I'm Back!

Hello, World!
I am back! I am really going to keep up with this blog from now on. My goal is to do at least one post a week. Since it's in writing, I have to stick to it! LOL!

Those of you who know me, know I love to read YA. I am 2 amazing committees this year. Through TLA, I am on the Tayshas Committee, which compiles a yearly list of great YA for high school students, and LITA Excellence in Children's and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists, which creates lists for K-12 of great science fiction.

I am always open to suggestions for either list! Share your thoughts and ideas.

I just finished a book that is very timely. I recommend it to all readers.
Slay by Brittney Morris
https://www.amazon.com/SLAY-Brittney-Morris/dp/1534445420/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KZT7J7L4PU7E&dchild=1&keywords=slay+book&qid=1591291914&sprefix=Slay+book%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers.

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man."

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination."

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
(Summary from the publisher)

Happy Reading!

Slayer by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I am a huge Buffy fan and I love everything Kiersten White has written, so this book had high standards to meet from me. JOB ACCOMPLISHED!
This story is set after Buffy has messed everything up and made magic disappear from the world. Watchers have mostly been killed off, and Buffy is not well-liked. Athena (Nina) and her twin sister, Artemis, are from a long line of Watchers. They lost their father because of Buffy. Nina has always taken care of people and Artemis has always been the protector. If you know the Buffy world, you know things are not always as they seem. After being attacked by a Hellhound, Nina realizes things may not be like she thought. Nina and her friends realize they have to save the world. White does an excellent job immersing her story in the Buffy universe. Hopefully, Joss Wheaton reads this and decides to make it a movie!


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Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kiko, who is half Japanese, is getting ready to graduate. She is waiting to hear about acceptance into her dream school, an art school in New York. Kiko's has anxiety and doesn't like looking different. She has never been told that she was beautiful by her narcissistic mother, who always brags about what a blond haired, blue eyed beauty that she was in high school. Her mother doesn't think of anyone but herself. This has greatly affected Kiko and her two brothers.

Her mom tells her that Max, her uncle, is moving back in with them. This greatly upsets Kiko because even though her mother didn't believe her, she was sexually abused by Max. Kiko's only friend who moved away when they were 11, comes back to town. He gives her the opportunity to start a journey to help discover herself and her worth.

This book gave me all the feels! I loved it!


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The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's not often that a simple graphic novel touches you to the point where you want to buy multiple copies and pass them out to everyone you know! This beautiful book is about a Prince who likes to wear dresses and the Dressmaker who makes him feel beautiful. All I can say is that the King is my hero. Read this book!


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And She Was

And She Was by Jessica Verdi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a great read! It was thought provoking and engaging.

Dara is an 18 year old tennis player who is ready to start doing tournaments. She asks her mom for her birth certificate, but she says she can't find it. Dara does her own searching and finds a lock box under her mom's bed with the birth certificate, some pictures, and some bottles of pills. When she confronts her mom, Dara cannot believe what her mom is telling her.

Dara's mom, Mellie, used to be her dad. Dara's birth mom died when Dara was 6 months old. Dara is shocked, not that her mom was transgender, but that she lied to her for 17 years. Dara and her best friend Sam journey to find her birth mother's (Celeleste) parents. On their trip Dara has to work through her thoughts and feelings. Through a series of emails, Mellie tells Dara her story from the beginning. She shares her struggles, tribulations and her love for Dara and Celeste. Dara meets her grandparents, and at first, thinks she has found everything she needs, but soon realizes that Mellie did what she felt was best for Dara.

This book does an amazing job answering questions about being transgender or having a transgender parent for readers who have never experienced it. Verdi does a amazing job of discussing Marcus' struggle with being who he felt he was on the inside but not on the outside, and realizing how important it was to transition to Mellie. She also shows different reactions and levels of acceptance and bias. This book should be in every library!


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DNF- without the Guilt!

So, at TLA, I meet an author. The author was very personable, relatable, and very excited about their debut novel. So excited, that I could not wait to read it. I was not impressed with the cover, but once I talked to the author, it made sense. I finally got a copy of the book, and put all my other TBR books on hold. I WAS SO EXCITED! Then I started reading...I tried. I really tried! The book was not great. The writing was not good. The characters were one dimensional. It was breaking my heart. I talked to a friend of mine, whom I knew was also excited to read this book, and we commiserated over how bad the book was.  She made me realize that it is ok to stop reading a book. Most of my reading is done so that I can put great books in my students hands, and I realized that this book is not one that I would give them. Not when there are so many other books out there that fit the same niche or genre, but are written better.
I thought back to when I was teaching sixth grade, and worked hard to build a reading culture in my classroom. Self-choice is such an important part of becoming a lifelong reader, and I always taught my kids that if they read some of a book and realized it was not for them, it was ok to switch books. So know, it is ok to abandon a book, it is what good readers do.

Bang by Barry Lyga


Sebastian has lived (if you call it living) with the guilt of having accidently killing his baby sister when he was 4. He is just biding his time until it is the right time to rectify his past by killing himself. Then he meets Aneesa, his new neighbor, who has to deal with racism due to the fact that she is Muslim. They bond over the youtube show they create about making pizza. Sebastian realizes that he has to forgive himself, and that life should be lived. Plan on crying a little bit!


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Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. It is more than just a memoir. It has some history, life advice and advice about getting along with family. There is interspersed FAQ, which are real questions kids would have especially in this day and age. Things like, "I'm undocumented, what do I do now."


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Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an amazing book about friendship!

Kat is attending a new school. She has a lot of anxiety issues, and is not very social. Meg has ADHD and has a hard time keeping friends. They end up working together on a year long science project. They find out they both love watching Lumber Legs, a YouTuber who records himself playing Kate's favorite video game.

I loved this book! The girls friendship is the type of friendship we all want. They have their little tiffs, but they are there for each other when they really need each other!

I think readers who enjoy young adult realistic fiction will really like this book.


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The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is 1987 and Billy and his best friends Clark and Alf can only think about one thing-- getting their hands (and eyes) on the Vanna White edition of Playboy. Although Billy loves creating programs on his Commador 64, the magazine is more important. They hatch a scheme to trick Old Man Zelinsky into selling it to them, but it falls apart when his teen daughter Mary starts talking to Billy about an upcoming programming contest.
Billy's priorities shift to working with Mary, who is a programming genius to build a game to win the contest. Clark and Alf come up with plans to make money off the Vanna White magazine. Billy realizes he likes Mary and doesn't want to be part of their plans. Then she seems like she doesn't feel the same way and Billy takes part in a plan that has disasterous consequences. Billy feels horrible. Then, a secret that Mary has hidden comes out and Billy wants Mary to forgive him.

I really liked this book! I love any book that is based in the 80's because it feels like I am coming home, but I also loved how my feelings for all the characters changed throughout the story. The 80's feel is very reminisicent of Eleanor and Park. I really think I read enough young adult books to figure out twists, but the surprise twist in this book through me for a loop. I never saw it coming!

If you are looking for a nerdy 80's book, I think you will like this book as much as I did!


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Otherworld by Jason Segel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
Otherworld is about an immersive virtual reality game. I knew this when I started the book, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was a little more to this book.
Simon is troublemaker, who really is just misunderstood. His best friend, Kat, is no longer talking to him, and the only way he feels he can talk to her is in Otherworld. He uses his moms credit card and purchases the expensive equipment needed for he and Kat to meet in Otherworld. He of course gets in trouble.
Kat is injured in an accident and is "locked in" her body. Suprisingly, she is chosen for a special study using new, improved equipment for Otherworld. Mysteriously, Simon is given new equipment to be able to go into Otherworld and try and save Kat.
Simon soon realizes that Otherworld is more than a game. Things that happen inside the game are beginning to have consequences in the real world. Simon and some new friends, have to figure out how to shut down Otherworld before it is too late.

I enjoy a fast paced virtual reality based book. The story was a tad predictable. After doing a little research, it saddens me that people say the story line was copied from Tad Williams Otherland. Similiar story lines, but based for a new generation of readers.

Readers who enjoyed Warcross or Eye of Minds will enjoy this book.


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Talon by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ember and Dante are a rare sent of dragon twins. They are hatchlings who are being assimilated to live among the humans. Garrett is a member of the Order of St. George, whose mission it is to hunt and kill all dragons. They meet and have instantaneous forbidden attraction.
Ember doesn't realize she is being trained to be part of the Talon elite group of assassins called Vipers. Once she finds out she begins to question all she knows. Luckily, there is a rogue dragon, Riley, who has been hanging around. Once she finds out Talon's plans for her, she runs to Riley. Riley tries to convince her to run away and become Rogue, and help save other hatchlings from the evil Talon.

I read Firelight by Sophie Jordan a few years ago and was hoping the stories would be different. I guess there is not much you can do with dragons who can become human except have them question their existence and get involved in a love triangle.

While I like the concept of dragons as main characters, I do not think I will be reading the rest of this series.


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To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a pretty amazing book! I hardly ever do 5 stars! It is so unique!

Lira is a monstrous siren who has been collecting the heart of the prince for her birthday for the past 17 years. Elian is a prince who would rather be on the sea; he has sworn to kill the siren he calls The Prince's Bane, who killed his best friend.

Lira's cruel, power hungry mother, the Sea Queen, expects all the ocean creatures to bend to her will. Lira tries to make her proud, but fails. The Sea Queen punishes her by turning her human and ordering her to get the Prince's heart.

Elian does not want to be King, he just wants to stay on the sea. He finds Lira in her human form and "saves" her. He hears of a way that he can kill the Pirate's Bane once and for all, and set out on a journey to a different land with Lira attaching herself to the group hoping to solve some problems of her own.

This story is very unique. The storyline flows smoothly, although I found myself reading faster because I wanted to see what was going to happen! The chapters are told from different POV, sometimes Lira and sometime Elian. What I found very intriguing about the writing was that when you started the chapter, you weren't sure whose POV it was, but it didn't matter! It fit either character. The character development was very well done and very believable. I loved how snarky they were with each other.

The writing of this story was amazing! I am looking forward to reading more from Ms. Christo!


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Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. I loved it!

In the near future, Cassie (nicknamed Lola) is competing to be part of a top secret mission. She has to compete with other young adults to travel to a distant planet. She has always been the top in everything she does, and finds it much harder than she could have ever imagined.

All of the characters are well developed and intriguing. Even the ones I didn't like! The story flows very well. The ending was very much a surprise! It was very unexpected and a little unrealistic, but this is a science fiction novel!

I higly recommend this book and cannot wait for the sequel!!!


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The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Stephen's mother is in a mental institution and he and his dad have to move back to his dad's old town. They move in with a grandmother, who is rude, uncaring and unforgiving. Seventeen year old Stephen meets the mysterious twins, Devon and Cara on his first night in town. He becomes in enthralled with Cara's beauty and the fact that she likes him back only adds to his "love at first sight". Devon is just as enthralling to Stephen at first. He has that mysterious cool, and he invites Stephen to become a part of his mysterious group of friends. They hang out at the cemetery which they call "The Playground".
There is an old urban legend in Spencer, that a human scarifice to some nightmarish creatures will change the bad luck that has afflicted the town.

This book reminded me a little of The Lost Boys with Devon and his mysterious friends. The story was very quick to read and flowed. It was also a little scary and creepy! (which I love!) I would have like a little more detail on the supernatural side. If you are looking for a quick read that will keep you awake at night, I recommend this book for you.


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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I feel a little guilty giving this book only 2 stars. I think if I had read it BEFORE I read Holding Up the Universe, I would have rated it higher.

Theodore Finch is obsessed with death, although he has never officially tried to kill himself. Violet has recently lost her sister in an accident from which Violet survived. They meet up in the bell tower at school. Everyone knows that Finch has always been a little different, so even though Finch talks Violet off the ledge, everyone assumes she was the one that talked Finch off the ledge. So begins a friendship. Violet and Theodore work together on a project where they have to explore and get to know Indiana. During their excursions, they get to know each other and grow close.

I felt like the characters were too perfect visions of their mental issues. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it almost seems like they are both textbook cases of what there issues are. While the story does deal with mental issues, I don't think the characters are believable. The dscriptions of the activites they do were great, but I don't feel like the story flowed.

If you want to read a 5 star Jennifer Niven book, read Holding Up the Universe.


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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will's brother Shawn was shot and killed yesterday. Today Shawn needs to follow "the rules" and do not cry, don't snitch, and do get revenge. He finds Shawn's gun in his drawer and sets out to do what is expected. But what if he's wrong? During the elevator ride, Will encounters some things that make him question the rules. What if the rules are wrong?
This heartfelt book is beautifully written in verse. The story flows and pulls you in until the very end. The characters are well developed. Not only will fans of Jason Reynolds enjoy this book, but any Young adult book fan will thoroughly enjoy this heartbreaking yet engaging story.


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A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First off, I want to say that I love this cover!
Marguerite's father has recently been killed by someone she used to trust. Her parents have invented a device called Firebird, that is used for interdimensional travel. Marguerite and her parent's trusted assistant, Theo, use the Firebird to try and hunt down the person they think killed her father. The Firebird allows them to inhabit the body of themselves in that dimension. They interact with many different versions of people around them. The story is full of twists, turns, suspense, and surprise.


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Locked in Time by Lois Duncan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nore is visiting her father and and his new wife and family in Louisina for the first time since her mother has died. Her father had suddenly remarried. When Nore gets to the plantation home, there is no phone and very limited electricity. Her new step siblings treat her nice, if not a little strange. Nore starts to realize that all may not be what it seems with her new family and sets out to prove as much to her dad.

I was a huge Lois Duncan fan way back when I was in high school. I think this a good addition to any YA collection. It is like Tuck Everlasting, but a little scarier. I really like how Lois duncan is a pretty timeless writer.


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Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Naomi thinks she is in love with her best friend Ely even though she knows Ely is gay. She is dating Bruce #2 (after using Bruce #1 and leaving him longing for her). Ely kisses Bruce #2 knowing that he is dating Naomi. Bruce #2 realizes he would rather be with Ely than Naomi. Naomi is seemingly ok with Ely kissing Bruce #2, but then gets very upset when she finds out he was hiding in Ely's closet and Ely didn't tell her. Naomi sulks for a really long time and tires dating Bruce #1 again and then starts liking Gabe (#2 on the No Kiss List). In the end, Ely and Naomi realize they can't give up on their best friendship.
I normally like David Levithan books. This book is written from multiple perspectives. That is a tricky thing to do, and this book does it okay. It was not too difficult to figure out whose perspective the chapter was about. That being said, this book was not that great. I think the two main characters were very annoying, belittling and obnoxious. They were very self centered.


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