Review | Shine Your Icy Crown by Amanda Lovelace

“Make them rue the day they underestimated you.”

This is a story about not letting society dictate the limits of your potential. it’s time to take back your power & realize that you don’t need a king in order to be a queen.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I’ve enjoyed all of Amanda Lovelace’s poetry collections that I’ve read before but this one may be my favorite by far. There are obvious trigger warnings with all of her work, but this one especially touches on a number of topics such as abuse, self-harm, depression, anxiety and more. There is a list of content warnings in the beginning of the collection which I do recommend reviewing before reading. I really enjoyed the empowering tone in this collection, the overall theme of finding your own voice and accepting your own power. All in all I recommend all of her poetry, but definitely check out this series of collections.

Happy reading!

Review | The Girlfriend’s Guide to Gods by Maria Dahvana Headley

Gods won’t save you. Gods will break you. Nevertheless, you will persist. And become anew.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I don’t usually like things that are written in 2nd person, or as kind of stream of consciousness, but I really enjoyed this short story. It hit so many points at once while also tying in themes from different relationships in mythology and proving that a woman can make herself happy more than any other person can. It was uplifting and inspiring while also being a bit tongue in cheek. I really enjoyed Headley’s writing style and may definitely check out more of their work in the future.

Happy reading!

Review | Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu

Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má’s, seventieth birthday together.

Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má’s plane ticket! There’s just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food.

And after her pickled cucumber debacle at lunch, she’s determined to channel her inner Julia Child. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too? 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I so enjoyed this graphic novel about Cici and her journey through a number of issues that she faces. Moving across the world to America, discovering her passion and wanting to fight for it, but also wanting to meet her parents’ expectations. This story was much more complex than it appeared on the surface and I loved seeing that. Her growth and coming into her own throughout the story was wonderful to witness, as were all the relationships and how they grew and changed over the span of the graphic novel. I loved the detail that was added when talking about all the foo represented and feel like it would be great for any young reader who is showing an interest in cooking, navigating a new home/country, or even just discovering their own voice.

Happy reading!

Review | Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean

Be transported into dystopian cities and other-worldly societies. Be amazed and beguiled by a nursery story with a reverse twist, a futuristic take on TV cooking shows, a playscript with tentacles – and more, much more. Plunge in and enjoy!

A collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcasing twenty stellar writers and artists from India and Australia: Isobelle Carmody, Penni Russon, Justine Larbalestier, Margo Lanagan, Lily Mae Martin, Kuzhali Manickavel, Prabha Mallya, Annie Zaidi, Kate Constable, Vandana Singh, Mandy Ord, Priya Kuriyan, Manjula Padmanabhan, Samhita Arni, Alyssa Brugman, Nicki Greenberg and Amruta Patil. 

Rating: 3 out of 5.

After reading the concept of this anthology and some of the things that contributed towards it I was really excited to pick it up. Many of the stories did tackle important issues such as how girls/women are treated and viewed, climate change and what it could do to our planet, death and more. While there were no stories in this anthology that I disliked, there weren’t any that blew me away either. Many of them were impactful and fun, with clear purpose. I did also really enjoy the stories told in graphic form that were sprinkled into the collection as it was nice to have a bit of a mixed media feel to it.

Cat Calls – 4 stars
Swallow the Moon – 3 stars
Little Red Suit – 3 stars
Cooking Time – 4 stars
Anarkali – 3 stars
Cast Out – 4 stars
Weft – 4 stars
The Wednesday Room – 3 stars
Cool – 3 stars
Appetite – 3 stars
Mirror Perfect – 4 stars
Arctic Light – 4 stars
The Runners – 3 stars
The Blooming – 2 stars
What a Stone Can’t Feel – 4 stars
Memory Lace – 3 stars
Back Stage Pass – 4 stars

Happy reading!

Kindle Deals | 1/7

Hey all! It’s a new year so if you’re looking for books to add to your kindle library I’ve found some deals. Most of these are limited time deals, so make sure to double check the price before buying!

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park ($1.99) – Love is a battlefield in this hysterical romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and teen romance books.

Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?

Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and she needs the money too.

If the two of them team up, Nate has a real shot of winning the grand prize. But the real challenge? Making through the weekend with his heart intact…

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty ($2.99)On the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, Nahri is a con woman of unsurpassed skill. She makes her living swindling Ottoman nobles, hoping to one day earn enough to change her fortunes. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, during one of her cons, she learns that even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

Forced to flee Cairo, Dara and Nahri journey together across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, to Daevabad, the legendary city of brass.

It’s a city steeped in magic and fire, where blood can be as dangerous as any spell; a city where old resentments run deep and the royal court rules with a tenuous grip; a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound—and where her very presence threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro ($1.99)Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday | 1/6

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.

I have loved both of the previous Cassidy Blake books by Victoria Schwab, so I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book in March!

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows…
Unless it’s the other way around?

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while traveling for her parents’ TV show.

But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colorful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

Cass takes on her most dangerous challenge yet in the latest book in this New York Times bestselling series.

Happy reading!

Review | Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. 

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real. 

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” 

With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

As soon as I heard about this book I wanted to pick it up, so I was thrilled when I received a copy. I was so excited about the premise of this one as soon as I read it and was not disappointed at all. Amari is a character who has faced a lot of prejudice in her life, whether it be for her race or where she lives, and is excited for the possibility of being somewhere where that doesn’t matter. She’s also desperate to find out about her brother’s disappearance. Right off the bat we can tell what type of person Amari is and as the story goes on we learn about some of her insecurities and strengths. She doesn’t always make the smartest of decisions and she finds that she’s traded one set of prejudices for another as she switches environments, but she perseveres.

I so loved this story and all the important conversations and topics that were woven into it. I loved watching Amari come into her own and truly believe in herself and really enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story itself. I had a suspicion who was going to be villians and who wasn’t but I didn’t know for sure until the very end. The writing was easy to follow and flowed wonderfully and I felt there was a great balance between building the world and actual plot.

B.B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

B.B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.

Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I’m thrilled I got to experience Amari’s journey and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for not just a fun adventure but an empowering read that tackles a number of complex and important issues.

Happy reading!

Review | Lobster is the Best Medicine by Liz Climo

Fans have fallen in love with Liz Climo’s charmingly quirky animal kingdom, which was first featured in The Little World of Liz Climo—a place where porcupines, anteaters, and grizzly bears all grapple with everyday life with wit and humor. Now Liz returns with a book devoted to friendship. Chapter themes include “Old Friends,” “New Friends,” “Unlikely Friends,” and “Friends with Benefits.” It’s the perfect gift for a special friend.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Liz Climo is one of those authors who I will pretty much always pick up. I know that her comics will put a smile on my face and love her art style. These are very simple single page comics, so the book flies by, but they are heartwarming and funny at the same time. Plus, all the animals she pairs have great friendships or interactions. If you’re looking for a book that you can just reference here and there or sit down and read the whole thing at once, this one would be a great option!

Happy reading!

Review | Come On In

This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.

WELCOME

From some of the most exciting bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors writing today…journey from Ecuador to New York City and Argentina to Utah, from Australia to Harlem and India to New Jersey, from Fiji, America, Mexico and more… Come On In.

With characters who face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, and the daunting and inspiring journey to new lands, who camp with their extended families, dance at weddings, keep diaries, teach ESL, give up their rooms for displaced family, decide their own answer to the question “where are you from?” and so much more, Come On In illuminates fifteen of the myriad facets of the immigrant experience.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was really excited when I saw this one pop up and felt that the subject matter was very timely – especially with certain political issues in the US. This collection contains perspectives from a wide range of cultures and races regarding what immigration looks and feels like for them. It really explores what people are forced to consider, the risks they are forced to take and more when attempting to enter a new country, or when living as an immigrant. Some stories also tackled some race issues which add further layers to the conversation.

