Tuesday, January 28, 2020

{Review: 2019 Reread Edition} Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell




Hey, guys!

If you've followed me on social media for a while, you'll know about my adoration for Rainbow Rowell's work. Fangirl is one of my #1 favorite books and I cannot praise it enough. 

When rereading books -- especially with a massive chunk of time between reads -- I'm always afraid that I won't like my favorites as much as before. However, this wasn't the case when reading these again. Fangirl was even better than I remember. It was so much like revisiting a dear, dear friend. I honestly cannot wait to reread it again. When will the time come, I wonder?

If you're interested in reading my reviews from 2015, click the links below!
Fangirl {click here}


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Page Count: 438
Published On: September 10, 2013
Published By: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: hardback - personally purchased (so many times)
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 5 stars (all the stars, actually)




Goodreads synopsis:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan..

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?



~ ~ ~

When rereading Fangirl, it was as if I were being reunited with some of my closest friends. This book is so special to me because of the intense connection that I feel to the characters. 


I feel like this little review will be just a massive ramble that runs together, so bear with me. 



When I first read Fangirl in 2014, I felt so connected and represented by Rainbow Rowell. I cried so hard with Cath when the various points of conflict were occurring. I felt so heard and I felt seen as someone who struggled with anxious thoughts, someone who has a twin who is completely different from them, has a family ripped apart by divorce, and as someone who found so much comfort in fictional stories and fandom. This book was a safe haven that I felt so freaking blessed to have. 

When I reread the book for the second time in 2015, I loved it even more. I was further into my high school career and becoming really anxious about going into college. Reading about Cath and experiencing her struggles honestly really comforted me and helped me cope with my anxiety about college because if my fave can survive, surely I could too. Again, I am so blessed by Rainbow Rowell. I love her so much.

When I reread the book for the third time in 2019, I was about to go into my senior year of college. I had grown SO MUCH compared to 2015-Olivia. I had conquered the many many things that I had dreaded before and I've done exceeding well. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm flourishing in college and now...at 22, I saw myself even more in Cath. Revisiting this book was honestly so nerve-wracking. I was afraid that I wouldn't love it like I had 4 years ago, but that was definitely not the case. I think I love it even more. 

This past year, 2019, I was able to meet Rainbow at her stop in Cincinnati for her tour for Pumpkinheads with Faith Erin Hicks. Not only was I able to meet her and ask her to sign my books, but I also had two minutes to thank her for writing Fangirl and rambling about how much her words and her story meant to me. Honestly, I think we bonded a little bit because she thanked me and gave me a signed bookplate for my copy of Wayward Son. I'm so blessed to have met her. I cried a little bit and I cannot wait to potentially meet her again in the future. Fangirl means the world to me. You should definitely read it. (Here is a picture of a flustered and fangirling Olivia at the event.)


There are many reasons why I enjoy this book. The pacing, the characters, the fandom aspects, the representation for anxiety, twin sibling representation, discussions on writing and becoming a better writer, and more. 

First of all, the representation of anxiety is just fantastic. Some do not enjoy Cath's character or the representation, however, I think that it accurately encapsulates my own struggles. My anxiety, I feel, is so similar to Cath's and I found myself in the novel. For me, it perfectly encapsulated the feelings that I have felt for so many years.  

When I found books that featured twins as main characters, or even side characters, I found myself struggling to connect to their relationships because they never represented my sister and I. We are completely different people. Though we grew up really enjoying some of the same things and really bonding over our love for our fandoms and bands, we grew up to be so so so different people. When you're a twin and you meet someone who has never really met a set of twins, the person will often expect the twins to be two halves of a whole, rather than two separate people. My sister and I actively have sought out our own friends, interests, and scholarly pursuits. We don't really do things that are all that alike anymore. 


When I first read this in 2014 and 2015, my sister and I were just beginning to find ourselves outside of twin-hood. It was so fun and liberating, but also really scary. I loved my sister, but I wasn't my sister. However, I still wanted to be besties with my sister. We weren't necessarily bestie besties with each other, but I knew I could confide in her and we could talk about the dumbest things at all hours of the day. What if she decided that she wasn't interested in being friends anymore? While reading Fangirl, I felt so seen. Cath's worries about her friendship with her sister made me feel so connected to her. 

