From Drafts: Recap of the Texas Teen Book Festival 2017!!

 Disclaimer & Note: The Texas teen book fest has been discontinued and has not happened since before 2020 now there is a small teen section at the Texas book festival in downtown Austin instead of having its own separate event and day.

 Also this post was created in 2017 and is now being updated years later because I was clearing out our drafts

Last year in 2017 Melissa, and I got the chance to volunteer at the Texas Teen Book Fest . This was my (Jessica's) first time ever volunteering at a Book Fest, Melissa attended the fest the previous year. Needless to say neither of us were prepared for our lovely 8:00 am shift we decided to volunteer for. Here we are at 8:00 am pumped and ready to.....we actually just signed up for shifts, and hoped for the best. By far one the most awesome things that happened, I saw JASON REYNOLDS across the way. We HAD a MOMENT! He doesn't know but ehh, he totally waved which means he acknowledged I was there. How did I know it was him...the hair! The bigger the hair the closer to GOD, they say. This probably kept me going through the entire day, even when I got a chance to meet Renee Watson, I was still on a high from waving to Jason. What did I do in front of Ms.Watson, I fan-girled, super hard. Like " you don't know me, but I am a huge fan, you're awesome, can't wait to read your book, now I'm done talking..." I also got a chance to meet Renee Watson, she is amaz-ing!

This was my(Melissa's)second year attending the Texas Teen Book Fest, and first year volunteering at the fest. I had a blast despite getting up earlier than needed for our 8 am volunteer shift. It was a bit rough at first neither Jessica, and I are what you would call morning people. Luckily we were placed at the info tent with some pretty cool people,who we befriended. I even got to hold a giant lollipop looking sign that said ask me...which doesn't sound that cool but where I was placed was directly where a lot of the authors walked by for the first keynote speaker. I got to see Adam Silvera, Jason Reynolds, E.Lockhart, and Stephanie Perkins all walk by, unlike Jessica I did not wave to my favorite authors but that's fine I got to meet Adam Silvera later on...It was hella awkward and I word vomited all over him.I told him that I loved his books and followed him on twitter  and was a huge fan*sigh* I never know what to say to authors. It was great but I was a total weirdo and it didn't help that Jessica was being her usual self (a mess) and helped make things weird.

Just like the year before  the Texas Teen Book Fest in 2017 had awesome panels, keynote speaker, and pretty kick-ass cosplay.The majority of the day was spent volunteering but on our down time we got to browse all the vendor stands,check out the books for sale,and meet all the authors at signing/just walking around!! We even got to check out a few panels and see the last keynote speaker JASON REYNOLDS  !!!One thing that was not like the year before was the fact that I spoke to more than one Author!!!

All in all It was a good time.

Rip Texas teen book fest

National Poetry Month!!

Hey all!!So in case you didn't know April is National Poetry month. Yay poems and poetry!! If you wanna celebrate national poetry month in style check out this list that I found on the National Poetry Month Website. You totally don't need to do the whole list but if you're looking to incorporate more poetry in your life this list is super helpful. 

Enjoy!!

