The Year That Has Passed and The Year That Is To Come: 2018 Edition

I’m gonna be real honest for a moment and say that 2018 has arguably been the worst year of my life. Even though time is just a construct and a new year doesn’t mean my problems are going to away, I’m looking forward to say good riddance to 2018 and welcome 2019 with open arms. So today I thought I’d just talk a little about the highlights of my year and what I hope to achieve next year.

2018

• Love, Simon: I had the pleasure of getting to see Love, Simon at an early screening thanks to HCCFrenzy and it was honestly just such a great experience. Love, Simon has quickly became my  new favorite movie and have watched it over 50 times (oops?). I’m so glad that 2018 brought us the first first Hollywood gay romcom and I really hope that there will be more movies like it in the coming years.
• Bridge of Clay: I highkey never thought that I’d say this but 2018 brought me Markus Zusak’s new book. I’ve been waiting for this book for years and it’s so surreal to have finally been able to read it. It was everything I wanted and more, and I’m looking forward to waiting another millenia for what he comes out with next.
• Public Speaking: I never thought that public speaking is something that I’d find joy in, but it has honestly been my most memorable experience at college so far. I took the class in Fall of 2017, and have been a teaching assistant along with other amazing people for the past semesters. Never thought that I’d willingly wake up to get to a 8:30 class, but it’s always the one thing I look forward to. I can’t wait to do it for the last time before I graduate.
• Literary Magazine: In the winter I joined the editing team of my college team and while it’s been a little rough and not really what I expected, I still thoroughly enjoy the experience. The people are a tad bit pretentious but I mean aren’t we all?
• Novel: I’ve been going through my novel for the last couple of times in preparation for querying. It’s weird because I usually find more and more things to hate about my work, the more I read it, but with this one the more I read it, the more I love it. I’ve been working on my baby for four years and it’s finally time to start showing it to the world.

2019

• Graduating: After two shit years of hell, I’m finally going to be graduating from CEGEP( weird Quebec thing between High School and Uni). I’ve learnt a lot about myself in those two years, but I’m going to be so glad to say goodbye to that hellhole
• Uni: The dream is to go to McGill to get my Bachelor of Education in Secondary English so fingers crossed! Wherever I end up,I intend to make uni the best possible four years.  I know it’s going to be hard but I’ve learnt so much about myself since starting college that I really think that these will finally be my years,
• Querying: I never thought that my novel would be reading, but I think that 2019 is finally the  year that I send Dried Roses out to agents. I’m bracing myself  for rejections but with a lot of Kleenex and ice cream, I think I’ll be okay. All I can do is hope for the best!
• Blogging: I feel like I say this every year but I really want to be more involved in the blogging world. I want to comment more, interract with more bloggers. I love blogging but I know there’s so much that I can do.

 

What About You? How Was Your 2018? What Are Your Hopes for 2019? Let Me Know In The Comments Down Below!

Top 18 Reads of 2018

2018 was an amazing reading year and it was so hard to narrow down my favorites because I have read too many good books this year. I originally was going to do my top ten but then I was like eight and there was so many that I hadn’t included so I decided to do my top 18.  So without further ado let’s get into my top 18 reads of 2018.

1, Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak, My Review

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since I read The Book Thief six years ago. I was terrified that I wouldn’t like it and that it wouldn’t have been worth the wait but thankfully it was everything that I wanted and more.  I know a lot of people were disappointed and I totally get that because it’s a very different book from The Book Thief. I still loved it and fell in love with every single character. This book broke me and I can’t wait to read it again so I can suffer all over again.

2. Everything I Never Told by Celeste Ng.

I’ve been hearing praise about Ng’s book for so long, but it’s taken me years to get around to reading her and I can’t believe it took me so long to read her amazing works. This book was so intricately crafted and I absolutely adored how the character’s motivations and fears were slowly revealed. Celeste Ng is an expert storyteller and really knows how to create both intriguing storylines and fascinating characters.

3. Station Eleven by Emily St-John Mendel.  My Review

When this book first came and everyone was raving about it, I remember reading the synopsis and not really understanding what all the hype was about. I finally got around to reading it this year and now I finally get why everybody loves it so much. It’s one of those books where it’s best to go in knowing very little because whatever synopsis you’ll read will never do it justice. This is the most brilliant post-appocalyptic book I’ve ever read and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading it.

