3 contemporary books that you must read; please.

As a person - and a reader - I'm a 100% all fantasy-team. But, I believe in branching out to other genres every once in a while and it could be so refreshing. Doing just that, I stumbled on three of my top favorite books of all time, and they're not fantasy; they're YA / Contemporary books. 

I'd definitely recommend that you pick all three because they'll give you a new way to see writing, and words from a new - very beautiful - perspective.

Here they're:

1. I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson. 

A powerful read about family struggles, loss, friendship, first loves and Art. I was so enthralled by Noah and Jude 's story that I blocked out the world for the entire length of the book. Reading it, I saw all the pages in color splashes, I felt for Noah's loss, for Jude's struggles and for all their dreams. I loved seeing the world through Noah's eyes and through Jude's sayings book.

It's a book that will take you far away into your soul and by the end you wouldn't want to let go because you'll find yourself somewhere in between the lines of the story. 

2. Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A wonderful story that puts teenage years in the most realistic way there is. One boy with issues and another who has a new, wonderfully weird, way to look at the world around him. With friendship, each complete the missing parts in the other and with them you discover that the universe can reveal a lot to you by throwing the right person in your path. When friendship, love and adventure are meant to be. “I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand.” 3. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland StoneWhen i picked up this book I felt that something clicked inside my soul and it was like I found something I've been looking for a while.  The main character is extremely easy to relate to; I truly understood what’s driving her and where she’s coming from. The over thinking, the constant worrying about literally everything, the fear of speaking up your mind, mainly being stuck in your own head, and of course her total obsession and utter fascination with words; for I myself believe that words are a release, a home to every person out there no matter what they’re dealing with. Words are power, strength and an endless source of passion. 

Since you've been gone by Morgan Matson

Author: Morgan Matson
Rating: 4.75/5 stars.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published May 6th 2014
by Simon & Schuster

 Goodreads synopsis: 

"It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um... 

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find? Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?"

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This is my second Morgan Matson read and I've come to realize that her books are in some form a sort of addiction; you just can't get enough. Since You've been Gone was a read that made me feel like I've been injected with sunshine mixed with a dose of cheerful thoughts and bright smiles. 

The synopsis grabbed my attention and I loved seeing how it got to be developed into a light and fun read. The characters are so realistic, same goes to the story and that's what I enjoy the most about Matson's books; they're extremely close to reality. There's nothing in her stories that would seem impossible to accomplish or have. It's a quite the positive thought in this world. 

I loved all characters, Emily and Frank were my favorites. I could see where Emily is coming from, I understood her social awkwardness and her lack of capacity to make small talks, friends or even to go out of her comfort zone. She was a girl who was quite comfortable in her small, safe life with her one friend, a girl who didn't even know that she's capable of lots of adventures. 

I loved seeing her how growing into herself with every item - more like dare - on the list, giving up at first then going and giving herself another chance. I love love loved her character development. 

As for Frank, the A+ boy, dedicated worker ... I loved how daring he became how he figured out step by step that life has more to it. With him change started with a will to run, to learn something new. And oh boy I loved how a dedicated fan to The Beatles he was. 

I loved Emily's brother, a perfect tiny example for bravery and boldness. I love to think that this little guy had something to do with her readiness to take on a challenge. 

I loved Collins, he cracked me up.

The down side for me was Sloane and Dawn. 

If you really think about it, we didn't actually meet Sloane, she was this ghost of a character that got revealed in the last 5 pages; I would've loved to know more about her.

Dawn on the other hand, I didn't like how she jumped into Emily's life when she needed to and gave up on her the minute things got tough a bit. 

Overall, this was an amazing read. I'd totally recommend it; it put me in such a good, happy mood. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Author: Laini Taylor
Rating: 5/5 stars. 
Genre: Urban Fantasy / YA /
Paranormal
Published September 27th 2011
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Goodreads synopsis:

"Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

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“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well.” 

Has it ever crossed your mind that there might be a parallel universe to ours? One where angels and demons exist, where once upon a time magic was the core of their existence? Where power and hunger for control turned the most delicate souls into monsters? Turned angels into hunters, killer soldiers? In this book - first one in a trilogy - Laini Taylor brought said hypothetical theory to life; and oh sweet lord did she do an amazing job with that; I did not see that load of imagination coming at me. 

