The Monday Mix basically gives me the opportunity to share with all of you the links I loved online from weeks past. This includes everything from great reviews, articles about writing, inspiring posts and perhaps other things too. I've always valued the opportunity to share the great things I've read or seen, and this is my way to share the love with all the bloggers, authors + pubs out there!

• "Books don't make you smart. Stories do." Maggie Stiefvater wrote a thoughtful post after the crazy scuffle over YA on the internet, and I really loved it.
• "I decided to create a guide to enhance and better your already amazing Dangerous Girls reading experience." This amazing set of infographics for Dangerous Girls that Racquel made are seriously AWESOME. You should definitely go and check it out!
• Janice Hardy shares tips on how to keep your plot moving! I really like that these feel very practical, and will definitely be using them for my own WIP.
• "Read anything. Read everything." EC Myers hits the nail on this head about how writers are readers.
• "Whenever a book pops up that I’m unsure about, I wait for one or more of my canaries to read it and report back." Shae talks about book canaries, sharing what that term means and who her book canaries are. (I'm honored to be included, by the way!)
• "Bloggers are first and foremost really passionate people." This guest post over at Novelicious is pretty lovely. (Thanks Cuddlebuggery girls!)
• If you want to get sucker punched in the Harry Potter feels, this Buzzfeed post is for you.
• Leah had some pretty interesting thoughts on what it means to be a well-read reader. 
• "I would argue that a big reason behind the popularity of YA with adults is that the transitions between each phase of adulthood echo the same trials and insecurities of adolescence. We never really stop coming of age because the age keeps changing." I loved this article by Leigh Bardugo!
• Remember how we all suddenly found out that Fairest, a prequel novel about Queen Levana, was going to exist?

When thirteen-year-old Margaret's father is unfairly sentenced to death by the cruel Judge Biggs, she is determined to save him, even if it means using her family's secret-and forbidden-ability to time travel. With the help of her best friend, Charlie, and his grandpa Josh, Margaret goes back to a time when Judge Biggs was a young boy and tries to prevent the chain of events that transformed him into a corrupt, jaded man. (from Goodreads)

Before I begin telling you about Saving Lucas Biggs, can we take a minute to marvel at how gorgeous this cover is? I'm really obsessed with the colors, and the whimsical look to it.

Saving Lucas Biggs was definitely a good read. The novel combined whimsical elements (the time travel) with more realistic ones (Margaret's father's current circumstances) in a really appealing way. Honestly, I expected this story to be pretty straightforward and predictable, but the way things were resolved still managed to surprise me - and I like it!

For such a young set of main characters (yes, thirteen feels young to me!), they are facing such serious issues. I won't go into detail here, but it has a lot to do with unfair pay, unjust decisions and unnecessary deaths, both in the present and past. These issues, however, lead our main characters on a journey that teaches readers an important lesson: how actions affect the course of a person's life, their choices and how they choose to be.

That, really, is the heart behind this novel. Margaret goes into the past, visiting her best friend Charlie's grandfather Josh at her age. Together, they attempt to change the future by altering the past to change the circumstances that turned Judge (Lucas) Biggs into the cold, hard man he is. The adventure is fraught with risk, tension and danger - and yet, I couldn't stop reading until I found out if they were going to succeed or not.

Apart from the moral lesson readers will take away, the characters were really great. Margaret and Josh were excellent main characters, and I could root for them immediately. Charlie, Margaret's best friend, is definitely a prime example of support and encouragement, and Josh, Charlie's grandfather and formerly Lucas' childhood friend, was wonderful as well.

The writing too, is a testament to the authors' skills, as it flows well, easing from one perspective to the next smoothly. The only complaint I have is the slightly abrupt ending, but it wasn't too off-putting overall.

I did like Saving Lucas Biggs. The concept is simple enough, but the authors really brought it to life with great characters, and excellent plotting. If you're intrigued by the sound of time travel and changing the future through altering the past, well then, Saving Lucas Biggs is probably right up your alley!

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss—the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died—is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn’t a suicide as everyone assumes. She can’t remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she’s worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend. 

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she’ll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made—good and bad—that led to her last kiss. (from Goodreads)

My Last Kiss, as a title, sounds quite ominous. Indeed, Cassidy's story is one rife with tragedy, sorrow, anger and guilt -- and it's not even clear which of the characters should be feeling any/all of these from the get go. The story serves as an exploration into Cassidy's life before her death, and as she works to solve the mystery surrounding it and figure out what really happened to her.

