#myreadingisodd

[fromjesstoyou]

Contemporary-A-Thon Round 3 - Day 2 / Vlog #3 | #ContemporaryAThon | From Jess to You Services

[books-on-a-wire]

My TBR is kind of insane this month, so I’m being realistic with this list for #contemporaryathon and doubling up on several challenges. It’s running from Feb 11-17th with hosts - Chelsea at  chelseadollingreads, Natasha at myreadingisodd, Julie from pagesandpens., and Mel from meltotheany. They are doing book photo challenges, giveaways, so go check out their channels for more info. 

THE CHALLENGES: 1. Read your most recently acquired contemporary novel      I’m finishing a duology I started in January and just picked up the second book, Throne of Truth from Pepper Winter’s. It should also apply toward #4??

2. Read a book with plurple (blue or purple) on the cover      Crybaby by K. Webster has both colors. Knowing K. Webster, it will also   apply toward #4. I know nothing about it, so do your research ;)

3. Read a diverse contemporary (keep in mind it’s Black History Month)      I’m continuing The Reluctant Royals series with A Duke by Default by Alyssa  Cole. I’ve been holding onto this series for February and it’s time!!!

4. Read a dark or taboo contemporary     See #1 or #2

5. Read a contemporary you meant to read in 2018 but didn’t get to     2018, ha! I’ve been meaning to read this since 2016 when it came out -      Elastic Hearts - book #3 in the Hearts series by Claire Contreras.       6. Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format.      I want to finish up with The Reluctant Royals series with Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole. This f/f novella is out now on e-book, which is what I’ll be reading but will also be available on February 19th in Mass Market. I have been looking forward to this one so much...can’t wait!

7. Read a contemporary with a picture on the spine.      Both #3 and #5 have pictures on the spine. 

[lair-of-books]

Hey Bookworms! It’s Saturday morning when I’m writing this post to go up on Sunday. TBH I had no intentions of making this “Official” I kind of always participate on the low 😂🙈 which is probably because of how high I set the standard for myself & don’t always meet it 🤷🏻‍♀️ This time, I wanted a bit of accountability. These are just the books I’ll be reading during Contemporary-A-Thon, my actual September TBR is dreadful & scares me putting on paper so that’ll just stay in my head 😂 This readathon is run by some truly fantastic Booktubers I adore to pieces & you should definitely consider checking out:

Julie @PagesandPens

Chelsea @ChelseaDollingReads

Natasha @MyReadingIsOdd

The Challenges:

1. Read a contemporary with orange on the cover

2. Read a dark/spooky contemporary

3. Read a diverse contemporary

4. Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format

5. Read a contemporary that has your initials somewhere on the cover

6. Read a contemporary from a new to you author

7. Read a contemporary that is a 5 star prediction

  Read a contemporary with orange on the cover  What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera Not only is my MOST anticipated Contemporary book of 2018! 😱 One of my top 3 fave authors co-wrote this book! If you’ve been following my blog for some time now, you probably know how much I LOVE Adam Silvera’s books! They always leave me wrecked yet I keep returning for more tear jerking reads. I also think this will be a 5 star read & it also fits the diverse read category as well.

🌟Bonus🌟 One of the MC’s  is Puerto-Rican & therefore this book aligns with Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018) 🖤

Read a dark/spooky contemporary  Sadie by Courtney Summers which I’ve been trying my hardest not to start before the readathon! this book legit checks off so many of my boxes & appeals to my love of Podcasts. It’s been a while since I discovered Serial & the Adnan Syed case, but my time listening/obsessing over each episode is still fresh in my memory. I’ve had a couple of book blogging buddies tell me there is now a podcast to go along with the book & GAHHH! I’m so ready! I have this book in physical format & then used 1 of my Audible credits for the audiobook after hearing some AMAZING things about the narration.

