You've Been Volunteered by Laurie Gelman, 304 pages

This is the follow-up book to Gelman's debut, Class Mom. As a class mom myself, I found both of these books hilarious. Main character Jen's take on surviving the school year as a parent had me actually laughing out loud. If you need a light-hearted, easy read- these are the books for you!

I Know You Remember by Jennifer Donaldson, 336 pages

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of I Know You Remember by Jennifer Donaldson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy. I Know You Remember is scheduled to be published Oct. 2019. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I was sucked in from the first few pages and unable to put it down. This book had an intense plot that has you reading as quickly as you can to figure it all out. And, just when I thought I had figured it out... boy was I wrong! This is an instant read for people who love a good YA thriller because I don't think it gets much better than this one in regards to that genre.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, 464 pages

This is the newest book by Lisa Jewell. I've recently became a fan on Jewell so I was excited for a new book. Compared to her other work, this fell a little flat for me but was still a good read. My main complaint with The Family Upstairs was that it was almost too much. It was hard for me to follow which character was who at the beginning and I felt a little lost. This was relatively fast paced and packed full with twists and turns. Definitely not my favorite by Jewell but will be a good read for her fans. 

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks, 209 pages

Pumpkinheads is a new graphic novel that is perfect to get you in the mood for Fall! The story takes place in an adorable pumpkin patch and has tons of food puns. If you're looking for something fast-paced, cute and cozy- this is your book! The illustrations are also great. I read the e-book version and loved it, when I normally struggle to like e-editions better in regard to graphic novels! This was the perfect way to start Fall and get me in the mood for the spooky season!

Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin, 384 Pages

Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin is a book that falls in the thriller/suspense genres. I've read one of Gaylin's books before and struggled to get into it- I'm pretty sure I even had to come back to it at a different time to really enjoy it and finish it. I was surprised at how hooked I was from page one of this one. It's a very intense story with many twists- one of my main complaints being that it seemed like Gaylin tried to add too many in there, making it confusing and overwhelming towards the end. I also found it hard to follow due to the amount of characters and their different identities. I think most avid thriller readers will be able to guess a lot of what is going to happen, but I was caught off guard with one of the main twists at the end, which I appreciated! Overall, I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller!

#Murderfunding by Gretchen McNeil, 336 pages

#MurderFunding is the second book is this series, following #MurderTrending. I was really excited to read this because of how much I loved the first book. #MurderTrending is based around a prison, where the worst criminals are sent to be murdered by people dressed up in costumes, portraying a character that they had created. The prison was monitored by cameras and streamed live online for fans of the show, with each murder receiving a certain amount of points. Eventually, the show was shut down (for obvious reasons,) but that hasn't stopped fans of the show from talking about it constantly online. #MurderFunding follows Becca, after the loss of her mom. Speculation begins on whether or not her mom was one of the original Paniacs, the killers from the show.

I really liked the first book, and while I liked this one... I felt like the hype was too much for what it was. #MurderFunding was extremely politically driven, and I tend to stay away from that in my fictional reading as much as I can. I did think that this book had a good plot, politics aside. If you like Young Adult thrillers or The Purge movies... these are good books for you!

The Haunted by Danielle Vega, 304 pages

The Haunted was frequently referred to as "YA's answer to Stephen King" which made me really excited to read it. I also love anything paranormal, especially a good haunted house book, which is exactly what this was. My opinion of this book was that it was just okay. It wasn't anything great and it's laughable that it was compared to King in any way, but I did find elements of this story really creepy and it was fun to read with Fall right around the corner. This book has been on my radar for quite a while, so I had a lot of hype built up around it, which I think made my overall impression of the book worse than what it could have been. This was a fast read and there was action right from the get-go, which is always a plus. I think this is definitely a good read for someone who doesn't read many thrillers or horror novels and wants to dabble in the genres, but if you're an avid thriller/horror reader for myself, this one will be pretty bland.  

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker, 373 pages

I've been on such a romance-kick lately that I had to read this book after reading the synopsis. Not only did this book sound great, the beautiful cover really caught my eye, too! The type of romance novel that I can't stand is one where the main character is a female who seems to be waiting around for a man to come swoop in and save her. Say You Still Love Me is the complete opposite. Main character, Piper, is an intelligent, driven and independent woman who knows what she wants. I loved that she realized her worth even before the story started, breaking off an engagement that seemed to be picture-perfect to everyone around them. It was so refreshing to read a love story starring a character who didn't need a companion. It made the entire thing more realistic to me, and I really loved this book. 

*Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for my copy of this book in return for an honest review!*

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena, 304 pages

I received an advanced copy of Shari Lapena's newest domestic thriller, Someone We Know. This book is scheduled to be published on July 30, 2019. I overall enjoyed this book and found it to be fast paced, although I do get the "been there, done that" feeling from a lot of Lapena's latest work. I wish she would branch out of the domestic thriller genre but I also understand sticking to what you're good at! This wasn't my favorite Lapena novel, but I did enjoy it and recommend it to anyone who likes a good quick and drama-filled read. I'm sure this will be another hit for Lapena.

Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf, 354 Pages

This book was so addicting, I couldn't put it down. It hits on so many different topics including betrayal, friendship and the unconditional love a parent has for their child. What really made me love this book was how realistic it all is in today's society and the twist at the end really shocked me. I've been recommending this book to everyone I can since I read it and I'm looking forward to reading more by Gudenkauf.

Cora, Jordyn and Violet are supposed to be having a typical sleepover at Cora's house, but plans quickly change when they decide to venture out in the middle of the night to the old rail yard, all because of a local urban legend they've been reading about at school. When Cora is found on the verge of death and the other two are missing, their small town is flipped upside down. Everyone around them quickly becomes a suspect and it's hard to determine who could have done something like this to a child.

