Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

eARC Review: All Our Hidden Gifts

Posted on September 30, 2020September 30, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

I don’t usually read seasonally (unless it’s Spooky Season, of course), and that wasn’t the reason that I requested this eARC, but I’m happy to say that All Our Hidden Gifts was a delightful read that’s perfect for this time of year! Though it wasn’t without its flaws, it was a sweet mix of paranormal fantasy, horror, and contemporary fiction.

Enjoy this eARC review!

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

All Our Hidden Gifts–Caroline O’Donoghue

Maeve’s sentenced to cleaning out the closet for her in-school suspension, but she soon learns that the job might not be as boring as she thought it was.

When mysterious tarot deck turns up the closet, Maeve pockets it, learning everything she can about it so that she can put her cards to good use. Her readings soon become the talk of her Catholic school, and soon, she has customers lining up outside of the closet. But after Lily, her former best friend, draws an unknown card, she disappears days later, causing a commotion in their tight-knit community. With the help of Lily’s sibling Roe, Maeve must find the secret of this mysterious Housekeeper card before its repercussions spread beyond Lily’s disappearance.

Art Magic GIF by littlekingdoms - Find & Share on GIPHY

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Walker Book US/Candlewick Press for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

All Our Hidden Gifts had the feel of an 2000’s horror movie for a teen audience, but in the best way possible. There’s paranormal and high school drama in equal amounts, but O’Donoghue balances out both genres for a paranormal tale that teens are sure to love.

Let’s start off with my biggest complaint. I found the pacing to be rather inconsistent, especially when compared to the synopsis on Goodreads and elsewhere. The storyline with the tarot cards turned out to have less of the spotlight than I thought, and it seemed to go far too quickly–most of it was over by the time that I’d gotten a third of the way through the novel. However, the other story elements were enough to keep the novel afloat for the remainder, so it didn’t bog down the story as much as I thought it would.

Other than that, I don’t have too many complaints. O’Donoghue’s writing was fresh and cinematic, with all manner of fascinating twists and tense scenes. Even if you’re not familiar with the tarot, the story is gripping and the perfect kind of spooky, paranormal fun that you’d want to channel right around Halloween.

I didn’t get attached to most of the characters, but they were absolutely authentic; weirdly enough, I connected a lot with Lily, even though she wasn’t present for most of the novel. There’s also a lot of LGBTQ+/POC-friendly elements to the novel, most notably in Roe, who is genderfluid. So kudos for O’Donoghue for that! There’s also a prominent Filipina character as well.

All in all, All Our Hidden Gifts lacked a bit in pacing and lovable characters, but made up for some of it with a timeless blend of paranormal fun. 3.5 stars!

Expected release date: March 30, 2021

Today’s song:

That’s it for this eARC review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Review Tuesday (9/29/20)–The Black Kids

Posted on September 29, 2020September 29, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

Just a heads up before I begin, and probably one that’ll apply for the next few months. Now that I’ve been in school for a month, my schedule and workload are both getting more demanding, and so I won’t be able to post quite as much. This week in particular, I probably won’t be able to post much after this review–partly due to the slew of exams and quizzes I have later this week, but I’m also going to be gone for a few days. I’ll probably still be able to visit everyone else’s posts, but my posting schedule will be a bit more lethargic–Goodreads Mondays, Book Review Tuesdays, my Weekly Updates, and sometimes Top 5 Saturdays can probably be expected, but other than that, I won’t post as much per week. So just a heads up.

Now, back to our scheduled program…

I don’t read much historical fiction, but The Black Kids was such a stunning novel! All at once relevant to our past and our present, this book is brimming heart and the universal (I hope) desire for justice and equality in marginalized communities.

Enjoy this week’s review!

The Black Kids | Book by Christina Hammonds Reed | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

The Black Kids–Christina Hammonds Reed

1992. Ashley Bennett’s life has been a sheltered one, nearly finished with high school and hanging out with her friends in Los Angeles. Her older sister took up the cause of advocating for racial justice years ago, but Ashley always preferred to stay on the sidelines.

