You know that feeling after the last book in a series or a beloved standalone has been read? And it left you...shattered. I recently suffered a post book series hangover of the worst kind - Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. I was moody and melancholic, sometimes I admired the way things were made possible in the end, but mostly I was just plain sad and would break out into tears in the oddest situations. No kidding here, I couldn't help it. I was looking for a book to cheer me up and finally settled with reading another contemporary romance.
I thought I could as well make a list with the books I find uplifting and funny to read after such a last in a series for other readers who are searching for the perfect read! Hope you find something for your end of series blues!
I thought I could as well make a list with the books I find uplifting and funny to read after such a last in a series for other readers who are searching for the perfect read! Hope you find something for your end of series blues!
I've read them all and some might have a slightly sad aspect about them, but mostly they are happy and fun and sexy reads, all in their contemporary glory! What they have in common: a whole team of gorgeous love interests!
1) Sloppy Firsts series by Megan McCafferty
Sarcastic comfort read
5/5 ***** JESSICA DARLING series - Clever, romantic, sarcastic & so much more. YA at its best!
SLOPPY FIRSTS recently had its 12th anniversary. Unbelieveable, but true. This series is in no way inferior to contemporary YA relatives in its originialty or actuality. This is a series that needs to be handed down to your kids, they will surely love to read about that Jessica Darling when they are growing up. And for everyone who hasn't read this series, I suggest you catch up on it now. It doesn't matter if you are 13 or 30, you will get and love it!
2) Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally 5/5 ***** CATCHING JORDAN- Touch down! Miranda Kenneally scores with a dynamic and super sweet story that's all about doing what you love and finding a way to be with the one you love in return.
CATCHING JORDAN is the awesome debut by Miranda Kenneally that I counted to my favourite YA contemporaries after only a few pages into the story. I’m sure you will love it!
Sporty allrounder!
3) Adorkable by Sarra Manning
Cheeky alternative
"The Adorkable Manifesto
1. We have nothing to declare but our dorkiness.
2. Jumble sales are our shopping malls.
3. Better to make cookies than be a cookie-cutter.
4. Suffering doesn’t necessarily improve you but it does give you something to blog about.
5. Experiment with Photoshop, hair dye, nail polish and cupcake flavours but never drugs.
6. Don’t follow leaders, be one.
7. Necessity is the mother of customisation.
8. Puppies make everything better.
9. Quiet girls rarely make history.
10. Never shield your oddness, but wear your oddness like a shield."
― Adorkable by Sarra Manning
4) How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Kick-ass roadtrip
5/5 ***** HOW MY SUMMER WENT UP IN FLAMES - A debut charged with
exquisite and summery road trip fun you don't want to miss out on!
Jen's book came out only a few days ago and I've read it twice already.
You know what makes me so giddy with excitement I could do a book dance
all day? Jennifer is working on a sequel to HOW MY SUMMER WENT UP IN
FLAMES! There aren't many sequels or series in YA contemporary so it's
no wonder I'm craving a continuation of a story I loved very much. I
can't wait to possibly read more about Rosie and the boys' story!
5) This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
"From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:18 PM To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: what happy looks like
Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of the waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on
the couch. Evening strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good
cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes
in the water. Pajama pants. Flip‑flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence
of smiley faces in an e‑mail.
What does it look like to you?"
Soothing romance
6) A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Sexy temptation
Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.
Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.
Summary by Goodreads
7) My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Everyday life darling
The Garretts are
everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And
every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed
wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett
climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in
love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant,
the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an
impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time
she saved herself?
Summary by Goodreads
8) Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
"Wanderlove is about forgetting the bad things and focusing on the good. Out with the old and in with the new... The only way to escape the past is to keep moving forward."― Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
Beautiful journey
9) Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles Hot lover
"I want to try making things right because picking up the pieces is way better than leaving them the way they are."
― Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
10) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins ― Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Dreamy adventure
5/5
***** ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS - A Parisian delightfulness, just the right
choice for book worms with a sweet tooth searching for a sugary and
romantic read!
ANNA
AND THE FRENCH KISS is
that chic and utterly romantic and cute and yet so real and casual love
story that probably is one of my most favourite contemporary romance
novels.
This is a book that every fan of contemporary romances should get his
hands on
ASAP!
I haven't read any of them except Perfect chemistry and Anna and the french kiss, which I loved (especially Anna which is simply amazing!). But they all seem really great and perfect for taking your mind off things.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Sarah Dessen books ? She's one of my favorite authors and her books are of the same kind.
