Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I don't remember if this was required reading when I was in school or not, but I do remember seeing a bunch of my classmates reading this. This was a quick read. I expected it to be a hard book to read because of the subject matter, but the writing style was more like a diary. All I have to say is, if this isn't required reading and trust me, I was one of those kids who HATED required reading and would not do it at all. I would highly recommend that this be on every high school English syllabus.

I did give this a 4 out of 5 stars. You can guess right off the bat that the main character experiences severe trauma.

It also makes you guess how she is going to deal with it. Is she going to do this or is she going to pull a Hannah from 13 Reasons Why. None of that is in this book. The main character is Melinda, a freshman in high school who is severely hated by almost everyone in the school. During the summer, she called the cops while at a house party that was being thrown by seniors and there were underage drinking. The real reason why she called the cops, nobody knows because she has become a selective mute.

It follows her throughout her freshman year being judged, hated, bullied, walked on, and criticized by her teachers and school staff. She observes her teachers and classmates around her and becomes a little judgemental herself. She finds some solace in an abandoned janitor's closet where she sits with her thoughts.

She does have some parental issues that seem to get better once she talks to them and she does the dad's job of cleaning the front yard.

My heart did break every time she came into contact with the source of her trauma and the ending my heart was in my throat.

Review: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

If you are looking for a read that is funny and you need a good laugh in these awful times, then this is the perfect book. It is a re-imagining of Lady Jane Grey. She was a nine day queen who was dethroned and beheaded because her father was a slime.

In this book she lives because the authors can make any character live or die. We have three different POV's throughout the book and the story flows beautifully. We have the POV from Jane, her husband Gifford and her cousin who is the king, Edward.

The authors added a magical element into the story where the country is divided where half of the people turn into animals and the other half do not have this power and are against the Edians and want them exterminated.

There were also so many laughs and this was the first time I ever tabbed a book and now when I need a laugh, I can pick this book up and read all of the funny parts and if I need a swoon, I can go to the few that are sporadically inserted throughout. Jane and Gifford are just too freaking cute together and I ship them.

I just love the use of the word darling and the *SPOILER* second wedding between Jane and G and the VIRTUE bit. Keep it in your pants G.

BLOG TOUR: The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT CHANGE by Rebecca Stead Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT CHANGE

Author: Rebecca Stead

Pub. Date: April 7, 2020

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 224

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

After her parents' divorce, Bea's life became different in many ways. But she can always look back at the list she keeps in her green notebook to remember the things that will stay the same. The first and most important: Mom and Dad will always love Bea, and each other.

When Dad tells Bea that he and his boyfriend, Jesse, are getting married, Bea is thrilled. Bea loves Jesse, and when he and Dad get married, she'll finally (finally!) have what she's always wanted--a sister. Even though she's never met Jesse's daughter, Sonia, Bea is sure that they'll be "just like sisters anywhere."

As the wedding day approaches, Bea will learn that making a new family brings questions, surprises, and joy.

Praise for The List of Things That Will Not Change

“An absolute original . . . a story that kids will love.” —R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of Wonder

“No author writing today observes young lives with more clarity, tenderness, and grace than the one and only Rebecca Stead.” —Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan

“Stead truly understands the inner life of kids.” —Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe and You Go First

“From the moon, the wedding, and the cake, to Bea’s mind, Rebecca has captured everything so completely, so beautifully. Truly a wonderful work.” —Patricia Reilly Giff, author of the Newbery Honor winners Lily’s Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods

“This is a story of love that enlarges, even though it is not always easy.  We cheer for and are cheered by Bea’s quiet triumphs because they are triumphs of the heart.” —Gary D. Schmidt, author of The Wednesday Wars and Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“Rebecca Stead’s writing is always infused with the tender minutiae of being alive, with the price we have to pay to be human. This book, along with its perfect title, is ‘Typical Rebecca Stead.’ And that’s a heartfelt compliment.” —Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 and Bud, Not Buddy

★ “Uplifting without sentimentality, timely not trendy, and utterly engaging.” —Kirkus, starred review

★ “An emotional character journey from a middle-grade master.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “An affecting story of significant middle grade change.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “The angst and worries that middle grade readers experience are brought to life through Bea’s authentic voice in this must-read title.” —School Library Journal, starred review

★ “The strength of this novel lies in Stead’s authentic, respectful, low-key approach to the emotional life of a ten-year-old as recalled from the perspective of her slightly older self.” —The Horn Book, starred review

 ★ “Ultimately, Bea survives, thrives, and grows as love remains constant but her world gets bigger, and readers negotiating their own changing lives will relate to her challenge and applaud her triumph.” — The Bulletin, starred review

Listen to an audio clip of the book!

