It's crazy to say, but we are months away from the end of 2018.

Can you believe it? Less than three months and we will be counting down until the start of a new year.

Around this time is usually when I do my annual rounds of book blogs: my favourite authors, favourite series, etc. and one blog post I noticed I didn't post last year was the books I wanted to give a second chance.

It might have been because I didn't really think of any books I wanted to dive into again or because I didn't think of this kind of blog post last year, but this year, I have rallied books I do actually want to give a second shot and I actually want to go through with it.

I have picked six books that I really want to give a second shot either by the end of 2018 or throughout 2019.

Without further adieu, let's get into the six books I want to give a second chance.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

If you have been following me for a while, TATBILB is one of the first reviews I've posted on my blog when I first created it a year ago. It has also been one of my most popular reviews on my blog these days. I was - and still am, genuinely not a huge fan of the book because of the execution of the novel. But, I really did enjoy the Netflix movie adaptation that came out earlier this year. My sister, who is a huge fan of the books told me to just pull through with the rest of the series. Although, I have one problem: I can't remember much of what happened in the first book, I only remember what happened in the movie. Because I did genuinely like the movie and I should probably read the first book in order to finish the rest of the series, I'm saying why not.

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

I read The Tommyknockers earlier this year and found it to be one of my least favourite King books I've ever read - which surprised me because I haven't found a book by Stephen King that I have rated such a low rating until this one, and another which I'll mention later. I'm part of a Stephen King Facebook group and a lot of people admit they LOVE The Tommyknockers and although I feel a little left out, I feel like this may be the perfect opportunity to re-read and possibly love this book.

City of Ghosts follows our main character Cassidy who can see and talk to ghosts - in fact, her best friend Jacob is a ghost. When Cassidy's parents start filming their ghost hunting show in Scotland, an area in which is filled with ghosts, Cassidy learns the "truth" about her powers and how dangerous her situation may be.

I don't actually read many Middle Grade novels. The only Middle Grade I read are Rick Riordan books although, some of his newer books seem to fit the Young Adult genre a little more.

In all honesty, I generally had no interest in this book when it was first announced because I wasn't really into Middle Grade novels. I thought it was going to be incredibly cliche and basically an overall cookie cut replica of other Middle Grade novels.

A little after this book was announced, I read the first book in Schwab's adult fantasy series (where she writes as V.E Schwab instead of Victoria Schwab) and I absolutely loved her writing. I previously read her Young Adult book The Savage Song, which was also amazing, but it never made an impact or stuck to me like A Darker Shade of Magic did.

Once I read A Darker Shade of Magic and fell in love with not only the world but her writing, I decided to give City of Ghosts a shot as well and I definitely don't regret that decision.

To start off, Schwab's writing progresses every book she writes and you can tell. Some writer's spark dies down and their writing does as well; but some stay the same. Schwab's writing is completely different. I find that every new published book I read by this author, her writing continues to grow and be better.

I think that is one of the aspects that I loved about this novel was how amazing the book was written. And for those who aren't really into Middle Grade but absolutely love Young Adult novels, I find that although City of Ghosts is classified as Middle Grade, I feel like it fits the YA genre quite well.

The writing or plot doesn't necessarily have mature themes per se, but it does have the generalize writing style that can be seen in a YA novel oppose to Middle Grade in which it's not repetitive and it's not overly simplistic either.

Another aspect I really loved was the world building. I would definitely classify this novel as Paranormal but also Urban Fantasy because a lot of the plot takes place in our world - Earth. But the idea of The Veil and how it's basically like Earth but Cassidy could see the ghosts around that no one could, really sparked my interest especially with how it was portrayed in the novel.

This book very much so reminds me of the movie ParaNorman in which our child main character can see ghosts around him and he freely talks to them but the humans who share their environment with Norman and cannot see the ghosts, think he's crazy.

I'm not a huge paranormal book to be quite honest because I find that most paranormal books that I've read are quite cheesy, but because of the way it was written and the whole relation to ParaNorman really made me love this book a million times more.

My readers also know how much of a sucker I am for characters, so of course, I wanted to dive into the character sector as well.

For starters, I loved Cassidy's relationship with her ghost-friend Jacob. I absolutely loved it.

I felt a genuine relationship between them - and my relationship, I mean friendship. There are some Middle Grade novels that have that romance trait, although it isn't as in depth as YA books, they still happen.

With Cassidy and Jacob, I love that they don't put a strain on an actual relationship (I think it would also be weird if Cassidy fell in love with a ghost..) but it was a genuine friendship. Like, they looked out for each other and Jacob knew Cassidy's purpose with seeing ghosts is to send them off (pull ghosts heart string which no longer leaves them a spirit and allows them to rest peacefully.) but he never told her because he didn't want her to send him off because he wanted to protect her and not lose her as well.

