Hi there! I’m here to talk about the third April 6th release that I was able to read early. *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.*

I believe I’ve had a copy of Kisses and Croissants, a debut YA contemporary by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, available for review for a while now. Due to previous obligations I had to push it aside, but I’m glad I was finally able to pick it up in April (especially because it was released on the first Tuesday of the month). The cover initially drew me in, and it perfectly captures the spring / summer vibes I felt while reading the book. With the backdrop of Paris, the book centers ballet, finding your passion, and following your dreams while listening to your heart and mind equally. It was such a pleasant reading experience, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts. *While reading and writing this review I’ve also found that I struggle with the correct spelling of ‘croissants,’ and hope I’ve been able to remedy any misspellings during my proofread.*

Seventeen-year-old Mia travels to Paris the summer before her senior year to partake in an elite six-week intensive ballet program. With dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, she pledges to focus, work hard, and earn a role in the ending showcase to impress reps from some of the most renowned ballet companies. But a childhood rival always seems to be one step ahead, and then she meets Louis, a charming French boy who helps in a time of need and becomes a make-shift tour guide – they see the sights, sneak out at night, and try to solve a mystery that’s stumped her family for decades. Can Mia truly have it all in her six weeks in Paris, or will something, inevitably, have to give?

I’d like to start by saying this book really captured what it’s like to be abroad to study for a short amount of time. I didn’t go to France, but I did study abroad in London, England in 2017, and, like Mia, I struggled to find ways to embrace all the city had to offer in a short time-frame while still keeping up with my course work. The backdrop of France, Paris specifically, was captured really well, and I loved traveling with Mia around the city and soaking up all she could, with her tour-guide Louis to lead the way, of course. I thought the mystery regarding Mia’s ancester being a subject of French Impressionist artist, Edgar Degas, added some depth to the story, and allowed her to connect with her family living in France when she otherwise might not have had a reason to contact them. A lot of thought and care went into the ballet aspects of the story, which, as a former dancer myself, helped the reader understand just how hard these dancers were working to prepare for this showcase. And, speaking of the showcase, I appreciated the contrast put into place by having Mia and her “rival,” Audrey, in their respective roles in Swan Lake. It highlighted two incredibly different yet distinct ways dancers, or perhaps anyone following any passion, approach their goal – Audrey is movement-oriented, always with the right steps but lacking emotion, while Mia is emotionally-motivated, wearing her heart on her sleeve during a performance yet lacking some of the technique necessary to successfully complete more complex moves and numbers. I really enjoyed seeing the two learn from each other, while still upholding their own individual techniques. And finally, without getting into too many spoilers, the plot was progressing exactly how I expected it to, until the author decided to turn it on its head, which surprised me and brought my intrigue back up when I was losing a bit of interest, so I have to commend her for that.

While I overall did enjoy my time reading this book, it didn’t become one of my new all-time favorites, and I do have some critiques. I think a lot of my personal issues come from the story being fast-paced, which, for me, didn’t allow for a lot of character and story-line development. While we got plenty of progression with Mia and Audrey’s friendship, I wish the additional characters met in the summer program could have gotten some more love – though I do understand that girls like Lucy and Anouk were in a different level in the program and, therefore, didn’t spend as much time with Mia as Audrey. I thought some really good conversations could have been brought up between Mia and her mother, who both have varying ideas about what Mia should pursue in the future, but throughout the book there is just tension and then a short discussion at the end where they both now understand each other. Similarly, with Louis, throughout the book he constantly says he’s afraid he doesn’t have a passion, because he’s afraid he will become just like his parents and neglect other responsibilities just to follow their career path – we get one small glimpse of something that could be explored upon further, and then it culminates in something large towards the end, a bit out of nowhere. I appreciated the contrasts explored through the characters, no two individuals had exactly the same view at any point, I just wish we could have had more discussion about those differences in certain places. I would have loved a longer piece – maybe an entire summer instead of six weeks – in order to touch on the various, and important, storylines the author chose to introduce.

All in all, if you’re in need of a cute YA contemporary featuring ballet with the backdrop of Paris, this is most definitely the book you want to pick up. It will absolutely give you the spring and summer vibes you’re looking for this year. It was a good debut, and I’ll be on the look-out for what Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau sets her sights on next. Kisses and Croissants released on April 6th, 2021, so be sure to pick up a copy and support the author if you’re at all interested. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Kisses and Croissants:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau’s site
Penguin Random House

Hello! I’m here to talk about my second April 6th release, this time an adult contemporary novel. *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.*

When searching for books on NetGalley a few months ago, I came across In a Book Club Far Away, an adult fiction / contemporary story by Tif Marcelo. I’m always interested in books about books, or stories centered around book clubs. This has also been an early release pick for the book subscription service Book of the Month, which usually has some solid suggestions. I wasn’t sure what I would find when I started reading – the story reminded me a bit of All the Right Mistakes by Laura Jamison, another adult contemporary following the perspectives of a few women who have different experinces but were brought together earlier in life. In this case, the three leads are partners of military men, so they bond while their significant others are deployed and one starts a book club off base. From her site, I found that both author Tif Marcelo and her husband both served in the military, so I found the culture surrounding the base setting to be quite interesting to read about.

