Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday-Bookish Wishlist

Hi! It’s been a few weeks, but I’m back. Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme is born out of our love of lists and brings the book blogging community together. Jana will post a topic each week, and we bloggers will make our own list based on that topic. We can also do our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for that week. This week, our topic is Bookish Wishlist and I love this topic. Books are separated by genre.

Middle-Grade

1- Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel by Maysoon Zayid, and Shadia Amin (Illustrator)

 This book sounds so cute! I love the rep and I want to own this.

2- Any Way You Look by Maleeha Siddiqui

I really enjoyed a book by this author before. I am interested in this book because the themes sound interesting.

3- South of Somewhere by Kalena Miller

This is another book that came out in April.  I love Shannon in the Spotlight by this author last year. I want to check this one out because the story seems interesting.

YA

4- Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho

I am so eager to read this one! I  love the Enemies/Rivals to Lovers trope, and this one seems well done.

5- I Wish You Would by Eva Des-Lauriers

This book sounds like drama, and I need it. I can’t wait to see the relationship unfold.

6- Zoe Rosenthal Is Not A Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin

Goodreads says I’ve wanted to read this book since December 2020. I love the title of it, being a fan of DND and books. I love books about fandom and cons so that’s another reason I want to read this. The main character seems to be someone I can relate to, so I really want to read this book this year.

7- But I’m Eponine: Book One in the Altoverse by Christine Dzidrums

If you’ve been around this blog for a while, you know that I love musicals and books that has theater. I can’t wait to read this book and see all the theater references.

Adult

8- Love At First Book by Jenn McKinlay

This book sounds so cute! I want to read more books set in Ireland and this book sounds like the perfect place to start. I can’t wait to read this one.

9- Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

I’ve not read Lynn Painter yet. This book sounds so fun, and I definitely want to grab the ebook or audiobook.

10- Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett

Another thing you will know about me if you’ve been around this blog for a while is that I’m a huge Disney fan. I saw the cover and title of this book, and I knew that I needed to read it. I was not paying attention to the date, so I didn’t know this book came out this week. I’m going to try and get a copy of the book before the end of the year.

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 1 Comment

The Wonderful Wishes of B-Blog Tour-Review & Playlist

Genre: Middle Grade
Publishing date: June 4th, 2024

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Synopsis:

All that stands between ten-year-old Beatrice and an amazing life are five wishes…and she’s got a plan to make them all come true! A magical and heartfelt adventure about grief, hope, and the power of human connection.

Beatrice Corwell has a crooked haircut, eight well-trained cats, and a she’s turning herself into a Tin Man. Once her heart is made of metal, she’ll no longer miss her beloved dead grandma, her absent dad, or her recently moved-away best friend.

While Beatrice awaits her transformation, she keeps vigil with a special doll and a handful of wishes she’s determined to make come true. With her encyclopedic knowledge, there must be a way to grant her heart’s deepest desires.

When an unusual boy named Caleb moves to town and mentions his granny’s interest in magic, Beatrice decides to enlist their help. She quickly learns, however, that spells don’t always go as planned, and witches can’t be trusted.

With the arrival of an unexpected visitor and a series of otherworldly messages, Beatrice’s plans begin to falter. Will her heart turn into metal? Will any of her wishes come true?

The Wonderful Wishes of B. is the story of a smart, quirky girl learning what she wants and what she needs—and how, sometimes, the wishes we hold dearest are granted in the most unexpected ways.

Playlist

Ev’rybody Wants To Be A Cat from The Aristocrats

Jellicel Songs for Jellicel Cats from Cats

You’ve Got A Friend in Me from Toy Story

You’ve Got A Friend -Carole King

Review

7.29/10 or 4 /5stars

Characters-8

The characters in The Wonderful Wishes of B were fun. I enjoyed their personalities and Beatrice’s love of cats. I related to the main character Beatrice because at times during the story, she preferred her animals to people. Caleb was a fun character because he was a bit mysterious, and I was curious about his story. I liked seeing the relationship between Beatrice and Raejean because it depicted the kind of relationships kids this age have. Beatrice was lonely at the start of this story, and then Caleb gave her someone to talk to which I loved because she had someone that understood her. The adults in this story were fun as well.

Plot-7
could
I liked this story. I loved B trying to bring bright baby to live in memory of her grandmother. This was a story of grief, and how Beatrice was dealing with her own grief, which I thought kids could relate to. Beatrice was also on a mission to help save her grandmother’s salon, and I loved how much she cared about keeping the legacy. Beatrice’s dad plays a role in the subplot, which I loved as most of the stories I’ve read for this age group have both parents present. I wish we could have seen more of the story. The ending felt abrupt to me.

Writing-8

I liked the writing of this novel. I thought the writing style was great for this age group because it was a simple style, but one that wasn’t too juvenile. Middle -Grade readers will enjoy the writing style because it uses themes and words they can learn something from, but still relate to.

Enjoyment-7

This was a fun story. I enjoyed the characters and for the most part, the story was great.

Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that inspired her to write Back to the Bright Before. An Ohio native, she currently lives with her family in Iowa.

Website | Goodreads

June 3rd
Karma Zee Readz – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B

June 4th
therearenobadbooks – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B

June 5th
Dana Loves Books – Review
The Daily Librarian – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B

June 6th
Deepireads – Review

June 7th
One More Exclamation – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B
Paiges of Novels – Review, Playlist

June 8th
dinipandareads – Promotional Post

June 9th
the nutty bookworm reads alot – Review

June 3rd
avainbookland – Review, Favorite Quotes
mythicmelancholy – Review
froggyreadteach – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B, Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop

June 4th
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
acourtofspinesnpages – Review
therearenobadbooks – Content Creator’s Choice

June 5th
magnoliapigeonbookblurbs – Review
dana.loves.books – Content Creator’s Choice
thedailylibrarian – Content Creator’s Choice

June 6th
thepagelady – Review
get.outside.and.read – Promotional Post
kathreadsall – Review

June 7th
ablueboxfullofbooks – Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop, TikTok
onemoreexclamation – Content Creator’s Choice
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

June 8th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
library_teacher – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B
dinipandareads – Promotional Post

June 9th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
nissa_the.bookworm – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Wonderful Wishes of B
gryffindorbookishnerd – Review

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 1 Comment

Upstaged Blog Tour by Robin Easter-Review & Favorite Quotes

Genre: Middle Grade

Publishing date: May 28th

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: LGBTQIA+, bisexual, non-binary

Synopsis:

In a summer of goodbyes and new beginnings, shy Ashton Price hopes to confess to their theater camp crush in this heartfelt middle-grade graphic novel. Perfect for fans of The Tryout and The Girl from the Sea .

This is the last hurrah, the final curtain call. 

Ever since sixth grade, Ashton Price and their best friend and enduring crush, Ivy Santos, have spent their summers together at theater camp. Now it’s their last year before they part ways for high school, and Ash is determined to end it on a high note!

With Ash as stage manager and Ivy the lead in this year’s musical, this summer’s shaping up to be everything the two could have hoped for. Maybe Ash will even work up the courage to ask Ivy out! But between Ivy rehearsing long hours with her colead and Ash throwing themself into an ambitious stage production, will they end up drifting apart instead?

As summer wanes and September looms, Ash and Ivy’s friendship will change forever, one way or another.

Favorite Quotes

Favorite Quotes

“I can’t wait for you all to make me look like a princess.”-Ivy

“But, Ivy, you already look like a princess.”-Ash

“But this summer was supposed to be about having fun with you.”-Ash

“Ha. Careful, you’re starting to sound like an actor.”-Ivy

Review

9.43/10

Characters-10

The characters in Upstaged were so cute. I loved how each of them had a different personality, and how they interacted with each other. Each character in this book was diverse, and I loved seeing how diverse the characters were. I loved the kids passion for their art, and I loved seeing them come together to make the show the best it could be. These characters brought me back to when I was their age and in theater camp productions.

Plot-9

Upstaged had a very sweet plot. I don’t really see romance books for this age group, but I loved this one. Ash and Ivy were so sweet, and I loved how they got together in the end. There were also found family elements in the book with the friends at camp. There was also a subplot of finding friends outside of your social group and expanding your friendship horizons which I loved.

Writing and illustrations-10

I love the writing and illustrations in this book. I thought they were sweet, and really worked well to tell the story. When it comes to Graphic Novels there’s a balance to find between the art, and writing to tell the story, and Upstaged had the perfect balance.

Enojyment-9

This book was fun and heartwarming. I loved the discussion of friendships and seeing Ash and Ivy’s relationship blossom. I loved the theater vibes of this book, and it was great to read about kids following their passions.

Robin Easter is a cartoonist and illustrator who graduated from SCAD with a degree in sequential art. They are also a grown-up theater kid, former camp counselor, and walking encyclopedia of random facts. Robin currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with several plants and their dreams of having a dog.

Instagram | Goodreads

May 27th
Twirling Book PrincessReview

May 28th
Nonbinary Knight Reads and Reviews – Review, Book Look

May 29th
Paiges of Novels – Review, Favorite Quotes

May 30th
WritingRoseReads – Review, Top 5 Reasons to Read Upstaged
therearenobadbooks – Review

May 31st
the nutty bookworm reads alot – Review

June 1st
elementary my dear – Review

June 2nd
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post

May 27th
callistoscalling – Review, Mood Board
meghenslittlelibrary – Promotional Post
thats.one.for.the.books – Review, Playlist
acourtofspinesnpages – Review, TikTok

May 28th
rickys_radical_reads – Promotional Post
chaoshappinessbookmama – Review
avainbookland – Review, Favorite Quotes
nonbinaryknightreads – Content Creator’s Choice

May 29th
get.outside.and.read – Promotional Post
onemused – Promotional Post
marybee.books – Review
alyssas_book_obsession – Review
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

May 30th
dreaminginpages – Promotional Post
library_teacher – Top 5 Reasons to Read Upstaged
writingrosereads – Content Creator’s Choice
therearenobadbooks – Content Creator’s Choice

May 31st
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
bibliovino – Review
booksandbreath – Top 5 Reasons to Read Upstaged
kathreadsall – Review
artxsouls – Review, Favorite Quotes

June 1st
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
bookmarked.by.becky – Review
ablueboxfullofbooks – Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop, TikTok
mellasmusings – Review
elementarymydear_ – Content Creator’s Choice

June 2nd
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
alexandriavwilliams_ – Review, Favorite Quotes
ohyouread – Review

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 8 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday-Books I Had to Buy/Grab/ Were Gifted but Haven’t Read Yet

Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. Our love of lists and the book blogging community inspires this weekly meme. Each week, Jana will post a prompt and we bloggers will make our own list based on that prompt. We can also do our own thing if we don’t have any ideas for that week. This week out topic is books I had to buy but haven’t read yet.

Physical Books

1- Stranger Than Fiction by Chris Colfer

This was probably brought when I was big into my Glee era. I do still want to read it, and then will probably unhaul it.

2- Till Death Due Us Part by Amanda Quick

This was a book my mom gave me. I’ve been in the mood for some Historical reads, so I’ll read this next month.

3- The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell

This is another book I think was given to me by my mom. Music is a huge part of my life, so I want to read this one. I think it just gets lost on my shelves when looking for something to read.

4- The Café by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

A third book was gifted from my mom. I’m thinking of some time this summer to read this? It feels like it has summer vibes,

5- All Summer Long by Dorthea Benton Frank

My mom loves this author and I feel like July is the perfect month to read this one. The cover is so fun and the story seems interesting.

