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Rating: ★★★★½

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a heart-warming romance novel about two young politically involved men falling in love. Prince Henry of England and the First Son of the United States, Alex are part of the classic trope of enemies becoming lovers. 

Awards: ALA Alex Award (2020), Goodreads Choice Award for Romance and for Debut Novel (2019), Bisexual Book Awards for Romance (joint winner) (2019)

Reference: McQuiston, C. (2019). Red, White & Royal Blue. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.

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My Brother’s Husband: A Manga Review

Rating: ★★★★★

In My Brother’s Husband, Vol. 1 the story begins following Yaichi, a stay at home dad and his daughter Kana. After Yaichi’s estranged twin brother Ryoji dies, his Canadian husband shows up at Yaichi’s doorstep to meet Ryoji’s family. Due to the common Japanese thoughts on homosexuality, Ryoji had left his family to start a life in Canada. Mike needs to connect with Ryoji’s family and grieve while Yaichi is in need of connecting with Ryoji and accepting him as his was. 

This story touches on cultural differences, sexuality and acceptance, inclusivity and new relationships. It also focuses on how homosexuality is seen in the Japanese culture. Yaichi confronts his homophobia and learns that not everything is black and white. This manga has all the feels, from the comical expressions on the characters faces and movements to the deep topics of confronting and excepting new ways of thinking. I highly recommend this manga to anyone looking for a story that pulls on your heart stings, this is it! 

My Brother’s Husband is part of a 4 volume series and was adapted into a live-action show on NHK in 2018

Awards: Harvey Awards Nominee for Best Manga (2018), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia (2018), VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award for Adult Honor (2017)

Reference: Tagame, G., & Ishii, A. (2017). My Brother's Husband. New York: Pantheon Books.

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The Golden Compass: A Book Review

Rating: ★★★★★

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman is a wonderful story about a young girl named Lyra and the adventure of a lifetime. Taking place in a parallel universe, Lyra is a parentless girl who lives at Oxford College. Her Uncle Asriel is attempting to build a bridge in the North to the universe we live in now. After a group called the Gobblers, who take children, steal Lyra’s best friend Roger and take him to the North, she goes on a quest to get him back and reunite with her Uncle Asriel. Lyra is a clever girl who is passionate and loyal, and will do whatever she can to get her best friend back. During her journey, she finds that she can read the golden compass (which is an extremely rare thing) and befriends an armored bear. The plat of The Golden Compass will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole duration of the book and the series. You’ll find there are moral lessons and teachable moments throughout it.

Lyra’s story gives you everything you could ever want. Magic, talking bears and daemons, an adventure, friendship and science. I personally love this series and highly recommend The Golden Compass to anyone in the mood for a magical adventure. The Golden Compass is the first installment in the His Dark Materials trilogy series. Despite being written back in 1995, there has been growing enthusiasm towards this series among young adults. In 2007, the film The Golden Compass was a whimsical film based on the story. In 2019, HBO premiered His Dark Materials which is a more in detail account of the book series.  

Awards: Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (1996), Audie Award for Children's Titles (2000), Lincoln Award Nominee (2005), Carnegie Medal (1995)

Reference: Pullman, P. (2003). The Golden Compass. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf.

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel Review

Rating: ★★★★★

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and artist Faith Erin Hicks is a story about two “seasonal” high school seniors who work a pumpkin patch together during the fall season. Deja helps Josiah find the girl he’s been crushing on for the last three season and helps him work up the courage to ask her out. The two skip their last shift at the pumpkin patch and go on an autumn themed adventure. But is Josiah’s crush what he was looking for?  

This read gives you all the fall feels you’ll ever need! The cuteness of the romance storyline, working at a pumpkin patch, and the beautiful art work is a definite to make you feel like sweater weather is upon us. Take head though, you may want to stock up on snacks before reading this graphic novel! The story mentions a variety of scrumptious sounding treats and with Faith Erin Hicks illustrations, that will certainly make your mouth water! I highly recommend Pumpkinheads to anyone looking for a feel-good, warm and fuzzy type of story.

Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Graphic Novels & Comics (2019), VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award for Youth Honor (2019), Whippoorwill Award (2020)

Reference: Rowell, R., Hicks, F. E., & Stern, S. (2019). Pumpkinheads: A Graphic Novel. New York: First Second.