Read a diverse contemporary  The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory  is sort of a companion novel to The Wedding Date (My review) published earlier this year. Carlos, one of the side characters who starred in The Wedding Date had me wishing so hard for a character swap #jussayin 😂 he was way nicer & just all around chivalrous which is something rare. Carlos also IMO has excellent taste in foods 😉

🌟Bonus🌟 Carlos is a Latino Doctor which means this book also book aligns with Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018)

Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format  Blue is The Warmest Color by Julie Maroh is a graphic novel I’ve been meaning to get to since 2017 & never got around to it. I’ve heard it’s best to go into it blind but that it for sure is a tear jerker starring a F/F romance. STOKED to finally have no excuse to not get to this one. I also just found out a movie exists for this story (IMDB) 🖤

Read a contemporary that has your initials somewhere on the cover  The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid & no a longer title I could not find 😂 truth be told, I’ve been DYING to read this for so long. My initials are simple, ‘LB’ or my unmarried initials ‘LL’ can both be found in this title. I’m possibly even more excited to read this one than What If It’s Us. All great books but this is one I’ve owned for so long with the knowledge it’s going to be a 5 star read & that once I read it I won’t be able to experience it for the first time again…anyone else do this? procrastinate with nooks you know will be your next obsession? 😩😂

🌟Bonus🌟  MC is a Cuban bi-sexual woman which makes this one perfect for Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018)

Read a contemporary from a new to you author  Flight or Fight by Samantha Young which I’ll be buddy reading with Melanie from Meltotheany (we’re also BR The Proposal). I admittedly don’t know much about this one other than it’s a cute hate to love contemporary everyone has been buzzing about. This will be my first Samantha Young read & I’m hoping to find a new fave author 🖤

Read a contemporary that is a 5 star prediction  Pride by Ibi Zoboi is one I’ve been highly anticipating! After reading American Street & the short story written by Ibi Zoboi in the YA anthology Meet Cute, I can’t help but want to read everything this author writes. The fact that it takes place in my home city of Brooklyn & that it’s a Pride & Prejudice REMIX (not a retelling 😂) has me HYPED!

🌟Bonus🌟  The MC Zuri Benitez is Afro-Latina….we don’t have no where near enough Afro-Latinx MC’s in our books, so happy to be reading this one for Latinx (I sure did change it to be more inclusive) Heritage Month (9/15/2018-10/15/2018) 🖤

Contemporary-A-Thon takes place from 9/17-9/23, all info to participate can also be found in the Booktube channels listed above. If you are participating in the readathon or just happen to have ready any of the titles I’ll be reading, drop me some luv in the comments down below 🖤

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    The One Where I Try To Read All The Books… Hey Bookworms! It's Saturday morning when I'm writing this post to go up on Sunday. TBH I had no intentions of making this "Official" I kind of always participate on the low 😂🙈 which is probably because of how high I set the standard for myself & don't always meet it 🤷🏻‍♀️ This time, I wanted a bit of accountability.

[inloveandwords]

Happy Almost-February everyone!

It’s time for another one of my TBRs which is really just a ‘suggested list of books I may or may not read,’ because I’m such a moody reader.

This month I’m planning on participating in Contemporaryathon, so I’m going to include that TBR here, too.

Contemporaryathon Round 6 Info

Dates: 2/10 – 2/16

Hosts:

Chelsea from Chelseadolling Reads

Julie from Pages and Pens

Natasha from MyReadingisOdd

Challenges:

read a contemporary book with green on the cover

read a contemporary from a new to you author

read a diverse contemporary (keeping in mind that it is Black History Month!)

read a backlist contemporary (something that has been on your TBR for over a year)

 read a dark/hard-hitting contemporary

 read a contemporary with an illustrated cover

read a contemporary that is beloved by a member of the book community (and shout out the creator!)

Books I’m Hoping to Read:

Credence by Penelope Douglas / book with green on the cover I keep seeing this book around and the hype has absolutely gotten to me. I’m dying to read it and it’s on Kindle Unlimited!

Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere.

And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she?

Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.

And as a part of them.

She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.

One of them has her.

The other one wants her.

But he…

He’s going to keep her.

Thirty Day Boyfriend by Whitney G. / new-to-you author This is one I have on my Audible Escape wishlist. It’s only a couple hours long, so it’s perfect for a readathon. I’ve also never read anything by this author, so it works for the prompt.

I should’ve never agreed to this arrangement…

Thirty days ago, my boss—Mr. Wolf of Wall Street, came to me with an offer I couldn’t refuse: Sign my name on the dotted line and pretend to be his fiancée for one month. If I agreed, he would let me out of my employment contract with a “very generous” severance package.

The rules were pretty simple: No intimate kissing, no actual sex. Just pretend to love each other for the press, even though I’ve secretly wanted to knock that sexy smirk off his face since the first day we met.

