Author: admin (Page 1 of 2)

1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

First of all, I felt that the summaries I read before starting this book didn’t capture it at all/explain what it’s actually about. This book was a wonderful mix of magical realism and more serious topics. The book deals with racism, prejudice, and family secrets. The central mystery was compelling. A Song Below Water features strong female friendship and explores themes of identity and justice. I love how the author incorporated mythical creatures into the book so subtly. It felt whimsical while still dealing with some heavy topics. I highly recommend it!

2. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

I love Elizabeth Acevedo’s work, and I cannot wait to read her latest work. The novel is written in verse and is from dual POVs. It follows two half-sisters who discover each other after their father is killed in a tragic plane crash. The two sisters live apart, one in the Dominican Republic and the other in New York City. Acevedo deals with emotion beautifully in her other work, and this one will surely be just as powerful. I’ve heard amazing things about it so far! I plan to listen to the audiobook, and the author is one of the narrators! I love hearing writer’s work in their own voices.

3. Parachutes by Kelly Yang

Parachutes is a novel about an Asian exchange student from Shanghai studying in California. It’s written from two perspectives, the other of which is her host sister. There’s romance, tension, and some difficult experiences. I first heard about this book when I saw the author speak at BookConline in May 2020. The book immediately caught my attention and I’m very excited to read it. I’ve been meaning to since May but sometimes TBRs get mixed up.

4. 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

So this is *technically* the third in a series, it can reasonably be read as a standalone. The first book in the series is When Dimple Met Rishi, which I liked. I LOVED the second one, There’s Something About Sweetie. I can’t even express how excited I am for this one. It’s a summer romance, so this is the perfect time to read it. It also has fake dating in it which is one of my favorite romance tropes. I already got to know Pinky and her love interest a little bit in There’s Something About Sweetie, so I would recommend reading the other two first. You (and I) need to read this right away!

5. This is My America by Kim Johnson

This is My America was just released on July 28th, 2020. It’s very timely and explores the topic of racial injustice in the US criminal justice system. Having just read The New Jim Crow, I feel like this is the perfect time for me to read this. I’ve seen so many people posting about it on social media and the gorgeous cover immediately caught my eye. It has great reviews so far, with a rating of 4.66 on Goodreads. It’s about a 17 year old girl, Tracy Beaumont, who is trying to get help her father, who is on death row for a crime he did not commit. When her brother is accused of killing a white girl, Tracy decides to find out what really happened. I really enjoy books with strong, self-determined protagonists, and this book seems like it will deliver. I can’t wait to read this one!

6. All of Us with Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil

Xochi, a Mexican-American girl who is running from her past becomes a governess in San Francisco for a family of rock stars. During a wild house party, she and her 12 year old charge accidentally summon ancient creatures determined to seek revenge on those who wronged Xochi. You can see how things would get very complicated from there! I just put this one on my TBR. It reminds me a little of A Song Below Water, so we’ll see if that ends up being the case. Either way, it sounds amazing.

7. The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

This book follows Audre, who is being sent from her home in Trinidad to Minnesota with her Grandmother. She meets Mabel, who is worried about her health. This is the lesbian romance you definitely need in your life, though it does deal with some difficult topics. The novel explores the girls’ relationship and how they rely on one another. It’s dual POV and the prose is described as “lyrical,” which is always a win for me! I am beyond excited to pick up this debut from Junauda Petrus.

8. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

I absolutely adored this queer contemporary romance! Like many of the books above, it did involve some more serious parts–such as the main character’s brother being sick, and racism and homophobia at her school. However, I felt the book was stronger for addressing these topics. The protagonist, Liz, plans to go to her dream school where she will play in their orchestra and study to become a doctor. However, when the scholarship she was counting on fell through, she’s not sure what to do. Her brother pushes her to run for prom queen, as it has a sizable scholarship for the winner. The book addressed how friendships can be complicated, which I appreciated, as you don’t always see that in books. Many characters made mistakes but they grew from them over the course of the story. I was a huge fan of this book!

9. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

This fantasy book–the first in a series!–is inspired by West African folklore and features dual perspectives. The two protagonists are on a course to kill each other–unbeknownst to the other. With political intrigue, family loyalty, and enemies-to-lovers romance, this is the fantasy I absolutely need. Political intrigue is the best! And we need more African-inspired fantasies–there are far too many Eurocentric ones. I might not read this one right away, as my TBR is full of contemporaries, but I’ll probably read it in the fall. I like reading different genres in different seasons–summer is dominated by contemporaries and romance, while the colder months are filled with fantasy and sci fi. Obviously it’s not a hard and fast rule, but I don’t think I’m alone in this. I look forward to hearing others’ reviews of this one!

10. I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee

I’ll be the One is a novel about Skye Shin, a plus-sized girl competing to be a K-Pop star. Filled with competition, romance, and drama, it deals with issues of fat-phobia. Who doesn’t want to read a body-positive book about K-Pop?! The cover is gorgeous too, bright and colorful covers are the best! I can’t wait to read this one; it sounds like the perfect summer read.

While this list isn’t comprehensive and is contemporary-romance heavy, I hope everyone can find a book they enjoy from it! A lot of the books are YA debuts as well. For those that are not (Sandhya Menon and Elizabeth Acevedo) you should definitely check out their other books.

July was sports month. Why, you ask? First, one of my reading challenges was sports themed. Second, I ended up writing something involving baseball. Naturally, I needed to learn more about baseball, and sports in general. I’m actually playing fantasy baseball and watching it now (I mostly know what’s happening). I have a lot to learn but reading books about sports has been enlightening, not to mention fun! I’m going to split them up by category and denote their genre and reading level. The list is YA contemporary heavy. Here is your list of books about sports, some of which I have read and others I have not. Note: most (if not all) of the YA contemporaries are either romance or have a strong romance subplot.

BASEBALL

• A Season of Daring Greatly by Ellen Emerson White– YA/new adult contemporary fiction

This book follows a young woman who is the first to be drafted to a major league baseball team (the Pirates).

• Out of Left Field by Ellen Klages –middle grade historical fiction (with plenty of historical facts)

This book is about a fifth grader in the late 1950s who is barred from playing on her local little league team because of her gender. She decides to research the history of women in baseball–the facts she finds in the book are true!

• Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee –YA contemporary

The star pitcher on Marnie’s high school baseball team, who happens to be one of her best friends, just got injured–and he pushes her to try out for the team to replace him.

• Girl at Heart by Kelly Oram –YA contemporary

Baseball is everything to Charlie: her dad is a major league player and she’s played her whole life. Now, she’s the catcher on her high school’s baseball team. She’s always been one of the guys–but when they laugh at her for wanting to put on a dress and go to prom, she feels hurt. Marnie doesn’t have any women in her life, so she sets out to get in touch with her feminine side, and maybe make some new friends along the way.

• Playing the Field by Christina Benjamin –YA contemporary

When Alex transfers to a new school, she quickly develops a crush on the captain of the baseball team. But when she discovers her school doesn’t have a softball team, she knows the only thing she can do is try out for baseball. Now she’s her crush’s competition!

• The Game Can’t Love You Back by Karole Cozzo –YA contemporary

Eve is the only girl on her school’s baseball team. When her high school is absorbed by the town next to hers, she has more competition. The start pitcher has no intention of giving up his spot to Eve, even if they are attracted to each other.

• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach –adult contemporary

At a small college in Michigan, star baseball player Henry’s throw goes off course, his life is upended. The book follows five people whose lives are intersected and affected by baseball.

• The Resisters by Gish Jen –adult dystopian

A dystopian set in America (now AutoAmerica) that is now divided into the Netted and Surplus–the haves and the have-nots. When a surplus girl shows an amazing aptitude for baseball, she is whisked out of her Surplus world into the Netted and onto their Olympic team, things change for her and her family–and not necessarily in a good way.

• The Cactus League by Emily Nemens –adult contemporary

The story follows Jason Goodyear, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Lions. The novel is full of vividly drawn characters and explores the world of baseball and all those involved in it.

• The Setup Man by T. T. Monday –adult mystery/thriller

The Setup Man is the first in a mystery series following Johnny Adcock, an older MLB pitcher turned private investigator in his free time. The story follows Johnny as he discovers a world of crime and intrigue adjacent to the world of baseball.

FOOTBALL

• Game Change by Joseph Monninger –YA contemporary

When the quarterback on his high school football team is badly injured, backup quarterback Zeb Holloway must take his place, and in the state championship game no less. Zeb’s relationships are affected by this change as he tries to live up to expectations and thinks about where his life is headed in the future.

• Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning–YA contemporary

Liv Rodinsky, a softball player at her private school, gets in big trouble, forcing her to transfer to her local public school and prove to the softball coach there that she can be reliable and loyal to the team. To do so, she ends up joining the football team to fill in as quarterback while their star player recovers from an injury.

• Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock–YA contemporary

D. J. Schwenk has to do a lot of farm work for her family after her dad got injured. She is forced to work with Brian, the star of her high school’s rival football team, as he was sent to her farm to work and train for football. D.J. ends up trying out for her own school’s football team.

• Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally –YA contemporary

Jordan is the team captain and quarterback for her high school’s football team. When a new guy transfers to her school, her place as quarterback is threatened. She also might be falling for him.

SOCCER

• Playing the Enemy by Maggie Dallen–YA contemporary

When Hannah’s ex breaks up with her and kicks her off the intramural soccer team, she decides to join their rival team instead. When her ex assumes she’s dating her new team’s captain, she decides not to correct him.

HOCKEY

• Playing to Win by Stephanie Street–YA contemporary

Jordan is focused on hockey. She has a rule not to date a teammate. Unfortunately, there’s a cute new guy on the team, Asher. Asher has dreams outside of hockey, but his dad is forcing him to play. Will Jordan and Asher work out their differences?

• Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren–YA contemporary

Holland plays on the boy’s hockey team. When her team is featured as part of HockeyFest, she isn’t a fan of how focused their are on her. She wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not because she’s a girl playing with the guys. She finds support from an expected source: her team captain, Wes.

BONUS:

Two books involving sports that aren’t about sports:

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord involves swimming and diving

Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso involves volleyball and references football.

First of all, this post is for white people; I am a white woman and cannot speak to the experiences of BIPOC, nor do I aim to. I want to address other white readers and call you to action, encourage you to read more widely, more purposefully. White people come from a place of privilege; we need to use it to do good, to make change. I cannot hope to do this topic justice. There are many people who are more articulate than I and more knowledgeable. However, I feel that I need to try. If you want more information, use google and/or check out social media. There are many wonderful activists who can point you in the right direction.

The tragic murder of George Floyd was a wake up call for me. I was not nearly as educated about the reality of racism in the US today for black people. I knew it was a problem, sure, but not how pervasive and what forms systemic racism takes. I still am not educated enough. That’s why I’ve been adding books about systemic racism, as well as anti-racism, to my TBR. I recently finished The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, which was eye-opening for me. Very well written and researched, it details the state of the criminal justice system in the US today–how unjust it is and how it is prejudiced in its very core towards people of color. It also talks about the war on drugs specifically, and how it’s racist and its profound negative impact. I also read So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, which is a great introduction to confronting your own privilege and having difficult conversations about race.

It’s not enough to read about these topics. Action must be taken as well: protesting, supporting organizations fighting for change and justice (such as Black Visions Collective, The Loveland Foundation, and Reclaim the Block among many others), signing petitions, raising awareness, uplifting black voices, supporting black businesses (such as bookstores and Etsy shops), voting, calling politicians, and so many other things. Seek out organizations that fight for change in your own community–there are plenty!

I also want to point out that reading fiction by BIPOC authors is very important. Did you know that people who read fiction were found to be more empathetic? The best way to learn about the perspectives of those who are different from us is to read them. There is no other way to be so intimately acquainted with the experiences of others, what they go through, what they think and feel. Isn’t that why we like reading in the first place? It’s really easy to find books by talented authors of color. There’s no excuse for not doing so–all you need to find them is google. I’m trying to read more books by POC authors and it’s been a great experience so far. You’ll see plenty of my picks in my recommendations!

Now for the list; these are some of the books I have chosen. There are many options, and you can make your own informed decision about what to read.

1. How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
2. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
3. Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
4. Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth by Dána-Ain Davis
5. Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-Create Race in the Twenty-First Century by Dorothy Roberts
6. Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman
7. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
8. Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney C. Cooper
9. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
10. The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist

I’m going to leave you with ten, but there are far more than that. Check out Ibram X. Kendi’s reading lists about racism and anti-racism here and here. The lists have some overlap but are different enough that you should look at both.