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The Sims 4: A Video Game Review

Rating: ★★★★★

Where do I even begin with The Sims 4 for a review? This is my all time favorite game. I have been playing The Sims games since I was in 5th grade (and I am not going to disclose how long ago that was). 

This single player simulation game has eveolved over the past 21 years with its varations, going from pixalated graphics and basic gaming interactions to a high speed game play with tons of interactive freeplay. Created by Maxis and Electronic Arts, The Sims 4 came out in 2014 and it allows you to create and design your own characters, build homes and buisnesses and play through their lives from birth to death. While there is no real goal of The Sims 4, it is still a fun and exciting game to play.

You can play The Sims 4 on a varity of platforms such as mobile devices, consoles but the most popular is played on PC. The Sims 4 has multiple expansion, game and stuff packs that you can add new content and game play into the base game. I HIGHLY recommend The Sims 4 (or any of the The Sims games) to anyone looking to have some mindless fun. 

Awards: NAVGTR Awards in 2015

Reference: Maxis. (2014). The Sims 4. Electronic Arts Inc

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

Rating: ★★★★★

The book Dear Martin by Nic Stone is a powerful story about the struggles of a young black man faces throughout his life. This book so many people of all different ages and races can benefit from reading. It’s eye opening story reveals the issues and struggles so many Americans face day to day.

Awards: William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee (2018), South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult (2020), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Nominee (2018), Lincoln Award Nominee (2020)

Reference: Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. New York: Crown.

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds: A Review

Rating: ★★★★★

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a gripping story written in a poetic narrative about the cycle of violence. After his brother Shawn has been murdered, fifteen-year-old Will is on his way down to avenge his brother’s death. With his brother’s gun in the waistband of his jeans, Will encounters 6 past friends and family members on each floor down on his elevator ride. The only problem is these friends and family are all…DEAD. Each person he encounters on his elevator ride tries to guide him away from killing someone for revenge as he may end up in jail or dead himself.

Despite the whole story taking place within 67 seconds time, we get a deep, emotional impact. The style of book is one not every person may like but taking a chance to read this is worth it. Jason Reynolds writing gives readers a vivid and heart wrenching story that grips you from cover to cover. I give this book 5 stars and recommend Long Way Down to anyone and everyone!

Awards: Newbery Medal Nominee (2018), National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature (2017), Odyssey Award Nominee (2018), Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature (2017), Edgar Award for Best Young Adult (2018)Michael L. Printz Award Nominee (2018), South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult (2020), Flicker Tale Children's Book Award for Young Adult (2019), Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2019), Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee for Middle School (2020), Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Author Honor (2018), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Nominee (2018), Lincoln Award Nominee (2020), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Poetry (2017), Carnegie Medal Nominee (2019), NAACP Image Award Nominee for Youth/Teens (2018)

Reference: Reynolds, J. (2017). Long Way Down. New York: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books.

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Rating: ★★★★★

For this booktalk, I chose the YA romance novel To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. This is one of my personal favorites and is a lighthearted teen romance story. If you do some speed reading and watching, the last film installment of the trilogy will be out on Netflix this Friday! 

Awards: ILA Young Adults' Choices, Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Master List, Kansas NEA Reading Circle List High School Title, Florida Teens Read Master List, TAYSHAS Reading List (TX), Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, Arkansas Teen Book Award

Reference: Han, J. (2014). To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Simon & Schuster.

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Since my last post was about Hamilton: An American Musical, I figured I’d share with you all two videos about it. The first video here is Lin-Manuel Miranda (the creator of the musical Hamilton) go over what the musical is about in three minutes. The second video is the song The Schuyler Sisters, one of my personal favorites! Hope you all enjoy!

Reference: 

The Ellen Show (Producer). (2017, December 5). Lin-Manuel Miranda Preforms 'Hamilton' in Under 3 Minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbniWvd5OZ4&feature=emb_logo

Miranda, L. (2015). The Schuyler Sisters. Goldsberry, R., Soo, P., Cephas Jones, J. , & et al. On Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [Video file]. New York: Atlantic Records. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bkqXVc_1go

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Rating: ★★★★★

For my musictalk video, I chose to review my favorite musical Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. There are so many amazing things about this musical that I could probably go on for hours about. I know my poor husband is so over my obsession with this (I sing the songs more than I should and I DO NOT have a good singing voice). 

