Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I received some of these books to review. Opinions shared here are 100% mine.

As we wrap up 2014, we head into the first weekend of the new year. Why not enjoy a great book to get the year off to a great start?  Here are some of my favorites from this week.

I’m most excited about the fact that These Broken Stars is only 99 cents. This was one of my favorite books from 2014 (remember my post about it?).  It’s a sci-fi with a good blend of romance and suspense.  If you’re a fan of dystopian fiction, you might like the hierarchy of the elite and the military figures, too.  Go ahead and get This Shattered World (The Starbound Trilogy Book 2) while you’re at it because you’ll want to read that one next. I’ve been waiting for it all these months and so glad it’s finally released!

Remember author Melody Carlson from The Christmas Cat?  Her book Trading Secrets is super cute, and is a story that teens will adore.  It’s full of back-and-forth flirty (but clean) behavior with just enough romantic drama to keep a teenage girl sighing.  Part of the reason I liked this book was that the story began with pen-pals.  I started writing with a pen-pal in the third grade when I met a friend over the summer while she was visiting her grandmother.  Then in fourth grade, my teacher set all her students up with a British pen pal.  Slowly my list grew until I eventually had over 50 pen-pals all over the world.  Many of those became long distance friends with whom I still keep in contact.  This was before the days of Facebook and Twitter; having pen-pals was a great way for me to learn about the world and things that other kids experienced.  The thing that makes Trading Secrets unique is that Carlson’s characters kept a little something hidden from their pen-pals.  It was really fun to watch the story unfold.  I can see this book becoming a cute made-for-TV movie.

Another recent book I read was Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren.  Although it’s not available until February 2015, you can preorder the book.  This story picks up with the Christiansen family  whose story I’ve followed in other books.  This time we get to know Casper who has fallen head over heels for Raina.  Personally, I would have had a hard time getting into the story without knowing the background of the novel.  The Christiansen family shares a deep bond that sometimes causes friction, too.  Casper is the typical middle child who feels a bit outshadowed by his siblings.  It’s easy to find someone in the book with whom to connect because there are lots of characters.  That was confusing at times, because I just can’t keep up with multiple families and situations without having to go back and read the section again.  Always on My Mind deals with the sensitive topic of unwanted pregnancy and options.  It might be difficult for some women to read this book without making a deep personal association.  Overall, this was a good read and I’m looking forward to the next Christiansen title.  If you already read this book, be sure to join the Tyndale Rewards program. You can earn 25 points by joining now, then more points for a quick review of this book!