When I joined the book community back in January 2016, I didn't know that bookish subscription boxes were a thing. Since then I have tried two different companies (both based in the UK as shipping from anywhere else is way too expensive). A while ago, I was talking with a friend and she asked me if they are worth the money and since then I have been thinking about if they are. I am going to be using Fairyloot for all my examples as I have been subscribed to it since September.
So typically, a bookish subscription box will have a new YA hardcover and 5-7 items. The average cost can be anywhere between £20-£35 and these costs don't include postage. I can see why people question whether they are worth it as this is a lot of money to put into a subscription service every month. I personally think Fairyloot is worth it as every box is packed with so many items plus a great book.
If you look at a box and each item, the overall value is generally over the price you are paying. A new hardcover can be anywhere between £16-£20, which is already more than half of the box. Items can vary from candles (£6-10), tote bags (£10-£12), mugs (over £15), notebooks (£7) and Pop Funkos (£5-£10). If you were to get a candle, a mug, a notebook and a tote plus badges and prints, you are already looking at around £60 value.
The items and books included in the boxes are often quite expensive on their own, so when you get them in a box, you are saving money (which is always great). However, it is always going to be incredibly hard to find items that everyone loves, so there will be people who hate some of the items. To them, the boxes aren't worth the money. But they can't deny, you don't get a lot of items in the boxes.
Love,
Carenza x
Sunday 30 April 2017
Wednesday 26 April 2017
How Many Editions Is Too Many? It'sCarenzaB
As someone who has been a part of the book community for almost year and a half, a common theme I have spotted that bookworms like owning multiple editions of the same books/series. This is something I myself am guilty of and it got me thinking, is it possible to own too many editions of the same book?
When I joined to book community, this was something I was not planning on doing as I felt it was stupid to own multiple editions. All the books have the same text in, so why buy more than one version? But, last year I bought the new paperback editions of both of Cassandra Clare's series because I liked the covers and some had new content in. I may own 5 editions of City of Bones, but I have only physically read one of them.
I think the reason I like the idea of owning multiple of the same book as it shows I support that author and shows how much I like them. With my Cassandra Clare collection, I own two complete sets of both series (that are currently complete) as well as two editions of Lady Midnight. I have the standard paperback as at that point I didn't know that collectors editions were a thing.
With the imminent release of two of my most anticipated releases (A Court of Wings and Ruin and Lord of Shadows), I discovered that there are about 5 editions of both books you can get. For A Court of Wings and Ruin, I have opted for the standard hardback as shipping from America to the UK is hella expensive. But for Lord of Shadows, I have pre-ordered one edition, but I'm planning on getting another 3 or 4 because I know I'm going to love it and also there are about 12 (I'm being dramatic) exclusive contents you can get. I don't know why one book needs so many different exclusive content bits, but this is a thing that keeps on happening.
I feel as though fans, like myself, feel they need all the exclusive content they can get their hands on and this is something I have spoken about before on here. I haven't made it a secret that I am not usually a fan of exclusive content as not everyone can get their hands on it and it pressures fans to buy multiple editions.
I have decided that if I am going to collect multiple editions, it is only going to be for authors or series I love. So far I only plan on collecting books from authors such as JK Rowling and Cassandra Clare as they are my absolute favourite authors.
It would be interesting to see what other bookworms think about owning multiple editions and I will state that I am not trying to attack anyone, this is just my opinion.
Love,
Carenza x
Monday 24 April 2017
Book Review Monday- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas| It'sCarenzaB
Last week I finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and I knew that I was going to write a blog post about it. I have heard nothing but good things about this book and usually, books that are hyped aren't my thing. But, this book was amazing. Books that are being hyped are generally being hyped for two reasons; they're problematic or they're amazing. This book falls into the later category. So prepare yourself for a gushy, fangirl-esque review on one of the most important YA books I have read.
