Captain America Book Tag!

I was over at Gone With the Words and spotted this amazing book tag that Morgan came up with: the Captain America Book Tag. Being a girl who loves some Cap (and Bucky), I knew I had to join in the fun!

Art credit: Morgan @ Gone With the Words

Steve Rogers/Captain America: 

a book with a big character transformation

I'm going to have to go with a 2-way tie between two amazing heroines I've discovered this year, both strong in their own ways. First up is Aubree from WANDERLOST. Aubree goes from a very sheltered girl to a strong young woman ready to take on the world through a serious of hilarious and sobering moments the summer after graduation when she steps into her sister's shoes last minute to lead a bus tour of adults through Europe. It's full of self-discovery and watching Aubree learn exactly what she can do.

Second, and probably edging out Aubree for the title, is Amanda from 738 DAYS. Amanda was kidnapped as a teen and held captive for 738 days in a basement by a psycho who beat and raped her repeatedly. She starts off an emotionally broken and scarred girl who has frequent panic attacks and a severe anxiety disorder. Throughout the book she falls in love and slowly becomes independent, learning how resilient and strong she truly is.  

Peggy Carter: 

a book with a strong female protagonist

Hands down, no questions asked: Celaena Sardothien from the THRONE OF GLASS series. Her journey through the first 4 books from assassin to slave to champion and beyond (trying to keep it spoiler free!) is absolutely mind-blowing. There is no stronger female character for me in YA or any other genre.

Bucky Barnes: 

a book with your ultimate BROTP

Literary bromance? It gets no better than Roar and Perry from the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series. These two sizzle and crackle on every page they're together (OK, or on solo). I love their banter and friendship. 

 Howling Commandos: 

a book with squad goals

The crew of the AVALON series by Mindee Arnett. Hands down my favorite crew (and one of my favorite series). This book is basically a YA retelling of cult fan-fave Firefly. It comes with a daring and snarky captain, an adorable mechanic, a hot-headed right hand man, and a mysterious beauty (amongst other kick ass characters).

Red Skull: 

a book with a cliche plot

I'm giving this to two books that are basically one book split into two because otherwise it would've been 1,000 pages: MASTERED and DOMINATED by Maya Banks. I love Maya, but the first two books in her Enforcers series were just ... awful. This is literally every bad romance you've ever read complete with: multiple misunderstands that lead to multiple breakups, a firm belief in "sex fixes everything", a girl who can do no wrong ever (and you're called a jealous bitch if you were a friend who calls her out on being reckless), and a guy who is just ... broken - but love shall fix him.

Love and magic sex with the girl who he repeatedly hurts and who repeatedly cries and runs away. I legit rolled my eyes eight times writing this.

Natasha Romanoff: 

a book with a snarky side character

Is there a more snarkalicious sidekick than Tink from WICKED? This pint-sized brownie comes with sass, sarcasm, a seriously twisted fascination with troll dolls and a massive Amazon shopping addiction. He's got a massive heart buried under layers of powdered sugar and Ken doll clothes, and you definitely don't want to piss him off.

Sam Wilson: 

a book with a friendship meet cute.

BETWEEN THE NOTES is a fun, quiet book that slipped under a lot of radars last year, but it's a wonderful story about family and love and growth. It also has one of the cutest and best relationships that started out with a cute meeting and evolves into a friendship and then into so much more.

 Winter Soldier: 

a book with a great twist (plot twist or retelling)

And the award goes to: FRONT LINES. Set in an alternate history where women and girls could be drafted and join the army in WWII, this incredible book deftly confronts issues like sexism and racism. It also gives a stark, harsh reality check. Teens and young adults then romanticized war, not understanding the carnage and brutality of the most catastrophic war the world has ever known.

And that's just book 1.

I’m Just A Kid from Brooklyn: 

a book with a memorable setting/character backstory

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is the first book to make me fall in love with a city. Paris is so essential to the background and Stephanie Perkins does such an incredible job of describing the city and corners and cafes that Paris itself actually felt like a main character.

Do You Two…. Fondue?: 

a book with a love triangle

What's a half-demon/half-gargoyle girl to do when she's been pining after the hottie gargoyle she's known all her life starts to notice her, but only after a hot new demon sweeps into her life like a hurricane? Such is Layla's dilemma in THE DARK ELEMENTS series where she spends 3 books trying to decide between Zayne (gargoyle) and Roth (demon).

Oh, and she has to save the world, too. 

Actually this was one of the rare triangles I was OK with because I was good with her picking either guy - both were awesome and complemented her in their own way.

You’ve Been Asleep, Cap: 

a book you love with a dual timeline/time travel

PIVOT POINT - the book that first introduced me to the author love of my life, Kasie West. I read this book on a cold November day and remember just being absolutely dumbstruck by this world where teens with abilities existed, like X-Men, but without the Anti-Mutant laws and committees (abilities are kept secret and those with them live in cities just for people with abilities).

The main character, Addison, have the ability to see potential futures. So when faced with the choice of leaving her city to follow one parent or stay in her home with the other, both realities play out, giving opposite perspectives on one mystery that Addison needs both realities to solve.

Til The End Of The Line: 

a book with the OTP to end all OTPs

The relationship between EMMY & OLIVER absolutely slayed me. Friends as kids, Emmy watched Oliver be kidnapped. When he returns home years later - not knowing he had been kidnapped - she's there for him as he re-acclimates to a life he forgot he had.

The organic, simple procession of their reunion to friends to couple is absolutely breathtaking to read.

I Had A Date: 

a book with a cliffhanger

I still have PTBD (post traumatic book disorder) from the ending of OPAL by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The end of that book, book 3 in a 5 book series, utterly destroyed me. I felt faint, I was gasping for air ... I thought I was having an asthma attack. But no, it was just that cruel and brutal a cliffhanger.

I Understood That Reference: 

a book with a pop culture reference

Pop culture and more abounds in SIMON VS THE HOMO-SAPIENS AGENDA. Simon is a snarky, sarcastic, and freaking awesome teen. He's witty and constantly making fantabulous quips. I wish my brain worked like his.

So that's it! I think this is the part where I tag people but I think I'm just gonna say if you've read this, consider yourself tagged (I know, total cop-out). Leave me a comment if you do the challenge with a link so I can check it out!