This novel is part contemporary, part mystery, part ghost story. Of all three parts, the mystery caught my interest straightaway. I wanted to find out who had "pushed" Cassidy off the bridge, or if she'd really been pushed at all. Having so many suspects with various possible motives provided a sea of alibis and evidence to go through. But the unraveling happened cautiously, slowly and the pieces just fell into place with perfect timing right around the end of the story. (And that ending totally surprised me, by the way!)

Other than the mystery, I didn't particularly care for anything else. The characters fell flat to me, appearing as caricatures based on their role in Cassidy's life. Plus, the ghost aspect of it (which obviously made checking on suspects and finding evidence and following people easier) was slightly confusing and a little off-putting.

My Last Kiss was simply a diverting mystery for the time I was reading it. By the time I hit that (surprise of an) ending though, I was ready to be done with the novel and these characters since I hadn't gotten anything really significant out of reading about Cassidy and her death. While the writing wasn't horrible, the story wasn't particularly memorable and thus, this novel was just okay.

Can you believe we’re at the end of June already? I certainly can’t! To me, it’s kind of scary to think that half the year is through! I know that there’s plenty more time before 2014 ends, but still, it’s crazy how fast time is flying by! Since we’re around the mid-year mark, I thought I’d do a mini-update post.

• I returned to my previous job in February, after having been away in the Philippines for half a year last year. It’s almost like I never left, as I was able to easily assimilate back into the tasks that I used to do. We moved to a new office in April, and I’m loving the larger desk space, better lighting and building location a whole ton. Plus, one of my closest friends and I share a work area, and it’s awesome!
• Macky & I are still waiting on the final verdict for his visa situation. If all goes as well as expected, he should be able to join me in the US by our wedding anniversary in September! I’m really hoping for that (especially since we’re plotting an Orlando trip to celebrate). So, keep us in your prayers and send lots of positive vibes our way please!
• I feel like I’ve finally managed to come to a point where I’m content with who I am, and the friends I’ve chosen to surround myself with (real life, church, blogger or otherwise). It’s pretty great, because I’m almost never in awkward situations, and really know how to stand my ground and not get talked into doing things that I wouldn’t want to in the first place.
• My sister and I have been roommates again since October, and it’s pretty great. While Mel is decidedly messier than I am, it doesn’t wind up causing any problems! Though we’re very different people (and at different stages in our lives), it’s just fun to have family to come home to, share experiences with and talk to. (She also got a job, by the way, so please think plenty of good thoughts that she gets hired after her probation period!)
• I’m feeling a bit restless life-wise. I’m still pinpointing if it’s something that can be fixed with a vacation, or if it’s something that requires a bigger life change in general. While it helps to do fun things like blog and play tourist in NYC, the ache hasn’t quite eased.
• I’m learning how to exercise, eat right and just generally take better care of myself. Listening to my body and respecting its wishes was never something I used to do; instead, I would push, push, push myself to the breaking point. It’s a slow journey, but I know that it will be worthwhile in the end.

• In terms of consistency, I’ve been doing very well! I’ve been able to post 5-7 days a week, as well as regularly vlog (so you can hear me babble like a silly person) too. It pleases me that I can be so regular, and it definitely helps that I can often schedule posts in advance.
• I’ve been doing quite a few blog collaborations with friends! It’s really fun to work with other bloggers, and I’m always open to opportunities to do so. I’ll be touching more on this during August for Friendship Month!
• I got to attend BEA + publisher events + signings! There were a lot of fun times to be had, as I always consider it quite a privilege to meet authors and publishing contacts that I love. Plus, BEA was prime time to hang out with blogger friends I rarely get to see in person!
• Because I read during my commutes and in most of my spare time, I’ve successfully gotten halfway past my reading goal for the year and have managed to sort of stay on top of my review pile too. It’s my goal to read more books I own in the second half of the year!
• I’ve been getting lots of ideas & concepts for this story that’s been tickling at my mind since early March. I might just have to gather all my notes, then finally sit down at my computer and make myself continue it!

