This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is #OwnVoices Books. Here’s my list:
(All book covers from Goodreads)
If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!
Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?
Title: The Daughters of Ys
Author: M.T. Anderson, Jo Rioux
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: First Second Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 11, 2020
Rating: ★★★★
An Atlantis-like city from Celtic legend is the setting of this mythical graphic novel fantasy from National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson and artist Jo Rioux.
Ys, city of wealth and wonder, has a history of dark secrets. Queen Malgven used magic to raise the great walls that keep Ys safe from the tumultuous sea. But after the queen’s inexplicable death, her daughters drift apart. Rozenn, the heir to the throne, spends her time on the moors communing with wild animals, while Dahut, the youngest, enjoys the splendors of royal life and is eager to take part in palace intrigue.
When Rozenn and Dahut’s bond is irrevocably changed, the fate of Ys is sealed, exposing the monsters that lurk in plain view. M. T. Anderson and Jo Rioux reimagine this classic Breton folktale of love, loss, and rebirth, revealing the secrets that lie beneath the surface.
Queen Malgven was a sorceress who used magic to protect the city of Ys. After she dies, her two daughters grow apart. Rozenn, the heir, goes to live in the wild with nature, while Dahut stays home, taking over her mother’s magic. Dahut has to use magic to continue protecting the city from the monsters that threaten them.
This story is based on a Celtic legend. I didn’t know that story before reading it, so it was interesting to learn about. There were common elements of legends and myths, such as love, loss, magic, rebirth, and power.
At first, I thought this book is for younger readers, such as middle grade or young adult. With the illustrations and simple dialogue I thought this would teach younger readers about this legend. There were some depictions of sex, which surprised me. The illustrations were also graphic in some violent scenes. It should be read by an older young adult or adult audience.
I enjoyed this graphic novel.
Thank you First Second for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Daughters of Ys? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice.
The Rules are:
I chose Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy.
Here is my line from page 56 in my copy:
“I started my period last summer, and the worst part is how weird it makes my mom. She talks about it all the time!”
Did you make a post for the Friday 56?
Title: Giant Days: Early Registration
Author: John Allison
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 18, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★
Flashback to freshman year with Esther, Susan and Daisy to see how they first met and became the best of friends, in these bonus Giant Days stories.
Take a trip through the past in these early Giant Days stories, and discover the origin of Daisy, Esther and Susan’s friendship as they embark on orientation, getting-to-know-you-exercises, and collisions with a secret society devoted to Black Metal.
Collecting the original, self-published Giant Days comics for the first time, creator John Allison (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) takes us back to where it all started in Giant Days: Early Registration.
Daisy, Esther, and Susan are just starting university in this prequel to Giant Days. They meet when they first move into their residence. Though they have completely different personalities, they get along and become friends quickly.
This is a great prequel to the Giant Days graphic novel series. Daisy, Esther, and Susan are so different, that it’s hard to see how they became friends. Though they had different interests, they respected each other’s decisions and ideas, so they got along well.
This graphic novel was as funny as the other ones. Ed Gemmel was pining over Esther, even though she had other boyfriends. He would do anything she wanted, including go to an emo underground club. Daisy’s awkward behaviour and Susan’s sarcastic quips were also hilarious.
I really enjoyed this Giant Days prequel!
Have you read Giant Days: Early Registration? What did you think of it?
TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.
My pick this week is Fix Her Up (Hot and Hammered #1) by Tessa Bailey.
Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.
Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)
Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)
Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)
Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)
Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?
Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: More Than Maybe
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 21, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.
Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out-of-this-world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?
Luke Greenly is the son of a former British rocker. He hosts a podcast with his twin brother Cullen. Luke has a crush on Vada Carsewell, a girl who works at the bar where they record their podcast. When Luke and Vada get paired up to work on a school project, with Luke writing a song to go with Vada’s choreography, they realize they both like each other. Luke’s secret talent for music is revealed when he is recorded while composing, and the song is released online. Everyone wants to know who the mystery girl is in Luke’s song, and Vada hopes it’s about her.
This was a cute romance. It’s set in the same music world of Erin Hahn’s first novel, You’d Be Mine. A song by Annie Mather, the main character from You’d Be Mine, was mentioned in the book. I liked that the books were connected in that small way, though it isn’t a sequel. I actually liked this book more than You’d Be Mine. I think that’s because I could relate to the rock music references in More Than Maybe more than the country music in the previous book.
The characters were well developed in this story. Even the parents of Vada and Luke had lengthy backgrounds that influenced their children. These backgrounds, that went beyond the story, made the characters seem like real people. The backgrounds of the characters added to the story.
I loved this story! It had an adorable ending!
Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ERIN HAHN is the author of You’d Be Mine and More Than Maybe. She teaches elementary, would rather be outside and makes a lot of playlists. So many playlists in fact, that she decided to write books to match them! She married her very own YA love interest who she met on her first day of college and has two kids who are much, much cooler than she ever was at their age. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, aka the greenest place on earth and has a cat named Gus who plays fetch and a dog named June who doesn’t.
Have you read More Than Maybe? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.
The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is When I Was You by Amber Garza. The expected publication date is August 25, 2020.
You meets Fatal Attraction in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester’s growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name.
It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s pediatrician to confirm her upcoming “well-baby” appointment. It’s a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so alone. The receptionist quickly apologizes: there’s another mother in town named Kelly Medina, and she must have gotten their numbers switched.
But Kelly can’t stop thinking about the woman who shares her name. Lives in her same town. Has a son she can still hold, and her whole life ahead of her. She can’t help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When Kelly just happens to bump into the single mother outside that pediatrician’s office, it’s simple curiosity getting the better of her.
Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose, taking care of this young woman and her adorable baby boy. But that friendship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears, well, the other one may know why.
What books are you waiting on this week?
Title: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky (Dimple and Rishi #3)
Author: Sandhya Menon
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 21, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
The follow-up to When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something about Sweetie follows Pinky and Samir as they pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results.
Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.
Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.
Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.
Pinky is a rebellious, social justice warrior. She’s known for getting in trouble and dating delinquent boys. When the barn at their summer house burns down, her mom immediately thinks Pinky did it, rather than Pinky’s perfect cousin Dolly. To prove that Pinky didn’t do it, she tells her mom she couldn’t have been in the barn with a boy because she has a boyfriend. The only problem is that Pinky has to find a perfect boyfriend to keep up with the lie she told her mom. She invites Samir to stay with them for the summer, when she finds out he didn’t get the law firm internship that he applied for. In exchange for helping Pinky by being her fake boyfriend, Pinky promises Samir that her high powered lawyer mother will give him an internship next year. It all goes according to plan until Pinky and Samir develop real feelings for each other.
This is the perfect summer romance! Pinky was such a fun character. I loved her style, with her rainbow dyed hair. I imagined it as much more rainbow coloured in the story than is pictured on the cover. She was the opposite of clean-cut Samir, who was always dressed up. Even though they were opposites in looks and personalities, they made an adorable couple.
This is the last book in the “Dimple-verse” about these characters. Since Pinky and Samir were away from their hometown of San Francisco, the other characters from past novels didn’t appear in this novel, other than a brief appearance by Ashish. I usually don’t like it when books in a series don’t include all the characters, because they don’t feel connected. However, since Pinky and Samir were away from home in this story, it worked for the plot to not include their friends from home.
I loved this summer romance!
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read 10 Things I Hate About Pinky? 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 Book Events/Festivals I’d Love To Go To. I really miss going to book events during the pandemic! I have been to some of these book festivals, but others I would love to attend one day. Here’s my list:
What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?
Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Jill's Book Blog 