But as riots begin to spread across the country after the brutal beating of Rodney King, she tries to continue to live her life as she always has, staying on the sidelines, not caring what goes on around her. Her friends have begun to isolate themselves from her, and she accidentally spreads a rumor about a classmate that could make or break his future. Ashley soon realizes that the world is bigger than the bubble she’s confined herself to–and that unity is the key to righting her personal wrongs.

I Cant Breathe Black Lives Matter GIF by Digital Pratik - Find & Share on GIPHY

Historical fiction isn’t a genre that I readily pick up, most of the time. But instances like these remind me of the sheer possibility of the genre, to not just tell a story about our past, but to inspire change and to encourage readers to better examine themselves and the world around them. I’m glad to say that The Black Kids was one of these great novels–brimming with heart and with a message that will resonate for decades to come.

At the time I’m writing this review, it’s been about a month and a half since The Black Kids‘ release (August 4), and I must say, what better time than this to publish a novel like this one? Even though it’s set almost 30 years in our past, the themes of racial justice and police brutality resonate as though this book was set a year ago. (Which…okay, it’s absolutely disgusting that police brutality, racism, and everything related to that is still rampant today, but what I’m trying to say is that it’s timely and brilliantly timed.) Whether or not readers experienced the Rodney King riots or felt its repercussions, its sure to inspire a wide range of the audience.

The Black Kids boasts a dynamic cast of characters, and even better, no shortage of great character development, mostly on Ashley’s part. Her transformation from someone so sheltered to someone who genuinely cares about the world around her was beautiful to see, and Reed’s heartfelt writing fleshed it out even more so. There’s some relatable themes of letting go of toxic friendships and finding those who you truly connected with, which is something that I connected with the most.

On the subject of her writing, Reed’s prosed managed to be simultaneously authentic and poetic, a mix of brutal realities and immersive language that made me feel as though I was living in the novel. I’m not a 90’s kid, but I loved all the little music and pop culture references that were slipped in there as well.

All in all, The Black Kids boasts nearly all the hallmarks of a good historical fiction–facing the harsh realities from a fresh perspective, but making you feel immersed and invested in the setting and characters as though they were from the present day. 4 stars!

Standing Ovation Applause GIF by BAFTA - Find & Share on GIPHY

The Black Kids appears to be a standalone, and it’s Christina Hammonds Reed’s debut novel. (I can’t wait to see what else she writes in the future!)

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/28/20)–Song of the Dryad

Posted on September 28, 2020September 29, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles! Hard to believe that September’s almost over, but at least SPOOKY SEASON starts on Thursday! 🎃🦇☠️🍁😈

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

I put this novel on my TBR at the very beginning of this year. I haven’t heard much about it–it’s from an indie publisher, so I haven’t seen many reviews, if any, floating around the blogosphere–but it looks like an intriguing fantasy!

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/28/20)–SONG OF THE DRYAD by Natalia Leigh

Amazon.com: Song of the Dryad eBook: Leigh, Natalia: Kindle Store

Blurb from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Barclay is still haunted by an encounter she had eight years ago – a run-in with a fairy beast that had eyes like witchlight and a taste for flesh. Charlotte has avoided the Greenwood ever since, pretending fairies don’t exist and choosing instead to focus her energies on graduating from high school and perfecting her audition piece for the Bellini Institute. However, everything changes when her mom goes missing, kidnapped by the fairies that haunt the forest behind Charlotte’s home.

When Charlotte’s search for her mom leads her into the fairy realm, she discovers that she hails from a line of Shrine Keepers – humans tasked with maintaining ancient fairy shrines. Charlotte’s family has failed their duties to the fae, and now she has no choice but to strike a deal with the dryad, an ancient and powerful tree nymph responsible for her mom’s disappearance. But the dryad only gives her a month to complete her task: retrieve five stolen fairy stones and return them to the ancient fairy shrine. If she doesn’t return the stones in time, the dryad has threatened to imprison another of Charlotte’s loved ones.