While discussing Cath, I think it would be good to mention that I really resonate with her emotional capacity and her personality. We are honestly so similar that I felt like Rainbow Rowell had crawled into my vents and watched me for a few years or even just had a vision that saw how my freshmen year of college would go. It's crazy how similar Cath and I are. I just RESONATE WITH HER OKAY?


When I reread Fangirl this past year, I noticed more aspects that I hadn't fully comprehended when I read it in high school. I loved the realistic dynamic between Cath and Reagan. It's very true to some experiences in college. Additionally, I really loved Cath's relationship with her writing professor, especially toward the end. English professors and instructors are always the coolest and kindest people. I don't make the rules. That's just the facts.


I'm not sure how I can write a review without mentioning Levi. Levi. The love of my life. The best book boyfriend. The sweetest love interest ever. I love him so much. While rereading, I noticed how much he struggled with reading and it honestly broke my heart because he loves stories and he works so hard to succeed. I love the different measures he goes through and the support system around him that further helps him with his studies. I think it's so important to acknowledge that not everyone has the ability to read with so much vigor like Cath. I love how they bonded over Cath's writing and over books in general. They're such a wholesome couple and I love them forever and always. 


I'm not going to go into why Cath's family dynamic made me feel so seen, but full disclosure, my parents are divorced and I have dad issues. A lot of my mental health issues stem from the feelings that I felt when my parents split. That's life, my dudes. When I first read the book, I didn't realize how much her feelings about her parents resonated with me. Again, I'm not going to go into it, but it was powerful and it really helped me put my life and my mental health into perspective. Cath's mom-issues were just so valid and relatable to me. I could totally see myself in her struggles as she faced the feelings she didn't want to acknowledge growing up. When it comes to trauma that stems from parental issues like divorce or feelings of abandonment, I really love to see characters grapple with those struggles. Not because I want them to suffer, but so many people struggle with those issues. They're valid and unfortunately common. 


Overall, this book is just perfect to me. I highly recommend it to all of my nerdy fandom people, my people who love to write, my people who are grappling with big changes in their lives. I know that this book gets a lot of backlash because some people feel that the mental health issues aren't written well or accurately, but I don't think that's the case. Every person who struggles with their mental health interacts with their demons and struggles differently. No one handles them the same and no diagnosis or case is the same. To say that a character doesn't handle their mental health struggles correctly is so ridiculous to me. Now there are some books that absolutely do not handle things well. Either something is romanticized, trivialized, or misdiagnosed or misrepresented, but I don't think that Fangirl does this. I see so much of my own life in this book. It has helped me so much when it comes to working through my own anxieties and worries and struggles. 


I think it is such a wonderful book. I hope you give it a chance and I hope you love it. Either way, I'd love to discuss your opinions in the comments, via email, or even my Instagram DMs. Let's discuss!

Happy reading!
Olivia
~Liv the Book Nerd~
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Tuesday, January 21, 2020

{Review} Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kay Adams


49538360Page Count: 320
Published On: March 10, 2020
Published By: Berkley
Genre(s): Adult contemporary romance
Source: eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4 stars



Goodreads synopsis:

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assist Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart… even while she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.


~ ~ ~

This eARC was sent to me for an honest review. All thoughts, feelings, and opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was provided for this review.

Trigger and content warnings for: discussions on parental abandonment or neglect, sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, bullying, domestic abuse, blackmailing, & toxic masculinity

Hey, guys!

This book was just so much fun. I love Lyssa Kay Adams' writing style and the characters she creates. I'm so obsessed with the premise of her series. If you are unfamiliar with the Bromance Book Club series, essentially it is a companion series that follows a cast of male characters that are struggling with their romantic relationships. To combat their varied struggles, they begin to read romance novels in order to learn about their partners and try to understand what they can do to aid their relationships or marriages and to understand their partners better. I love this premise because it's honestly such a wonderfully feminist concept. So often I find myself wishing that my romance novels follow a more feminist mindset, but it's often not quite there. Sexual harassment is a really important topic to discuss in this media climate. Women are stepping up and standing up for themselves when they are being treated abysmally and I love to see this discussed so respectfully in a romance novel. 

There were many parts of the novel that I adored and the hate-to-love and slow burn-types of romance was probably my favorite aspect. I absolutely adored how Adams approached the relationship between Liv and Mack. They're polar opposites and they are so passionate about the things that are important to them. I loved their arguments and their interactions. The characters, themselves, were very realistic and so easy to love. I found myself laughing out loud when they continued to be hilarious and yelling at them whenever they were being complete idiots. 

