Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Shorter musings of some recent reads. The Education of Margot Sanchez  by Lilliam Rivera Margot's voice is perfectly teen. She is self-absorbed yet open to learning more about the world around her. She is consumed by petty goals and desires yet has a real desperate need to figure out what she's truly meant to do and live for. She is both shallow and deep. She is incredibly real and the situations she finds herself in are very much typical teen problems. The cover makes this book seem like it might be edgier than it actually is. Margot's family has some serious problems, and part of her journey is learning to navigate those as well as her own social circle's dramas. It all comes together very well. Highly recommended. The Star Touched Queen  by Roshani Chokshi I was pulled into the beginning of this one. I enjoyed Maya as a main character and found myself really looking forward to her journey and the use of Indian folklore and mythology. The middle got to be a bit ...

Since Waiting on Wednesday is no longer linking, I am starting my own feature that I will probably do once a month to highlight 1-3 upcoming releases I'm excited for. If you are interested in joining me for this, let me know and I can make it more formal with a linky and an actual schedule.  This is technically an ALREADY favorite, but I feel like I haven't done enough to bring attention to the fact that  A Face Like Glass  FINALLY has a US release date. This is my favorite Hardinge novel and I've never been able to figure out why it is the one book she's written not available here. Well fear not Americans, as of May, you can easily procure a copy.  In the underground city of Caverna, the world’s most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare—wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. On the surface, the people...

Top Ten Tuesday  is a Meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish This week's TTT topic: Most Unique Books I've Read All of these fall under the umbrella of Speculative Fiction, and for most of them their uniqueness lies in their world-building.  What unique books are your favorites?

Here are some shorter musings of recent reads. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground  by Rita Williams Garcia Clayton is an excellent main character. He is grieving the death of his grandfather and trying to navigate all those emotions while his mom is dealing with it in exactly the opposite way he needs. The inter-generational struggles here and how we carry the baggage of disappointing relationships into new ones is explored in a way that the target audience can take in. I think this could have been a truly extraordinary book, but (and I can't believe I'm saying this) it was too short. The last quarter of the book is packed with too much action and emotion with a rushed resolution that fives the reader no time to process it. Crushing It  by Joanne Levy This is a fun, lighthearted romantic MG read. Yes. Romantic. MG readers often want those too and this is perfect for the age range. It is a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, which the audience isn't going to know or care about...

It is time for the Quarterly Review Round-Up where I talk about the best of the best, the one's I couldn't finish, and the adult novels I'm reading that I don't review here. The DNFs (links to my reasons why-if I shared them-on Goodreads): Caraval  by Stephanie Garber Dreamland Burning  by Jennifer Latham Adult Books (links to reviews on Goodreads): A Baby for Easter  by Noelle Adams (contemporary fantasy) Congress of Secrets  by Stephanie Burgis (historical fantasy) First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan (contemporary romance) A Crown of Bitter Orange  by Laura Florand (contemporary romance) Forever a Soldier  by Genevieve Turner (contemporary romance) Iris After the Incident  by Mina V. Esguerra (contemporary romance) Only You by Denise Grover Swank (contemporary romance) Pretty Face  by Lucy Parker (contemporary romance) Rise by Karina Bliss (contemporary romance) Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (historical rom...

The Hate U Give  by Angie Thomas was one of the most anticipated releases in the YA community this year, if not  the  most anticipated. There was a lot of press prior to its release. It had its own hashtag. Since its release, its been on the NY Times Best Seller List. When a book is talked about this much, it is sometimes easy for me to think my voice is superfluous. How is it possible anyone would  not  know about this book? Then I remember that a good chunk of my blog readership aren't in the know when it comes to everything that is going on in publishing. They are kids and parents just looking for good books. And do I want them to know about this book and read it. I believe this should be required reading for everyone, but since I don't have that power, I can only hope to  convince people of the need to read it here. Let me start by saying Angie Thomas earned every bit of press, praise, and accolade this book has and will receive. Starr Carter is a 1...

Top Ten Tuesday  is a Meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish This week's TTT topic: Books I Read in One Sitting Sometimes you know a book is going to take you out of the world with no desire to return anytime soon. Others you start reading and are taken by surprise at how much you don't want to put them down ever. For me these sort of books result in my kids eating PB&J for dinner and watching too much TV. Both can lead to lack of sleep as even when I'm expecting a book to pull me in, the only time I can carve out to read it one sitting is late at night. Here are my favorite books (some I knew to set aside time for and some that took me by surprise) that I read in one sitting on the first read. I intentionally set aside time for: I accidentally read in one sitting causing major disruption (but oh so worth it): *It should be noted that The King of Attolia actually falls into both categories. I knew I was going to want to read it in one...