Tag: ya book

Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

Blogmas 2023: A {Non Holiday} Middle School Book Series That I LOVE

Fun Fact: one of my all time favorite animals are peacocks! So, so fancy and beautiful!

My 6th grade daughter recently had an assignment for her language arts class where she was to choose any book, read it, and complete a project about it.

She chose a book from her middle school library that sounded interesting to her and read it. After she finished reading, she told me that I would love it and asked if I’d like to also read it! The catch was that it was due back to her school library in 1 week and it was nearly 300 pages long…and she was worried that I wouldn’t be able to read it in time.

Oh HONEY. 1 week to read 300 pages??? Hold my coffee.

Aaaaand I read it cover to cover in 1 day 😉

A Middle School Series that I LOVE

Amazon Synopsis of Out of My Mind {Sharon M. Draper}:

Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.

My Review of Out of My Mind {Sharon M. Draper}:

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Omg what a BEAUTIFULLY written book! I’m so incredibly proud that THIS was the book my daughter chose to read.

It reminded me so much of Wonder (which I also loved). So many wonderful lessons on inclusivity, being different, not judging, accepting, etc.

This book should be required reading for all middle schoolers. Apparently it’s wildly popular among the middle schoolers…my daughter said that many of her friends have already read it. This makes me so happy!

**Side Note: Sharing this reading experience with my daughter has been amazing. We’ve had some really deep discussions around the story and the characters. I love that we were able to share this together. I’m proud of her for choosing such a special book and I love that she wanted to share this special book with ME.**

There’s a sequel to this book and before I even finished reading this one, I put a copy on hold for the sequel at our library! I tried to place 2 copies on hold but the system wouldn’t allow it.

The sequel is called Out of My Heart. I won’t post it’s synopsis or anything about it because you know how I feel about spoilers :). These books absolutely have to be read in order so start with book #1 (Out of my Mind) and then read book #2 (Out of My Heart). I absolutely loved both books and have thought of them so many times since I finished reading.

The picture that I had texted to my daughter to show that while she was at school, I had gone to the library to pick up the sequel and started reading immediately!

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Read these books. If you have middle schoolers, encourage them to read these books. Better yet, read them at the same time and have meaningful and important life discussions 🙂

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2023 Posts

12/1 Blogmas 2023: Welcome to Blogmas {VIDEO}!

12/2 Blogmas 2023: Happy Birthday to ME {Sephora Gift Card Giveaway}!

12/3 Blogmas 2023: Book Review: All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Christmas Bet {Meg Easton}

12/5 Blogmas 2023: The Winter Series {Joanne Demaio} Check In

12/6 Blogmas 2023: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: The Coworker {Freida McFadden}

12/7 Blogmas 2023: Random Bookish Things

12/8 Blogmas 2023: The Holiday Sign in the Form of a Post It

12/9 Blogmas 2023: READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK READ THIS BOOK

12/10 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: A Lake House Holiday {Megan Squires}

12/11 Blogmas 2023: Disney World Trumps Blogmas!

12/12 Blogmas 2023: Audiobook Review: The Book Club Hotel {Sarah Morgan}

12/13 Blogmas 2023: Book Coffee Happy’s 13 Most Viewed Posts of 2023

Xo,

Jenny

Click HERE to order Out of my Mind (book #1)

Chick HERE to order Out of my Heart (book #2)

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Video AND Written Review! The Summer I Turned Pretty {Jenny Han}

Video AND Written Review! The Summer I Turned Pretty {Jenny Han}

At least twice every summer I decide that I should try iced coffee and at least twice every summer I’m reminded why I don’t drink iced coffee.

So I’m going to write this blog post as usual…NO SPOILERS! However, at the verrrry end of this post I will put a link to a video that I made where I discuss a huge storyline that I thought was going to happen throughout the entire story…and I could not have been more WRONG, lol. I’ll also link the trailer for the Amazon Prime miniseries.

The Summer I Turned Pretty {Jenny Han}

Audiobook Cover Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Summer I Turned Pretty {Jenny Han}

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

My Review of The Summer I Turned Pretty {Jenny Han}

So obviously I might be the last person on the planet to read this one…but I finally did! Well, I listened to it as an audiobook. Shortest audiobook ever–6 hours! I listened over the course of 3 days.

