You know you're a millennial when your brain adds "gossip girl" every time XOXO is said in this book.
I thought this book was super cute, in a lot of wYou know you're a millennial when your brain adds "gossip girl" every time XOXO is said in this book.
I thought this book was super cute, in a lot of ways it reminded me of the Netflix series XOXO Kitty (I believe this book came out first, not sure). But also as a millennial woman in my 30's I am not the target demographic and it wasn't for me, nor was it meant for me! I mostly read it to complete my A-Z title reading challenge for a title with the letter "X".
A sweet romance between a music student and a K-Pop star. I had fun reading along as the main character moved from the USA to Korea and all of the stories of her making new friends and getting to know her grandmother better. The cast of characters is what made this book strong for me. But reading this book helped me realize (even more than I already have) that I think my reading tastes are evolving away from YA....more
Mallory takes care of her mom and two sisters by working as a mechanic, forgoing college in order to support her family. When Mallory attend 4 stars!
Mallory takes care of her mom and two sisters by working as a mechanic, forgoing college in order to support her family. When Mallory attends a charity chess event for a friend, she defeats the current World Champion in chess Nolan Sawyer. From there, Mallory ends up taking a paid fellowship and is whisked into the world of professional chess.
I really enjoyed this gem of a book, but I usually enjoy Ali Hazelwood's books so no surprise there. I will say this book is definitely on the older side of young adult fiction, pretty much borderline new adult so don't give it to a middle grader anytime soon.
I really appreciated seeing a female character in the world of chess. Aside from the Netflix show, The Queen's Gambit we don't see much of that and I hope this encourages the younger generation to try chess out and see if they like it. Mallory and Nolan were both fun and interesting characters with their own issues and it really added to the story and made it interesting. I had a lot of fun reading this book.
Thank you Kay for gifting me a copy of this book for our holiday book exchange! ...more
Very cute YA romance, my favorite parts were both of the teens and their journey to discovering their self worth. I wasn't as interested i 3.5 stars
Very cute YA romance, my favorite parts were both of the teens and their journey to discovering their self worth. I wasn't as interested in their romance, but I think it's more of me aging out of loving YA books than the fault of the book itself....more
According to Goodreads I've read this book 4 times, but I for sure have read it more than that. Fangirl is a book that hits home for me, reading it isAccording to Goodreads I've read this book 4 times, but I for sure have read it more than that. Fangirl is a book that hits home for me, reading it is like being enveloped in a giant warm hug.
I jumped to get this 10th anniversary edition (even though I have 2 others ones plus the manga already) but why not have different copies of your favorite book?
Every time I read it I find a new little detail, but no matter how many times I read it, I love it every single time....more
I love this manga adaptation of one of my all time favorite books! It's so fun to see one of my favorite stories and how they bring it to life. I onlyI love this manga adaptation of one of my all time favorite books! It's so fun to see one of my favorite stories and how they bring it to life. I only wish they released them faster....more
This was the queer version of Paper Towns I didn't know I needed in my life.
An academic rivals to lovers young adult novel, this book is about Chloe This was the queer version of Paper Towns I didn't know I needed in my life.
An academic rivals to lovers young adult novel, this book is about Chloe Green who is in competition for valedictorian with school golden girl Shara Wheeler. The only thing is, a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and then completely disappears. Leaving behind hidden mysterious pink notes, Chloe works with Shara's boyfriend, Smith, and then Rory, the boy who lives next door to Shara. And Shara kissed them, too.
Like I mentioned above, listening to this I was reminded a lot of the John Green book Paper Towns, except this book was better and featured awesome queer characters. Chloe was such an interesting character, a transplant to her Alabama high school from California who had preconceptions of her school/town and its inhabitants that she never worked to disprove to herself. One of my favorite aspects of this book (other than the search for Shara) was how in the last month of high school Chloe see's a completely different side to her classmates. And I felt this was a great way to convey if you write everyone off, you lose out on getting to know some really great people.
This book was a lot of fun and I enjoyed listening to it immensely. I am the odd girl out and didn't love Red White and Royal Blue by this author, so I am really glad I liked this book and her other book One Last Stop. McQuisten has a humor mixed in her writing that is something special and not many authors can pull off like she can....more
Becky Albertalli is an auto-buy author for me, I absolutely adore her books.
Imogen, Obviously is about a high school senior who goes to vi 3.5 stars
Becky Albertalli is an auto-buy author for me, I absolutely adore her books.
Imogen, Obviously is about a high school senior who goes to visit her friend Lili at the college she will attend next year. There, she finds out Lili lied to her friend group and said she and Imogen used to date. Except Imogen is straight, but is she? After meeting Lili's friend Tessa, Imogen begins to question everything.
