In a Nutshell Reviews: YA 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: Family Ties

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

Family Ties!

This week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the US, and one of the reasons I appreciate this holiday is because it's not about gifts, but rather, it's about spending time with our loved ones. Because of this, I chose to feature books with a family focus. The stories featured wonderful siblings and present parents. They are all books I have recently read, adored, and featured families I wish I could join.

#AmReading YA

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: What Took You So Long?

This Week’s Topic:

What Took You So Long?

I was scrolling through my feed on Twitter, and I saw this post about the movie Love, Rosie. I laughed and nodded my head as I read the comments, because that book was such an immense roller coaster ride, and I had no trouble relating to what other people were saying.

Blog Tour: Crying Laughing - Lance Rubin

Crying Laughing
Lance Rubin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Knopf
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

The author of Denton Little's Deathdate gives us a tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl's determination to find the funny in high school.

Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already knows: she's hilarious.

It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself. Well, to herself and her dad, a former comedian and her inspiration.

Then, on the second day of tenth grade, the funniest guy in school actually laughs at a comment she makes in the lunch line and asks her to join the improv troupe. Maybe he's even . . . flirting?

Just when Winnie's ready to say yes to comedy again, her father reveals that he's been diagnosed with ALS. That is . . . not funny. Her dad's still making jokes, though, which feels like a good thing. And Winnie's prepared to be his straight man if that's what he wants. But is it what he needs?

Caught up in a spiral of epically bad dates, bad news, and bad performances, Winnie's struggling to see the humor in it all. But finding a way to laugh is exactly what will see her through.

Blog Tour: A Constellation of Roses - Miranda Asebedo

A Constellation of Roses
Miranda Asebedo
Genre: Young Adult, Magical Realism
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Ever since her mother walked out, Trix McCabe has been determined to make it on her own. And with her near-magical gift for pulling valuables off unsuspecting strangers, Trix is confident she has what it takes to survive. Until she’s caught and given a choice: jail time, or go live with her long-lost family in the tiny town of Rocksaw, Kansas.

Trix doesn’t plan to stick around Rocksaw long, but there’s something special about her McCabe relatives that she is drawn to. Her aunt, Mia, bakes pies that seem to cure all ills. Her cousin, Ember, can tell a person’s deepest secret with the touch of a hand. And Trix’s great-aunt takes one look at Trix’s palm and tells her that if she doesn’t put down roots somewhere, she won’t have a future anywhere.

Before long, Trix feels like she might finally belong with this special group of women in this tiny town in Kansas. But when her past comes back to haunt her, she’ll have to decide whether to take a chance on this new life . . . or keep running from the one she’s always known.

With lovable and flawed characters, an evocative setting, and friendships to treasure, A Constellation of Roses is the perfect companion to Miranda Asebedo’s debut novel The Deepest Roots.

Top Ten Tuesday: Now & Then

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

Now & Then!

This week I was tasked with reflecting on my reading life and how it has changed. I am comparing how I read now to how I read when I first started pleasure reading again back in 2013. I really have adopted quite a few changes, and it was interesting an interesting topic to ponder.

Can't Wait Wednesday! (But on Monday)

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:

NO! It's not Wednesday, yet. (Sorry folks!) I have a blog tour on Wednesday this week, and you know I love doing these posts, so I just moved it. Sorry if you were confused.

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.

Blog Tour: When the Stars Lead to You - Ronni Davis

When the Stars Lead to You
Ronni Davis
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Publisher Booklink

Eighteen-year-old Devon longs for two things.

The stars.
And the boy she fell in love with last summer.

When Ashton breaks Devon’s heart at the end of the most romantic and magical summer ever, she thinks her heart will never heal again. But over the course of the following year, Devon finds herself slowly putting the broken pieces back together.

Now it’s senior year, and she’s determined to enjoy every moment of it as she prepares for a future studying the galaxies. That is, until Ashton shows up on the first day of school. Can she forgive him and open her heart again? Or are they doomed to repeat history?

From debut author, Ronni Davis, comes a stunning novel about passion, loss, and the power of first love.

Discussion: The Old and the New

This Week’s Topic: The Old and the New

Every year, I pledge that I am going to read more shelf and backlist books, and every year, I read predominately new releases. Well, this year, I got serious about it.

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: Recent Retellings

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

Recent Retellings!

Hey, guess what? This is not the actual topic, but I have been reading a bunch of retellings lately, and many have been really, really good. I am going to tell you a little secret. I had not read the original version of many of these retellings, but I love being able to figure out which elements the author kept and which elements they added. So, I sort of cheat. As if I was in high school, I read the Cliff's Notes, and from there, I evaluate. The following is a list of some retellings I have recently read and enjoyed. Do you see any favorites on my list?

Isn't It Romantic?

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: The Goodreads Choice Awards

This Week’s Topic: 

THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS

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: Falling for Fall!

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

Falling for Fall!

I am always declaring my unending love for fall. The crisp, cool days, the beautiful shade of nature, the sweater weather, and the availability of all things pumpkin spice are just some of the things that endear this season to my heart. For this TTT, I scanned my read-shelf for those books that "felt" fall-ish to me, mostly due to the cover art and colors, but some had strong fall elements in the story, as well.  I have read and enjoyed each book featured on this list.

#AmReading YA - The Retelling Edition

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.

Five Star Friday: October 2019

On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

The month of October was very good for me. I read 33 books, and had FOUR earn the full 5-stars, but I had quite a few that were *this* close.