And I think Cassidy felt the same for Jacob when Lara Jayne tells her to send Jacob off and she refuses.

You can tell the bond between them is a genuine bond and I'm happy Schwab didn't introduce any love aspects between the two.

I also loved their little bickering because it almost felt like a brother-sister relationship as well.

The only character I had a bit of a problem with was Lara Jayne, (who reminds me a lot of Lara Jean from To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - but I'm not complaining) she annoyed me a lot when we were first introduced to her in the novel. Although, as her friendship with Cassidy expands and we get to know Lara a little more, she is a very interesting character. If you watch The Good Place, she reminds me a lot of Tahani.

The only reason why I gave it a 4.5 Stars and not a full five is because I'll admit it was a little too simple - not because it's a Middle Grade book, but I would've hoped we would be able to venture off into the ghostly world a little more. Hopefully, we will in the next coming books!

Overall, I loved City of Ghosts. It was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait for the next book!

Different Seasons by Stephen King

Different Seasons is one of King's novella collections that include some of his most popular novellas: Apt Pupil, The Body, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Breathing Method.

You guys know how much I love Stephen King. You guys might also know how much I love short story collections, especially by Stephen King.

Well here we are with another Stephen King short story collection.

I've read a lot of these books in the past year - I believe I only have to read Everything's Eventual which will round up all the short stories King has written so far. So I know the dynamic of how these books work and I can pick apart my favourite stories from each book.

But I'll admit, Different Seasons is a collection in which I loved basically all the stories.

You guys have recommended Different Seasons for so long; so many people have asked "Have you read Different Seasons yet?!" and I am so happy I finally have.

I don't want to constantly say that Stephen King's writing is phenomenal because you all know how much I love King's writing and I'll always think it's amazing, but in this book specifically, I loved every second of reading this.

It's a bind up of a couple of King's infamous works, I mean how could you not love it?

I think my favourites were probably the infamous Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redeption (which by the way, I cannot stop thinking about the singer Rita Ora.. I feel like it fits best here..) and of course, Stephen King's popular coming-of-age story The Body, although all four stories were amazing.

I know a couple of these stories have movie adaptations, although I haven't actually watched any of them. I've seen a few parts of Shawshank because it is on Netflix, but I feel like at the time, I couldn't really pay attention to much of it. With that being said, I can't really compare the two together, but I'm very happy I read the story instead.

One of the things I love about King's collections is that it's not always all on the same theme. Full Dark, No Stars is the only book I can think of where all of his stories were all part of a dark manner.

This collection follows various topics: Hope from Shawshank Redemption, Friendship and Innocence from The Body, Darkness from Apt Pupil, and Misery and Horror from The Breathing Method. And I feel like generally, each of these stories compliment each other in a way where the book never felt like it was going downhill, if that makes sense.

Most of the time with collections like this, all the "good" stories are at the beginning and all the "bad" stories are at the end, or vice versa making the book not as enjoyable but Different Seasons does great with making the books more even.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Jessica, you just mentioned bad stories. I thought you said all are good."

And they are.

But you can tell the weaker stories from the rest.

The weakest story, in my opinion is the Breathing Method. Personally, I felt the story to be quite slow until about the mid to end of the story in which it was a slap in the face with a change of plot, almost.

I know a lot of people feel the same way, but I definitely feel like that ending is what made my rating five stars. If anything different, my rating would've been a four or a 4.5.

Regardless, this book is amazing and I highly recommend you lovelies read this book!

It's so much more than what most outside readers think Stephen King is capable of.

If you do end up reading this novel, let me know in the comments section below or on Instagram! I'd be happy to hear you guys' thoughts!

This book follows a women's journey in colonial New England filled with monsters, almost-human wolves and eerie evil.

**I was sent an Advance Readers Copy by Hatchette Book Group in exchange for an honest review.**

Oh what a journey this book has been.

I was honestly quite a fan of this book, I really enjoyed everything about it.

The writing itself is very lyrical, quite poetic and I loved that aspect about it. It wasn't straight to the point, it didn't run on for hours; it felt just right. It made you think a little bit as well which I really liked the incorporation of that as well.

I've seen a handful of reviews saying they weren't a huge fan of the writing but obviously, I'm not one of those people. I found this format to be almost like a fairytale - but more nightmare inspired if that makes sense.

Not necessarily like a campfire story but a genuine fairytale with creepy aspects.