  • Mack is such a softy, but he's also a total idiot...but the best kind if that makes sense. His emotional backstory made me so emo, but finally realizing what caused him to react and act the way he does...it just made everything make sense when it comes to his angsty, devil-may-care attitude. I loved him so much. He's honestly so funny and charming and I would love to be best friends with him. 
  • Liv is a girl after my own heart. I love how she stands up for what she believes in, I love the vulnerable side that causes her to lash out and become extremely testy and grumpy, and I love how flustered she became when around Mack. Her backstory also made me very emo. 
  • Oh my goodness can we also appreciate Hop and Rosie? I really want a novella from their perspectives too. I need the details that we didn't get in the book. I need it yesterday. 
  • RUSSIAN! Can we please have a book that follows him, please? He really stole the show whenever he was on page. His desire for cheese and extreme lactose intolerance really spoke to me. In 2019, I finally accepted that I too was lactose intolerant. However, I LOVE cheese so much. It's not a fun transition and Russian's desire for cheese no matter what is so relatable. Not only is he a cheese lover, but he's also a softy and in-tune with his emotions. I love love love him. I need a book to follow him. 

This was even better than The Bromance Book Club. I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to see what Lyssa Kay Adams comes up with next. I need her next book ASAP!


Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~



Monday, January 20, 2020

{Review & Blog Tour} Tweet Cute by Emma Lord + EXCERPT


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Page Count: 368
Published On: January 21, 2020
Published By: Wednesday Books
Genre(s): YA contemporary romance
Source: eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3.75 stars



Goodreads synopsis:

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.


~ ~ ~

This eARC was sent to me for an honest review. All thoughts, feelings, and opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was provided for this review.


Hey, guys!

Welcome to the first review of the year! I can't believe that it's already that time! It seems like just yesterday that I was starting up this blog, yet here we are. We're amidst the sixth year of book blogging. Six years of reviews, tags, wrap ups, hauls, and rambles. Thank you for sticking it out with me. I'm so thankful for every single one of you.

Tweet Cute is absolutely what the synopsis says. It's a rom-com through and through. This hilarious, fluffy romance will make you crack up with laughter within the first few chapters and continue to amuse and bring joy as it continues. I'm usually quite wary of books that use social media for their conflict or main twists, however, I really liked how Emma Lord used Twitter throughout. Sometimes an author will put so much emphasis on the influence of social media that it almost becomes unrealistic or obnoxious, however, Emma Lord utilized the app and its functionalities as they are used by today's users. That is, it's just an everyday part of life. 

The romance in this book was really fun, but not my favorite. However, there aren't any technical reasons why I didn't enjoy it. I just wasn't jiving with the characters and I wasn't in the right mood to get invested in them. That's on me. I thought their chemistry and their interactions were quite cute and fun. The slow-ish burn romance that took place was golden. I love their wacky personalities and their brands of humor. 

I'm getting to the point of my life where high school romances don't particularly excite me. I really enjoyed that it followed seniors, however. Their worries about their futures and the angst that they felt about the oncoming changes that were going to rattle their worlds was really wonderfully done. As a senior in college who is just barely on the brink of full-on adulthood and job-searching, their worries and angst about their lives changing really spoke to me.

While reading, I also felt like the pacing was just a little bit off. There were a couple of moments where I felt like the novel was being led to a conclusion or could be led to a conclusion or resolution, but then another layer of conflict was added on. Sometimes this story just felt so long. I'm not sure if it should be shorter, but I felt like some of the story could have been tightened to fully utilize the really fantastic aspects of the story. 

One of the shining bits of the story was the conflict between Pepper's family's burger company and Jack's family's deli. I really love how that conflict was explained toward the end of the novel. I felt like the resolution and explanation were the best part of the book because it made me laugh and it made so much sense. The entire situation was fairly morally gray and the reasoning behind each persons' actions was partially justified and I just really enjoyed that not everything was just black and white.

Though this wasn't my favorite YA rom-com, it was still so much fun. I enjoyed the characters and the conflict and the originality of it. If you enjoy witty banter, twitter drama, discussions on food and baking, genuinely wholesome relationships, and oblivious teens, you will adore this story. 

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~
Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository Affiliate Code // Ko-Fi // Book of the Month


Read An Excerpt Below!