1. 30 ways to celebrate national poetry month
2. Request a free copy of the National Poetry Month poster until mid-April; posters can be purchased for $5.00 each in our Poets shop thereafter (while supplies list).
3. Sign up for Poem-a-Day and read a poem each morning.
4. Sign up for Teach This Poem, a weekly series for teachers.
5. Memorize a poem.
6. Create an anthology of your favorite poems on Poets.org.
7. Encourage a young person to participate in the Dear Poet project.
8. Buy a book of poetry from your local bookstore.
9. Review these concrete examples of how poetry matters in the United States today.
10. Learn more about poets and poetry events in your state.
11. Ask your governor or mayor for a proclamation in support of National Poetry Month.
12. Attend a poetry reading at a local university, bookstore, cafe, or library.
13. Read a poem at an open mic. It’s a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local poetry writing community.
14. Start a poetry reading group.
15. Write an exquisite corpse poem with friends.
16. Chalk a poem on the sidewalk.
17. Deepen your daily experience by reading Edward Hirsch’s essay “How to Read a Poem.”
18. Ask the United States Post Office to issue more stamps celebrating poets.
19. Recreate a poet’s favorite food or drink by following his or her recipe.
20. Read about different poetic forms.
21. Read about poems titled “poem.”
22. Watch a poetry movie. 
23. Subscribe to American Poets magazine or a small press poetry journal.
24. Watch Rachel Eliza Griffiths's P.O.P (Poets on Poetry) videos.
25. Watch or read Carolyn Forche’s talk “Not Persuasion, But Transport: The Poetry of Witness.”
26. Read or listen to Mark Doty’s talk “Tide of Voices: Why Poetry Matters Now.”
27. Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day today! The idea is simple: select a poem you love, carry it with you, then share it with coworkers, family, and friends. 
28. Read Allen Ginsberg’s classic essay about Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”
29. Sign up for a poetry class or workshop.
30. Get ready for Mother’s Day by making a card featuring a line of poetry.
31. Read the first chapter of Muriel Rukeyer’s inspiring book The Life of Poetry

Adults Reading Ya Novels?!?!

Recently Jessica has sent me a link about how adults should be embarrassed to read YA books.When I read this I was just sitting there confused as hell. This is a quote from the article, : "Read whatever you want. But you should feel embarrassed when what you’re reading was written for children."
Um...excuse me I read YA as adult and I'm not all that embarrassed...yes at 18 I took a stroll down the adult fiction isle thinking that I need to move past YA novels( and I still do from time time') but I have moved on from feeling embarrassed; it is what it is, I like what I like.I find no reason to be shamed by what I like. Yes, on occasion I find my self rolling my eyes at certain situations found in YA but it isn't a huge thing.YA books are on this beautiful spectrum where you can find something for 13 yrs olds to 25-30 year olds. You can find pretty juvenile books that border on middle grade to the steamy so called hip New Adult books that border on adult fiction.(only because they include the 20something gang and sex)

Yes, I agree that YA books and that community is for young adults but there nothing wrong with adults being there. There are plenty of articles that are similar to Ruth Graham and I feel like we need to move away from the idea that an adults reading YA is shameful or that certain types of books are lesser than others.

*******************************************

Honestly, I had no idea that people felt this way nor do I care about how others feel about books I choose to read. Yes, I could read New Adult but I don't, not really my genre haha! But really Ruth Graham's article is talking about two specific books "The Fault in Our Stars, and Elanor and Park", I have read neither nor do I plan on reading them... Ruth has issues that these books are becoming movies because we ADULTS are reading YA...I'm not sure it works that way, sometimes the movie rights are bought before the book even comes out. Ruth herself stated in her NPR interview that "the best YA is much richer than, and more sophisticated than I give them credit for..." Ruth is simply saying that her opinion is her opinion even if it is unwarranted, and we should listen because her voice matters?? I'm being dramatic but whatever. Ruth has an issue when ADULTS read "teen love stories" me too but I can't tell you, that you should be embarrassed to read them. I think people should be embarrassed to read fiftyshadesofbland but I keep that to myself...Maybe Ruth was tired of all the fiftyshadesofbland slander , When Ruth states ya is a guilty pleasure for ADULTS..Personally I don't like the idea of  YA being a "guilty pleasure", I just like the books..

Neverland

Retellings are my jam. Latley and i'm not really sure why but lately I have been thinking about Peter Pan retelling.What I love about the whole Peter Pan thing is that his story has been revamped in a variety of ways.Not going to lie I kinda love when he is depicted as a villain.Enjoy the list!!Plus at the end i'll included one of my fav songs based on Peter Pan kinda...

Title: Forever Neverland
Author:Heather Killough-Walden

It has been five years since Wendy Darling and her brothers returned home after a harrowing ordeal in which they'd "gone missing" for several days and nights. To Wendy, they returned by fairy magic, fresh from the fight with Captain Hook, a little mussed up but none the worse for wear.

But to the rest of the world, Wendy and her brothers were abducted and put through such a traumatic experience, Wendy has subconsciously taken to hiding the truth from her brothers and herself by making up stories. Fairy stories – about a boy named Peter Pan and a world called Neverland.

Life is anything but a fairy story for them now. Wendy is being subjected to unwanted psychiatric therapy, her brothers are bullied at school, and the family is falling apart.

Then, one mist-filled night, a billowing black flag parts the clouds in the sky like the fin of a shark. It bears the stark white symbol of a skull and crossbones upon it.

Wendy has been forced to leave Neverland behind. But it is far from finished with her. In the blink of an eye, her world is once more turned upside down by a pixie in human form, a one-handed captain far more handsome and intriguing than she remembered him to be – and by a little boy… who grew up after all.

Based on that synopsis I feel like Forever Neverland is a grade A page turner.I can't wait to read it at some point.

Title: Unhooked

Author: Lisa Maxwell

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

Bahh that synopsis had me hooked as soon as I read the words, "flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey."!!

Title: Lost Boy

Author: Christina Henry

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

This sounds like a Peter Pan is the villan story!!!

Title: Never Never

Author: Brianna R. Shrum

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up. When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child - at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children's dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart.

 Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up. But grow up he does. And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate. This story isn't about Peter Pan; it's about the boy whose life he stole. It's about a man in a world that hates men. It's about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan. Except one.

Stories from Captain hook are always super intriguing!!! This book has been in my TBR pile forever!!!!

Review/Rant: Hawkeye Comics

 
I don't normally review comic books like at all,however  not to long ago I finished reading Matt Fraction and David Aja’s extremely excellent Hawkeye series.Followed by Jeff Lemire and  Ramon Perez's splended Hawkeye series. And I just had to write a post ranting about both...

 I have never been that into comics or graphic novels.It wasn't until early last year that I really started reading comics.The comics that really got me into them are The Black Widow seris by,The Ms. Mavel series by,Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and of course the Hawk series.
While all those are really great comics it's the Hawkeye comics that have a special place in my heart.

They made me laugh and have also made me cry, and I was sad that Matt Fraction and David Aja’s awesome Hawkeye series came to an end. And that the Clint Barton as he existed in that particular series was no more.All six volumes of comics were great and pulled in the reader by the heartstrings.I enjoyed reading about and everyday flawed super hero who was very baseline human. No superpowers in sight.No suit of amour. Clint was a regular guy just trying to get by and do the right thing.
The art work was magic! From all of Aja's work to the beautiful back story art done by Perez. I loved it all.The stories in all six volumes were ell done as well.I really like the Kate bishop was portrayed as her own version of Hawkeye not a sidekick or anything else like that.(Fun Fact Kate Bishop has her own series now by Kelly Thompson  & It is wonderful)

When I look up what people say about all 6 volumes People constantly compare Matt Fraction and David Aja’s run to Jeff Lemire and  Ramon Perez's run.Which is understandable but I think both runs have pro&cons that make them stand out. To quote one of the most over used phrases ever that I used as a camp counselor I think when talking about both runs people should, "Share not Compare."

So there you go there's my rant/kinda review on the Hawkeye comics.I recommend that everyone check them out!!! 5/5

Poems and Poets Part 2

Hello there!! Not to long ago I did a post called Poems and Poets.
That post included a few of my favorite poets and poetry collections and this post is pretty much the same.Enjoy the list and comment with any poetry recommendations you might have.

Title: helium
Author: Rudy Franciso
Helium is the debut poetry collection by internet phenom Rudy Francisco, whose work has defined poetry for a generation of new readers. Rudy's poems and quotes have been viewed and shared millions of times as he has traveled the country and the world performing for sell-out crowds.

