review

DC Icons

~ Angela ~ Leave a comment

YA best-selling authors team up with the superhero cash cow. An exciting partnership or a basic marketing ploy?

The year was 2017. I’m obsessed with Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas while the movie industry is obsessed with superheroes. Again. Or, rather, still? The publishers are making bank off of several popular YA authors and have an idea of how to make more. DC’s perk? They reach the up-and-coming audience. But while I was voraciously willing to pick up anything by these new favorite authors, the release of DC Icons made me pause and choose to save my carefully rationed pennies not only because I was hesitant about the genre but because by several accounts these books were, in a word, disappointing. However now it’s 2023 and I’ve remembered that libraries exist.

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This Will Be Funny Someday

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This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry (2021)

YA Fiction | Contemporary

Blurb:

A girl walks into a bar… then onto a stage, and up to the mic.

Sixteen-year-old Izzy is used to keeping her thoughts to herself—in school, where her boyfriend does the talking for her, and at home, where it’s impossible to compete with her older siblings and high-powered parents—but when she accidentally walks into a stand-up comedy club and performs, the experience is surprisingly cathartic. After the show, she meets Mo, an aspiring comic who’s everything Izzy’s not: bold, confident, comfortable in her skin. Mo invites Izzy to join her group of friends and introduces her to the Chicago open mic scene.

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A Long Stretch of Bad Days

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A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis (2023)

YA Fiction | Mystery

Blurb:

Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé. She’ll investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days: a week when Henley was hit by a tornado and a flash flood as well as its first—and only—murder, which remains unsolved.

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I’m Glad My Mom Died

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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022)

Non-Fiction | Memoir

Blurb:

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

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The Chemist

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The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (2016)

Fiction | Thriller | (Romance)

Blurb:

In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. 

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. 

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All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

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All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood (2016)

Fiction | 1970s

Blurb:

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

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One-line Reviews: Spring 2023

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I’m technically on hiatus, but it’s just impossible for me not to share my thoughts on the books I read apparently haha so to compromise here I am offering a recap with this post of one-line reviews for some of the books I’ve read/finished so far this year (be prepared for quite the assortment as you scroll haha). It’s short and gets to the point so if you haven’t been a fan of my usual sprawling review style then this is the complete opposite. If you do prefer my lengthier posts then you’ll be excited to know that a few books not on this list will have their reviews shared one a day for the rest of this week with a more in-depth spotlight.

Follow me on Goodreads if you’d like to keep up with all of the books I read, reviewed or not!

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Blog Tour | An Ocean of Stars

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Today I’m participating in the official blog tour for AN OCEAN OF STARS by Becca Mionis! This YA sci-fi romance is the first in a trilogy and was fun to read with characters that kept you hooked so you’ll definitely want to check it out. If “A girl lost in space must rely on a mysterious young captain for survival in this young adult science fiction romance inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” sounds intriguing then definitely keep reading this post for more on the book and author, an interview, my review, AND the chance to enter an exciting giveaway!!

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Book Blitz | Love, Loss, and Life in Between

~ Angela ~ 3 Comments

I’m happy to be participating in the official blog blitz for Suzanne Rogerson’s new collection of short stories! As the tittle suggests, the theme of this collection is all about love, loss, and the moments of life in between and it is written through the lens of the fantasy genre. Keep reading for more on the collection as well as my review!

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Book Blitz | Station Eternity

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I’m very excited to be participating in the official book blitz for Mur Lafferty’s book STATION ETERNITY! This “Midsomer Murders meets Doctor Who” sci-fi murder mystery was fun to read and I look forward to more in The Midsolar Murders series! Keep reading for more on the book, the author, plus read an excerpt and my review!

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