Hiya bookish people!

I’m back! I know, it’s a shock to me too. I basically flopped at Blogmas (we won’t talk about that), but I also got back from my trip to England!

So I got tagged by Katie @ Melting Pages back in NOVEMBER! Yes, November. I am so hecking behind on tag’s, expect them to be rolling in for a while. Now Katie actually wrote this tag, so I am demanding you all go and comment or like or do this tag from her because she is awesome!

Here is the warning that Katie put on her own post :

• A few things I want to talk about before we get started: First, if you have a phobia I can assure you that I will NOT be adding any photos of the phobia to this post. I find the idea of phobias to be extremely interesting (did you know that there is a phobia for knees?) so I’ve tried to link each phobia back to a (hopefully) reliable and reputable source of information if you want to learn more about any of the phobias I have in this tag!

• Phobias and any sort of anxiety is very serious, but surprisingly there are quite a few people out there who are unaware of the impact that things like this can have on someone’s life. With this tag, I want to bring attention to these very real fears in the hopes that this can educate people in a fun way, while also providing information that may help someone else. This list does also include a phobia that I myself have (so don’t go thinking that I’m making fun of anyone with a phobia), and each phobia can have varying levels of severity. Some people can have full on panic attacks, while others have only mild anxiety. Most people who have a phobia realize that their reaction is irrational, but cannot stop the panic and anxiety they cause. If you are interested in learning more about phobias in general, check out this website, or this article that gives a bit of background on the science behind phobias.

• *Phobias can have a real impact on your life and well being. Many people have phobias, and they are often treatable. I’ve tried to find links that are accurate, but as this is the internet, PLEASE take any concerns you may have regarding your health and wellbeing to your doctor.

P.S. I have used the same links and small explanation as Katie, so please feel free to use them too but don’t accuse me of nothing, I just don’t wanna put any wrong info here and know Katie would have done some research so her readers aren’t mislead 🙂

RULES

• Answer all 15 prompts.
• Answer honestly.
• Tag at least one person.
• Link back to this post.
• Remember to credit the creator. (Katie @ Melting Pages)
• Have fun!

🌷 Aichmophobia (Fear of Sharp Objects) 🌷
^{Name a book with assassins or warriors}

^{Aichmophobia is the fear of sharp objects such as scissors, knives or needles. This is similar to Belonephobia which is a fear of of pins and needles while Aichmophobia is a fear of a variety of sharp objects.}

Synopsis & Cover

In contemporary Russia, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova has been drafted to become a “Sparrow”—a spy trained in the art of seduction to elicit information from their marks. She’s been assigned to Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who handles the organization’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception, and inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s valuable mole in Moscow.

So, this one isn’t YA, but I have decided to put Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews. Not only was the book amazing with different plot twists and heart pulls, but the film also was done very very well. If you want an adult book with assassins (and a female one at that) then Red Sparrow is definitely the way to go.
📚 : Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews on Goodreads

🌷 Agoraphobia (Fear of Public Places) 🌷
^{Name a book with amazing world building}

^{Agoraphobia is mainly the fear public places, so I decided to twist this to a book with world building (get it? public places=outdoors=world building).}

Synopsis & Cover

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.
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Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.
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When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.
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Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

I don’t talk about this book nearly enough, but A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth. I think that the world building and concepts, especially around Burleigh house. Plus, it is an extremely fitting answer that gets me away from saying ‘The Hobbit’ for the millionth time.
📚 : A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth on Goodreads

🌷 Bromidrophobia (Fear of Body Odors) 🌷
^{A book that left a bad taste in your mouth}

^{Generally, bromidrophobia is considered the fear of perceived body odors, and is often linked with OCD in the form of compulsive washing.}

Synopsis & Cover

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.
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But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.
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But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.
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He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.
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Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?
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Unless…could this be love?

After. I wrote a review for this book after buddy-reading it with Aditi, but I could not bring myself to rate it anything higher than a one. Yes, a one. It promoted abusive, cruel, manipulative and far more flagged instances between Tessa and Hardin. And let’s not forget there are five books in the After series. Gross.
🖋️ : After by Anna Todd Review
📚 : After by Anna Todd on Goodreads

🌷 Gerontophobia (Fear of the Elderly) 🌷
^{A book with amazing older characters}

^{Gerontophobia is the fear of getting old or a fear of the elderly, mainly due to the inevitability of death. To combat this phobia, I made the prompt about fantastic older characters to show that getting old doesn’t mean you can’t do amazing things.}

Synopsis & Cover

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.
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Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
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Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I have two answers for this one. First one, Dumbldor, obviously. But the one that I actually want to talk about is Mags from The Hunger Games – Catching Fire. The sacrifices she made for Finnick, Annie, Katniss, Peeta. Mags just deserves more appreciation. And let us not forget the fact that she was 80 when she went into the 75th games.
📚 : Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins on Goodreads

🌷 Gelotophobia (Fear of Being Laughed At) 🌷
^{Name a book that made you laugh}

^{This is a much more severe form of social anxiety. People who have gelotophobia are constantly afraid of laughter, especially when they perceive that it is directed towards them. They also sometimes have trouble distinguishing between playful teasing and someone actually making fun of them.}

Synopsis & Cover

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?
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When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.
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Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

Henry and Alex and all the silly, cute, naughty and loveable things they talk about and do got a smile on my face and had me laughing at these two lovable dorks. Not only did I love this book, I also forced my friend Beth to read it, who loved it just as much as me! In fact, she is going to be having a guest review here on AFCTL soon!
📚 : Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston on Goodreads

🌷 Gynophobia (Fear of Women) 🌷
^{A book with a powerful and strong female character}

^{I can’t define this phobia any better than this website: “Historians say the term arose to define the fear men experience of being humiliated by women, namely by emasculation.” This is also known as misogyny, but to the extreme. Women are so incredibly strong, so I wanted this prompt to be about a strong female character, whether that’s physical or emotional strength.}

Synopsis & Cover

The final battle is here.
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Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…
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With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.

I mean, YA now has so many strong female characters now that it is hard to pick! I think that I am going to pick Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. Yes, I know, I am picking a SJM book for a non-fantasy related question. But I had to! Lysandra, Aelin and Manon are the strongest characters to me in this book, and that makes it the perfect one to pick.
📚 : Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads

🌷 Hydrophobia (Fear of Water) 🌷
^{A book that drowned you in emotion}

^{Hydrophobia is the irrational fear of water, whether you are drinking it or swimming in it. Fun Fact: this term also used to be used for rabies, because in the later stages the person or animal affected has a hard time swallowing so they would avoid water.}

Synopsis & Cover

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
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With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

As someone who gets overly emotionally invested in books, I honestly don’t know what to pick for this one. I think that I will have to go for a contemporary novel this time. Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli was an extremely emotional novel, especially the scene between Simon and his mum. This scene is emotional in both the book and the movie.
📚 : Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli on Goodreads

🌷 Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (Fear of Long Words) 🌷
^{A book with a ridiculous title}

^{Did you think I made that word up? I didn’t, but it’s crazy that the phobia for fear of long words is….a long word. This isn’t an officially recognized phobia and is considered to be a social phobia. This website has a lot of interesting information on this phobia! Now, a ridiculous title can be whatever you want.}

Synopsis & Cover

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It’s a super long title for an amazing book. There isn’t much that I can say about this book other then if you don’t read it then that will make me sad and I will cry.
📚 : Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz on Goodreads

🌷 Necrophobia (fear of the dead/death) 🌷
^{The worst (or best) character death}

^{While it is common to be afraid of death, necrophobia is a debilitating fear of death so much so that it can disrupt a persons life, sometimes even to the point of cutting themselves off from the outside world.}

I cannot answer this one without wanting to spoil and cry about every character death ever, so I am going to skip this one and hope you guys can forgive me.

🌷 Nomophobia (Fear of Being Out of Mobile Contact) 🌷
^{A book featuring the loss of technology}

^{Being without a mobile device or out of mobile contact is something that is a growing fear in today’s world, but when it becomes an irrational, uncontrollable fear it becomes nomophobia. For this prompt, choose a book where technology is lost or is in danger of being destroyed.}

Synopsis & Cover

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.
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There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened.
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Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else…

I am choosing the Gone series by Michael Grant, the apocalyptic world without technology and adults who know what they’re doing was intriguing to read, and I binged the whole series. I will admit that I still haven’t read the Monster series, which is a sequel . . . series? A sequel series? Is that a thing? Yes, it is I think. Yep, let’s go with it.

Also, I have seen Michael Grant at a writers festival for school and he talked and it was awesome, but I was in the line to get my series signed (yes I took my whole series, I am like that) and a Soccer Mom™ from a private school came and pushed me and my friend out of the way? And put her kids in front of her? And then when I said something (because B*tch I want my books signed, push me out of line anywhere else) she said “my kids need to be up in front more than you because they go to *insert private school name here* and then by the time I got up to his desk he left! I was the next person! I am so upset about this!
📚 : Gone by Michael Grant on Goodreads

🌷 Nyctophobia (Fear of the Dark) 🌷
^{Your favorite dark book}

^{Fear of the dark usually happens because you cannot see what’s around you in the darkness and is pretty common (I mean, who isn’t afraid of the dark?) but nyctophobia is the EXTREME fear of the dark and can disrupt a persons sleep patterns and daily life. For this prompt, I’m twisting it a bit for a book that covers darker topics and themes.}

Synopsis & Cover

There is more than one way to drown.
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Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions. Can she face the darkness long enough to surface in the light?
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Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at Fathoms—a new group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed?
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Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his controlling father. When his younger sister’s suicide attempt sends Merrick to his breaking point, escape becomes the only option. If he can find their mom, everything will be made right again—right?
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When their worlds collide, all three will do whatever it takes to survive, and Coral might even catch a prince in the process. But what—and who—must they leave behind for life to finally begin?