Excerpt:

http://insight.randomhouse.com/widget/v4/?width=600&height=860&isbn=9781101938096&shortCode=&author=Rebecca%20Stead&title=The%20List%20of%20Things%20That%20Will%20Not%20Change&refererURL=www.penguinrandomhouse.com

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Stead has written five novels for young people: WHEN YOU REACH ME (A New York Times bestseller and winner of the Newbery Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction); LIAR & SPY (Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction and a New York Times Book Review Notable Book for Children); FIRST LIGHT (a Junior Library Guild Selection and a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens); GOODBYE STRANGER (A New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Notable Book for Children); and, most recently, BOB (co-written by Wendy Mass). Rebecca lives in New York City with her family.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

Three lucky winners will receive a finished copy of the THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT CHANGE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/30/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
3/31/2020	Fazila's Book Review Corner	Excerpt
4/1/2020	Bookhounds YA	Excerpt
4/2/2020	One in a Million	Review
4/3/2020	Log Cabin Library	Review

Week Two:

4/6/2020	Books_andPoetrii	Excerpt
4/7/2020	She Just Loves Books	Review
4/8/2020	Trapped Insides Stories	Spotlight
4/9/2020	momfluenster	Excerpt
4/10/2020	readinginpyjamas	Review

Week Three:

4/13/2020	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
4/14/2020	notinjersey	Review
4/15/2020	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
4/16/2020	DJREADSBOOKS	Review
4/17/2020	Here's to Happy Endings	Review

Week Four:

4/20/2020	reading_with_nessie	Review
4/21/2020	Hurn Publications	Review
4/22/2020	Lifestyle of Me	Review
4/23/2020	Nay's Pink Bookshelf	Review
4/24/2020	Little Red Reads	Review

REVIEW: Holy crap, I LOVED this cute middle grade. I had no idea how many hard hitting topics this would have and this is the thing that I love about Middle grade books. This was also the perfect way to kick off a month of PRIDE reading. 

We follow Bea who has a green notebook with a list of things that will not change. This is given to her by her mother and father when they announce that they are getting divorced. Bea tells us her story leading up to her father's wedding to his boyfriend Jesse. She learns about forgiveness and love and anger and she is subjected to homophobic behavior by family and classmates. 

She has a great blended family and she has a new sister that she wants more than anything. She lets anger out on a classmate when this classmate tells her that she won't really be a sister. Jesse has a homophobic brother who sets out to ruin the wedding and to be an absolute jackass. 

This was a quick read and it was very wholesome and sweet. One of my favorite quotes is

" Angus asked me once if I thought my dad "turned gay" when he choked on that orange. But Dad said no, that being gay had been a part of who he was from the beginning of his life. The orange just showed him how short life could be."

Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

The sequel to Caraval by Stephanie Garber and I was not that impressed. Caraval was 4 star read for me. I enjoyed game and the tension throughout and Scarlett and Julian's romance was the thing I liked the most. However, I did not like Tella's character and when I found out that this book was from her point of view, I held off reading it. Maybe a little too long because when I picked it up, I really had to rack my brain to remember what had happened and who was who in Caraval.

Legendary takes place days after the previous Caraval ends which is rare because it usually takes place years apart. The time, Caraval will be taking place on Valenda where the Empress of the Meridian Empire lives. Tella is harboring a huge secret from Scarlett and is going into the game as a player this time. Her secret is so huge that it will probably change the relationship between the sisters. Tella wants to find her dead mother because a playing card that she stole from her mother when she was little can tell the future.

She also starts to fall in love with one of the Caraval performers named Dante. He is covered in tattoos and he is so mysterious. He also tells a little white lie that ends up biting him in the ass.

I have now fallen for this ship of Tella and Dante. I want to see drawings and pictures and read fan fiction about these two characters. I still don't like Tella because she is an impulsive and selfish character but with Dante, I can handle her. That doesn't make any sense but that's how I feel.

Review: The Son Of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Last year I started The Heros of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I had read the Percy Jackson series and though it was good. I loved the ending because Percy was growing up and was less childish and juvenile.

The first book in this series follows a new hero named Jason Grace. He has lost his memories and has to figure out a way to get them back. He ends up at Camp Half Blood, the home for Greek Demigods and Percy Jackson.

This second one we follow Percy's journey to the Roman demigod camp and the home of Jason Grace. Percy makes some new friends who are Hazel and Frank. They have to travel to Alaska to free Death so he can keep the dead Dead!

At first I was confused and disoriented with the characters. I found myself still being annoyed with the Roman names of Greek gods. I know the Greek names better. I also found that the cover once again gave away to much of the story. I now have some new ships.

Tyson the Cyclops and Ella the Harpy
Frank and Hazel

There is also a new Luke 2.0 who has the roman name Octavian and likes to slaughter teddy bears and give shit readings.

Review: Educating Alice by Alice Steinbach

I definitely read this at the right time where the world has gone to shit. With a ban on traveling due to the pandemic, I was taken a journey all over the world. Alice took me to Paris where she took a cooking course at the Ritz. She learned the art of Japanese dancing and how easily you can get lost in Kyoto.

She also gave a history lesson on a flood that almost damaged a priceless painting in a Italian church. Each chapter was based on an experience she had in a different location. Some of the chapters I didn't care for was the Jane Austen and the sheep dog training.

I ended up giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars because although I enjoyed the locations and descriptions of what she was doing, they ended up be a total drag and too long. I also noticed that in every chapter that when she met someone and they asked her what she was doing, she would go into this story about why she was there. It was too much of an info dump and I was skimming.

I do want to read her first book No Reservations.

MARCH READING WRAP UP

March was a slow reading month for me. With everything that is going on in the world, I focused more on our health, homeschool and our finances. Reading, watching TV and anything YouTube related was pushed to the backburner. I was just also in a little bit of reading slump before I got to A Clash of Kings because I was trying to force myself to read what I had on this months TBR before the 30th and it wasn't going to happen. I read a total of 7 books in March and I am a little miffed by how it has made my reading planner look wasted. Books are shown in reading order.

1. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

2. Carrie by Stephen King

3Saga Volumes 1-3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

4. Funny Girl by Nick Hornby

5. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

6. Grayson by Lynne Cox

7. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin