Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Rings of Time Giveaway Winner Announcement!







Congratulations, Julia (@jujuthereader)! You are the winner of the Rings of Time giveaway! I will be sending your paperback copy of Rings of Time very soon! 

Thank you all for entering! I'll have more giveaways soon!

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Thursday, January 4, 2018

My Most Anticipated 2018 Releases

Hey, guys!

      It's that time of the year! It's time to get excited about 2018 releases!!! Okay so I did some research on 2018 releases and wow are there a lot of books that I want to read... Today I'll just be listing 26 of them by the month that they're published. I can't really say much about them, they're mainly sequels for the series that my favorite authors have been writing. 

      Here are the books I'm the most excited for! If I purchase them, you'll see them on my book hauls and I'll write reviews! Let me know if you're excited about these books too in the comments! As I'm writing out this list, I'm becoming even more pumped for the new year. 

January
  • Everless by Sara Holland
    • January 2
  • The Spring Girls: A Modern-Day Retelling of Little Women by Anna Todd
    • January 2
  • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
    • January 2
    • I'm writing this on January 2 and I JUST BOUGHT THIS BOOK TODAY! YAY!
  • Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings
    • January 16
  • Wires and Nerve Volume 2: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer
    • January 30
  • The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
    • January 30
February
  • Tempests & Slaughter by Tamora Pierce
    • February 6
  • American Panda by Gloria Chao
    • February 6
  • The Prince and the Dress Maker by Jen Wang
    • February 13
  • Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
    • February 27
March
  • Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
    • March 6
  • Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
    • March 6
  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
    • March 6
  • Obsideo by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
    • March 13
April
  • The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth
    • April 10
  • Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
    • April 24
May 
  • A Court of Frost & Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
    • May 21
  • Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West
    • May 29
  • Legendary by Stephanie Garber
    • May 29
June
  • Save the Date by Morgan Matson
    • June 5
  • From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon
    • June 5
  • The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead
    • June 26
August
  • Catwoman: Soul Stealer by Sarah J. Maas
    • August 7
  • The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell
    • August 7
September
  • TOG #7 by Sarah J. Maas
    • September 4
October
  • The World of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
    • October 2
No Date
  • Untitled ( #4 The School For Good & Evil: The Camelot Years) by Soman Chainani
    •  2018
  • Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst
    • 2018

The books that I'm the most excited for are the Sarah J. Maas books, Restore Me, Zenith, and Save the Date. 

I'm actually on a 3 month book buying ban as of January 2, so don't expect many books to make it to my TBR for a bit. Sorry guys!

Happy reading! Happy New Year!
Olivia


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Wednesday, January 3, 2018

December 2017 Book Haul


Hey, guys!

     Once again, I managed to acquire more books this month. What's new? This month I've managed to receive and purchase 19 books/graphic novels and 7 single issue comics. I've read a good chunk of these books and I'm really excited to read the others I haven't read. 

Have you read any of these books? Which is your favorite? 



  • For School
    • Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Number of Books Read: 11
Number of Books Unread: 14

Happy reading!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~


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Tuesday, January 2, 2018

2017 End of Year Reading Survey



Hey, guys! 

 I saw this amazing survey on Jamie's blog Perpetual Page Turner and I just loved the idea. This was so much to write! I did add some bits to this, but 98% is from Jamie's original blog post. I hope you enjoy!

 Here is the master list of all of the books I read this year! {click here}

2017 Reading Stats:

Number of Books You Read: 88

Number of Re-Reads: 4

Genre You Read the Most From: fantasy

Average Length of Book: 258 pages

Most Popular Book On Goodreads That I Read This Year: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle (read by 700,000+ people)

Least Popular: A Brightness Out of the Blue by Jill Atkins (read by 4 people)

Average Rating for 2017: 3.9 stars (this would be different if Goodreads counted 1/4 stars)

Highest Rated Book (On Goodreads - on my reading list): A Court of Thorns & Roses Coloring Book -- 4.78 stars!