In an interview with BBC news, Angie Thomas said that "empathy is greater than sympathy" and if I was forced to try a summarize the message of this book, I would say that this comes very close. It shows that you can say you sympathize with someone and not mean it.
Something I loved about this book was how I could see links between the character of Starr and Angie. When I met her, she said that some of the things that happened to Starr happened to her and it was really interesting seeing how events in her life became part of her best selling novel. This book is the first book I've read since Noughts&Crosses by Malorie Blackman that is by a black author about what it's like to be black in a world where, unfortunately, racism still exists.
As someone who is not part of the black community, it was interesting reading about the black community and learning things about it. I really enjoy it when books teach me things as well as being a good read. Most of what I learnt was things I had never heard about and found fascinating.
Starr is an amazing character. She goes through so much character development. From being timid to being part of a protest, she changes a lot. What I admire about Starr is that she isn't afraid to stand up and challenge people who are racist towards her and those around her. I found reading the scene with Hailey really moving as she came right out with it and wouldn't back down, not matter what. There need to be more Starr Carter's in the world than Katiniss Everdeen's.
Something I've already touched on is the sense of community, but not how this book revolves around a family. I loved the family dynamics in this book. Some of the scenes made me envious of Starr and her brothers as I am an only child. My family and I are very close and I loved reading about another close-knit family like my own.
I've seen some reviews attacking the book and saying it abuses the police force. It doesn't do this. The majority of those in the police are lovely, unbiased people. But there are a few that are not, and more often that not these people are a bit trigger happy. Within the book, we see Starr's uncle Carlos show what it's like to be a good cop and then we have the cop who shot Khalil.
I'll finish my rambly review on a positive. I loved this book. If you are going to read any book that I have reviewed, read this one.
Love,
Carenza x
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- Contains Spoilers
Non-Spoiler Thoughts
I do believe that the hype surrounding this book is rightly deserved as THUG discusses a really important and relevant issues; the way police/ law officers treat black people, especially in the US. The past two years have been littered with police attacks on innocent black people and this book shows the wider world what it's like to be on the end of one of those attacks. I was lucky enough to meet Angie on one of her UK events and get to listen to her discuss why this book is so relevant. Despite the fact that it's only been out two months, it already has a film deal with Fox (I believe). If that doesn't show you how relevant it is, I don't know what will.
Cover Chat
I will say that I prefer the hardcover cover. I do like the paperback cover, but I feel as though the hardcover is way more powerful.
Plot
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice.
Opinions
I absolutely loved this book. I know I keep on mentioning how relevant it is, but it genuinely is really relevant. We live in a world where someone like Donald Trump can become president. This book isn't just about a police officer shooting someone, it's about how a community comes together to get justice for one of their own.In an interview with BBC news, Angie Thomas said that "empathy is greater than sympathy" and if I was forced to try a summarize the message of this book, I would say that this comes very close. It shows that you can say you sympathize with someone and not mean it.
Something I loved about this book was how I could see links between the character of Starr and Angie. When I met her, she said that some of the things that happened to Starr happened to her and it was really interesting seeing how events in her life became part of her best selling novel. This book is the first book I've read since Noughts&Crosses by Malorie Blackman that is by a black author about what it's like to be black in a world where, unfortunately, racism still exists.
As someone who is not part of the black community, it was interesting reading about the black community and learning things about it. I really enjoy it when books teach me things as well as being a good read. Most of what I learnt was things I had never heard about and found fascinating.
Starr is an amazing character. She goes through so much character development. From being timid to being part of a protest, she changes a lot. What I admire about Starr is that she isn't afraid to stand up and challenge people who are racist towards her and those around her. I found reading the scene with Hailey really moving as she came right out with it and wouldn't back down, not matter what. There need to be more Starr Carter's in the world than Katiniss Everdeen's.
Something I've already touched on is the sense of community, but not how this book revolves around a family. I loved the family dynamics in this book. Some of the scenes made me envious of Starr and her brothers as I am an only child. My family and I are very close and I loved reading about another close-knit family like my own.
