Top Seven Books of 2016 So Far

So far 2016 has been an amazing year of reading for me!  Not only has the first half of the year flown by, but I read so many good books in the last 6 months that I'm afraid the second half of my year may just go downhill.  Odds are not in my favor.  So here are the best books I've read so far this year!

In no particular order:

Have you read any of these?  What are your favorites so far?

Morgan Matson Week!! Book Review: Since You've Been Gone

It's the #UnexpectedlyEpic #MorganMatson week over Mostly YA Lit and I'm participating!  There'll be lots going on over there this week, so be sure to check it out!  I'm new to Morgan Matson and just discovered Since You've Been Gone, but as you'll see below, I love it!  Tomorrow I'll be writing a little about being a Morgan Matson "newbie."  So don't forget to check back in!  Enjoy.

Since You've Been Gone
Morgan Matson
Simon & Schuster, 2014
Genre:Contemporary, YA
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 out of 5

~What It's About~

Emily and Sloane have been best friends ever since Sloane moved in, and ever since she moved into town, Emily has had a life.  They've done everything together.  But now Sloane is gone and Emily hasn't heard from and doesn't know where she's gone.  Their perfect summer isn't going to happen and Emily is going to have no one to talk to.  But she has one thing: a letter from Sloane--or actually a list.  13 tasks for Emily to complete this summer that scare her to death.  Skinny dipping, Dancing till dawn, Hug a Jamie?  With the help of some unexpected friends, Emily sets out to accomplish every task on her list, certain she'll figure out the mystery of where Sloane has gone and why.

~The Good~

I love this book.  I love it!  

Emily reminds me of me when I was a teenager (and into college and adulthood, actually), as she is constantly riddled with anxiety and awkwardness in just about any social situation she finds herself.  The over thinking about what she should say, followed by inner turmoil over what she managed to wrangle out of her mouth was just textbook.  It felt real to me.  Maybe because I related a little too well--even now in my 30's.  Maybe she was just incredibly likable and lovable and it's so easy to hope for Sloane to return and rescue out of her awkwardness.  

What I appreciated most about this book is that it's not about a romance, and it's not even really about Emily and Sloane's relationship.  It's about Emily.  It's really and truly about her and how she's suddenly dropped into this situation where she no longer has that comfortable place.  Her friendship with Sloane was what made things a little easier for her, although it also allowed her to never do anything herself.  Instead she had always just ridden along with her friend.  Emily now has to do something for herself.  She has to speak for herself.  She has to find out who she is without Sloane.  

There are so many different things going on in this novel.  In addition to Emily having to change and grow and figure out who she is on her own, there is, of course, a romance brewing.  However it's iffy because he's already taken and Emily would never admit that she is attracted to him.  There's Emily's relationship with her family as well and how it changes now that she's not always wrapped in what Sloane is doing.  

Slipped into all the present day events (searching for Sloane and trying to complete the 13 tasks) are flashbacks into Sloane and Emily, starting from when they first met.  We not only are seeing the result of Sloane's leaving unannounced, but we're seeing how they became Sloane and Emily in the first place.  

~The Not-So-Good~

I didn't find anything I disliked about this novel.  I'm trying to come up with something, but I loved it so much!

~Final Thoughts~

Since You've Been Gone is a story about friendship and finding yourself.  It's about growing up and facing your fears.  Morgan Matson has crafted an engaging characters who are real and remarkable at the same time.  They are characters you would like to one day meet. 


Check back in tomorrow as I talk about my discovery of Morgan Matson.

Please consider following me if you enjoyed this review!

Sunday Status

Sunday Status is a weekly (ish) post where I let you know what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about it as I go along.

~At Home~

The Forbidden Orchid

Sharon Biggs Waller

Viking, 2016

Source: I won this copy from Brittany at Please Feed the Bookworm

Genre: historical fiction, young adult

I'm not too far in, just about 70 pages or so, but I'm enjoying this book.  Set in the 1860s, Elodie's father gets paid to travel to far off places in search of rare and expensive plants and flowers.  But now he hasn't come home. Something terrible happened to him on his last trip and although they know he is okay, Elodie and her family have not heard from him.  The last thing he ever gave them was an orchid, beautiful and enticing, but also not appropriate for a young woman to set her eyes on and now Elodie is in danger of losing it--her one last connection to her father.  I don't know what happens next, but I do know (based on the Goodreads synopsis) that she will travel to China to help her father find another rare flower.  I really like Elodie so far and have already laughed out loud a few times at her wit and her fire.  She's smart and realizes that the men of her time are not as smart as she is, but she's being forced to play dumb and innocent in order to help her family and keep them together.  But at times it all just slips out.  

~At School~

Since You've Been Gone

by Morgan Matson

Simon & Schuster, 2014

Source: purchased

Genre: realistic fiction, young adult, friendship

Where have I been?  I'm absolutely loving this book.  I was going to bring it home and try to finish it this weekend, but I forgot it as school!  ARGH!  I am loving how the main character Emily is so anxious.  Okay, no that came out wrong.  I don't love that she's anxious--I don't wish that on a person.  What I love is that I can completely and totally connect to her anxiety.  Emily barely speaks to others because she's so shy, and the thoughts that run through her head during a conversation (which are painful most of the time) could have been my inner monologue as a high schooler and college student.  And even now, when I'm 34.  I hope my conversations aren't as painful as hers, but the inner monologue of "What in the world did I just say?" is dead on.  

I'm loving this book.  Can't wait to finish it this week!

Goodreads synopsis

~Listening To~

Orbiting Jupiter
Gary D. Schmidt
Narrator: Christopher Gebauer
Recorded Books, 2015
Source: purchased
Genre: realistic fiction, young adult, family

Audiobooks usually take me a bit longer to get through because I save them for when I walk outside, but I've been doing a lot of walking as of late due to the lovely weather.  Thank goodness because I haven't had to wait too long to find out what's going on with Jack and Joseph.  Jack's family has decided to foster an 8th grade boy named Joseph, and for sixth grader Jack, this is a big change for him.  He lives on an organic farm and has always been an only child.  He's a good kid.  No one would say that for Joseph, who was kicked out of his first home for trying to kill a teacher after he took some drugs, got in many fights in his detention center, and is the father of a little girl named Jupiter.  And the way most adults treat Joseph is that he's already so bad that he doesn't deserve their time.  MOST adults.  There are some absolutely wonderful adults that come into Joseph's life when he moves with Jack's family, most importantly Jack's parents.

I only have an hour left of this audio and it's breaking my heart.  I have so many thoughts and feelings about it already and it's only building more and more.  I'll have to save more of my thoughts and feelings for when I write a review.  Absolutely heartbreaking.

Goodreads synopsis