Completely Full Bookshelf

Hello everyone! Today I am excited to be recommending another truly incredible YA novel: Salt to the Sea  by Ruta Sepetys. Please note, this is a young adult (YA) novel, and it contains mature content. Add it on Goodreads I'm so excited that, with this book, I have officially met my goal of reading 3 books for the Big Book Summer Challenge ,  hosted by Sue Jackson at Book by Book ! And I am also have excited to have read this book simply because it is the favorite book of one of my good friends, and I'm glad I can finally talk to her about it. And I am also  excited to have read this book because, quite simply, it is unparalleled and incredible, and it is a perfect finish to this summer of incredible YA novels (like Yolk  and Bitter ). Let's start off with the publisher's description  of this book: ********** In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with ...

Hi everyone! I'm very excited to be reviewing an excellent graphic novel (and Printz Honor book): Dragon Hoops  by Gene Luen Yang. Add it on Goodreads  or preview the illustrations Let's start off with the publisher's description  of this book: ********** In his latest graphic novel, New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches. Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to k...

Hello everyone! I skipped last week's post in part because I didn't want to pick up another book to review when I was making such good progress on this amazing one—and now that I'm finished with it, I can't wait to talk about it with you all! Today's book is Yolk  by Mary H.K. Choi. This book is a young adult (YA) novel that skews toward the adult end of the spectrum (our protagonist is in college), so it definitely contains mature content. Also, I will quote the content warning  from the beginning of the book for "disordered eating, dysmorphia, and bulimia," and I will also add in a mention of unwanted sexual advances (I promise, this book isn't as depressing as it sounds from all of that). Add it on Goodreads Let's start off with the publisher's description  of this book: ********** Jayne and June Baek are nothing alike. June’s three years older, a classic first-born, know-it-all narc with a problematic finance job and an equally soulless apa...

I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm nevertheless excited to be participating in the Big Book Summer Challenge for the second year in a row! This challenge, hosted by wonderful fellow blogger Sue Jackson at Book by Book , is the perfect chance to cram in the 400+ page books I haven't previously had time to get to. Before I dive into the books I'm planning to read, I'll note that you can learn more about the challenge and consider participating here —I highly recommend you check it out! This year, I'm hoping to read 3 out of 4 of the books on the graphic below—let's see where I get! Yolk  by Mary H.K. Choi 400 pages (according to Amazon) Add it on Goodreads I've been waiting to read this YA novel for months , and I'm already a smidge of the way through—the buzz seems to be warranted! Amber & Clay  by Laura Amy Schlitz 544 pages (according to Amazon) Add it on Goodreads I listed 4 books on last year's Big Book Summer Challenge , and I read 2 ...

Update (10/5/2021): So, I did write a pretty-solid review of this book below, in my opinion, but honestly, nothing might be more convincing about how good this book is than the fact that it is a 2021 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature ( proof here! )!!! I'm seriously so excited—it's been a month on the dot since I posted this review, and I'm still very much a giant fan of this spectacu-fabulous story (yes, I made up a word there). Update (11/25/2021): And now Last Night at the Telegraph Club  is officially the WINNER  of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! I must say, it is so  vindicating when the book you love literally wins one of the biggest awards in existence—it feels like all of my tastes have been validated! Also, yes, I'm updating this post on Thanksgiving—I suppose you could say I'm thankful  that this book won an award! Happy Labor Day! I am so, SO excited to be here today to talk about a ...

Before we get to today's post, I'd like to mention that I shared another original poem this last Thursday, "On summer" —check it out if you're interested! Also, I have the winners of the Summer 2021 Book Giveaway to announce! The winner of Everywhere Blue  by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz is... Danielle! The winner of Fighting Words  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is... Rosi (a fellow MMGM blogger)! The winner of the signed copy of Invisible Emmie  by Terri Libenson is... Shaye (a fellow #IMWAYR blogger at The Miller Memo) ! And the winner of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe  by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Are You Listening?  by Tillie Walden is... CarloShmarlo! Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks so much to everyone who entered! Moving to the review, I'm excited to have a review today of a ridiculously fantastic YA graphic novel, On a Sunbeam  by Tillie Walden! This book has somewhat mature content as well as complex themes ...

I am excited to announce that I am participating in my very first reading challenge! I don't normally do reading challenges, and I'm not planning particularly to do more in the future. But I was happy to participate in the  2021 Big Book Summer Challenge  hosted by the excellent #IMWAYR blogger Sue Jackson at Book by Book ! The rules for this challenge are simple: read at least one book before Labor Day weekend that is at least 400 pages long. Other than that, you're free to set your own guidelines, which I will now do! I have four big books waiting on my bookcase, and though I am not 100% confident I can get through all four this summer, I do plan to read: – At least ONE  of the Really Big Books  listed below, and... – At least ONE  of the Slightly-Less-Big Books  listed below! So let's see what these books are! The Really Big Books: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue  by Mackenzi Lee A YA prose novel (544 pages) My mother recommended this ...