Tag: discussion

New Release Awareness | Discussion

Posted July 10, 2019 in Discussions / 7 Comments
New Release Awareness | Discussion

I’m certainly not the first person in the YA book blogging world to lament the lack of attention many YA titles get when it comes to marketing and release hype, but it really stood out to me recently while reading an ARC I quite enjoyed. I picked up the ARC at ALA Midwinter this year on a total whim- I just saw it sitting in a stack on the publisher’s booth, but there was no signage or advertising for it and no one pitching it or even grabbing it. So I decided to pick it up because I liked the […]


Why Are 4 Star Ratings So Common? (For Me, at Least!)

Posted July 3, 2019 in Discussions / 10 Comments
Why Are 4 Star Ratings So Common? (For Me, at Least!)

After returning from my honeymoon, I had a lot of catching up to do in all of my bookish spreadsheets where I track my reading data. As I went through and entered about 2 months worth of reading history, I realized that I was rating SO many books 4 stars. Star ratings have always been a controversial topic in the book blogging world, with some bloggers forgoing them all together and others having completely different criteria for the numeric value they give a book. I decided to take a look at my prior year’s star rating history to see if […]


Thoughts on “Clean” Young Adult Literature

Posted March 20, 2019 in Discussions / 6 Comments
Thoughts on “Clean” Young Adult Literature

Over the course of the last few months, I’ve seen quite a bit of talk online about “clean” YA, and keeping YA safe for teens. Now, I know YA is primarily FOR teens but more adults are buying it and therefore the content is being skewed a bit more mature to cater to the adult readers (which is a whole different discussion) but I often take issue with what constitutes YA as “clean.” There seems to be an overwhelming aversion to any sort of physical intimacy or cursing but an alarmingly high tolerance for violence. I happened across a website […]


When You Just Can’t Commit | Finding the Energy and Time to Devote to Longer Books

Posted July 26, 2017 in Discussions / 29 Comments
When You Just Can’t Commit | Finding the Energy and Time to Devote to Longer Books

I’ve always proudly said that I’ve always preferred paranormal and fantasy books over contemporaries. I loved getting swept away by the magic, the alternate universes, and the sheer creativity of them. My favorite books/series of all time are usually rooted in the fantasy genres (ACOTAR, Harry Potter, etc.) but I’ve noticed a rather disturbing trend- the older, and busier, I get, the more I reach for contemporary novels. I think this has less to do with the genre itself but rather with the fact that those epic fantasy tales are always so. damn. long. I used to breeze through a […]


YA For Different Ages | The Wide Age Spectrum of Young Adult Literature

Posted June 28, 2017 in Discussions / 25 Comments
YA For Different Ages | The Wide Age Spectrum of Young Adult Literature

As a YA reader that started reading the genre when I was nine and am now currently in my mid twenties, I’ve seen the genre evolve and expand in so many ways. I remember constantly rereading my favorite YA series (The Princess Diaries, The A-List, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, etc.) because new books weren’t coming out fast enough to keep up with my reading habits. Now my problem has become quite the opposite- there’s more YA books coming out every year than I will ever have time to read. However, one thing that amazes me is how expansive […]


How Much Are You Reading Annually?

Posted April 20, 2017 in Discussions / 40 Comments
How Much Are You Reading Annually?

Lately I’ve noticed more and more emails from Goodreads popping up in my inbox surrounding my reading progress for 2017. It had been a few weeks since I had finished a book, and I received an email about my reading challenge. I then finished two books and each time I marked a book as “read,” I received another email. While I didn’t find all aspects of these emails troubling (in fact, I enjoyed that it linked to some of my GR friend’s reviews because I love checking out what my fellow bloggers think of books after I read them!) I […]


The Importance of Personal Aesthetic in Literature

Posted May 11, 2016 in Discussions / 19 Comments
The Importance of Personal Aesthetic in Literature

There are so many elements I love about the young adult genre, especially themes such as acceptance, self-exploration, and the valuation of personality over aesthetic. However, it’s also come to my attention that in some ways the genre has tried so hard to elevate the normal protagonist or fight for the underdog that it’s created inverse stereotypes in order to break others: pretty girls are mean girls, wealthy people are evil, privileged people don’t have problems, those who care about their appearance are vain and shallow (generalizations, but you see the point). The breaking of stereotypes in favor of implementing […]


The Science of Swooning

Posted March 28, 2016 in Discussions / 11 Comments
The Science of Swooning

Like most YA book bloggers, I read a LOT of books within the same genre. Sure, I read a lot of sub-genres within Young Adult (fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, etc), but the I read so much from the overarching Young Adult genre that sometimes I worry that I am becoming desensitized to certain elements, particularly my level of investment and intrigue in the romantic relationships. I feel like lately I tend to miss out on the emotions that these relationships are supposed to evoke, and I had come to the conclusion that I either: Was outgrowing these relationships now that I’m […]


Bookish Standards: What Do You Consider Acceptable Physical Conditions?

Posted March 7, 2016 in Discussions / 34 Comments
Bookish Standards: What Do You Consider Acceptable Physical Conditions?

As a book blogger and lifelong voracious reader, I’ve always purchased a lot of books from various vendors. Many of my book purchases are made online, as they fit into my budget and the delivery method is convenient for my busy schedule. However, I find that more often than I’d like, my books come in semi-damaged condition that I cannot control since I am not picking them out myself (I am totally that person who checks every single copy at a bookstore to ensure I’m purchasing the most flawless one). I don’t crack spines, don’t dog ear pages, etc. so […]


Considering My Culture When Reading

Posted January 13, 2016 in Discussions / 20 Comments
Considering My Culture When Reading

This past weekend I came across a School Library Journal article about the Pura Belpré award, which is given to outstanding literature for young people written by Latino authors living in the United States, which focuses on the Latino cultural experience. The award this year will be awarded at the ALA Annual conference over the summer. This article and award resonated with me, as I realized that since graduating from college I haven’t been exposed to as much culturally diverse literature, especially that of my own Latino heritage. While not something that’s always apparent upon my appearance, I am of […]