Coral by Sarah Ella is an amazing book that deals with some amazing themes of mental health – and explores my obsession of mermaids. It fits for this one because it is an extremely dark novel that takes a huge nose dive into mental health, depression and some very heavy emotions. I have written a review for this one, too, which you can read below.
🖋️ : Coral by Sarah Ella Review
📚 : Coral by Sarah Ella on Goodreads

🌷 Pathophobia (Fear of Disease) 🌷
^{A book that you see everywhere and have no interest in contracting reading}

^{If I had to choose one phobia on this list that could potentially cause the most issues for a person, I would say (in my completely unprofessional opinion) that it would be pathophobia because it could be so severe that it could keep a person away from hospitals or doctors offices, and therefore could lead to poor healthcare.}

Synopsis & Cover

I have a curse
I have a gift
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I am a monster
I’m more than human
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My touch is lethal
My touch is power
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I am their weapon
I will fight back
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Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
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The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
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The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
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Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

The Shatter Me series by Tareheh Mafi. It seems that it is an amazingly popular book (it has 260,405+ ratings today) and it seems that it has an amazing fan base. But I am sorry, the premise sucks. She can’t touch anyone except the two boys who conveniently form a love triangle? Blegh!

* Sorry to everyone that loves this series, I am sure it is good I just have no interest in reading it but respect and appreciate that people enjoy different books 🙂 *
📚 : Shatter Me by Tareheh Mafi on Goodreads

🌷 Philophobia (Fear of Love) 🌷
^{A ship you just can’t get behind}

^{“Philophobia is the fear of emotional attachment; fear of being in, or falling in love.” Philophobia can even impact a person’s relationships with family and friends, as it can impact non-romantic love as well as romantic love. For this prompt, name a ship (relationship) that you just can’t get behind!}

Synopsis & Cover

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …
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Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

Feyre and Ianthe. Yeah, the internet gets deep when you are looking for fanfiction and I cannot believe that this ship is considered, let alone explored. It is upsetting to think about, let alone actually read about. I do not recommend looking into this one guys. SJM would not be impressed. Neither am I, it makes me want to cry. Yes I did that because it rhymes.
📚 : A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas on Goodreads

🌷 Somniphobia (Fear of Sleeping) 🌷
^{A book you wouldn’t want to read before going to bed}

^{Somniphobia, also sometimes known as hypnophobia, is the fear of the thought of going to sleep and can be caused by trauma, PTSD, or sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep paralysis, or nightmare disorder, among many other things. For this prompt, choose a book that would keep you up all night!}

Synopsis & Cover

Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and ‘high-stacking’ around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. In this first adventure, Barnaby is attacked one night by an enormous dog. He kills it – but that’s not the end of this particular mystery …as Barnaby finds himself swept up in a world of crooked doctors, poor and ill-advised patients, strange tonics and very expensive furs…Could there be more to the seemingly respectable Dr Cadwallader and the tonics he doles out to the poor? Is there a link between the tonic and the huge dogs – or possibly wolves – that are roaming the city at night?When Barnaby’s old acquaintance Benjamin goes missing, Barnaby fears the worst for him, and decides to dig deeper…A fantastic romp through a Dickensian-style city, with a wonderful new hero in the guise of Barnaby. This new series from the bestselling dream team of Stewart and Riddell is a must for all fans of the Edge Chronicles – but also for fans of Horowitz and Shan, as they move into new territory and deliver a brilliantly exciting thriller-horror for boys.

When I was younger, I remember reading Barnaby Grimes : Curse of the Night Wolf and thinking that it would be good to start before bed. I was wrong. As far as I can remember, the first few scenes are of a werewolf attack and I didn’t sleep very well that night. Now it is just another book under the belt, it takes a lot more to scare me when reading now. Movies are a different story, can’t watch those without being scared shitless.
📚 : Barnaby Grimes : The Curse of the Night Wolf by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell on Goodreads

🌷 Trypophobia (Fear of Holes) 🌷
^{A book that you fell down the reading hole with (a book you binged)}

^{The final phobia for this tag is trypophobia, which is the fear of holes, specifically closely-packed holes. This phobia makes people queasy, and is actually the phobia that I have. This isn’t an officially recognized phobia, but can be triggered by objects that have small holes gathered close together like in a lotus seed pod.}

Synopsis & Cover

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…
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A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering
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And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
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They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

I binge read Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. It was an awesome book and I cannot wait to read the next installment, Aurora Burning. These authors are amazing, and these covers are beautiful and I finished Aurora Rising in a day because I loved it. Sue me, I am a fast reader. Also I am a sucker for ‘Mates’.
🖋️ : Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kauffman Review
📚 : Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kauffman on Goodreads

I’ve chosen not to tag anyone in particular, and am instead tagging all of you! Yes even you, lurker who never comments. Do the tag, it’s fun!

I’ll see you between the pages.