Completely Full Bookshelf

This week is shaping up to be INSANE. Besides my plan to attend three different Halloween parties (no comment), I am taking a creative writing course, and I have a short story that is due this Sunday—and I'm planning to write something pretty long that I haven't actually started drafting yet (I just have the outline), so I kind of need to get moving on all that. It probably won't be that bad to write—I just don't want to do it! I just want to go read books and play Animal Crossing  and NOT stay up late—seriously, I stay up 20 minutes past my bedtime and then I am noticeably exhausted the next day. College, y'all—it's a thing. Moving along, today we have a review of yet another truly AMAZING graphic novel (we've been on a great stretch following The Girl From the Sea  and Other Boys )—today's book is Nimona  by ND Stevenson. I wasn't sure if this book was MG or YA when I started it, but after reading it, I am quite sure  this book is better for a YA a...

Lots to discuss today! First of all, I have redesigned my blog! I won't get too far into the details (since I already did so in this post ), but suffice it to say that the new template works better on smaller screens and is far more aesthetically pleasing. (It also has a new header image that I took myself, which features the book I am reviewing today alongside Faith: Taking Flight  and The List of Things That Will Not Change !) Also, it has officially been (a) an entire year since I joined #IMWAYR and (b) an entire year of me blogging every single week! I'm honestly as shocked as you are that I've managed it this long—as the MMGM bloggers know, I have had a history of dropping of the face of the Earth for months at a time. But I've finally managed to stick with blogging, and I plan to keep participating in both MMGM and #IMWAYR for as many consecutive weeks as I can manage! One more thing: make sure to keep going past the end of today's review for information about...

For MMGM and #IMWAYR, I am recommending Efrén Divided  by Ernesto Cisneros.           I decided to read this book after seeing positive reviews of it by Sierra Dertinger on her blog, Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed, and by Shaye Miller on her blog, The Miller Memo. I am so glad I took their advice! Efrén Divided  tells the story of middle-schooler Efrén Nava. Most of us (including myself) would probably pity Efrén from the very start of the story; his family is pretty poor, so he, his twin young siblings Max and Mía, and his Amá and Apá all live in a one-room apartment. But where we see a shabby apartment, Efrén sees the home of his loving family. Where we see a tiny kitchen, Efrén sees the place where his Amá bakes fresh sopes, flipping them with her bare hands (the root of his nickname for her, Soperwoman). Between his amazing parents, his best friend David, and his love of reading, Efrén knows he has what truly matters in life. So, of course, e...