I definitely didn’t need to think twice about this. I signed my name and started counting down the seconds to when I would never have to deal with his special brand of ass-holery again.

I only made it to one minute…

We argued the entire four-hour flight to his hometown, failed to make a convincing impression with the welcoming press, and right when I was about to knock that arrogant look off his face in real life? He purposely dropped his bath towel in front of me, distracting me with his nine-inch cock to “show me who the bigger person was” in our relationship. Then he gave me his trademark smirk once again and asked if I wanted to consummate our marriage.

Tragically, this is only day one. We still have 29 more days to go…

Behind the Bars (Music Street #1) by Brittainy C. Cherry / diverse contemporary I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Brittainy C. Cherry lately after discovering her last month. I’m determined to read her backlist and this one just happens to be on Audible Escape!

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.

I was the awkward musician, and she was the high school queen. The only things we had in common were our music and our loneliness.

Something in her eyes told me her smile wasn’t always the truth. Something in her voice gave me a hope I always wished to find. And in a flash, she was gone.

Years later, she was standing in front of me on a street in New Orleans. She was different, but so was I. Life made us colder. Harder. Isolated.

Caged.

Even though we were different, the broken pieces of me recognized the sadness in her. Now she was back, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her go again.

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops. When we met again, I became her darkest storm.

The Infatuation (The Josh & Kat Trilogy #1) by Lauren Rowe / backlist book I actually can’t believe I haven’t read this trilogy yet because I’ve been dying to hear this couple’s story. Just in time for the Reed Rivers Trilogy coming out in Feb.

It’s a war of wills between stubborn and sexy Josh Faraday and Kat Morgan. A fight to the bed. Arrogant, wealthy playboy Josh is used to getting what he wants. And what he wants is Kat Morgan.

The minute Josh Faraday meets feisty, vivacious Kat Morgan, he wants her. Not for a relationship, of course. He doesn’t do those. He wants her in his bed. But, to his shock and extreme frustration, Kat won’t play by Josh’s rules like all the others. No, this stubborn woman declares she won’t so much as kiss Josh until he divulges some highly personal information . . . But it’s something Josh has never told anyone, and won’t be telling Kat. Not over his dead body, no matter how gorgeous and sexy she is.

But the chemistry between the pair is explosive, scorching hot electricity like nothing he’s felt before. Oh, God, he’s got to get a taste. He figures all he has to do is wear the sexy woman down with is patented “playboy razzle dazzle”—show her the hotness she’s missing out on and she’ll cave, like all the rest . . . The only problem with that strategy? It’s Kat’s strategy, too: she plans to wear Josh down and get what she wants by showing him the hotness he’s missing out on.

It’s a war of wills. A match to the bed. Who will crack first? And when they do, will either of their hearts be on the line?

Disgrace by Brittainy C. Cherry / hard-hitting contemporary Brittainy is known for writing hard-hitting books, and I’m sure this one will be no different.

Each day I prayed for my husband to love me again.

After fifteen years together, he walked away from me, and into the arms of another.

I didn’t know how to cope. I didn’t know my worth. I didn’t know how to exist without him by my side.

All I wanted was for him to come back to me.

Then, Jackson Emery appeared.

He was supposed to be a distraction for my mind. A summer fling. A confidence boost to my bruised heart.

We were perfect for one another, because we both knew we wouldn’t last. Jackson didn’t believe in commitment, and I no longer believed in love. He was too closed-off for me, and I was too damaged for him.

Everything was fine, until one night my heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t expect him to make me laugh. To make me think. To make my sadness somewhat disappear.

When our time was up, my heart didn’t know how to walk away.

Each day I prayed for my husband to love me again, yet slowly my prayers began to shift toward the man who wasn’t right for me.

I prayed for one more smile, one more kiss, one more laugh, one more touch…

I prayed for him to be mine.

Even though I knew his heart wasn’t destined to love.

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert / illustrated cover This has been sitting on my Kindle, haunting me as I hear everyone rave about it and I’m excited to get to it ASAP! I’m really looking forward to the chronic illness rep as well.

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

Enjoy a drunken night out. Ride a motorcycle. Go camping. Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex. Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage. And… do something bad. But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1) by Lyssa Kay Adams / loved by a member of the book community It’s not just one member of the book community that has been raving about this book, I’ve heard SO many people gush about it and I’m so excited to pick it up!

