Hello! I’m here to talk about my November reads for the Buzzword Readathon! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
This is the eleventh post in my “Buzzword-a-thon” series. In case you’re new here, Buzzword-a-thon is a read-a-thon originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This year, all prompts were selected in advance and it’s been loosely hosted once a month. I’m making a yearly challenge for myself to at least read one book with the buzzword each month, and also include one recommendation and one anticipated read in my monthly post. The word for November was “lost,” and for a while I can attest I was a bit lost as to what I would pick up for this month’s challenge. I think it all worked out in the end, though.
Read in November – The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey
-Earlier this year, I picked up A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a YA contemporary about a girl struggling after the loss of her abuela, and her parents send her to spend three months in England where she not not only charmed by a local boy, but also by the countryside, and she is able to honor her grandmother’s memory by helping out the inn’s grumpy cook. After I realized the book wasn’t Laura Taylor Namey’s debut, I was interested to pick up her earlier work, and The Library of Lost Things worked perfectly for this month’s prompt. The story follows Darcy Wells, a literary genius who escapes into the world of books in a way to escape the reality of her mother’s hoarding. But when a new property manager becomes more active than the last, Darcy is worried hermother’s secret will be harder to contain. And when Asher Fleet, a former teen pilot in recovery after an accident, walks into the bookstore where Darcy works, she doesn’t know what to think for the first time in her life. Something about him makes Darcy want to open up, but after protecting her heart for so long, maybe she needs to accept life’s messiness and let people love you for all that you are. There were some times this book tugged at my heartstrings. Asher and Darcy have both been victims of circumstance – Asher’s pilot future has been shattered after a terrible car accident, and Darcy’s life has been spent parenting the one remaining adult in her life. They both need to learn to let others in and see how life can be when you have others in your corner. While I was afraid cheating was going to be involved, as Asher does have a girlfriend at the beginning, I did appreciate the direction that his relationship with Darcy took throughout the book. I would steer away if you are sensitive to the topics of hoarding and parental abandoment, but otherwise I feel like this is a great YA novel and would recommend.
Recommendation – The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke
-There were a few recommendations I could have gone with, but every time I think about The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke I just want everyone else to read it. I originally read this book pre-publication in October of 2020 (and you can see my original thoughts here), but to be brief, I think it’s an incredible novel involving grief, finding love after you think all is lost, and the power of music and the community it can create one single note at a time. I went into this book without knowing too much, and I think that enhances my reading experience, so I’ll say that the story follows Diana Clare’s love song, overheard one night at a hotel when she’s on tour, making its way back to its intended recipient, Arie Johnson in Austrailia, after tragedy strikes and its journey around the world. It truly is an incredible story and I can’t wait to give it a reread soon.
Want to Read – Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
-Again, I was going to pick up Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas this month to fulfill this prompt, but time just got away from me. Aiden Thomas debuted with Cemetery Boys back in September of 2020 (which I have reviewed, so you can check out my thoughts here) and I was very excited to see what’s in store for their 2021 release. Lost in the Never Woods is a Peter Pan retelling, following Wendy five years after she returned from the woods with no memory of what happened to her brothers, who are missing. When the town’s children start disappearing, Wendy tries to escape her past and encounters an unconscious boy in the middle of the road. Peter, a boy she thought only lived in her stories, claims if they don’t do something, the children will meet the same fate as her brothers, so Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods. As soon as I’m in the mood for a retelling again, this will be the first one I reach for.
In conclusion, there’s only one month left of this year’s challenge, and I hope to make the most of it.
Where to find these books:
Bookshop: The Library of Lost Things The Lost Love Song Lost in the Never Woods
Amazon: The Library of Lost Things The Lost Love Song Lost in the Never Woods
Goodreads: The Library of Lost Things The Lost Love Song Lost in the Never Woods
Authors’ sites: Laura Taylor Namey Minnie Darke Aiden Thomas
Thoughts About Things 