Synopsis:
A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova
Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at
her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books
and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One
fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and
she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling
a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from
place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued
by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options,
Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against
the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family
ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I've been wanting to read more graphic novels this year. It's something
that I love to do, but don't do very often for whatever reason. I heard
quite a few people on booktube talk about how good Mooncakes is so I
decided to check it out. Unfortunately, I ended up not enjoying it as
much as I had hoped I would.
Mooncakes had so much potential. The
graphic novel is full of things I usually love reading about, such as
witches, shifters, and LGBTQ+ characters. Unfortunately, the story fell
flat for me. Throughout reading the graphic novel, I was confused
because parts of it didn't seem to make sense. It almost felt like there
was another book in the series that came before it that I should have
read. However, when looking on Goodreads, it appears to be the only book
in the series. There were references to things that had happened to the
characters previously and inside jokes between them that I didn't get
at all.
The other thing that I didn't like about Mooncakes was
that the main characters didn't have distinct personalities. They were
just cookie cutter and plain. Other than their physical abilities, there
was nothing to make them stand out from other characters in the graphic
novel, or characters I had read about in other books. In fact, I had to
go slow and keep looking at the art work to remember which character
was which because their personalities were so similar. I had to
backtrack several time in the story line because I kept getting them
confused.
I really wanted to love Mooncakes. It has all of the
elements that I usually love in a story line. However, this graphic
novel just wasn't for me. I found it confusing, and hard to distinguish
between the characters. I would like to give this author another try in
the future though because I know a lot of people that did love this
graphic novel.
I give Mooncakes: 2/5.
Want to know more about the authors?
Suzanne Walker
Website: https://www.suzannewakeenwalker.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzusaur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzisaur/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7008509.Suzanne_Walker
Wendy Xu
Website: http://www.artofwendyxu.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/angrygirLcomics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofwendyxu/
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.
Morgan
is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she
did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own
dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.
With
warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it
increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace
to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the
family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a
tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting
consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.
While
struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds
comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one
boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets,
resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further
apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back
together.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite authors. I read Hopeless when it
was first released, and have been addicted ever since. Therefore, it was
no surprise to me that I loved her latest novel, Regretting You.
Regretting
You is definitely in my top five books of the year. There's so much
that I loved about the book. First of all, I love how Colleen Hoover can
write crazy plot twists. I didn't read the synopsis at all, so what
happens towards the beginning caught me completely by surprise. There
were a few things after that that completely shocked me too. There's a
certain thing that's revealed in the middle that I didn't see coming at
all. I had to stop and re-read that part to make sure I was reading it
right.
Also, I love the relationships that she creates between
characters, whether it be a family dynamic or a relationship dynamic.
Morgan and Clara might not always have the perfect relationship with all
of the chaos surrounding their lives, but when it comes down to it,
they have each other's backs. I like that the author shows that real
side to all of the relationships in the book. Love, whether it be family
or romantic, is always messy and complicated, but one hundred percent
worth it in the end.
In fact, the only thing that keeps this
from being a five star book is the ending. I found it to be a little
lackluster after all of that build up, especially the way the school
project ended. I just expected more. Other than that, I absolutely loved
Regretting You. Although at this point, I'm pretty sure Colleen Hoover
could re-write the phone book and I'd love it. I can't wait for her next
release.
I give Regretting You: 4.5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: https://www.colleenhoover.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorColleenHoover/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleenhoover
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenhoover/
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/colleenhoover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5430144.Colleen_Hoover
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Wife. Mother.
Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it
together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing
through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate
marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast
to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and
the daily grind she calls a career.
Then a shocking tragedy
reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to
stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her
relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will
write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to
complete and total honesty.
What seems like a smart idea quickly
spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As
Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must
ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Lately, I've been trying to get my TBR under control. I have a goal of
reading at least twenty-five of my own books before I buy more, whether
that be print books, or Kindle. Because of this, I decided to go through
some of my NetGalley backlog. I've been loving the women's fiction
books with cartoonish looking covers lately, so I decided to give I'm
Fine and Neither Are You a try. I was surprised how much I loved this
book.
I went into I'm Fine and Neither Are You with no
expectations. I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the quirky title and the
fun looking cover, I might not have even had much interest in reading
the book. I thought at most, I might think it was okay. In actuality, It
turned out to be one of my favorite books that I've read this year. I
found the main character to be extremely relatable. I relataed more to
her and what she was going through than any character I've read about in
quite a long time. Most of the things she was thinking about, or
struggling through, I have either been through, or know someone that
has, especially the bits about marriage. Even though the list idea that
Penny and Sanjay agree to was difficult, I think it's a genius idea that
could help a lot of people in their marriage if they took the time to
do it.