But this phenomenal musical has consumed so many people, from tweens to elderly. The musical itself is groundbreaking, with a whole BIPOC cast representing America's founding fathers to almost the whole duration of the musical being rapped and sung. While this musical is not completely historically accurate, it's a great way for people to become interested in American history and politics.

If you are looking for something to watch, this is it. I recommend it to everyone.

Awards: 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, 2017 Billboard Music Awards for Top Soundtrack/Cast Album; 7x Platinum in US, Platinum in UK. 

Reference: Miranda, L. (2015) Hamilton: An American Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording). [Soundtrack]. New York: Atlantic Records.

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson: A Review

Rating: ★★★★★

Just Mercy (Adpated for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson is a look into the world of the incacerated and the issues with the justice system in the United States. Bryan Stevenson reflects of his time as a lawyer and how the inmates he worked with face systematic racism and injustice during their trials and prison tenure. He focuses mainly on Walter McMillian, who is a wrongly convicted fellon on Death Row in the 1980′s. Stevenson also brings to light many other cases he has worked on in the past and the horrors the people he worked with faced. Origianlly written as an adult nonfiction book, Stevenson made an adaptation for young adults to read. 

This book is one that every person should read, whether the YA version or the adult verison. It is beyond eye opening to read of the horrors and brokenness of our justice and legal system. The adaptation for this book does not take away from the impact of what Stevenson is sharing with us. The main difference between the books is language. This book made me so angry with how our justice system is ran and while I knew that racism and mistreatment occured in prison, Just Mercy completely blew what I thought out of the water. This is a definite recommended read. 

Awards: 2014 Carla Furstenberg Cohen Literary Prize, 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, 2015 Daytona Literary Peace Prize, 2015 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work, 2017 The Stowe Prize for Writing to Advance Social Justice.

Reference: Stevenson, B. (2018). Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults). New York: Delacorte Press.

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The Kissing Booth: A Film Review

Rating: ★★

The Kissing Booth is a fun, teen romantic comedy that focuses on teenager Elle. She has been best friends with Lee since she was a baby and the pair are closer than ever during their high school years. But Elle has a secret that could possibly hurt their friendship: she is in love with Lee’s bad-boy-popular-football-playing older brother, Noah. Elle and Lee come up with a fundraiser idea for the schools fair which is a “kissing booth”. During the course of the movie, Noah and Elle’s feelings grow stronger for each other which leads to the climax of them kiss at the fair. 

This rom-com teen drama is one that many can get into. It offers the light-hearted teen romance drama that many can get into. The Kissing Booth has had some controversy since it’s release. It has been seen as overly cliche and often misogynistic. While this movie has recieved some negative reviews, it has already produced a sequal and is in the works of making third movie. I personally was not a huge fan of this movie. While it had many characteristics of a teen rom-com that I nromally do enjoy, I felt that this one fell short. 

Awards: Actress Joey King won Favorite Actress from the Kids’ Choice Awards in 2019.

References: Marcello, V. (Director). (2018). The Kissing Booth [Motion picture on Netflix]. United States: Komixx Entertainment.

[jennietheblogginglibrarian]

The Vampire Diaries: A Review of the TV Show

Rating: ★★★★★

It’s safe to say that despite being almost 27 years old, The Vampire Diaries is one of my all time favorite shows on television. I’ve watched it through at least 5 times and lets not forget about all the great spin-offs that came from it such as The Originals and Legacies. I love it so much that my recently adopted 12 week old German Shepherd puppy is named Klaus after Klaus Mikaelson #swoon. 

But enough about my love for this series and more about the series itself. While this television is a book series, the television show sparked much more interest than the book series did. The television show follows the life of Elena Gilbert, a teenager who lost both her parents living in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Elena meets and falls in love with Stefan Salvatore, a 162 year old vampire. Elena meets and befriends a large amount of members from the supernatural community. Stefan’s older vampire brother Damon and ex-girlfriend Katherine Pierce (who happens to be Elena’s vampire doppelgänger) cause chaos amongst the lovebirds. 

Throughout the seasons we meet many different friends and foes of Elena and the Salvatore brothers, both human and not human. For anyone interested in vampires, romance and drama, this show is for you! It has the lighthearted teen rom-com drama along side touching on hard topics such as death of relatives, tragedy and growing up. I think one of my favorite thing about this show is how the characters evolve. We start the series with the main characters in the brink of starting their lives and get to see them grow through hard times and all the moments in between. Additionally most times when you dislike a character in this show at first, you might end up really liking them at the end due to their character arcs. I highly recommend this series to anyone!! 