Ebooks

6- The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

I bought this when it was a Kindle Daily Deal years ago. I have put it on so many TBR’s but have not read it yet. I really want to because I’ve heard it’s great.

7- Mr. Darcy’s Enchantment by Abigail Reynolds

I believe this was grabbed during Stuff Your Kindle Day. I do love Pride & Prejudice and enjoy looking for various retellings of the story.

8- The Fiancé Farce by Alexandira Bellefleur

This is one of my favorite romance authors. I love her books, and got this one when it was on Kindle Daily Deals to read immediately. Spoiler alert: I have not read this book yet, probably this summer.

Audio

9- A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

This was a book picked by someone for a challenge when I was going to read books picked by my friends. I think I’m just not in the mood for a sad audiobook. I do want to listen to it this year.

10- You Don’t Have A Shot by Raquel Marie

I loved the audiobook of Ophelia After All by this author. I grabbed this when it was a deal on Libro, and have yet to listen to it. I’m give or take on sports romance, but this one seems like it will be a fun one.  

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 5 Comments

Top Ten (Nine) Tuesday-Authors I’d Like A New Book From

Hi! Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday. Jana hosts this weekly meme @thatartsyreadergirl. Our love of books and the community of book bloggers inspires this weekly meme. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that topic. We also have the option to do our own thing. This week, I’ll be talking about authors I’d like a new book from. Books are separated by genre.

Romance

1- Alexandria Bellefleur- I just read her most recent release and I need more. I love all her romances.

2- Emma Lord- Emma Lord has a new book coming out in August that I’m excited to read. I wish there was another YA book coming out before then.

3- Ashley Herring Blake- December is too far away, and I need a new release from her before then. I loved the Bright Falls series.

4- Becky Albertalli- I read all her books as they come out, and she’s one of my favorite authors. I just want to read a new book from her.

5- Casey McQuiston- We have a new release this summer, but that’s a little too far, and I would love a release for June.

6- Meryl Wilsner- We have a new book coming out from them next year but I would love a new one for this summer.

Fantasy

7- Rebecca Yarros- I need the third book in the series before next January!

8- Sarah J. Mass- I’ve read all her books and I need the next book the Crescent City series or the next ACOTAR book.

9- Leigh Bardugo- I recently read The Familiar and I need more. Leigh Bardugo is one of my favorite authors who crosses genres, and I would love a new book from her.

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 4 Comments

Top Ten (Eight) Tuesday-Petty Reasons I’ve DNFED A Book

Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. Our love of lists inspires this weekly meme and brings the book blogging community together. Jana will post a prompt each week, and we readers will make our list based on that topic. We can also do our own thing if we don’t have ideas for the topic that week. The topic is bookish quotes this week, but I’ll be doing the one from a few weeks ago- petty reasons I’ve DNFED a book. I’m not a big DNFer, but there are some reasons why I will DNF one.

Hard DNF

1- Characters not being the vibe

I will usually be open to many characters. There are some that I will DNF a book for. If the characters are overly angry, or nasty that’s a reason I won’t finish a book.

2- A boring plot

Books with plots that are predictable and uninteresting. I’ll DNF the book. I have so many books to read that I don’t want to waste my time if a book is not going to get better.

3- The Writing style

As a reader, I’m open to different types of writing. The only reason I will DNF a book is if the writing is dry, particularly if it’s a fiction book. I need a writing style to be engaging because otherwise, I’ll be bored reading the book.

4- Pacing issues

If a book spends too long on a topic, I’ll most likely DNF. I mostly read a medium-paced book according to Story Graph. If a book is overall too slow for my taste, I’ll DNF for something I’d prefer to read.

5- Tropes

I’ve discovered that I’m a big trope reader in recent years. I have tropes I come back to time and time again. I’m not a fan of overly dark books. If a book gets really dark, I’m going to DNF.  

6-Themes

This goes with the tropes, but I’ll also DNF if a book has heavy themes.

Soft DNF

7- Time

This mostly is for Library Loans, but also for books I own. I read a lot of books at once, so I’ll soft DNF for books I might not have time for and come back to them.

8- Mood

Mood can play a big role if I soft DNF a book or not. If I’m not in the mood for a book anymore, I’ll move on to something else.

What makes you want to soft or DNF a book?

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 1 Comment

Tryouts by Sarah Sax-Favorite Quotes & Review

Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Publishing date: May 7th, 2024

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Synopsis:

It’s warm up time in this newest installment in the Brinkley Yearbook series. Will Alexandra make the cut and help the historically boys baseball team defend their 9-year championship title?

Alexandra, also known as Al, has been playing baseball with her older brothers for as long as she can remember. But when she ages out of Little League, it seems like it’s the end of the road for Al and the sport she loves. Until, that is, her friend Sammy suggests that Al try out for the middle school team—a team that has always been boys-only.

Al is prepared to fight for her right to try out, but to her surprise, the coach is delighted by her interest. When Al makes the team, it seems like everything is going to work out. But with a tenth consecutive championship on the line for Brinkley Middle School and a team that can’t seem to get along, will their season ground out faster than Al can say “home run”?

Favorite Quotes

 I know I’m Good Enough 

But I’ll always dance for fun

Redesigning my OC for my D&D campaign

Review

 4.5/5

Characters-9

Tryouts had entertaining characters. I’m not one for sports books, but I enjoyed reading about the characters in this one. I loved the friendships in this book and the characters’ support for each other. Community support is important in the middle school years, and I loved how supportive the characters were of each other. They would do anything for their friends, and I loved seeing that throughout the story. 

Writing & Illustrations -9

Tryouts had a fun art style. I loved the colorful pallet, and I thought it worked well to tell the story. With graphic novels, finding the balance between writing and art can be challenging, and Sarah Sax does a great job of both. I found the writing style to be charming and engaging. 

Plot-8

This graphic novel had an engaging story. I enjoyed how Al broke barriers, and joined the boys team. She helped turn the team around by motivating them to do better, which I loved. I loved the Girl’s Basketball team getting coverage thanks to Al, and the rest of the teams shining a light on them. Al’s friends Viv and Milo were fun to follow as they both had their own journeys. Each character in this book grew and I loved seeing how much they grew. 

Enjoyment-8

This book was fun. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I loved the characters and felt for some of them. The story was enjoyable and fun, while also talking about important topics. 

Sarah cares deeply about encouraging young readers to discover and expand their sense of creative confidence. She studied Storytelling and Sequential Imagery at Hampshire College and she’s since worked as an educator at the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco, a volunteer with 826 Valencia, and as Creative Director at Lumosity, where she led a team of artists working with scientists and game designers to transform problem-solving and memory skills into brain-training games. She is the illustrator of the first three books (Escape This Book: Titanic; Escape this Book: Tombs of Egypt; and Escape This Book: Race to the Moon) in the inventive, interactive Escape This Book! series, which has been translated into eight languages. Tryouts, her second of four graphic novels in the Brinkley Yearbooks series, will be published in the spring of 2024. She lives in Portland, Maine.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Follow the rest of the tour

May 8th
therearenobadbooks – Review

May 9th
One More Exclamation – Review

May 10th
Paiges of Novels – Review, Favorite Quotes

May 11th
Stuck in Fiction – Promotional Post

May 12th
the nutty bookworm reads a lot – Review

May 6th
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
pagesforpaige – Review
kathreadsall – Review

May 7th
froggyreadteach – Review, Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop
gryffindorbookishnerd – Review

May 8th
artxsouls – Review, Mood Board
avainbookland – Review, Favorite Quotes
therearenobadbooks – Content Creator’s Choice

May 9th
acourtofspinesnpages – Review, TikTok
onemoreexclamation – Content Creator’s Choice

May 10th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
monikasbookblog – Review
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

May 11th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
ablueboxfullofbooks – Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop, TikTok

May 12th
enthuse_reader – Review, TikTok
nissa_the.bookworm – Review
alexandriavwilliams_ – Review, Favorite Quotes

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday-Books with Floral/Nature Covers

Hi! Jana hosts top Ten Tuesday @https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/. This meme brings together our love of lists and book blogging. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make out lost based on that prompt. This week, our topic is floral covers, but I’m opening it up to any nature on the cover.

1- In The Weeds by B.K. Borison

I love the flowers on the cover. This book was so cute and I loved it.

2- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

I love all the greenery on the cover. I think it’s great and this book was really fun.

3- Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia For Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This was one of the first books that came to mind when I saw the prompt. I love all the flowers on the cover.

4- Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

I love the different vibes of both the covers in the Emily Wilde series.

5- Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

And this is the book that made me want to open this up to nature-themed covers. I love the pine tree on the cover. This YA romance is so cute and I just love it.

6- The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

I loved this book! I also love the pine tree on the cover.

7- Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli

I love all the trees on this cover. This was one of my favorite books last year.

8-Atremis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade by Kimberley Behre Kenna

This an MG novel with a very nature themed cover and message. I enjoyed it a lot.

9- Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman

This YA Fantasy is so fun! It is also a very important message, I love combination of trees and flowers on the cover.

10- Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses by Maya Prasad

This is a very fall cover, and I love it. I feel like it has all the vibes of the season. The story as a lot of fun as well.

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 1 Comment

The Notes by Catherine Con Morse-Blog Tour- Review & Favorite Quotes

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing date: April 30th, 2024

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Chinese American, AAPI

Synopsis:

A reserved Chinese American teen at a Southern performing arts boarding school comes into her own under the tutelage of a glamorous new piano teacher. A moving coming-of-age-novel from a debut novelist about first love, adolescent angst, and academic pressures.

Claire Wu isn’t sure that she has what it takes to become a successful concert pianist.

It’s the fear of every student at Greenwood School of Performing becoming a washed-out performer who couldn’t make it big. And Claire’s no Rocky Wong, the ace pianist at their boarding school.

Then Dr. Li shows up. She’s like no other teacher at mysterious, sophisticated, fascinating. Under Dr. Li’s tutelage, Claire works harder and dreams bigger than ever. And her crush Rocky finally seems interested. Maybe she’ll even be “Chinese enough” to join the elusive Asian Student Society.

Everything is falling into place until eerily personal notes about Claire’s bond with Dr. Li appear. Claire starts to feel the pressure. But she isn’t the only one. Everyone is feeling the strain. Especially Rocky, whose extreme perfectionism hides something more troubling.

As the Showcase tension crescendos, Claire must decide if she’s ready to sink or swim. She may discover who she really is as a Chinese American and learn if she’s ready to give her all for a shot at greatness.

The Notes is a powerful and poignant debut YA novel from award-winning writer Catherine Con Morse about dealing with academic pressures, falling in love for the first time, and finding yourself.

Favorite Quotes

“You must stay the course, despite how often we artists are marginalized.”

“That single note,” Dr.  Li Said, “can be played in a multitude of ways. How should you play it, and why should you play it that way?”

“I’ll babysit these dancers while you rest up,” he added. 

“You did it for your art,” JT said. 

“Those burgers are for leprechauns”

Review

4.5/5 or 8.29/10

Characters-8

As someone who was in choir, and is a singer, I enjoyed the characters in this book as it brought me back to when I was in high school, and how high school choir and music kids interact. The interactions in the book were fun, and I enjoyed the personality of the characters. Both the students and staff had great interactions. 

Writing-9

Catherine Con Morse has a great writing style. The Notes had an interesting writing style that kept the reader engaged in the story. I loved the mixture of fun scenes and heartwarming scenes with important conversations along the way.  

Plot-8

I was interested in this story. The plot kept me engaged, and I was curious to see what would happen next. I’m new to the mystery genre, but I enjoyed the one in this book. I thought there was an interesting twist. I also enjoyed the romance element of the book. Seeing kids at a performing arts high school was interesting because I had similar experiences with private lessons and choir, but it was fun to see different teaching styles.  

Enjoyment-8

This book was fun. I enjoyed Claire, Jenny, and Rocky, and I loved seeing them grow more confident throughout the book. The Notes had an interesting plot, and I’m curious to read more books from the author. 

Catherine Con Morse is the author of the coming-of-age boarding school novel THE NOTES, which was shortlisted for the CRAFT first chapters contest. A Kundiman fellow, she received her MFA from Boston University, where she taught undergraduate creative writing for several years. Her work appears in Joyland, Letters, HOOT, Bostonia, the Racist Sandwich podcast, and elsewhere. Catherine was one of the inaugural Writers in Residence at Porter Square Books.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

April 29th
Teatime and Books – Promotional Post

April 30th
Twirling Book Princess – Promotional Post

May 1st
Dana loves books – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Notes, TikTok

May 2nd
Therearenobadbooks – Review

May 3rd
Paiges of Novels – Review, Favorite Quotes

April 29th
debreadsalot – Review
quirkylitlover – Promotional Post
stargirls.magical.tale – Review

April 30th
caffeinefueledreadingaddiction – Review
meghenslittlelibrary – Promotional Post
danicashelflove – Top 5 Reasons to Read The Notes, Mood Board

May 1st
aneedleinmybookstack – Promotional Post
pagesforpaige – Review, Book Look
dana.loves.books – Content Creator’s Choice

May 2nd
alexandriavwilliams_ – Review, Favorite Quotes
the._bookarazzi – Review, Favorite Quotes
therearenobadbooks – Content Creator’s Choice

May 3rd
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
gsreadingspree – Review
paiges_of_novels – Content Creator’s Choice

May 4th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
gryffindorbookishnerd – Review
lizanneyoung97 – Review, Playlist

May 5th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
enthuse_reader – Review, TikTok
callistoscalling – Review, Creative Post: Little Free Library Drop

Posted on by Steph-paigesofnovels · 7 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday-Middle Grade Books

Hi! Jana hosts Top Ten Tuesday @thatartsyreadergirl. This weekly meme brings together our love lists and brings the book blogging community together. Each week, Jana will post a prompt, and we readers will make our list based on that topic. I host an event on the discord I mod for every May and take part in an event called Middle-Grade May. I thought I’d recommend some MG books today.  

1- Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller

This book is such a joy. I loved it a lot, and it brought me back to middle school theater.

2- The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker & Stacy Davidowitz (Series)

If you’ve been around this blog for a while, you know that this is one of my favorite books. I love the rep, and Nat’s love of theater.

3- Fearless by Mandy Gonzales (Series)

This is another story about theater, but I loved the mystery vibes of the first two books.

4- D&D Dungeon Club-Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag

I don’t see this one talked about much. The second book is coming out this summer, and I loved this graphic novel. I thought it was the perfect mix of real life and fantasy.

5- Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

This book is just so fun. I love the characters and the story is delightful. I loved the art style of this one as well.

6- The Mothkeeper by K.O’Neil

Another graphic novel. This book was so cozy, and I loved the art style. I loved the characters and the journey of this one.

7- The Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser (Series)

This is a rec for those looking for a longer series. I love all the characters, and the stories are fun. The series also talks about things that kids and adults deal with.

8- The Percy Jackson Universe by Rick Riordan (Series)

The Percy Jackson Universe is wide. I’ve enjoyed all three series, but my favorite is Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

9- Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

This book has the reader going through all the emotions. I loved it and will read more from the author.

10- Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith (series)

This is a Fantasy, but it’s great. I love Callie and how they’re trying to make a change for the better. I’m going to read the second one soon.