Not only was the book relatable on a way that I had never
read before, it was also emotional. Maybe part of that is because it was
so relatable. I don't remember the last time I cried so much while
reading a book, especially towards the end. The author wrot ethe
characters in such a way that the reader almost feels like they've known
the characters for years. It feels like the reader is reading about
close personal friends having these experiences, instead of made up
fictional characters. It was easy to put myself in their shoes and feel
every emotion that they're feeling while reading the book.
I'm
Fine and Neither Are You was one of my favorite books that I've read
this year. Heck, I have a feeling that it become one of my favorite
books of all time. It was one of the "realest" fiction books that I've
ever read. I loved the author's writing style, and the great job that
she did connecting the reader to the characters. I will definitely be
reading more of her books that she's written as soon as I read enough
books to meet my goal.
I give I'm Fine and Neither Are You: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: https://camillepagan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CamillePaganBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnoepagan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camille_pagan/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4462824.Camille_Pag_n
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
"You cannot have a funeral for your mother without also having a funeral for yourself." This book poses the ever-lingering question: What happens when someone dies before they're able to redeem themselves?
From
the bestselling & award-winning poetess, Amanda Lovelace, comes the
finale of her illustrated duology, "things that h(a)unt." In the first
installment, to make monsters out of girls, Lovelace explored the memory of being in a toxic romantic relationship. In to drink coffee with a ghost, Lovelace unravels the memory of the complicated relationship she had with her now-deceased mother.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Amanda Lovelace is one of my favorite poets. In fact, her books are what
spurned my love of poetry. After reading The Witch doesn't burn in this
one, I quickly devoured all of her books. When I heard that she had a
new book coming out, To Drink Coffee With a Ghost, I knew I had to read
it. It came as no surprise to me that I loved it.
To Drink
Coffee With a Ghost was extremely personal to me. It felt like Amanda
Lovelace took a peek into my life over these past few years and wrote my
story. I also had a mother that I had conflicts with. She passed away
two years ago, and I've been struggling to deal with the grief and
emotions that I've had. This book actually helped process those
emotions, and helped deal with some of my grief. Reading Amanda
Lovelace's experiences taught me it's okay to feel the way that I'm
feeling, and most importantly that someone else has had the same
experience AND survived it. I'm not the only one that has gone through
that specific situation.
I will always be grateful for Amanda
Lovelace's To Drink Coffee With a Ghost. It was an emotional journey
reading through her poems, but one I desperately needed at a time I
needed it. Thanks to this book, I have begun to heal from my grief and
experiences. This solidified Amanda Lovelace as one of my favorite poets
in my mind.
I give To Drink Coffee with a Ghost: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://amandalovelace.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poetessamandalovelace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladybookmad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladybookmad/
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
It’s 2002, a year after
9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so
for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of
being stereotyped.
Shirin is never surprised by how horrible
people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading
comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race,
her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up
protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her.
Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons
break-dancing with her brother.
But then she meets Ocean James.
He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know
Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable
worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure
she’ll ever be able to let it down.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:I love Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. It was one of the first young
adult audiobooks I ever listened to. I ended up listening to the whole
thing in one day because I needed so badly to know what happened next.
When I heard that Tahereh Mafi was releasing a contemporary book, I was
excited, yet skeptical at the same time. I'm not usually a big fan of
contemporaries, so I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Turns out, I had
nothing to worry about. I loved A Very Large Expanse of Sea.
I
think A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a book that's desperately needed
with everything currently going on in United States, and throughout the
world. It was one of the most thought provoking, ee opening books I've
ever read. It teaches knowledge and understanding of a culture that can
only be gained through first hand experience of that culture. I think
that if more people read this book there would be a lot less hate of the
Muslim culture, and a lot more love, understanding, and acceptance. It
was absolutely heartbreaking to read about the things that Shirin went
through. Even though the book is set in 2001, the things that happen to
her are still relevant, and still happen to Muslim women all across the
United States today.
There was something that was unexpected for
me in A Very Large Expanse of Sea that I absolutely loved. I should
have known it would happen with the year it was set in, but I loved all
of the early 2000s references. This brought brought back so many
feelings of nostalgia from growing up in that era. Hearing about the
music from that time, and the electronics brought a huge smile to my
face. I kind of forgot about text messages being expensive with the way
things used to be back then because we take it for granted now. It's
always interesting to see how much our society is progressed
technologically looking back on it.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
is definitely in my top three books that I've read this year. I couldn't
find one single fault in it. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking, own
voices book. I have a feeling that it's one of those books that will
stick with me for years to come. I really wish it would be put on
required reading lists in high schools. Maybe if it was, the world would
have a little less hate, and a little more love.