I've seen some reviews attacking the book and saying it abuses the police force. It doesn't do this. The majority of those in the police are lovely, unbiased people. But there are a few that are not, and more often that not these people are a bit trigger happy. Within the book, we see Starr's uncle Carlos show what it's like to be a good cop and then we have the cop who shot Khalil.
I'll finish my rambly review on a positive. I loved this book. If you are going to read any book that I have reviewed, read this one.
Love,
Carenza x
Friday 21 April 2017
A Belated March 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB
So this month, I am bringing you my March Favourites a tiny bit late. Why? I hear you ask. It's a bit late as recently I haven't been in the mood to blog and I only want to put posts on here that I am proud of. For a while, I have been in this routine to rush posts so at least I'll have posted something. That stops from now on. I am going to be making a separate post about some changes that will be coming your way soon. But, anyway, March Favourites. I have a couple of favourites for March, most of which have been cultural favourites.
My favourite book of the month was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I had been dying to read this for a while and my friend and I were buddy reading Carry On, but I hadn't read Fangirl. I think I read this in about a week (which for me at the moment, is very impressive). I absolutely loved this book. I have been in a big contemporary mood lately, so this was the perfect book to read. I will be reviewing it soon.
My script favourite is Snow in Midsummer by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. I'll go into more detail about why I loved the play in my Culture section. The script was slightly different from the play and it was interesting reading it between the times I saw the play.
A certain highly anticipated live action Disney film came out in March. Beauty and the Beast has been widely accepted as a very good adaptation and most people seem to love. I love it. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney film and the live action version lived up to my expectations. I have been listening to the sound track a lot and I have to say that my favourite song is Evermore.
My only Bits'n'bobs favourite are the Beauty and the Beast Tsum Tsums. You guys know I love Tsum Tsums, so add my favourite Disney film to one of the things I collect, it makes me very happy.
So that concludes my favourites for March. I'm debating stopping these posts as I don't feel as though they go with my other posts.
Love,
Carenza x
March Favourites 2017
Books
Now, while I had an exceptionally good reading month in March, most of the books I read were either for college or books I didn't enjoy. I do have a favourite book and also a favourite script, which ties in with a culture favourite.
Culture
As I was just talking about it, let's keep on talking about Snow in Midsummer. I kid you not, I saw this play 3 times. I absolutely loved it. The cast, the set, the music, the plot- everything was incredible. If I could, I would have seen it more than 3 times. As cheesy as it sounds, I can't put into words how much I love this play.A certain highly anticipated live action Disney film came out in March. Beauty and the Beast has been widely accepted as a very good adaptation and most people seem to love. I love it. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney film and the live action version lived up to my expectations. I have been listening to the sound track a lot and I have to say that my favourite song is Evermore.
Bits'n'Bobs
So that concludes my favourites for March. I'm debating stopping these posts as I don't feel as though they go with my other posts.
Love,
Carenza x
Thursday 20 April 2017
#DiversityBingo TBR| It'sCarenzaB
Hey Guys!
How are you?
So back in January, I decided I wanted to take part in #DiversityBingo which is a reading challenge which encourages you to read more diversely. I made my TBR over the last two months after watching other people's TBRs and doing some of my own research. In this post, I will include which book I am going to read for each prompt and include a link and description of the book.
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school in Lambertville, Tennessee. Like any other girl, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret. There’s a reason why she transferred schools for her senior year, and why she’s determined not to get too close to anyone. And then she meets Grant Everett. Grant is unlike anyone she’s ever met—open, honest, kind—and Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself…including her past. But she’s terrified that once she tells Grant the truth, he won't be able to see past it. Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It’s that she used to be Andrew.
I saw this on quite a few people's TBR, so it seemed like a safe choice to go with but I am really excited to read this.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?
Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…
But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.
Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.