Going into it, my expectations weren’t exactly high as I did NOT love To All the Boys I Loved Before (you can read my thoughts HERE). I definitely liked this book more than that one! However, I still have the same thought as I did with To All the Boys I Loved Before…it’s just so YA. I know, I know, it’s meant for YA readers but as an adult, I love when YA books can also appeal to all ages. Jenny Han’s writing is just…for teens. NOT adults. Does that make sense??

My 4 biggest complaints with The Summer I Turned Pretty:

  1. The back and forth timelines. Holy hell was this annoying. I don’t mind a back and forth if they go in chronological order but this one…Sweet Jesus. “The Summer I was 10 Years Old” to “The Summer I was 15 Years Old” to “The Summer I was 12 Years Old”. Maybe reading this as a physical book to flip back and remind myself what year we were in would have made this more tolerable?
  2. This book reads like a memoir. I hate memoirs.
  3. I had an obvious prediction from the very beginning that I was 1,000 % sure was going to happen and…it didn’t. Would have made a great storyline if it did! It seemed so obvious to me, I wonder if that was the intention? To make the reader think the story was going in a totally different direction? *** Watch my video below where I discuss this but know that I give away some MAJOR spoilers. You’ve been warned. ***
  4. LACK. OF. CHARACTER. DEVELOPMENT. The only character that was properly developed with Susannah. Everyone else just seemed so surface level.

This book did hold my attention and after listening to a few psychological thrillers in a row, it was a nice break. Do I feel invested in these characters enough to read the other 2 books in the trilogy? I do not. Moving on…

Video Where You Can See How My Mind Tried to Turn Something Really Beautiful Into Something Really Scandalous

If you haven’t yet read this book and have plans to in the future, do NOT watch my video as I give away some huge spoilers! If you HAVE read this book or don’t plan on reading it, enjoy this video where you can see how my mind tried to turn something really beautiful into something really scandalous. Somebody please watch this and tell me that your mind also went straight to this…

The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a miniseries on Amazon Prime! I think the casting is super weird.  NONE of these characters (especially Belly) look even remotely close to how they looked in my head while reading! Here is the trailer:

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

The ending that Jenny Share created in her head would have been a much more interesting ending than Jenny Han created on paper.

Have you read this book? Have you watched the miniseries? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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Book Giveaway (3 signed copies): Ugly {Kelly Vincent}

Book Giveaway (3 signed copies): Ugly {Kelly Vincent}

As soon as I read the synopsis of Kelly Vincent’s Ugly, I immediately knew this was a book that I wanted to read and review on Book Coffee Happy. I was so excited when I received my print copy in the mail. I love the interesting cover!

Goodreads Synopsis of Ugly {Kelly Vincent}:

Sophomore Nic Summers tries to ignore the taunts of “ugly lesbian.”

Because she’s not sure they’re entirely wrong. But she also has bigger concerns for now, including prepping for the school’s art contest. And while she isn’t certain of her sexuality, she does know her life is on the verge of falling apart when her best and only friend, Sam, drops the bomb that her family’s moving to Scotland. Together, to soften the blow and distract themselves from the inevitable, they start Operation Social Interaction for Nic—or OSIN for short—to try to find her some new friends.

But it’s an uphill battle for the introverted teen artist.

As Sam’s last day nears, Nic’s self-confidence wavers even more, and she starts questioning everything. If lesbian doesn’t feel quite right, maybe she’s transgender? It isn’t until she stumbles across the label “gender nonconforming” that things start to make a little more sense, and fall into place. But finding the right label doesn’t really tell her what to do next, and before she knows it, Sam is gone.

Mustering all her resources, Nic realizes she needs to find her own path and live her own truth.

My Thoughts on Ugly {Kelly Vincent}:

Oh this book.

I absolutely loved it. What a beautifully written story with wonderfully descriptive characters. I felt all of Nic’s emotions as well as their emotional struggles as the story went on. My heart went from smiling to breaking as I read about how people treated and reacted to Nic. This book allows the reader to feel these emotions through such a personal perspective.

The biggest emotion that I felt while reading? I just wanted to hug Nic.

I had such a hard time saying good-bye to these characters (especially Nic) when I finished reading. You know the books where you close the cover and mentally just can’t move on? That was this book for me. I’m so happy to know that Kelly Vincent is busy working on a sequel! Uglier comes out in July and I love it already.

Every teenager (and adult!) should read this book. I truly can’t recommend it enough. You will smile, you will cry, you will LEARN. This is such an important book and absolutely one of the very best I’ve read in a very long time.

For a book titled Ugly, every single thing about this book is truly beautiful.

I absolutely loved it.

A Conversation With Kelly Vincent, in Her Own Words:

What was the hardest aspect of writing Nic’s story?

This was a very personal story and revisiting things that happened in my childhood stirred up a lot of feelings I’d sort of buried. But this actually helped me write the story, because I was able to still remember how those experiences felt so I could accurately convey how Nic felt when she experienced them. So even though it was hard and got me thinking about long-buried things, it was worth it. 

Without giving away spoilers, what are some takeaway messages that you hope readers will gain from reading Ugly?

You can’t always change the world and people around you, but you do have the power to change some things in your life. Sometimes it’s just a matter of thinking outside the box or being patient. As a teenager it can be hard to be patient–I remember that well–but things can change as you get more autonomy when you get older. 

Where can your book be purchased?

Ugly is available at all major book retailers, including in paperback through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and in ebook for Kindle, Nook, Apple, Google Play, and Kobo. It can also possibly be ordered through your local bookstore, depending on their policies. 

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

I am getting ready to send the sequel to Ugly, currently called Uglier, out to beta readers. I plan to release it in July. I absolutely love where Nic’s story has gone–it completely surprised me. If you are interested in being a beta reader for Uglier or future books, you can contact me at kelly@kellyvincent.net. (Uglier should work as a standalone if you are interested but haven’t read Ugly.)

Book Giveaway (3 Signed Copies):

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

Would you like to win a signed copy of Ugly? I have 3 signed copies to give away!  If you are a US resident, your signed book will be mailed directly to you. If you are an international follower, an ebook will be emailed to you.

To be entered, just leave a comment below (on this blog post)!  Your comment can be about anything!

**You must comment below to be eligible for the giveaway and you must comment here on this blog post (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will close tomorrow (4/20/22) at 6:00 pm CDT and the 2 winners will be randomly chosen and announced here on my blog on Friday (4/21/22).

I will post a video here on Friday of me choosing the winners!

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

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Book Review: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}

Book Review: To All The Boys I Loved Before {Jenny Han}

I ran a few polls on Instagram and here are the results:

Goodreads Synopsis of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. 

My Review of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before {Jenny Han}:

As soon as I purchased it, I noticed that my very first impressions of the book were SO positive. And when I say book, I mean the actual aesthetic of the book….

As for the words written INSIDE of the beautiful book…

Eh.

I made it 150 pages in before I declared I was done. I had HUGE expectations for this book because I know people who absolutely LOVE it and I just…didn’t?

I’ve mentioned this before but I hate when YA books are too….YA. I love a YA book that’s written to the appeal of any age and this book just felt so, so incredibly juvenile to me. Would a high schooler love this book? Maybe. Does a married mother of 2 love this book? Absolutely not. It was just TOO unrelatable. On every single level.

The passage that officially put me over the edge:

Aaaaaand I’m out.

I was super disappointed because I so badly wanted to love this series. I even ran to the library to get the next 2 books in the trilogy so they would be waiting for me when I finished book #1! Aaaaaaaand now I need to return those 2 books. Stat. They are currently still sitting in the front seat of my car. Never even made it into my house.

As I was taking this picture, a gigantic fly flew into my car and I couldn’t get it to leave. Currently my car is housing a gigantic fly and 2 library books that I will be returning without even opening the covers. Lovely.

Do I think this book may have gotten better had I kept reading? Probably. Did I care enough to find out? Absolutely not.

I know that putting this one down was a good choice because once I stopped reading, I never even thought about these characters again until I sat down to write this blog post.

Bottom Line:

Congratulations to the 47% of my Instagram followers who have not read this book!

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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The First Book I Put Down Without Finishing in 2022

The First Book I Put Down Without Finishing in 2022

👑

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I’ve been on such a GREAT reading streak…since…NOVEMBER! I’ve read some amaaaaazing books over the past few months!

A few weeks ago I asked which of these books should be my next read:

I even created an Instagram poll asking for your thoughts which yielded a completely inconclusive result….so…I was forced to make the decision on my own.

Aaaaaaaand I made the wrong choice.

The First Book I Put Down Without Finishing in 2022:

Goodreads Synopsis of Tweet Cute {Emma Lord}:

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

This book is…fine. Eh. Felt like a YA novel. Yes, it IS a YA novel but the best YA novels don’t FEEL like Ya novels. Does that make sense? This book is written for teenagers. As all YA novels are! However, I think a good YA novel can and should appeal to adults as well. This one did not.

It wasn’t bad, it was just…boring. So boring. And unrealistic. So unrealistic.

130 pages in and…I’m over it. Moving on.

Good bye wonderful reading streak. I have loved you so! The CUTEST holiday book series, Nanny Needed, The Last Chance Library, My Darling Husband, and a few more wonderful books with blog reviews coming soon!

So what am I reading next?

Obvi.

Goodreads Synopsis of Instamom {Chantel Guertin}:

It’s the influencer’s golden rule: know your niche. Kit Kidding has found hers on Instagram, where she gets paid to promote brands and share expertly curated posts about her fun, fabulous, child-free life. Kit likes kids just fine, but she passionately believes that women who choose not to become mothers shouldn’t have to face guilt. Or judgement. Or really hot chefs who turn out to be single dads.

Will MacGregor is aggravating, sexy, persistent, averse to social media, and definitely a bad idea. As soon as Kit learns his parenting status, she vows to put their scorching one-night stand behind her and move on. But Will and Kit are thrown together on an Instagram campaign, and the more time she spends with him—and his whip-smart, eight-year-old daughter, Addie—the more difficult it is to stay away, much less sustain what Will so cleverly calls her “Resting Beach Face.” Kit’s picture-perfect career path is suddenly clashing with the possibility of a different future—messy, complicated, and real. Which life does she truly want? Will she have to re-invent herself? And will love still be waiting by the time she figures it out? 

Fingers crossed I love it!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Have you read either of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below (absolutely no spoilers please)!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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Book Review: 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson}

Book Review: 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson}

You might remember that I bought this book while on my Half Price Books Outlet excursion a few months ago. I randomly saw it on the shelf, read the synopsis, and knew that I wanted to read it. I immediately thought of THIS BOOK which I absolutely LOVED (if you haven’t read that book yet…READ IT TODAY). I prayed that 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson} would leave me with all the feels just as that book did.

Goodreads Synopsis of 45 Pounds (More or Less) {K.A. Barson}:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up! 

My Review of 45 Pounds (More or Less) {K.A. Barson}:

I really loved this book.

It was so wonderfully written and the characters were so descriptive. I was completely invested in this story! It’s such a short book with very short chapters (the BEST). I flew through this book and read it over the course of just a few days. I could EASILY have read it all in one sitting!

This topic is such as important one, and this YA book does such a great job discussing something that isn’t normally discussed so candidly. There were so many lessons within the pages of this book, lessons for teenagers AND adults.

**As much as I did love this book I will say that I did love THIS BOOK about the same topic even more**

Bottom Line:

Loved it.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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I LOVED THIS BOOK AND SO WILL YOU! Review: Starfish {Lisa Fipps}

Oh how I LOVED this beautiful book! So will you! Starfish {Lisa Fipps} was such a joy to read and review.

Goodreads Synopsis of Starfish {Lisa Fipps}:

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self. 

My Review of Starfish {Lisa Fipps}:

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical when I saw it was written entirely in verse. I got past those concerns once I got to page 2. I actually LOVED reading a book written this way. It made it SO EASY to FLY through these pages! I could have easily read this book cover to cover in 1 sitting. Don’t let this unique writing format intimidate you…it’s truly so easy to acclimate to and made this story even more meaningful. Perfect format for this lovely story.

I read this entire book in less than 24 hours.

Only being 244 pages, written completely in verse, and a story so beautiful = 24 hours FLEW by.

I absolutely loved this beautiful book. I smiled, I cried, I loved these characters so much.

My dear friend and “Book Twin” Jana said it best…this should be required reading and it’s comparable to Wonder (and I loved Wonder!!! Read my thoughts HERE).

I truly feel that some of the very best and most meaningful life lessons can be found amongst the pages of YA books. This book is such a perfect example.

Starfish is important for EVERYONE to read. It’s beautifully written, beautifully told, beautifully perfect.

Bottom Line:

Read this. And if you have children of any age middle school and up…please encourage them to read this as well.

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Have you read Starfish? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

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A Book I Started Reading and Couldn’t Finish.

I HATE to start reading a book and end up not finishing it. Hate. However, I REALLY hate reading a book and not being 100 percent into it…what’s the point? If I’m reading a book and not feeling it, I put it down and move on. My thoughts on this have changed so much since I wrote THIS POST. I no longer give myself a page limit to read to…now, it doesn’t matter how far into it I am! If I’m not feeling it, I’m out.

And I definitely wasn’t feeling this book.

A Book I Started Reading and Couldn’t Finish:

Goodreads Synopsis of Followers {Raziel Reid}:

After a disastrous date results in her arrest, sixteen-year-old Lily Rhode is horrified to discover her mugshot is leaked on a gossip website. Lily is the niece of Whitney Paley, a Hollywood housewife and star of reality show Platinum Triangle, a soap-opera-style docu-series in the vein of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Hills, revolving around several glamorous families living in the Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

When Lily’s mom kicks her out of their trailer home in the Valley, Whitney (Lily’s mom’s estranged sister) invites her to live with her, her movie-star husband, Patrick, and their daughter, Hailey. Lily is set up in the pool house and thrust into the company of reality-star offspring — kids who are born with silver spoon emojis on their feed. Lily’s cousin Hailey and the other teens have lived their entire lives on camera and are masters of deception, with Hailey leading the pack.

As Lily learns from the Paleys how to navigate her newfound fame, she finds herself ensnared in the unfolding storylines. What Lily doesn’t know is that she’s just a pawn being used on the show to make the Paleys look sympathetic to viewers while distracting from on-set sexual misconduct rumors surrounding super hero dad Patrick Paley . . .

Is Lily safe under Patrick’s roof? Or will Lily be Patrick’s downfall? If she isn’t destroyed by Hailey first. When Lily catches the eye of Hailey’s designated leading man Joel Strom — it’s war! 

My Review of Followers {Raziel Reid}:

Eh.

I read about 50 pages before I called it quits. It was actually pretty good and had some interesting story lines…I think maybe I’m just too old for this book, lol.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Real Housewives and I can’t get enough of Kardashian anything…but… I do think there is a really big difference between WATCHING reality TV and READING about reality TV.

Combine that theory with the fact that this book is about a bunch of teenagers and I just couldn’t get into it. The writing was good…the story just wasn’t for me although the synopsis sounds SO GREAT. I found myself not excited to pick it up to read which is always my #1 clue that it’s time to put it down for good.

Ironically, the other book that I also just couldn’t get into with a similar feel was titled the same thing: Followers {Megan Angelo}. I started that book and couldn’t finish it…just like this one! I searched my blog to link my post about it but couldn’t find it. Eh…that’s fine. Clearly I don’t recommend it, lol.

I am absolutely reality tv obsessed but for some reason there has only been one book that I have read about this topic which I absolutely LOVED! If you were a fan of the bachelor, you must read THIS BOOK!

Bottom Line:

Eh.

Have any of you read Followers by Raziel Reid? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny

This book wasn’t for me…but you might love it! Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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Why Parachutes By Kelly Yang Was Wonderful {Book Review}

Kelly Yang’s Parachutes had been on my radar for months ever since it’s release in May. I was excited when my copy arrived at my library and I started reading immediately (after first Clorox wiping it down and then letting it dry. Pandemics are weird).

Goodreads Synopsis of Parachutes {Kelly Yang}:

Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.

They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California. Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.

Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate-team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. When her debate coach starts working with her privately, Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course.

Desperately trying to avoid each other under the same roof, Dani and Claire find themselves on a collision course, intertwining in deeper and more complicated ways, as they grapple with life-altering experiences. Award-winning author Kelly Yang weaves together an unforgettable modern immigrant story about love, trauma, family, corruption, and the power of speaking out.

My Book Review of Parachutes {Kelly Yang}:

I really, really loved this book.

This is the kind of book where if I had an entire day to myself I could have EASILY read this entire book in 1 sitting.

476 pages absolutely flew by! The interesting and extremely complex story lines, the characters, all of it.

Short chapters are my absolute FAVORITE…whyyyyy do authors write long chapters???? This book had 85 (!) chapters, each just a few pages long. I absolutely LOVE this and wish every book could be written like this! The BEST!

After I closed the back cover, I sat in silence to reflect upon this book. So much to think about and so many viewpoints to consider.

What a special book! It explores SO many relative and important topics and issues….the specifics of which I will not be discussing (see THIS POST for details as to why).

Highly recommend!

This book should absolutely be required reading for all high schoolers. So much that teenagers (and adults) would learn from reading this wonderful book.

Bottom Line:

If you are a fan of YA, this book should absolutely be on your to read list.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

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2 Book Reviews: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda AND Leah on the Offbeat {Becky Albertalli}

Thank you all SO MUCH for your amazing and supportive comments on my LAST POST 🙂 It has been such a fun time over these past 11 days and definitely continues to be such an awesome experience! A giant warm welcome to all of my new readers 🙂 I absolutely love sharing my blog with all of you and today, I have 2 book reviews to share! Becky Albertalli’s Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda has been on my to read list for YEARS. A few months ago, when Jenna from Jenna Stop Reading posted a giveaway containing Simon’s sequel, Leah on the Offbeat, I knew I had to enter! Once I won, it was exactly the push I needed to finally read Simon. I immediately put it on the wait list at my local library and I’m so glad that I did! (To see the other 3 books that I won in that giveaway, you can read about them HERE).

Book Review #1: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda {Becky Albertalli}:

Goodreads Synopsis of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda {Becky Albertalli}:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met. 

My Review of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda {Becky Albertalli}:

Oh I absolutely LOVED this book!

Becky Albertalli has such an awesome way of getting into the minds of a younger generation and writing from their point of view. The dialogue in this book felt like actual teenagers were speaking!

These characters were so wonderful and the rich storylines were so detailed.

And FUNNY. Becky Albertalli is so funny! I found myself smiling through so much of this book. I absolutely love the way that she writes! She must be such fun in real life 🙂

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is such a beautiful, emotional, and powerful read which discusses such important topics.

This book was made into the movie Love, Simon which I haven’t seen. I did see the trailer, however and I have so many thoughts. In the 2 1/2 minutes…I already can spot 100 differences from the book. I actually have zero desire to see this movie because I can already tell that the differences will annoy me! Side note: seeing Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel play the roles of the PARENTS of the high schoolers just makes me feel old.

The movie trailer:

Have any of you seen the movie? I’d love to hear how it compares to the book. I WILL say that I like the movie title a WHOLE lot more than the book title…

There is also a tv spinoff currently available on Hulu called Love, Victor…have any of you watched? I have not.

Basically this book was everything I was so hoping that this other book that I read a few months ago was going to be.

Bottom Line:

Absolutely loved it.

Book Review #2: Leah on the Offbeat {Becky Albertalli}:

I started to read Simon’s sequel Leah on the Offbeat immediately after I finished reading Simon. There are actually 3 books in this series but Leah is the sequel to Simon even though there is a book in between? Becky Albertalli’s website addresses this:

“My first three books are part of the same universe, so if you want to experience the full story chronologically, you should read SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, then THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED, then LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT. That said, The Upside of Unrequited takes place in a different setting, and can easily exist as a standalone story (meaning: it will make total sense if you read it on its own, and also, you do not need to read it to understand Leah On the Offbeat). You can read Leah On the Offbeat on its own, but I think you’ll get more out of it if you read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda first (or at least see Love, Simon)(but seriously, IMO, Leah is much more exciting if you read Simon Vs first).“

Goodreads Synopsis of Leah on the Offbeat {Becky Albertalli}:

Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

My Review of Leah on the Offbeat {Becky Albertelli}:

So one of the very best things about Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda is the very reason that I had to STOP reading Leah on the Offbeat. Becky Albertalli has such a gift of getting into the heads of these teenage characters and truly writing as if she were a teenager. The way they think, the way they talk, the actions they take. It’s amazing!

HOWEVER…

Finishing Simon and starting Leah literally within the span of less than 1 hour was TOO MUCH time spent in the heads of teenagers and I just needed to get out, lol. I read about 120 pages and finally…this grown mother of 2 just needed a break from very literally being inside the minds of teenagers.

Becky Albertalli is AWESOME and truly has a gift for writing from the INSIDES of teenagers minds. It’s very hard to find a YA author that masters this the way that she does! Reading these books back to back was just a bit…too much teenager thought for me.

Would any of my local readers like my copy of Leah on the Offbeat? I can leave it on my front porch for you! If not, I will put it in my local Little Free Library.

Bottom Line:

This is truly a case of (most likely) good book, wrong time.

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE

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