Eight years ago, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, Regina Castro, and Sophie Walden were inseperable. Stationed at Fort East, they bonded when their partners were deployed and helped each other through every struggle those few months. Then something happened that caused a rift in their relationship, and the group hadn’t been the same since. Now, these three women find themselves together again – Adelaide requires emergency surgery, so she tricks Sophie and Regina into both coming to assist during her recovery, and with care for her daughter, while her husband is stationed abroad. Lines were crossed in the past, and faith and trust has been broken and destroyed, but is one week enough time to rebuild some of the time lost to betrayal?
*content warning for discussion of miscarriage*

As mentioned before, I really didn’t know what to expect going into this book. We are settled into present day, but when the three reunite we are blast into the past to relive what happened on that military base eight years ago. I really enjoyed the structure of this book – typically with dual timeline, it will alternate every other chapter, during seven of the eight parts, we are allowed to explore each perspective in the present first, while then reliving the past with each of the women (part eight is the only section told entirely in the present). I have to appreciate the care that went into exploring each of the three women – Adelaide, Sophie, and Regina all have their individual issues and concerns they are trying to address and overcome throughout the novel, and I never felt confused as to whose perspective I was following (I will say sometimes I mixed up their partners, but they are off page for most of the book so that may have been my fault). Regina, the only single mother of the bunch, is struggling to figure out what to do with her catering business that she loves but isn’t bringing in enough money – Sophie, mother to twins, is feeling more and more like she is a single mother trying to take care of everything while her partner is constantly traveling for work – Adelaide, who brought the three together once more, has been harboring guilt over the rift in their friendship, and is scared to allow people she trusts to help her in a time of need. There is a large focus on holding a grudge and misplaced anger in this novel – Regina hasn’t spoken to Sophie ever since the incident that caused her to lose trust in her friend all those years ago. It highlights just how much that anger, even if it is misplaced, can harm a frienship and harbor resentment, even unintentionally. The women lost almost eight years of their lives to this feud, years that could have been spent supporting each other through tough times like they had in the past. It was honest and real, and I really liked the conversation it started about evaluating those grudges to see if they truly are worth the resentment.

While I did overall enjoy my experience reading this book, I did have my issues. I found the ending to be a bit rushed – in part eight, an extremely important piece of information is revealed to the reader (that I personally did not see coming, and am not sure others have picked up on it earlier or not), and that leaves only a few chapters for the issue to be resolved and the book to end. I feel like for the importance of that information, and the impact that it ultimately had on our main leads, I would have liked their internal monologues and thought processes to be explored a little more. And I think my main critique of the book is the book club aspect itself. I know it was primarily established as a way for the main characters to be introduced, and that first session garnered great discussion, I found the book club meetings sprinkled throughout the rest of the novel to be a bit underwhelming. I wasn’t sure exactly why one wanted an entire trip to New York City, or an escape game, and sometimes the meeting were cancelled and nothing was disccused anyway. I understand that it wasn’t the focus of the book, but it at least should have felt important, and for me it didn’t. Or at least I would have liked the final “book club,” the one Adelaide makes Sophie promise her and Regina will participate in during the present timeline, would have been better explored or explained. It is mentioned a few times when the women pick up to read the book, and they compare how much they’ve read in comparison to the others, and then at the end it’s all wrapped up in just a few paragraphs. The book was chosen specifically because it mirrored what was going on in their lives, so I just wish that parallel could have been better established throughout the course of the entire book, instead of rushed at the end.

In conclusion, I found myself charmed by Tif Marcerlo’s writing and connecting with each of the characters in different ways. From her website, I see that she also has a YA title, The Holiday Switch, coming out later this year, so I might check that one out as well as it seems a bit more up my alley. In a Book Club Far Away released this week, on April 6th, 2021, so please join me in wishing it a [slightly belated] book birthday, and cinsider picking up a copy for yourself if you’re at all interested. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Gallery Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find In a Book Club Far Away:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Tif Marcelo’s site
Simon & Schuster

Hello! I’m here to talk about yet another great non-fiction book I got the chance to read early. *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.*

BookishFirst has been featuring some great non-fiction picks recently. I have entered raffles for three non-fictions – When Harry Met Minnie (a memoir), The Genome Odyssey (a scientific nonfiction), and now the book I’ll be discussing today, Finding Freedom: A Cook‘s Story – Remaking a Life from Scratch. It is a memoir written by Erin French, the chef and owner of The Lost Kitchen, a little restaurant that packs a big punch located in Freedom, Maine, the town where French grew up. I had no idea what to expect from Erin’s story, but it truly was a tale I won’t forget anytime soon.
*April 6th seems to be a pretty popular publication date, at least for the advanced copies I’ve read and received, so this will be the first of three posts for April 6th releases, all coming sometime this week*

Inside a refurbished hydro-powered grist mill in Freedom, Maine – a town roughly halfway between Augusta and Bangor – you’ll find The Lost Kitchen, a restaurant that seats forty-people four days a week for dinner service eight months out of the year. The menu is changed each day, to explore new options while keeping up with subtle changes in season and supply. When reservations open in April, the restaurant is able to fill all the tables from May until New Year’s Eve in less than a day. Most, if not all, of the cooks and servers are women, and many are farmers who supply the restaurant with fresh foods while working a second shift. On the way to the dining room, guests can purchase a bottle from the wine shop downstairs, due to Freedom’s law that bans the sale of alcohol in restaurants. Against all odds, this little lost kitchen found its place in the world, and has been thriving ever since opening day, even being named one of Time magazine’s “Twelve Restaurants Worth Traveling Around the World to Experience,” by Bloomberg and featured in articles by The New York Times. And recently, owner and chef Erin French has decided to tell her story about how she overcame the challenges and struggles she faced in her life, and remade her life from scratch to lead her to the place she was always meant to be.