Charlotte dives into a world as magical as it is deadly, coming face-to-face with fairy creatures that never get mentioned in the story books – including the creature that haunts her dreams. She must embrace her task and conquer her fears, or else she’ll never see her mom again.

So why do I want to read this?

Imgur | Forest art, Fantasy, Fantasy landscape

Accidentally wandering into the realm of Fae and discovering that you have a connection with it is a fairly common trope I see in a lot of YA fantasy, but Song of the Dryad looks like it’s put an inventive twist on it! I also hardly ever see dryads as the star of the show as far as mythical creatures go in fantasy novels, so I’m excited to see how Leigh handles them. They hold so many possibilities for twists and plotlines, not to mention atmospheric imagery.

All in all, Song of the Dryad admittedly has the possibility of falling into several unfortunate tropes, but having the plot center around a dryad is giving me enough faith to keep reading.

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: September 21-27, 2020

Posted on September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope you’ve all had a lovely week.

I’ve only been in school for about a month, but I can already tell that the “Crash Course” theme music will haunt my dreams by the time May rolls around…

It’s definitely been an…okay week for me? I got back on my normal reading schedule, but I’ve had an amount of schoolwork and studying to to that’s definitely not ideal, but hey, first world problems. I’m gearing up for a similar week next week, so I might not be able to post quite as much.

I’ve been outlining for a story idea that I’ll probably whip out come NaNoWriMo season, so that’s been going slowly but surely. I also watched Netflix’s adaptation of Enola Holmes Friday night, and…well? Millie Bobby Brown was amazing, as always, but there was something missing. There were a few changes from the book that really seemed unnecessary, but I understand that most adaptations do need to change up the source material a tad bit. I still think that Sherlock should have been portrayed as more of the mansplaining jerk that he was in the books, and Henry Cavill would have been great at that, but alas, nope.

I’m glad that I haven’t read a bad book this week! Aside from re-reading Aurora Rising yet again (shh, I swear it’s just for book club purposes), I got some great content through my last eARC and my new library books. I’ve got a bunch more ready, so I think that this week could hold another week like it!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

All Our Hidden Gifts–Caroline O’Donoghue (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle, #1)–Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (re-read) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle) (9781524720964): Kaufman, Amie, Kristoff, Jay: Books

All These Monsters (Monsters, #1)–Amy Tintera (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

All These Monsters (Monsters, #1) by Amy Tintera

Unearthed (Unearthed, #1)–Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Struck–Jennifer Bosworth

Struck (Struck, #1) by Jennifer Bosworth

Star Daughter–Shveta Thakrar

Amazon.com: Star Daughter (9780062894625): Thakrar, Shveta: Books

The Assignment–Liza M. Weimer

Amazon.com: The Assignment eBook: Wiemer, Liza: Kindle Store

Sea Sirens–Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee

Sea Sirens GN (2019 Viking) A Trot and Cap'n Bill Adventure comic books

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

ARC Reviews, Books

eARC Review: Things That Grow

Posted on September 25, 2020September 25, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles!

Whew, I’m so glad the school week’s over! I might not be able to do Top 5 Saturday tomorrow because I’ve got some studying to do…plus, I haven’t been able to come up with anything for this week’s prompt…🤣

Either way, I recently got this eARC, and right after finishing something as long and dense as Dune, this novel was just what I needed. Darkly humorous and full of heart, Things That Grow is a lovely piece of contemporary fiction.

Enjoy this review!

Amazon.com: Things That Grow eBook: Goldstein, Meredith: Kindle Store

Things That Grow–Meredith Goldstein

Grandma Sheryl was seventeen-year-old Lori’s whole world, her anchor when her absent mother wasn’t there to care for her. So when she passes away, Lori’s world is thrown off-center–not only is her beloved grandmother gone, but in her absence, she’ll have to move back in with her mother and start her senior year in Maryland, without her old friends and the peaceful life she led.