4.  More Than This by Patrick Ness.

The Chaos Walking Trilogy is one my favorite series but even though I’ve had this book on my shelf for a good three years, I never got around to reading it until this year. This is another one of those books that you just need to go in blind. This book took a turn that I really didn’t expect at all and I’m still trying to wrap my head around what I read. Ness  knows how to craft a remarkable world and More Than This is just further proof of that.

5. A Little Life by Hanya Yangihara. My Review

THis book is pretty much the equavilant of someone punching in the gut over and over again for 800 pages. This book destroyed me: I  don’t think I’ve ever cried so much over a single book.  You really have to be in the right state of mind to read this book because it’s a really rough read. And yet despite how much it hurt me to read it, I loved it. Despite all the tragedy, it’s also an incredibly beautiful book. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to reread it because it took so much out of me but reading it was a journey that I’ll always remember.

6. They Both Die at The End by Adam Silvera. My Review

Yet another book that ruined me. Why do readers enjoy sadness so much??? Anyway I wouldn’t expect anything less from Silvera since he’s pretty much the king of  making his readers suffer. They Both Die at The End is no exception and thanks to him I cannot listen to American Pie without feeling extremely sad and thinking of the precious cinnamon rolls that are Matteo and Rufus.  You know you think I would have prepared for the ending because the title pretty much spoils it but yet I still clung on to the hope that Silvera would give us a happy ending. Foolish of me, I know.

7. Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman. My Review

I know I can always count on Shusterman for writing books that make me think and the Scythe series is no exception. I wasn’t utterly convinced by the synopsis but once I read Scythe I was completely in love. The  world building in this series is phenonemal and there are so many twists and turns. I didn’t think it was possible but Thunderhead was somehow better than Scythe and I can’t wait for the third one to come out. This better be a long series because three books is not enough to sustain me.

8 Beartown by Fredrick Backman.

I’m usually super wary of translated books but whoever translates Backman’s books is super talented because  I have absolutely loved both books that I’ve read of his. Beartown is such a beautiful book and heartbreaking book . There’s this amazing vibe to his books that is really indescribable which somehow makes them a 100x more amazing. This was such a character driven storu which are my favorite types of stories. The way he crafted all of his characters was absolutely phenonemal.

9.Leah on The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. My Review

I am so sad that Becky is never going to explore the Simonverse again.  Nonethless, Leah on The Offbeat was the perfect way to end it. It was everything I wanted in a book like this and more. Leah was one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever encountered and I loved reading an entire book from her perspective. There were so many tiny things about the book that made it all the more perfect from scenes with Blue and Simon to incredibly on-point pop culture references. Albertalli is the queen of contemporary and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

10. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.

This is basically the ultimate collab in YA history and I was terrified because the queen of contemporary and the king of making his readers suffer writing a book together? This couldn’t end well. And yet it was so incredibly amazing!! Both perspectives were incredibly beautiful and the romance between Ben and Arthur was so great. I know a lot of people were mad about the ending but I loved it and thought it was perfectly bittersweet.

11. Far From The Tree by Robin Benway.

This is a beautiful story about the families we find and the ones we are born into. It’s one of those contemporaries that really makes you think about your place in the world. The way Benway crafted all the different relationships was absolutely brilliant. There was a lot of nuance to the book and it’s one of those contemporaries that you can think about at depth for many hours after reading it.

12.The Summer of Jodi Perez by Amy Spalding. My Review

This is the sapphic summer romcom of my dreams and I seriously need to this be a movie right now. This is the ultimate summer read and the romance was so swoon worthy!!! It was just such a fun fluffy read and is everything I could want in a contemporary and so much more.

13. The Spy With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke. My Review

This book is the dream book I didn’t even know I had. You’ve got amazing queer Jewish siblings with the best relationship ever. You’ve got people punching Nazis. You’ve got the best speculative fiction concept ever. Locke has redefined historical fiction and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I can always count on her to have amazing kickass Jewish characters.

14. Sadie by Courtney Summers.

I am so happy that Courtney Summers is finally getting the recognition she deserves. She always delivers amazingly flawed characters with incredibly honest storylines. The story was so intriguing and Sadie was such an amazing character. To add to the general amazingness, the format was incredibly unique. I didn’t read the audiobook but I heard it’s amazing so I think I might try my hand at listening to my first audiobook.

