Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme is based on our love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make a list based on the prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have an idea for the topic that week. This week it’s a love freebie for Valentine’s day, so I wanted to do a list of my favorite couples.
1- April and Marcus from Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
2- Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper by Alice Osemen
3- Jude and Carden from The Folk of Air Trilogy by Holly Black
4- Freye and Rhys from A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Holly Black
5- Deliliah and Claire from Deliliah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
6- Deiliah and Reggie from Reggie and Deiliah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant
7- August and Jane from One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
8- Simon and Bram from Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
9- Gideon and Harrow from The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir
10- Claudia and Gideon from Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday thatartsyreadergirl. This meme was born out of a love of lists, and brining the book blogging community together, Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that prompt, We also have the option to do our own thing if we don’t have ideas for the prompt that week. This week, our topic is 2023 Debuts! I love supporting new authors, so I was excited about this. Books came from-https://2023debuts.com/home.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme was born out of a love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Jana will post a prompt each week, and we readers will make our post based on that prompt. We also can do our own thing if we don’t have ideas for the topic that week. This week, our topic is a freebie, so I decided to do some comfort reads for me.
1- Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee- YA Contemporary
2- Heartstopper by Alice Osemen- YA Contemporary Romance (Graphic Novel)
3- Spoiler Alert by Oliva Dade- Adult Contemporary
4- Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake- Adult Contemporary Romance
5- When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord -YA Contemporary
6- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid- Adult Historical Fiction
7- 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston – YA Contemporary Romance
8- Geekerella by Ashley Poston-YA Contemporary Romance
9- Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills-YA Contemporary
10- The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz- Middle-Grade Contemporary
From debut author-illustrator duo Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh comes a humorous and heartfelt reverse immigration story that will resonate across cultures and show us how a place can become home.
This is not my backyard barbecue. This is not our car, these are not my fireflies. This is not my farmer’s market and… This is not my home.
When Lily’s mom announces their family must move back to Taiwan to take care of her elderly Ah Ma, Lily is devastated to leave behind her whole life for a place that is most definitely nother home. But Lily soon realizes, through the help of her family and friends, what home means to them. And perhaps someday—maybe not today, but someday—it might become her home too.
Favorite Quotes
“And the Fireflies at Parsley Park?”
“We have to go back to take care of Ah Ma.”
“This is not my home.”
“I miss home, Lily said in a quiet voice.”
“I’m sorry. I know this is not you’re home.”
“Mamma? Yes? This is My Home.”
Review
Rating: 4 stars
Characters
This was a children’s story with memorable characters. Lily was a fantastic main character, and I could relate to her in a few ways. Lily was brave because as much as she didn’t want to leave her home to go back to Thailand, she did and she was open to trying new things. I loved how much Lily grew at the end of this story.
Plot
This is Not My home had a simple story for kids, but it was one that was easy for kids and adults to enjoy. Lily is going through a change and needs to leave the only place she’s ever known. On the opposite side, Lily’s mother missed Thailand, and she was very excited to go back home, and find part of herself in the country she left again. In the end, this brought Lily and her mother back together, because they both had a connection to a place that they loved. I loved this story because it brought Lily and her mom closer.
Writing
This is Not My Home had a writing style that was simple and easy to follow. The light tone works perfectly for this story. There were also some serious moments in this novel because it talks about leaving a place you love, and the only place you’ve ever known, This is Not My home could be read by kids by themselves, or as a book with their family.
Art
This is Not My Home was illustrated by Eugenia Yoh, and I loved the style. Art plays a big part in children’s books because a lot of the story is told through art. I loved the color palette of this story, and how the art worked with the story.
Enjoyment
I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to fans of children’s novels and reverse immigration stories.
About the Authors
Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh met at Washington University in St. Louis. Eugenia studied Communication Design and now works at Chronicle Books. Vivienne studies Economics and is still stuck in St. Louis. They hope to continue telling stories that simplify seemingly universal ideas through humor. When they are not discussing their next book concept, they can be found at a lake, a library, or in the yogurt section of Whole Foods. Who is this dog? We do not know. We found her in North Carolina.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This meme was born out of a love of list,and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will post our list based on that prompt, We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have ideas for the topic that week. This week, our topic is: Favorite new to me authors of 2022.
1- Ashley Herring Blake (Deliliah Green Doesn’t Care)
2- Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth)
3- Racquel Marie (Ophelia After All)
4- Sabaa Tahir (All My Rage)
5- A.J. Sass (Ellen Outisde the Lines)
6- Alice Osemen (Heartstopper)
7- Jenifer Dugan (Hot Dog Girl)
8- Claribel A. Oretega (Frizzy)
9- Malinda Lo (Last Night at the Telegraph Club, A Scatter of Light)
10- Matthew Mercer & various (Vox Machina Origins Volumes 1-2)
A fun, fast-paced novel about friendship, family, fighting for what’s right, and standing out from the crowd while standing up for yourself.
Twelve-year-old Brooklyn Ace is ready to take the Valentine World Scouts by storm and build her own cookie empire. She nearly won the top cookie selling spot last year and is determined to make her mom—who recently passed away—proud by coming in first this time around. With her fabulous best friends by her side, Brooklyn knows she’ll become Santa Monica’s District Cookie Queen. The crown is practically in the bag.
Then Piper Parker arrives.
Piper has a rich dad, a fancy hotel, and a drive to steal the cookie crown right off Brooklyn’s head. Before long, most of the seventh grade is under Piper’s spell. But Brooklyn is in it to win the biggest cookie war the school has ever seen. With the help of her cookie squad, her rockstar grandmother, her super cool therapist, and a lot of self-love and inner growth, maybe—just maybe—Brooklyn can end up a winner after all.
Quotes
Then there’s sleeping in, and waking up to brunch, which means pancakes or French toast for breakfast, which c’mon, is basically dessert.
I’m always here if you want to talk about your feelings. They’re here, and they matter.
Lyric shoves me out of the way and screeches into the screen door, “calling the cops on a bunch of scouts? What do you think we’re going to do, start a campfire on your lawn and make s’mores?”
Brooklyn, I know it’s hard to open up to someone you don’t really know and to tell them how you’re doing. That’s totally understandable if that’s even how you’re feeling.
And no, it isn’t my mom’s voice out there convincing everyone to buy cookies from me. It is mine.
But you used everything you’ve learned from her and put it all into being the best version of yourself- and she’s a big part of that.
Review
Rating: 5 stars
Rep: BIPOC, Mental Illness.
Characters
Cookie Monsters had fantastic characters to me. Brooklyn had been through a lot in the last year, and she was just trying to do well in the cookie-selling competition in memory of her mother. Piper Parker was the antagonist, and you didn’t know much about her story until late in the book, but she was an interesting character for me as well. Brooklyn had her squad of friends who sold cookies with her, and they were all a lot of fun to read about because they each had their own interests that made them unique. Brooklyn’s grandmother and her father were great supporting characters, and I loved seeing them pop up throughout the story.
Plot
The story of Cookie Monsters was more than just characters selling cookies. For me, it was about finding yourself and embracing who you are as a person. I loved how hard Brooklyn worked to sell cookies, she was doing it for her mom, but she was also doing it for herself because she knew that she could do it and wanted to prove to herself that she could sell cookies. Over the course of the story, Brooklyn’s confidence grew, and by the end of the book, I was so proud of her. Cookie Monsters was also a story of mental health and asking for help from friends and family when you need it.
Writing
Even with Middle-Grade Novels, writing still plays a big part in the story. Erika J Kendrick is a fantastic writer who wrote Cookie Monsters with a lot of heart. During the light light-hearted scenes in the novel, as a reader, I was having fun, and laughing because the characters were having fun, and enjoying the company of each other. This novel had some very intense and heavy scenes as well, and during these scenes, there was a tonal shift, and you could tell that the characters were having a big moment as well.
Friendship
Brooklyn had her squad, and they were all so sweet. Each girl really cared about Brooklyn, and they were always there to support her when she needed it. Each girl in the squad had their own things were dealing with, and with the help of her friends, they wear able to come out stronger on the other side. Brooklyn was a cheerleader, and I loved seeing Magic and the Honeybees in this book as well.
Enjoyment
I loved this novel a lot. I had a lot of fun reading it, and it was the perfect mixture of a fun story and a heartwarming story. Anyone who likes Middle-Grade novels should check out this one.
About the Author
Erika J. Kendrick is an acclaimed writer, a national speaker, and a mental fitness expert. She earned a psychology degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Erika was an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls before writing her novels, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader (Random House) and Appetite (Random House). She is currently touring her debut middle grade novel, Squad Goals, with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The spinoff, Cookie Monsters, is set for a summer 2022 release.
After battling her brain pain, Erika founded Mental Fitness For Life where she launched her latest Mental Fitness book tour, “Who Moved My Happy?” While talking to audiences of all backgrounds and ages, Erika shares her story of brain pain and inspires hope by creating safe spaces for life-saving conversations. She has presented and guest lectured at colleges and universities as well as the US Army and US Air Force, national sororities and fraternities, middle and high schools, conferences, retreats, and national organizations, large and small. Erika has toured with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is a speaker with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) where she has been inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Erika is a recipient of several “Who’s Who” honors, a Rising Icon honor, and several Awards of Excellence. Erika has taken the stage for TEDx, appeared on Good Morning America – The Third Hour (GMA3), NBC News, CBS News, The Wendy Williams Experience, national television and radio segments, and a host of other media outlets. She has been featured in several publications, including Page Six of The New York Post, The Huffington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and various other magazines and digital media.
Welcome Back! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme was born out of a love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will post our list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for that topic. This week, we’re talking about our bookish goals.
Read 75 books
I always keep my goals low, but attainable for me. I’m doing well so far, and I just need to keep the pace.
Read 25 Graphic Novels, 15 comics, and 15 Manga
This is a personal challenge for me this year to read more visual novels. There are so many interesting ones.
Have a planned TBR for the month, but also leave it open for mood reads
I do like having a planned TBR and reading books with friends. For me, if I have an open slot or a book I’m not as looking to read, I’ll put another book on my TBR for the weeks/month based on my mood.
Reach Between 80%-100% on Netgalley
My ratio right now is 67%. I have some blog tours open, and some coming up. I know that you don’t need the 80% to be on a blog tour, but I want to get there and see if I can request some big titles.
Write Reviews and talk about my thoughts on books more
I had the plan to write book reviews on Thursdays, but that kind of fell off at the end of the year. I want to post reviews more and talk about books I’m enjoying more.
Read more Books I own
We all have those books we buy and never read. This year, I’d to read more books I own in addition to new ones.
Use the Libary more
My Libary usage really picked up last year, and I’m so happy it did. I want to continue to use the Libary this year.
Read my anticipated releases right away or within 1-4 months of release
I find that if I buy a book that’s new, I let it sit on my shelves for a bit. I want to read the books either pre-ordered or from the library within four months of the release.
Read more Diversely
I want to read more diversely this year. I want to read more books with people of color, more LGBTQ+ books, and more books with people with disabilities.
Read more books from my backlists along with new releases
This is different from my owned books because I want to read books I was excited about over the last few years.
Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This meme was born out of a love of lists and bringing the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make out a list based on that prompt. We also have the option of doing our own thing if we’re not feeling the topic that week. This week is fun because we get to talk about our most anticipated releases for the first half of 2022.
1- The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
2-Begin Again by Emma Lord
3- The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
4-Where Do You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
5-Out of Character by Jenna Miller
6-A Witches Guide to Fake Dating A Deamon by Sarah Hawley
Hi! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana @thatartsyreadergirl. This meme was born out of a love of lists, and brining the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make out list based on that prompt. We also have the option to do our own thing if we don’t like the prompt that week. This week, the prompt is Favorite Books of 2022!
1- All My Rage (YA, Contemporary)
2- When You Get the Chance (YA, Contemporary)
3- Ophelia After All (YA, Contemporary)
4- Last Night at the Telegraph Club (YA, Historical Fiction)
5- Ellen Outside the Lines (Middle Grade, Contemporary)
6- Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (Adult, Contemporary)
7- Frizzy (Middle-Grade, Contemporary)
8- Critical Role: Vox Machina- Kith & Kin (Adult, Fantasy)
Hi! Welcome to my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tour for Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert!
Book Info:
Title: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Publishing Date: January 3, 2023
Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors–and each other. Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine. Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.) These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
“Whatever magic you and Maria are doing on those kids, you should bottle it and make a fortune.”
“Sorry Medical Truthers, you lost me this time. This cast stays on for at least six weeks. Stay safe, stay weird. “
“Trevor Graeme, you see, loves his family quite a lot and would probably rather die then leave them. “
“I don’t think I noticed how adorable his nose is until I saw his glasses perched on top of it just now.”
“We have been hanging out a lot, and touching a lot, and it’s true that I am unfortunately in love with him, but that doesn’t mean we’re dating.”
“Because what I really want is to spill all my feelings, to say I trust you, yeah, but also I love you and I think I always will, even if you leave me behind.”
“Well take it down a notch, babe. You’re giving me a migraine. And, no Celine’s not here. She went to the bathroom.”
“You’re allowed anywhere you want, I tell her, as long as you’re right here next to me. “
“Right now, we’re everything. Anything. Whatever we want. “
Review
Rating: 4.5 stars
Rep: BLPOC, OCD
Characters
Talia Hibbert is known for her fantastic characters in Adult Romance Novels, and Highly Suspicious and Unfairly cute was no different. Celine and Brad were characters that were different from each other, and their dynamic was fun to read. Celine was a character who knew what she wanted and she was focused on that. Contrary to Celine, Bradley was a character who wasn’t sure what he wanted at the start of the book. Over the course of the novel, Brad figured out what he wanted, also that he was going to live his life for himself and find out what makes him happy. Celine and Brad went on a journey in this book, and I loved seeing them grow over the course of the novel. The supporting cast was also fun to read about, and I enjoyed them.
Plot
I’m not a big camping person, but I loved the expedition elements. I loved seeing Celine and Brad over the course of the story because, like their character journeys, the plot also helps them on their journeys. The stories with their families were interesting as well, and I wanted to see where they were going to go as I was reading.
Writing
Talia Hibbert is an excellent writer. I love how she tells a story, and how she uses different tones to tell a story. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute had some light and fun scenes, where you could tell that the characters are having a great time. This novel also deals with some very real topics, such as OCD, doing what you want to do for yourself, and having your own goals. Talia Hibbert tackles these with care and heart.
Romance
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute is at its core, a romance. Celine and Bradley had an incredibly sweet romance. They were best friends, who had a falling out, and then they developed feelings for each other. What made the story even sweeter was that you saw the passion the couple had for each other.
Enjoyment/ Recommend for
I really enjoyed this! The novel was fun while still discussing some very real topics. I recommend this book to fans of YA romance. Also, folks that enjoy diverse books would enjoy it.
Paiges of Novels 