So far, I don't think I've been introduced to anything like it.

It continuously reeled me in and I had this Alice in Wonderland sensation where I didn't want to be pulled out. Whilst I didn't see very much of a plot, I think the words that flowed well and the well built atmosphere made it worth it.

Honestly, Laird Hunt made the most beautifully atmospheric world that was truly beautiful.

It was creepy, yet beautiful and definitely worth being dragged into the world.

I haven't read much of this author, in fact, I haven't heard about this author until now. But I've become quite accustomed to their writing that I would honestly try other books that this author has.

This book comes out on October 16th and if you are looking for a spooky little fairytale, especially for the season of Halloween, I highly recommend this novel.

The Stand by Stephen King

Can you believe it's already October?!

That means, it's time for a September Wrap Up! I feels like 2018 is flying by so fast, it's crazy. Next thing you know, it'll be Christmas!

I realized I didn't read a lot of Stephen King books this month; not as much as I usually do. But I was able to dive into more Young Adult novels which I haven't been in the move for until recently!

Overall, I'm really excited about all the books I read in the month of September.

September Wrap Up

You're Welcome Universe by Whitney Gardener

My first read of September was You're Welcome Universe which I was really excited for; mainly because it features a deaf character and I was very excited about the diversity. The more you read this novel though, the more you realize how much diversity really provides. I'll definitely post a review for this soon. I have a lot of blog posts I want to write and post on my plate so I'm hoping it'll be up very soon!

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Oh do I love my demi-god, Rick Riordan reads! I'm currently in the process of catching up on Rick's works and hopefully diving into his Rick Riordan Presents novels very soon as well. I absolutely missed the world of Percy Jackson; my favourite world I grew up in. Growing up with Percy has been my absolute favourite and I think that might be why I love Rick's books the most. I do have a review up for The Lost Hero though, if you'd like to read it, the link will be here.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I actually haven't read Coraline until last month - I know, I know. I heard the many gasps from that comment. But I have always settled for the movie that I never really thought of reading the book until recently. I want to post my review for this novel soon as I have quite a few key points I'd like to talk about, but overall, it was a great book.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

With Halloween looming around the corner, I've been aching for some witchy, spooky reads and thought The Wicked Deep would be right for me. It was also the first book I actually had the guts to highlight and annotate in (I'm still getting into writing in my other books as well though.) Unfortunately, it didn't meet my standards which again, I'll talk about in my review later on.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I absolutely adore Tomi Adeyemi. An author not too much older than myself and successful on her first book, she has been one of my main inspirations when writing my book. I had finally watched Black Panther (I know, finally) and I was having a Black Panther hangover. A lot of people compare Children of Blood and Bone to the Black Panther so I decided to dive into it this month. Needless to say, it was so worth it.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I've been in quite a fantasy kick lately and I've seen The Way of Kings and other Stormlight Archive books looming around bookstagram and decided to give it a lot. It was everything I had hoped for. I also love books with fandoms as well and this book is definitely in that category.

Duma Key by Stephen King

As the weeks have gone by, I realized, I didn't read very many Stephen King books which was very shocking, especially for me. I've been eyeing Duma Key since my vacation in July; and for those who don't know, I am a huge mood reader. Meaning, if I'm not in the mood to read a certain book, I usually can't pull myself to finish it and I start diving into other books. Since I was finally in a Duma Key mood, I thought I'd give it a shot and I definitely don't regret it!

After by Anna Todd

In The House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

Meddling Kids follows a group of strangers, whom, during a summer, spend their vacation solving mysteries; although their last mystery was the craziest. Over a decade has passed and the group of kids are no longer a group of kids, but adults trying to survive their own life struggles. They suddenly find their last mystery coming back to haunt them and they must join together to finally defeat this monster they have once discovered.

Oh Meddling Kids..

I don't seem to have a lot of thoughts when it comes to his novel to be quite honest because it really didn't stick to me; not as much as I hoped anyways.

So if my review is quite short and quite broad, you know why.

I actually was never planning on reading -- or purchasing this novel in the first place. I believe it was right beside Stephen King's books at the bookstore and the cover caught my eye. I remember seeing this cover a while ago and thinking "hey, that sounds like a fun book to read." but since then, it hasn't really been much of my interest until I picked it up.

I was honestly hoping for something Stranger Things/IT-esque; when I read the synopsis, that is what I thought this book was. And if you know me, I am absolutely obsessed with the both of them so I was ready to love this book.

Unfortunately, it was the complete opposite from what I was expecting.

The group of kids in Meddling Kids felt less like The Loser's Club or Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will and Eleven; but felt more like the group of friends in Scooby-Doo.