Right?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park. A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
On an average day in America, seven children and teens will be shot dead. In Another Day in the Death of America, award-winning journalist Gary Younge tells the stories of the lives lost during one such day. It could have been any day, but he chose November 23, 2013. Black, white, and Latino, aged nine to nineteen, they fell at sleepovers, on street corners, in stairwells, and on their own doorsteps. From the rural Midwest to the barrios of Texas, the narrative crisscrosses the country over a period of twenty-four hours to reveal the full human stories behind the gun-violence statistics and the brief mentions in local papers of lives lost.
This powerful and moving work puts a human face—a child’s face—on the “collateral damage” of gun deaths across the country. This is not a book about gun control, but about what happens in a country where it does not exist. What emerges in these pages is a searing and urgent portrait of youth, family, and firearms in America today.
So that concludes my TBR for #DiversityBingo. Let me know if you're reading any of the same books or if you have any recommendations.
Love,
Carenza x
How are you?
So back in January, I decided I wanted to take part in #DiversityBingo which is a reading challenge which encourages you to read more diversely. I made my TBR over the last two months after watching other people's TBRs and doing some of my own research. In this post, I will include which book I am going to read for each prompt and include a link and description of the book.
#DiversityBingo TBR
Romance with a Trans MC
I am planning to read If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo.Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school in Lambertville, Tennessee. Like any other girl, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret. There’s a reason why she transferred schools for her senior year, and why she’s determined not to get too close to anyone. And then she meets Grant Everett. Grant is unlike anyone she’s ever met—open, honest, kind—and Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself…including her past. But she’s terrified that once she tells Grant the truth, he won't be able to see past it. Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It’s that she used to be Andrew.
I saw this on quite a few people's TBR, so it seemed like a safe choice to go with but I am really excited to read this.
Sci-Fi with Disabled MC
The book I have chosen to read is The Young Elites by Marie Lu. I was going to read Cinder by Marrissa Myer, but I am trying to use as many books that I own rather than having to buy loads of books.
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
Practicing Jewish MC
I have been wanting to read Simon vs the Homosapian Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I am so glad I can use a book that I have been wanting to read for one of these prompts.Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Indian MC Own Voices
Another book I have wanted to read for a while is The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?
Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…
But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.
Displaced MC
Last year I read the Percy Jackson series and I discovered that Rick Riordan has written a Norse mythology series Magnus Chase. I saw other people use this on their TBR's and I have been wanting to read this series for a while.Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.
One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.
The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.
When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.
Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .
MC with an Underrepresented Body Type
Some of the books on my list are 2017 realses, but as this post goes up this book has been out for about a week. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli is a book I have been hearing lots of good things about.Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.
Right?
Neuro-Diverse MC Own Voices
Now, I have actually read this book, but it was on my TBR before I read so I'm going to include it anyway.Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park. A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Retelling in LGBT community
The book I have chosen for this prompt is a book I discovered on Twitter and is another 2017 release. The Seafarere's Kiss by Julia Ember is a retelling of the Little Mermaid with Norse mythology running through it. It comes out on May 4th.
Having long-wondered what lives beyond the ice shelf, nineteen-year-old mermaid Ersel learns of the life she wants when she rescues and befriends Ragna, a shield-maiden stranded on the mermen’s glacier. But when Ersel’s childhood friend and suitor catches them together, he gives Ersel a choice: say goodbye to Ragna or face justice at the hands of the glacier’s brutal king.
Determined to forge a different fate, Ersel seeks help from Loki. But such deals are never as one expects, and the outcome sees her exiled from the only home and protection she’s known. To save herself from perishing in the barren, underwater wasteland and be reunited with the human she’s come to love, Ersel must try to outsmart the God of Lies.
Bisexual MC Own Voices
If you haven't heard of Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, it would be a surprise as all the vidoes/ blog posts about #DiversityBingo had this book on it.
Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.
Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.
The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.
MC with Invisible Disability
I'm not sure if this book does fit this prompt, but I'm going to keep it for now. Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone has a character that has a mental health illness.Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.
MC with Anaphylactic Allergy
The book I have chosen for this prompt has a lot of mixed feelings surrounding it, Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
MC of Colour in Sci Fi
I have actually started this book and it is Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza. This book was included in the February Fairyloot.
CROWN PRINCESS RHIANNON TA'AN WANTS VENGEANCE.
The only surviving heir to an ancient Kalusian dynasty, RHEE has spent her life training to destroy the people who killed her family. Now, on the eve of her coronation, the time has finally come for Rhee to claim her throne - and her revenge.
ALYOSHA is a Wraetan who has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. Despite his popularity, Aly struggles with anti-Wraetan prejudices and the pressure of being perfect in the public eye.
Their paths collide with one brutal act of violence: Rhee is attacked, barely escaping with her life. Aly is blamed for her presumed murder.
The princess and her accused killer are forced to go into hiding - even as a war between planets is waged in Rhee's name. But soon, Rhee and Aly discover that the assassination attempt is just one part of a sinister plot. Bound together by an evil that only they can stop, the two fugitives must join forces to save the galaxy.
In this exhilarating debut for fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, RHODA BELLEZA crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.
Own Voices Latinx MC
I saw this book on quite a few people's TBR and it is a book I have been wanting to read for a while, Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova.
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...
Free Choice
If you have followed my blog since I started it in 2015, then you will know that two years ago I got The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness for my birthday. If you didn't know, Patrick Ness is part of the LGBT community.
What if you aren’t the Chosen One?
The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.
Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.
Even if your best friend is worshiped by mountain lions...
Non-Western Real World Setting
Another book I have already read is The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. This book is set in Russia and I'm excited for the second book to come out.
Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.
Own Voices
The book I have chosen for this is a book I have heard nothing but good things about. It was in an Owlcrate box recently and it is Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst.
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.
MC with Chronic Pain
The book I have chosen is Far From You by Tess Sharpe
Nine months. Two weeks. Six days.
That's how long recovering addict Sophie's been drug-free. Four months ago her best friend, Mina, died in what everyone believes was a drug deal gone wrong - a deal they think Sophie set up. Only Sophie knows the truth. She and Mina shared a secret, but there was no drug deal. Mina was deliberately murdered.
Forced into rehab for an addiction she'd already beaten, Sophie's finally out and on the trail of the killer—but can she track them down before they come for her?
West Asian Setting
The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.
Arab MC Own Voices
Wolfdreams by Yasmina Khadra.
How does a handsome young man who keeps company with poets and dreams of fame and fortune, turn into a brutal killer who massacres women and children? We follow Nafa Walid as he gradually loses control of his destiny and is drawn into Islamic fundamentalism. Wolf Dreams illustrates what happens when disillusion intersects with the persuasive voice of fundamentalism and the chaos of civil war.
How does a handsome young man who keeps company with poets and dreams of fame and fortune, turn into a brutal killer who massacres women and children? We follow Nafa Walid as he gradually loses control of his destiny and is drawn into Islamic fundamentalism. Wolf Dreams illustrates what happens when disillusion intersects with the persuasive voice of fundamentalism and the chaos of civil war.
MC With A Wheelchair
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
Book By Author of Colour
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Biracial MC Own Voices
Legend by Marie Lu.
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Black MC Own Voices
Noughts&Crosses by Malorie Blackman.
Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.
Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?
Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.
Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?
LGBT MC of Colour
Peter Huang and his sisters—elegant Adele, shrewd Helen, and Bonnie the bon vivant—grow up in a house of many secrets, then escape the confines of small-town Ontario and spread from Montreal to California to Berlin. Peter’s own journey is obstructed by playground bullies, masochistic lovers, Christian ex-gays, and the ever-present shadow of his Chinese father.
At birth, Peter had been given the Chinese name Juan Chaun, powerful king. The exalted only son in the middle of three daughters, Peter was the one who would finally embody his immigrant father's ideal of power and masculinity. But Peter has different dreams: he is certain he is a girl.
Sensitive, witty, and stunningly assured, Kim Fu’s debut novel lays bare the costs of forsaking one’s own path in deference to one laid out by others. For Today I Am a Boy is a coming-of-age tale like no other, and marks the emergence of an astonishing new literary voice.
Visually Impaired MC
Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstorm.
The Rules:
Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.
Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me.
Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter.
Parker Grant doesn’t need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart.
When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that’s right, her eyes don’t work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn’t cried since her dad’s death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened—both with Scott, and her dad—the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.
Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, debut author Eric Lindstrom’s Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not.
The Rules:
Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.
Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me.
Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter.
Parker Grant doesn’t need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart.
When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that’s right, her eyes don’t work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn’t cried since her dad’s death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened—both with Scott, and her dad—the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.
Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, debut author Eric Lindstrom’s Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not.
Book Set in Central America
The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.
Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture. The novel has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number seventeen because of the sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence.
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.
Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture. The novel has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number seventeen because of the sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence.
Contemporary World Arranged Marriage
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandya Menon.
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
Indigenous MC Own Voices
Ash by Malinda Lo.
In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.
Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.
In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.
Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.
Diverse Non-Fiction
Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge.On an average day in America, seven children and teens will be shot dead. In Another Day in the Death of America, award-winning journalist Gary Younge tells the stories of the lives lost during one such day. It could have been any day, but he chose November 23, 2013. Black, white, and Latino, aged nine to nineteen, they fell at sleepovers, on street corners, in stairwells, and on their own doorsteps. From the rural Midwest to the barrios of Texas, the narrative crisscrosses the country over a period of twenty-four hours to reveal the full human stories behind the gun-violence statistics and the brief mentions in local papers of lives lost.
This powerful and moving work puts a human face—a child’s face—on the “collateral damage” of gun deaths across the country. This is not a book about gun control, but about what happens in a country where it does not exist. What emerges in these pages is a searing and urgent portrait of youth, family, and firearms in America today.
Person of Colour on the Cover
This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing MC
I'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces.
How do you know if your friends are talking about you behind your back or if a boy likes you? They could act innocent, but you'd know from the rumours. You'd hear the whispers. But what if you couldn't hear those whispers anymore? What if everything you took for granted was gone? Being a teenager is hard enough.
But being a deaf teenager?
Immigrant or Refugee MC
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
Hujabi MC Own Voices
When sixteen-year-old Amal decides to wear the hijab full-time, her entire world changes, all because of a piece of cloth...
Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.
Can she handle the taunts of "towel head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.
So that concludes my TBR for #DiversityBingo. Let me know if you're reading any of the same books or if you have any recommendations.
Love,
Carenza x
Monday 17 April 2017
Book Review Monday- 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher| It'sCarenzaB
Hey Guys!
How are you?
So Netflix recently dropped the TV adaptation to one of my favourite books, 13 Reasons Why. Now, I haven't seen the TV show as I don't have Netflix (I think I'm the only teenager not to have Netflix), but it made me want to pick the book up again as it has been about 4 years since I read it and I have hopefully matured in those 4 years. I still gave it the same rating of 5/5 stars as it holds a special place in my heart. Like all my other reviews, I will be discussing spoilers, so do not read if you do not want to be spoiled.
How are you?
So Netflix recently dropped the TV adaptation to one of my favourite books, 13 Reasons Why. Now, I haven't seen the TV show as I don't have Netflix (I think I'm the only teenager not to have Netflix), but it made me want to pick the book up again as it has been about 4 years since I read it and I have hopefully matured in those 4 years. I still gave it the same rating of 5/5 stars as it holds a special place in my heart. Like all my other reviews, I will be discussing spoilers, so do not read if you do not want to be spoiled.
