The setting of For Darkness Shows the Stars is a post-apocalyptic world where technology is shunned and Luddites rule large estates. The lower class, or the "Reduced" and Posts, work on these estates without many rights and are basically servants. Elliot North practically runs her father's farm as he doesn't show much of an interest in it, which poses a problem as they need food to not only feed themselves, but the laborers, too. Unlike many Luddites, Elliot has always had a soft spot for the workers on her father's estate, especially Ro and Kai. She was very close with both of them growing up, especially Kai, whom she developed strong feelings for. Elliot and Kai wrote many letters back and forth to each other for years and spent a lot of time in the barn together despite the fact that it's forbidden. Kai, upset with his future as a Post, decides to run away and wants Elliot to come with him, but ultimately, she doesn't as she feels a sense of duty to the estate. Many years go by and the estate is in desperate need for money, so she rents out a shipyard to the Cloud Fleet, led by Captain Malakai Wentworth. Lo and behold, Malakai is none other than Kai from her childhood. But things don't just go back to the way they were before as Kai seems to be holding a grudge and Elliot finds out some secrets about him that are unsettling to say the least. Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars, inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, is a tale that both fans of science fiction and romance will find surprisingly captivating.Goodreads says, "It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology. Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go. But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever. Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it."
Goodreads says, "It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it. The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds."It's been awhile since I last read a really good sci-fi novel. For me, science fiction can be hit or miss, but this one sounds like it has so much potential. And look at that cover--I love it! Let me know what you think.
Rochelle has grown up alongside the two Flynn brothers, Noah and Lee. Lee is her best friend and Noah, known as Flynn, is really just a guy that she secretly adores. He's older and the quintessential bad boy who is always getting into fights. Rochelle, or Elle, has crushed on him for years, but has always been like a little sister to Flynn. Things change as Elle gets older and when she and Lee organize a kissing booth for the Spring Carnival, things start to get complicated for Flynn and Elle. She wants more than anything to be with Noah, but is afraid of the damage it may cause to her friendship with Lee. Her friendship with Lee means everything to her. The Kissing Booth, a debut by teenage author Beth Reekles, is a frothy good time. Teenage girls will love to be lost in The Kissing Booth this summer.Goodreads says, "Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular--and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile--and a total player. And also Elle's best friend's older brother... When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer--this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?"
Goodreads says, "The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him. But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him? Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance."
Goodreads says, "In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiance the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa is obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, the aspiring writer who can't seem to put down a book--or a cocktail--long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired...again. In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women being to realize how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier--and the secrets that only now threaten to surface."I live outside Philadelphia and go to the Jersey Shore every year (not to be confused with Snooki's Jersey Shore), so obviously All the Summer Girls is one of my most anticipated reads of the summer. I love the sound of this one and hopefully it captures what I love most about my favorite beach towns. Let me know what you think!
Goodreads says, "Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth."
Goodreads says, "The Red Umbrella is the moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan—an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution. In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched. As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own. Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? The Red Umbrella is a moving story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home."
Goodreads says, "Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal. Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on. Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…"
