Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post

Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

I am writing this in-between graduation and packing the car, so I'll be brief. It's wonderful seeing my child again. I get to have her for one month, and will treasure every second. I am also excited to see Noor, our fellow WLABBer, again. We will dine and celebrate together.

I didn't get to read as much, since I spent almost all of Friday in the car, and Saturday doing packing/graduation things, but I did listen to a lot of audiobooks, and I chose wisely, because the ones I listened to in the car were fantastic!

On the Blog:

• Monday: In a Nutshell Reviews - White Rabbit & All Out of Pretty
• Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Need in My Grabby Hands!
• Wednesday: Can't-Wait Wednesday - The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
• Thursday: Blog Tour - Tradition by Brendan Kiely
• Friday: Discussion - How Do You Review Audiobooks?

STACKING THE SHELVES

Edelweiss/Netgalley

• The Me I Meant to Be by Sophie Jordan
• This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow
• When Life Gives You Demons by Jennifer Honeybourn
• We Regret to Inform You by A.E. Kaplan
• The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young
• Kiss Me in Paris by Katherine Rider
• Ten After Closing by Jessica Bayliss
• Freak N' Gorgeous by Sebastian J. Plata

What I Read Last Week

My top review book for the week was 9 Days & 9 Nights. It was a sequel I always wanted, and was so glad Cotugno wrote it. My top throwback book was Emmy & Oliver. I definitely have a new author for my auto-read list.

• Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (audiobook): Albertalli always delivers a story filled with authentic teen voices and lots of feels. I enjoyed getting to know Leah, and seeing what happened to our other Creekwood friends after graduation. ★★★★
• The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold: Arnold always writes these intricate stories, which leave me with tons to think about. I adored the way he took so many random things, and connected them in a way that made sense. A fantastic coming of age story. ★★★★ 1/2
• The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo: Another cute book from Goo. Lots of fun was had, and it's packed with characters I really liked. It was quite a heartwarming tale filled with family, friendship, and romance, but I wish she had tied up the all those loose ends. ★★★ 1/2
• Remedial Rocket Science by Susannah Nix (audiobook): I loved the set up of this one, and had an affinity for both the hero and the heroine. The push-pull might have been a little too drawn out for me, but it was packed with laughs. I will definitely read more of this series. ★★★ 1/2
• On the Line by Liz Lincoln:  A charming nanny-single dad romance. I loved how nerdy the heroine was, and what a doting dad the hero was. I did wish we got to be outside their "bubble" a little more, but still found this to be a solid start to the series. ★★★ 1/2
• Hangry by Lily Kate (audiobook): This book was hilarious. I have a soft spot for couples with tons of history, and these two go so far back. Seeing those bits and pieces from their childhood and teen years brought miles of smiles to my face, and I was loved the interplay between them too. ★★★★
• 9 Days & 9 Nights by Katie Cotugno: Seriously, thank you Katie Cotugno for this book. As a fan of 99 Days, I needed this book, and would love more. ★★★★★
• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King (audiobook): King remains my favorite when it comes to magical realism, and she blew me away once again with Glory's story. It was such a fascinating way to explore that person at a crossroad. Glory felt like she had no future, and there was nothing after high school for her. She was still dealing with her mother's suicide and feeling detached. These visions were a brilliant way to explore her future, and I loved all the feminist ideas she presented as well. ★★★★ 1/2 
• Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway (audiobook): Gosh, I think I am in love with Robin Benway's stories! They just leave me so warm and fuzzy and are so perfect. ★★★★★
• Not the Girls You're Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi: I enjoyed this story of biracial girl trying to navigate her way through two worlds that don't fully accept her. There was a lot of family focus, and the dynamic of the female friendship plays a large role in the story. There is very little plot, but I enjoyed all the ideas presented about identity and being female, and especially appreciated the cultural aspects the author injected into the story. ★★★★

What I Am Currently Reading

I flipped over Flipped, and had to grab The Running Dream by the Van Draanen to see if she could delight me once again. I am a big Willow Dean fan, and am excited to delve back into her world via Puddin'. I have not started either book at this point, but am hopeful about both.

• The Running Dream by Wendell Van Draanen (audiobook)
• Puddin' by Julie Murphy

What I Plan to Read

It looks like a fun week for me. All the books are on the lighter side, and two are highly anticipated reads of mine. Fingers crossed they live up the hype in my mind.

• The Weekend Bucket List by Mia Kerick
• Cinderella & The Geek by Christina Phillips
• Ship It by Britta Lundin
• Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

How was your week?

Let us know in the comments!