August 2021 Wrap-Up 1. Bright World (Hazards of Love, vol. 1) by Stan Stanley 3 out of 5 stars The illustrations are beautiful, the story is fun and funny. I loved the themes of finding yourself and your identity. I'm excited to read the next volume! 2. The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O’Neill 5 out of 5 stars I love the Tea Dragon books so much. The illustrations are so beautiful and the stories are heartwarming. This felt like an end to the series, which makes me sad. But if it is, it's a lovely conclusion. 3. Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller 5 out of 5 stars I always say I'm not a fan of high fantasy, but maybe I just haven't been reading the right books because I absolutely devoured this book and OMG. I need more. Now. The action starts right away, the story has plenty to keep you turning the page, and it was just so good. I also really loved the portrayal of Ziva's anxiety. It is so real. As someone with anxiety, there were multiple passages I had to mark because I felt them in my soul. 4. Dewdrop by Kay O’Neill 5 out of 5 stars This is the cutest, sweetest little book. I love axolotls and I love this author. 5. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag 4 out of 5 stars I'm not crying....okay, I'm crying. This was so sweet and beautiful. 6. Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 2 out of 5 stars I loved "You Should See Me in a Crown" so much, but this one just didn't measure up for me. My biggest issue was that I just didn't like Olivia, even in the end. She was so selfish and oblivious, it was hard to enjoy anything involving her. I liked what the book was trying to say about being true to yourself and not closing yourself off to people, but I just couldn't fully get into it. 7. Aquicorn Cove by Kay O’Neill 5 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations and a beautiful, important story. Save the aquicorns! 8. When We Were Strangers by Alex Richards 4 out of 5 stars This book does a good job of examining grief and how messy family relationships can be. It was really interesting and heartfelt and I really enjoyed it. 9. Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan 4 out of 5 stars Content Warning: homophobia I really liked this book. The queer experience is not one size fits all, and this book really looks at that. Some people are out and proud. Some people are out, but more low-key about it. Some people are not safe enough to come out. All of these are valid. This is an important conversation to have, and this book does it well. 10. My Hero Academia, Vol 15 by Kohei Horikoshi 4 out of 5 stars There is a lot packed into this volume. We learn more about Overhaul and his plans. We see more of Nighteye and All Might's history. And I love when we finally get to see more of the side characters, which we (finally!) got more Kirishima in this one. 11. The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity 5 out of 5 stars This book was so hilarious and so much fun. It pokes fun at the tropes of the old, classic Gothic Romances and it was amazing. 12. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 4 out of 5 stars I don't know why it took me so long to finally read this. I loved the flashbacks and how we got pieces of the Truly Devious mystery throughout the book. I liked the mystery and I'm excited to read the rest of the series! 13. The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch 5 out of 5 stars Content Warning: homophobia, racism I really, really loved this book. While Sky dealt with homophobic bullies, the focus was on the incredible, supportive people in his life. This book was not a coming out story. Plus, it focused on the happiness, not the trauma. We need more queer books like this. *****Slight spoiler, but I won't get too specific***** I also like the ending. It didn't have an unrealistic, "everything magically wraps up in a perfect bow" ending. It was a believable conclusion. 14. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 5 out of 5 stars This was a reread in preparation for book two. It's just as good the second time around! Original Review: I have loved every book I've ever read by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and this one did not disappoint. So many twists and turns and surprises and a jaw-dropping ending! I could not put it down! 15. Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve 4 out of 5 stars Content warning: homophobia, transphobia, bullying On the surface, this might sound like your cliche trans story, but I really liked the way that Dean used theater and acting to find himself. I think this book was done in a really interesting way.
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
August 2023
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