Booked up
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews and Lists
  • Quotes
  • Beyond Reading
  • Project: Adapted
  • About
  • Contact

Book Reviews

Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

6/2/2020

Comments

 
Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the free advanced digital copy.  All thoughts are my own.
Picture
One the Pocket Change Collective Series, Imaginary Borders examines how climate change impacts us all, regardless of city limits and borders.  The author uses his art and music to express his distress about our current climate crisis.  One of the aspects that I enjoyed about this book is that while it is short, it provides big ideas from which to build a movement.  "We all have a responsibility to be a part o this redefinition of movement culture," Martinez writes.  Martinez uses anecdotes to show how climate change has impacted his own life, constantly reminding readers that "if we wait for the floodwater to  reach our doorstep, it will be too late."  

Read More
Comments

This is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew

6/1/2020

Comments

 
Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the free advanced digital copy. All thoughts are my own.
Picture
This is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew is a part of the Pocket Change Collective Series.  This tiny book is packed with anecdotes and lessons on how to take a passion, like art, and turn it into activism.  Drew reminds her readers that "art and protest will forever be bound together.  And the beautiful thing about art, like activism, is that it allows us space to be curious and learn."  She is humble in her explanation, reiterating that one person can contribute, but it takes a collective to truly start change.

Read More
Comments

Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas

5/24/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Mary Oliver once asked, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"  After reading Your Perfect Year, I found myself asking the same question.  While I originally thought this was going to be a lighter contemporary fiction read, there were several moments that left me thinking about what I'm doing to hold myself back from my "perfect" life.  Am I spending my time doing what I enjoy?  If I could create my perfect calendar, what would I put in it?  Your Perfect Year explores just that with a hint of romance and a roller coaster of emotions.   

Read More
Comments

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

5/1/2020

Comments

 
Thanks Libro.fm for the free copy through your Educator ALC program!
Picture
I literally devoured this book in one setting as I did yard work this afternoon. I was hesitant about if I would like this book narrated in a 10 year old’s voice, but once I got into the story I loved it.  It's full of heart and great talking points for any middle grader going through a transition time in his or her life.

Read More
Comments

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

4/26/2020

Comments

 
​First and foremost, thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a free copy of Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder.
You’ve really made me love being a #penguinteenpartner with this latest read!
Picture
Dancing at the Pity Party is a graphic novel I wish I had been given years ago.  Having lost my dad nearly 13 years ago (only 2 years before Feder lost her mother), I could relate to so many emotions and moments in this story.  I’ve never been able to articulate how it feels to meet someone who is also a part of the Dead Parents Club, but Feder does it perfectly.  The way she explains the connections you find by meeting people who “know” what those experiences are like because they’ve been there too is the most relatable thing I’ve read in a long time.  There is an unspeakable bond that you find with those friends, and I found it again while reading this book.

Read More
Comments

What Does a Princess Really Look Like? by Mark Loewen

7/30/2018

Comments

 
Thank you to Mark Loewen for the free copy of What Does a Princess Really Look Like? in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Picture
What Does a Princess Really Look Like? It’s not at all what Chloe imagines.  In this adventure with her dads, Chloe learns that a princess is more than a crown and pretty dresses.  A princess is kind, observant, and stands up for what is right. Throughout the story, Chloe represents all of the ways to be a strong woman (or even a strong human) with the different aspects of a princess that she draws.  

Read More
Comments

The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater by Alanna Okun

7/20/2018

Comments

 
Thank you to Flatiron Books and Alanna Okun for providing me with a free copy of The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater to read in exchange for an unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.
Picture
​Friends, I like to think of myself as crafty, but after reading The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater, I think Alanna Okun shares a whole new level of crafty.  What Dear Fahrenheit 451 did for our favorite books, Okun does for our favorite creative expressions.  She uses the common thread (ha!) of crafting in each of her essays to share her anecdotes of love, loss, relationships, grief, triumph, and tribulation. To me, she is the Cheryl Strayed of crafting because she is able to blend her wit and sage advice into a story about knitting on the subway and still find a way for it to relate to me, the random reader.  No matter what kind of crafts you are into, she finds a way to compare the experience of creating, abandoning, revising, and (maybe) finishing a project to life events. It’s a great read to pick up and put down at your leisure (which I would recommend) or even to binge in a couple of sittings. 
TL/DR: If you’re looking for a collection of essays that blend memoir, crafting anecdotes, and tough-love advice, grab Okun’s book now!

​Rating: 
3/5 stars
Comments

Guest Review: The Grand Tour by Ben Bova

6/26/2018

Comments

 
Picture
Photo taken by RAN
I think we all can agree that book people are the best people, and you should definitely date one if you get the chance.  Lucky for me, I snagged someone who is almost as much as a bookworm as I am.  A few weeks ago he finished a series he has been reading for the better part of my knowing him.  In today's guest review, he covers that series and a genre I have been neglecting lately: science-fiction.  I'm very excited to share his thoughts on this series (especially since it was my library card that was used to check out many of these titles).  

​Without further ado, please welcome my first guest reviewer, Rayce, with his review of Ben Bova's The Grand Tour!

Read More
Comments

When the Beat Drops by Anna Hecker

6/25/2018

Comments

 
Thank you to BookSparks and author, Anna Hecker, for sending me a free copy of When the Beat Drops in exchange for an honest review in the #readbythesea2018 blog tour. All opinions are my own.
Picture
If I could describe When the Beat Drops in just a few words, I’d have to choose friendship, sisterhood, unconditional love, personal trials, and, of course, music! Best consumed while listening to your favorite EDM DJ, it’s perfect for fans of Love, Hate, and Other Filters and Listen to Your Heart! Read more to find out why I found myself unable to put down this lovely YA novel.

Read More
Comments

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

6/20/2018

Comments

 
Thanks to @kidlitexchange for providing me with a free copy of The Beauty That Remains in exchange for an honest review.  
​All opinions are my own.
Picture
A book that explores the many forms of grief that comes with unexpected loss, The Beauty That Remains follows three teens at they learn that life can still be beautiful in the midst of the hard.  The book flips between the three narrators, and a little over half-way through you see the threads that connects their stories. This book examines more than just grief, though. Targeting the YA audience, it tackles coming-of-age, LGBTQ themes, love, guilt, anger, and passion.  This would be a great story to pass along to a young person that may be struggling with a major loss, just so they can see their thoughts reflected on the page. I know I would have loved to read this one after I lost several loved ones in high school. This one does have trigger warnings for suicide, biphobia, drug use, grief, death, car accidents, leukaemia, and physical and mental abuse, which made the book seem pretty heavy at times.  Overall, a solid three star read to pass along.
TL/DR: The Beauty That Remains is as beautiful on the inside as its cover.  Young readers would benefit from a book club discussion on the themes and topics discussed.
​

Rating: 3 / 5 stars
Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    The way to Alexandra's heart is through a great book recommendation.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    2018
    2020
    Adventure
    ARC
    Audiobook
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Chick Lit
    Comedy
    Contemporary
    Crime
    Culture
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Five Star Reads
    Four Star Reads
    Giftable
    Graphic Novel
    Guest Review
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Humor
    January
    Kid Lit Exchange
    Libro.fm
    Memior
    Middle Grade
    Mystery
    Nature
    NetGalley ARC
    Nonfiction
    Novella
    Novels
    Page Turner Club
    Page-Turner Club
    Penguin Teen
    Personality
    Picture Books
    Poetry
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Short Stories
    Summer Reads
    Suspense
    Teen
    Three Star Reads
    Thriller
    Two Star Reads
    Unpopular Opinions
    Young Adult

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews and Lists
  • Quotes
  • Beyond Reading
  • Project: Adapted
  • About
  • Contact