Month: August 2015

From Plot to Personal: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith

Posted August 26, 2015 in Features, Plot to Personal, Reviews / 2 Comments
From Plot to Personal: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between deals with the dilemma that so many young couples face upon graduating from high school: to break up or not to break up. Over the course of one evening, Jennifer E. Smith’s novel explores Aiden and Clare’s last night in their hometown before they embark on their journeys to colleges on opposite coasts. The premise of this novel really struck me because I was in the exact same position when I was there age. I was in a happy relationship and had been for about two years, was going away to school a significant […]


ARC August Recap: When Life Happens

Posted August 23, 2015 in Challenges, Readalongs/Readathons / 9 Comments
ARC August Recap: When Life Happens

ARC August is hosted by Read. Sleep. Repeat. and this is its third year. The goal is to tackle some of the ARCs on your TBR in a fun and low-key challenge environment. So Sometimes This Little Thing Called Life Happens… In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been quieter than normal over here the past week (and by quiet, I mean I’ve only posted once). That’s because this month I’ve encountered some major life changes, including starting a new job in a new city, moving into a temporary living situation, and hunting for permanent housing to accommodate my new work […]


Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon | ARC Review

Posted August 17, 2015 in Reviews / 14 Comments
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon | ARC Review

My Review “You’re not living if you’re not regretting.”-pg 186 Everything, Everything was quiet in its execution but deafening in its impact. It’s the story of Madeline Whittier, who lives in her white room with her white furniture in her white clothes and eats her white food. She’s trapped due to the fragile nature of her own body, struck with an auto-immune disorder that makes the outside world one giant disease. Madeline’s story is one of what ifs: What if she wasn’t sick? What if she could go outside? What if she could go to school like a normal kid? […]


Don’t Be Author Shy: 5 Tips For Talking To Authors At Events

Posted August 13, 2015 in Features / 14 Comments
Don’t Be Author Shy: 5 Tips For Talking To Authors At Events

Recently on Twitter, the lovely Nova from Out of Time Book Blog asked for advice on talking to authors at events. While I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, I immediately set about crafting a post because I’ve recently had quite a few author meet and greets. At the beginning of 2015 I hadn’t met any YA authors, and by August I’ve met dozens: Morgan Matson, Marissa Meyer, Leigh Bardugo, Stephanie Perkins, etc (Thanks YALLWEST and ALA for the opportunities!) I’m sharing some of my go-to conversation starter tips when meeting authors that help when you’re dealing […]


Mini Reviews: My Life Next Door and What Happened to Goodbye

Posted August 12, 2015 in Reviews / 9 Comments
Mini Reviews: My Life Next Door and What Happened to Goodbye

Feeling like one of the only bloggers who had yet to read and love Huntley Fitzpatrick’s debut novel, I eagerly started it while on my vacation this summer. I expected a light, fluffy read with perhaps some slight shades of dysfunction, similar to a Sarah Dessen novel. However, I found My Life Next Door to be much more nuanced than I anticipated and found it really lived up to the hype and expectations I had for it. While the book is often primarily seen as a romance, and the romance is very present and very well done, this book managed […]


Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly | ARC Review

Posted August 10, 2015 in Reviews / 6 Comments
Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly | ARC Review

My Review When I was pitched Trouble is a Friend of Mine at ALA, I was pleasantly surprised to learn in was a YA mystery. I am a HUGE Nancy Drew fan, and when I began the book and it took place in a town called River Heights (that’s Nancy Drew’s iconic neighborhood from the famous series) my expectations were set high. Instead, I found this book to be ridiculous and zany, full of plot holes and irritating characterization. Let’s start with the obvious thing that needs to be addressed: Digby. Digby is supposed to be the enigma of the […]


The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle | ARC Review

Posted August 5, 2015 in ARCs, Reviews / 16 Comments
The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle | ARC Review

So let’s raise our glasses to the accident season, To the river beneath us where we sink our souls, To the bruises and secrets, to the ghosts in the ceiling, One more drink for the watery road. If there’s one word to describe The Accident Season, it’s atmospheric. Set in Ireland, it follows a family that suffers unfortunate events (everything from scrapes and bruises to deaths) every October, despite their best precautions. It’s a refreshingly unique premise for a YA novel, and while I was anticipating horror, what the storyline evokes instead is a unique sort of whimsical eeriness. The […]


Month in Review: July 2015

Posted August 4, 2015 in Month In Review / 10 Comments
Month in Review: July 2015

  Books I Read This Month: Reviews This Month: The Royal We (4.5 Stars) Made You Up (2.5 Stars) The Winner’s Crime (3 Stars) Ready Player One (4 Stars) Stats: Total Books Read: 7 Total Novellas Read: 0 Rereads: 0 Favorite Book Read This Month: Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy. It’s seriously amazing! Read it/pre-order it and you won’t regret it! Least Favorite Book Read This Month: Made You Up by Francesca Zappia. I had such high hopes for this one, but it fell flat for me. Book that Most Surprised Me This Month: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. What a […]