It's Magic Time! Harry Potter Book Tag

I know you must be surprised to see me doing a tag inspired by the boy wizard, but although I am not a fan of his, I am a BIG fan of Tânia, who tagged me. 
(FYI: This tag was created by Book Roast, the NEWTs host)

One Old, One New: The Royal Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two royal romances.

Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

Top Ten Tuesday: Not for Review

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Not for Review!

This week I am talking about non-review books, or rather, books I read, and loved, but were not provided by a publisher. Rather, these are books I either bought or borrowed. I read every book on this list at some point this year and each earned between 4.5 - 5 stars from me. All were big winners for me.

Review: On the Come Up - Angie Thomas

On the Come Up
Angie Thomas
Genre/Age: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads 

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

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.

Discussion: Before I Was a Blogger

This Week’s Topic: Before I was a blogger...

In the past few weeks, I have seen a lot of post about when people first started blogging or how blogging has changed, and it made me remember my bookish ways before I was a blogger.

Blog Tour: All the Bad Apples - Moïra Fowley-Doyle

All the Bad Apples
Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism, Mystery
Publisher: Kathy Dawson
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

The day after the funeral all our mourning clothes hung out on the line like sleeping bats. 'This will be really embarrassing,' I kept saying to my family, 'when she shows up at the door in a week or two.'

When Deena's wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears - presumed dead - her family are heartbroken. But Mandy has always been troubled. It's just another bad thing to happen to Deena's family. Only Deena refuses to believe it's true.

And then the letters start arriving. Letters from Mandy, claiming that their family's blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions - but a curse, handed down through the generations. Mandy has gone in search of the curse's roots, and now Deena must find her. What they find will heal their family's rotten past - or rip it apart forever.

Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Tropes

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

My Favorite Tropes!

I remember seeing Gayle Forman on a panel, a few years ago, at BookCon, and she was talking about tropes and her love for them. I know I was nodding along with her, because I really don't think there are any bad tropes, and the success of the trope relies on how well the author executes it. Today, I am sharing books, which I loved, that featured some of my favorite tropes:

• Fauxmance romance
• Friends-to-More romance

Blog Tour: Color Me In - Natasha Diaz

Color Me In 
Natasha Diaz
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Debut YA author Natasha Díaz pulls from her personal experience to inform this powerful coming-of-age novel about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.

Who is Nevaeh Levitz?

Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.

Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can't stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently passes as white, is too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices they face on a daily basis as African Americans. In the midst of attempting to blend their families, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. Even with the push and pull of her two cultures, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.

It's only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has a voice. And she has choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she find power in herself and decide once and for all who and where she is meant to be?

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.

Discussion: #Reviewathon! and Reviewing Books

This Week’s Topic: #Reviewathon and Reviewing Books

I was over at NetGalley the other day, checking out the titles, when I saw a link to a #Reviewathon post. I think it's fabulous, that NetGalley is encouraging us all to review those books we request.

Blog Tour: We are the Ghosts - Vicky Skinner

We Are the Ghosts
Vicky Skinner
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

After her estranged brother suddenly dies, a girl embarks on a road trip to rediscover who her brother really was in this contemporary YA novel.

When Ellie's estranged brother, Luke, dies in a car accident, she's not sure whether to be devastated that she lost the person who was once her best friend or enraged, still, that he left without a word a year ago. Now, the only people who seem to understand what she's going through are Luke's best friend and his ex-girlfriend, who she bonds with over their desire to figure out where Luke went when he walked out of their lives.

As she gets closer to them, and closer to Cade, a boy who seems determined to get to know her better, she realizes that she’s not the only one with reasons to be angry at Luke. And when Ellie makes a discovery that changes everything, she and her new friends hit the road, hoping that following Luke's trail will bring them answers about the life Luke was living away from them.

Blog Tour: How the Light Gets In - Katy Upperman

How the Light Gets In
Katy Upperman
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Besties!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Book Besties!

I have read many books and "met" many characters, some of whom, I would love as a friend. A few qualities I look for in a friend are: loyalty, generosity, and a good sense of humor. Many of my favorite characters possess these qualities, and below are a few I would be honored to have as a friend. I am trying to focus on newer books, but there are a few oldies in there, because I adore them too much to leave them out.

Can't Wait Wednesday!

NOTE: I am not trying to confuse anyone. It is NOT Wednesday, but I have a blog tour on Wednesday, and still wanted to do this post. So, here it is, two days early. 

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

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.

Discussion: Is that a compliment?

This Week’s Topic: Is that a compliment?

Not too long ago, there was some Twitter drama (per usual), when an author requested that she not be tagged in reviews - good or bad. Hey, that's her preference, and I respected it. But, of course, everyone had an opinion about it, but it was tweet from Cora Carmack, which caught my attention.

In a Nutshell Reviews: Football Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

Top Ten Tuesday: Cover Loving - Original vs. Movie

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Original vs. Movie Covers!

This week's topic was cover makeovers, and since I had a lot of trouble thinking of ten cover makeovers, I decided to put a twist on the topic. YA books have been having a good run of adaptations, and with each adaptation, we get a movie tie-in cover. My co-blogger, Kiersten, hates movie covers, as she is not a big fan of faces on covers. I am indifferent. With respect to most of the covers, I didn't think the movie cover was a vast improvement, but a few were somewhat better.

Blog Tour: Announcing Trouble

Announcing Trouble
Amy Fellner Dominy
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Entangled
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I may know everything there is to know about baseball, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Or like him. Garrett Reeves: sidelined player and the embodiment of everything I’ve learned to hate about baseball. He’s gorgeous, he’s cocky, he’s laser-focused on getting back in the game, no matter the cost.

When he convinces me to call games alongside him, our chemistry heats up the booth. We’re good together, whether I want to admit it or not. I’m finding that I like baseball again, but even worse, I’m liking Garrett. A lot.

But when he has to decide between our future and a new shot at his dreams, I know baseball will win out every time.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book has tons of hilarious banter, lots of sexual tension, and a hero who will throw a wild pitch right at your heart.

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.

Blogger Love - Just Because

In light of recent events, I wanted to take some time to spread some blogger love. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to interact with many of you. Though I may not comment on every post, I am reading them, and I cannot thank you all enough for the smiles and joy many of you bring to me.

Blog Tour: Hello Girls

Hello Girls
Brittany Cavallaro, Emily Henry
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Best friends are forged by fire. For Winona Olsen and Lucille Pryce, that fire happened the night they met outside the police station—both deciding whether to turn their families in.

Winona has been starving for life in the seemingly perfect home that she shares with her seemingly perfect father, celebrity weatherman Stormy Olsen. No one knows that he locks the pantry door to control her eating and leaves bruises where no one can see them.

Lucille has been suffocating beneath the needs of her mother and her drug-dealing brother, wondering if there’s more out there for her than disappearing waitress tips and generations of barely getting by.

One harrowing night, Winona and Lucille realize they can’t wait until graduation to start their new lives. They need out. Now. All they need is three grand, fast. And really, a stolen convertible to take them from Michigan to Las Vegas can’t hurt.