Tag Archives: loan le

Six Books on the Younger End of Ya!

Hey everyone! – On Bookstagram, I’ve seen so many amazing books trending. However, I haven’t seen a lot of books for teens who are just getting into Young Adult. Hence why I brought you this list of books perfect for 13 to 15-year-olds. Enjoy!

(PS: Click on the book covers for the Goodreads links.)

1. Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Love From A to Z is my favorite book of all time! It’s unique and deals with a lot of important topics — Like Islamophobia, and the death of a parent. However, the story still feels light and sweet, which is perfect for those who are just getting into YA. PS: You can read my review of the book here!

2. He Must Like You by Danielle Younge-Ullman

This is a very necessary and powerful story that deals with misogyny and harassment — two very needed conversations. If you’re looking for a heavier story, then I recommend He Must Like You!

3. A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

A Pho Love Story is a Romeo and Juliet Retelling that is so warm and fuzzy. I adored it! What I love about this book is that it discusses the Vietnam War, generational trauma, and the hardships that come with moving to a new country. I learned a lot of history from A Pho Love Story, so if you’re a history buff — check this one out! You can read my review here!

4. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Cemetery Boys is a unique supernatural read equal parts spooky and emotional. I loved how it delved into Mexican culture, and exploring one’s identity. It’s such a well-written novel!

5. A Castle In The Clouds by Kerstin Gier

This is by far one of the BEST cozy mysteries ever written. It’s delicately written, filled with intentional prose and little details — it’s just perfect! The wit in this is welcome too haha. A Castle in The Clouds was my favorite read of 2021, and I stand by that till now! A more in-depth review can be found here.

6. Truly Madly Royally by Debbie Rigaud

This book is the definition of “she’s everything, he’s just Ken.” It’s inspiring, and has a kind-hearted fiery heroine who I absolutely loved! If you’re looking for a light summer read, I recommend Truly Madly Royally.

I hoped this inspired some younger adults to read YA, as I know it’s hard to find teen books that are both quality and clean. See you next post!

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January Wrap-Up | aka; My First Wrap-Up!

Hiya everyone! Today I will be ‘hosting’ my first ever wrap-up! I’m super excited for this! However, I have no idea what a wrap-up is supposed to look like, so bear with me here. 😂 Anyways, let’s get into it!

Novels I Read (In order)

Journey to the Center of the Earth By Jules Verne: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) I really enjoyed reading this classic! It took me 6 months to finish, so I was really happy that I was FINALLY able to mark it as ‘read’ on goodreads. It is 100% worth the read guys! You can read my review for this book here!

This Train Is Being Held By Ismee Williams: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75 out of 5 stars) I finished this book relatively fast, and I did enjoy it! It’s a cute YA romance that has an almost all latinx cast, which was super cool to see! You can read my review for This Train Is Being Held here.

(eARC) A Pho Love Story By Loan Le: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.8 out of 5 stars) This was my first ARC!! I received an eARC for this novel via Netgalley. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of A Pho Love Story! It was good, but too long. Overall, I do recommend you read it! You can read my review here!

A Song Below Water By Bethany C Morrow: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 out of 5 stars) I wanted to love this book so much! However, it was incredibly confusing, and even boring at times. I found myself not liking the characters that much, except for Effie, Wallace, and Tavia, they were the best! I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I still think it’s worth the read if you love fantasy though. And it does have some searing social commentary! Review to come!

Graphic Novels and Manga read (I doubt this is in order…oops)

Blue Flag Volume 1 By Kaito: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5 stars) This was an incredibly powerful and stunning manga. I highly recommend you read it if you’re trying to get into reading graphic novels and manga.

Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 By James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) This was a very intriguing horror story. Although thrillers aren’t necessarily my favorite genre, I still enjoyed reading it!

(eARC) The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging By Hannalora Leavitt and (Illustrator) Belle Wuthrich: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) This was a very educational and inspiring read, that I highly recommend you take a look at! Thank you Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers for an eARC of this book!

Ao Haru Ride Volume 9 By Io Sakisaka: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars) The art style is phenomenal, but the storyline in this volume was just okay.

(eARC) Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women By Rebel Girls: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars) This is more of a non-fiction educational book with pictures versus a graphic novel. I decided to settle on three stars only because I had previously read the two other books by the same author titled ‘Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls’ which were amazing! In this one however, a lot of the art and stories where repeated, so I didn’t necessary learn anything new. If I hadn’t read the other books beforehand, this would have surely been a 5 star read! Thank you Netgalley, Rebel Girls, and Publishers for an eARC of this book!

(eARC) Dryfoot By Jarred Lujan, Orlando Caicedo, and Warnia Sahadewa: ⭐⭐ (2.5 out of 5 stars) Since Dryfoot is an ARC, I won’t say much about it. However, it was simply not my cup of tea. Thank you Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an eARC of Dryfoot!

(eARC) Feelings By Manjit Thapp: ⭐⭐ (2 out of 5 stars) Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy reading Feelings. It was okay. The art was beautiful though! Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Feelings!

Let’s just say there weren’t many this month 😆

Total Number Of Books Read: 11

Total Number Of Posts Published: 10

Average Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 out of 5 stars

Some of my goals for February include…

  • Read the 5 novels on my February TBR
  • Finish reading my list of eARCs
  • Drink more water for 💫clear skin💫
  • Complete my February buddy read novels

And that’s a wrap! Hopefully you enjoyed reading this very long post. Do check out the posts by the other bloggers I listed. Every blogger is unique and amazing in their own way! What was your favorite read of January 2021? Have a wonderful day! 💟

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