• PRAY – I’ve been working on integrating reading the Bible into my daily life, and I do it either before I go to sleep or when I wake up in the morning. While I haven’t been journaling as much as I like yet, I’m hoping to learn how to integrate that in as well.
• REFLECT – I’m pretty good at updating my weekly planner with all the things I’ve gotten up to! However, I’m not quite journaling as much as I’d like. It’s a shame too because my journal is nearly finished and I can get a new one… if I would write in it more.
• SHARE – I’m giving myself an A+ in this particular item, because I’ve been doing all the things I’ve said I would and more! It’s become important to me to nurture HEALTHY relationships, and it is happening.
• TRAVEL – I’ll be going to Philly next week, so that counts? I also have plans to go up to Boston for a day sometime this summer! (Hi Andi & Sarah!) I also think I want to venture to Florida at some point, and visit Niagara Falls.
• SAVE – I’m giving myself an F on this because overall, I’m not managing money well. I’m fixing to remedy that in the latter half of the year. Plus, since Mel is a fan of spreadsheets, she’s made this awesome expense report format that I am totally copying.
• WRITE – Blog posts are being written (which is a lot of words indeed), but stories are not. I did mention this in the previous section though!
• READ – Obviously, this is working out very well indeed if you’ve seen my Goodreads goal status. I read a lot.
• COOK – Yeah, not happening, except for things I already know how to make (like breakfast foods). But I do have a few recipes stacked up to try! And we just got some new cookware in our apartment, so I’m more inclined to try.
• SING – I practice a lot, and have playlists dedicated to songs I want to learn to sing. However, I’ve never recorded my songs yet. It may or may not happen. (Should I?)
• BLOG/VLOG – I’m doing pretty good at this, I think, as based on my thoughts in the previous section. Especially the vlogging bit.

• I’ve been able to achieve 7 out of the 24 squares, which is roughly about a third or so. I already have a few more squares I’ll be able to cross off come July, and will make plans to systematically knock out as many as I can before the year ends.
• Here are the ones I’ve accomplished:
• Meet a celebrity.
• Watch a sporting event. (Half point because it wasn’t live)
• Get 100 likes on a Facebook or Instagram post.
• Meet an author.
• Visit another state.
• Sing a karaoke song solo.
• Take a class.

Whew! There you have it, the current state of things in my world! I’ve definitely managed to accomplish a lot more than I thought I did, but there’s totally room for me to do much more before 2014 ends. I’m crossing my fingers that my year-end report will have more things crossed off my lists!

YOUR TURN – If you set New Year’s goals/resolutions, how are you doing in accomplishing them? If not, were there any things you were hoping to do/hoping to happen this year? Have any suggestions for how I can complete goals (especially on the bingo board)?

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them... all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control. (from Goodreads)

• the Song sisters

• their father

Today's the day, y'all - it's PROM DAY! Gaby & I hope that you're geared up to share your dream YA prom with us, as we're very excited to share our posts with you. Without further ado, I present to you my YA prom!

Well, really, it's proms, plural. One's a "dream YA prom" scenario, and the other one's the "real YA prom" scenario. If you want to understand why I've listed them as so, you can read the short (ish) story I'm including at the end of this post! (This is obviously my version of a loophole.)

(1) The Dress: Badgley Mischka Glitz Gown (Sparkles are a girl's best friend!)

(2) The Date: Chaol Westfall from the Throne of Glass series (Obviously.)

(3) The Theme: Fairytales (Because I like my happily ever afters. And once upon a times, too.)

(1) The Dress: Flirt by Maggie Sotero Beaded Sequin Tulle Ball gown (Blue + sparkles + tulle!)

(2) The Date: Sam from the Incarnate series (I love him.)

(3) The Theme: Masquerade (Who doesn't love the mystery of a good masquerade?)

And now, just for kicks, here is a photo from my real prom night:

And because it matters most, meet my prom date for the rest of my life:

Don't forget to add your link to the Linky too:

Now, that's basically the actual YA Prom post I've made, but I was a little inspired by dreaming up these prom scenarios that I ended up writing a bit of story to go with it. (And to explain the two scenarios.) You can read it below if you like!

With a make-or-break world championship on the line, professional surfer Tanner Wright has come back to the coastal California hometown he left a decade ago, carrying only his board and the painful knowledge of his father’s infidelity. Now that Hank Wright is dead, Tanner intends to keep the secret buried to spare his mother and sister the burden.

The last time Avalon Knox saw her best friend’s brother, she was fourteen and he was a twenty-year-old surfer god. She’s never understood or respected the way Tanner distanced himself from the family that has embraced her. But now she has the professional chance of a lifetime: to photograph Tanner for the competition—if he’ll agree.