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher- Contains Spoilers
Non-Spoiler Thoughts
I'll be honest and say I love this book. I know there is a lot of controversy around this book and I can see why, but this book means a lot to me. I discovered it around the time when someone I know tried to commit suicide. I won't go into details about that as it's way too personal for the internet, but I found an escape route through Clay and Hannah's stories. It showed me that there were other people out there who felt the same as me and that was important. I will reiterate that I can see where people are coming from with being angry and not liking this book. It deals with a very serious subject matter and at times, it doesn't deal with it well. I really can't go into more detail without spoiling it.
Cover Chat
Yes, this image is taken from Google and rightly so as my copy is trashed after I lent it to someone. I do have to say that I like this cover as it doesn't give too much away, and I think that it was the reason I picked it up in the first place.
Opinions
Like I said in my non-spoiler section, this book means a lot to me so my opinions will be slightly biased. I love this book. I picked it up as a 12 year old and now as a more mature reader, I can still love it. It hits you with all the emotions and makes you think that you have to be careful what you do and say to someone as it could lead to events like this.
I think the format 13 Reasons Why is told in is really interesting. As a Creative Writing student, I appreciate "weird" ways to tell stories. It was the format that made this story stick out, I had never read anything like that before. It made the story line feel more emotional.
I do think that reviews stating that Hannah didn't have enough reasons to kill herself are ridiculous. She was bullied, sexually abused and told to get on with her life when she wanted to end it. Those are definitely good enough reasons to want to end your life.
The only thing that I didn't like that much was Clay's belief that he could have saved her. I understand where he is coming from, but it would take more than one person to change a decision like that. In a way, Clay's belief romanticizes suicide. It says that if you find your knight in shining armor, everything will be alright.
So that concludes my review of 13 Reasons Why, let me know what your thoughts were.
Love,
Carenza x
Wednesday 12 April 2017
March Fairyloot Review| It'sCarenzaB
Hey Guys!
How are you?
As we're almost half way through the month, I'm positive it's safe to post my March Fairyloot review. The March box was my absolute favourite they sent out as it was their anniversary box. I'm so proud of how far Fairyloot has come and I've been following them since they've started. If you haven't received your box, then do not read this review.
How are you?
As we're almost half way through the month, I'm positive it's safe to post my March Fairyloot review. The March box was my absolute favourite they sent out as it was their anniversary box. I'm so proud of how far Fairyloot has come and I've been following them since they've started. If you haven't received your box, then do not read this review.
March Fairyloot- Contains Spoilers
So as you can see, there is lots in the box. The grey backdrop I used is actually a scarf that was included in the box. It was created exclusively by GivArt. It's really nice quality and goes with pretty much everything.
For the first time, Fairyloot included fairy lights. These amazing Unicorn and Cloud fairy lights were made by Mustard.
My favourite item in the box was this candle made exclusively by Geeky Clean. It smells like Black Cherry and Lime, which reminds me of a summer fizzy drink. I'm so sad that this is exclusive as I love this scent.
This is the second time (since I subscribed last September) that Fairyloot has included a pocket mirror. It was designed exclusively by Book Otter. I'm not the biggest fan of pocket mirrors, but the artwork is beautiful.
Another favourite item are these adorable magnetic bookmarks from Bonitismo. I have been eyeing up their bookmarks for ages and am super happy to have these exclusive ones.
The book in the March Fairyloot box was Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I guessed this when the theme was announced and am beyond excited to have this exclusive UK version. I'm halfway through reading it and I was lucky enough to meet Laini at one of her UK tour events.
Part of what makes it exclusive is the fact that it's signed (my copy is now signed twice!) and this gorgeous inside cover art.
As this was the anniversary box, Fairyloot made this exclusive purple version which I am going to keep forever. There was also this cool one year anniversary Fairy Scoop booklet, which told you the story of how Fairyloot started.
I was blown away by the quality of this box and I can't wait to see if April will top it.
Love,
Carenza x
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