Reading with Carlie

Anna Fox is deathly afraid of leaving her house in NYC. Instead, she spends her time playing online chess, helping fellow agoraphobics in online chatrooms, watching old movies. Of course, her favorite pastime is spying on her neighbors. When the Russells move in across the street, Anna witnesses something shocking one night. Trying to figure out exactly what happened, however, leaves Anna with even more questions. As it turns out, Anna might not be the most reliable witness. This book is phenomenal, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Perhaps not a book to read while you are sitting alone in the dark, which I may have made the mistake of doing, but really enjoyable from start to finish. I loved the references to classic films as well - this book will definitely make you want to catch up on some film noir. Looking forward to the film release! 5/5

Yale graduates Julia and Evan move to New York City together. Evan starts a well-paid finance job straight out of school; Julia takes a bit longer to find something to do. As Evan is drawn deeper into his new time-consuming career, Julia finds herself feeling more and more untethered and unsure of her future path. Sure, this isn't the first novel written about young people moving to the big city,  but this one has the distinction of taking place during the financial crash of 2008. The two main characters must navigate their post-graduate lives in a time of excitement and upheaval. Full disclosure, the story of recent college graduates moving to NYC and realizing they don't have their lives fully together may have resonated with me a bit more than the average reader. Nevertheless, the novel was well-written and I have a feeling many readers will be able to see pieces of themselves in these characters. Evan and Julia make a lot of mistakes along the way, but in the end, you...

This female-centric fantasy follows three royal sisters on the island of Fennbirn. The sisters must fight to the death and the last girl standing will ascend to the throne. Mirabella, raised by the priestesses of the Goddess, is a naturalist who can control the elements. Arsinoe has an affinity for nature, although she is overshadowed by her best friend and protector, Jules, the most powerful naturalist the island has seen in years. Katherine, raised by the powerful Arron family, is a poisoner with the ability to ingest poisons without consequence. This is a very dark fantasy. The characters are well-written and the focus on powerful women is a welcome one. The three powers the sisters possess feels lopsided; you may, like me, wonder why someone who can control lightning is on the same playing field as someone who likes to eat arsenic. However, Blake does a commendable job of making sure each sister has a fighting chance, keeping the stakes high, and making you root for all...

Superheroes rule the world in Marissa Meyer's latest YA novel. The Renegades, Meyer's version of the Avengers, successfully defeated the villains who terrorized Gatlon City and have now settled in to govern. They make the laws and keep the peace. Not everyone believes they should have that much power, however, and the Anarchists are determined to bring down the Renegades once a for all. Although there are a lot of characters to keep track of, especially at the beginning of the novel, the book does get easier to follow as it goes on. Adrian and Nova, the two main characters, are well-written, with interesting powers that you might not expect. I also found them super likable, which isn't a necessity in a novel but does make for a more pleasant read. I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to the sequel. 5/5

Amber is ready to move up in the world. Determined to become the next Mrs. Jackson Parrish, she befriends his beautiful wife, Daphne. Amber quickly manages to insert herself into the wealthy woman's life, inventing a childhood tragedy which she knows Daphne won't be able to ignore. Before long, Amber and Daphne are as close as sisters and Amber can move on to the next phase of her plan - seducing Jackson Parrish.  But Amber's past threatens to catch up to her and Daphne and Jackson might be hiding something too. Featuring characters with sinister motives and a major plot twist, this thriller will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. The book ends up going in a direction I didn't expect and after the big reveal, I found that I couldn't put it down. My one minor quibble - the book wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste. 4/5

In this fun novel, junior publicist Rose Reed gets tapped to revamp the image of British pop star Harry Styles  Archie Fox. Though Rose has never had her own client before, she's determined to get Archie making headlines, helping to set up a faux relationship with cool, up-and-coming singer, Raya. Archie agrees, reluctantly, and Rose is happy when the two singers hit it off. Of course, Rose didn't expect to like working with Archie this much... This is an enjoyable read with a neurotic but relatable protagonist. I particularly liked the fact that, even with all of the hijinks that ensue, Rose is presented as someone who is good at their job. The novel will remind you of the massive amount of work that goes into the public images of your favorite celebrities. It really makes you wonder which of your favorite celeb couples might actually be faking it and who is writing their own tweets! 4.5/5.

Mommy-blogger Stephanie has an interesting request for her followers - be on the lookout for her best friend and fellow mother, Emily. Emily asked Stephanie to watch her son one day and hasn't been heard from since. Told from multiple perspectives, in addition to a few excerpts from Stephanie's blog, the novel details the aftermath of Emily's disappearance and gives the reader a closer look at the lives of Stephanie, Emily, and Emily's husband, Sean. While the twists in this thriller were not the most surprising, the book is still suspenseful and exciting. I definitely found myself reading faster through the second half of the novel, trying to figure out how everything was going to play out. This book is also being made into a film starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively this year, so definitely check it out before the movie arrives in theaters! 4/5