JACK
“Look.” I glance into the classroom, where Ethan is thoroughly distracted by Stephen and no longer keeping an eye on us. “I may have . . . overreacted.”
Pepper shakes her head. “I told you. I get it. It’s your family.”
“Yeah. But it’s also—well, to be honest, this has been kind of good for business.”
Pepper’s brow furrows, that one little crease returning. “What, the tweets?”
“Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck, sheepish. “Actually, we had a line out the door yesterday. It was kind of intense.”
“That’s . . . that’s good, right?”
The tone of my voice is clearly not matching up with the words I’m saying, but if I’m being honest, I’m still wary of this whole overnight business boom. And if I’m being honest, I’m even more wary of Pepper. If this really is as much of a family business as she claims it is—to the point where she’s helping run the Twitter handle, when even I know enough about corporate Twitter accounts to know entire teams of experienced people get paid to do that—then she might have had more of a hand in this whole recipe theft thing than she’s letting on.
The fact of the matter is, I can’t trust her. To the point of not knowing whether I can even trust her knowing how our business is doing, or just how badly we need it.
“Yeah, um, I guess.” I try to make it sound noncommittal. My acting skills, much like my breakfast-packing skills, leave much to be desired.
“So . . .”
“So.”
Pepper presses her lips into a thin line, a question in her eyes.
“So, I guess—if your mom really wants you to keep tweeting . . .”
“Wait. Yesterday you were pissed. Two minutes ago you were pissed.”
“I am pissed. You stole from us,” I reiterate. “You stole from an eighty-five-year-old woman.”
“I didn’t—”
“Yeah, yeah, but still. You’re them, and I’m . . . her. It’s like a choose your fighter situation, and we just happen to be the ones up to bat.”
“So you’re saying—you don’t not want me to keep this up?”
“The way I see it, you don’t have to make your mom mad, and we get a few more customers in the door too.”
Pepper takes a breath like she’s going to say something, like she’s going to correct me, but after a moment, she lets it go. Her face can’t quite settle on an expression, toeing the line between dread and relief.
“You’re sure?”
I answer by opening the container she handed me. The smell that immediately wafts out of it should honestly be illegal; it stops kids I’ve never even spoken to in their tracks.
“Are you a witch?” I ask, reaching in and taking a bite of one. It’s like Monster Cake, the Sequel—freaking Christmas in my mouth. I already want more before I’ve even managed to chew. My eyes close as if I’m experiencing an actual drug high—and maybe I am, because I forget myself entirely and say, “This might even be better than our Kitchen Sink Macaroons.”
“Kitchen Sink Macaroons?”
Eyes open again. Yikes. Note to self: dessert is the greatest weapon in Pepper’s arsenal. I swallow my bite so I can answer her.
“It’s kind of well-known, at least in the East Village. It even got in some Hub Seed roundup once. I’d tell you to try some, but you might steal the recipe, so.”
Pepper smiles, then—actually smiles, instead of the little smirk she usually does. It’s not startling, but what it does to me in that moment kind of is.
Before I can examine the unfamiliar lurch in my stomach, the bell rings and knocks the smile right off her face. I follow just behind her, wondering why it suddenly seems too hot in here, like they cranked the air up for December instead of October. I dismiss it by the time I get to my desk—probably just all the Twitter drama and the glory of So Sorry Blondies getting to my head.
“One rule,” she says, as we sit in the last two desks in the back of the room.
I raise my eyebrows at her.
“We don’t take any of it personally.” She leans forward on her desk, leveling with me, her bangs falling into her face. “No more getting mad at each other. Cheese and state.”
“What happens on Twitter stays on Twitter,” I say with a nod of agreement. “Okay, then, second rule: no kid gloves.”
Mrs. Fairchild is giving that stern look over the room that never quite successfully quiets anyone down. Pepper frowns, waiting for me to elaborate.
“I mean—no going easy on each other. If we’re going to play at this, we’re both going to give it our A game, okay? No holding back because we’re . . .”
Friends, I almost say. No, I’m going to say. But then—
“I’d appreciate it if even one of you acknowledged the bell with your silence,” Mrs. Fairchild grumbles.
I turn to Pepper, expecting to find her snapping to attention the way she always does when an adult comes within a hundred feet of disciplining her. But her eyes are still intent on me, like she is sizing something up—like she’s looking forward to something I haven’t anticipated yet.
“All right. No taking it personally. And no holding back.”
She holds her hand out for me to shake again, under the desk so Mrs. Fairchild won’t see it. I smile and shake my head, wondering how someone can be so aggressively seventeen and seventy-five at the same time, and then I take it. Her hand is warm and small in mine, but her grip is surprisingly firm, with a pressure that almost feels like she’s still got her fingers wrapped around mine even after we let go.
I turn back to the whiteboard, a ghost of a smirk on my face. “Let the games begin.”