Out on the waves, they find in each other passion that’s impossible to resist. And Tanner’s not the only one trying to move forward from his past. As the competition heats up, secrets get spilled, and lust takes over. How close can Avalon get to this brooding surfer…without getting burned? (from Goodreads)

When Eros (aka Cupid) is expelled from Olympus for defying Zeus after falling in love with Orion, she is banished to what she believes to be hell. We call it New Jersey. If she ever wants to go back to the comforts of her old life, she will have to find love for three couples—without using her powers.

Eros, now calling herself True, immediately identifies her first project in Charlie and believes finding him love will be a piece of cake. Charlie is new at school and eager to break out of his old image of band geek, so it’s lucky for him when he falls in with the right crowd on his first day. But music is still his passion. That is, until he meets Katrina...

Katrina is floundering after the death of her father and takes refuge with a boy who, while not entirely supportive, will be there when she needs him, unlike her mother. Too bad True thinks any girl Charlie talks to is perfect for him. Can she get out of her own way and help Charlie and Katrina connect, or will she be stuck in New Jersey forever? (from Goodreads)

For Review

YOUR TURN - What books did you pick up this week? Have you read any of the ones I mentioned or are you interested in reading them?

[I received this book for review from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

Since defeating Lord Scargrave with her music, Lucy, the last Chantress, has lived by the sea, mastering the intricacies of Wild Magic. But now her quiet life is about to end: the wheat crop has failed, the people are rebelling, and Lucy is called urgently back to King Henry IX’s court. There she finds the Inner Council planning to save England by making gold through alchemy. But the golden crucible — the critical element in the alchemical process — has been stolen, its guards murdered. Lucy is charged with finding the traitor behind the attack. 

Meanwhile, enemies old and new are gathering. Scargrave's brutal Chantress-hunter has become King Henry's closest advisor. Lucy’s beloved Nat has fallen out of favor and is shunned by his colleagues; their romance means trouble for both of them. Worst of all, something goes wrong with Lucy’s magic. The palace is a labyrinth, and there’s a monster at its heart — a monster who may have the power to defeat Lucy once and for all. (from Goodreads)

Chantress Alchemy may be second in its series, but it certainly stands well on its own. All I know is I tore through the pages of this novel, eager to know what would happen to Lucy, to the King, and to the rest of the Kingdom. Basically, Greenfield has managed that rare trick of writing a sequel that's even better than its predecessor. 

If you've read my review of Chantress, one of my comments on Lucy was that she faded into a crowd of typical fantasy heroines. Chantress Alchemy has certainly shifted that opinion! Lucy's found her footing when it comes to her magic, an admirable and intimidating talent... until it starts to act up. Fears about her messed-up magical abilities and lack of defenses aside, Lucy earned my admiration when she refused to let it get the best of her. She looks for alternatives to her magic, remains practical in the face of danger (from the King, his council and forces unseen) and refuses to believe it's gone forever. 

Even though Lucy became a character I could root for, my favorite part of Chantress Alchemy lies not with her but in its story. It, quite simply, took me away into the world of England in the 1600s -- and I loved it. It was infinitely more compelling than Chantress, because there was less story set-up required. The best part, though, lies in the fact that the story was unpredictable up until very near the end! Greenfield succeeded in keeping me in suspense, and I commend her for it.

I honestly haven't heard much buzz about this series, and that's unfortunate. Chantress and Chantress Alchemy alike are strong fantasy novels, with the additional bonus of having historical details included in their plots. Greenfield's writing is strong, convincing and flows really well. If you have yet to read this series, I highly encourage you to do so!

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody. Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life.

The Truth About Alice has put me on the spot, as up until the very minute of typing out this review, I can't decide which side of the "like" line it falls on. There were things about it that really worked well, but there were also things that rubbed me the wrong way. Clearly, this novel left an impression on me - and I'm hoping that the thoughts in this review will clarify how I feel.

The strongest aspect of The Truth About Alice is the storytelling. It's jarring, and seems to be all over the place, because there are four different character POVs. But it worked well for this story. The truth about Alice, Healy, these four characters is revealed sparingly with each new chapter, and I liked that because it kept me interested in what would happen or be revealed next.

Being in the heads of four different people allows the picture they paint of Alice to seem complex and untainted (which is not true of their perspectives at all). Really though, jumping from character to character is actually a clever way for Mathieu to reveal the truth of each person talking about Alice and their involvement in her predicament or life.

However, it also showed readers how complex (and unlikable) these characters could get. The revelation of their true personalities wasn't always pleasant, and while that makes them real people, it also makes it hard to care about any of them. On a smaller scale, this served as an allusion to how small towns can sometimes be - filled with gossip, speculation and the passage of judgment without knowing all of the facts. Mathieu's portrayal is pretty spot on, and though it made me cringe, it also worked.

Though I didn't personally connect with the characters or find the story memorable, I do think the storytelling style definitely worked well. When it all comes down to it, The Truth About Alice was an seemingly ordinary small-town story told in a fascinating way.

Ever since she was a little girl learning to make decadent truffles in her family's chocolate shop, Juliet Arabella has been aware of the bitter feud between the Arabellas and the Mezzanottes. With their rival chocolate boutiques on the same street in Napa Valley, these families never mix. Until one night, when Juliet anonymously attends the annual masquerade ball. In a moonlit vineyard, she finds herself falling for a gorgeous stranger, a man who reminds her what passion is like outside of the kitchen. But her bliss is short-lived when she discovers her masked prince is actually Leo Mezzanotte, newly returned from Paris and the heir to her archenemy's confection dynasty. As they compete head-to-head, Leo and Juliet's fervent attraction boils over. But Juliet's not sure whether to trust her adversary, or give up on the sweetest love she's ever tasted... (modified from Goodreads)

Last year, I read Unleashing Mr. Darcy and fell promptly in love with Teri Wilson’s ability to take a classic novel and put a contemporary spin on it. Her stories may be inspired by classic works like Pride & Prejudice, but they’ve certainly got a quality that is all their own. 

In her latest release, Unmasking Juliet (a story inspired by Romeo & Juliet), Wilson takes elements from Shakespeare’s original to sprinkle in amidst a story of chocolate, dogs, Napa Valley and Italy. With a combination like that, I dare you to try and resist this fun, decadent, romantic tale! 

(Spoiler alert: You’ll find it hard to do this. In fact, it may be nearly impossible.)

So, since I can’t seem to think about reviewing this in any way but list form, here’s one of all the things I really liked:

• Romance: Leo & Juliet had a really appealing romantic relationship. It started with a spark of attraction (and a kiss!), but eventually kindled into something much, much more. Their attraction was definitely a big part of why they were so drawn to each other. But it was their mutual respect and admiration, plus, just a genuine interest in the other person that really cemented this relationship in the end. Plus, it did help that they could both be extremely sweet (though Leo was a lot more sweet, from what I recalled) about thoughtful when it came to one another! I seriously swooned over their encounters, and just wanted to keep yelling at them to kiss already!
• Romeo & Juliet elements: In case you didn’t know, I’m a big Romeo & Juliet fan! I read it at an extremely young age, and have read it many times since. Wilson definitely took some of the recognizable elements – the feuding families, the attraction and subsequent romance, the dramatic ending – and put her own spin on them. It was a lot of fun spotting familiar elements – and I like the way she put a twist on the dramatic ending!
• Leo: It’s seriously kind of hard to not fall for this guy, as he dazzles from the instant he appears! He’s insanely talented in the realm of chocolate, incredibly intelligent and surprisingly sweet too. I really like that he goes for what he wants (including Juliet), and found myself completely charmed by him right away.
• Juliet: Juliet's very headstrong, but I admired that instead of finding that it drove me crazy. Juliet’s loyalty to her family and dedication to her work are definitely admirable. I love seeing how she slowly learns how to embrace what makes her happy, while still being pretty respectful towards her family. Plus, she has an awesome dog named Cocoa too!
• Chocolate: How in the world do you expect me, the girl with a sweet tooth, to resist a book that involves two chocolatiers? Because seriously, it’s impossible. The elements in this book reminded me a bit of The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand, but also felt different! I think it’s fun to see these two experts in chocolate creation whipping up these fantastic sounding delights (and I may or may not have gotten a craving for chocolate and wine while reading). And besides, chocolate totally screams romance.
• Masquerade: The book start with a masquerade. I love me a good masquerade. Especially when it involves a romantic encounter with a mysterious stranger.

I seriously enjoyed Unmasking Juliet! It’s one of those fun, lighter reads that I like to indulge in every now and then – and it’s one that happens to be well done. If you’ve yet to try a Teri Wilson novel, you definitely should! I’ve been a fan of the two I’ve read, and fully endorse them for those of you looking for a new chick lit author to enjoy.