Tag Archives: LGBTQ

Book Title:
Vanilla
Book Author:
Billy Merrell
Page Count:
320
Publishing Date:
October 10th, 2017
Publisher:
Push
Date Read:
October 19th, 2017
Source:
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review - Thank you!

Synopsis

Vanilla and Hunter have been dating since seventh grade. They came out together, navigated middle school together, and became that couple in high school that everyone always sees as a couple. There are complications and confusions, for sure. But most of all, they love each other.As high school goes, though, and as their relationship deepens, some cracks begin to show. Hunter thinks they should be having sex.Vanilla isn't so sure. Hunter doesn't mind hanging out with loud, obnoxious friends.Vanilla would rather avoid them. If they're becoming different people, can they be the same couple? Falling in love is hard. Staying in love is harder.

My Review

Boy this is a hard review to write.  Vanilla has been getting a bit of backlash from the book community lately, and I wasn’t sure why – I mean, don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t perfect, but as a … Continue reading

3 stars
4 Comments
Book Title:
Spellbook of the Lost and Found
Book Author:
Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Page Count:
368
Publishing Date:
October 20th, 2017
Publisher:
Kathy Dawson Books
Date Read:
August 22nd, 2017
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

If you’re not careful, you can spend your whole life looking for what you’ve lost.

One stormy summer in a small Irish town, things begin to disappear. It starts with trivial stuff—hair clips, house keys, socks—but soon it escalates to bigger things: a memory, a heart, a classmate.

Olive can tell that her best friend, Rose, is different all of a sudden. Rose isn’t talking, and Olive starts to worry she’s losing her. Then diary pages written by someone named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing development. The trio are wild and alluring, but they seem lost too—and like Rose, they’re holding tightly to painful secrets.

When a tattered handwritten spellbook falls into the lives of these six teenagers, it changes everything. The spellbook is full of charms to conjure back that which has been lost, and it lists a part for each of them to play in the calling. It might be their best chance to set everything back to rights, but only if they’re willing to pay the price.

My Review

“If you don’t get lost, you’ll never be found.” Spellbook of the Lost and Found is one of those books that I honestly didn’t expect to find myself enjoying nearly as much as I did.  I tend to stay away … Continue reading

4.5 stars
2 Comments
Book Title:
I Hate Everyone But You
Book Author:
Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin
Page Count:
352
Publishing Date:
September 5th, 2017
Publisher:
Wednesday Books
Date Read:
September 7th, 2017
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review - Thank you!

Synopsis

Dear Best Friend,

I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.

Sincerely,

Ava Helmer

(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We're still in the same room, you weirdo.

Stop crying.

G

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

My Review

I feel like I’ve been reading a lot of either deep, somber contemporary novels and a lot of fantasy lately, so when I picked up I Hate Everyone But You, I got exactly what I was hoping for – a … Continue reading

4.5 stars
1 Comment
Book Title:
Spinning
Book Author:
Tillie Walden
Book Illustrator:
Tillie Walden
Page Count:
400
Publishing Date:
September 12th, 2017
Publisher:
First Second
Date Read:
August 24th, 2017
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden's powerful graphic memoir, Spinning, captures what it's like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything you used to know.

It was the same every morning. Wake up, grab the ice skates, and head to the rink while the world was still dark.

Weekends were spent in glitter and tights at competitions. Perform. Smile. And do it again.

She was good. She won. And she hated it.

For ten years, figure skating was Tillie Walden's life. She woke before dawn for morning lessons, went straight to group practice after school, and spent weekends competing at ice rinks across the state. It was a central piece of her identity, her safe haven from the stress of school, bullies, and family. But over time, as she switched schools, got into art, and fell in love with her first girlfriend, she began to question how the close-minded world of figure skating fit in with the rest of her life, and whether all the work was worth it given the reality: that she, and her friends on the figure skating team, were nowhere close to Olympic hopefuls. It all led to one question: What was the point?The more Tillie thought about it, the more Tillie realized she'd outgrown her passion--and she finally needed to find her own voice.

My Review

Here I am again, in love with yet another graphic novel.  I know, it seems like I really love every one that I read, but I promise, Spinning is so much more than just a graphic novel – it’s a … Continue reading

4 stars
4 Comments
Book Title:
It's Not Like It's a Secret
Book Author:
Misa Sugiura
Page Count:
400
Publishing Date:
May 9th, 2017
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Date Read:
May 2nd, 2017
Source:
eARC from publisher via Edelweiss - Thank you!

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like that fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.

When Sana and her family move to California she begins to wonder if it’s finally time for some honesty, especially after she meets Jamie Ramirez. Jamie is beautiful and smart and unlike anyone Sana’s ever known. There are just a few problems: Sana’s new friends don’t trust Jamie’s crowd; Jamie’s friends clearly don’t want her around anyway; and a sweet guy named Caleb seems to have more-than-friendly feelings for her. Meanwhile, her dad’s affair is becoming too obvious to ignore anymore.