About the Author




Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.





Thursday, January 16, 2020

Most Anticipated Winter & Spring 2020 Releases



Hey, guys!

There are so many wonderful books coming out in 2020! There is no way that I'm going to get to them...for goodness sake, I have at least 70 on my Goodreads shelf alone. Here are the 14 books that are on my radar and my 5-star predictions. There are only three authors (bottom row) that I have never read on this list, but I'm confident that they are going to be excellent reads. 


This year is probably going to be the year of library check-outs and tackling my physical TBR because I can honestly not afford to buy all the new releases this year. I've decided to really cut down on my book-buying and to focus on the books that I have right now, rather than acquiring more books that I won't read right away. It sounds like common sense, but I get so tempted in book stores. It's wild.

Here are the books that I'm anticipating the most from 2020! I plan to read every single one of them in 2020.

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  • A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer - January 7
  • Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez - January 7
  • Beyond the Shadowed Earth by Joanna Ruth Meyer - January 14
  • Lucky Caller by Emma Mills - January 14
Once again, January is beginning with a bang. There are so many fantastic books from my favorite people that are being published. I'm so jazzed to continue on with the ACSDAL series and read some more stand-alones by my favorites.
  • House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas -- March 3
  • Docile by K.M. Szpara - March 3
  • Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams - March 10
  • The Consequences of Loving Me by Kat Singleton - March 19
  • The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren - March 24
Another month of fantastic releases! I'm so so so excited for House of Earth and Blood. It's my most anticipated read of 2020. I need it in my hands as soon as possible. You bet your butt that I'll be spending the beginning of March tackling this massive book. I've also heard so many interesting and intriguing things about Docile. I cannot wait to give it a try. Of course I had to add the new Bromance Book Club book to my list. I've already read an ARC of it, but I'm so excited to have a finished copy. 
  • Check Please! Book 2: Sticks and Scones by Ngozi Ukazu - April 7
  • The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang - May 4
  • The Betrothed by Kiera Cass - May 5 
  • Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo -May 14
  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - May 19
I'm not sure how I became so blessed to be alive for so many of my favorites continued releases, but holy cow, I'm so freaking jazzed for the Helen Hoang's newest book, Kiera Cass's newest book, Suzanne Collins is back????, Elizabeth Acevedo has a new release that sounds just fabulous, and we're getting another collected volume of Check Please!? How are we so blessed? I'm so excited to read all of these books. My heart rate is already going nuts just thinking of getting my hands on these books.

Which 2020 releases are you the most excited for? Which of the books from this list have you heard of and which are completely new to you? Let's discuss in the comments!


Happy reading!
Olivia
Liv the Book Nerd ~


Wednesday, January 15, 2020

January 2019 TBR


It's nearly two weeks into January, but I still wanted to share my TBR with you all. It's quite ambitious, as I'm about to start my last semester of college, but I know I'll have much more time that I have in previous semesters. 

I've instilled some reading goals for each month, though I haven't publicly made them known on this blog until now. One of my main goals is to make a dent in my physical TBR. I've noticed that I've always had that in mind when it comes to any of my reading goals for any length of time, but I want to make 2020 the year of enjoying what I have right now. There are so many books that I want to pick up in 2020, but I need to realize that I can fully utilize my library before making a large book purchase. 2019 wasn't necessarily full of flagrant spending, but I definitely have a large TBR now. 

To further make a dent on my TBR, I want to try to read my back-listed Book of the Month books. 2019 was my first full year of BOTM and it's time to read the books I've back-listed from my previous boxes and from the trades I've received. I've decided to attempt to read a back-listed title every month, as well as the book that I've chosen for that month. Honestly, as long as I read 2 a month, I could totally finish these books before December. I'm ready to begin.

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Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, & Me by Adrienne Brodeur

For my first BOTM pick: I have already read this book -- it was actually the first book I picked up. It's a tragic personal history and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it on the 2nd. It's such a poignant read. I'm definitely glad and thankful that I added it to my TBR. 

