Books Read In July

Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Forever In Blue by Ann Brashares
Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain
Stop In The Name of Pants by Louise Rennison
Killer by Sara Shepard
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (reread)
Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

My favorite:
Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

"Auden is about to start college in the fall, and decides to escape her control-freak professor mom to spend the summer with her novelist father, his new young wife, and their brand-new baby daughter, Thisbe. Over the course of the summer, Auden tackles many new projects: learning to ride a bike, making real connections with peers, facing the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce, distancing herself from her mother, and falling in love with Eli, a fellow insomniac bicyclist recovering from his own traumas," Summary Courtesy of Amazon

I bought this book the day it came out and finished it soon after. I loved it like Sarah Dessen's other books, but to me, in Along For the Ride you could really feel the connection between Ely and Auden, as well as the other characters. By the time the plot really started to develop I felt like I really knew Auden, and what she was going through. Dessen has a way of pulling you into the story she's telling and making you seem like you're actually there. Filled with insight, caring, and friendship this book is excellent for any Dessen fan, and probably got her a bunch of new fans as well.

The cover also intrigued me. I always have had a fondness for Dessen's book covers, but this one has made the top of my all time favorite list. The colors roll together, and the picture just overall makes you want to pick up this book and never let it go. Of all the books I've read in July, I would have to say Along For the Ride tops my list!