Helium is filled with work that is simultaneously personal and political, blending love poems, self-reflection, and biting cultural critique on class, race and gender into an unforgettable whole. Ultimately, Rudy's work rises above the chaos to offer a fresh and positive perspective of shared humanity and beauty.

Title:Still Can't Do My Daughter's Hair
Author: William Evans

Still Can't Do My Daughter's Hair is the latest book by author William Evans, founder of Black Nerd Problems. Evans is a long-standing voice in the performance poetry scene, who has performed at venues across the country and been featured on numerous final stages, including the National Poetry Slam and Individual World Poetry Slam.

Evans's commanding, confident style shines through in these poems, which explore masculinity, fatherhood, and family, and what it means to make a home as a black man in contemporary America.

Title: Pelunda
Author:Melissa Lozada-Oliva 

One of the most original performance poets of her generation, Melissa Lozada-Oliva has captivated crowds across the country and online with her vivid narratives. Humorous and biting, personal and communal, self-deprecating and unapologetically self-loving, peluda (meaning “hairy” or “hairy beast”) is the poet at her best.

The book explores the relationship between femininity and body hair as well as the intersections of family, class, the immigrant experience, Latina identity, and much more, all through Lozada-Oliva’s unique lens and striking voice. Peluda is a powerful testimony on body image and the triumph over taboo.

Title:Forgive Me My Salt
Author: Brenna Twohy

Brenna Twohy's debut collection reads like a letter to all that haunts her-- letting them know that despite her wounds, she's still alive.

Title:Don't Call Us Dead
Author: Danez Smith

Award-winning poet Danez Smith is a groundbreaking force, celebrated for deft lyrics, urgent subjects, and performative power. Don’t Call Us Dead opens with a heartrending sequence that imagines an afterlife for black men shot by police, a place where suspicion, violence, and grief are forgotten and replaced with the safety, love, and longevity they deserved here on earth.

Smith turns then to desire, mortality—the dangers experienced in skin and body and blood—and a diagnosis of HIV positive. “Some of us are killed / in pieces,” Smith writes, “some of us all at once.” Don’t Call Us Dead is an astonishing and ambitious collection, one that confronts, praises, and rebukes America—“Dear White America”—where every day is too often a funeral and not often enough a miracle

Comics & Graphic novels!!!

Lately for my own personal enjoyment and for school I have been reading a lot of comics and graphic novels.So I decide to create a list of a few of my favorite comic book series I really enjoy and a few graphic novels i dig.Before I do that you should know that yes Comics and graphic novels are to separate things!!! It's confusing but true.

Title: Ms Marvel

Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation!

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! 

When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey! 

I love the Ms. Mavel comics and recommend people of all ages to check them out.

Title: Marvel 1602

Marvel 1602, award-winning writer Neil Gaiman presents a unique vision of the Marvel Universe set four hundred years in the past. Classic Marvel icons such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and Daredevil appear in this intriguing world of 17th-century science and sorcery, instantly familiar to readers, yet subtly different in this new time. Marvel 1602 combines classic Marvel action and adventure with the historically accurate setting of Queen Elizabeth I's reign to create a unique series unlike any other published by Marvel Comics.Collecting Marvel 1602 #1-8 - penciled by andy Kubert and digitally painted by Richard Isanove, with covers by Scott McKowen.


The heroes/villains we all love but their adventures taking place in the 17th century...it sounds weird but i'm intrigued and can't wait to check these comics out.

Title: Embroideries
From the best–selling author of Persepolis comes this gloriously entertaining and enlightening look into the sex lives of Iranian women. Embroideries gathers together Marjane’s tough–talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors for an afternoon of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and the vagaries of men.