Awards: The Vampire Diaries series has won 39 awards and has been nominated for over 100. MTV’s Fandom Award 2014 Ship of the Year, multiple People’s Choice Awards in 2010, 2012, twice in 2014, and 2015, 7 Teen Choice Awards in 2010, 5 in 2011, 6 in 2012, 3 in 2013, 4 in 2014, 3 in 2015, and 2 in 2017, and three Young Hollywood Awards in 2010 and 2014. 

References: The Vampire Diaries [Television series]. (2009, September 10). Georgia: The CW.

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The Book Thief: A Review

Rating: ★★★★★

Where to even begin with the The Book Thief by Markus Zusak? This historical fiction written in 2005 is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger and her life during World War II. The story follows Liesel’s life during her coming of age and how her ignorance of the world is rocked when she is exposed to horrors of the Nazi Germany and its followers. After the being sent to live the foster parents, Liesel develops a close relationship to her foster father and a love of reading. 

The story is told from the point of view of the personification of Death. Death presents himself as an uninterested and impartial to Liesel and her story. But throughout the book, the reader finds that Death is empathetic to her. The book being told from the point of view of Death gives the readers a fresh take on a historical story. Death interacts with the reader by preluding what is to come and the author Markus Zusak’s choice of including illustrations and story that Liesel’s friend Max, a Jewish refugee who is hiding in her basement, writes for her. 

Personally, this book made me cry more than I’d like to admit. It is a beautiful story which intertwines the horrors of real events during World War II. There were certain moments in this book that made the reality of time feel real. My only problem with the book is the length of the novel. At a whopping 500+ pages, this is not a quick read. This is steep for a young adult novel, but do not let the length deter you from reading this incredible book.  

Awards: 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book (South East Asia & South Pacific); 2006 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; 2006 Daniel Elliott Peace Award; 2006 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year; 2006 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book; 2007 Michael L. Printz Honor Book; 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year for Children’s Literature; 2007 Sydney Taylor Book Award for best in Jewish children’s and YA literature

Reference: Zusak, Markus. ( 2007). The Book Thief. New York : Alfred A. Knopf.

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A Wrinkle in Time: Review

Rating: ★★★

The novel A Wrinkle in Time was written by Madeleine L’Engle in 1962. Despite being a Newbery Medal winning book, this fantasy novel has been challenged throughout time for a variety of reasons. After her father disappears, young Meg Murry, her brother and friend Charles Wallace goes on a mission through space and time to rescue her father from the evil antagonist, “IT”. The trio encounter a variety of eccentric characters along the way, travelling through time and space in order to complete their quest. A Wrinkle in Time takes readers on a vividly depicted journey where reality and fantasy collide and has been created quite a stir since the beginning of its release.

This is a story that inspires readers to use their imaginations and defy expectations. The fast-paced story and complex language has also been a topic of issue for this book. A Wrinkle in Time explores many different worlds, themes and concepts throughout its 202 pages. During the 1960’s, women’s roles and placement were beginning to evolve from but there was still a large pushback on women being the forefront. The main protagonist Meg Murry in the story is a young girl who, despite setbacks, enemies and challenges, fulfills her quest to find her father. Despite being described as “plain”, Meg shows that she is extraordinary. Meg is seen as an intelligent, strong willed young woman who is willing to do whatever it takes for her family. This major theme gives A Wrinkle in Time the diving force to still be relevant today. 

Awards: Newbery Medal (1963); Sequoyah Book Award (1965); Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1965).

Reference: L'Engle, Madeleine. (1962). A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. 

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Review Rating System

Hey everyone! 

For any of my reviews, I will be using a 5 star rating system based on how much I would recommend the resource. Here is my breakdown what each star represents:

★ =  I really did not like it / Would not recommend 

★★ = I did not like it / I probably would not recommend 

★★★ = It was okay / My feeling is neutral 

★★★★ = I liked it / Would recommend

★★★★★ = I really liked it / Would highly recommend

Personally, I tend to like a lot of the books I read and I often find it hard to give 1 star reviews. There is always someone who might be interested and think what I deem 1 star to be a 5 star book. All reviews are based off of my own ideas of what good writing, interesting storyline and if it is genre appropriate. 

I hope you all enjoy my reviews as much as I enjoy reading the books to review!