Erin developed a love of food from a very young age, and found herself back in the town of Freedom, Maine more times than she could count. The town always seemed to allow her to evaluate her life and make the appropriate changes to reset and start over from square one. Coming back after dropping out of college to take care of a newborn son as a single mother, coming back after ridding herself of an addiction to pills to figure out how to prove herself to the custody court, and coming right back to the mill she had been warned to stay away from all through childhood, to people who gave her a second chance and finally build the life she had always wanted for her and her son. Her story was heartbreaking and beautiful and even though I knew how the story ended I was rooting for Erin every step of the way, for her to get back on her feet. I have to highlight her sincerity and vulnerability throughout the memoir, as she doesn’t shy away from bringing the reader along with her through the darkest moments of her life – addiction, rehab, losing insurance, and even having to rely on everyone around her just to make it day to day. Even at her lowest, Erin had enough love for her son and for food to carry her through, and the confidence to convince others to give her at least half a chance to prove that she was capable of being a great parent and an even better chef. And throughout the book, we had the chance to explore Erin’s mind and hear her gush about new recipes she’d wanted to try, how good to felt to have people in her space enjoying something she had created – her passion for food and being in the kitchen shines through every page.

In her acknowledgements, Erin French says that writing this book was one of the most challenging things she’s ever done, to relive all the painful times and put those words to paper. But she hopes that those words will give some readers hope and strength to carry on, through all the hardships and challenges of their own lives. While I definitely could have gotten by without reading a detailed description of a chicken slaughtering in Chapter 26, I found Finding Freedom to be an incredibly moving memoir, full of hope and a woman who truly had to rebuild her life, but, on more stable ground, rose up from the ashes to become even better. Finding Freedom is set to be released on April 6th, 2021 (which is today, if everything goes well) so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy if you’re interested in a powerful memoirs (with some absolutely divine descriptions of food). *Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher, Celadon Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Finding Freedom:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Celadon Books

Hello! I’m back today to talk about my March reads for the Buzzword Readathon!**And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**

This is the third 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 March was “time,” and I think I had an even harder time choosing books for this month to feature than I did in January. Let’s hope this isn’t a theme, me finiding it progressively more difficult to find books to fulfill these prompts. Well, now that we’re here, let’s talk about my picks for March.

Read in March – Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins
-Back in December, I asked Dahlia Adler over at LGBTQReads to recommend a sweet, soft book that would just get me through the rest of 2020, the bad year it was. She immediately pitched Here the Whole Time, a YA contemporary by Vitor Martins originally published in Brazil 2017, but translated to English (from portuguese) by Larissa Helena and released in the US last November. It follows Felipe on his winter break in Brazil, where his plans are drastically changed when he hears Caio, his neighbor a crush since childhood, will be staying with him and his mom for 15 days. Felipe deals with bullying as he is a fat teen, and is insecure about he is perceived by other people, especially his peers. He used to swim all the time in the apartment pool with Caio when they were kids, but stopped when he started to get looks from other neighbors about his appearance. This was an absolute delight of a book following two boys navigating first love, with all of the awkwardness that comes with it. There was really good therapy representation as well, as Felipe attends sessions with a therapist every Tuesday, and his mother is extremely supportive of who he is. She also becomes a motherly figure to Caio as well, which helps him deal with disapproval coming from his own parents in regards to his friends and his sexuality. Their relationship was just so sweet, and I loved seeing it progress with each passing day of their vacation. This could join my list of comfort reads, just because of how long there was a smile on my face while reading it, and I was able to finish it in one day.

Recommendation – This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
-I feel like everyone was talking about This is How You Lose the Time War, an adult sci-fi novel by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, when it was released back in 2019. It’s a short book, just under 200 pages (at least for my copy), and there were people that adored its prose and those who did not understand the plot at all. The story follows Blue and Red, rival agents on opposite ends of a time war who strike up a written correspondence in the ashes of a dying world. The two share secrets of loneliness childhood, loneliness, and, despite all of the odds against them, even love. I received this book in a care package I ordered from the independent bookstore Mysterious Galaxy (who has become one of my favorite indie bookstores to support) because I asked for some science fiction recommendations, and this was definitely a good pick. I will admit I was confused, but as the story fell more and more into place I found myself immersed in Red and Blue’s letters. I listened to this on audiobook (which has distinct narrators for Red and Blue), and didn’t realize I was more than halfway into the story until I had to turn it off and go to bed. This book won’t work for everyone – the prose is flowery, and I’ll say I’m still not 100% sure what happened, but I think this is a work that I will appreciate even more upon a reread. I’ll have to schedule that in soon.

Want to Read – As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
-In 2019, I was at my local Barnes & Noble with my mom and picked up a book titled Conceal, Don’t Feel, which seemed to be a play on Frozen (it was around the release of Frozen 2, so I wasn’t surprised). I was intrigued to discover that this book was a part of the Disney Twisted Tales series, in which three authors (Elizabeth Lim, Jen Calonita, and Liz Braswell) tackle Disney stories with a twist. There are are 10 in total (as of this blog being posted), and I have more than my fair share of books to go in this series. The one I’m going to focus on for this prompt is As Old as Time by Liz Braswell, a spin on the classic Beauty and the Beast. It asks the question “What if Belle’s mother cursed the beast?” We’ve certainly gotten a plethora of Beauty and the Beast retellings in the past few years, but I’m interested to pick this one up, as well as the others in the series. Luckily most are available through my local library.

So there you have it, the books I’ve read and want to read that feature the word “time” in the title. I really am enjoying these Buzzword-a-thon posts, and can’t wait to see what these prompts will have me reading in the coming months.