I found this collection very poignant, even if I didn’t “love” every story. Each one had something important to say and that really was the impact of the collection. My personal ratings of the stories is below – but I want to emphasize that even though each story may not have been for me, I felt all of them were important.

All the Colors of Goodbye by Nafiza Azad – 4 stars
The Wedding by Sara Farizan – 5 stars
Where I’m From by Misa Sugiura – 4 stars
Salvation & the Sea by Lilliam Rivera – 3 stars
Volviemdome by Alaya Dawn Johnson – 3 stars
The Trip by Sona Charaipotra – 4 stars
The Curandera & the Alchemist by Maria E. Andreu – 4 stars
A Bigger Tent by Maurene Goo – 4 stars
First Words by Varsha Bajaj – 4 stars
Family Everything by Yamile Saied Mendez – 5 stars
When I was White by Justine Larbalestier – 3 stars
From Golden State by Isabel Quintero – 2 stars
Hard to Say by Sharon Morse – 5 stars
Confessions of an Ecuadorkian by Zoraida Cordova – 4 stars
Fleeing, Leaving, Moving by Adi Alsaid – 4 stars

Happy reading!

Reading Project | Nancy Drew

Hey everyone! You may not know this about me, but for the last couple years I have been working on completing my Nancy Drew collection. Nancy Drew is one of my nostalgic childhood series which I will never tire of reading not just because I enjoy the mysteries and characters, but because of the stage of my life at which I originally read them.

A note – Nancy Drew is definitely a product of its time and if examined closely definitely has problematic elements when compared to today’s standards. A number of the stories have actually been modified from their original versions to remove some content that was inappropriate (I can’t give specific instances as I don’t have that information handy, but I know the info is out there). It’s still a series that holds a place in my heart and I’m ok with that, I can still read them and love them while acknowledging that fact.

Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’m going to give you a very quick glimpse of my Nancy Drew shelves. They are messy and out of order, so no judgement please, part of going through them will be actually putting them in some semblance of order (and removing all those stickers).

Those books are triple stacked. To be fair I need an entire bookcase devoted to Nancy Drew, but space is limited where I am, so we work with it. There are almost 300 Nancy Drew books there, with 175 original and extended mysteries, plus over 100 Nancy Drew files books (separate series). I have slowly been collecting them through second hand sellers (shoutout to Thriftbooks.com) and have finally collected everything I wanted to. I have everything in the original line, and most of the Files (I stopped a bit past 100 because I didn’t like how much they were changing the characters etc at that point).

Story time – I originally read these books at a stage in my life where I had read everything considered suitable for my age, but was still too young to be allowed to read more adult books (it’s a long story that I don’t need to go into, but it was a frustrating time for me because I was reading and reaching for books outside of my age group, but then being told I couldn’t). My mom, seeing my frustration, suggested I check out the Nancy Drew books. She probably figured they would keep me busy for a long time, but I devoured the original 56 books in the matter of a few months – which my library thankfully had all of. From there I read as many of the ‘extended originals’ and Files that my library had. Occasionally my parents were able to buy me one here and there to add to my small collection – I was fully hooked. There was something about the mysteries, about Nancy and about the overall adventures that just always proved an enjoyable read. I’ve been collecting them here and there for years and I can’t tell you how happy it made me when I completed what I wanted to collect.

Now on to the challenge – there are definitely some of them that I never got to read, whether because my library didn’t have them or because we could afford or find them. Now that I have them all I definitely feel a reread/read is in order. Don’t get worried, I’m not expecting to get through all of them in 2021 – but I’d like to at least read a couple a month. If it doesn’t happen that’s ok, but I think it would be nice to slowly make my way through the series. I will mention which ones I read in monthly wrap ups if I do them, but I’m probably not going to actually do full on reviews.

I did start a reread not too long ago, so I’m starting where I left off with that – which is #12 The Message in the Hollow Oak. Right now I’m just going to concentrate on the original line of mysteries and not really read from the Files (that will be later haha).

Wish me luck and happy reading!