Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert | One of my new faves of this year!

Title: Little & Lion
Author: Brandy Colbert
Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: August 8th, 2017
Source: ARC from The Novl
Genre: LGBT, Mental Health, Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: 5/5 stars

A stunning novel on love, loss, identity, and redemption, from Publishers Weekly Flying Start author Brandy Colbert

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

Preorder now!

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**I received an advanced galley from the publishers. This has not affected my thoughts in any way**

Still figuring it out... Well, wait Alex still figuring what out? Everything. 

Let me preface this review by saying I don't think what I'm about to write will do this book any justice. Sorry to be such a pessimist, but I want to be honest with you. First I must say happy publication week to Little & Lion. I don't remember the last time I was this excited about a book's release, but I'm truly happy to see this book make it onto shelves everywhere. And if you haven't already figured out from the star rating and my endless rambling in an attempt to describe my feelings after finishing this one, I loved this book.

Our narrator is Suzette and the story begins with her return to sunny California after being sent away to a boarding school in Massachusetts by her parents. She returns to her supportive family, the friends that she left behind, her crush on one of her closest friends, and her brother, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. As the story unravels, it jumps from the past to the present, revealing the reason why she was sent away while also resurfacing tragic memories. Throughout the course of her return, Suzette struggles with her identity as well as the unfinished business she left behind in New England. If Suzette is still figuring it all out herself, how can she be the emotional support that her brother Lionel needs?

I don't think this book had any set plot, more like it just went with the flow. And that wasn't a problem because the characters and writing really stole the show for me. It took attention away from the non-linear story line and directed it to some of the real social issues surrounding the book's characters.

This book brings many social stigmas about sexuality and mental illness to light. The book specifically discusses the fluidity of sexuality and how labels aren't everything. I really liked the parts in which bisexuality was discussed. A social stigma that is specifically discussed about bisexuals is their tendency to cheat as well as that being a bisexual is all about switching between men and women when you tire of one or the other. Our main character, Suzette, refutes this stigma by saying, "It's about being open to whatever happens with either one."

"Why? Bi, queer... it doesn't really matter, as long as you're happy. Just make sure you don't let anyone tell you what you are. People can be real assholes about labels." 

This book is incredibly diverse. Our main character is a black Jewish girl who is questioning her sexuality. Her brother, Lionel, struggles with bipolar disorder. There is also a pansexual character in this book, which was my first time reading about one!

I must say, though, the most precious part of my reading experience was the emotional tie that I had to all the characters. I loved all of them (well maybe not all. Looking at you Caite and Grace). I was having a blast following along as they were just figuring things out for themselves and learning more about each other along the way. I especially loved how accepting Emil was of Suzette when she came out as a bisexual. This book also has one of the best family dynamics I've ever seen with everyone being so supportive and two parents who loved their children as much as their children loved them back.

So what book should be your next buy? Little & Lion! If not for the incredibly important topics that are discussed, then you should read it for the well-fleshed out and three-dimensional characters. This is definitely one that's going to be on my end-of-the-year favorites list!

Want by Cindy Pon | Book Review

Title: Want
Author: Cindy Pon
Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: June 13th, 2017
Source: ARC from publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars

From critically acclaimed author Cindy Pon comes an edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller, set in a near-future Taipei plagued by pollution, about a group of teens who risk everything to save their city.

Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits, protecting them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city, while those without suffer illness and early deaths. Frustrated by his city’s corruption and still grieving the loss of his mother who died as a result of it, Zhou is determined to change things, no matter the cost.

With the help of his friends, Zhou infiltrates the lives of the wealthy in hopes of destroying the international Jin Corporation from within. Jin Corp not only manufactures the special suits the rich rely on, but they may also be manufacturing the pollution that makes them necessary.

Yet the deeper Zhou delves into this new world of excess and wealth, the more muddled his plans become. And against his better judgment, Zhou finds himself falling for Daiyu, the daughter of Jin Corp’s CEO. Can Zhou save his city without compromising who he is, or destroying his own heart?

