This meme is hosted by Lainey from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Favourite SFF (Science Fiction/Fantasy) Creatures. Here’s my list:
(All images from Goodreads)
What are your favourite SFF creatures?
Title: Chicken Girl
Author: Heather Smith
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Everybody has a story that will break your heart; a poignant coming-of-age YA for fans of David Arnold, from the author of the acclaimed The Agony of Bun O’Keefe, a Kirkus Best of the Year selection.
Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she’s having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
This is an amazingly powerful story.
This story was set in Canada. There was a reference to the restaurant Swiss Chalet, which I was so excited about! Swiss Chalet is a rotisserie chicken restaurant in Canada. Usually, there are references to Tim Horton’s which point to Canada, but that is kind of cliche nowadays. The mention of Swiss Chalet was way more accurate and original!
There is a lot of gender diversity in this story. Poppy’s twin brother is gay. She meets a group of homeless people who live under a bridge, which includes a transgender teenage boy. One thing I loved about this story is that Poppy made mistakes while talking to both boys. For example, she asked Lewis what his name was before he became a boy. He told her that was the wrong thing to ask. Most people who don’t have experience with trans people wouldn’t know that, and Poppy reflected that ignorance.
This is a character driven novel, which I don’t typically like, but these characters were so heartbreaking, I couldn’t help but feel for them. My favourite character was Miracle, a six year old girl whose mother was a prostitute. Miracle spends time with the homeless men under the bridge while her mother worked at night. She was so innocent and impressionable, and she was brutally honest at times. I just loved her!
I loved this amazing story! I’m looking forward to seeing the reception of this book, because I think it will become a modern classic.
Have you read Chicken Girl? What did you think of it?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Characters I’d Like to Switch Places With. This was a difficult list, because so many of these characters go through difficult situations in their books, so I’m listing the characters I’d switch places with at the end of their book/series. Here’s my list:
(All photos taken from Goodreads)
This is my unboxing of the On the Come Up Indigo Book Box.
I’m so excited about this book sleeve! I had to use it right away! There are also two amazing pins that go with the book.
This is the signed edition of the book. I love it and I can’t wait to read it!
Did you get this box or the book? What did you think of it?
Title: The Revenge of Magic (The Revenge of Magic #1)
Author: James Riley
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
When long-dead magical creatures are discovered all around the world, each buried with a book of magic, only children can unlock the dangerous power of the books in this start to a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Timesbestselling Story Thieves!
Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of dragons. Only those born after “Discovery Day” have the power to use the magic.
Now, on a vacation to Washington, DC, Fort Fitzgerald’s father is lost when a giant creature bursts through the earth, attacking the city. Fort is devastated, until an opportunity for justice arrives six months later, when a man named Dr. Opps invites Fort to a government run school, the Oppenheimer School, to learn magic from those same books.
But life’s no easier at the school, where secrets abound. What does Jia, Fort’s tutor, know about the attacks? Why does Rachel, master of destructive magic, think Fort is out to destroy the school? And why is Fort seeing memories of an expelled girl every time he goes to sleep? If Fort doesn’t find out what’s hiding within the Oppenheimer School, more attacks will come, and this time, nothing will stop them!
This is a great start to a new middle grade fantasy series!
At first, I thought I could predict what would happen in this book. It reminded me of Rick Riordan stories, where there is a big event that happens to the main character, causing them to find their mysterious powers. However, I couldn’t have predicted the rest of the story!
This story was so exciting. There was a lot more to the story than what happened in this book. There were events leading up to the monster attack at the beginning of the story, which we just learn a little about at the end. It was just a taste of some world building, which I’m so excited to read about!
I loved this story, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
Have you read The Revenge of Magic? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
This weekend I finished Chicken Girl by Heather Smith.
I’m currently reading Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi.
Next I will be reading The Au Pair by Emma Rous.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
This is my unboxing of the King of Scars Indigo Book Box!
I love the King of Scars travel mug! There was also a Corporalki pin from the GrishaVerse. I also love the hand cream in the box!
This is the beautiful, signed book. It was an amazing story! You can find my review for it here.
Did you get this box or read the book? What did you think of it?
Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:
I did 9 weekly blogging memes:
I also did 5 unboxing posts:
How was your week? What did you guys read?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading Chicken Girl by Heather Smith.
Everybody has a story that will break your heart; a poignant coming-of-age YA for fans of David Arnold, from the author of the acclaimed The Agony of Bun O’Keefe, a Kirkus Best of the Year selection.
Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she’s having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.
What book are you in bed with today?
This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Favourite Author. Here is a list of my favourite authors:
Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Favourite Authors?
(All images from Goodreads)
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