Sunday Reading: First & Then, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and He Said She Said

I always have a book with me. Those moments when you have to sit around somewhere waiting… why not read? I usually just do a yearly round up of the best and worst books I read this year, but since I know that a lot of you are bookworms, too, I thought I’d try sharing book recommendations more often. Book posts contain Amazon affiliate links.

First & Then by Emma Mills: This book will probably make it to my list of best of 2016. Devon is content with her mediocre teenage life. She’s not really a part of anything. But then her cousin Foster comes to live with her and her life gets a lot more complicated, bringing star football player Ezra into her life. The characters are quirky and flawed and likable. This book made me laugh and smile. It was just plain ol’ enjoyable. Love, family, finding yourself. Excellent Young Adult fiction.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand: Lex’s brother killed himself and now everything is different. She tries to piece together what happened, forgive herself for what she blames herself for, and find a way to move forward. With help from the friends she’s trying to push away, her therapist, and her journal, Lex works her way through it. Powerful read.

He Said, She Said by Kwame Alexander: The Crossover by this same author made it to my best of 2015 list. It flowed and I flew through it, feeling a strong emotional connection to the story. This book… is not that one. It’s told from alternating points of view as two students work to get their school’s arts programs reinstated (though one of them only got involved with it to try to “smash” the other). Another Young Adult book, but this one made me feel really old due to all the slang.

What have you read lately?