The Reading Fish: Guest Post with Zareen from Reach for the Stars and the Books

Hola Guys !!!!! Today I am Lucky enough to have my Best Friend and Amazing Blogger Zareen aka Taco from Reach for the Stars..and the Books ! This is Totally Awesome so yea...Here's Zareen !

Hey everyone! For those of you who already know me from my blog or Twitter, I'm sure you've noticed that I do read as often as I possibly can. I've read 85 books so far this year, so choosing only 5 for this favorites list was incredibly difficult, but here goes!

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth - Pardon my bluntness, but if you're a YA reader and you haven't heard of this book by now, I'm going to assume you've been living under a rock for the past five months. Divergent contains everything I look for in a novel--strong but realistic characters, an unpredictable plot, and the perfect blend of action and romance. It kept me hooked from the first page to the very end, and now I'm seriously dying for the sequel. (Speaking of the sequel,Insurgent, raise your hand if you're obsessed with its cover like me! Teehee.) Dystopian and action/adventure fans, this is one thrill ride you don't want to miss.

2. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Have you ever come across a book that remains on your mind for days even after you're done with it? This was it for me. You'd think that reading words off a page couldn't be anywhere near as frightening as watching a scene unfold on a movie screen, but Anna really made my heart pound on multiple occasions. I vaguely remember having strange dreams the night I finished reading, and I definitely attributed them to this story. I loved that it was narrated by a male character, as much of YA, especially paranormal, is often written from the female point of view. Mature YA readers, check this one out!

3. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - After finally getting a chance to read Anna and the French Kiss, I immediately dived into Fishy's ARC of Lola and the Boy Next Door. I know it just recently released, so I won't say much on the subject except this--my fears about Cricket Bell not living up to Etienne St. Clair were completely nullified as soon as Cricket's character was introduced. Fans of Anna are certain to devour the awesome story of Lola.

4. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - To put it quite simply, this book was a stunning debut. Coming-of-age tales about fantasy and adventure have been a part of my life since childhood, and The Girl of Fire and Thorns brought back so many memories of those good ol' days. What I love so much about this novel is the fact that the protagonist is not the most attractive, intelligent person around, but she has remarkable potential. The message behind the story about faith and courage was incredibly powerful and awe-inspiring to my teenage self.

5. Hourglass by Myra McEntire - First of all, I have a strange obsession with the cover of this book; I just think it's totally cool. What I really enjoyed about this particular novel is the originality of the plotline--can't say I've seen much time travel discussion in YA--as well as the lead female's attitude. Oh, and I can't forget the guys...yes, you read correctly. Guys. Plural. More than one. The only thing better than a hot fictional male is two of them, and Hourglass has the latter. If that's not enough to sway you, then I'll tell you this--there's a twist near the end that completely caught me off guard. Curious now? Read it! You will not be disappointed.