15. The Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North. Book Review.

Give me a book that has time incorporated into it somehow and you’ve basically given me my new favorite book.  I love books that deal with the complexities of times and this one blew me out of the water.It was so incredibly unique and by the time I was finished, I was questioning my entire existence.  It was one of those books that was so well developed that I almost felt as though the implausible events that took place in the book could be real.

16. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White.

This is one of the most brilliant retellings I’ve ever seen. It takes all the minor characters in Frankenstein and brings them at the forefront.I actually had never read Frankenstein but after reading this beauty, I delved into Shelley’s original work and it made reflecting on my reading experience all the more interesting. White turns an already fascinating story into the story that Shelley may have written if she hadn’t been restrained by the constraints of her time. It’s a beautiful feminist retelling that I think would do Shelley proud.

17. Our Year Of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon. My Review

While Solomon’s Freshman novel was amazing, her sophomore novel was absolutely phenomenal. She writes contemporaries like no other and I love getting aquainted with her incredibly complex characters. She writes the Jewish experience so incredibly and portrays so many different sides to the issue. Please do yourself a favor and pick up this book when it comes out in January. You won’t regret it.

18.  The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Tretton.

Tretton took the mystery genre and brought it to a whole different level and I am still astounded by all the different turns this book took. I cannot imagine all the work that must have gone into this book. I am always amazed by mystery writers but this was something else entirely. Very few mysteries are able to shock me but this book grabbed me from page one and had me enthralled until the very end. I struggle to see how he could possible top this book but I can’t wait to see what he does next.

What Were Your Favorite Books of 2018? Have You Read Any of The Ones I Mentioned? Let Me Know in The Comments Down Below!

End of Year Book Survey 2018

So the year is quickly coming to a close which means another end of year book survey!!! This tag was created by the perptualpageturner   and I’ve been doing it for the past two years and it’s filled with some really great questions. So without further ado let’s get into the amazing books I read this year.

**2018 READING STATS**

 

Number Of Books You Read: 155
Number of Re-Reads: 15 Books
Genre You Read The Most From: Probably realistic fiction but I’m not sure.

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

It’s really hard to chose just one book it’s the one that I just keep coming back whenever I think about the question so I think Sadie by Courtney Summers. I mean all of her books are amazing but this one just blew me out of the water.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

About A Girl by Sarah Mccarry.  The cover was of two girls kissing and I was like “awesome, this is going to be gay af and I’m going to love it” And while it was very gay, it was also weird as fuck and I had no idea what was going on 99% of the time. I was really disappointed.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

More Than This by Patrick Ness. I had no idea what to expect going into it and only had like a really vague idea of what it was about. This book blew me out the water and I was really surprised by the awesome turn it took.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I don’t really recommend books to people I know IRL because I know they won’t read it so let’s pass this one.

 5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best Series: Scythe by Neal Shusterman. That series is fucking amazing and I need the third book ASAP

Best Sequel: Leah on The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. This book is the perfect conclusion to the simonverse and I love everything about it.

Best Series Ender: Of Monsters and Men by Patrick Ness. This series ruined me and I loved it.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Katherine Locke. The Balloonmakers duology is the best thing ever and I can’t wait to read whatever else she comes out with.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Frankenstein was one the only classics that I read by choice this year and I loved it so much!! It was so fascinating and I could talk about it for hours.

 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. This book was so thrilling and there were so many twists and turns that had me reeling. It’s one of the most cleverly executed thrillers I’ve ever read.

 9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Probably Bridge of Clay. A year that goes by without me reading Markus Zusak isn’t really a year at all.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

probably Far From The Tree by Robin Benway. It’s really simple but I love it.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Probably Sadie From Sadie by Courntey Summers. Everything that that girl went through hurt my soul and I just want to protect her at all cost.

 

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

Bridge of Clay By Markus Zusak. Hands down. His writing will never cease to amaze me.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  Everybody needs to read this book. It’s so important and beautifully written and just such a relevant book for our current political climate.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read? 

Station Eleven by Emily St-John Mandel. I’ve heard about this book for years now and I never really understand what the hype was about. But when I read it , I finally understood. THis book is amazing and arguably the best postapocalyptic story I’ve ever read.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

” “I’m Not anything if I’m not writing, Mr Hemingway.’

‘Ernest,’ he said.

‘Ernest,’ I repeated, thinking, in the end, the writing was the only thig that saved me, that kept me from being sucked down into the sludge pit of darkness and doubt. Wondering if any small bit of Ernest Hemingway might be the same way, if a writer as succesful as he was ever questioned his words, his worth, the cost of what it took to pour al lof yourself into  a book that people might just abandon, half-read, on a chair in a bus station, even with a whole long journey to pass.”

It’s from Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton and this quote hit me so hard.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseni

Longest: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. That ending killed me and if the third book doesn’t come out soon I may not survive

 

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Matteo and Rufus from They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera. Only Silvera could make me root for two people who just met and are going to die on the same die.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The relationship between Grace, Maya and Joaquin. This book is chock full of beautiful relationships but the one between the three biological siblings was my absolute favorite.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Our Year Of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon. This book was amazing and somehow even better than her first one.

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. This is really not something that I’d usually read but everybody on twitter was talking about it so I gave in and it was so cute!!! It had me swooning the entire time.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I domn’t get fictional crushes.

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough. This book was absolutely phenonemal.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I feel like I’ve mentioned this book so many times but I’m obsessed. The Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman has amazing worldbuilding and I could highkey read an entire book entirely about the history of the world.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Born a Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. This book was fucking hilarious and had me in laughter induced tears multiple times.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. This book was beautifully crafted and so bittersweet and the way the story progressed had me in tears multple times.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton. This book about Hemmingway’s third wife was absolutely phenonemal and I just love books that make me learn about hidden parts of history.

 

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara had me in tears  throughout pretty much the entire book. This book wrecked me.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Keirsten White. It’s one of the most unique retellings I’ve read and it was so interesting to compare it with the original source material.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak by Adi Alsaid. This book pissed me off and just I felt absolutely no sympathy for the main character and reading about her stupid decisions made me want to throw something.

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

I absolute love Elise’s blog.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

My discussion post on whether Holocaust Books are still important. It’s a post that was very personal and something I’ve been thinking about for quite some time.

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018:?

Honestly I haven’t taken many bookish photos but I like this one of my ticket for when I went to see Love, Simon.

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?

HCC Frenzy invited me to go see an early screening of Love, Simon and it was sooo much fun. Little did I know that this would become my favorite movie that I would watch over 50 times.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

I hate to sound like a broken record but seeing Love, Simon.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Finding the motivation to blog and readwhile I had other obligations. This summer I was working at a sumemr camp with no internet access for two months so I had to backlog a lot of blog posts which worked out in the end but during that time I barely read which really sucked.   But then with school I was just so overhwhelmed this semester that the amount of posts I came out with was really disapointing

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

For some reason my review of The Cruelty  keeps getting views and I have no idea why since it’s not that great of a review and I wrote it like two years ago.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My post on what Love, Simon means to me.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I recently discovered that Overdrive is the best thing ever created and though I used to be not totally sold on ebooks, it’s not basically all I read. There are so many amazing books on there and I don’t have to go anywhere to get them and it’s free!!!

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I set myself a goodreads goal to read 100 books which I surpassed by reading 153 books!!

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. As soon as it becomes avaliable at my library, I’m jumping on it.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman. I’m so excited for this book. I absolutely loved Girl Out of Water and I think that this one is going to be even better.

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Again But Better by Christine Riccio. I’m usually super wary of Youtubers writing books but Christine seems super dedicated to her novel and it just looks really amazing. She’s a really funny person and I think her humor and overall tone would translate really well into a book.

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

I hate to sound like a broken record but the third book in the scythe series is supposed to come out and I NEED IT NOW.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

I just want to create as much quality content as I possibly can.

6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

A Place for Wolves by Kosoko Jackson. This book is fucking amazing and y’all need to read it when it comes out.

Have You Read Any of the Books I Mentioned? How Was Your Reading Year? Did You Do The End of Year Book Survey? Let Me Know in The Comments Down Below!

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon Book Review

Goodreads Summary: Aspiring choreographer Sophie Orenstein would do anything for Peter Rosenthal-Porter, who’s been on the kidney transplant list as long as she’s known him. Peter, a gifted pianist, is everything to Sophie: best friend, musical collaborator, secret crush. When she learns she’s a match, donating a kidney is an easy, obvious choice. She can’t help wondering if after the transplant, he’ll love her back the way she’s always wanted.

But Peter’s life post-transplant isn’t what either of them expected. Though he once had feelings for Sophie too, he’s now drawn to Chase, the guitarist in a band that happens to be looking for a keyboardist. And while neglected parts of Sophie’s world are calling to her—dance opportunities, new friends, a sister and niece she barely knows—she longs for a now-distant Peter more than ever, growing increasingly bitter he doesn’t seem to feel the same connection.

Peter fears he’ll forever be indebted to her. Sophie isn’t sure who she is without him. Then one blurry, heartbreaking night twists their relationship into something neither of them recognizes, leading them to question their past, their future, and whether their friendship is even worth fighting for.

My Rating:5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

As with Solomon’s debut,You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone, it’s hard to pick just one standout aspect about the book because there’s  so many to chose from. You have complex friendships, even more complex romantic relationships,  fascinating family dynamics, feelings about religious identity and the list just goes on and on.  If this is what she can do with her second book, I can’t wait to see what type of wonderful things will come out of her third or fourth book.

One thing that I really appreciate about her characters is how incredibly flawed they are. The two main characters, Peter and Sophie, don’t always make the right decisions or say the right things and yet that’s what makes them so real.  They make impulsive decisions, decisions that had me screaming NOOOOO DON’T DO IT and yet it’s these imperfections that made them so relatable and authentic. Solomon is truly skilled because so often authors try to give their characters real flaws but it just results in the readers disliking the characters. With Our Year Of Maybe, despite all their mishaps and mistakes, I felt their pain as if it was my own. To be able to create characters who have clear flaws and yet still have readers rooting for them is something that requires an immense of talent, which is just one of the ways that her skill shows.

Give me a book with complex relationships and you’ve pretty much given me my new favorite book. I absolutely love books that have relationships that evolve, shift and grow throughout the story. There are so many different relationships in this book that were each amazing in their own special way that I don’t even know where to start. Of course the relationship at the forefront of the book was the one between Sophie and Peter which was so interesting. I love books about childhood friends and as much I try to deny it, I’m such a sucker for the trope of  “secret crush on said childhood friend”  The dynamic between Sophie and Peter was incredibly fascinating and I loved learning about their childhood friendship and then seeing how it developed throughout the book. I really like the turn their friendship took and felt it was very true to life.  Another relationship I really loved was the one between Sophie and her sister. It was really nice to see how their perspective of one another changed as the book progressed.  One relationship that I would’ve liked to see a little more expansion on was the one between Peter and his mom. It seemed that there could’ve been some development there but there was this tension that was introduced but never really resolved.

Another thing that I loved was how casually Peter’s bisexuality was talked about. It’s pretty rare to see bisexual male characters and I just loved seeing the relationship between Chase and Peter blossoming. It was really interesting to see how Peter’s feelings towards Chase contrasted with those he felt towards Sophie. I also really appreciate the fact that the book could’ve taken the cheating storyline route and it didn’t which was just really refreshing to see.

The final thing I want to talk about is the element of the story that made this book 100x more amazing than it already was. That element was the way that Peter’s Judaism and his feelings towards the religion was portrayed. Peter is half jewish but since his father is he jewish one, he would not be recognized as Jewish amongst traditional Jews.  This is exactly like my situation and to see Peter’s conflicted feelings about Judaism was so relatable. I swear all the thoughts about being Jewish were ones that I’ve had multiple times. I’ve never felt more seen and I just really appreciate the fact that Solomon portrayed two very different approaches to Jewish identity. I can always trust her to have some quality Jewish content and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Have You Read You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone? Are You Going To Read Our Year Of Maybe? Let Me Know In The Comments Down Below!

Reading Diverse Books in 2018

So for the past two years I’ve written posts about how diverse my reading was in the past year. As much as it’s great to say that I’m trying to consciously read more diverse books the proof is in the pudding.

So in 2016 22% of the books I read were diverse and in 2017 that number went up to 41%. I’m sad to say that it’s gone down again at 29%. I honestly don’t know what happened and I really want to try to do better in 2019. I think being conscious of the books I read is extremely important. So often when I have a lot of free time on my hand, I’ll read basically whatever I can get my hand on which usually means that I’m reading books about straight, white, neurotypical characters. That’s not to say that those books are bad because I’ve read some true jewels but I just want to be a lot more aware of my reading habits.  Books that feature people of color, LGBTQ people and neurodivergent people are so often my favorite types of books and I know that if I made just a little bit more of an effort I’d be a lot more content with the type of books I read.

