. When I finished, I was so sad because there wasn't more. If you are a fan of her other books, you will love this one. It was simply amazing! I can't say enough good things about it, but I also don't want to say too much without spoiling the book. Do yourself a favour and immediately get started on this series and read this book. It was beautiful, spell-binding and simply blew me away. I loved it so much (I love it so much, I immediately ordered ACOMAF merchandise and I am now a proud owner of two pillows with quotes from the book). Just please read it? And then message me so we can go fangirl over it ;)
Available for purchase: Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Book Depository
Other books I'd like to mention but I already wrote full reviews on are:
Scythe by Neal Shusterman - Full Review HERE!
Heartless by Marissa Meyer - Full Review HERE!
I hope to write a few more holiday gift guides in the coming weeks! Let me know in the comments below what you'd like to see next! :D
Furthermore and When We Collided are excellent books. Great list you have here.
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