Anticipated Book Releases of April 2019

Hi everyone! It’s that time of the month again when I talk about books that are coming out and that I can’t wait to read a.k.a the reason I’m broke!

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Release date:  April 2nd 2019

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. 

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light.

Why am I anticipating it?

THIS SOUNDS SO COOL! that’s the main reason I want to read it, honestly! A gothic fantasy that has been getting great reviews, what more could I ask for?  This has my ultimate favorite thing in fantasy which is powerful morally grey characters! Also, one of the main characters is bisexual and I’m always down for that.

Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller

Release date: April 9th 2019

Camille couldn’t be having a better summer. But on the very night she learns she got into a prestigious theater program, she also finds out she’s pregnant. She definitely can’t tell her parents. And her best friend, Bea, doesn’t agree with the decision Camille has made.

Camille is forced to try to solve her problem alone … and the system is very much working against her. At her most vulnerable, Camille reaches out to Annabelle Ponsonby, a girl she only barely knows from the theater. Happily, Annabelle agrees to drive her wherever she needs to go. And in a last-minute change of heart, Bea decides to come with.

Girls on the Verge is an incredibly timely novel about a woman’s right to choose. Sharon Biggs Waller brings to life a narrative that has to continue to fight for its right to be told, and honored.

Why am I anticipating it?

This book deals with abortion and I my undergraduate thesis was about abortion in Colombia and I got to interview women that had had an abortion and doctors who perform it and it’s a subject that I’m very interested about, so I’m excited to give this book a chance, especially since I have heard amazing things about it.

Brief Chronicles of Another Stupid Heartbreak by Adi Alsaid 

Release date: April 30th 2019

The summer after senior year is not going as eighteen-year-old Lu Charles expected: after her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her, Lu can’t write a single word, despite the fact that her college scholarship is tied to her columnist job at hip online magazine Misnomer. Then, she meets Cal.

Cal’s ever-practical girlfriend Iris is looking ahead to her first year of college, and her plans do not include a long-distance boyfriend. When Lu learns that Cal and Iris have planned to end their relationship at the end of the summer, she becomes fascinated and decides to chronicle the last months the couple will spend together.

The closer she gets to the couple, the more she likes them, and the more she wants to write about them. The summer unfurls, and Lu discovers what it really means to be in love. On the page, or off it. The book is touching exploration of love and how it shapes us both during a relationship and after it has ended.

Why am I anticipating it? 

First of all, I love the fact that the main character in this book is in college, I would to have more contemporaries that have college age main characters. Also, I love books where the main character writes for a website or magazine, I usually find this trope in romance and it’s cool to see it in YA contemporary too.  Lastly, I have discovered recently that I really like books about break ups for some strange reason. Honestly, this sounds right up my alley!

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He 

Release date: April 9th 2019 

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her.

Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by
death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

Why am I anticipating it?

It sounds like this book revolves around political intrigue and I’m always a fan of fantasy books that focus on that aspect more than in the action. Also, I have heard amazing things about it from people that got ARCs, so I can’t wait to see if it lives up to the hype. I really hope it does!

What April book releases are you anticipating? Do you want to read any of the books I mentioned? Have you read any of them already? what did you think about them?

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Anticipated Book Releases of March 2019

Hi everyone! Today I’m talking about books coming out in March 2019 that I’m really excited about and that I can’t wait to read!

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Release date: March 1st 2019

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear. Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

Why I’m anticipating it? Honestly, I can’t wait to read this one because I have heard Lily @ Sprinkles of Dreams talk about it non stop. Also, the main character is a Latino bisexual teen, which makes me even more excited to read it!

Graham’s Delicacies by Em Ali

Release date: March 5th 2019

Saccharine: Jen goes to work, agonizes over college, and looks forward to the stolen moments in the kitchen. There she can watch Emilie bake love into every morsel. Their delicate friendship takes a step towards a budding romance, but will Jen’s anxiety help them survive their first hurdle?

Delectable: James has never been kissed but he wants to be. Especially by his co-worker Sam, who he can’t talk to without turning into a little jerk. Sam is made of all the good stuff, but will James’ deepest insecurities allow him to kiss the boy?

Ravenous: Alex won’t let some foodie with a video camera bash their beloved bakery, even if it means to be petty. Except they’re nowhere ready for Yujin, the one who got away and is now romancing them. Will Alex’s pride let them see the gold heart the bashful king hides?

Why I’m anticipating it? After reading and loving Soft on Soft by Em Ali, I’m so happy to be part of the blog tour for Graham’s Delicacies. This is a collection of three short stories that are full of diversity. There’s Black, nonbinary, bisexual, fat, gay, Latinx, Korean and anxiety rep.

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera

Release date: March 5th 2019

At night, Las Mal Criadas own these streets.

Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City. That roles brings with it violent throw downs and access to the hottest boydega clubs, but the sixteen-year-old grows weary of the life. Her dream is to get off the streets and make a home in the exclusive Mega Towers, in which only a chosen few get to live. To make it to the Mega towers, Nalah must prove her loyalty to the city’s benevolent founder and cross the border in a search for a mysterious gang the Ashé Ryders. Led by a reluctant guide, Nalah battles other crews and her own doubts, but the closer she gets to her goal, the more she loses sight of everything—and everyone— she cares about.

Nalah must do the unspeakable to get what she wants—a place to call home. But is a home just where you live? Or who you choose to protect?

Why I’m anticipating it? This was on of the first 2019 releases that I added to my tbr, this is a dystopian written by a latinx author, about latinx characters and with a Mad Max vibe…. what else could I ask for?!!

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

Release date: March 5th 2019

Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo’s spare ticket offer online, she’s convinced it’s the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.

When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he’ll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they’ve created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?

Why I’m anticipating it? Honestly, tihis just sounds like the cute, fluffy contemporaries that I like to read when my anxiety is giving me a hard time and since lately that has been the case, I’m looking forward to having some new contemporaries to read!

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

Release date: March 19th 2019

Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.

And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had – to never fall for a summer boy?

Why I’m anticipating it? This sounds cute and it has a bisexual main characters, which I’m always excited about! I’m lucky enough to be participating in the blog tour organized by the lovely Lili @ Utopia State of Mind and I can’t wait to share my review and some other fun things with everyone!

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Release date: March 19th 2019

Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends.

One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.

Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .

Why I’m anticipating it? This has a hate to love slow-burn f/f romance and I’m so ready for it! Also, there’s a polyamorous relationship between some of the secondary characters, which I can’t wait to read about!

What March book releases are you anticipating? Do you want to read any of the books I mentioned? Have you read any of them already? what did you think about them?

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10 Cities that Books Made Me Want to Visit | Top Ten Tuesday

Hi everyone! When I started blogging I participated in Top Ten Tuesday regulary and I loved the fact that it allowed me to interact with so many people from the community, because I miss that, I decided to start participating again!

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018!

Today, the topic is places mentioned in books that I’d like to visit, so I decided to write about 10 cities that are the setting of some amazing books and that play such an important role in the story that after reading the books I can’t help but want to go visit them myself.

*If you click the title of the books, it will take you to the Goodreads page for the book

Without further ado, here are the 10 cities that books made me want to visit:

If The Dress Fits by Carla de Guzman-—> Manila, Philippines

Honestly, all the #romanceclass books I have read made me want to visit the Philippines, but If the Dress Fits is my favorite #romanceclass book and it’s the one that mentions more especific places from Manila like the Dangwa flower market and the Manila Metropolitan Theatre, as well as different types of food that sounded delicious.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan —–> Taipei, Taiwan

I really want to go to Taipei, and especifically, the food markets that are constantly mentioned in this book, I’m just so excited to try delicious food! Also, the observatory inside Taipei 101 sounds so cool, I really want to see the city from that height.

Darius the Great is not Okay by Adib Khorram —-> Yazd, Iran

Iran is the most recent addition to this list, I read Darius the Great is not Okay in January and I fell in love with the way Darius talked about Iran.  I would love to go to Yazd and see the Jameh Mosque, the Towers of Silence and the Atashkadeh.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan —-> Singapore

While reading Crazy Rich Asians, I couldn’t help but be incredibly intrigued about Singapore. I can’t wait to visit the food markets and the impressive buildings, especially the Marina Bay Sands and the gardens by the bay.

Idyllic village Oia (Ia) on Santorini island, Greece with famous church with blue domes. Click for more images: [url=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&lightboxID=6413055][img]http://santoriniphoto.com/Template-Greek.jpg[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9724165][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9724165[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701552][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701552[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701515][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701515[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701504][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701504[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701472][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701472[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701450][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701450[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9701281][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9701281[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9697520][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9697520[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=2637803][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=2637803[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9751572][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9751572[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9749064][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9749064[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9728858][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9728858[/img][/url] [url=file_closeup.php?id=9728820][img]file_thumbview_approve.php?size=1&id=9728820[/img][/url]

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares —-> Santorini, Greece

I’ll confess that my desire to visit Greece is due to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books and the movie, as well as to the Mamma Mia movies. But, even if the Mamma Mia made me want to go to Greece even more, it all started with Lena and her trip to Santorini in the first book of the series.

City of Ghost by Victoria Shwab —-> Edinburg, Scotland

There are so many European cities that I want to see and to be completely honest, Edinburgh wasn’t one of them until recently when I read City of Ghost. Now I can’t wait to go to the Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and the Edinburgh Vaults! Also, I’m so excited by the fact that book 2 is taking place in Paris and especifically in The Paris Catacombs, which I have been to.

View of a small crescent beach hidden away among green hills and forests. Punta Islita Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Long Way Down by Krista & Becca Ritchie —-> Costa Rica

Ryke and Daisy are my favorite couple in this series and they talk so many times about Costa Rica that it put this country at the top of my list. I’m not sure which city or region they were in, but I would love to go to Cahuita, which is supposed to be a place to relax and find peace.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo – Los Angeles

I have wanted to go to L.A. for as long as I can remember, but the last few years, it had been slipping further and further donw the list of places I wanted to visit, until I read this book and it made me want  to go to L.A. so badly! As I said on my review this is a love letter to Los Angeles, there’s commentary on different neighborhoods, who primarily lives there, what type of activities are done and what types of food are sold in them. It simply made me feel excited about going to L.A. again.

Like Us  Series by Krista & Becca Ritchie – Philadelphia 

I already was interested in going to Philadelphia thanks to the original Addicted/Calloway Sister series, but if I’m being honest, the Like us series was the one that really made me want to go to Philly. It’s just that the bodyguards talk about their city with so much love that I can’t help but being curious!

The Bean

Knitting in the City Series by Penny Reid – Chicago, United States

I loved this series, I have already read like 10 books in this series between novels and novellas and I have spent so much time with the ladies of this knitting group that I can’t help but want to visit their city!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – Prague, Czech Republic

I had never thought about visiting Prague before this book, but then I read this and soon after I met a dear friend who is from Czech Republic and so I knew the universe was telling me that I needed to visit this beautiful city. It’s being almost five years and I’m happy to say that I’m visiting my friend in April in Prague and I’m so excited!

What books do you want to visit because of a book or series? HAve you ever visited a city because I book was set in it? 

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Diverse Pride and Prejudice Retellings

Hi everyone! As someone who loves Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I’m always looking for retellings and adaptations.  I love to read new takes on this classic story and I love the diverse retellings that have been coming out lately even more. I know Pride and Prejudice is loved by many of you too and I thought it would be a good idea to share some diverse retellings for those of you who enjoy a new twist of this beloved classic!

Without further ado, here are some diverse Pride and Prejudice retellings that I read and loved:

 Pride by Ibi Zoboi

In this book, the main character Zuri is Haitian-Dominican and the love interest, Darius, is black. I love their dynamic, they are always bantering and bickering, but the main reason this book is amazing is the way it dicusses gentrification and class, including these subjects adds to the original story and makes it more relevant to our time. Also, the representation of a Haitian-Dominican family, in terms of the religion, the food and the family dynamics is so fascinating to read.

 

The Story of Lizzy and Darcy by Grace Watson

The main change in this retelling is (obviously) that Darcy is a woman and she is biracial and bisexual, while Lizzy is a lesbian. Also, instead of Mary Bennet, we get Mark, who is aroace and Colonel Fitwilliam is Will, a trans man. There’s a lot of diversity in this book and it’s well integrated to the story. Lizzie and Darcy have so much chemestry and they both work in publishing industry, which gave this book a cool setting.

 

Well Played by Katrina Ramos Atienza

This is a Filipino retelling, it takes place in a university and it’s very interesting to get to learn a little bit about how things work in the educational system in the Philippines. The main character in this book, Patrice Reyes, is a passionate soccer player, and Paul Damacio, the love interest, is a math nerd and he’s very similar to Darcy from the book. Actually, this is a pretty faithful retelling, at least when it comes to the main romance.

 

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick 

This book is a companion for the webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which I LOVE!! You can definitely read this without watching the webseries, but I recommend you watch it since it’s fantastic. This is a pretty close retelling in terms of the main plot points of the story, but it’s set in modern day and Lizzie Bennet is a Youtuber and Darcy runs a media company. Now, the really cool thing is that Bingley is actually Asian and his name is Bing Lee and his sister is, obviously, Caroline Lee. Also, Charlotte is Asian as well!

DIVERSE RETELLINGS I WANT TO READ 

Those were some of the diverse Pride and Prejudice retellings that I have already read, now here are some diverse retellings that I can’t wait to read! Three of them were released recently and one of them is going to be release in 2019.

 

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 

Two Muslim main characters and an arranged marriage between the wrong people. I think this gonna be a very unique take on the Austen classic and I can’t wait to experience it for myself!

Pride & Prejudice and Passports by Carrie Garrett 

This takes place during the 2016 presidential elections in the United States and the main family, the Benitez, are undocumented immigrants. This retelling seems to give a strong political background to the classic story, which I found fascinating, and I’m excited to have another retelling with Latinx main characters!

Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (Release date: May 7th 2019) 

For what I have heard, this is a very  loose retelling with a gender flip. In this story, Trisha Raje is a Indian neurosurgeon and Dj Caine is a Indo-African chef, they are from different backgrounds and they don’t like each other at first. I have heard this has interesting discussions about class and cultural difference and I’m excited to give it a chance.

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal 

The Bennets are the Binats in this retelling set in modern-day Pakistan.  Out of these retelling this seems to be the closest to the original, the Binat family has fallen on hard times, the 5 daughters are unmarried, then Jena meets Bingla at a wedding and everyone is waiting for a proposal. Meanwhile, Alys and Darsee don’t seem to like each other that much.  I have heard great things about this one and I can’t wait to read it!

Have you read Pride and Prejudice? Do you like P&P retellings? Have you read any of the retellings that I mentioned? Are you looking forward to reading any of them? 

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Anticipated Releases of February 2019

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about some of the books that are coming out in February 2019 and that I can’t wait to read!

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 

Release Date: February 5th

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

Why am I anticipating it?: I obviously read and loved The Hate U Give and I can’t wait to read Angie Thomas second novel. The cover’s amazing and I have heard great things from the few people that got arcs and I’m just excited to get this! Also, it comes out right on time for Black History Month, so I will be reading this as soon as I get it. 

The Risk by Elle Kennedy (Briar U #2) 

Release Date: February 18th

Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, & too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me. I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend. For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him. That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

Why am I anticipating it?: This book has fake dating AND enemies to lovers, which are two of my favorite tropes, so I would read it just for that. But the truth is that I have been meaning to read this since I finished the first book in the series, because I loved Brenna when she was introduced in that book and now  she is gonna be the main characters. Also, the glimpses we got of Brenan and Jake in the first book left me really intrigued about their dynamic.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 

Release Date: February 26th

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

Why am I anticipating it?: Dragons + Matriarchy+ Secret Society of Mages??!  I CAN’T WAIT to get my hand on this book!  Not only does it sound amazing, I actually  have heard great things from people that got arcs.

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia 

Release Date: February 26th

At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.

On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything he’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

Why am I anticipating it?: This is close to the top of my list of most anticipated books of 2019, it has a Latinx main characters, the author is also Latinx and there’s an enemies to lovers f/f romance. I mean WHAT ELSE COULD I ASK FOR??! Nothing, really, but still this book gets even better becuase it discusses important subjects like gender roles, immigration and being undocumented. I honestly can’t wait to read it! 

What February book releases are you anticipating? Do you want to read any of the books I mentioned? Have you read any of them already? what did you think about them?

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Diverse Nonfiction Book Recommendations

Hi everyone! Today I have a post that’s a bit different for me. I don’t read that much nonfiction, I mainly read YA fantasy and Sci-fi, YA Contemporary, Romance and Mystery. Nonetheless, from time to time, I’ll pick up a nonfiction book and more times than not, I’ll love it. So, I was thinking the other day that maybe some of you also like to read nonfiction from time to time and if that nonfiction is diverse that’s even better and that’s why I decided to share with you some of my favorite diverse nonfiction books.

Without further ado, here they are:

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park & Maryanne Vollers

Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be “completely free,” she had to confront the truth of her past. It is an ugly, shameful story of being sold with her mother into slave marriages by Chinese brokers, and although she at first tried to hide the painful details when blending into South Korean society, she realized how her survival story could inspire others. Moreover, her sister had also escaped earlier and had vanished into China for years, prompting the author to go public with her story in the hope of finding her sister. 

Why I recommend it?: I think this is a perfect book for YA readers that want to try nonfiction, especially for readers who like hard hitting contemporaries, because it tells the story of a girl that goes through many heartbreaking things and it focuses on a relatevely small period of time, not like other nonfiction books that tell the story of someone’s entire life. This book is hard to read, because the whole time you know this actually happend to a girl, you know it happens to a lot of girls all over the world. This is heartbreaking, horrific and honest. I’ll admit that the writing isn’t the best and that made it a bit harder to connect to the story, but I still found it an impactful and touching book.

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock 

In 2011, Marie Claire magazine published a profile of Janet Mock in which she stepped forward for the first time as a trans woman. Those twenty-three hundred words were life-altering for the People.com editor, turning her into an influential and outspoken public figure and a desperately needed voice for an often voiceless community. In these pages, she offers a bold and inspiring perspective on being young, multicultural, economically challenged, and transgender in America.

Why I recommend it?: This book is incredibly thought-provoking, because Mock doesn’t hold back, she is achingly honest and that makes her story and what she has to say so compelling.  Mock talks about being biracial, trans and poor, she talks about poverty and prostitution, about her priviliges for “passing” as a cis woman, about what’s consider to be the ‘right’ kind of trans women and why that needs to end.  This book is insighful and moving, as well as beautifully written and I feel like everyone should pick it up. (Full review)

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 

In her phenomenally popular essays and long-running Tumblr blog, Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and body, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as “wildly undisciplined,” Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care. In Hunger, she explores her own past—including the devastating act of violence that acted as a turning point in her young life—and brings readers along on her journey to understand and ultimately save herself.

Why I recommend it?: This book unlike the two that I have already mentioned, it’s made up of essays, so there’s no linear story. There are extremely personal essays, including a incredibly heartbreaking essay about rape (huge trigger warning!), but then there’s also essays about various subjects like how harmful tv shows about losing weight can be. Still, this is mainly a book about Roxane Gay’s relationship with her body, with her weight, with food and it’s personal, raw and honest. This is a very hard book to read, but it is so powerful because it’s talks about her experience as a fat women in a world not built for her in a way that makes you empathize, that makes you see things as common as chairs in a new way because you see them through her eyes.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

In Furiously Happy, a humor memoir tinged with just enough tragedy and pathos to make it worthwhile, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression and a host of other conditions, and explains how it has led her to live life to the fullest:

“I’ve often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that ‘normal people’ also might never understand. And that’s what Furiously Happy is all about.”

Why I recommend it?: Out of all these books, this is the less heartbreaking and the one that has the most humor, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a very important and touching book. This book focuses on living with a mental illness, on how that looks like in the day to day and on the good and bad that comes with it, and it handles those topics in such a brilliant way. At some points while I was reading, I couldn’t believe someone had the words necessary to explain certain feelings and experiences, that’s how good Jenny Lawson is at translating her experience with depression into words. I would recommend this book to anyone, but particulary, to people that struggle with mental illnesses, I found this to be – as strange as that may seem- a very reassuring book.

Do you have any diverse nonfiction books to recommend? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? is any of them on your tbr? 

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Anticipated Releases of January 2019

Hi everyone! A new year means new amazing books that are being released and I’m so excited to talk about 4 books coming out in January that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

There’s one book coming out in January that it’s missing from this list, Tangled Like Us by Krista and Becca Ritchie, because I mentioned in my post about December anticipated releases before it was announced that the publication date was being moved.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

Nikolai is one of my favorite characters from the Grisha Trilogy and I’m so excited to see how his journey continues. I’m also looking forward to cameos of some of the characters I love from the original trilogy and also from Six of Crows.

Release date: January 28th

The Wicked King by Holly Black

After the revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

The Cruel Prince was one of my favorite books of 2018, so I’m incredibly excited to find out what happens next. I feel like we are gonna get a lot more of Jude and Cardan in this book and I’m here for it! Also, the fact that so many people that got arcs loved the book is giving me a good feeling about it.

Release date: January 8th

In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

This is the story of a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she’s found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well. For anyone . . .

I have so much fun reading this series, I truly love the concept behind it and I’m excited to find out more about one of the most intriguing characters in the series and the fact that it’s set in a goblin market makes it even better.

Release date: January 8th

Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi

Black Enough is an anthology that will delve into the closeted thoughts, hidden experiences, and daily struggles of black teens across the country. From a spectrum of backgrounds—urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—Black Enough showcases diversity within diversity.

Whether it’s Jason Reynolds writing about #blackboyjoy or Renee Watson talking about black girls at camp in Portland, or Jay Coles’s story about two cowboys kissing in the south—Black Enough is an essential collection full of captivating coming-of-age stories about what it’s like to be young and black in America.

I wasn’t much of a fan of short story collections, but in 2018, I found a few that I really enjoyed and I want to read more of them. The topics of this particular collection are so important and I’m looking forward to see how every author addresses them, especially since I have read and loved books by some of them.

Release date: January 8th

What January book releases are you anticipating? Do you want to read any of the books I mentioned? Have you read any of them already? what did you think about them?

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