At the beginning of the year I posted a tbr with 6 books included in lists of favorite books of 2021 from bloggers, booktubers, and people from book Twitter, and today I wanted to tell you how that experiment worked out, if I enjoyed the books or not and if I found a new favorite.
These are the books I was planning to read:
I ended up reading 5 out of the six books because I decided that I was not really interested in reading The Atlas Six after the third time I loaned it from my library and didn’t even attempt to read it.
Overall, I had really good luck with the books I picked:
While I only gave one of the books five stars, I still think this was an absolute success. I found really good books that were a bit outside my comfort zone, since I don’t usually read magical realism or hard sci-fi and I didn’t use to read that much horror.
Also, I discovered four new-to-me authors. I have read more books by two of them (Elle Cosimano and T. Kingfisher) because I enjoyed their books so much and I’m planning on reading more books by the other two authors (Andy Weir and Susanna Clarke). I also discovered another great book by Zoraida Córdova, who is an author I love.
I think part of the reason why this experiment worked for me was that I didn’t choose the books that appeared in the biggest number of favorite lists, instead within the books that were mentioned more than once, I chose the ones that sounded interesting to me.
Overall, I really liked the experience even if reading all of these books took me a lot longer than I hoped. I will definitely be doing this again in 2023.
I’m usually not someone who wants prequel, sequels or companion novels because I feel like a lot of times they ruin the original story and also a lot of times they are done for financial reasons and not because the story truly needed to be continued, so this list was hard to put together. Nonetheless, I found a few books and series that I would actually like to get continuations for.
I know the author has said that she is open to writing more books in this series and I need the publish to let her because while the general storyline comes to a close, some of the individual storylines, especially around one of the main characters, is not wrapped up. Also, I just feel like there are so many more stories that can be told with these characters.
This is such an interesting concept, a world where cannibalism is the new normal and people are being harvested, and I would love to see another story with different characters exploring a new side of this world.
I’m convinced that this was supposed to have a sequel that never happened because while it closes the story, there’s a final scene that hints at a continuation of the story.While I liked the prequel, I really want a sequel or a companion novel because I want to know what happens next and because the idea of killer mermaids and the way Mira Grant executed are so interested.
I really enjoyed reading about these ridiculously rich people living in this world of opulence, gossip, appearances, and power, so I would another book set in this world following other characters.
I want a sequel because I want to know what happened to all the characters, I feel so invested in their stories and while it’s a slice-of-life novel and the ending fits that type of story, I want to keep reading about their lives and see where they end up.
I think a prequel about how Catherine House came to be and how the experiments started would be really cool. I just think this book has such an interesting setting that it would be a waste to not have more stories set there.
I don’t read that much middle grade but I love this series and I really want more stores with these precocious and very endearing characters. Also, the whole concept of other universes and opening holes in the fabric of the universe is so cool, and want more of it.
I want Nova’s story, we see him and heard so much about him throughout the series, he is such a complex and compelling character, and his backstory is so sad and heartbreaking, that I would love to learn more about him and see how his storyline would end.
I want another story set in this world. I love the 1884 New Orleans setting, the alternative history concept, the inclusion of African Folklore, and the steampunk elements, so I want a companion novel. Also, if it follows the spy nuns that would give it extra points.
What books or series do you think need prequels, sequels or companion novels?
Hi everyone! it’s time for the first wrap-up of the year. I actually had a pretty good reading month in January both in terms of quantity and quality, and I’m excited to share my thoughts on the 10 books I read.
But before getting into the books, here are some posts I wrote in January in case you missed them:
Now, without further ado, here are the books I read in January:
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (3,5 stars): The first 40% of this was confusing and a little frustrating. It did get better after the 40% mark and the last 30-25% was actually really good. My main issue was not that it was confusing, it was that I had a rough idea of what was going on (not everything but I guessed some things) and that made the past timeline a little boring for me, even if at the end, something surprising happened with that storyline.