But Grandma Sheryl left Lori and her family one final mission–a list of four gardens to travel to and spread her ashes. Along with her uncle Seth and her best friend Chris, Lori sets off on a chaotic journey that will change her life–and the way that she sees her grandmother.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HMH Books for Young Readers for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really haven’t read much contemporary fiction lately; it’s one that I try to read frequently, but I always end up gravitating more towards sci-fi or fantasy. But Things That Grow reminded me of what happens when the genre is executed right–it tugged at all the right heartstrings and made me crack up at the same time.

This novel certainly tackles some heavy topics, grief being the most prominent of them. I expected it to be a more somber novel, but Goldstein imbues a grimly humorous aspect that had me cracking up every few pages. It struck the perfect balance between honestly addressing grief and its consequences and having moments of being comedic and lighthearted. This is my first exposure to Goldstein’s work, but I can already see her clever writing shining through.

The other aspect that I enjoyed the most was the characters. Lori, Seth, Chris and all the rest were such distinct and lovable characters, and they all had lovely chemistry–part of what made a lot of the jokes I mentioned earlier land. They were all so authentic and well-developed, and I loved delving into their individual stories. I loved Chris and Lori’s friendship–the romance seemed a bit half-baked at its worst times, but I loved their whole backstory with his art and her stories.

That being said, Things That Grow wasn’t without its flaws, certainly. The conflict between Lori and Seth was interesting in concept, but felt very rushed and poorly executed; we only get introduced to the plot line maybe…3/4 of the way through? After that, they touch on it once or twice before it’s too-neatly resolved. That certainly left something to be desired, but it didn’t take as much away from the novel for me.

All in all, Things That Grow was a memorable contemporary novel that hit just the right balance between serious and hilarious. 4 stars!

Anime butterfly garden gif - GIF - Imgur

Release date: March 9, 2021

Today’s song:

I haven’t listened to this in years…I haven’t even seen this movie, but this cover brings back so many memories… ;_;

That’s it for this eARC review! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

YA Reads for Bisexual Visibility Week/Day 💗💜💙

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles, and more importantly, happy Bisexual Visibility Day!

Last week (September 15) was the start of Bisexual Visibility week, which blends with today (September 23), Bisexual Visibility Day. Even though we’ve made great steps as far as LGBTQ+ progress goes, there’s still a plethora of harmful stigmas surrounding bisexual people, and not to mention bisexual erasure in the media and elsewhere. But today is a day to celebrate bisexual love, and to remind ourselves and all our bi friends of this: you are loved, you are valid, and you are beautiful.

So today, I’ve compiled a list of books with bisexual protagonists! Sadly, I wasn’t able to find as many who had #OwnVoices bi authors, but I’m always striving to read and find more.

Let’s begin, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S YA READS FOR BISEXUAL VISIBILITY WEEK/DAY

Reign of the Fallen, Sarah Glenn Marsh

Amazon.com: Reign of the Fallen (9780448494395): Glenn Marsh, Sarah: Books

GENRE: High fantasy, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There’s only one thing better than a bisexual protagonist…and that’s a bisexual protagonist who’s a necromancer! Reign of the Fallen will always have a special place in my heart, and I’ll always have a soft spot for Odessa.

The Scorpion Rules, Erin Bow

Amazon.com: The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace) (9781481442725): Bow, Erin: Books

GENRE: Science fiction, dystopia, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one of my first quarantine reads, and not only is it an original, underrated dystopia, it’s by an #OwnVoices author!

They Both Die at the End, Adam Silvera

They Both Die At The End By Adam Silvera • Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews

GENRE: Contemporary, fiction, science fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This one bleeds over from my list of Latinx YA reads last week–it’s so nice to see bi representation and a relationship from two Latinx boys!

Otherbound, Corinne Duyvis

Amazon.com: Otherbound (9781419716812): Duyvis, Corinne: Books

GENRE: Fantasy, science fiction, fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not only do we have bisexual and lesbian characters by an #OwnVoices author, there’s great disability representation here as well!

Aurora Rising, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

GENRE: Science fiction, space opera, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Speaking of sci-fi with both bisexual and disability rep…

There’s seven (later six) different POVs throughout this series, two of which are LGBTQ+; and Kaufman and Kristoff confirmed that Finian, one of these POVs, is bisexual! (And honestly? It’s perfect, he is absolutely the OG Disaster Bisexual…)

Queens of Geek, Jen Wilde

Amazon.com: Queens of Geek (9781250111395): Wilde, Jen: Books

GENRE: Contemporary, fiction, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not only is one of our protagonists biracial and bisexual, it also tackles a variety of issues, such as biphobia, sexism, fat-shaming, and mental health issues. A wonderful read for anyone familiar with the Comic Con scene!

The Disasters, M.K. England

Amazon.com: The Disasters (9780062657671): England, M. K.: Books

GENRE: Science fiction

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Disasters was SO much fun–and the cast is effortlessly diverse in terms of race, gender, and sexuality! Plus, the author is nonbinary as well!

Fire With Fire, Destiny Soria

GENRE: Fantasy, urban fantasy, romance

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I know I’ve been blabbing about this one for the past month, but what’s not to like about a biracial, bisexual girl and a dragon kicking magic butt?

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books? Do you have any more recommendations for Bisexual Visibility Day?

Bi Pride GIF - Bi Pride - Discover & Share GIFs

Today’s song:

Do you like girls or boys?
It’s confusing these days,
But moon dust will cover you,
Cover you…

That’s it for these bi reads! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (9/22/20)–TRUEL1F3 (Lifelike, #3)

Posted on September 22, 2020September 22, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles, and happy Autumn Equinox! 🍁

Two reviews of trilogy finales in one week? I’m in rare form…

Anyway, this is the last of my birthday book haul that I’ll be reviewing. TRUEL1F3 was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and with this novel, I can clearly say that Jay Kristoff has never once disappointed me (though I’ve yet to read The Nevernight Chronicle…) The Lifelike trilogy was a sci-fi series to be reckoned with, and it all came together for a third book that surpassed both books 1 and 2–and made me feel ALL the feels, trust me.

WARNING: This review likely contains spoilers for LIFEL1K3 and DEV1AT3, so if you haven’t read them and intend to, tread lightly!

My review of LIFEL1K3

My review of DEV1AT3

(Would you look at that…my review for book one was almost exactly a year ago…) :,)

Enjoy this week’s review!

Amazon.com: TRUEL1F3 (Truelife) (LIFEL1K3 Book 3) eBook: Kristoff, Jay: Kindle Store

TRUEL1F3 (Lifelike, #3)–Jay Kristoff

My copy, ft. *LIFEL1K3,* my guitar amp, and K-2SO

Once, Eve and Lemon Fresh were the best of friends. But war and love, family and fate have torn them apart. Now, the destiny of the entire Yousay is in their hands.

Lemon has been captured by the BioMaas swarm, who are convinced that her Deviate genes hold the key to turning the tides of war in their favor. A rift has come between Eve and her Lifelike siblings, who are bent on unleashing a computer virus–one that will free every android and robot in the Yousay from the programming given to them by the humans. And despite everything that has come between them, joining forces once more may be what tips the balance between salvation and annihilation.

star wars GIFs - Primo GIF - Latest Animated GIFs

The simplest way for a book to get me choked up? Separate some of the main cast over the course of a book or two, and let them have a happy, tearful reunion after both parties thought the other was dead. (See The Battle for WondLa, “Frankenweenie,” etc.) It’s the little things, man, it’s the little things.

I was itching to find out what happens to my beloved gang of misfits ever since finishing DEV1AT3 about a year back, but I truly didn’t expect the absolute masterpiece that book 3 would bring. TRUEL1F3 brings back every stellar aspect about the previous two novels, and brings them all together in a blazing fireworks display of a trilogy ender. I laughed, I cried, my eyes bugged out of my head…this novel made me run the emotional gamut, but in the best way possible.

In this end to the trilogy, Kristoff introduces a whole plethora of catastrophic twists and new aspects, especially to the post-apocalyptic android mythos, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The various family ties–be it true family or found family–are explored even more in depth. Even though it’s been nearly a year since finishing book 2, I was fully invested in everybody within the first few pages. (Also, the little recap/glossary/whatever you’d like to call it helped.) All of the varied, multifaceted cast had their time to shine, and shine they did, until the very last page.

Lemon and Cricket are still my favorites, and they were as wonderful as ever in this final book. Solomon and Abe are up there too, but…I’m thinking that Kristoff had a bit *too* much fun playing with our feelings in their department. (No spoilers, but…yikes, can anybody in this book get a rest? Jeez…) There’s no shortage of fascinating themes, from the morally gray to the role of AI in our lives. I loved the plotline with the virus–not only did it make for some great action, there’s some seriously tense psychological business that results from it as well. (Remember what I said about Kristoff having a bit too much fun?)

TRUL1F3 took me a little longer to read because I was still adjusting to online school, but that doesn’t mean that every page was positively action-packed. The tension is higher than ever, and Kristoff’s lush and fast-paced writing never fails to throw you right smack in the middle of the action, making you feel as if you’ve fallen into the Yousay yourself. The worldbuilding was as detailed and immersive as ever, making for a final book that I won’t forget anytime soon.

All of these elements made for a trilogy ender that I ate up every last page. It chokes me up to say goodbye to Eve, Lem, Cricket, and all the rest, but the Lifelike trilogy is one that I’ll never forget. 5 stars!

TRUEL1F3 is the final book in the Lifelike trilogy, preceded by LIFEL1K3 and DEV1AT3. Jay Kristoff is also the author of The Nevernight Chronicle, the Lotus Wars trilogy, and the forthcoming Empire of the Vampire (all of which are on my TBR). He has also co-authored The Illuminae Files and The Aurora Cycle with Amie Kaufman.

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (9/21/20)–Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

Posted on September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

So many things happening today…World Peace Day, 🎶the 21st niiiight of September🎶, and it’s the 10th anniversary of the release of The Search for WondLa. The latter’s got me super sappy…that series has absolutely cemented itself into the fabric of my childhood, and my life as a whole. (I almost wrote a whole blog post about it, but I did NOT have any mental energy to spare yesterday, so it might happen…later? Who knows)

Anyway, Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

This one just came out this August, and it sounds like a fascinating contemporary sci-fi! I requested an eARC of it a while ago and never got a response, so my chances are nil now, but hopefully I can find it at the library soon.

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/21/20)–SIA MARTINEZ AND THE MOONLIT BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Amazon.com: Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything (9781534448636): Gilliland, Raquel Vasquez: Books

Blurb from Goodreads:

It’s been three years since ICE raids and phone calls from Mexico and an ill-fated walk across the Sonoran. Three years since Sia Martinez’s mom disappeared. Sia wants to move on, but it’s hard in her tiny Arizona town where people refer to her mom’s deportation as “an unfortunate incident.”

Sia knows that her mom must be dead, but every new moon Sia drives into the desert and lights San Anthony and la Guadalupe candles to guide her mom home.

Then one night, under a million stars, Sia’s life and the world as we know it cracks wide open. Because a blue-lit spacecraft crashes in front of Sia’s car…and it’s carrying her mom, who’s very much alive.

As Sia races to save her mom from armed-quite-possibly-alien soldiers, she uncovers secrets as profound as they are dangerous in this stunning and inventive exploration of first love, family, immigration, and our vast, limitless universe.

