​Today I want to talk about Reality Dreamers, book one in the YA dystopian series by K. M. Frost.

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Jonas Hartley shouldn’t be having nightmares anymore, but that doesn’t stop them from coming. Every night, the dreams get worse—until he meets the Reality Dreamers.
Normally, Jonas would avoid this strange trio of teenagers, but when he realizes one of them is a mysterious girl he’s seen in reality, he decides to stick around for a while, curious about what they’re doing in his dreams.

But curiosity isn’t always harmless.

The Reality Dreamers are hunted by dark beings called Entities, products of a dark world with many secrets. Too late, Jonas realizes he may have gotten himself into something much larger and much darker than he ever could have imagined...

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31832261-reality-dreamers)

Reality Dreamers has a cool premise and realistic, likable characters. I loved Jonas, his parents, and his little sister Ellie. They are a strong family unit and their interactions felt real. Teenagers in YA books don't always have good relationships with their parents, and I thought it made the story more interesting that Jonas does love his parents.

The supporting characters all feel real and unique (some teachers you love, some you HATE) and the other Reality Dreamers are super fun. My favorite character is Leah. She is feisty, sarcastic, funny, smart, brave, and a seriously good friend. She and Jonas have a great friendship that felt very real with that nice hint of more to come. And seriously, I laughed out loud at most of Leah's lines.

The story is a little creepy at times, but it's done so well and never actually gave ME nightmares. Score, since I'm a wimp!

​"Why can't I just read all day every day?"

"Don't judge the book by its movie."

"I am not to be trusted in a bookstore with a credit card."

Total denial that the end of the book might be in sight: "Dear fixed and finite pages: you are never allowed to run out. Ever!"
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"At times I think to myself, 'Drop the book and get things done!' Then I laugh and turn the page."

"Hm, it's 1:05am. I'll stop at 1:30am….OK, I'll stop at 2am….oops, it's 2:07, I'll have to go around again…"

Let's talk about "Kiss of Deception". Book 1 in The Remnant Chronicles, this book is one of my favorites in the YA Fantasy Romance category. It has a great plot, a well-crafted world, and awesome characters. 

Here's the official summary from Goodreads: 

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love. 

This was a recommendation from one of my best friends, and I devoured it. I love the whole trilogy! Lia is a strong female lead who also has flaws. She often speaks before she thinks, and while that has helped her out, it also leads her into trouble.  It makes her human and relatable.

I also love the fact that she meets these two guys, and the reader knows one is an assassin and one is the prince--but not which one is which. Even though I was pretty confident in my guess that I had their identities right, I still found myself thinking thing like, "Oh, yes, let them have a moment alone, it's romantic! . . . Unless he's the assassin, then he's just going to kill her." 

It made me look a little like this:

Another thing I loved about this book is the writing itself. Beautiful, punchy when necessary, and the author is so good at bringing in the little details that really bring life to a novel. Well done, Mary E. Pearson!

Whether you love magic in your books or you're not sure how much fantasy you like, I recommend this one. The magic element is light. The intrigue, suspense, romance, and twists are phenomenal!

And you don't have to wait for sequels, like I did! Not only is the trilogy all written, there's even a follow-up duology set in the same world with cameos from our favorite characters. So you'll have plenty of hours of enjoyment in this awesome new world!

​Here's the link to Goodreads, if you want to read more about Kiss of Deception: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18490681-the-kiss-of-deception

Content information:
Very mild language, some innuendo, some kissing, some violence.

I'd love to hear in the comments if you've read this book, and what you thought of it!
I'm also always looking for book recommendations, so let me know what else I should be reading :)

I love office supplies. Seriously, love them. Paper clips, binder clips, staplers, folders, recipe cards, notebooks, pens--I adore pens!--holders for pens, and basically anything else you'll see on that store aisle. Do I need to buy any more of these things?

No.

Do I?

Often.

Favorites are hard to choose, but in the office supply family, the Post-it Note is probably mine. So many colors. So many shapes. SO MANY USES. I joke that they are my brain.

It's not really a joke.

Months ago, fellow author Rebecca McKinnon (you can learn more about her and her books here: http://rebeccamckinnon.com/) gave me some of the best Post-it Notes I've ever seen. Recipe card Post-it Notes! They are the size of a recipe card, lined like a recipe card, but they are sticky! And they come in various colors. Best. Gift. Ever!
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I like to plot stories with them on my walls, as you can see here: ​