Sana always figured that the hardest thing would be to tell people that she wants to date a girl, but as she quickly learns, telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated.

My Review

From the very moment that I heard of It’s Not Like It’s a Secret until I finished the book, I absolutely wanted to love this – it had such an interesting premise, diverse characters, and a fun plot that really … Continue reading

3 stars
4 Comments
Book Tour
Book Title:
How to Make a Wish
Book Author:
Ashley Herring Blake
Page Count:
336
Publishing Date:
May 2nd, 2017
Publisher:
HMH Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
April 26th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Grace, tough and wise, has nearly given up on wishes, thanks to a childhood spent with her unpredictable, larger-than-life mother. But this summer, Grace meets Eva, a girl who believes in dreams, despite her own difficult circumstances.

One fateful evening, Eva climbs through a window in Grace’s room, setting off a chain of stolen nights on the beach. When Eva tells Grace that she likes girls, Grace’s world opens up and she begins to believe in happiness again. How to Make a Wish is an emotionally charged portrait of a mother and daughter’s relationship and a heartfelt story about two girls who find each other at the exact right time.

My Review

Last year, I had completely fallen in love with Ashley Herring Blake’s debut novel, Suffer Love, and this year, I’ve fallen in love again with her second novel, How to Make a Wish.  This is probably one of the most … Continue reading

4.5 stars
9 Comments
Book Title:
The Other F-Word
Book Author:
Natasha Friend
Publishing Date:
March 7th, 2017
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Date Read:
March 9th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

A fresh, humorous, and timely YA novel about two teens conceived via in vitro fertilization who go in search for answers about their donor.

Milo has two great moms, but he's never known what it's like to have a dad. When Milo's doctor suggests asking his biological father to undergo genetic testing to shed some light on Milo's extreme allergies, he realizes this is a golden opportunity to find the man he's always wondered about.

Hollis's mom Leigh hasn't been the same since her other mom, Pam, passed away seven years ago. But suddenly, Leigh seems happy—giddy, even—by the thought of reconnecting with Hollis's half-brother Milo. Hollis and Milo were conceived using the same sperm donor. They met once, years ago, before Pam died.

Now Milo has reached out to Hollis to help him find their donor. Along the way, they locate three other donor siblings, and they discover the true meaning of the other F-word: family.

My Review

I haven’t read any other books by Natasha Friend, but I have heard some amazing things about her writing and ability to weave stories that appeal to all ages.  So when I received this book for review, I was pretty … Continue reading

4 stars
16 Comments
Book Title:
10 Things I Can See From Here
Book Author:
Carrie Mac
Page Count:
320
Publishing Date:
February 28th, 2017
Publisher:
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
March 1st, 2017
Source:
eARC from publisher via NetGalley - Thank you!

Synopsis

Think positive.

Don’t worry; be happy.

Keep calm and carry on.

Maeve has heard it all before. She’s been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it’s not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom—the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through—is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn’t seem to worry about anything. Between her dad’s wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

My Review

As someone who has suffered from severe anxiety and panic disorders since I was young, I was really excited to pick up this book, because it features a main character who pretty much worries about everything all the time, and … Continue reading

16 Comments
Book Title:
A Good Idea
Book Author:
Cristina Moracho
Publishing Date:
February 28th, 2017
Publisher:
Viking Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
February 23rd, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Can the right kind of boy get away with killing the wrong kind of girl?

Fin and Betty’s close friendship survived Fin’s ninth-grade move from their coastal Maine town to Manhattan. Calls, letters, and summer visits continued to bind them together, and in the fall of their senior year, they both applied to NYU, planning to reunite for good as roommates.

Then Betty disappears. Her ex-boyfriend Calder admits to drowning her, but his confession is thrown out, and soon the entire town believes he was coerced and Betty has simply run away. Fin knows the truth, and she returns to Williston for one final summer, determined to get justice for her friend, even if it means putting her loved ones—and herself—at risk.

But Williston is a town full of secrets, where a delicate framework holds everything together, and Fin is not the only one with an agenda. How much is she willing to damage to get her revenge and learn the truth about Betty’s disappearance, which is more complicated than she ever imagined—and infinitely more devastating?

My Review

As someone who would read pretty much every thriller in existence if I had the time, when a copy of A Good Idea showed up in my mailbox (a huge thank you to Penguin Teen!), I was incredibly excited – … Continue reading

3.5 stars
9 Comments
Book Title:
We Are Okay
Book Author:
Nina LaCour
Publishing Date:
February 14th, 2017
Publisher:
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
February 13th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…

Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

My Review

I love books that are loaded up with plenty of emotion, but even more than that, I love character driven novels that feature a main character and supporting characters learning more about themselves, growing as individuals, and dealing with everyday … Continue reading

4.5 stars
8 Comments