Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:
I did 9 weekly blogging memes:
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 The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox.
A town gripped by fear. A woman accused of witchcraft. Who can save Pale Harbor from itself?
Maine, 1846. Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife’s death, so he moves to Maine, taking a position as a minister in the remote village of Pale Harbor.
But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople claim that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a reclusive widow who lives with a spinster maid in the eerie Castle Carver. Sophronia must be a witch, and she almost certainly killed her husband.
As the incidents escalate, one thing becomes clear: they are the work of a twisted person inspired by the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And Gabriel must find answers, or Pale Harbor will suffer a fate worthy of Poe’s darkest tales.
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 Schools I’d Love to Go to. Here’s my list:
Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Schools You’d Like to Go to?
Title: The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce
Author: Angie Manfredi (editor)
Genre: Young Adult, Nonfiction
Publisher: Abrams Kids
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
The definitive collection of art, poetry, and prose, celebrating fat acceptance
Chubby. Curvy. Fluffy. Plus-size. Thick. Fat. The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines personal essays, prose, poetry, fashion tips, and art to create a relatable and attractive guide about body image and body positivity. This YA crossover anthology is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a guide for navigating our world with confidence and courage.
I absolutely loved this book!
Often when I read collections of essays or stories by a variety of authors, I like a few of the pieces but not all of them. I loved every essay and piece of work in this collection. I could relate to most of them, and I learned new things from the ones I couldn’t relate to.
This collection is so important. It isn’t just for fat readers. Everyone can benefit from reading this book, because it gives a glimpse into the lives of fat people. Being fat is treated as even worse than other traits. When sexist and racist jokes aren’t allowed in mainstream media today, fat jokes still remain. This may be because people think you can change your weight easier than you can change your skin colour or gender. However, this is not always the case.
I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book. It really means a lot to me! I would have loved to have read it when I was a fat teenager. I hope this book gets the recognition it deserves!
Thank you Abrams Kids for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read The (Other) F Word? What did you think of it?
P.S. Stay tuned for a special giveaway related to this book coming soon!
This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
I had a wish granted for a book on NetGalley from BOOM! Studios:
I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Pan Macmillan:
I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Amulet:
Thank you BOOM! Studios, Pan Macmillan, and Amulet for these books!
What books did you get this week?
Title: Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw
Author: Laurie Forest, Andrea Bell
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Rating: ★★★
Robin Loxley, the 5th grade outlaw of Nottingham Elementary, tells all! From Epic! Originals comes a comic-inspired illustrated novel series that treats growing up as an adventure.
Fifth grade has just started, and the school bully, Nadia, already rules recess with an unfair Playground Tax. Robin refuses to be pushed around, but all she can think about is winning back her best friend, Mary Ann, after a disastrous fallout over the summer. To do so, she will have to stand up to Nadia, face the wrath of Assistant Principal Johnson, and become a legendary outlaw at Nottingham Elementary—all while forming a merry band of new friends along the way.
This story is a retelling of Robin Hood, in a middle school setting.
A lot of the elements in the story were exaggerated to reinforce the story of Robin Hood. The main character was a girl named Robin who was literally wearing a hoodie all the time. The school had a currency that students could earn when they did well on assignments. However, a mean girl named Nadia ended up creating a playground tax so she could steal everyone’s money. It was a silly way of giving Robin a way to “steal” from the bully to give the students their money back.
There was a lot of bullying in this story. Nadia was a girl who picked on Robin and stole from other students. Even the staff bullied kids. I don’t know how they wouldn’t have noticed what was happening on the playground. There was too much bullying without enough redemption at the end.
Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Diary of a 5th Grade Outlaw? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.
Here are my first lines:
“Well, I have two names. That’s what I say when people ask me what my middle name is. I say: Well, I have two names.”
Do you recognize these first lines?
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And the book is… Frankly in Love by David Yoon.
High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.
Have you read Frankly in Love? What did you think of it?
Title: Broken Strings
Author: Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Puffin Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
A violin and a middle-school musical unleash a dark family secret in this moving story by an award-winning author duo. For fans of The Devil’s Arithmetic and Hana’s Suitcase.
It’s 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers — and the death of her beloved grandmother — Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she’s been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her “husband” is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school.
Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather’s attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner — strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.
This story takes place a few months after 9/11, so it is appropriate that it was released the day before September 11, 2019.
There was a lot of past trauma explored in this story. Shirli’s grandfather survived the Holocaust, but he never spoke about his experience at Auschwitz. Shirli is now living in a world where everyone is suspicious of people with brown skin, because they may be Muslim. Though the Holocaust and 9/11 were different events, they both left people discriminated against because of their religion.
This story made me tear up a few times. Shirli’s grandfather’s experience at Aushwitz was difficult to read, but it is an important part of history that everyone should know. This was a very powerful story!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Broken Strings? 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 The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.
Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.
Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
Title: A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.
Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.
When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.
Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.
I loved this spooky story about a house coming to life.
A lot of this story is told through memories. Violet’s father passes away at the beginning of the story, but there are many memories of him at the house throughout the story. The house, Burleigh, shows Violet memories as a way to communicate with her. It was a creative way for the House to help Violet on her quest.
The way that the house would come to life was quite creepy. There was a lot of description of the way its mortar would become a part of the people inside the house. It started as a fairytale type story, with the house communicating with Violet, but it became dark by the end.
The ending of the story had so much tension. I kept holding my breath because I didn’t know what was going to happen. The final events lasted many pages, which created a lot of anticipation.
This is a great story to read in the fall!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Treason of Thorns? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 