Hello, internet land! This week I bring you something I don’t do very often: a guest post! Today’s guest is Philip Barker, who recently released Climb, a coming-of-age story about tragedy, grief, and resilience. Hope you guys enjoy!
We know what a TBR is (to be read). A lot of bookworms have TBRs long enough to last a lifetime. But one thing I’ve never heard of in all my years as an online bookworm is an anti-TBR. When I saw this tag (originally created by Nicole @ Nicole & Her Books on YouTube), I was intrigued.
Basically, the questions revolve around books/authors that you wouldn’t put in your TBR (hence the name). I’ve seen other people’s answers to these questions, and some of them are s p i c y.
(Hopefully I won’t get cancelled by the end of this.)
Let’s get into it!
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✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧
Title: Heartstopper, Volume One
Series: Heartstopper, #1
Author: Alice Oseman
Published: February 7, 2019
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Category: YA
Genre: contemporary, LGBTQ+
Pages: 288
My Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads page
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Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
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Heyo, internet land! I was perusing the anticipated releases of this year to add more books to my TBR, and I thought I’d share a couple of the YA diverse reads that I’m excited for!
[Edit: I realized that by the time this is uploaded, a good chunk of these books are already going to be released (I drafted this post early January). That means some of these books aren’t anticipated releases anymore. I still hope you’re able to find a book you’ve never heard of that you’re interested in.]
Continue reading✧ This review is spoiler-free! ✧
“You know,” she’d said, “they say people are like snowflakes, each one unique, but I think they’re more like skies. Some are cloudy, some are stormy, some are clear, but no two are ever quite the same.”
V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Title: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Author: V.E. Schwab
Published: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Tor Books
Category: adult
Genre: historical, contemporary, fantasy, romance
Pages: 442
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5 stars)
Goodreads page
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A life no one will remember. A story you will never forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Continue readingMy Top Books of 2020
Happy New Year (and thank goodness 2020 is over)! We have a tradition on this blog to showcase the top 10 books that I read every year. However, this year I wanted to do something different. Since it was 2020, I wanted to list my top 20 books instead of my top 10. It just has a better ring to it. However, I haven’t read that many novels this year, so I decided to split it into my top 10 books and my top 10 graphic novels. I read a lot of comics (although I don’t review them that much), so it’s only fair that I include them on the list.
In no particular order, I present to you my top books of 2020.
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Title: Sticks & Scones
Series: Check, Please!, #2
Author and Illustrator: Ngozi Ukazu
Publisher:
Genre: YA, contemporary, sports, romance, LGBTQ+
Pages: 336
My Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads page
This review is short and spoiler free!
Title: Felix Ever After
Series: n/a
Author: Kacen Callender
Release date: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: young adult, contemporary, LGBTQ+
Pages: 386
My Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads page
This review has no spoilers.
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.
When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….
But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.
Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Title: Verona Comics
Series: n/a
Author: Jennifer Dugan
Release date: April 21, 2020
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance, LGBTQ+
Pages: 352
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
This review is spoiler-free.
Jubilee has it all together. She’s an elite cellist, and when she’s not working in her stepmom’s indie comic shop, she’s prepping for the biggest audition of her life.
Ridley is barely holding it together. His parents own the biggest comic-store chain in the country, and Ridley can’t stop disappointing them—that is, when they’re even paying attention.
They meet one fateful night at a comic convention prom, and the two can’t help falling for each other. Too bad their parents are at each other’s throats every chance they get, making a relationship between them nearly impossible…unless they manage to keep it a secret.
Then again, the feud between their families may be the least of their problems. As Ridley’s anxiety spirals, Jubilee tries to help but finds her focus torn between her fast-approaching audition and their intensifying relationship. What if love can’t conquer all? What if each of them needs more than the other can give?
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
Title: With the Fire on High
Series: standalone
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: young adult contemporary
Pages: 400
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
This review is spoiler-free.
Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.
[ This synopsis is from Goodreads. ]
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