Top 5 May Book Releases Added to my TBR
Time to Spring into another month of new books! Here are my top 5 most-anticipated YA book releases for May.
Review: Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons #4)
Missed opportunities and disappointment! Read about how this friends-to-lovers romance featuring two of my very favorite side characters managed to nearly completely let me down.
The Bookworm’s Tag
I was tagged! Read my 10 bookish answers to these 10 bookish questions.
Top 5 April Book Releases Added to my TBR
Will I be fooled this April? I’ve hand-picked my top 5 most-anticipated YA book releases for this month. Hopefully they won’t let me down!
Review: An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons #3)
Quinn does it again! Read all about how this surprise Cinderella retelling still managed to capture my heart even with a somewhat insta-lovey romance.
Top 5 March Book Releases Added to my TBR
Which March releases made the cut? Check out the 5 new YA books I’m most excited for this month.
Review: The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons #2)
Look who’s jumped on the Bridgeton bandwagon! Read all about how this charming, banter-filled, historical romance left me with exactly zero regrets.
Top 5 February Book Releases Added to my TBR
Are you ready to fall in love with these February releases? Check out the 5 new YA books I’m most excited for this month.
Review: Legendborn (Legendborn #1)
Starting off 2021 strong! Learn how Legendborn stole my heart with its diverse characters, breathless storytelling, and captivating worldbuilding.
Top 5 January Book Releases Added to my TBR
Happy New Year! To kick 2021 off right, a bunch of great new YA books are about to hit the shelves. And to help you decide which one to pick up first, I’ve chosen my top five. Learn what they’re about and how they made the cut!
Review: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)
Sexy. Enchanting. Confusing? I discuss how Kingdom of the Wicked managed to keep me happily flipping pages through a scattered and disjointed plot.
Top 5 December Book Releases Added to my TBR
We’ve nearly made it to December, the bitter end to this crazy year! Luckily, to ferry us into 2021, a new batch of YA books is about to be released. Here are my top five most anticipated reads, what they’re all about, and why they’ve caught my eye.
Review: Fable (Fable #1)
I. Am. Disappoint. Read how and why this beautifully packaged, hyped-to-oblivion YA fantasy bored me to smithereens.
Top 5 November Book Releases Added to my TBR
November is here! And with it comes another amazing batch of new YA books. Here my top five most anticipated reads, along with a brief description of why I can’t wait to get my hands on each one.
Review: Cemetery Boys
Could Cemetery Boys be my must-read YA book of October? I’ll discuss its authentic trans and Latinx representation along with its spooky (if slightly predictable) fantasy plotline.
Top 5 October Book Releases Added to my TBR
October is almost here! I’ll summarize my top five most-anticipated YA book releases for next month, along with a brief description of how they made the cut.
Review: Raybearer (Raybearer #1)
YA fantasy world building at its finest. I explain what makes Raybearer engrossingly rich, thoughtfully diverse, and definitely worth a read.
Top 5 September Book Releases Added to my TBR
Is anyone else super overwhelmed by how many amazing-looking books are coming out next month? I’ll summarize my top five most-anticipated YA book releases, along with a brief description of why I’m so darn excited about each one.
Review: American Royals (American Royals #1)
Are you ready for some royal relationship drama? I’ll give you the scoop on this fluffy (and sometimes frustratingly plotless) “alternate history.”
5 Popular YA Series I Will (Probably) Never Finish
Sorry, not sorry. I list five popular YA series that I just can’t bring myself to finish, along with the various reasons I’ve given up.
Review: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1)
Death by disappointment. I attempt to unravel how Jackson managed to make a twisty and intricate mystery frustratingly boring…
Review: Today Tonight Tomorrow
I try to keep the raving to a minimum as I review Today Tonight Tomorrow’s complexly relatable characters, adorably compelling romance, and refreshingly progressive themes.
Review: Ghost Wood Song
Did Waters manage to capture the destructive power of grief’s song? Join me as I dive into her debut’s spooky atmosphere, intricate family secrets, and unfortunately lethargic pacing.
Top 5 August Book Releases Added to my TBR
Take a gander at my five most-anticipated YA books of August 2020. I’ll (briefly) summarize what they’re about and explain exactly why I’m unbelievably excited about each one.
Review: Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1)
The Book: Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur,…
Review: Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)
**Contains spoilers for Illuminae and Gemina (The Illuminae Files 1 and 2)** Click to read my reviews of book 1 and book 2. The Book: Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With…
Buy, Borrow, Burn: Top 10 Most Popular YA Books
There are a lot of YA books with an unbelievable amount of hype. So much so that it’s sometimes hard to know if they actually deserve it. That’s why I thought it might be fun to reflect on some of the most popular YA books from the past few years—see if they were really worth…
Review: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
**Contains spoilers for Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)** Read my review here. The Book: Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the…
Why I Will Never Stop Reading YA
The sad fact is I “aged out” of the Young Adult demographic (12 to 18) about a decade ago. Which has presented a bit of a problem, since YA books remain some of my all-time favorites. It’s gotten to the point that I avoid discussing my current reads with coworkers or new acquaintances. Either they…
Review: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
The Book: Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she’d ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.But the warship…
Mid-Year Freakout Book Tag 2020
Hello bookish people! I saw this tag floating around, and even though I wasn’t tagged myself, it seemed far too fun to pass up. So join me while I reflect (and only moderately freak out) about 2020 so far. Total books read so far in 2020: I know, I know. Nine seems like such a…
Review: Red, White, & Royal Blue
The Book: First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with…
Top 5 July Book Releases Added to my TBR
It’s nearly a new month. Which means a new batch of books are nearly ready to be published. And, since it’s futile to try to read them all (no matter how much I might want to), it’s decision time. Time to rise to the monthly challenge. My never-ending quest to whittle these hopefuls into a…
How To Write a Book Review You Can Be Proud of
There are a lot of reasons to write book reviews. From keeping a record of your initial impressions to sharing your insights with the world. From helping you process what you’ve just read to strengthening your writing skills. From giving you an outlet to rant and rave to providing a lens with with you can…
Review: My Calamity Jane (The Lady Janies #3)
The Book: Welcome to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.JANE (a genuine hero-eene)Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.FRANK (*wolf…
9 Books with LGBTQ+ Characters to Read During (and After) Pride 2020
It’s that time of year again! Rainbows fill front porches and social posts. Parades liven up monochrome streets. A bright spectrum of passions and inclinations shines proudly out from the hetero-normative mist. And with this grand celebration, this embrace of love in any and every shade, has come an increasing interest in books describing the…
Down the TBR Hole #1
Alright, guys, let’s try something a little different. As much as I strive valiantly to keep my TBR vaguely organized, it inevitably spirals out of control. And it’s been far too long since I’ve tidied it up. So time for some (belated, considering it’s now summer) spring cleaning. The Plan Down The TBR Hole is…
Review: One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying #2)
**Contains spoilers for One of Us Is Lying (One of Us Is Lying #1)** Read my review here. The Book: Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this.A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview Four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s…
12 YA Books with Pandemics to Read before Breaking Quarantine
Whether quarantines in your area are just starting or just starting to lift, all of us have pandemics on the brain. So why not feed our collective curiosity with some entertaining YA fodder. Below are 12 books that put an unforgettable twist on pandemics and epidemics. 1. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) A planetary invasion.…
Get the Most out of Your Goodreads Reviews with Basic HTML
Goodreads has a lot going for it. But making review formatting easy is not one of them. Instead of a handy toolbar, we get a barely noticeable link labeled Formatting tips. If you happen to click it, it will briefly explain the limited HTML you can use to format your review. Yet, for someone completely…
Review: One of Us Is Lying (One of Us Is Lying #1)
The Book: Pay close attention and you might solve this.On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention:Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip…
9 YA Books with POC Main Characters to Read Next
The problem isn’t a new one. But it’s an important one, especially right now. There’s a glaringly noticeable lack of YA books prominently featuring characters of color. The shelves are shamefully white-washed. Rows and rows of pale beauties smile bright-eyed at us from every isle. And, between the pages, token side characters check off boxes…
4 Reasons Reading on the Beach Is Kind of Terrible
We all know that vacation ad. The one with the beautiful girl in the big white hat and sunglasses, stretched across a sandy lounge chair, with the clear blue ocean behind her—and a book in her hand. It looks enticing. Peaceful and gorgeous. Picture perfect. But it’s a big fat lie. Nearly every beach reading…
Review: Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle #2)
**Contains spoilers for Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1)** Read my review here. The Book: Our heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.First,…
How To Choose Your Next Book
You did it. You closed your latest read for the last time (at least for the immediate future), and you’re ready to open up another. But there isn’t an obvious sequel. Nothing in your stack of newly bought but unread titles is sparking your interest (or, God forbid, you’re out of new books). And you’ve…
Top 5 June Book Releases Added to my TBR
It is a truth universally acknowledged that no human will ever be capable of reading all the books. And part of the glorious problem is that we continue to be blessed with more book releases. Yet, dedicated book lover that I am, I feel it is my solemn duty to try to read as many…
Review: Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1)
The Book: The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…A cocky diplomat with a black…
Top 8 Reasons to Give eReaders a Chance
One birthday, probably close to ten years ago now, my well-meaning parents bought me an eReader. Raised in libraries, with the smell of ink in my nose and the weight of a hardcover in my hand, I did what any self-respecting book lover would do: smiled, said thank you, and promptly stuck it in a…
How To Stump the Slump
We’ve all been there: Your friend gave up asking if you’ve made it to that part weeks ago. The pretty covers on your shelf stare judgmentally as you slink past. Your TBR pile looms, insurmountable. Yet, each time you open up what promises to be The Next Best Thing To Happen To The Written Word,…
Review: Sorcery of Thorns
The Book: All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink…
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