I give A Very Large Expanse of Sea: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: https://www.taherehbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shattermebooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaherehMafi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TaherehMafi/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/taherehmafi/
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
With her daughter to
care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni
Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The
one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where
she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her
food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have
enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the
money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of
someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has
for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once
Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break
free.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Last year, I read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I thought it was a
deeply powerful, moving book. When I heard that she was releasing a new
book, With the Fire on High, this year, I knew I had to read it as soon
as I possibly could. I recently just finished it, and I think I liked it
even more than The Poet X.
With the Fire on High was also a
beautifully compelling book. It tackled tough issues such as teenage
pregnancy, falling in love after being hurt, and the challenges of
raising a child with someone that you no longer have a relationship
with. It really drew awareness to these issues, and made me think of
them in ways that I hadn't before. I thought that Elizabeth Acevedo's
writing style was beautiful. She writes in this lyrical way that make
the words come off the page into the reader's heads. The whole time I
was listening to the audiobook, it was like a movie was playing in my
mind. I was picturing Emoni going about her morning routine with baby
girl, or sitting there having important discussion with abuela. The
romance in this was also beautifully written. I love who Emoni ends up
with. He treats her so well, and is exactly what I think of when I think
of the picture perfect book boyfriend.
I do have to admit,
there are a couple of things that did bother me about With the Fire on
High. The first one is a particular phrase. This is just a pet peeve of
mine. I don't like the phrase "I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been
holding", or any variation of it. It just feels too cliche to me, and
overused in young adult and romance books. That phrase was in the book
at least three times, if not more. The other thing that bothered me is
that it felt like the book ended abruptly. Maybe it's because I wanted
more of this world and these characters, but I wanted the storyline of
what Emoni and Tyrone argue about (trying to be vague so I don't spoil
the plot for anyone) to be further explored. I felt like there was an
important discussion that could have stemmed from that, and it just
didn't happen.
Other than a couple of tiny details, I really
loved With the Fire on High. After reading this book, Elizabeth Acevedo
has become one of my one-click authors. I will buy any book by her
without even having to know what it's about. I am eagerly anticipating
whatever she writes next. I'm sure it will be phenomenal, just like her
other two books.
I give With the Fire on High: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.acevedowrites.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acevedowrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AcevedoWrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15253645.Elizabeth_Acevedo
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
From StacyPlays,
creator of the mega-popular YouTube series Dogcraft, comes a thrilling
illustrated novel about a girl raised by a pack of wolves and her quest
to protect their shared forest home. The first in a new
Minecraft-inspired fantasy adventure series!
Stacy was
raised by wolves. She’s never needed humans to survive and, from what
she sees of humans, they’re dangerous and unpredictable. For as long as
she can remember, Stacy’s pack of six powerful, playful wolves—Addison,
Basil, Everest, Noah, Tucker and Wink—have been her only family.
Together,
Stacy’s pack patrols the forest to keep other animals safe, relying on
her wits and each wolf’s unique abilities to accomplish risky rescue
missions. But as the forest changes and new dangers begin lurking, are
Stacy and the wolves prepared for the perils that await them?
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
My husband and I both love Minecraft. It's one of our favorite things to
do together. Either we'll play Minecraft together, or I'll watch him
play it while I'm listening to an audiobook or music. Therefore when I
saw that Stacy Plays was writing a Minecraft inspired book series, Wild
Rescuers, I knew I wanted to read it. The first book in the series,
Guardians of the Taiga, was just an okay book.
I have to admit,
when first reading the book, I didn't really like it. Maybe it's because
I'm not the age range it's intended for, but it seemed almost silly to
me. There were several times where I had to suspend my disbelief for
things going on. It kept pulling me out of the story. Stacy's wolves are
more human than wolf. They do things like help her with crossword
puzzles, steal newspapers for her, and other things like that. I thought
this was going to be a raised by wolves story, but it didn't feel like
it with all of that going on. That being said, I think the reader will
discover more things about her wolves in Escape to the Mesa that will
explain why those things are happening.
However, as I got
farther into the book, I did find Guardians of the Taiga to be a more
enjoyable read than what I was expecting. I loved Stacy's passion for
animals. I've been a huge animal lover all of my life, and could relate
to what she was feeling at times. It's always upset me to see animals
injured. There was a certain scene towards the end of the book where I
wanted to cry along with her. No animal, no matter the situation,
deserves to go through that. The author did a great job of making me
feel every single emotion Stacy was feeling.
Even though
Guardians of the Taiga was a hit or miss for me in parts, I did find it
to be a somewhat enjoyable book. I definitely plan on reading the sequel
because I do think it will change my opinion on some of the things that
I didn't like about the first book. I also think it will answer the
questions that I have. There were quite a few things that didn't get
resolved in Guardians of the Taiga that I really want answers to. I also
plan on checking out Stacy Plays' YouTube channel, which I didn't know
about before this book.
I give Guardians of the Taiga: 3/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacyhinojosa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacysays
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacyplays/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/stacyplays
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/stacyplays
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17215894.Stacy_Plays
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