Preorder now! 

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**I received an advanced e-galley from the publishers. This has not affected my review in any way** 

Rarely have I ever found a book as perfect for me as this one right here. It is a science fiction book featuring an Asian main character, written by an Asian author. It takes place in Taipei, Taiwan. The main character has the same birthday as me. We might as well have been twins. I was reading this book for the #AsianLitBingo event that was happening. It was also Asian Heritage Month when I read it, and I think its important to acknowledge these stories by own voices authors.

This book is just so different from anything on the market right now. I really enjoyed the change of pace. I had never read a book with a setting in Taiwan! Growing up in Taiwan, the author made sure to include key parts of what she loved most about her birthplace. 

Not many people caught this but despite the fact that the entire book was told in English, the characters were actually speaking Mandarin. I thought that was a really interesting perspective and often times I found myself trying to translate the English into Mandarin, even though my Chinese is subpar at best. The book brought so many relatable parts of my culture into the story, including the foods that I eat and the customs we have in my house. It was so great to read about someone so similar to me on the pages of a book. It's a feeling I can never explain. 

I think with a lot of science fiction books, we as readers always ask ourselves "is this plot believable or conceivable?". Want takes place in a future where the levels of pollution have wrecked havoc because of the actions of society. It is a totally realistic re-imagining of how the world will look in 50-100 years, from the state of the environment, increase in expensive technology, and the wealth gap between the rich and the poor.

The book starts off by thrusting us into the conflict but slows down from there. I found the middle to be quite slow and dragging at times. The pace picked up after about 100-150 pages, and I was hooked. I so desperately wanted to know what the end of the book held for the fate of this society.

Although there is a romance between the main protagonist and one of the characters, I think it took a back seat for most of the book. The real shining gem of this book were the freaking fantastic characters and their relationships. The entire cast was amazingly diverse, including a Filipino, Indian and a bisexual character. Even from the beginning of the book, we get to see how close this ragtag group of activists is and how they strive for change.

Want is much more than a diverse, fast-paced science fiction novel. It's as Kirkus says a 'socially conscious futuristic thriller'. It's a story that reveals much more about our society than we realize. It brings to light so many current issues that I think many readers will take a stand in. I also think this is a great book that will, in the future, create more advocates to stand up against issues like poverty and the continued pollution that occurs. Not only did Want fulfill my little environmentalist heart, but it was also a token to my culture and background. If you're even the slightest bit hesitant about picking up this book because you don't think it'll be your cup of tea, just buy it anyway to prove yourself wrong. If you ever need more confirmation, just talk to the author because she's a sweetheart as well!

BLOG TOUR: Empress of A Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza + GIVEAWAY!

Title: Empress of A Thousand Skies
Author: Rhoda Belleza
Pages: 344 pages
Release Date: February 7th, 2017
Source: ARC from Penguin Teen
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Space Opera
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.
 

Out now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depo

**I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own** 

If this own voices space opera isn't on your 2017 TBR, then you must be doing something wrong. This 2017 release will make you obsessed with books that take place in space and, not to mention, make you want to reread the TLC series by Marissa Meyer. So bear with me as I try to recall my first impressions of this book that I read way back in December (shame on my procrastination)...

Empress of a Thousand Skies gave me major Lunar Chronicle Marissa Meyer vibes, and I love how much it reminded me of my favorite series. I though the plot was kind very similar in terms of TLC, as in a runaway princess who plans to take back her throne while the whole universe thinks she's dead. If you're a huge fan of TLC, I think you'd really enjoy this upcoming release.

I'm such a tech nerd, so you could imagine how I devoured the mention of this world's technology. Spaceships, cubes, programmers, hackers. Basically each person has a 'cube' implanted behind their right ear, and it has the ability to record memories, experiences, translate languages, communicate with other people and most importantly, let the government know what you're up to. The cubes play a major role in our characters' story as they mean the difference between getting caught and staying alive. Another reason for Marissa Meyer fans to reach for this book sooner rather than later.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the dual POV. Similar to the TLC series, the different characters' storylines don't converge until the very end. And I liked that, I really did. All this buildup, all this anticipation, is setting a foundation for a hell of a meetup when the two characters Rhee and Aly finally come together.

From the back of the book, I kind of predicted there to be a romance between Rhee and Aly. But there wasn't, in fact, each character met someone along the way and started their own romances. When I started realizing that, I appreciated the story more because I didn't have to expect any budding romances to come out of their meeting. It was finally going to be more about saving the throne than falling in love!

While we're on the topic of romance, there is very little romance in this book, which I quite enjoyed. It was refreshing to see in a YA debut. Because the author was able to focus less on romance, she was able to build some really great family and friend relationships that sealed the deal for me. One of my favorite characters was Vin, Aly's best friend, and I thought their relationship was by far the best in the book.

This book includes the best of a diverse cast, beautiful scenery, character relationships and space politics! Yes folks, you heard me right. Space politics! We learned a great deal about how this world functioned and the importance of their hierarchal system. It's nothing too confusing, especially because she breaks it down so nicely and it blends well into this fast-paced story.

One of my initial reasons for being so excited for this book was the promise of a diverse cast and an own voices story. And while we did see an amazingly diverse set of characters, I didn't quite grasp the own voices concept at first until I read other reviews. A group of people in the story, Wraetans, are frowned upon because of their past clashes with the Kalusians (the reigning power). We're told that the Kalusians are more fair-skinned while Wraetans are much more tan. I liked how the two characters originated from these two different groups, Rhee as a high profile Kalusian and Aly, as a high profile Wraethan. Through Rhee we were enlightened of her political view of the Wraetans and her desperate longing for the Kalusians and Wraetans to join as one force. Through Aly we are shown what he goes through living as a Wraethan in Kalusian society. Through Aly's story, we see a strong oppressed main character who proves that his people aren't only capable of war and violence.

The writing style was very unique and whenever an author takes the time to develop their own phrases, I'm immediately impressed. You know how we have our typical slang? Yeah, well this book creates some new sci-fi space slang that I was all for.

I get butterflies just thinking about what an awesome debut this is going to be. With complex characters, surprising twists and turns and an awesome world to jump into, Empress of A Thousand Skies sets the groundwork for a new sci-fi space opera series to emerge. With very little that irked me, I have to mention that this book didn't blow me away as much as I thought it would. Might come as a shocker considering all the good that I've said about it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book, fantastic even. I just didn't feel any feeling of 'OMG I'M GOING TO DIE WITHOUT THE SEQUEL' after reading it, you know?

And although the synopsis is a poor summary for what the book is actually about, you do get quite the mix of surprises and twists that you won't see coming. Frankly, I think the synopsis is misleading! But it's all fine and well because I enjoyed the book!

Author Bio

Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Files fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She's a children's editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she's not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things together that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter @rhodabee. 

GIVEAWAY! 

Enter for a chance to win one (1) of three (3) signed copies of Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza (ARV: $17.99 each). 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on February 6, 2017 and 12:00 AM on February 20, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about February 22, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void when prohibited or restircted by law.  

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#DiversifyTheVerse | A Diverse Book Club

Hey everyone! I'm here today with a rather short post, but one I hope you'll all find interesting and informational. Recently my best friend Belinda (@bookstorm) and I have decided to start a book club based on Instagram. This book club is going to be solely based on reading diverse books from diverse authors. As Asian-Americans, Belinda and I have seen the small amount (or lack thereof) of representation of ourselves in books today. And we wondered, "how many other people are feeling this way?" SO MANY! Because of this fact, we wanted to start a reading experience that would bring you up close and personal with the books that are reflective of EVERYONE. We hope that you'll join us in our mission to bring diverse books and diversity to Bookstagram! 

So because we launched in mid January, we thought it would be nice to start reading in February. We had a lot of book choices to choose for next month but we had to narrow it down to only one book! 

Our February Book Choice Is...

February is Black History Month! We thought it was imperative to choose a book that represents PoC and recognizes the vital role of African Americans in U.S. history.

I have to give it to Belinda because she was the one who suggested this book! After reading into this book, I was so excited about choosing it as our book choice.

"Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.

And that’s how it started.

And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’s got to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that’s how it can end."

-  from the synopsis of the book 

Authors of the Book

Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely everybody. Hearing the story of how these two authors were hit with the idea of writing this book makes me so incredibly excited to read it. They genuinely saw a problem and couldn't handle staying out of it anymore, they wanted to write a book about it. And writing, as we know these days, has the power to change minds and lives. I've read so many great things about this poignant and important book, and I JUST CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT AHHHH. 

We hope you're interested in joining us as we read diverse books from month to month! 

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst | Stellar F/F Fantasy Debut

Title: Of Fire and Stars
Author: Audrey Coulthurst
Pages: 389 pages
Release Date: November 22nd, 2016
Source: Hardcover from Novel Tea Club Box
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT
Rating: 4/5 out of 5 stars

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine—called Mare—the sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two become closer, Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. And soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depo 

Saying I was excited for this book would be a vast understatement. I went into this book knowing I was going to love it because lgbt romance in a fantasy novel? Yes please. This is exactly what the Young Adult fantasy genre is missing these days- some diversity!

Princess Dennaleia has always known her fate. Her future is in the kingdom of Mynaria, betrothed to its crown prince. Her arranged marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and Havemont. Denna expects to be pampered and taught the responsibilities of a queen. What she doesn't see coming is a beautiful princess with pale green eyes, Princess Amaranthine, better known as Prince's Thandilimon hot-headed sister. In a kingdom so keen on dispelling its enemies and forbidding magic, one princess must hide her growing powers and her love for the girl she knows she can't have. The other must find her place in the kingdom and a way to go behind everything she's ever been taught to love a girl who is not hers.

"I kissed her slowly, deeply, every feeling I had for her pooling into my lips as I tasted the sweetness of her."

I was absolutely blown away with the direction that the author took with the story's POV. It was told through the eyes of both Princess Dennaleia and Princess Amaranthine. For some reason reading the synopsis, I thought this book was only going to be told through Denna's point of view. I'm usually not a big fan of dual perspectives, as much as I am with multiple perspective books, but I loved the way it was told in this one. Especially because both princesses were such different people who had such different insights in what was good for the kingdom. There wasn't too much overlap, which is something that tends to annoy me.

There was a lot of great political intrigue quite reminiscent of the aspects I loved in the Winner's Curse trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. Each page requires your full attention as you pay mind to which kingdoms are warring with who and the power that each kingdom holds. However, that also led the book to drag many times in the middle. I found myself often times bored of hearing about the quarrel between the kingdoms.

Prior to starting the book, I was terrified of it becoming too much of a contemporary novel. I'm glad to say that this book held its reputation as a fantasy novel. The story held a great pace and it was hard to see all those plot twists coming! I was blown away by how the author was able to focus so much on the political intrigue of the story, while also maintaining a presence of magic. Coulthurst's writing is easy to get into and takes on its own unique voice. Although the lack of any real world-building is a popular point among many negative reviews, it didn't bother me all that much. It really depends on your preference as a reader. I think what this book lacked in world-building and the development of the magic system, it made up for with brilliant characters and lots of yummy political intrigue.

And if that doesn't convince you, how about this? The side characters were phenomenal; all fully developed with complex personalities and motivations. There is Nils (Princess Amaranthine's best friend), Alisendi (Princess Denna's sister), Prince Thandilimon and Lord Kriantz (a lord from another kingdom). I was blown away by how much I felt invested in not only the main characters but the side characters as well. I cared about all of the characters, including the antagonists!

F/F romances in fantasy novels are rare in YA. Cue my unruly squealing and fangirling. The chemistry between the two princesses was on fire! Every moment they were together, you could feel the sparks flying out from the book. Just seeing their relationship blossom through each chapter brought great joy to my heart. These two characters were a great example of FOIL, where we see their differences bring out the best in each other.

Of Fire and Stars surprised me. A lot of the aspects I normally find in a fantasy novel were absent, but I think that was kind of the point. Truth be told, I think the only thing that made this book a fantasy was its pacing and the presence of magic. Sure, this book read more like a fantasy-contemporary novel.

I would definitely recommend this book! This is Coulthurst's debut novel, and I never imagined liking it as much as I did.

#DiversityDecBingo | Diversity Q&A with Author Laura Silverman

So excited to present a special guest on the blog today! #DiversityDecBingo has been happening on many social media platforms be it Youtube, Instagram or Twitter. If you didn't already know that an awesome diversity event was happening, it's never too late to start. It was actually my fault for not sharing it on my blog, but I never had the time to write up a blog post. I apologize. 

#DiversityDecBingo is a month long readathon created by yours truly and a group of diverse book advocates. All their usernames on twitter (and occasionally on Instagram) are directly on the Bingo sheet, so feel free to give them a follow.

It runs from the 1st to the 31st of December. Despite the fact that I'm sharing this news pretty late, you still have time to jump in and join us because the month is nowhere near over! A lot of us also have winter break to look forward to, and you should be able to finish your 5 books then. Once again, I apologize for bringing this up so late. 

Anyways, the idea of the bingo sheet is to pick a row, column, or diagonal line to read in. You know how bingo works! We also included a free space for you to choose any diverse book that's perhaps not one of the categories on the sheet. Just have fun and remember that this sheet is not the strict definition of diversity! There are so many other diverse groups that we forgot to include, but yet again we could only include 25!

**If you won't be able to participate in #diversitydecbingo this month, don't forget to join us for #DiversityBingo2017, the year long version!

Meet Laura Silverman!

Title: Girl Out of Water
Author: Laura Silverman
Pages: 320 pages
Release Date: May 1st, 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing, chowing down on fish tacos drizzled with wasabi balsamic vinegar, and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt, a single mother of three, with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves, her friends, and even a kindling romance, and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Living in Nebraska isn’t easy. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth, appearing for weeks at a time and then disappearing again for months, or even years, without a word.

Complicating matters is Lincoln, a one-armed, charismatic skater who pushes Anise to trade her surfboard for a skateboard. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln and takes on the full burden and joy of her cousins, she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves

Preorder now!

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Q&A with Laura Silverman: You asked the questions, she answered!  

1. What influenced you to write GIRL OUT OF WATER?

I always wish I had a more interesting story for this question! The title used to be LANDLOCKED. The word came to me in the middle of the night, and I thought it sounded like an interesting title, so I built a story around the literal and figurative feeling of being landlocked. Ultimately, the title changed, but the themes stayed the same. I’ll always be grateful to that original title idea. I don’t think I’d have this book without it.

2. Approximately how long did it take you to write GIRL OUT OF WATER & how much research was involved? 

The timeline gets a little complicated once you sign with an agent because there’s a lot of stop and start, but it took me about six months from first digging into the idea to signing with an agent. That said, I was incredibly lucky to have those six months. I was in graduate school for creative writing, so although I was also interning and freelance editing other manuscripts for work, my main job at the time was writing. And I had a built-in network of critique partners and an amazing thesis advisor. So I knocked out four or five full drafts fast. Research was never-ending, but I enjoyed it most of the time. I’d look up plants native to Nebraska and end up spending two hours pouring over different types of flowers J 

3. What advice would you give to people hoping to write diverse characters outside their own experience? 

Ooph. That’s a big question. The basics: Do your research. Google is your friend, Twitter is your friend, #ownvoices books are your friends, and sensitivity readers are your friends. Be ready to admit you’re wrong and actually fix the text. There’s no point in doing the research and getting help from sensitivity readers if you’re not going to actually absorb what you’re learning. And keep your audience in mind. Be kind and respectful. This tip from @mara_fitzgerald really resonated with me: “1am tip for writing a character of an identity you don't share: imagine a teen of that identity picking up your book at their worst moment.”

4. What is one thing you hope for your readers to get out of reading your book GIRL OUT OF WATER? 

Is it cheesy to say I hope they get out of it whatever they need from it? Yes, that’s cheesy. But also it’s true. *eats some sharp cheddar and smiles*

5. Where do your books start? With a character, a theme, a scene or a general storyline?

All of the above! And often at the same time. What would this character do in this setting? What storyline would align with this theme?

6. If you could collaborate with any author for your next book, who would it be and why? 

Ah! This is a surprisingly easy question because I’m already brewing up a YA contemporary side project with one of my best friends Anna Meriano. We went to graduate school together, and we were roommates for a year. Her MG debut LOVE SUGAR MAGIC comes out 2018 from Harper Collins. I want to collaborate with her because 1) she’s an amazing person and an absurdly gifted writer and 2) our story idea is really fun J *says nothing more about it*

7. What are your most anticipated 2017 releases? 

This is always too difficult, so I’m just going to list the books I have in my possession that are next up on my TBR. I’ll probably start sorting by release date because ahh 2017 is almost here! I’m currently reading THE HATE U GIVE (yes, it’s that good), and I’m also incredibly excited for THE LOVE INTEREST, THE EDUCATION OF MARGOT SANCHEZ, THE GALLERY OF UNFINISHED GIRLS, and DONE DIRT CHEAP. There are so many more I’ve already read and loved and can’t wait to read. If you follow me on Twitter, I will probably blab about them all J

8. What was your first thought when you saw the cover for GIRL OUT OF WATER? 

SHOULDERS. But really, I love how athletic Anise, the main character, appears. She looks like someone who battles waves daily! Also, the title font is gorgeous.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore | Kick Butt Kontemporary

Title: The Weight of Feathers
Author: Anna-Marie McLemore
Pages: 320 pages
Published: September 15th, 2015
Source: Hardcover from Corinne Duyvis, thanks b
Genre: Contemporary, Magic Realism, Young Adult
Rating: 4/5 stars

For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find. 

Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. 

Beautifully written, and richly imaginative, The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

For fans of the romance in Beautiful Creatures, The Host and The Winner's Curse. As someone wise must have once said, forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. This quote rings true for The Weight of Feathers which follows the classic Romeo and Juliet romance dynamic. Over recent years, the YA genre has really picked up on the 'forbidden fruit' aspect, and I think it's safe to say that characters tend to choose to be with partners they're not allowed to be with or shouldn't be with.

I don't know 100% for sure if this book classifies under the contemporary genre, but it definitely qualifies for me. It's, for the most part, fiction and it deals with a great variety of topics in society. This book was described to me as a Romeo/Juliet retelling, and I could definitely see the parallels. It's almost exactly like R&J if you added some magical realism and a dash of humor.

The magical realism aspect of this novel was my favorite part. I loved how the author made the book quirky with the fantastical aspects but kept it as a light-hearted contemporary romance. We know the story follows two rival families, the Palomas and Corbeaus. But how do we as readers discern one from the other? Well Anna-Marie McLemore seems to have made it very simple as she describes the differences between the two families' performing businesses and histories in great detail. The Paloma's with their escamas (birthmarks) and the Corbeau's, who have plumes (feathers) growing from under their hair.

You better brush up on your Spanish and French because you're going to get a whole lot of that! You know Spanish? Great! You know French? Even better! But in all seriousness, understanding these languages aren't required for you to read the book. I quit Spanish after 8th grade but, hey, I still understood every word because the author makes what they're saying clear. It was refreshing to see the tidbits of language infused in the writing and it played a huge part in keeping my attention.

If you're a fan of culture, you'll love it! So many great cultural references that it almost felt like I was living among these families in their homes. Speaking of families, this book's main focus is the family dynamic and not only the battle between each family but the inner battle that our two characters, Lace and Cluck, face when they realize they're falling for someone they shouldn't be.

I hate to even mention this but pacing was a little bit slow for me in the first 100 pages. I didn't have that desperately-want-to-pick-this-book-back-up-again feeling and by 150 I was praying for something to happen. Not to worry though, the book quickly takes off when romance starts to build tension and tension begins to spill secrets and intertwine the fate of both families.

The Weight of Feathers is a spell-binding masterpiece that must be read. Let your heart be torn out and cut into a million pieces! It's what all the cool kids are doing these days anyway :P I couldn't think of a better book to bring me back into the zone of reading more contemporaries this year! A well-deserved 4 star read. Smurhh but it's still getting a 1 star deduction because of the beginning :/ DON'T KILL ME FOR IT! 

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Pages: 288 pages
Published: June 9th, 2015
Source: ARC from Penguin
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5/☆☆☆☆☆ 

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey's daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother's gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

I received an ARC from the publisher in the early stages of this book's publication and made the stupid mistake of not reading it at the time. I'm a stinkin' dumbass. Don't be stupid like me and pick up this book before it's too late. 

My favorite booktube Zoe (readbyzoe) loves reading Sophie Kinsella. She talks about her all the time in her videos and I'll be damned if I don't at least give her a try. I had a Sophie Kinsella book in my shelf, so why not? Now I pretty much fully understand the hype. Sophie Kinsella's writing is contemporary but I finished this book in one sitting! Just ask my sister who is a testament to me staying up till 2 a.m. to finish this book. I wasn't surprised, of course. With the way Zoe talked about her, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put this one down easily.

I respect authors that can take a fragile subject and craft an entire story around it. In this case, the main character has an anxiety disorder. Anxiety orders and depression are no easy topics to explain to someone who's never seen an anxiety attack or depression firsthand. What Ms. Kinsella did was make me feel just as anxious as Audrey felt when she was experiencing these attacks. Anxiety attacks-- better known as panic attacks-- aren't fun, to say the least. I've seen people have panic attacks firsthand and on video. Your heart pounds in your chest and you can't breathe. It'll almost feel like you're dying or going crazy. I was impressed that the author decided to tackle such a topic. 

The story is so much more complex than girl has problem, girl meets boy, and boy fixes girl's problem. From the synopsis you're probably even thinking that's where this story leads. Get your head out of the gutter because that's not the case at all! Audrey's family is a mess. Her mom get's stressed about everything and overreacts. Her dad basically doesn't have a mind of his own and practically regurgitates everything her mom says. Her brother, Frank, is struggling to explain his passion to their parents. And not to forget her little brother, Felix, who is too young to understand the family's predicament.

Her family tries to do the best they can to help her with her disorder but there is only so much they can do to help their daughter with a condition they know nothing about. Sure, she has Dr. Sarah to help her through the hoops and obstacles but Audrey knows that if she's really going to get better, it's all up to her. Then comes Linus. I know what you're thinking! You're like, this is totally insta love. I mean she likes him because he's the only guy that she feels comfortable being around. I'd like to disagree by saying he was the one that approached her and she wasn't even interested at first.

The growth of ALL the characters in this book is terrific. Not only is Audrey learning to cope with her disorder but her entire family seems to blossom from this chaotic mess to a family built off of learning from each other's mistakes and failures. What an exceptional story about family and love! I'm glad this was my first Sophie Kinsella book.

The only person I held a grudge with the entire book was the mother. She was slightly -- okay, I'm being too generous -- annoying in the beginning. When I say slightly, I mean REALLY annoying and especially when she repeatedly tells Frank to get off the computer. I understand how much she worries about her son but I mean, it's his future not yours!

Other than that, this book held the attention of a non-contemporary reader. The story goes by so quickly, you won't believe it's over when you reach the end. A documentation of not only one girl's recovery but her entire family's as well. Well done, Ms. Kinsella :D

2016 Diverse Books Reading Challenge | I'M DOING IT!

Finally a challenge that I can easily commit to. I consider diverse reads to be in a genre of their own because of how unique and different they are from regular YA novels. I haven't read many diverse books and there goes my reason for joining this wonderful challenge hosted by Mishma and Shelly! Everything states below can be found on their original post, here! 

The Rules

• Read books that are diverse
• The Main Character must be part of a diverse group*

Defined by We Need Diverse Books:  We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.                          

*We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization.

·         The book can be set in a diverse setting, but not necessarily.

( But, note that books set in a different country, but features a white MC won't be considered as diverse here. Eg : Ink by Amanda Sun, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins )

·         #Ownvoices stories (stories about marginalized groups written by a member of that marginalized group) are widely encouraged as well! Promoting diverse books by diverse authors is important.

·         If the book is a fantasy it can be based on/inspired by a diverse mythology or folklore       

   ( E.g. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh)

·         If the book is sci fi or dystopia, it has to be based on a dystopian country that’s not USA.  

  ( E.g. Cinder by Marissa Meyer)

·         Intersectionality is encouraged.

 ( Eg :- A book featuring a person of colour with a disability )

·         The novels don’t have to be YA, but as we are YA bloggers, those are probably the novels we are more likely to read

Logistics

 This challenge will run from the 1st of January 2016 to the 31st of December 2016.

·         You can join in anytime you want.

·         This challenge is meant to be a personal goal challenge to help find more diverse novels and to read more diversely.

·         There are no levels/points! You can read as much or as little as you’d like, this is a personal goal and is mainly individualized

·         To join the challenge, add your sign up post to the link up at the bottom of the post. You can include your TBR for the challenge if you want, but it’s not a requirement. Your sign up post can be a separate post or a part of a giant list of all your 2016 reading challenges. Anything is fine.

·         If you don’t have a blog, you may use a twitter handle or instagram profile and share this post with the hashtag #DiverseReads2016 that you’re participating! But add that link to the sign up link below.

·         If you want to share why you joined the challenge or why you want to read more diverse books, you can tweet us using #Iwanttoreaddivesitybecause… and we can discuss there. This is optional, just adding your blog to the bottom of this post is enough for this requirement!

·         There are themes for every couple of months, with different features and posts for each month:  

o   January to March : Ethnic Diversity                                       

o   April to June :  LGBTQIA +Diversity

o   July to September : Religious Diversity                 

o   October to December : Mental and physical health and disabilities.

        

·    But this doesn’t mean that you have to only read books with the particular theme of the season.Your selection of books can be your choice. This is more of a fun way to help you  categorize your reads, if you’d like.

·    We’ll have a link up on our blogs by the end of each season, where you can add your reviews of diverse books. We also welcome you to post non review posts on diversity and diverse books such as discussion posts, a list of recommendations etc., and you can add such posts on the link up as well.

·    We have a list of diverse novels here on this google docs. It’s on Read Only mode so if you have recommendations, please tweet us!

·    Spread the word! Share this challenge on twitter, instagram, pinterest or any social media you want. Grab the banner and add it to your sidebar!

Books I Want To Get To During the Challenge

• Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
• Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Soundless by Richelle Mead
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
• A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern 

Books I've Read During the Challenge

• The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
• The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
• Jerkbait by Mia Siegert 
• Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella 
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I'm super excited for this challenge. As always, you can find the progress bar for my status as the year goes by. I hope you all find the time to join in and let's get to reading some #YAdiversity!