THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Pocket Books | February 1, 1999

     The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
     A #1 New York Times best seller for more than a year, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (2000) and Best Book for Reluctant Readers (2000), and with millions of copies in print, this novel for teen readers (or “wallflowers” of more-advanced age) will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps feel nostalgic for those moments when you, too, tiptoed onto the dance floor of life.

AUDIOBOOK BINGE

I mentioned in a previous post that I have a Scribd 30-day free subscription, totally recommend it if you haven't used it already. Because of this subscription, I was was able to prune my TBR and give audiobooks another try. In my Call Me By Your Name review, I mentioned my abhorrence towards audiobooks and the book. I think I had a poor experience because the book was not my cup of tea, and because of the narrator, sorry Armie... The narrators of my recent audiobooks do voices, which made distinguishing the characters easy. Though, I still had an active listening/reading problem. I made a hasty conclusion about audiobooks after one bad experience, which was my mistake: audiobooks are great, especially on public transportation!

SUMMER BIRD BLUE

Summer Bird Blue
by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Simon Pulse | September 11, 2018

     Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea.
     Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. With the help of the “boys next door”—a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago—Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.

THIS WAS SO FREAKING ADORABLE

Eliza and Her Monsters

by Francesca Zappia

Greenwillow Books | May 30, 2017

      Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.
      In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.
      Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.
      But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

THE FAVORITE BOOK OF 2019?!

The Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Harcourt | 1982

      Set in the deep American South between the wars, it is the tale of Celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls 'father', she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery, singer and magic-maker - a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually, Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.

CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S RIGHT

The Lady of the Camellias
by Alexandre Dumas Fils
D. Appleton & Co.

       One of the greatest love stories of all time, this novel has fascinated generations of readers. Dumas's subtle and moving portrait of a woman in love is based on his own love affair with one of the most desirable courtesans in Paris. 

Minor and Short Spoiler At The End

UNEXPECTEDLY SURPRISED

The Leading Edge of Now
by Marci Lyn Curtis
Kids Can Press | September 2, 2018

        Just when Grace is beginning to get used to being an orphan, her estranged uncle suddenly comes forward to claim her. That might have been okay if he'd spoken to her even once since her father died. Or if moving in with Uncle Rusty didn't mean returning to New Harbor.
        Grace once spent the best summers of her life in New Harbor. Now the place just reminds her of all she's lost: her best friend, her boyfriend and any memory of the night that changed her forever.
        People say the truth will set you free, but Grace isn't sure about that. Once she starts looking for it, the truth about that night is hard to find --- and what happens when her healing hurts the people she cares about the most?
        Marci Lyn Curtis, the critically acclaimed author of The One Thing, has crafted an honest and emotional story that will resonate with the wide range of readers impacted by sexual assault.
        Sexual assault does not define this story, however, just as it does not define Grace. Wry humor and true love emerge as Grace, like many in the #MeToo era, seeks to find her truth, face her truth, and speak her truth.

AUDIOBOOKS / CALL ME BY YOUR NAME REVIEW

I listened to Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman and narrated by Armie Hammer because I absolutely loved the film. The film was incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking. I suggest you watch it if you haven't already. Chalamet delivers a raw and powerful performance. Since I loved the movie so much, I took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: to try audiobooks and to read the book. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the experience.

FIRST REREAD OF 2018 | PAPER TOWNS

This year, I plan to reread the books on my shelf-mainly the ones I have mixed feelings with. Last year, I had a first-world book nerd problem-I own a lot of books I don't like and probably don't need. After determining my feelings, I will decide to keep, sell, or donate certain books. 

Paper Towns
by John Green
Speak | October 16, 2008

       Who is the real Margo?
       Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

 

ANOTHER ARISTOTLE AND DANTE REVIEW

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Simon & Schuster | February 21, 2012

      Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

 

I don't know if you're aware, but my former co-blogger has written a review for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. You can check her review by clicking this link, her review.

POSSIBLY THE BEST COHO BOOK EVER

It Ends with Us
by Colleen Hoover
Atria Books | August 2, 2016
DON'T READ SYNOPSIS! Best to go in blind.

        Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up-she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
        Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
        As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan-her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

WE COULD BE BEAUTIFUL | REVIEW

We Could Be Beautiful

by Swan Huntley
Doubleday | June 28, 2016
ARC Copy Courtesy of Publisher

        A spellbinding psychological debut novel, Swan Huntley’s We Could Be Beautiful is the story of a wealthy woman who has everything—and yet can trust no one.
        Catherine West has spent her entire life surrounded by beautiful things. She owns an immaculate Manhattan apartment, she collects fine art, she buys exquisite handbags and clothing, and she constantly redecorates her home. And yet, despite all this, she still feels empty. She sees her personal trainer, she gets weekly massages, and occasionally she visits her mother and sister on the Upper East Side, but after two broken engagements and boyfriends who wanted only her money, she is haunted by the fear that she’ll never have a family of her own. One night, at an art opening, Catherine meets William Stockton, a handsome man who shares her impeccable taste and love of beauty. He is educated, elegant, and even has a personal connection—his parents and Catherine’s parents were friends years ago. But as he and Catherine grow closer, she begins to encounter strange signs, and her mother, Elizabeth (now suffering from Alzheimer’s), seems to have only bad memories of William as a boy. In Elizabeth’s old diary she finds an unnerving letter from a former nanny that cryptically reads: “We cannot trust anyone…” Is William lying about his past? And if so, is Catherine willing to sacrifice their beautiful life in order to find the truth? Featuring a fascinating heroine who longs for answers but is blinded by her own privilege, We Could Be Beautiful is a glittering, seductive, utterly surprising story of love, money, greed, and family.

(Go here to win a  $2,000 gift card from Amazon, not my giveaway)

ARISTOTLE AND DANTE REVIEW | MY GAY CHILDREN

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Simon & Schuster | February 21, 2012

        Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. 

THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER

The Problem with Forever
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Harlequin Teen | May 17, 2016

       For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.
       Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.
       It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

COHO RELEASED A BOOK FOR FREE: *FANGIRLS A BIT*

Too Late by Colleen Hoover
WattPad | March 30, 2016
Reaction: Oh lord... You need some Jesus. (Says the Atheist)

          Sloan will go through hell and back for her little brother. And she does, every single night.
          Forced to remain in a relationship with the dangerous and corrupt Asa Jackson, Sloan will do whatever it takes to make sure her brother has what he needs.
          Nothing will get in her way.
          Nothing except Carter.
          Sloan is the only good thing to ever happen to Asa. He knows this and he never plans on letting her go; even if she doesn't approve of his lifestyle. But despite Sloan's disapproval, Asa knows what it takes to get what he wants. He knows what he needs to do to remain on top.
          Nothing will get in his way.
          Nothing except Carter.

THIS BOOK NEEDS MORE LOVE

The Way I Used to Be

by Amber Smith

March 22, 2016 | Margaret K. McElderry Books
Status: Complete

         Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.
         What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved-who she once loved-she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

I LOVE THE NERD OVERLOAD

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love
by Sarvenaz Tash

Publishing Info: June 14, 2016 | Simon & Schuster

Status: Finished

         John Hughes meets Comic Con in this hilarious, unabashedly romantic, coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is trying to get his best friend to fall in love with him.
         Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy.
         Archie and Veronica.
         Althena and Noth.
         Graham and Roxy?
         Graham met his best friend, Roxana, when he moved into her neighborhood eight years ago, and she asked him which Hogwarts house he’d be sorted into. Graham has been in love with her ever since.
         But now they’re sixteen, still neighbors, still best friends. And Graham and Roxy share more than ever-moving on from their Harry Potter obsession to a serious love of comic books.
         When Graham learns that the creator of their favorite comic, The Chronicles of Althena, is making a rare appearance at this year’s New York Comic Con, he knows he must score tickets. And the event inspires Graham to come up with the perfect plan to tell Roxy how he really feels about her. He’s got three days to woo his best friend at the coolest, kookiest con full of superheroes and supervillains. But no one at a comic book convention is who they appear to be...even Roxy. And Graham is starting to realize fictional love stories are way less complicated than real-life ones.

OMG THIS BOOK!

Slammed (Slammed #1)

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publish Date: January 4, 2012

Publisher: Atria
Status: Finished

         Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
         Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
         Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Like It Never Happened Blog Tour: Playlist+Dream Cast

Tour Schedule

Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian
Publish Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Dial Books

     When Rebecca Rivers lands the lead in her school’s production of The Crucible, she gets to change roles in real life, too. She casts off her old reputation, grows close with her four rowdy cast-mates, and kisses the extremely handsome Charlie Lamb onstage.
     Though The Essential Five vow never to date each other, Rebecca can't help her feelings for Charlie, leaving her both conflicted and lovestruck. But the on and off-stage drama of the cast is eclipsed by a life-altering accusation that threatens to destroy everything, even if some of it is just make believe.

~Add to TBR~Amazon~B&N~Book Depository~Kobo~iTunes~

About the Author

   Emily Adrian was born in 1989 in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Portland State University, she moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she worked as a receptionist while secretly writing books.
   Emily currently lives in Toronto with her husband and their dog named Hank. Like It Never Happened is her debut novel.

~Website~Goodreads~Twitter~Facebook (profile)~

Confessions of a Queen B* Blog Tour+Review+Giveaway

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