So I thought I’d give you my top five favorite diverse books that I’ve read this year because I’ve read so many amazing books this year so the more I get to scream about them the better.

1. The Spy With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke Review

I swear Locke writes the historical fiction of my dreams.   You got queer jewish kids punching nazis combined with this amazing speculative fiction to create this spellbounding book that you never want to put down.  I need a million more books like this because no matter how many books Locke writes I’ll never be satisfied.

2. Far From The Tree by Robin Benway.

This summer I read both  Far From The Tree and Emmy& Oliver and fell head over heels with her writing. Far From The Tree is a a beautiful book about the family we make and the family we are bound to by blood and it’s just amazing. This book hit with me so many feelings, amazing characters and wonderful relationships and it’s just one of those books that I want to cherish forever.

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3. The Summer of Jodi Perez ( And The Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding. Review

This is the ultimate summer contemporary read but can also be read year round just so you can transport yourself to warmer days. The romance is amazing, the characters are the best. Top it off with mouthwatering descriptions of food and you got yourself a stellar read. I seriously need this to be to be a movie.Someone please make it the new summer romcom.

4. Leah on The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. Review

I feel like no blog post written by me is complete without mentioning my queen at least. I stan basically everything Albertalli creates and Leah on The Offbeat is no exception. The book was everything I wanted in a sequel and more. I laugh, I cried and I’m completely devastated that she’s done writing in the simonverse. It was a great way to end it though and I can’t wait to see what other amazing characters she comes up with..

5.Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solommon

Solomon does it again with her beautifully flawed characters and exquisite prose. I love catching authors at their beginning of their careers because there’s so many more wonderful books in store with me. As long as she keeps writing beautiful books filled with great Jewish characters, I’m going to very very happy.

How Was Your Reading Year When It Comes To Reading Diversely? What Were Your Favorite Diverse Books? Let Me Know In The Comments Down Below!!

 

 

 

Dear Heartbreak: YA Authors and Teens on The Dark Side of Love Edited by Heather Demetrios Book Review

Goodreads Summary:

This is a book about the dark side of love: the way it kicks your ass, tears out your heart, and then forces you to eat it, bite by bloody bite. If you’ve felt this way, you’re not alone…

In this powerful collection, YA authors answer real letters from teens all over the world about the dark side of love: dating violence, break-ups, cheating, betrayals, and loneliness. This book contains a no-holds-barred, raw outpouring of the wisdom these authors have culled from mining their own hearts for the fiction they write. Their responses are autobiographical, unflinching, and filled with love and hope for the anonymous teen letter writers.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

Dear Heartbreak is one of those books that I would have devoured when I was 12 or 13. I remember owning this Chicken Soup For The Preteen Soul book  and being absolutely obsessed with it. I would reread over and over again and to this day some of those stories have stuck with me. To read some of my favorite authors give advice about heartbreak in a similar format to the chicken soup book was really eye-opening and made me look at some of them in a new light.

Even though I had a little trouble relating to some aspects of these letters, other aspects hit me really hard and helped me in reinforcing things that I keep on trying to tell myself.  I think this could really help some people and to hear it from their favorite authors would make it all the more powerful.

One thing that I think is really great about this book is how different and diverse the authors are. It’s not just the classic  white straight hearbreak which I think is so incredible because it’s oftentimes marginalized teens that need to be supported the most. I absolutely loved reading advice from Sandhya Menon, Nina Lacour, Becky Albertalli and so many more. My only qualms is that I wish there were more male authors involved in the project. I think it would’ve made the book a lot stronger because heartbreak in males is not looked at in the same way as heartbreak in females. Young teenage boys need to be taught that it’s okay to hurt and that that hurt doesn’t need to be channelled in a violent or angry manner.

All in all it was a quick, heartfult read that I can see being instrumental to many teen’s lives.  I think maybe it would be interesting to do a companion of sorts with inclusively marginalized voices.

If You Could Get Hearybreak Advice From Any Author Which One Would You CHose?