Where to find all these books:
Bookshop: Here the Whole Time This is How You Lose the Time War As Old as Time
Amazon: Here the Whole Time This is How You Lose the Time War As Old as Time
Goodreads: Here the Whole Time This is How You Lose the Time War As Old as Time
Authors’ sites: Vitor Martins Amal El-Mohtar Max Gladstone Liz Braswell

Hi there! I’m here to discuss another advanced reader’s copy I was granted access to through NetGalley. *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.*

Today I’m here to talk a little bit about the novel A Question Mark is Half a Heart, an adult fiction novel by Sofia Lundberg. In my February Buzzwordathon post, I discuss this author’s prior work, The Red Address Book, which I found to be an incredibly fascinating and moving novel. A Question Mark is Half a Heart was originally published in Swedish in 2018, and has been translated to English by Nicola Smalley for release in the U.S. in March, 2021. I was approved for an early copy on NetGalley and I just want to share my thoughts it!

From the book’s Goodreads page: “Elin has the perfect life. A successful photographer, she lives in New York with her husband, Sam, and their seventeen-year-old daughter, Alice. But something has also been missing… When Elin receives a letter from her childhood friend, Fredrick, on the Swedish island of Gotland, memories come flooding back: of a past she has tried to forget, and a terrible secret she has shared with nobody – a secret that made her flee the island, and never return. Torn between past and present and afraid the truth will destroy her family, Elin sets out on a journey to another continent, but also to another time and another life.”

I had been approved for a while before picking up this book, and decided not to reread the synopsis so as to not have any expectations – which I found to be a good decision for me personally, as the reveals later had more of an impact. We’re immediately introduced to Elin, a successful photographer who’s good at her job, but seems to be using her work as a distraction. When she doesn’t quite want to head home, she grabs her mail and walks to a nearby bar, and while sifting through the envelopes comes across a letter from someone (Fredrick) in her past, a past she has been concealing for years. Then we are catapulted back 30 years, where the pieces of Elin’s childhood start to fit into place. I thought that that the author did an incredible job at depicting just how much your past can affect your present and future. While Elin refuses to acknowledge it, she gets many of her coping mechanisms from her own mother, while manifesting in different ways to account for the change in time and location. As we the readers start to unravel Elin’s childhood, we come to understand why she behaves a certain way, and while we may not agree with her decisions we can see why she makes them. I will say that I felt the pacing was a bit off at times, as we get so much buildup to about 70% and then something extremely important is revealed, which causes the plot to just pick up speed until the end. Sometimes I thought there was imbalance between past and present day – I would have preferred to have something specific in Elin’s present day remind her of her past, and then jump into that period of her life, and some of the chapter breaks just felt a bit disjointed to me. Elin also comes across a bit apathetic – when Sam or Alice compliment her, or do nice things for her, she doesn’t seem very thankful, and when they confront her about it she says she appreciates them, but her actions tell a different story. And lastly, I wish there was better closure in regards to Sam – we do see some really good development towards the very end of the novel (most prominently the last “now” chapter), but I wish we could have explored his and Elin’s growth together a little more.

In conclusion, I thought this was a great novel exploring how your past, or rather how you perceive your past (as perception can become cloudy), can affect how you respond to events in your present and future. The writing style is certainly something that will keep me returning to Sofia Lundberg’s work, if I am interested in the premise. A Question Mark is Half a Heart is set to be released (in English) on March 23rd, 2021 (which should be the day this post goes live), so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday (again) and consider picking up a copy if it sounds like something you’d enjoy. I’m definitely interested to see everyone’s thoughts about this novel. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find A Question Mark is Half a Heart:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
HMH (publisher)

Hello there! I’m here to talk about my participation in an amazing read-a-thon over the weekend! *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.*

So over the weekend (March 20th – March 21st), I participated in Becca’s 48-hour Bookopolathon. For those who are unaware, the read-a-thon was created by YouTuber Becca at the channel Becca and The Books. In December 2018, she began a series on her channel called “Bookopoly,” a game based on Monopoly [with bookish prompts] which she has used to choose the books she’d read in the next month ever since. In July, 2020, she hosted a 48-hour read-a-thon so that people who watched her channel could join in on the fun, with prompts being revealed every 12 hours on the read-a-thon’s Twitter page, and then a full month-long event in September complete with a special “Bookopolathon” board. She announced back in February that there would be another 48-hour event happening in March, and this time everything would be completely live, with reading sprints occurring every 4 hours on her channel along with 10 additional hosts. Prompts would still be announced every 12 hours (based on GMT, as that is her time zone) for 8 prompts in total, one from the Bookopolathon board and another from her personal 2021 board. I feel like I’ve taken forever to explain all this so I hope this makes sense. This has been a read-a-thon I look forward to participating in each time it’s been hosted, and this round was absolutely no exception. The live element really motivated me to read, and the individual hosts enthusiasm was contagious. I’m so proud to have read at least one book for each roll drop, and I’m excited to tell you all about them! AND, if you’re ever in need of some reading sprints, the entire playlist from this weekend has been saved and can be accessed here.

Roll drop #1: dark cover / fantasy
-The first two prompts were given in the read-a-thon’s announcement video on Becca’s channel. The boards gave us dark cover and fantasy. I was originally going to read All the Tides of Fate, by Adalyn Grace, the sequel to All the Stars and Teeth, but decided I wanted to do a reread of the first book. Luckily, earlier on Friday I was already reading my review copy of Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story – Remaking a Life From Scratch by Erin French. I received this copy from BookishFirst, which is a great site for winning / receiving advanced copies of books every week and I talk about it quite frequently. I will have a full review posted on the release date (April 6th, 2021), and will link it here when it’s out [find it here], so I’ll be brief in my thoughts here. Finding Freedom is a non-fiction memoir of the life of Erin French, owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen, a firty-seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine. The book spans throughout her lifetime, from growing up in Freedom and working at her father’s diner, to becoming a single mother, to being involved in a toxic relationship during which she developed an addiction to pain medications and alcohol, to losing custody of her son to her manupulative partner, to essentially rebuilding her life and providing stability for herself and her child by pursuing the one thing that had been a constant in her life – food. It was honest and vulnerable and affected me in ways I didn’t expect. I highly recommend picking this memoir up when it’s released on April 6th.