I was first drawn in by the cover of The Unhoneymooners. It’s bright yellow and tropical and summery and I just love colorful covers. They’re even better when the book turns out to be great! I gave this one 5 stars. I love romance, and this was an adorable one. The hate to love trope is one of my favorites. The characters are well developed and the romance itself was believable while still being…a classic romantic-comedy type romance. The Hawaiian setting made me feel like I was on vacation too, or at least reeeeeally want to go there. The author uses enough description to really set the scene and get into the main character’s head, but not too much.

Sometimes I feel that the drama in romance books can be a little forced. The conflict often comes from misunderstandings that can just feel pointless and unrealistic. I didn’t feel that way with this book! The misunderstandings made sense. I think this might be helped by the fact that it’s in first person. A lot of romance novels are in close third person and flip between the two love interests’ perspectives, but this one stayed with the female main character, Olive. And I liked it. We really got to hear what she was thinking, feeling, doubting, celebrating. It helped that she could be insightful as well.

I also liked Olive’s journey of self discovery. She grew over the course of the book and learned more about who she is and what she likes. I tend to like YA because there’s often a lot of character development over the course of the book, so it’s something I value. So it’s nice to see in adult novels as well!

I highly recommend this one. It’s a great summer read, but would be a nice escape during other times of year as well! It’s so cute, and a good story. Check it out!

I have been craving Kasie West novels recently and I think I’m going to end up reading all of them this summer. I’ve already read Lucky in Love last month. Naturally I have more on hold on Libby (thank goodness for Libby). I’ve listened to them all as audiobooks; I’ve found that I prefer listening to YA romances than reading them. I try to read books that I have to concentrate harder on as physical books and romances tend to be easy listens. That’s why they’re perfect for summer!

The Distance Between Us follows a senior in high school named Caymen who works in her mom’s doll shop. She feels stuck helping out in the struggling shop, and plans on taking time off after graduation to work full time there. But when she meets rich boy Xander, things get complicated. Her mom has always warned her away from rich guys, and Caymen is surprised when Xander befriends her. The book features the unexpected romance, the difficulties of finding your passion, and socioeconomic tension.

I love how West features common struggles, such as finding one’s passion, in her books. It makes them super relate-able for readers of any age. The book was filled with creepy doll jokes, so I totally bought into the unusual setting. I mean, why not? I definitely recommend reading this one!

Since moving in…January, I haven’t put all my books away. Until now. Not because I didn’t want to, but I needed to anchor the shelves to the wall (books are HEAVY) annnnd I procrastinated. My boyfriend is amazing and fixed it for me so now we have two Billy bookshelves (what other bookshelves would I have, amirite?!) in our living room.

In the past, I always organized by genre, and I ALWAYS kept series together. But after seeing so many beautiful bookshelves on booktube and bookstagram, I had to try the rainbow method instead. Shoutout to @bookbookowl, @paperfury, and @haileyinbookland for the inspiration. I am in love with how it turned out! Some things I took away from the experience

1.SOMEHOW, I still don’t have the fourth Harry Potter book. How is this possible?!

2. I cannot find my Wonder Woman candle from the Owlcrate box and I am SO sad about it.

3. I have just slightly too many books to fit on two Billy bookcases. So the logical conclusion is that I need to get more bookshelves, right?

4. I have WAY more black, gray, white, and tan/brown books than any of the beautiful, bright colors like red and green. Why, book spine designers, why?

5. I’ll never go back to organizing my books another way. The rainbow bookshelves are too beautiful!

1. If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

If I’m Being Honest is about a high school girl who has been…less than nice to her peers. But when her crush witnesses her being mean to a classmate, she starts to rethink her actions. She goes on a quest to make amends with everyone she’s wronged in the hopes to catch her crush’s attention again. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

2. The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

This one is set in the same universe as the Cinderella retelling Geekerella. I’m here for the geekiness! The Princess and the Fangirl is a retelling of the Princess and the Pauper. The story follows Imogene, a fangirl determined to save her favorite character from being killed off in the franchise, and Jess, the actress who plays the character and will do anything to leave it behind. The look-alike girls cross paths when a case of mistaken identity occurs and they fast become enemies. But when the new script is leaked, the two girls must switch places to find the person responsible. Romantic high jinks ensue!

3. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

I’ve heard so much buzz about this one and I can’t wait to read it! In The Rest of the Story, Emma unexpectedly gets to spend the summer with her mother’s family at North Lake. But soon she discovers there are two sides to the lake–the wealthier one her dad grew up with and the working class one where her mother’s family lives. When Emma starts spending time with her childhood best friend Roo, she begins to discover her past.

4. Maybe This Time by Kasie West

I love everything Kasie West writes! I’m about to start listening to By Your Side. In Maybe This Time Kasie West once again delivers a lovely romance, this time told over the course of a year. Sophie works for a florist and all she wants is to do her job and finish applying to design school. She starts running into the son of the new chef in town at all the events she works, and all he seems to do is make things more complicated. Will Sophie find love where she didn’t expect it?

5. Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

K-pop star Lucky is hoping to make a breakout in America. The night before her Tonight Show interview, she is desperately craving a hangover. When she runs into Jack, a tabloid photographer, nothing will ever be the same. I’m so excited to read this one! Who doesn’t love K-pop romance?!

Title: It Ends with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Category: Fiction
Genre(s): Contemporary romance
Length: 367 pages
Source: Audiobook from Audible

Premise:

Review: This was, from the beginning, more gritty and gut-wrenching than I had expected. The author really gets across the horrors of living without modern medicine in a very cold area with an irresponsible ruler. Barbara faces hardships from the start that just keep getting worse, but Sanchez is excellent with character growth. It could certainly be categorized as a coming-of-age story, for both Barbara and Catherine. It’s all the more poignant because it’s written in first person. I did feel it was a bit slow to start, but I encourage readers to stick with it, because the background information and setup are essential later on.

Characters: Well-developed. Everyone is morally grey, often tending towards dark grey. I didn’t particularly like any of them, but I couldn’t help sympathizing with Barbara’s often terrible situation so I was quite invested in her well-being, and through her, Catherine’s.
Plot: The beginning starts a little slow, but it’s all essential setup. Plenty of scandal.
Knowledge: Very detailed. It gives a strong sense of the period, especially in the small details, including the quite unpleasant ones. The author doesn’t sugarcoat! It’s clear Stachniak has done her research.
Dialogue: Since Barbara’s a spy, she spends a lot of time telling the Empress the information she’s discovered, which is summarized rather than written out word-for-word in quotes. This was an interesting approach that proved quite effectual. We also are privy to a lot of the inner workings of Barbara’s mind, as the book is in first person perspective.
Description: The text is detailed in a very natural way that really brings the period to life!

What I liked best: The historical details were amazing!
What I liked least: I prefer my historical books a little more…glamorous. That’s what happens when you read too many historical romances! But that’s just me, it was an excellent book.
Would I read it again? Perhaps, after it’s been long enough that I’ve forgotten the plot. It’s sitting on my shelf, after all.
Not recommended for: The faint of heart, or those who aren’t interested in historical fiction.
Recommended for: Lovers of historical fiction who want realism in their books as well as plenty of intrigue.
If you like this book, I recommend: TBD.

Why am I so into contemporary right now? Maybe it’s a desire for light summer reading that includes plenty of romance. Maybe it’s the back-to-school feeling in the air now. Either way, I’ve been really into contemporary YA books, especially the romances. Perhaps it’s the recent release of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix. Which is an AMAZING movie by the way. I’ve watched it more times than I’m really willing to admit.

What I’ve read:

Tell Me Three Things by Jenny Han
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

What I’m currently reading:
P. . I Like You by Kasie West

What I want to read:
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
#Scandal by Sarah Ockler 
Save the Date by Morgan Matson
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian
The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles (also a great Netflix movie)

And way too many more. Any recommendations? I love finding new books to read! I actually prefer this genre as audiobooks most of the time and there are never enough available to check out on Libby. Clearly, many others agree with me. I’m like 10th in line for some of the ones I’ve put on hold. Soon we’re moving into fall, and I tend to be into fantasy in the fall, so we’ll see how that goes.