This rating was hard for me, because I understood how deeply personal this story was for the author. It rang true in every aspect of this group. For those who don't know (and this is very much an abbreviation) the author was criticized and bullied for being a straight woman writing queer books, until the author came out publicly as queer. And a lot of this shows in Imogen's story, with her constant questioning, being sure of her straight identity. Her friend Gretchen in the book seems to be the masses who criticize other queer experiences.
I think I didn't love this because I am a millennial grown woman and not a teenager, and this was a book meant for teens. I'm not the target demographic, and that's okay! I think also knowing the authors personal story behind this book took away from it a little bit because while reading, it wasn't about Imogen but about Becky. That's not at all the fault of the author or the story, but I mostly felt really sad and stressed reading what was happening to Imogen, knowing that many queer people experience this all the time. I'm very glad that Imogen got her HFN by the end (even if she needs to drop that troll Gretchen as a friend still).
I'm very happy this book exists and I think it will help so so many people. It just wasn't for me....more
When Izumi discovered she was a Japanese princess, she was thrown into a completely new world and had to scramble to figure things out. Now t 4 stars
When Izumi discovered she was a Japanese princess, she was thrown into a completely new world and had to scramble to figure things out. Now things seem to be going very well for her, she has a hot bodyguard boyfriend, her dog is now living with her in Tokyo, and her parents are back together and engaged. But when Izumi catches wind that her parents may be denied marriage, Akio makes a decision for the both of them that changes the course of their future.
This was a great follow up novel to Tokyo Ever After and I very much hope this will be a longer series. While the first book was about discovering a new life, this second book was about acclimating to it. Izumi really worked on being who she thought everyone wanted her to be, versus being herself. I liked that the focus of this book really seemed to be about friendship, with Izumi working on a truce with the twins and her friend visiting from back home.
I will say though, I really want the adult romance story of Izumi’s parents. Maybe it’s because I am not a teenager anymore, but their romance was the best part of this book....more
This was basically The Princess Diaries in Japan and I loved every single second of it.
Izumi Tanaka grew up in a small town in Northern California, neThis was basically The Princess Diaries in Japan and I loved every single second of it.
Izumi Tanaka grew up in a small town in Northern California, never feeling like she ever fit in. When she decides to seek out her father whose identity was unknown to her. She discovers much to her shock, that he is the crown prince of Japan, making her a princess. Whisked away to Japan, Izumi is ecstatic to learn her roots and get to know her family. But there's a lot that goes into being a princess, will Izumi be able to handle it?
I feel like this book is everything a YA novel should be. Awkward teenagers? Check. Self identity crisis? Check. Romance with a hot bodyguard you initially hate? Check. Family drama? Double check. I loved Izumi as a main character and I think so many teens can relate to not feeling you belong like she did, no matter what your situation. Her enemies to friends to lovers romance with her bodyguard was so much fun. Overall a big win and I am ready to jump into the second book....more
The story of teenage girl Darcy who spends most of her time hidden away in a book. Darcy’s mother suffers from compulsive shopping and hoardi 4 stars
The story of teenage girl Darcy who spends most of her time hidden away in a book. Darcy’s mother suffers from compulsive shopping and hoarding, and Darcy copes by getting lost in the words inside her head. When she starts running into Asher, a former teen pilot, the two form a friendship that begins to be something more.
I really enjoyed this teen novel, it’s exactly what a contemporary teen book should be. I loved being in Darcy’s head and seeing how she saw the world. It’s so cool that she had a somewhat photographic memory. The development of her friendship/romance with Asher was a slow burn but really well done. And I loved all the characters in this book. I think this is a great book about coming out of your shell and embracing a new world around you....more
Bradley and Celine used to be best friends when they were younger, but after a fight they became total strangers. Now, in high school, the two of themBradley and Celine used to be best friends when they were younger, but after a fight they became total strangers. Now, in high school, the two of them are competing in an outdoor course with the prize being a scholarship. Despite hating each other, they need to work together and trust each other so they can both get what they want.
After loving books 1 and 3 of the Brown sisters series, I was really excited to read this book. To my surprise, it just kind of got worse the longer I listened to it. It started off not great with annoying characters, and then got better when the two main characters grew together. But then the end was convoluted and just, well, bad. It made me sad because I think I should have given up on the book earlier and not just continued on. I love Talia Hibbert's books, usually. This one just seemed to be a miss for me....more
Fangirl is one of my all time favorite books ever, I reread it all the time. I was hesitant about a manga adaptation because while I read gr 5 stars!
Fangirl is one of my all time favorite books ever, I reread it all the time. I was hesitant about a manga adaptation because while I read graphic novels I am not a big fan of manga, but this was done so well! And it makes more sense in this format than a comic because this way more can be included. It was fun to revisit old characters and see them come to life on the page. All the best parts were included! I will say, not a fan of a two year gap in release dates between the first and second volumes, it makes me worried how long we will have to wait for all four to be released… ...more
I don’t understand how these books just seem to get better and better? Like the first one was already a five star read and yet Oseman continues to delI don’t understand how these books just seem to get better and better? Like the first one was already a five star read and yet Oseman continues to deliver even better stories and content. In this installment we see mostly Nick’s perspective of Charlie’s issues with an eating disorder and OCD. I thought it beautifully handled what to do to help when someone you love is going through those things. This book also strongly reinforced that the love of one person isn’t enough, that you need a network or family of people around you to really make things better. And normalizing going to therapy when you need it? Love it. Well done, Oseman. I am so excited for the fifth book!...more
Omg this series is just so dang cute and heartfelt! In this third book Charlie and Nick are officially boyfriends but not completely out as a couple tOmg this series is just so dang cute and heartfelt! In this third book Charlie and Nick are officially boyfriends but not completely out as a couple to their friends and classmates. But a class trip to Paris and it’s getting harder to hide it from everyone.
One of my favorite things about this graphic novel series (aside from being adorable) is it’s ability to tackle tough subjects without being intensely heavy. There are teens and adults who’ve had the experiences in these books and it’s so important that people see these stories. I love the development of all the relationships and friendships, they’re so well done!...more
This book was so cute and endearing! I haven’t watched the tv series yet, I wanted to read the books first and I’m wondering what rock I’ve been livinThis book was so cute and endearing! I haven’t watched the tv series yet, I wanted to read the books first and I’m wondering what rock I’ve been living under that I haven’t read these books yet. It’s the simple tale of boy meets boy, only one is openly gay and the other one… we aren’t sure yet. Nick and Charlie are unlikely friends but enjoy spending time around one another.
A lot of the time I have trouble with artwork in certain graphic novels and that wasn’t the case at all with this one. I enjoyed every single illustration and how it was formatting. Oseman was able to do so much with so little and I thought it was superb. I’m glad I already have the second book ready to go because what an ending! I can see myself binging this series very quickly....more
High school graduate Lenore is bound for NYU as an art history major, but when her parents overhear her say she wasn’t sure about the choice 4 stars!
High school graduate Lenore is bound for NYU as an art history major, but when her parents overhear her say she wasn’t sure about the choice, they put pressure on her to be more decisive. That and a bad breakup with the boy she’s been seeing at her prom, Lenore is bound for a Mediterranean cruise with her family feeling less than celebratory. While on the cruise she meets Alex, and does not click with him. But then the two of them are together more often than not, and sparks begin to fly.
I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn’t read the companion first novel but was able to read this one just fine as a standalone. And for what looked like a fluffy young adult romance, this book packed in a lot of important issues like anxiety in young black men, expectations of black excellence, sibling rivalry, racism in dating.
What I loved most about this book was Lenore herself, I remember what it was like to graduate high school and not know exactly what I wanted to do. And for her there were even more levels of pressure. Plus I was super jealous of her artistic abilities because I have none. The romance was a bit rushed for me, but it worked overall in this book. Also the younger sister Etta gives main character energy and I would love a time jump and for her to get her own book. Just putting that last part out in the universe and hoping it manifests.
I need to go back and read Happily Ever Afters and I am genuinely excited to read more by Elise Bryant....more
“The problem with broken hearts isn’t that they kill you. It’s that they don’t”
Oh wow, this one sure did hurt my heart by the end. But th 4 stars
“The problem with broken hearts isn’t that they kill you. It’s that they don’t”
Oh wow, this one sure did hurt my heart by the end. But the good kind of hurt where it burns a little bit.
After her parents break up, Evie doesn’t believe in love anymore. Her romance books have been plucked off the shelf, no longer holding any interest. One afternoon, something strange happens and Evie can now see a couple’s entire relationship, beginning and ending, flash before her eyes when they kiss. All this happens as she begins to fall for her new dance partner, X.
Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite young adult authors out there. She takes such complex human emotions and writes them in a way that everyone can understand or empathize even if they haven’t experienced it. Compulsively readable, this cute book sucks you in until you soon realize it’s not just a cute little book but one jam packed with raw feelings and emotions. It’s a very bittersweet story but one that I am really glad I read....more
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