And don't get me wrong, I grew up with Scooby-Doo, so regardless, the whole idea of the book should've allowed me to still love it, even though it wasn't exactly what I hoped for.

Right?

Well, because I really liked the idea and the friend group per se, it wasn't the worst book I've read this year. I mean, by my rating you can tell I obviously still really enjoyed this book anyways. But I still felt this book lacked a lot and that is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

The main thing that made me rate this book a little lower than expected was the writing style.

I wasn't a huge fan, mainly because of the pacing.

I noticed a lot of the time, this book was really slow. When I think of a plot like this, I think of fast paced chapters, constant cliffhangers between chapters, and overall the need to finish the book in one sitting.

This wasn't provided to me while I was reading. In fact, because of how slow paced this book was, at some points, I really wanted to put it down and not come back to it.

I think if the pacing was a little better, I would have enjoyed this a lot more.

But obviously I don't feel strictly negative about this book as I did enjoy some parts, overall. I really like the idea of the plot. I thought it was indeed fantastic.

One of my favourite things about this book was that there actually were funny parts to it. There were characters that say some pretty funny things and I really liked that because there are a handful of books I can admit actually make me laugh out loud and Meddling Kids was one of them.

Overall, this book was okay. I don't think it would be the kind of book I would re-read again in the future, let alone recommend to anyone, but I'll admit this was, for the most part, quite entertaining with a great concept. 

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich + Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Dear Evan Hansen follows our main character Evan, an outsider teenager suffering from anxiety. His therapist encourages him to write himself letters to enhance his confidence; so Evan does. That is until a letter Evan wrote is read by a grieving family and suddenly Evan isn't invisible anymore; he is given the chance to belong as long as he lies and says his fellow classmate who recently passed away was his best friend. Evan has a new purpose, a website and is full of confidence until the danger of his secret starts unraveling and Evan has to face his greatest obstacle: himself.

**I was given an Advance Readers Copy by Hatchette Book Group in exchange for an honest review**

I actually really enjoyed this book.

To start off, the writing is great; it wasn't poetic or anything like that but it was entertaining. 

Contemporaries aren't really my thing, theres only a handful of contemporary novels that I really enjoy and Dear Evan Hansen may just be one of them.

Right off the bat, something I noticed is that contemporary novels with mental illnesses tend to romanticize the illness. But I never found that situation in Dear Evan Hansen. Sure, there is a love interest but it doesn't tie in with Evan's anxiety and I really loved that idea.

I haven't had the opportunity to watch the musical just yet as it isn't available in Toronto until early 2019 but from what I know about the musical and the content of the soundtrack, they sound vastly similar.

With that being said, the authors do a great job at portraying all the characters in the musical. From a book to an adaptation seems a little hard to portray since readers have a distinct view of how they believe the characters look like.

From adaptation to novel, may seem a little easier but I feel like can fail if not well executed. 

Val Emmich and the other writers do a fantastic job at being more descriptive, more intuitive at bringing Evan and his mom and Connor and everyone else in that musical, to pages and I quite enjoyed that. 

I've seen the original cast and when reading this book, I feel like I still have that opportunity to make up the characters' visualizations in my head and I like that. I don't see Evan as Ben Platt. I see Evan as my own version of Evan in my head and I really like that concept.

I also absolutely love how well the emotions were drawn out in this book as well. I've talked to people who have seen the musical, I've watched interviews as well and I know this musical is meant to pull at your heartstrings.

The authors do a phenomenal job at creating this almost-atmospheric setting where I feel like I with Evan. I laughed out loud while reading this - yes, I've received many weird looks because of this. But I also cried. That's really important when you bring a musical to pages. 

Dear Evan Hansen is honest, and intriguing.

In the introduction of the advance readers copy, I believe the publisher said she wanted this book to be the new coming of age story. Like Holden in The Catcher in the Rye or Ponyboy in The Outsider.

I'm on that boat with her.

I wasn't diagnosed with depression and anxiety until my first year of high school, and obsessive compulsive disorder until my first year of college, yet I knew I've had those "symptoms," those feelings for years prior.

This book not only gives readers a brand new coming of age story, but for some, a book to relate to.

Almost like, "Wow, Evan's hands get sweaty and he stutters when he talks and his mind is all over the place, but hey, me too."

And yet, Evan overcame the storm in a way, that means, I can too.

Overall, I loved Dear Evan Hansen. I thought it was enjoyable, entertaining and overall just amazing.

If you ask me, I highly recommend you purchase Dear Evan Hansen when it hits the shelves on October 9th.