Raised half in our world, half in “Elsewhere”, Karou has managed to keep her two lives balanced. In our world, she’s a seventeen year old art student in Prague. In Elsewhere, she’s the human girl who runs errands to a monstrous creature - if looks are the only judge in the case, other than that he's the sweetest person ever - the closest thing she has to family. 

Twice per week, she receives a note from Brimstone – the man, chimera who raised her – that says: “Errand requiring immediate attention.” and Karou always goes whenever he calls; though he never says Please.

Brimstone’s dark work; buying all kind of teeth from hunters and murderers, she never understood the reason behind it, nor who she is or she came into his keeping. Her past is a mystery, a question always dismissed whenever it comes up. 

Our story begins spiraling to action when around the world, the doors that lead to Elsewhere are being branded and shut, trapping her on the other side of the only family she knows. What she doesn't know is that it would lead her to discover her past.

Reading this book was like being thrown right into the middle of a piece of art, a master piece of colors, life and magic, it was stunning. Laini Taylor’s writing is extremely poetic, rich, divine and very extraordinarily bizarre; her words are the kind that doesn’t take that long to reach the deepest place in your heart. The world she put onto those 420 pages was so mind blowing, it took me to an entirely different place in my mind and I found myself soaring, happily, between the pages. 
She used weird names for her characters, she brought to life myths long forgotten and she took me to a new place in the world that I’ve never thought wanted to visit one day; now I do. 

“The streets of Prague were a fantasia scarcely touched by the twenty-first century—or the twentieth or nineteenth, for that matter. It was a city of alchemists and dreamers, its medieval cobbles once trod by golems, mystics, invading armies. Tall houses glowed goldenrod and carmine and eggshell blue, embellished with Rococo plasterwork and capped in roofs of uniform red. Baroque cupolas were the soft green of antique copper, and Gothic steeples stood ready to impale fallen angels. The wind carried the memory of magic, revolution, violins, and the cobbled lanes meandered like creeks. Thugs wore Motzart wigs and pushed chamber music on street corners, and marionettes hung in windows, making the whole city seem like a theater with unseen puppeteers crouched behind velvet.” 

How beautiful is that? I mean, that’s just exquisite. 

From the first page, I immediately loved Karou with her blue hair, confident, artistic, spunky and completely out of the ordinary character. The way she looked at the worlds she lives in through her art and how she put her heart into everything she does. She’s definitely become one of my absolute favorite female protagonists. 

Akiva , this man just skyrocketed to the top of my favorite-male-characters list in just a few pages. Badass, strong, drop-dead-gorgeous, from the first time he showed up, my heart went out to him, you could see a tortured soul behind those tiger eyes of his; turning himself into a brutal, soulless monster, hidden behind the mask of vengeance. I kept asking myself the same question Karou asked herself: “What could’ve possibly happened to this beautiful creature to rip his soul out of him like that?” And oh boy when I found out, it was one of those moments where I needed to just curl on myself and weep. Weep for this ethereal being, tortured man, broken and in pain from years of grief and mourning. 

Brimstone , the father figure, I loved that man. I really did, he’s the kind that makes you feel safe, loved while throwing you right in the middle of danger; if that makes any sense. 

Zusana , this girl was a fierce soul; besties-for-life-goal kind of girl. She never takes no for an answer and never stands down from a fight; such a ballsy girl for her tiny - marionette - size. I loved how she reacted to Karou telling her the truth about her worlds, how she totally accepted it and acted on it like it was the normal thing for past years. I can’t wait to get to read more of her. 

Laini Taylor’s story was like violin music, filled with raw emotions, that flows out of the pages right into your heart. I loved how she didn’t just write the story about love, but it was about hope as well. Hope for a better world, a better future; one where every kind of being gets to live peacefully. The myths she created for every world, the quotes she put on every chapters separated, each told an entirely different magical story and I just loved drowning in them. The out-of-the-box characters she created - Issa, Twiga, Kishmish, Yasri and even Hazael and Liraz. 

Favorite books of 2016.

In hours 2017 will be upon us.

A new year is starting and I simply can't say goodbye without expressing how a good reading year 2016 was.

This year i stopped caring about the Goodreads challenge; and it was such a relief. I didn't stress myself at all into reading, unfortunately i DNF many books; the way i see it is that if you're not enjoying a book, put it down pick something else up and go back to it later. I read so many amazing books this year, to a point that looking back at it i wanted to put like a 20 books up there on the list; but oh well.

I read a total of 82 books; including re-reads, so without further ado, let's get started with my list:

#1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This book was the highlight of my year; I don't even know how to begin to explain how much I loved it. Maybe the fact that from its release date until today I've read it FOUR times. I don't think I've ever done that before. But it was SO good, addictive, seductive and action, romance and FEELS packed. 

#2. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Oh god the feels with this book. Clare once again amazed the hell out of me with her awesome ability to create a big cast of characters where you develop attachment to each single one as you go; even her villains are lovable. I won't talk about the new shadowhunter-crush; Julian Blackthorn because that boy had me hugging the book for about an hour after i finished it from the heart-wrenching feels. 

#3. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

What a ride this duo-logy was !

What an awesome cast of characters, I actually feel withdrawal now that i've finished it; I want more of them. Leigh took us back to the Grisha world with a new squad, and I didn't dislike ANY of them. My god they were all so dynamic and bad-ass; especially Mr. Kaz Brekker because damn it that guy kills. I certainly hope that Leigh writes more about them because missing them is so painful. 

#4. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

All you need to know is that book broke me, from deep inside to the outside I couldn't function like a normal person for days after it. I read it all in one sitting - a 13 hours one but still. My core system was shocked, my nerves were fried and I did not see Maas taking it to THAT direction; holy crap this surprised me.

I'm scared to even think about what book 6 will do to me. 

#5. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

You know when you pick up a book and you feel like you just heard something clicking deep within you; like a clockwork cog fitting with its twin, a piece of puzzle falling into place. 

That's how I described reading this book. 

It was one of those contemporaries that you relate to so much that you can feel yourself right in the story. 

#6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A beautiful, poetic read that made me fall in love with the entire universe. It spiraled up to the top of my all time favorites, right up with I'll Give you the Sun and that is something people. I loved it all, the friendship, the romance, the life withing this book. It was all so beautiful.

#7. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Holy crap this woman can write. 

Schwab knows her words, she knows how to keep you stuck in your chair until you finish the book. She knows how to write villains and monsters and make you fall head-over-heels in love with them. 

I loved how she connected monsters with power, music and beauty and ughhh... SO GOOD !!

#8. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them by J. K. Rowling

Now wait a minute so I'd fangirl about the fact that in 2016 a J. K. Rowling book is on my list AFTER 9 YEARS!!!!

Oh my god, the feels, the memories the thrill and the mystery of it all. I can't even express how much I enjoyed the movie and how much I enjoyed the screen-play. She took us back into the wizarding world we grew up in and made it all new and all ... Magical. 

#9. The Falling Kingdom series by Morgan Rhodes

Are you a Game of thrones fan? 

Then this series is definitely for you because oh.my.god it's so addictive. I loved everything about the world, the setting, the plot and the characters. I binged the first three, and procrastinated reading the fourth I didn't want the wait for the fifth book to be long but I caved and loved it. 

Now I'm in pain waiting still for the fifth book to arrive. 

Now these where my favorite books of 2016, what were your favorite reads this year ?

January'17, book of the month.

2017 is tomorrow.

Can you even believe it ?

Let's put a new spin to the new year; a book-club is the way I decided to do that. 

If you still don't know what "Around Cairo Reads" is; it's a book-club where every month a book will be chosen to be read at your own pace throughout the entire month. 

Each month's read will be different and the whole idea is that us - readers - read together and discover fantastic new books with each other. Instagram talks and tweets will be posted throughout the month under the #aroundcairoreads; so come on hop on board. 

The extra thing is that the reads who live in Cairo get to MEET at the end of each month; so follow the hashtag for the meeting date and place announcement. 

For now that is all. 

Now are you read for the book of January?

You better be because I've only heard AMAZING things about it. 

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it's the long awaited, queen of hearts story retelling ; Heartless by the one and only Marissa Meyer.

Go ahead and grab your copy and join the read. 

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.