Three Little Lies by Laura Marshall, 352 pages

Three Little Lies alternates between 2005 and 2018. In 2005, Ellen and her neighbor become enchanted with the new girl on the street, Sasha, and her exotic family. Sasha's family throws parties, allowing the teens to mingle with adults. Everything comes to a screeching halt when a sexual assault takes place during one of the parties, requiring both Ellen and Sasha to serve as prime witnesses against the family Sasha had been living with. Now it's 2018, and both girls are living together in an apartment, when they hear the news that the man they put behind bars for the assault is now out on the streets .When Sasha goes missing, Ellen fears the worst, but realizes everything isn't how it seems now, or how it seemed back then.

I was really excited to read this because I loved Marshall's other novel, Friend Request. I liked this book okay but definitely didn't love it. I had a hard time keeping all the character's straight, but was appreciative of the ending that I didn't see coming. I still would recommend this to readers who enjoy a fast-paced thriller.

The Better Sister by Alafair Burke, 336 pages

Alafair Burke is an author that I've intended to read for a while now, but never got around to it. I was given an advanced copy of her newest book, The Better Sister, in exchange for an honest review, so I thought this was the perfect time to give her books a try. I was thoroughly impressed with this book, and loved the fact that I wasn't able to figure out the ending early on. This book is also a great read during the times we're in, as it deals a lot with the "Me Too" movement and things of that nature. I really enjoyed this book and will be reading her others soon! The Better Sister is expected to be published on April 16, 2019.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One by Amanda Lovelace, 208 Pages

I've fallen in love with Amanda Lovelace's work, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in poetry but struggles with it, like myself. Lovelace's poems are very contemporary and I find them easier to connect with in my own life, which makes it a more enjoyable read, in my opinion! This is the third book in her Women are Some Kind of Magic series.

Parkland by Dave Cullen, 400 pages

I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw it. I've been reading a lot about the kids in Parkland and the movement that they started, and am really inspired by their activism and passion for change. I previously read Cullen's other book, Columbine, and was equally horrified and hopeful that nothing like that would ever happen again. (Unfortunately, I was wrong.) Parkland is a great representation of what the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas went through that day, but also the change and hope that those events inspired.

No Exit by Taylor Adams, 287 pages

I've seen a ton of buzz around this book online, so I was really anxious to read it. I'm not someone that stays up all night reading, but this book is one that kept me up all night, and I read it in one sitting. This quickly became an instant favorite for me, and will forever be a go-to recommendation for anyone who loves thrillers and horror. My one complaint I had about this book was that it was a little gory for my liking, but it luckily didn't ruin it for me! I honestly loved everything about this story- the plot was captivating and horrifying at the same time, the main character was likable and so. many. plot. twists!!!

Come Find Me by Megan Miranda, 336 pages

I normally love anything and everything that Megan Miranda writes, so I was a little disappointed that I didn't love this book. At the same time, I didn't dislike it, I just think it unfortunately falls flat to the rest of her collection. I think this is intended to be a Young Adult novel, so that may have been why it felt different to her regular fiction. I still would recommend this to patron's, but would definitely recommend her other work before this one!

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix, 337 pages

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix is a supernatural horror novel, but also has some dry humor in there. A tad too unrealistic for me, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, but I still would give this one 3/5 stars. It was fast paced and some parts really made my skin crawl.

Over twenty years after her almost success as the guitarist for metal band Dürk Würk, Kris has hit rock bottom, working as a receptionist at a Best Western and barely getting by. She is still bitter about what split the band up, and now is reeling: Terry, former best friend and lead singer of Dürk Würk is going on tour with his new group, Koffin. Kris decides to confront Terry about what happened, and tries to rally the troops to come with her, including multiple former band members. She soon realizes that Terry's success stemmed for something far more sinister than just screwing over the rest of the band... he potentially sold their souls. 

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, 452 Pages

I was very nervous to read this book because I had such high standards for it. Angie Thomas's first book, The Hate U Give, was a life-changing book for me. Not only was the book phenomenally written, but the story itself is so important. It is one of the few books where I fell in love with the characters, and my heart broke a little bit when I had to let them go. I'm happy to say that On the Come Up lived up to every expectation I had! This is another story that is so well written, and another set of characters that you can't help but feel attached to. Angie Thomas has quickly became one of my favorite authors, and I will read anything and everything that she puts out there.

Bri knows one thing: She wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all-time. Following in her now-dead father's footsteps, Bri starts attending rap battles. Just as she begins to win the battles, and things look like they might start looking up, her mom loses her job and they're on the verge of being evicted. Bri knows that the one thing that would get her and her family out of this situation and out of her neighborhood is making it big. The only problem is, is that the one person who can help her do it expects her to rap about things that aren't an actual part of her personal life- guns, drugs and gangs. She battles an inner-turmoil of doing what she knows will get her top, or staying true to herself.

The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor, 288 pages

I am a sucker for anything horror related, so I was really pleased to read this book and be genuinely scared while reading it. I was having nightmares and had to put it down for a few days to give myself a mental break. I really liked this book, and recommend it to any who loves horror/psychological thrillers.

Never Tell by Lisa Gardner, 416 pages

I received this e-book as an advanced copy from NetGalley. It sounded like something I would love to read, but I got about half-way through and realized that this was the tenth book in a series. Fortunately, this isn't a book that you necessarily have to read in chronological order, but now that I've finished this one I plan on reading the rest of the series! My only complaint about this book was that some of it seemed extremely unrealistic, but it was suspenseful and kept my interest for the most part!