Roll drop #2: contemporary / POC rep
-Prompts 3 and 4 were announced at 12pm GMT on March 20th, which was 8am in my time zone. I wasn’t planning on staying up the entire 48 hours, so I set an alarm to see the roll drop and then went back to sleep. I was back in my comfort zone, with contemporary and POC rep, so I decided to listen to the audiobook of Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, a YA contemporary following a Persian main character. High school junior Leila realized over the summer that she is attracted to girls, and when a new student, Saskia, arrives at school, and starts sending her mixed signals, she is forced to figure out what it all means. So. Um. I didn’t like this book. At all, really. I actually really enjoyed the couple that comes out on top in the end, but didn’t appreciate much of the journey getting to that point. I have to understand that these are teenagers in high school, as I sometimes forget I haven’t been in high school for over six years now, but I felt it was a bit juvenile at times, and the story is littered with biphobia (as the main antagonist is coded as being attracted to multiple genders, but is never stated outright), and slut-shaming (as Leila mentions rumors of a fellow student engaging in a relationship with a teacher, which is never confirmed or shown in any way, but frames it as the student being too promiscuous instead of the teacher being at fault). I could appreciate the discussion about being afraid your family won’t accept your identiy, but the story was too riddled with stereotypes that I couldn’t quite look past it. I personally wouldn’t recommend, but would say if you’re interested still give it a shot and see how you feel about it.

Roll drop #3: first in a series / CHANCE
-Prompts 5 and 6 were announced at 12am GMT on March 21st, which was 8pm on March 20th in my time zone. This gave us first in a series or CHANCE – for chance, you set aside an equal number of books you are more and less interested in and let a random source choose the book out of those choices. Some used a random number generator, other used their left-over chance cards from the month-long read-a-thon back in September. I personally chose eight books (equal parts ebook and physical, and books I wasn’t sure about and those I was excited for), and let my mom choose for me, going off only the titles. She wasn’t very willing to make this choice for me, but relented after I promised to buy lunch the next day. Out of the eight titles she chose I Killed Zoe Spanos, a YA mystery by Kit Frick, which was one I was excited to read. I received this book in an Unplugged book box, and ever since I heard there was a podcast element I had the audiobook on hand, which definitely was a good choice. I Killed Zoe Spanos follows two timelines, the “past” (two months ago) when Anna Cicconi arrives to Herron Mills, Long Island to start a nanny position, where all the townspeople say how much she looks like missing teen Zoe Spanos, and the “present,” where Anna confesses to Zoe’s murder. There’s also a podcast, Missing Zoe, led by teen Martina Green, where she is trying to uncover the truth behind Zoe’s disappearance, and if Anna truly was guilty of the crime. Things certainly were never as they seemed in this book, and throughout the entire novel I wasn’t sure who I could trust or who was giving me false information. I’m still trying to decide if I liked how everything came about in the end, but I would still recommend checking it out, and definitely going the audiobook route, it was really well done.

Roll drop #4: set in present / other
-The final roll drop, giving us prompts 7 and 8, occured at 12pm GMT on March 21st, which was 8am in my time zone. In the last quarter of the read-a-thon, we were given set in the present (book taking place in present day), and other (reading a book outside a genre, demographic, etc. you’d usually read). I was a little behind at this point, the audiobook for I Killed Zoe Spanos taking me outside its alotted time, and sleep, I wanted to sleep. So I scanned my shelves and ebook library for something that wouldn’t take me too long and stumbled upon The Unteachables, a middle grade contemporary novel by Gordon Korman – I don’t usually reach for middle grade, and its set in modern day, so hits all the buttons I need. I remember purchasing this book at the beginning of quarantine from Mysterious Galaxy, an independent bookstore in San Diego, California that has been one of my favorites to shop from during lock-down. The Unteachables follows a group of students placed in the self-contained special eighth grade class – the students no one knows what else to do with due to their behavior, anger issues, educational inabilities, etc. At the start of the year, they’re assigned Mr. Zachary Kermit as their teacher – the man who’s career has been destroyed ever since his seventh grade student was involved in a cheating scandal that disgraced the name of the school district. Maybe both the students and the teacher deserve a shot at redemption. Ok, I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I LOVED watching all the students, Mr. Kermit, and even some side characters, get the growth and redemption they deserved. I came to love all seven students for their differences, and how they became such a unit over the course of a semester. I did find some parts a little repetitive, but overall I very much enjoyed my time reading, and it truly did fly by.

When all is said and done, I would certainly classify this read-a-thon as a success. That’s four books I managed to get off my TBR, and I had a blast all weekend tuning in to the sprints and watching everyone just have a great time right alongside me. Hats off to Becca for organizing the whole thing, and to all the additional hosts who made this experience so enjoyable and fun. I can’t wait to participate in the next round of Becca’s Bookopolathon, whether it be another week-long read-a-thon or a month-long one.

