My Top 5 Books of July 2014

Umm, how is it August already?  Because I am so not ready for school to start in a couple weeks!  Thankfully, I still managed to squeeze in a small amount of reading this past month despite being gone at camp for a week.  Here are the books I read in July:

- Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
- Nantucket Red by Leila Howland
- This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
- The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
- House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple
- The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
- Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
- The Falconer by Elizabeth May
- Take Me On by Katie McGarry
- Death Sworn by Leah Cypess
- After the End by Amy Plum
- Deliverance by C. J. Redwine

Yikes, I seriously need to step up on my reading game!  My top five:

1. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  I'm convinced that no matter what genre JLA chooses to write, it's gonna be awesome.  This book is different than what she usually writes; it's a contemporary thriller with a mystery twist.  I loved it!  Suspenseful, humorous, addictive, and everything that a JLA book should be.

2. Take Me On by Katie McGarry.  GAH.  She writes the BEST contemporary romances ever!  I love how she can take the most cliched romance storyline and spin it into this emotional story that will make you tear up.  And she writes some of the best book boyfriends ever. ;) West was so swoon-worthy and I loved him and Haley together!

3. Death Sworn by Leah Cypess.  This book wasn't even on my to-read list, I just grabbed it randomly at the library because I remembered skimming some bloggers' reviews of it.  Now I'm sooo glad that I did, because this fantasy book kept me turning the pages late into the night.  Creative and full of action.  Also, loved how the chemistry developed into a romance!  I had to make a concentrated effort not to squeal out loud at the adorableness of the growing romance between Illeni and her love interest, lol.  Loved it!

4. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith.  Another fantastic contemporary author.  I always highly enjoy her books; they are this lovely mixture of thoughtful reflections on life, uniquely developed characters, sweet yet realistic romances, and touches of humor here and there.  This one was about long-distance relationships and if they can really work, and I adored it.  Such a fun read!

5. Deliverance by C. J. Redwine.  An awesome ending to a fantasy trilogy that I've loved.  I will say I preferred the other books in this series, though.  For some reason it took me longer to get through this one, I guess the pacing was a little slow and it didn't hold my attention the whole time.  But overall it's a solid ending to a series I'll always love.  Lots of action and amazing character development.  I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

What books have you read lately that you loved?

~ Kaitlyn