I have wanted to read The Wolf of Oren-Yaro for so long after hearing a lot of great things! When I found out that Shealea @ Caffeine Book Tours is hosting a blog tour for the sequel The Ikessar Falcon, I knew I had to try and join! And well, here we are! I read the two books back-to-back, and let me tell you it was a ride.
Title: Miss Meteor Author:Tehlor Kay Mejia, Anna-Marie McLemore Genre/s and Tags: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age, Romance, Latinx cast, POC reads Content Warnings:Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Bullying Publication date: Septermber 22, 2020 Publisher: Harper Teen Goodreads synopsis:
There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history. But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or why her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands. So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.
Witty and heartfelt with characters that leap off the page, Miss Meteor is acclaimed authors Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s first book together.
Hi book nerds! Today is my tour stop for the #MissMeteorOnTour book tour hosted by Karina @ Afire Pages! I almost didn’t join this blog tour, but seeing the synopsis, the cover, and knowing the fact that it had pansexual rep (and more), I knew I just had to try and join!
Miss Meteor is such a surprise! It combined fantasy and contemporary, friendship and romance, so as a result, it’s chaotic, magical, and absolutely beautiful.
Hello book nerds! Today I’m here to talk about books, and also Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 artists.
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you probably already know about my newfound love for BTS. (I blame the bop that is Dynamite.) I’ve never been a big K-pop fan and I wasn’t into BTS. The only BTS songs I’ve listened to prior to Dynamite are IDOL and Boy with Luv (also bops). But then my sister and I watched the music video for Dynamite, and she taught me their names, and I listened to Dynamite for hours, and then I watched the music video again, then I watched funny videos, and then… well, I think you know what’s happening. It was me becoming a fan.
The thing about BTS that I noticed is that they’re not just your usual boy group. They’re also storytellers (and amazing human beings). As I listened to more and more of their songs, I noticed that there’s always a story behind them, some sort of deeper inspiration, or a significant message they want to put forward. I was in awe of how they can make every song such a great story. (Also, as a former literary writer, I am just in awe of their lyricism!)
So me being the book nerd that I am, I started thinking to myself, what if I matched some of their songs to Young Adult books?
And uuhh… if I make a blogpost recommending YA books based on BTS songs, what then? 😭😂 It started as a joke to myself, but now my mind's really up for it, I'm— pic.twitter.com/zkI3izmPAj
Fast forward today, you’re now reading this blog post! Get comfy because I am about to ramble on. Here are YA Book Recommendations based on several BTS songs!
Title:A Neon Darkness Author: Lauren Shippen Genre/s and tags: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Urban fantasy, LGBTQ+ fiction, POC cast, villain origin story Publisher: Tor Teen Publication date:September 29, 2020 Content warnings: Manipulation, mild/mentions of dubious consent, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, descriptions of torture (electrocution), murder Goodreads synopsis:
The second Bright Sessions novel from creator Lauren Shippen that asks: “What if the X-Men, instead of becoming superheroes, decided to spend some time in therapy?”
Los Angeles, 2006. Eighteen-year-old Robert Gorham arrives in L.A. amid the desert heat and the soft buzz of neon. He came alone with one goal: he wants to see the ocean. And Robert always gets what he wants.
At a very young age, Robert discovered he had the unusual ability to make those close to him want whatever he wants. He wanted dessert instead of dinner? His mother served it. He wanted his Frisbee back? His father walked off the roof to bring it to him faster. He wanted to be alone? They both disappeared. Forever.
But things will be different in L.A. He meets a group of strange friends who could help him. Friends who can do things like produce flames without flint, conduct electricity with their hands, and see visions of the past. They call themselves Unusuals and finally, finally, Robert belongs.
When a tall figure, immune to their powers, discovers them, the first family that Robert has ever wanted is at risk of being destroyed. The only way to keep them all together is to get his powers under control.
But control is a sacrifice he might not be willing to make.
A Neon Darkness is the origin story of Damien and the second stand-alone story in the Bright Sessions Novels.
I received an e-arc from TorTeen via NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you Tor Teen!
The second book in The Bright Sessions is here! Now this may be a second novel in the series, but it can stand alone on its own. Now, I’ve had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series last year and I loved it. So when I saw the cover and the synopsis of A Neon Darkness, I couldn’t keep my excitement! Fortunately, I was approved of the e-arc!
A Neon Darkness is a slow and gripping origin story that will have you immersed in your thoughts and emotions.
Title:Furia Author: Yamile Saied Mendez Genre/s and tags: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, OwnVoices, POC (Latinx) Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers Publication date:September 15, 2020 Content warnings: Domestic abuse, misogynist views, femicide Goodreads synopsis:
An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.
In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.
At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.
On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.
But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.
I received an e-arc from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for honest review. Thank you Algonquin Young Readers!
A few weeks ago, Algonquin Young Readers reached out to me and asked if I’m interested in an e-arc of Furia! A Latinx #ownvoices story about a rising female football star who wants to follow her dreams? I was instantly interested!
Furia is a heartwarming and inspiring #ownvoices novel about trying to reach for your dreams no matter how much people and the society tells you no.