As the afternoon progresses, these vibrant women share their secrets, their regrets and their often outrageous stories about, among other things, how to fake one’s virginity, how to escape an arranged marriage, how to enjoy the miracles of plastic surgery and how to delight in being a mistress. By turns revealing and hilarious, these are stories about the lengths to which some women will go to find a man, keep a man or, most important, keep up appearances. 

Full of surprises, this introduction to the private lives of some fascinating women, whose life stories and lovers will strike us as at once deeply familiar and profoundly different from our own, is sure to bring smiles of recognition to the faces of women everywhere—and to teach us all a thing or two.

This graphic novel sound uh-mazing!!!I loved both Persepolis novels so I hope I'll love Embroideries just as much

Title:Friends with Boys

After years of homeschooling, Maggie is starting high school. It's pretty terrifying.

Maggie's big brothers are there to watch her back, but ever since Mom left it just hasn't been the same. Besides her brothers, Maggie's never had any real friends before. Lucy and Alistair don't have lots of friends either. But they eat lunch with her at school and bring her along on their small-town adventures.

Missing mothers...distant brothers...high school...new friends... It's a lot to deal with. But there's just one more thing.

MAGGIE IS HAUNTED.

Ahh that synopsis sounds great!!

So there you go a short but sweet list of  graphic novels/comics that I want to check out.

 I think at some point Ill do I  list strictly dedicated to comics but I'm not sure when...

 Leave a comment with any graphic novel or comic suggestions.

YA Book to Movie Adaptions

So lately there has been so many Ya book to movie adaptions!! I am absolutely here for it.I love it when my fave YA books can come to life on the big screen.I'm also a huge fan when YA books I've never heard of graces the big screen because that just give me an excuse to check out a book I've never heard of before.

A few ya book to movie adaptions that are already out or coming out are The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas ,Dumpling by Julie Murphy Everything,Everything by Nicola Yoon ,Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Hearing about this book to movie adaption made me want to put together a wishlist of sorts of books I think would make awesome movies.So here ya  go.Hope you enjoy!!

Title:Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep school classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.

Struggling to cope with it all, Justyce starts a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But do Dr. King’s teachings hold up in the modern world? Justyce isn’t so sure.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Way up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.

I think with that along with The Hate You Give this book would shake up the box office and shed some light on topics that you don't see in big budget movie.

 Title:Our Chemical Hearts
Author:Krystal Sutherland
Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.

Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts wit and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love.

This would make an excellent movie.I loved reading this book and kinda wish I could see it on the big screen

Title: Into White
Author: Randi Pink
When a black teenager prays to be white and her wish comes true, her journey of self-discovery takes shocking--and often hilarious--twists and turns in this debut that people are sure to talk about.

LaToya Williams lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. She's so low on the social ladder that even the other black kids disrespect her. Only her older brother, Alex, believes in her. At least, until a higher power answers her only prayer--to be "anything but black." And voila! She wakes up with blond hair, blue eyes, and lily white skin. And then the real fun begins . . .

Randi Pink's debut dares to explore provocative territory. One thing's for sure--people will talk about this book

There is definitely nothing like this book.The book touches on concepts that are relate-able  that not many people speak about and seeing it on the big screen would spotlight these issues and start a conversation.

Title: Tiger Lily
Author:Jodie Lynn Anderson

 Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair...

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

There are so many Peter Pan movies out there which is great but...it would rock if the ladies like Tiger Lily and Wendy hard their own movie.Tiger Lily would make an awesome movie.

Rant on Ratings Bloggers Give When Reviewing a Book

Recently I have been checking out other book bloggers and one blog in particular has made me start thinking about how bloggers review books. I use a five star rating but for the most part I hardly ever put up a post where i give a book a 2/5 or below. Have I read books that I thought were trash,yeah it has happened.Have I started a book only to give up 3 or five chapters in,yeah definitely.Have I picked up a book only to realize it features problematic content that I can't get behind,Yeah absolutely. What I'm trying to get at is that yeah I've read books that I wasn't a fan of at all.I could have churned out a blog post rating on how those books sucked and then put it online and tagged the author but honestly to me that's not cool.