Where to find these books:
Finding Freedom: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Celadon Books
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Workman (publisher)
I Killed Zoe Spanos: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Kit Frick’s site
The Unteachables: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Gordon Korman’s site

Hi there! I’m back again to talk about another giveaway win, this time from Fierce Reads.**And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**

I think I’ve expressed many times on this blog that sometimes when I enter giveaways, I end up forgetting about it until I get a message asking for my shipping address because I’ve won, or receive an email with links to advanced copies through NetGalley. And this time is no exception, as I wasn’t quite expecting to get a message from Fierce Reads saying I’d won copies of books through their “Emotional Must-Reads Sweepstakes.” The only title I had recognized from the list had been The Mirror Season, a YA magical realism novel by Anna-Marie McLemore. I have read one book by this author before, Miss Meteor (also co-written by Tehlor Kay Mejia), which I loved, and was interested to see what magical aspects they would weave into this novel. To say I was blown away would be an understatement.
*a major theme of this novel is sexual assault at a party, so please proceed with caution if it is something that can be triggering for you, as moments from the attack are mentioned and sometimes detailed throughout the story*

from the synopsis on StoryGraph: “Graciela Cristales’ whole world changes after she and a boy she barely knows are assaulted at the same party. She loses her gift for making enchanted pan dulce. Neighborhood trees vanish overnight, while mirrored glass appears, bringing reckless magic with it. And Ciela is haunted by what happened to her, and what happened to the boy whose name she never learned. But when the boy, Lock, shows up at Ciela’s school, he has no memory of that night, and no clue that a single piece of mirrored glass is taking his life apart. Ciela decides to help him, which means hiding the truth about that night. Because Ciela knows who assaulted her, and him. And she knows that her survival, and his, depend on no one finding out what really happened.”

I don’t think I quite have the words to express how incredible I found this book to be. I’ll be honest, I do tend to stay away from novels discussing sexual assault, as the content can be a bit triggering if handled in certain ways, by McLemore’s beautiful writing and balance of heart and seriousness had me feeling so many emotions on every page. I made the mistake of reading this on the NetGalley app while at work, and let’s just say I’m glad I was in a secluded area because otherwise I think my coworkers would have been a bit concerned. Ciela is grappling with the guilt of remembering every single thing about that night, feels, in some way, responsible, and takes it upon herself to protect Lock from the truths, even if to her [and his] detriment. She loses her abilities to make enchanted pan dulce, and detect exactly what kind a customer walking into her family’s shop would need, after the assault, but through helping Lock and dealing with her own feelings in the process, she slowly starts to gain them back. Ciela is also protective to a fault, collecting up all the glass shards she can find and keeping them in her closet so they can’t harm anyone else (after a shard becomes lodged in her eye when she dropped Lock off at the hospital), and has trouble asking for help because she needs to feel in control of the situation, but also doesn’t want to feel like a burden to her loved ones. This book is tough to read at times, as Ciela and Lock are both relentlessly bullied by their attackers, who are able to make them relive some of the worst moments of that night on a daily basis while spinning the narrative so everyone at their school seems to view the night differently. Reliving those moments alongside Ciela was difficult to get through, but it highlights just how focused your mind can be on events you never want to remember. The main characters and their families were lovely, and I appreciated the support system Lock and Ciela developed in and around each other, so by the end neither of them feel like they’re trying to face this alone. The underlying message of hope and freedom and liberation once you reclaim the self that was once taken away was absolutely beautiful to see.

I would also really encourage you to read this article from We Need Diverse Books. It was included with the cover reveal for The Mirror Season and in this interview with Anna-Marie McLemore, they talk about the magic system, dealing with trauma from sexual assault, and other books they want to be included in similar conversations. It’s a great read and highlights some of their insights while crafting this novel, and I think the discussion behind it is incredibly important.

To be honest, I’m not sure any of what I’d written makes sense. All I know is that I sat with my phone on the table next to me, staring at a blank computer screen at work, for a solid twenty minutes after I finished and read through the author’s note, and as soon as March came around I asked if this could be my book choice as an LGBTQReads patron – I could not stop thinking about this book. I think it could be so much more impactful for me upon a reread, so I’m looking forward to it – plus the finished copies are STUNNING, as A.M. shared some pictures on their twitter last week leading up to release day. The Mirror Season is set to be released on March 16th, 2021 (which is today, if everything goes well), so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday, and consider picking up a copy if you are able. I cannot wait to see what Anna-Marie McLemore has in store for us next.

Where to find The Mirror Season:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Anna-Marie McLemore’s site
Macmillan

Hello! I’m back today to talk about my February reads for the Buzzword Readathon! **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**

This is the second 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 theme for February was to pick a book with a color in the title. I’m finding the months with a theme (and not necessarily a specific word) a lot easier to find on my shelves, so let’s talk about my February picks.

Read in February – All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
-Around the summer of last year, everyone was picking up All Boys Aren’t Blue, a YA memoir by George M. Johnson that recounts stories of their life highlighting the Black and queer experience. Since it fit perfectly for this prompt I decided to get the audiobook from my library (which is narrated by the author themself) and give it a listen. While it may only be a 5.5 hour audio, it was such a powerful story covering family, loss, trauma, friends, love, acceptance, freedom, expression, and power. It was tough to listen to at times, but it’s a narrative that needs to be told as these things can happen to anyone, no matter what age. George M. Johnson is a jounalist, consultant, and activist in Brooklyn, NY, and their way with words should truly inspire anyone to combat the prejudices experienced by minorities on a daily basis. I am trying to pick up more non-fiction this year, especially memoirs from individuals whose experiences differ vastly from mine, and All Boys Aren’t Blue is one I recommend for any audience, if you are willing and capable of hearing its message.

Recommendation – The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg
-Looking back through all the books I’ve read while tracking my progress, I stumbled upon The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg, which is an adult fiction novel originally published in Swedish and translated to English by Alice Menzies. It follows Doris, a 96-year-old woman who lives alone in a Stockholm apartment, who finds her red address book with the names of every person she’s come to know – most names are crossed off. She’s inspired to recount her past on paper, including (but not limited to) being a maid in Sweden, modeling in Paris, and fleeing to Manhattan before the beginning of World War II. These stories may help Jenny, Doris’s American grandneice and only remaining relative, unlock the keys to her past. I first encountered this book on BookishFirst, and found it through my library so I could review it on the site. I don’t particularly seek out historical fiction, but following Doris’ past through her flashbacks was engaging and easy to follow. I found the book to be a powerful story of a woman who did what she needed in her past in order to survive. It was a touching novel, and while I knew where it was going, the end still struck a chord. I don’t see many people mention The Red Address Book so I wanted to make it my recommendation (though I was very close to choosing Red, White & Royal Blue, because I can gush about that book all day)
-Other books I’ve read and talked about here on my blog that also fulfill this prompt: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Want to Read – The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
-And lastly, a book that I want to read with a color in the title would be The Black Veins, a YA urban fantasy novel that centers no love interest and a found family adventure. Sixteen-year-old Blythe works in her family’s coffe shop and is one of seven Guardians who are powerful enough to cause worldwide panic with a single snap. When her family is kidnapped by magician anarchists, she must embark on a journey to find the six remaining Guardians and save the ones she loves most. I mean, what about that synopsis doesn’t make me want to drop everything I’m currently reading and pick this up right now? It’s the first book in the Dead Magic series, so I might want to wait to hear more about the sequel before picking this up, but when I do I will be so prepared to embark on the queer found family adventure of my dreams.

In conclusion, I found a lot more books with a color in the title, which made my list a bit harder to narrow down. I am so glad I picked up All Boys Aren’t Blue for this month’s prompt, as it was an incredible memoir whose words and lessons will stick with me for a long time. I reall am enjoying this style of wrap up every month, so I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

Where to find all these books:
Bookshop: All Boys Aren’t Blue The Red Address Book The Black Veins
Amazon: All Boys Aren’t Blue The Red Address Book The Black Veins
Goodreads: All Boys Aren’t Blue The Red Address Book The Black Veins
Author’s sites: George M. Johnson Sofia Lundberg (Facebook) Ashia Monet (Twitter)

Hello! I’m here to talk about a “moving YA debut about a trans boy finding his voice — and himself.” **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**

When scrolling through the books to request on NetGalley, the cover for Between Perfect and Real caught my eye. After reading the synopsis, I was immediately intrigued. A debut YA contemporary written by queer and nonbinary writer Ray Stoeve, the book centers a young trans boy named Dean cast as a male lead in a school play, before he is out at school. Following his journey with his confidence and his identity truly warmed my heart. Trans and nonbinary individuals exist, and their stories, fictional or otherwise, deserve to be told.

Dean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. But to everyone else – his parents, his friends, and his classmates – Dean is a lesbian. When he auditions for the role of Lady Capulet in the school’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet senior year, he is surprised to find the director, Mr. Harrison, has cast him as Romeo. As rehearsal progresses, and the play allows Dean to realize more about himself, he wonders whether he should stay in the closet until college, which was his plan, or come out sooner. Can playing a character, performing on stage, help Dean realize who he wants to be, and strive to make it known? I guess we’ll have to wait for act three.

I just want to say that I’m glad this book, and others that center teen trans identites, are being written and can be found by people who are searching to see themselves represented in literature. Dean’s journey through understanding his identity, finding those who understand his struggles, and knowing those who love him will fight against hate by his side was lovely to read about. The struggle to get through to his mother, who we find does not accept his true self, perhaps due to a closed-minded upbringing, was heartbreaking, but I cheered Dean on as he defended himself, and fought back against his dad who wanted to be complacent on the matter in order to keep peace in their household. Not only that, but this book also explores the uncertainty about the future that comes from senior year of college – you can have all these aspirations, and hope to stay in touch with those closest to you now, but one moment can change the future and throw a wrench in your carefully constructed plans. Dean’s friendship group was strong, and protected him against harm that resulted from classmates’ unacceptance, while also respecting his decisions and gave him the space to think things through and find what is best for him. I loved how there is so much emphasis on giving yourself time to figure things out – teens, especially those heading off to college, are expected to have all the answers to their future, and while some do follow through, others pursue paths that they had never planned on following, and that’s perfectly ok. Dean may not have all the answers at the end of this book, not even a definitive answer about if he wants to starts testosterone, but he’s found people who will support him no matter what, and help him through the tough decisions making process. I was rooting for him the entire time.

Lightly, though distinctly, this book also discusses the unequal treatment provided by law enforcement officials. When theater teacher and play director, Mr. Harrison, approaches Dean, and tells him that he could choose to report Blake to police for his actions of physical violence and hurtful language, it sparks a conversation among Dean and his friends about the unfair treatment towards BIPOC and queer individuals by police. They say that since Blake is “straight and white,” he might not get punished, and if he does it won’t be severely and it will just make him hate Dean even more. Dean also remembers a time when he and his best friend Ronnie, who is Black, were followed around the mall by security guards, and when Ronnie left to find a bathroom they chose to follow him. With movements that have garnered national and international attention regarding racial inequality by police spanning the last few years, I found the discussion significant.

All in all, I believe individuals of varying identities will be able to relate to Dean’s story, or at least appreciate it for what it’s worth. His is a journey of acceptance, independence, uncertainty, and figuring out your place in the world. As an ally of the trans community, I will continue to support media that shares their stories and allows their voices to be heard and spread to far away places. I think Ray Stoeve did an incredible job with their debut, and I cannot wait to read more from them in the future. Between Perfect and Real is set to release on April 13th, 2021, which is only a few months away, so if you’re at all interested in picking this book up, I highly recommend preordering yourself a copy (and if you’d like to help support a local indie bookstore, find one here). I can’t wait for this book to be in the hands of teens who need it most. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Amulet Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Where to find Between Perfect and Real:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Ray Stoeve’s site
Abrams

Hi there. I’m here today to talk about a book which follows the life of an autistic teen based on a true story, and the journey she must go on in order to prove she does, in fact, belong. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**

Around December of last year, a package showed up at my door from Shadow Mountain Publishing, which contained Real, a book that I had heard nothing about. I racked my brain for a bit trying to piece together how this book came into my possession, because I am certainly not on any mailing lists for publishers, and then I realized that there was a giveaway for this book featured in YALLWRITE back in November. Things made a lot more sense. Anyway, Real, a contemporary story by Carol Cukec and Peyton Goddard, is partially inspired by Goddard’s life – the blurb says it speaks to all those who’ve ever felt they didn’t belong and reminds readers that all people are worthy of being included. In my opinion, I think everyone should pick up this book. I should also note that I put ARC in quotation marks in the title because this book has since been released, but I am still reviewing my unfinished advanced copy.

from the book’s Goodreads description: “Charity may have mad math skills and a near-perfect memory, but with a mouth that can’t speak and a body that jumps, rocks, and howls unpredictably, most people incorrectly assume she cannot learn. Charity’s brain works differently from most people’s because of her autism, but she’s still funny, determined, and kind. So why do people treat her like a disease or ignore her like she’s invisible? When Charity’s parents enroll her in a public junior high school, she faces her greatest fears. Will kids make fun of her? Will her behavior get her kicked out? Will her million thoughts stay locked in her head forever? With the support of teachers and newfound friends, Charity will have to fight to be treated like a real student.”

Charity is a non-vocal autistic teen who’s struggled with control over her own body. After being deemed “too special” at her old school she is sent to Borden Academy, a private institution masquerading as a school but felt like a prison camp for disabled kids. Charity tries to express the issues with Borden to her family, but cannot communicate, and is only freed from its confines when her mother visits the academy unexpectedly and sees the school for what it truly is. She then fights for her daughter to be awarded a “normal” public education, but is met with roadblock after roadblock until Charity passes an assessment with the help of special education coordinator, Celia, that allows her to attend school on a trial basis for one month. She meets Anna, her aide who will help her with motor function, and several other kids in the EPIC (every kid is awesome room) who each have their own disabilities and accommodations. She learns about facilitated communication, which leads to the message “I AM INTELLIGENT” burning through the screen and opens the door for people to see Charity in an entirely new light. But not everyone can be so kind. There are forces at work in the system that don’t believe people like Charity can benefit society, so are actively trying to segregate them and keep them away from “normal” students. It seems like every day, Charity has to prove to someone else that she belongs there, that she deserves an education, just as much as anyone else.

This book has already sparked some really important conversations in my personal life. I firmly believe that we are not educated enough about autism and other disorders, which causes so much bias and discrimination that we may not even realize. After Charity was able to use facilitated communication, people started treating her differently, and behaving differently around her, simply because now she was able to verbalize her thoughts. That doesn’t mean her thoughts weren’t in her head before, swimming around and collecting every slur she heard uttered because people thought she couldn’t hear or comprehend. It should not have taken that much for people in Charity’s life to treat her like a person. And more students like Charity would greatly benefit from a proper education if more accommodations would be accessible to meet their needs, instead of creating private institutions under the guise of assistance but treating these individuals as lesser beings. I do acknowledge that some do need specialized educational programs that standard schools are unable to offer, but if more needs could be met, the world would be such a better place. At least twice in this novel, we see Charity’s parents take her to a medical facility, only for the professional in the room to tell them their daughter was incapable of anything and would benefit from being put in a private institution – this was not okay, and shame on the medical professionals who don’t take the time to educate themselves about disabled individuals so they are able to adapt their care if necessary. The villain of this story was truly disheartening to me, because I couldn’t quite comprehend how a person was so threatened by Charity’s presence in the classroom they would actively go out of their way in order to frame her as incompetent and incapable in a school setting. People in life can be so cruel, and I can only hope that with the progression of time, and proper education about disabilities and special needs, that the world can be a more forgiving place.

In conclusion, this book made me feel so many emotions. Even though it was not previously on my radar, I am so glad I won a copy and gave it a chance, because I think it sparked some serious and important conversations and biases that need to be addressed and talked about. I’m even considering picking up Peyton Goddard’s memoir (written with her mother) I Am Intelligent: From Heartbreak to Healing – A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Autism. This review may have just been me rambling about how far we have to go as a society in order to make the world a better place for disabled individuals, but I hope it made at least a little sense. Real was released out into the world on February 2nd, 2021, so if you’re at all interested I highly suggest picking up a copy for yourself.

As a note, I have also been working on my own education in regards to autism specifically, due in part to the controversy surrounding musical artist, Sia, and her recent movie, Music. I have come across two channels on YouTube featuring autistic creators that I wanted to shout out, and they are Princess Aspien and Paige Layle. Check them out, or other autistic creators on the platform, if you’re interested!

Where to find Real:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Carol Cujec’s site
Shadow Mountain Publishing