This was a very unique and original book and I appreciated that. I like the weird relationships between all the characters, every interaction was charged and it was interesting to understand a little of the backstory of those relationships. I also really appreciated all the twists and turns the story takes. While I liked Harrow as a pov character, I missed Gideon, she made book 1 funnier and more entertaining.
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova (4 stars): This is a beautifully written and magical story, full of strange and wonderful magic and about a large and complicated family. It explores the importance of knowing and understanding where we come from and it deals with the things we inherit from our families, the good and the bad. A story filled with interesting characters, that changes perspective often and while there were moments where it seems like it’s going to dive deeper into the characters, it never really happens.
A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark(3.5 stars): I enjoyed this, but not as much as I was expecting. The setup, the concept and the world-building are amazing. Steampunk is not a subgenre of fantasy that I read often, so a lot of elements from this felt new and interesting to me. I really liked the main character as well, she is sassy, strong, and independent. While the mystery was interesting, the resolution felt really rushed.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey(3 stars): I had high expectations for this book and I’m so sad that I didn’t love it. I usually end up loving hyped romances but it was not the case with this one. In the beginning, I was really enjoying this story. I liked Piper from the start and I actually enjoyed her character development throughout the book. At first, I also liked the relationship between Piper and Brendan, the bad first impression, the bickering, the slow transition into a friendlier relationship. I liked all of it. But I had so many issues with the second half of the book, Brendan decides that he wants Piper forever after less than three weeks of knowing her and he becomes pushy and annoying, and the book becomes so cheesy that it was almost unbearable at times. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was so dramatic when narrating the dialogue, which didn’t help.
The Introvert’s Guide to Online Dating by Emma Hart (3,5 stars): This was a fast and entertaining read, which was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. While it was good, it wasn’t anything memorable. It has a frenemies-to-lovers relationship which is a trope I love, it has good banter, it is a little steamy and it has sweet moments. The main problem with this is that it had way TOO MANY side characters for such a short novella.
Finlay Donavan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (4,5 stars): This was fun, fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and absolutely absurd. It kept me at the edge of my seat. My issue with this is that was a lot of convenient and unrealistic things happened, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment too much. More of my thoughts HERE.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (4 stars): I read this in one day and it was a fast and entertaining read. It had captivating characters, complex relationships and the Filipino culture and food were an interesting part of the story. The mystery was entertaining, but there wasn’t any sense of urgency or danger, which made it feel just a little lackluster. More of my thoughts HERE.
We Have Always Live in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (4 stars): I didn’t have high expectations for this book and maybe that’s why I ended up really enjoying it. I know this is an unpopular opinion but this was a very quick read for me. This had an unreliable narrator but also unreliable characters in general, they all seemed to be hiding something even from themselves, and it’s set in a creepy little town full of hateful people which added to the atmosphere of the story. While not a lot happens, it was still an interesting read because I kept trying to figure out what really happened even if I had strong suspicions.
The Low. Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado (4 stars): I didn’t know what to expect going into this so I was shocked while reading it. This is like literary horror put into graphic novel form, so it’s slow and it’s disturbing and sinister in a quiet way. But it’s also so powerful. It’s a story about two queer women of color and it’s definitely a story for women and about women’s experiences.
Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson (4 stars): Jenny Lawson is honest, raw and funny while talking about her mental health, her chronic illness, her marriage, being an introvert and her life in general. Which makes this book very touching and entertaining at the same time. The chapter that it’s a letter to Lawson’s health insurance company is one of the most heartbreaking, infuriating, and powerful things I have read.
What is your favorite and least favorite book of December? Was December a good reading month for you?
Hi everyone! As you may know, I usually don’t make tbr because I’m a mood reader, but after the abysmal reading year I had in 2021, I decided that I needed to do something to try to find some amazing books in 2022. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to put together a tbr with books included in favorite books of 2021 lists of bloggers, booktubers, and people from book twitter. To pick the books for this tbr, I set some rules:
It had to be on the list of favorite/best books of 2021 of more than 1 person
It had to have good reviews from my goodread friends
It had to sound interesting to me
After going through SO MANY lists of favorites/best books of 2021, I finally have a tbr of 6 books that I’m looking forward to reading in the first few months of 2022.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: This was already on my tbr because it sounded interesting and because I have been hearing great things about it all year. It feels like everyone loves this book, so many people that I follow on different platforms and that have completely different reading tastes have enjoyed this book, so I’m hoping I won’t be the exception.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: This sounds a little like The Starless Sea, which was one of my favorite books of 2020, so I’m hoping I’m going to love it. I enjoy clever, layered, confusing books, so this sounds right up my alley.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake: for what I gather this was a hit on booktok and it spread all through the bookish community, and most people seem to love it. I have heard people compare this to The Secret History, which is a book I loved, so I’m excited for some dark academia in a fantasy setting.
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher: I started to read more horror in 2021 and I’m excited to continue to explore that genre, so I’m happy that a horror book made it to this list. Still, I’m a little worried because from what I can tell this is a polarizing book, people either love it or hate it, so I’m hoping to fall in the camp that loves it.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano: this book has such a quirky premise and for I understand it’s almost like a cozy mystery, which sounds perfect for me. I have heard that the journey this book takes you on is really surprising, so I’m intrigued.
The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Córdova: I think I’m going to love this, I started it a few months ago and made it 15% into the book but I had to return the audiobook to my library, so I’m waiting to get it back. But I’m so glad to see it on other people’s lists and I can’t wait to continue listening to it.
Have you read these books and did you enjoy them? What books have you seen a lot on people’s favorite books of 2021 lists?
Hi everyone! I share a few posts liked this in 2020, I had so much fun putting them together and I’m not sure why I stopped, but now they are back. The idea is that I’ll tell you whether I’m planning to read the hyped releases on this list or if I’m not plannig to read them, andI’m hoping you’ll tell me if maybe there’s a book that I’m not planning to read but that you think I should. Also, I would love to know if you enjoyed or didn’t enjoy one of the book I’m planning to read.
The books I included on this post are books released between August and October 2021 that I haven’t read but that I have heard a lot of people talk about and that already have over 1000 ratings on Goodreads. Also, I only chose books that are not a sequels or companion novels to books that I read before because it’s very likely that I’ll read those books.
I’m on the fenceabout this one, I had never heard about this book until it came out and suddenly everyone was reading it. I immediately added it on goodreads because everyone was loving it but there’s something about it that makes me think I won’t like it. Mainly because I struggle with books about second-chance romances, I either love them or dislike them.
I’m for sure reading this, all the romance booktububers and bloggers that I trust have LOVED this, so I’m like 99.9% certain that I will enjoy it. Also, the whole grumpy/sunshine dynamic is one I love in books and I have heard this is really steamy, which is always a plus. I would be extremely shocked if I ended up not liking this.
I’m nervious to read this, but I still think I’ll give it a chance. I LOVED The House in the Cerulean Sea, it was one of my favorite books of last year, so of course Under the Whispering Door was a highly anticipated release for me. Nonetheless, I haven’t heard the first person I follow and trust say they loved this, from what I have seen people either didn’t like it or thougth it was just ok.
I’ll definitely read it. Not only does this book sound incredible, but I also LOVED Headliners, which is another book by Lucy Parker. Besides that, this includes the grumpy meets sushine and rivals to lovers tropes, which are two of my favorites.
I’m going to read it. I added this book to my tbr since it was announced because I have loved other books by Zoraida Córdova, but it didn’t sound like the type of book I enjoyed so it wasn’t high on my priority list. Nonetheless, so many people are reading this and loving it, so I’m excited to give it a chance. Also, I have found out more about this book now that it’s out and I’m really intrigued.
I don’t think I’ll read this. I keep hearing about Sally Rooney’s books, people seem to either love them or hate them, and I have a feeling that I will be on the hate them camp based on what I have heard about them. I’m still a little tempted for the chance that I might end up loving them.
I don’t know if I’ll read this. It sounds really good but I don’t often read domestic thrillers, even if they sound interesting I never end up picking them up. But at the same time, when I do pick them up I usually end up enjoy them, which was the case with Big Little Lies. So I think I’d probably enjoy this book but I don’t think I’ll have the motivation to pick it up anytime soon.
I don’t think I’ll read this. I thought this book sounded really good when I first heard about it and everyone seemed so excited for it that I was getting excited too. But after its release, most people are saying this book is really boring and it doens’t live up to its great concept and that is making me really scared of reading it. Especially since I read a Stephen Graham Jones novella and didn’t like it that much and I dfn’ed one of his books.
I’m nervous about this one, but I’m leaning towards reading it. As I said before, I don’t often read domestic thrillers, nonetheless, this sounds like an isolated mystery and those are my favorite kind of mystery, so I’m intrigued. Also, I have heard so many good things about it.
Out of the books I’m not planning to read, is there any that you think I should pick up?
Out of the books I’m planning to read, , is there any that I should prioritize or maybe one you wouldn’t recommend?
Hi everyone! I’m back with another edition of On My Radar, which is a feature where I talk about books that I have heard a lot about and I’m curious about, but I’m not sure if I should give them a chance, whether it is because they are outside my comfort zone, they got mixed reviews or any other reason. My idea is that hopefully, you all can help me decide which books are worth reading.
Since I’m the host of the Latinx Book Bingoand I see everyone ‘s blog posts, videos, instagram posts, tweets about their tbrs, I thought it would be cool to see what books a lot people are reading for the readathon that are on my radar but I I’m not sure if I want to read or not. Those are the books I’m talking about in this post.
I added this book to my tbr because so many people were reading it for latinx book bingo, but since then I have seen a couple of those people give it very low ratings, so now I’m unsure about picking it up. But I checked on goodreads and the overall rating is good and it sounds interesting, so while I’m on the fence I think I’m leaning towards reading it.
I added this book to my tbr when it was announced mainly because it was written by Zoraida Córdova and I have read and liked so many of her books, but it didn’t exactly sound like my thing so it wasn’t high on my priority lists. It was one of those “maybe one day I’ll read it” kind of books, nonetheless, a lot of people are reading this for Latinx Book Bingo and LOVING it, so now I’m really intrigued.
From what I have seen, this is the most common pick for the “translated book” square of the Latinx Book Bingo board and so many people are singing its praises. This book sounds cute and I think it’ll probably be a fun read, but since I’m really not reading that much YA anymore I’m not sure if I’ll pick it up.
I added this book to my tbr when it was first announced but I lost interest in it since then, mainly because I haven’t been that into YA lately. But a few people are reading it for the Latinx Book Bingo and it seems like they are enjoying it, so I have a renewed interest in it.
Last year when I first got into middle grade I added this to my tbr, but it got so many mixed reviews that I never picked it up. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed Tehlor Kay Mejia’s previous work and I have seen a lot of people read and enjoy it for Latinx Book Bingo, so I’m tempted to give it a chance.
Which of these books do you think I should read?Are any books that are on your radar but you’r not sure you want to read?
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to share my may tbr, I chose most of these books to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the other 4 books are my most anticipated May releases.
Here are the books I’m planning to read:
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal: I had fun reading the first book in this series even if I had issues with it (here’s my full review) and I have heard that this sequel is so much better than the first book, so I can’t wait to see how this duology ends.
Jade War by Fonda Lee: I’m so scared of reading this book because I know it’s going to make me suffer, but I know I’m goign to love it and I want to read it before the last book comes out at the end of the year.
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang: another book that I’m scared of reading because I know it’s going to break my heart but I also know I’m going to love it.
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March: as an Agatha Christie fan and in general a fan of cozy mysteries, I’m looking for more diverse books in this subgenre and I have heard nothing but great things about this one.
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan: I rewatched the Crazy Rich Asian movie this month and I’m even more excited to read the final book in this series.
Tha Dating Plan by Sara Desai: I thought the first book in this series of companion novels was just ok, but this one has two of my favorite tropes: fake dating and marriage of convenience, so off course I’m going to give it a chance.
A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee: This ounds like a really sweet, fun romance, which is exactly what I’m looking for.
A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau: I have read and enjoyed a couple of Jackie Lau’s books and this is a short novella, which is great since this is an overly ambitious tbr.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry I loved Beach Read, so I was looking forward to Emily Henry’s next romance and then I heard it was a friends to lovers romance and my excitement multiplied.
Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur: I really enjoyed the first book in this series of companion novels and I can’t wait for this best friend’s little brother romance.
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole: Alyssa Cole’s books are great, I loved the first book in this series and I can’t wait to read another f/f romance written by her because I know I’m going to love it.
What books do you want to read in May? Have you read any of the books on my tbr?
Hi everyone! It’s time for the first wrap up of 2021. I was in a reading slump for a while during January, but I still managed to read 14 books, I enjoyed all of them and I even found a new favorite book. So overall it was a good reading month.
Before getting into the books, here are the posts I published this month, in case you missed any of them:
Withouth further ado, let’s talk about the books I read this month:
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss (3,7 stars): after how much I loved the two previous books in the series, I was a bit disappointed. I still enjoyed this, because I love the characters and their relationships so much. But I felt like the resolution of the personal storylines of the characters wasn’t that satisfying. This book focused too much on the plot, which I found a bit boring. The author tried to tie the plot of this book to the overarching plot of the previous two installments, but it didn’t really work, this felt like a different story that came out of nowhere.
White Hot by Ilona Andrews (4 stars): I loved the world and the magic system in this book, it’s so imaginative, cool, and unique. I liked the relationship between Nevada and Connor a lot more in this book than in the first one. I also liked them as individual characters more. I enjoyed seeing Nevada come into her power more and learn how to use it, and I’m not entirely sure why, but I liked Connor more in this book as well. The Baylor family was amazing as always and I think this book lets us get to know other secondary characters more, which I enjoyed.
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews(4 stars): Again, I loved the world, the magic system, and the characters. I liked the way the romance wrapped up and the way the storyline revolving around the Baylor family developed and how so many of the members of the family came into their own in this book. My only issue with this is that despite the fact that the main characters solved a big part of the mystery in this book, the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be because they didn’t catch the main villain and they don’t even know who it is.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (4 stars): Nghi Vo wrote a beautiful story set in a very interesting and whimsical world and full of captivating characters. This book was bittersweet for me and made me emotional in a few parts.
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi (4 stars): This was an angsty story full of complex relationships, longing and grief, but also a fun adventure with twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of your sit. (Full review)
Wayward Witch by Zoraida Córdova (4 stars): While I liked Rose, I didn’t like that her character was reduced to her fear of using her magic and to comparing herself to her sisters. But Adas, the world this is set in, was captivating and intriguing and the gods and the magical creatures were so cool and unique. My favorite part of the book was Rose’s relationship with the people she met in Adas. There was a romance, but it was barely there so I really didn’t care, and I would have liked the romance to be between Rose and another side character.
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (3,7 stars): it took me a while to get into this story, because the beginning is slow. What I discovered in this book is that as much as I enjoy Murderbot as a character, I don’t find it as entertaining when it’s alone, I like seeing it interact with humans and be irritated by them. Since Murderbot spent a chuck of this book alone, that’s probably a reason why it took me a while to get into the story.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (3,7 stars): This was highly entertaining and I liked seeing Murderbot start to question certain things and grow and change as it experiences new things. I liked seeing characters from book one, especially Mensah, and I liked the hopeful tone this ended in because I want Murderbot to be happy. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying a Vampire by Grady Hendrix (4,5 stars): I LOVED THIS and it’s a new favorite book. This book got me out of a reading slump, it was so captivating, I was completely invested and it made me feel so many different emotions. I think this book did a good job of including important conversations about feminism, race and privilege. Also, it’s a grusome and disgusting type of horror, which I hadn’t read before, but it was very well done. (Full review)
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn: The first half of this book was fun and entertatining, it had great banter and family dynamics. Julia Quinn’s writing is compulsively readable. But then the second half is really angsty mainly because the characters don’t communicate with each other and then there is the non-consensual scene, which ruins the book. (If you want to know more of my thoughts, here’s my full goodreds review)
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (4 stars): I LOVED Kate! and I loved the banter and the whole relationship between Kate and Antony, this was a very entertaining hate to love romance. My main issue is that I didn’t love Antony. He wasn’t terrible, but definitely not the type of hero that makes me swoon. Also, the bee scene was very silly and not in a way that worked for me. I was cringing.
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (4 stars): I really liked Anabelle as a protagonist and the relationship between Sebastian and Anabelle was so delightful. I enjoyed seeing them slowly go from dislike to love, the tension and chemistry between them were so captivating. I think this addressed how perilous Anabelle’s situation as a woman was before getting involved with Sebastian but also because of her involvement with him, and I really appreciated that. I also really liked the way this book included the women’s suffrage movement in the story.
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters (4 stars): I think this book worked so well for me because the pranks weren’t mean, they were fun and entertaining. This book actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Also, I really liked the main characters, their chemistry, and banter. I do think they were a little bit immature but also they grew throughout the book, so I was ok with that. The side characters were amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Shipped by Angie Hockman (3,5 stars): This was a fast, engaging read. But the characters lacked depth. I wish we could have read from his perspective and not only hers, because she was so self-centered and a bit annoying. The banter between the main characters was good and they did have chemistry, but most of the time, when they had conversations with any emotional depth, those conversations were stilted and a bit cringy.
What is your favorite book that you have read in 2021? Was january a good reading month for you?
Hi everyone! this is the start of my favorite books of the year series, I’m doing favorite YA books, favorite adult books and favorite romance books of 2020. The other two posts are coming in the next couple of days.
The last few years I have been reading less and less YA books, they simply don’t appeal to me as much anymore and in 2020 that trend was even more evident than in previous years. So far in 2020, I have read 196 books and out of those only 31 have been YA. Luckly, even when YA represents a small percentage of my reading, I managed to find some amazing YA books to talk about today. When I read YA is usually by Latinx authors and about Latinx characters, so that’s why all of these books were written by Latinx authors.
Withour further ado, here are my top 5 YA books of 2020 from least favorite to my absolute favorite:
When I read this book at the beginning of 2020, it had been a while since the last time a YA fantasy book gripped me the way Incendiary did. This book has an intricate magic system, intriguing characters, complex relationships, twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat, and an ending that left me wanting the sequel immediately. This is a tale of revenge, rebellion, betrayal, and secrets that change everything. (Full review)
This book brought me so much joy and comfort. The main characters are lovable and they have the most adorable and heartwarming romance I read this year. This book manages to be sweet, hopeful, and fun, while still addressing difficult subjects like transphobia, deportation, homelessness, gang violence, and abusive parents. This book does an amazing job of exploring the way transness is viewed and treated in a lot of brown communities, and particularly in the Latinx community; how Trans people are tolerated but not truly accepted. (Full review)
This book is action-packed and entertaining. I love how thorough and interesting the world building in this book is, but what makes this book so captivating and unique is Blazewrath, which is a sport played by teams of dragons and humans, and the Blazewrath games, which are an international sports tournament. The way Amparo Ortiz writes the Blazewrath matches is so incredible, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time while the matches took place, cheering for the Puerto Rican team. (Full review)
This book takes elements that are common in the fantasy genre like an alternate dimension, werewolves, witches, a magical school and a magical sport, and it infuses them with Argentinian folklore and culture, which makes this book unique and captivating. Beyond that, Romina Garber does a great job of addressing important subjects like immigration and the situation that a lot of immigrants face in the United States, as well as sexism and gender essentialism within this magical world and even the Argentinian society. (Full review)
McLemore and Mejia delivered a beautifully written, magical story about two characters learning to be true to themselves. This book has adorable friends to lovers romances, heartwarming friendships, wonderfully complicated siblings’ relationships, a powerful message, and amazing character development. I particularly loved how this book addressed heavier subjects like messed up beauty standards, xenophobia, and homophobia in a way that feels very organic. It doesn’t feel like a lesson on those subjects, it’s more about characters living their lives, encountering these things, and having to process and deal with them. (Full review)
What are your favorite YA books that you read in 2020?
Hi everyone! For day 8 of Blogmas, I want to talk about some books that were released in 2020 and that I didn’t manage to read this year, but they are very high on my tbr for 2021.
Before getting into the books, I thought I’ll share the blogmas content that I have posted so far, in case you missed something:
With that out of the way, here are the 2020 releases that I’m hoping to read in 2021:
Dark Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore: I actually started this book and I was really enjoying it, but I wasn’t completely in the mood for it and wanted to read it when I was most likely to love it. Anna-Marie McLemore wrote one of my favorite books of 2020, Miss Meteor, so I’m excited to read more by them.
Wayward Witch by Zoraida Córdova: I love the Brooklyn Brujas series and I can’t believe this is the last book we are getting. Zoraida Cordova sent me a physical copy of this book, which I’m so grateful for, I got it in November and unfortunately, I already had a planned end of the year tbr, but I’ll be reading this in January.
Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud:I loved the first book so much (my full review), I read as an ARC before it came out so I waited about two years for this book, but once it came out I saw so many mixed reviews, which made me really scared of reading. But it’s definitely happening in 2021 and I hope I love it.
What If A Fish by Anika Fajardo: Colombian representation in MG and YA literature is so uncommon and it’s something I’m always looking for, so I’m excited to read this book. I won this in a giveaway hosted by Latinx Heritage Month Book Festival and the author on Instagram and I’m so grateful to have a physical copy of this book.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley: This sounds like an Agatha Christie book and that’s why I’m excited to read it, even if the reviews have been less than stellar. I love isolated closed-circle mysteries, so I have hope that I’ll like it even if it’s told in an uncommon structure.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: I really like horror books but I have noticed that I don’t really read that many of them and I really want to change that. I was hoping to read this in October but life got in the way, so now it’s on my tbr for Black History Month in February.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mendel: I have been interested in this book for a while, but after finally reading Station Eleven and loving it in October, I can’t wait to read this one. I was going to try to squeeze in December, but I simply don’t have the time, so it’s going to have to wait until early 2021.
Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting: This sounds like the type of hate to love romance that I enjoy, full of bikering and bantering but overall a cute story. This is one of the few romances that I was highly anticipating in 2020 and that I didn’t get to, but I’ll get to it in 2021.
Well Played by Jen DeLuca: I loved the first book in this series of companion novels and I was highly anticipating the release of this book, but the reviews I have seen have been mostly negative, so I’m nervous about reading it and I have been putting it off, but I’ll get to it in 2021.
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins: I started reading historical romance this year, so I just started to pay attention to new releases and this sounds like the perfect mix of mystery and historical romance. I can’t wait to read it!
What 2020 releases are you hoping to read in 2021?
Bookish Wanderess 