I think there's a very fine line between bashing an author in a really unkind way and simple stating that you read a book and didn't really like said book. Now I get it freedom of option rocks.The fact that others bloggers and I can express how we feel about the books we read online is great.The downside of the internet is that you can say all this mean and nasty stuff to people with little consequence.It goes the same  for authors. I've seen reviewers give not so stellar reviews and then you have the author talking trash on Goodreads or the person blog.

Anyway what i'm getting at in a very round about way is that yeah reviewing a book is subjective and it bothers me when a review is harshly dragging a book and author though the mud.It also ridiculousness when an author attacks a review for their opinion. I'm not saying both parties should hold back on their opinion just think both parties should just chill on the harshness, 

#OwnVoices

So recently I stumbled across the hashtag #ownvoices after looking into to it and reading a few articles regarding the hashtag and the idea behind it I decided to make a list inspired by it. The hashtag #ownvoices on Twitter, was created by author Corinne Duyvis) 

All the books that i listed our depicting marginalized characters, featuring authors from those same backgrounds. There's a wonder article on BookRiot all about the hashtag #ownvoices that I loved it is written by it's guest post from Lamar Giles. Lamar writes novels and short stories for teens and adults. Reading Our #OWNVOICES

Title:Gabi,Girl In Pieces

Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.

Fun fact I've read this book and about died.When I say I about died I mean that in a good way...Gabi,A Girl In Pieces is an excellent book i'd recommend to anyone.

Title:More Than Happy Not
Author: Adam Silvera

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely. 

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is. 
Why does happiness have to be so hard?

I have yet to read this book,despite receiving an advance copy and having it on my book shelf for quite some time.I have no idea why I'm stalling especially since I have heard nothing nut wonderful things about More Than Happy Not.My goal is to start/finish this book by the end of  this month.

Title:It Ain't So Awful Falafel
Author: Firoozeh Dumas
Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh is the new kid on the block . . . for the fourth time. California’s Newport Beach is her family’s latest perch, and she’s determined to shuck her brainy loner persona and start afresh with a new Brady Bunch name—Cindy. It’s the late 1970s, and fitting in becomes more difficult as Iran makes U.S. headlines with protests, revolution, and finally the taking of American hostages. Even mood rings and puka shell necklaces can't distract Cindy from the anti-Iran sentiments that creep way too close to home. A poignant yet lighthearted middle grade debut from the author of the best-selling Funny in Farsi.



Recently heard about this and it sounds adorable.






Title:Two Boys Kissing
Author:David LevithanNew York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other. 


David Levithan is on my must read list so I definitely feel like I need to read two boys kissing.However even if it wasn't written by David Levithan  I would probably still want to read this book.




Title:Labyrinth Lost
Author: Zoraida Córdova

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

I fall to my knees. Shattered glass, melted candles and the outline of scorched feathers are all that surround me. Every single person who was in my house – my entire family — is gone.

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 markings 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…

Brujas,magic.and that cover...Gahh why wouldn't people want to read Labyrinth Lost.

Blog Update and a Rambling Rant

So it's been awhile since I've posted a review and while i would like to say that things will change I can't.Mainly do to life and who I am as a person...

I will say this I will try my best to do at least two non-review post a week. And two review posts a month.I'd like to try and blog more because it is something I genuinely like to do.I love talking to authors over twitter,checking out other book blogs,receiving request to review books and so much more...

I try not to post personal thing on this blog but i feel like I need to share somethings.I started this blog after realizing that the fist blog I started wasn't something I truly cared about or felt comfortable with....my first blog was personal it was where i shared badly written poems when i was fresh out of high school*Cringes in embarrassment* After that i vowed no more personal blogs.It didn't talk me long to decide that a book blog was what i wanted to do.I like books,I like writing and talking about books and a book blog could help me connect with other bookish people so why not.So with all that being said the moral of the story is that even if at time i fade away and don't post anything for a while i haven't given up i'm just busy at the moment.