I have two Sarah Dessen books on my TBR pile. I bought them two years ago for my vacation, but hadn't got to read them. I really should this summer!
DeleteYes you should :D What ones do you have??
DeleteI have The Truth About Forever and Along For the Ride. Have you read them?
DeleteYES! And I loved them. I think they're two of my favorites... but they all are really beautiful so it's hard to choose :)
DeleteThere's just Keeping the moon, That summer and The Moon and More that I haven't read yet. But I can't wait to do so!
I just LOVE The Jessica Darling Series, not to mention that Wanderlove and Anna and the French Kiss are two of my favorite books EVER. Catching Jordan, Adorkable, and Perfect Chemistry are all such cute reads too! Great list! :D
ReplyDelete~Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings
Such a fantastic list of awesome books! I picture myself reading them on my porch with a tall glass of lemonade. They're made for it!
ReplyDeleteI just requested Sloppy Firsts from the library! I am pretty excited to get to it. I absolutely loved My Life Next Door. One of the best books I have ever read. I know what you mean about a beloved series coming to an end. It does something to ya.
ReplyDeleteSara @ Just Another Story
I need to read more books like this but it seems my book club always picks fantasy! I want to skip some of the picks but since I moderate I try to read all the books they read. So many books so little time!
ReplyDeleteAngie
Angela's Anxious Life
I adore this list! Yes, the Jessica Darling books! Love them! And Anna and the French Kiss, for sure. Well, any of her books. And I ordered How My Summer Went Up In Flames and can't wait to read it! I loved Wanderlove too! Okay, so I read most of these and loved them. Good picks!
ReplyDeleteI'm always on the lookout for a contemporary comfort reads, especially with the Summer around the corner, so thank you for these great recommendations, there's so many on here that I still need to read! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your list, while I love YA I do not read a lot of contemporary YA aside from Pushing the Limit and Slammed, you get the picture. My go to feel good read is usually a historical romance or romantic suspense. Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteI've only read the last four and they're on my favorite list :) I'll try to read the others on your list this summer :) Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteJennifer Salvato Doktorski is at the highest place on my tbr list heh. Also, Kody Keplinger's A Midsummer's Nightmare and My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick are so, so, so good! I kinda missed the reason for all the hype while reading Anna and the French Kiss and Perfect Chemistry - they weren't the worst reads, but I didn't enjoy them that much either. I think I was too harsh with Anna and her French buddies, but it didn't work for me. I'm loaning this to a bunch of my friends atm and hopefully they'll enjoy Anna's magical time in Paris more than I did. The rest of the books I haven't read and would love to check them out while at beach or a cozy summer night at home - they sound amazing! Thanks for bringing them to my attention ;-)
ReplyDeleteSiiri @ Little Pieces of Imagination
I must admit that I'm not a huge contemporary reader, but I definitely want to read This is What Happy Looks Like and the Jessica Darling series this summer. It's nice to read happy-making books every now and then. :)
ReplyDeleteStephanie Perkins' books have such a distinct feel-good quality to them. I loved both Anna and Lola, and can't wait to read the final one. I need to get started on the Jessica Darling series! Plenty of friends have recommended that one to me. I'm glad you're a fan! :)
ReplyDeleteOhhh yes, contemporaries of the chic-lit variety are the best for getting over book hangovers! I know exactly what you mean because I've experienced it, as well, many a time. Now I'm not a huge contemporary reader normally, but when it comes for needing a feel good read, these are the types of book I turn to. I still really REALLY need to read the Sloppy Firsts series! You make these all sound so good!
ReplyDeleteWe are totally simpatico when it comes to books, I think 'cause some of these are my faves! LOVEEE Anna, Catching Jordan, Perfect Chemistry, My Life Next Door, & Wanderlove. So freaking good!
ReplyDeleteAlso I really need to finish reading the Jessica Darling books. I own the first few but I've only read the first two, I think, and that was YEARS ago.
I have only read Anna and the French Kiss out of these books, and I kind of hated it :\ But still! Awesome list :D The books looks amazing, think I need to check them out soon :) Thank you for sharing. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on my blog. <3
Love, Carina @ Carina's Books
Yes to Anna, My Life Next Door, Wanderlove and the first two in this list. I need to read all of the other ones but I'm sure they're awesome as well. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDelete