Booked up

Review: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for providing @bookedupblog with a free copy of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

One of the most delightful middle grade reads I’ve read in a long time, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser takes us into the heart and home of the Vanderbeekers at Christmastime. All is merry and bright, until the family learns their landlord is refusing to renew their lease and they must be out by the end of the month. The 5 Vanderbeeker children take matters into their own hands, showing their unique personalities and talents in an attempt to change their Scrooge-like landlord’s mind before it’s too late. Each character is charming in their own way. Great for the classroom or for independent reading, this middle grade novel will teach kiddos never to give up when faced with the impossible and to never judge a book by its cover. Read more…

Review: Colorblind by Leah Harper Bowron

Thank you to Spark Press for a free copy of Colorblind in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Colorblind by Leah Harper Bowron transports readers back to Montgomery, Alabama, 1968, where a small all-white elementary school becomes one of the first to integrate its halls with their first African-American teacher. Told from the point of view of one of her students, Miss Loomis experiences prejudice and racism like she’s never seen before. But her student, Lisa, is determined to make her feel comfortable and wanted despite the opinions and actions of the other teachers, students, and even Lisa’s mother. Lisa knows what it’s like to be outcast and bullied for the way she looks, but she’s never seen the people she knows and loves be so mean before. Filled with multiple opportunities to talk about prejudice of all shapes and sizes, Colorblind is a middle grade book that takes a look at what one young person can do in the face of adversity.
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Review: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

This is going to be a rare moment where I take the time to share about a book that I did not like. In 2018, I made a goal to read more graphic novels. No set number and no set parameters. Just more. Fun Home was one that had been on my radar for a while. After the recommendation of several friends on Instagram to pick it up, I was happy to find it nestled among the shelves of my local library while I was browsing. It seemed like it was meant to be. Until it wasn’t. Read more . . .

Review: Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a free copy of Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life by Shelley Tougas in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life is a perfect read if you grew up reading or watching Little House on the Prairie. It brought a flood of nostalgic feelings back to my reading life, leaving me wanting to go back and reread (and rewatch) the original. Tougas highlights all the ways in which Laura Ingalls Wilder portrays life on the prairie, including many ways in which she misrepresents the people and the experience.

The main character, Charlotte, moves to Walnut Grove with her twin brother, little sister, and their dog’s ashes after their mother has a dream about Laura Ingalls Wilder. As a writer, Charlotte’s mom needs the inspiration only Laura’s childhood can provide, causing upheaval in everyone’s lives, especially Charlotte’s. When they finally arrive, however, Charlotte’s mom begins to spiral into a depression, struggles to write about the prairie, and breaks her promises to her children. Blaming Laura for all her family problems, Charlotte expresses her disdain for Walnut Grove in an essay assignment, explaining in detail all the ways Laura has ruined her life.

Perfect for adults needing a tug on their nostalgic heartstrings and middle-grade readers that want to see how life on the prairie compares to the past, check out why you should read Laura Ingalls is Ruining My Life.

Interview with Ed Duncan, Author of Pigeon-Blood Red

I’ve always wanted to ask an author more about his or her craft, and I finally got the opportunity with one of my latest reads! Pigeon-Blood Red is a fast-paced and suspenseful crime thriller by Ed Duncan. You can read my full review of this book (the first in a trilogy!) over on the blog! In the meantime, get to know the author a little bit better with me and find out what inspired him to go from partner at a law firm to writing about the world of action, adventure, shootouts, and crime with this delightful interview. Thanks to Book Publicity Services and Ed Duncan for the time and free copy of Pigeon-Blood Red to read and review.

Review: Pigeon-Blood Red by Ed Duncan

Thank you to Book Publicity Services for providing me with a free copy of Pigeon-Blood Red in exchange for an an honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Pigeon-Blood Red takes readers into the world of heists, adultery, and double-crossers. Written as a high-intensity crime thriller, this was totally unfamiliar territory for my reading tastes. I was excited to see where hitman “Rico” Sanders would take me-and what he would do to whoever got in his way. Filled with quick-tempers, each character finds themselves in the middle of a con gone wrong. Ed Duncan writes a story that could easily be set in the early 1900’s rather than the early 2000’s, showing that some stories can stand the test of time. This would be a good read for anyone who is a fan of the Bourne trilogy. There's action, adventure, shootouts, and crime-everything a thriller could ask for! You can see what I thought of the characters and the plot with the full review!

Review: Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for a free advanced copy of Love, Hate, and Other Filters in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Love, Hate, and Other Filters is a recent release by Samira Ahmed that I absolutely devoured. This coming of age story of a Muslim girl who just wants to experience the world through her own lens rather than the filter of her parents’ Indian heritage is poignant, clever, and just plain wonderful. It starts off as a tale of forbidden love but quickly shifts into a discussion of Islamophobia. Ahmed creates a strong female protagonist, Maya Aziz, to handle all of the topics from the romance to the real-world issues we face today. In her struggle to figure out where she’s headed in life after high school, she learns to rely on her own strength and to trust in herself. All of my reads so far in 2018 have been heavy, but this is the kind of breath-of-fresh-air writing my reading slump needed. I highly recommend you check it out (along with my full five star review here)!

Best and Worst of 2017

Well, we did it, friends. 2017 was successfully Booked Up with my highest number of books read to date. With a grand total of 166 books, I have a lot of factors to thank for my prolific reading experience this year: grad school, the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, Anne Bogel, the Diverse Books Club, the Dysautonomia Support Network Book Club, my local Barnes and Noble Book Club, the Kid Lit Exchange, my friends on Bookstagram . . . the list goes on and on. I think I would be remiss if I didn’t take some time to reflect back on my favorite (and not so favorite) reads of the year. Many of these I have not featured on the blog yet, which is a true shame. Join me as I share my five of favorites, five of my least favorites, a few great audiobooks, and my bookish superlatives of the year!

See older posts here.

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