When those Good Girls Go Bad

Everyday loves a tattooed  bad boy all brooding,edgy,and mysterious but what about the bad girls.The girls that bite back and aren't afraid to not pull any punches There are so many freakin  books that  have the stereotypical bad boy that are  universally accepted.

 I want books with a bad girl whose not ashamed of it.In my search for books centered around the bad girl I came up short. A lot of the girls in the books with the so called bad girl that i found are labeled bad girls mainly because the promiscuous/date around.I decided not to include those books.

Title:Dare You To(Pushing The Limits 2)
Author: Katie McGarry

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Title: Going To Far
Author Jennifer Echols 
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? 

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back. 


John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over...

Title: Geek Girl
Author:Cindy C Bennet

"Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her.

Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even -ugh!- bowling. To truly belong with him -and with her new foster family- she must first come to terms with her violent past.








Title;Be My Downfall
Author: Lyla Payne
Toby Wright has always prided himself on being one of the most normal guys at Whitman University. He loves his parents, has a great job lined up after graduation, and with the exception of attempting to cross the unbalanced Sebastian Blair sophomore year, has kept his nose pretty clean.

But the rich never have empty closets, and memories long stashed away come spilling free when notorious party girl Kennedy Gilbert almost dies in his dorm room.

Nobody really knows how Kennedy manages to stay in good standing at Whitman–she never goes to class, doesn’t pretend to care about her future, and as far as people can tell, is never sober. This isn’t her first meeting with a stomach pump, but it is the first time she’s woken up to Toby’s concerned brown eyes. Despite the fact that she prefers life without friends, he gets under her skin with his insistence on playing her guardian angel.

No one knows better than Toby that people can only be saved if they want to be, but the realization that she has no one else draws him back into the shadows of Kennedy’s life–and eventually into her bed. But she long ago came to terms with a truth that Toby refuses to accept: she doesn’t want to be rescued, she only wants to forget.

Unwilling to give up on her, Toby’s dragged under by this broken girl and her dark, twisted Whitman University he never guessed existed. If he struggles to the surface, he’ll abandon someone he loves for the second time in his life. If he doesn’t, it won’t be long until they both drown.

It's A Summer Thing

So for the third summer in a row I'm off to work at a sleep away camp for the summer.This summer will be a bit different however because I'm not returning to Camp K but instead working at a Girl Scout Camp in Wisconsin.I just got word a few days ago that I got the job and needless to say I have camp on the brain. I leave for staff training in a week and while deciding what books to bring on the very slim chance that I get some time on my days off to read I started to wonder if there were any good books revolving around a summer camp. 

I couldn't think of any that I've read besides OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy-which is pretty hilarious and touching-so i searched for camp related books on Goodreads and discovered a bunch of campish books.So below Iv'e included both fiction and non fiction books with a camp setting that I would really like to read at some point.

Title:Five Summer
Author: Una LaMarche
Fiction,YA
Four best friends, five summers of camp memories. 

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring...
The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth...
The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle...
The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar...
Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable... and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart. 

Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend—and for a second chance. Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Title:Things I Can't Forget
Author:Miranda Keneally
Fiction,YA
Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…



Title:Not A Happer Camper 

Author:Mindy Schneider
Non-Fiction,Memoir 

Remember those long sultry summer days at camp, the sun setting over the lake as you sang Kumbaya? Well, Mindy Schneider remembers her summer at Camp Kin-A-Hurra in 1974 just a wee bit differently. Not a Happy Camper chronicles a young girl’s adventures at a camp where the sun never shines, the breakfast cereal dates back to the summer of 1922, and many of the counselors speak no English. For eight eye-opening and unforgettable weeks, 
Mindy and her eccentric band of friends — including Autumn Evening Schwartz, the daughter of hippies who communicates with the dead, and the sleep-dancing, bibliophile Betty Gilbert — keep busy feuding in color wars, failing at sports, and uncovering the camp’s hidden past. As she focuses on landing the perfect boyfriend and longs for her first kiss, Mindy unexpectedly stumbles across something infinitely grander: herself. Hilarious, charming, and glowing with nostalgia, Mindy Schneider’s memoir is a must-read for anyone who’s ever been to summer camp, or wishes they had