The first rule of book club: You don’t talk about book club.

Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

  Here are the non-readathon books I’m hoping to read this month:

Rage (Stormheart #2) by Cora Carmack I finished Roar, the first book in this series in January and this book happens to be on Audible Escape, so I���m planning on finishing it.

Princess or adventurer.

Duty or freedom.

Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.

If Aurora knows anything, it’s that choices have consequences. To set things right, she joins a growing revolution on the streets of Pavan.

In disguise as the rebel Roar, she puts her knowledge of the palace to use to aid the rebellion. But the Rage season is at its peak and not a day passes without the skies raining down destruction. Yet these storms are different—they churn with darkness, and attack with a will that’s desperate and violent.

This feels like more than rage.

It feels like war.

  Call it What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer After reading and falling in love with the first two books in her Cursebreakers series, I decided I really want to give her contemporaries a try!

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

  Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women #1) by Evie Dunmore I’ve heard so many good things about this book – particularly that it is great for people who don’t normally read historical romance. I also happened to get it as my Book of the Month book in Jan.

A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels, in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a duke in a fiery love story that threatens to upend the British social order.

England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women’s suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain’s politics at the Queen’s command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can’t deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.

Sebastian is appalled to find a suffragist squad has infiltrated his ducal home, but the real threat is his impossible feelings for green-eyed beauty Annabelle. He is looking for a wife of equal standing to secure the legacy he has worked so hard to rebuild, not an outspoken commoner who could never be his duchess. But he wouldn’t be the greatest strategist of the Kingdom if he couldn’t claim this alluring bluestocking without the promise of a ring…or could he?

Locked in a battle with rising passion and a will matching her own, Annabelle will learn just what it takes to topple a duke….

  Hunted by Meagan Spooner I feel like I keep almost reading this book, but never quite do. It’s a beauty and the beast retelling and I am always here for those.

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

  The Beginning of Everything (The Rising #1)  by Kristen Ashley This is a full-cast narration that I am SO excited for. It’s available on Audible Escape.

From the unparalleled imagination of New York Times best-selling author Kristen Ashley comes an enchanting new audio-first fantasy romance series that will sweep you away!

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake….

  One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid It’s been a while since I’ve sat down with a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and this is one of her backlists that a friend of mine recommended.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

  Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Oregeron, Kate Stewart I picked this book up at the recommendation of many people who attended Shameless Book Con, and I’ve heard others talk about it as well. It’s supposed to be super emotional, so if I’m feeling like that kind of romance, I’ll be reaching for this one.

Briggs,

Remember when we parted ways in Germany? It was the day I broke your heart. What you didn’t know was that I was breaking mine too.

I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . .

Before the war. Before the ambush. Before you.

But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours.

The truth is I’m lost without you.

I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home. I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . .

All my love, Scottie

  The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha Rai I’ve heard a lot of good things about this and I found it on Scribd!

Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:

– Nude pics are by invitation only

– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice

– Protect your heart

Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.

Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

  Passion of Park Ave by Lauren Layne Lauren wrote my all-time favorite Friends-to-Lovers romance: Blurred Lines and everyone has been raving about this series. It’s available on Scribd!

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.

  Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali Not gonna lie, I’m a little scared to read this one because there is Multiple Sclerosis rep in it that is supposed to be pretty heartbreaking, and I’m not sure if I can’t quite handle it, but we’ll see.

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.

An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.

But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.

When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.

Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.

Then her path crosses with Adam’s.

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.

Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.

Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

        February TBR/Reading List: including #contemporaryathon picks! Happy Almost-February everyone! It's time for another one of my TBRs which is really just a 'suggested list of books I may or may not read,' because I'm such a moody reader.

[preetisunaina]

@contemporaryathon Day 7 Beloved book and creator you chose The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily XR Pan I can’t believe it is already Day 7 and Contemporathon is coming to a close. This was my very first readathon and it has been an amazing experience. A big thanks to @chelseadollingreads , @according2jewls , @myreadingisodd & @meltotheany Now for the book - I kept seeing this come up on my Goodreads feed and was intrigued but what sealed the deal for me was seeing Kayla of @booksandlala , Hannah of @clockwork_reads and Chaima (@kzabrekker on Twitter) give this book 5 stars. #ContemporaryReads #preetisunaina #PSSReads #contemporaryathon #readalong #readathon #ContemporaryBooks #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #BookPhotoChallenge #BookPhotoChallenges #BookstagramPhotoChallenge #BookChallenges #BookChallenge #bibliophile #igreads #instabooks #ReadingIsLife #BookNerd #BookObsessed #BooksOfInstagram #BookAddict #TBR #ReadersOfInstagram #TheAstonishingColourOfAfter #EmilyXRPan #MagicRealism https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ABqYDJmlJ/?igshid=1h570uu44jkmk

[melindakovacs]

Contemporaryathon Wrap Up

Hi guys, 🙂

I would like to write a little about my first readathon ever! 🙂 It’s called Contemporaryathon, and it was hosted by four booktubers: July from Pages and Pens, Chelsea from Chelseadolling Reads, Natasha from Myreadingisodd and Melanie from Meltotheany!

At the beginning, my plan was to read four books, and two graphic novels.

At the end, I finished with three books and one graphic novel.…

[boneless-mika]

I stole the idea of a TBR jar with stars in from myreadingisodd on youtube but at least now this weird glass/mug thing has a purpose

[mamahadtolistentoallthisdrama]

Who is joining in on #buzzwordathon / #buzzwordreadathon ?!? I’m planning my TBR now. And I’ll do a TBR video as soon as I finish the Top 10s! - 📚. Such a fun word that the always fun @booksandlala chose — LIE, LIAR, LYING. So many books out now with those words. - 📚. And @myreadingisodd is the co-host. 💙 If you want to laugh, check out her The Worst Books I Read in 2018 video. So darn funny! - 📚. 📚. 📚. #booktuber #booktube #readathon #thrillerbooks #bookstagram #bookish #booksandflowers #booklr #igreads #igbooks #januarytbr #toberead #laurastampler #simonpulse https://www.instagram.com/sophieriggsby/p/BsQ3peCn5yl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lcxd9ajiwu4j

[patheticphallacy]

I honestly cannot believe it’s August already!

July was a weird month for me. I went back to work, so a lot of the month has just been going between that and chilling at home, and I kind of put most things on the backburner- including this blog- just so I could get over a really bad June. Overall this Summer has been strange, really, but my mental health is better than it has been since the beginning of the year, so I think I needed July to adjust.

Reading Rush happened! It was kind of a mess in some regards, and I struggled to engage with others again. I’m just still not sure how to navigate being in the book community, to the point where I’ve made two separate Twitter accounts just because I get so overwhelmed with my book one. I’ve been in this community for so long and never been sure how to make friends within it, and that kind of hit me hard with some conversations during the month on Twitter.

I have some things planned for August, mostly in regards to saying goodbye to friends (one of my old roommates is moving to Japan for the year!), and also getting ahead on University reading. I have so many classics to read and I’m just not sure what I’m going to do about it, I have no energy to read anything intense.

It’s been a bit of a weird time for me, and going into the latter half of the year now, I just really hope I don’t completely fall away from this blog. It means a lot to me, but it gets difficult being happy with the content I produce sometimes, which is why I’m trying to understand where I want to go with the content I produce now.

I hope you’ll bare with me, and I hope everyone had a good July!

READING WRAP UP

Sheets by Brenna Thummler– Sheets is one of my new favourite graphic novels. It deals with grief and coming-of-age, and the societal pressures of conformity to fit in. There are major content warnings for child death!

Super Fun Sexy Times by Meredith McClaren– Oh, this was so good. It’s out at the end of August and has five stories following different couples in the super world and the sex stuff they get up to.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker– I wasn’t as big a fan of this one! I really enjoyed the treatment of sexuality and gender, and I like the overall story, but I don’t think it was paced very well and I struggled to feel attached to some characters.

No.6 Volume 5 by Atsuko Asano– Still going absolutely coocoo bananas for No.6, honestly. This is my favourite volume so far, and I’m aiming to finish the series by end of September for a post I want to do on it come October. 

The Avant-Guards #6 by Carly Usdin– I love these students! There are hardhitting messages and themes being explored, but the charisma of the characters really softens some of the blows and makes this series an easy read while still having deeper layers. 

The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird by Jason Rekulak– A picture book I bought in June when I went to Foyles, this is just a charming story for anyone, but especially the younger people in your life. It’s so cute, and I love the art. It may be for kids but it honestly captures the personalities of Dana and Fox so well. 

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett– This was- okay! It didn’t blow me away, and I was ultimately deflated by the ending because it has one of my least favourite tropes, but the romance was cute and most of the mystery was really fun. 

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Volume 3 by Hideyuki Furuhashi– THIS WAS SO GOOD HOLY SHIT. Volume 2 was so disappointing, but this one just blew it out the ball park. I think the creators are doing so many great things to make this a worthy companion to My Hero Academia.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant– Meh! Not my favourite Grant, but it’s a decent prequel to Into the Drowning Deep that provides some backstory to the investigation there, and has also convinced me the audiobook is the way to go. There’s a bit where a mermaid mimics a human and it was so unsettling to hear. 

By Night #11&#12 by John Allison— I’m distraught this series is finished. It’s a bit of a mess, honestly, but I’ve absolutely adored it, and I’ll definitely end up re-reading it at some point. 

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia– While I didn’t find myself completely enjoying the plot, and I found elements of the conclusion cheesy, I really love Raven as a character and I’m so excited this is a series. I’m just- Tim Drake! Might have a volume! My boy! Also, Gabriel Picolo’s art style? *Chef’s kiss*

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson– A very compelling murder mystery. Didn’t completely buy into the romance, but I love the main character’s convictions and how multi-dimensional each character was without ever feeling like a stereotype. When they do, layers are peeled back so you see a side to them that betrays what you initially believe they are, and I love that. It’s like, they’re quirky without ever feeling embarrassing or forced. 

Horimiya Volume 1 by Hero– THIS IS AMAZING. Horimiya is about two teenagers who see a different side to one another and bond outside of the classroom. I love the different character dynamics and how soft this series feels overall, and I like how much miscommunication is addressed and conflicts are overcome without ever making anyone out to be a bad person. 

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang– Disappointing. The storytelling is a mess of time jumps and poorly developed characters, to the point where the only person who ever feels significant is Akeha. No joke, at one point there’s a time jump of about eight years where you’re told (in the first chapter) someone is pregnant and then expected to believe (in the following chapter) that the child matters emotionally to the characters even though there’s absolutely no development to show this. 

Love Complex Volume 1 by Aya Nakahara– A cute manga about the friendship that comes out of an agreement between a girl who’s 5’8 and a boy who’s 5’1 who agree to help one another get the person they like even though they dislike each other. It’s a very soft enemies to friends back to enemies back to friends conflict that will eventually become a romance, and I’m really glad I picked it up!

After the Rain Volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki– Eeeeee. I’m trying to stay hopeful that this series won’t actually have a romance between a 45 year old and a 17 year old and it’s just one big long ‘SIKE’ moment, so I’ll keep you updated. It’s annoying, too, cause this volume introduces writing to the plot and I honestly love when writing is a major part of a character’s life. 

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare– This was honestly a really entertaining tragedy. I listened to a fully-cast audiobook for this as I read along with the play, and it really helped with the reading process. 

Assassination Classroom Volume 2 by Yusei Matsui– I’m loving this series! A great cast, really adorable moments, and is not what you would expect when the premise is ‘alien threatens to destroy planet if a bunch of teenagers can’t kill him by the following year’. It’s very soft! 

Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare– My first Spindle Cove read, and I really enjoyed it. It follows the quickly-developing relationship between a blacksmith and one of the local women who moved there for her asthma several years before. One of the better romances, too, although I still don’t rate the sex scenes. 

Do You Want to Start a Scandal? by Tessa Dare– Charlotte is a minor character in the previous novella, the youngest sister of Diana, and I really love her character. There’s a very interesting discussion on consent and station in relationships, and it definitely comes across like Charlotte, in some ways, is the dominant between her and Piers. I’m not sure if that was intentionally done, but it certainly made listening to the audiobook more interesting. 

TBR JAR PIC FOR AUGUST IS:                       OTHER WORDS FOR SMOKE by Sarah Maria Griffin!

TV SHOWS/MOVIES/VIDEOS

In the latter half of July (literally the last few days) I really got in to Knowing Bros, a Korean show- called Men on a Mission on Netflix- where a group of male comedians have guests and play games and run skits. It’s honestly hilarious, and yes, Heechul is my favourite.

I watched a lot of Reading Rush content, but I especially enjoyed booksandlala and myreadingisodd during the week!

This Summer Chelsea and James from Dead Meat have done the ‘Paranormal Pool Party’ where they talk about the Paranormal Activity films on their podcast, and it has honestly been a delight!

I got really into the Child’s Play films this month! I watched 1 and 2 with my sister, and I’m planning on finishing the rest of the series in the coming months.

REVIEWS I POSTED

Three Graphic Reviews: Super Fun Sexy Times, Mooncakes, Sheets

Shame Is An Ocean I Swim Across by Mary Lambert

Three YA Reviews: Serious Moonlight, The Unexpected Everything, The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

OTHER POSTS I’VE DONE 

Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favourites!

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

My TBR for The Reading Rush

  If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi. 

Goodreads|Twitter|Instagram|Letterboxd

July Wrap Up! I honestly cannot believe it's August already! July was a weird month for me. I went back to work, so a lot of the month has just been going between that and chilling at home, and I kind of put most things on the backburner- including this blog- just so I could get over a really bad June.

[fromjesstoyou]

Contemporary-A-Thon Round 3 - Day 1 / Vlog #2 | #ContemporaryAThon | From Jess to You Services

[books-on-a-wire]

One of my goals for 2019 is to participate in more readathons. They are a great way for me to push through my backlist. The first one coming up is Buzzword-a-thon, running January 14-20 and hosted by Kayla (booksandlala) and Natasha (myreadingisodd). The buzzword is "lie" and any variation of it. No challenges, just read anything with lie/lies/lied/liar/lying! 

 I'll use this list as a guide. I’m definitely not going to get through all of this list, but it’s a nice mix and I have a couple more on my Kindle. (*) are a priority

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (YA Mystery)*

Crown of Lies by Pepper Winters (Dark Romance)*

Beautiful Liar by Zara Cox (Erotic Romance)

Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger (YA Thriller)* 

Filthy Beautiful Lies by Kendall Ryan (Erotic Romance)

Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings (Contemporary Romance)

[sam-onebookishgirl]

ContemporaryAThon | Readathon

So, this year I wanted to challenge myself to read outside my normal genres. Whilst I do read contemporaries, I feel like I don’t read a lot of them and I have never participated in a Contemporary-a-thon!! It sounded fun!!

THE HOSTS:

Chelseadolling reads Julie @ Pages and Pens Natasha @ myreadingisodd Melanie @ meltotheany ContemporaryAThon instagram

THE DATES:

ContemporaryATh…

[greenbeltmatcha-blog]

#Repost @black_squirrel_books with @get_repost ・・・ Make sure to enter in our joint contest with 🍵 @greenbeltmatcha 🍵 to win a free bag of matcha valued at $20!! All you have to do is take a photo of a matcha product from either Black Squirrel or Greenbelt, post it on your Instagram & tag both of us!! Winners will be chosen at the end of every week for the month of May! Thank you for the photo @myreadingisodd!! #coffeeshop #matcha #aesthetic #bookshop #contest #freestuff #myottawa #613ottawa #bakedgoods #coffee #tea #green #food

[fromjesstoyou]

Contemporary-A-Thon Round 3 - Notice / Vlog #1 | #ContemporaryAThon | From Jess to You Services

[fromjesstoyou]

I FINALLY have edited and uploaded my Contemporary-A-Thon Round 5 Week Long #Vlog & Wrap Up! Check out my video and #blogpost ➡️ http://ow.ly/YpbY50xa7Hy ⬅️ #ContemporaryAThon #FromJesstoYouServices #FromJesstoYou #frommetoyou #booktube #BookBlogger #BookReviewer #socialmediamanager #romancereader #romancetube #romancetuber #videographer #youtuber #booktuber #booktubers #bloggers #contemporaryromance #contemporaryreads #professionalreviewer #reviewer #bookpromoter #websitecoordinator #virtualassistantservices #wahm #motherhood #moodreader #BookHangover #BookHangoverBC @According2Jewls, @chelseadollingreads, @myreadingisodd @meltotheany @contemporaryathon https://www.instagram.com/p/B40OgaeHQYZ/?igshid=ars4wnu0rgcb