Source: ALA

Mini Reviews: The Silver Blonde and Killing November

Posted January 17, 2022 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I’ve really been enjoying historical fiction the past few years, so when I heard about The Silver Blonde I was excited to add another title to my TBR! I was also curious as I hadn’t read anything set in post WWII Los Angeles and was intrigued to see how the entertainment industry was impacted by the war, especially in the context of a mystery. This story had a lot of interesting elements going on- a mystery, an exploration of the film industry in the aftermath of WWII, the German immigrant experience in America after the war, the journey of women […]

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L Armentrout | Someone Call High School Cristina

Posted September 21, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

White Hot Kiss is the first book I picked up for Lauren’s Rainbow Try a Chapter Unhaul Challenge for 2020, which has the basic premise of forcing you to chose 1-2 books per month of a certain color and reading the first chapter. If you are engaged, you have to keep reading it and finish it that month, and if you don’t you have to unhaul the book. January’s color was white and I actually don’t have that many white books on my physical TBR, but my copy of White Hot Kiss is the original white cover so I decided […]

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka | ARC Review

Posted April 6, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

There’s no denying what a stunning cover If I’m Being Honest has, and it’s what initially drew me to the novel despite my hesitation toward all things Shakespeare (I am personally not a fan of The Bard, and this is supposed to be a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew). I was surprised to find that despite it’s premise, I really enjoyed this story and found it a fast and fun contemporary that I read in just a few sittings. Right from the synopsis, readers are made aware that they are getting an unlikable- or at least difficult- protagonist. […]

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling | ARC Review

Posted October 14, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I am a huge fan of witches in paranormal fiction, and I honestly feel like they don’t get the attention they deserve! So when I heard that These Witches Don’t Burn not only focused on teenage witches but was also set in Salem, I HAD to read it. I was lucky enough to grab a copy of ALA and saved it for the fall as the perfect witchy read. The world of These Witches Don’t Burn divides witches into three categories: Caster Witches, Elemental Witches, and Blood Witches. Hannah, the protagonist, comes from a family of Elementals who are part […]

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine | ARC Review

Posted September 9, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine immediately caught my eye at ALA midwinter this year because of its striking cover. I had never heard of it before, but it was GORGEOUS and I knew I had to add it to my TBR immediately. With a release date 8 months in the future, I saved it as one of my special reads for the end of the summer season. When I finally picked it up over the Labor Day holiday weekend it did NOT disappoint, and is easily one of my favorite contemporary reads of the year. I was thrilled by the format […]

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review

Posted August 19, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 5 Comments

I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling. In fact, most of my all time favorite fantasy novels are Beauty and the Beast retellings (ACOTAR, Cruel Beauty, etc), so I had pretty high hopes going into A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Coupled with the fact that it merges a fantasy world with the modern world, I knew I was going to enjoy my first reading experience with Brigid Kemmerer’s work. As with any Beauty and the Beast retelling, the story follows an intelligent and young protagonist, Harper, who is taken against her will from her home of Washington […]

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay | ARC Review

Posted July 29, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

Patron Saints of Nothing was brought to my attention by the lovely Mel to the Any, so when I attended ALA midwinter this year I couldn’t resist picking up a copy, especially after seeing the striking cover. Though I myself am not Filipino, my husband’s family is and I am making an effort to read more diversely and learn more about his Filipino heritage, so I was excited to read this title that not only explored the experience of a Filipino-American protagonist, but actually explored the current state of the Philippines as well when the protagonist visits his birth country […]

Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg | ARC Review

Posted July 1, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I didn’t know much about Past Perfect Life when I saw it sitting inconspicuously at a booth at ALA this winter. The cover was interesting and I heard it compared to Far From the Tree by Robin Benway (a phenomenal book) so I decided to pick it up and try it out. I’m so glad I did, because I flew through Past Perfect Life in less than 24 hours and was fully immersed in the tale of Allison Smith and how her life is completely destroyed and rebuilt by the simple action of submitting her college applications. Things I Enjoyed: […]

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo | ARC Review

Posted June 17, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 2 Comments

Though Maurene Goo’s novels have never been all time favorites of mine, she always writes cute, fun stories (with delicious descriptions of food) that have plucky protagonists and much needed Asian representation. When I heard the premise for Somewhere Only We Know featured a K-pop star, I was super intrigued, as K-pop has definitely been taking the US by storm the past few years (and who doesn’t love a good celebrity and normal person relationship??) Unfortunately, Somewhere Only We Know missed the mark for me, and ended up my least favorite of the author’s novels. There’s a lot that this […]

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo | ARC Review

Posted June 3, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 4 Comments

Isn’t it just the best feeling when a book that you’ve been HIGHLY anticipating lives up to your expectations? That was my experience when reading With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo. I initially swooned over the gorgeous cover and the fact that it featured a Latinx protagonist, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the writing since the author was new to me and I’d heard her previous book was more poetry-focused. However, I almost immediately fell in love with this story of a resilient teen who balances the challenges thrown her way with grace and heart. […]