Title:Cabin Pressure: One Man's Desperate Attempt to Recapture His Youth as a Camp Counselor
Author:Josh Wolk
Non-Fiction,Memoir 

Three months before getting married at age thirty-four, Josh Wolk decides to treat himself to a "farewell to childhood" extravaganza: one last summer working at the beloved Maine boys' camp where he spent most of the eighties. And there he finds out that there's no better way to see how much you've changed than to revisit a place that hasn't changed at all.In these eight hilarious, uncomfortable, enlightening weeks, Josh readjusts to life teaching swimming and balancing on a thin metal cot in a cabin of shouting, wrestling, wet-willie-dispensing fourteen-year-olds who, contrary to the warnings of doom saying sociologists, he finds indistinguishable from the rowdy fourteen-year-olds of his day in any way other than their haircuts. With his old camp friends gone, he finds himself working alongside guys who used to be his campers.

 Moments of feeling cripplingly old are offset by the corrosive insecurities of his youth when he's paired in the cabin with Mitch, the forty-two-year-old jack-of-all- extreme-sports whose machismo intimidated Josh so much fifteen years earlier, and whom their current campers idolize. And throughout all this disorienting regression, Josh's telephone conversations with his fiance, Christine, grow increasingly intense as their often comical discussions over the wedding become a flimsy cover for her worries that he's not ready to relinquish his death-grip on the comforts of the past.

So there ya go fellow bloggers and blog reader my list of books related to summer camps.

Have any camp related book recommendations. A funny stories when you were a camper or counselor then go right ahead and leave me a comment I'd love to hear from you.

Highschool Hierarchy :D

So recently I've been on an Echosmith kick which means I've been listening to their music nonstop. The fist song I've heard by them was Cool kids it play on the radio fairly often depending on the station. So because I've been listening to Cool Kids on repeat  of the song Cool Kids I'm making a list of books set in high school dealing with a variety of cool kids(or misfits) depending on how you look at it. I'm leaning more towards both. :)

 

Remember Just be your self everyone's a cool kids in one way or another.

 

 

Title:King Of The Screw Ups
Author: K.L Going
Liam Geller is Mr. Popularity. Everybody loves him. He excels at sports; he knows exactly what clothes to wear; he always ends up with the most beautiful girls in school. But he's got an uncanny ability to screw up in the very ways that tick off his father the most.
When Liam finally kicked out of the house, his father's brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you'd think. And when Liam attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his father, it's his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there's much more to him than his father will ever see
 

 Title:The summer I became a Nerd
Author: Leah Rae Miller
On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.


Title:The Downside of Being Charlie
Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez
Charlie is handed a crappy senior year. Despite losing thirty pounds over the summer, he still gets called “Chunks” Grisner. What’s worse, he has to share a locker with the biggest Lord of the Rings freak his school has ever seen. He also can’t figure out whether Charlotte VanderKleaton, the beautiful strawberry lip-glossed new girl, likes him the way he likes her. Oh, and then there’s his mom. She’s disappeared—again—and his dad won’t talk about it.

Somewhere between the madness, Charlie can at least find comfort in his one and only talent that just might get him out of this life-sucking place. But will he be able to hold his head above water in the meantime?

 

 

 

 

 

So there ya go fellow bloggers and blog readers my short but sweet list on High-school Hierarchy/the cool kids.Have you read any of the books I've mentioned? Have any recommendation let me know in the comments section. I love hearing from people. :D