Published on: October 15, 2019
Publisher: HMH
256 pages


Genres: autobiography, memoir, nonfiction
Trigger/Content warnings for cheating, parental emotional manipulation, and trauma pertaining to the latter


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Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez

Not only was I sent a finished copy of this book on the publishing day, I also picked this book as an add on for my Jan. BOTM. I cannot wait to dive into this book. I will be meeting the author toward the end of the month. 

Published on: January 7, 2020
Publisher: Page Street Books
384 pages


Genre: young adult fantasy



45045129

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

I was graciously sent a copy of Tweet Cute by Emma Lord by Wednesday Books through NetGalley for an honest review for the blog tour. My review will go up January 20.  This was such a fun read.

Published on: January 21, 2020
Publisher: Wednesday Books
368 pages 


Genres: young adult romance/contemporary/realistic fiction & humor


49538360



Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Another exciting ARC from NetGalley! Thank you NG and Berkley for allowing me to read this early! I really loved The Bromance Book Club! I'm so ready to read about Mack and Liv.

Published on: March 10, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
320 pages


Genres: adult romance/contemporary
Does contain explicit language and sex scenes

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The Sky Weaver (Iskari #3) by Kristen Ciccarelli

I was sent a beautiful finished copy of this trilogy finale by Harper Collins a couple months ago. I managed to read the first two books for a series review, but I haven't been able to pick this one up yet. I cannot wait to see where this series ends up. 

Published on: November 12, 2019
Published by: Harper Teen
400 pages


Genre: young adult fantasy

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Crier's War by Nina Varela

This was sent to me by Harper Teen for an honest review. This is a queer sci-fi story where humanity has been overtaken by the automatons and the land is ravaged by political upheaval. 

Published on: October 1, 2019
Published by: Harper Teen
448 pages

{Goodreads page}

Genres: YA fantasy, YA sci-fi, romance, LGBTQIA+
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Find Me Their Bones (Bring Me Their Hearts #2) by Sara Wolf

Another 2019 release that I didn't manage to read before the end of December! Find Me Their Bones was one of my most anticipated releases from 2019, but the end of the semester really mangled my reading plans. Thank you, Entangled Teen for the ARC copy and Alex's grandparents for the finished copy for Christmas. 

Published on: November 5, 2019
Published by: Entangled Teen
400 pages

{Goodreads page}

Genres: YA fantasy and romance

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Beyond the Shadowed Earth by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Joanna had an ARC of her latest release sent to me months ago, but I was waiting to read it until the wintertime because of the wonderful vibe that I get from reading fantasy during the winter. Unfortunately, it didn't get read as quickly as I had anticipated, but I'm reading it now and I love it so much!

Published on: January 14, 2020
Published by: Pagestreet Books
400 pages
{Goodreads synopsis}

Genre: YA fantasy

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A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

A new favorite author of mine, V.E. Schwab has taken over my heart. I cannot wait to continue on with the Shades of Magic series. I hope I can binge it this month, but I think it may continue on in February, rather than just in January. 

Published on: February 23, 2016Published by: Tor Books512 pages

Genres: Fantasy


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Obsideo (The Illuminae Files #3) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

The finale to the Illuminae Files, I'm not sure how I put this off for so long. I'm hoping to acquire an audiobook for this reading experience, but who knows. 

Published on: March 13, 2018
Published by: Knoph Books for Young Readers
615 pages


Genre: YA sci-fi
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Fable by Adrienne Young

I managed to acquire a copy of a bound manuscript and I'm so freaking jazzed. Adrienne Young has quickly become a new favorite author and this book is going to be the perfect read. 

Published on: September 1, 2020
Published by: Wednesday Books
368 pages

{Goodreads page}

Genre: YA fantasy


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Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Another favorite author of mine released another book! This just came out this week, but I managed to acquire an ARC through a trade online. I received it right before the release, but I plan on reading it as quickly as possible. No doubt, this will be un-put-down-able. 

Published on: January 14, 2020
Published by: Henry Holt & Company
336 pages

{Goodreads page}

Genre: YA contemporary romance



There are plenty of books that have made it to my January stack that aren't mentioned, but because this is my original list of books that I wanted to read, stay tuned for what I managed to read! 

Updates go up daily on Goodreads and Instagram!

There are so many fantastic books coming out in January. Are you going to read any new releases or are you focusing your time on the titles you backlisted from the end of 2019? 

Let's discuss in the comments!

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~