So why do I want to read this?

gif gifs Glitter beautiful summer sky stars night sky lovely amazing animated gif cityscape star sunset tropical constellations clarity star gazing tropical sky some island somewhere imforeverjustyours •

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything seems like the perfect novel that we need in this day and age; a timely novel about the hard truths of immigration and deportation, but with a sci-fi twist. Contemporary novels with sci-fi twists have always been hit or miss for me, but when they’re hits, they make for some of the most poignant novels out there. Sia looks like it has just the right recipe for that sort of tear-jerker kind of genre-bending novel. I can’t wait to read it!

And CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT COVER, LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND OTHERS? The color scheme, the art style, the typeface, the…everything…

I've looked at this for 5 hours now Blank Template - Imgflip

Today’s song:

This inexplicably got stuck in my head this morning…

That’s it for this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: September 14-20, 2020

Posted on September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope that this week has treated you well, but if it hasn’t, consider all my love sent to you.

I’ve really ran the emotional gamut this week for some reason…Monday and Tuesday were rather chaotic; I had a lot of homework and resulting stress earlier in the week. I finally finished my first draft of my paranormal fantasy WIP (!!!), and come Friday, I was feeling great. I had my first meeting for my school’s book club now that I’m president, and since we didn’t get the chance to discuss it last year (due to COVID-19 complications/general scrambling), we’re reading Aurora Rising! But then my mood took a nosedive after I heard the news about RBG, so the day ended on a rather somber note. But in these scary and trying times, we must all remember that THIS TOO SHALL PASS, NO MATTER WHAT.

I had a fairly prolific blogging week, but reading-wise…

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I usually read fairly fast, but I ONLY GOT TO READING THREE BOOKS THIS WEEK. Most of it’s because Dune was so long that it took up a huge chunk of my time, but I loved it nonetheless.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

The Spaceship Next Door (Sorrow Falls, #1)–Gene Doucette (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Amazon.com: The Spaceship Next Door (9781328567468): Doucette, Gene: Books

Dune–Frank Herbert (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Books of Titans Podcast Episode 19: Dune by Frank Herbert

Things That Grow–Meredith Goldstein (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

All Our Hidden Gifts–Caroline O’Donoghue (eARC)

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Top 5 Saturday

Top 5 Saturday (9/19/20)–Award-Winning Books 🥇

Posted on September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 by Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles!

First off, I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away yesterday at the age of 87. She was such an inspiration to me and so many others, and a true champion for feminism, positive change, and women’s rights. I know many of us–myself included–are frightened of the vacuum that she leaves in the U.S. Supreme Court, we must remember that she is not the only one of her kind–there are and will always be fighters like her who will be champions for the sort of change she pushed. This too shall pass. Rest in power, RBG. 💔

Time for another Top 5 Saturday! This was originally started by Devouring Books, and it sounded like such a fun post to take part in. Today’s topic is award-winning books.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER:

9/12/20—Science Fiction Books

9/19/20—Award-Winning Books

9/26/20—Guilty Pleasure Books

10/3/20—Intimidating Books

Rules!

Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
Tag the original post
Tag 5 people

Let’s begin, shall we?

The Sun is Also a Star, Nicola Yoon

My copy of this one has the award stamps peeling off at the edges; It won the California Book Award for Young Adult, and it was nominated for several others, including the Michael L. Printz award.

Smile, Raina Telgemeier

Smile won an Eisner in 2011, which was 100% deserved!

Echo, Pam Muñoz Ryan

Amazon.com: Echo (9780439874021): Ryan, Pam Munoz, Ryan, Pam Muñoz: Books

Echo was nominated for the Newberry Medal, and it won the Kirkus Prize for Young Reader’s Literature, as well as the Audie Award, among others.

The Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo

Amazon.com: The Poet X (9780062662804): Acevedo, Elizabeth: Books

This one made the news for winning the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature back in 2018, and it’s also won the Michael L. Printz Award and the Pura Belpré Award, among others–all of which I think are fully deserved.

I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson – BookHippie.com

I’ll Give You the Sun won the Michael L. Printz award as well, and was nominated for the Stonewall Book Award as well. I read this one years ago and don’t remember much about it…maybe I should read it again.

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE!

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Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Top 5 Saturday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!