Best In Books:

1. Best Book You Read in 2017: A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn't: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle...oh my gosh I kind of hated this book....review to come

3. Most Surprising (good/bad) Book You Read: A Wrinkle In Time was surprisingly bad, but Carve the Mark by Veronical Roth was surprisingly great

4. Book You "Pushed" the Most People To Read (And They Did): ANY ACOTAR BOOK! I GOT SO MANY PEOPLE TO READ IT!!!

5a. Best series you started in 2017? Okay so I restarted the Throne of Glass series and I ADORE it! But! I also started the Grisha trilogy and I LOVE that too. I haven't finished it yet....

5b. Best Sequel of 2017? I mean, A Court of Mist & Fury will always be the best sequel hands down...

5c. Best Series Ender of 2017? Whichwood! It's a companion series, but wow was it fantastic!

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017? Emma Mills!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?  ....I, unfortunately, didn't really read out of my comfort zone this year...
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? 
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas! Aaaah one of my all time favorite books!
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Always ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas! ...or This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills OR Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017? Whichwood, Language of Thorns, or Saga Volume 3


11. Most memorable character of 2017? I can't get over Eliza and her strength from Eliza & Her Monsters

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017? I'm sorry but either, ACOMAF, Whichwood, or Eliza & Her Monsters! They are just so beautiful!

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

The Throne of Glass and ACOTAR series have obviously changed my life, but Eliza and Night Shift hold a special place in my heart.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?
This was actually one of the last things that I read this year, but this is a quote from An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
I love you wholly. I love you eternally. I love you so dearly it frightens me. I fear I could not live without you. I could see your face every morning upon waking for a thousand years and still look forward to the next as though it were the first.” 
This perfectly describes the love I feel for my boyfriend. When I read this passage, I was about 3 feet from my dude and as soon as I finished reading it, my heart just stopped. I. Was. Floored. The writing in this novel was stunning and the amount of emotion throughout this book was gorgeous and so well done. This describes my feelings for him perfectly (and he knows it too). I nearly cried. This passage is absolutely perfect.

 16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?
Shortest (excluding comics, short stories, and novellas): probably Night Shift (32 pages)
Shortest Novella: The Audition by Rachel Hartman (17 pages)
Longest: A Court of Wings & Ruin (707 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

I was very shocked that I actually kind of hated A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle...I just really did not enjoy this book. I kind of wanted to DNF it right away, but I pushed through! 


18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!): 

Rhysand + Feyre = Feysand FOR THE FREAKING WIN!


19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year: 

Sloane and her dad from This Adventure Ends! I wish my dad was this cool! I adore the relationships in this book! 


20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously: 

Heir of Fire or Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas!


21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

First and Then by Emma Mills was thrust upon me by Julia....she created a monster and First and Then led to This Adventure Ends....thank you Julia

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017? 

Rowan from ToG or Marko from Saga

23. Best 2017 debut you read?


24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?

A Court of Thorns & Roses, A Court of Mist & Fury, and A Court of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi, and Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Mardsen

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Eliza & Her Monsters by Francesa Zappia -> holy crap I just love this book

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas!!!!!!!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?

Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Uhhhh the ending of Empire of Storms makes me so mad and sad, but in a great way.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life:

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

Okay, I'm really getting into the Runaways comics. I'm actually searching for a cheaper copy of the first volume of the complete collection of the original run. I can't wait to get into the story.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

I loved writing my review for A Court of Wings and Ruin. It was so fun to write. I also really loved to write my huge review on Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth. It was huuuuge!
ACOWAR Review {click here}
Carve the Mark {click here}

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

I loved hosting the giveaways and guest posts on my blog this year. I can't pick a specific favorite though.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

I got to participate in an online book signing for Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas and a signing for the newly published paperback of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. I got both copies of the books signed and personalized. I wish I could have seen them in person, but it didn't happen.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?

Oh my gosh, there were so many great things that happened this year. I got to work with so many great independent authors, indie publishing houses, new publishing houses, and huuuge publishing houses. I was approached by Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House/Penguin Teen, Entangled Teen, and HMH/KCP Loft! 

One of the most memorable moments this year was my collaboration with Penguin. This year I got to be apart of the blog tour for the release of Tahereh Mafi's Whichwood. Oh. My. Gosh!!!! Tahereh Mafi is one of my all-time favorite authors and it was such an honor to get to be apart of the release of Whichwood. It was such a dark and enchanting read. It made it to my Top 2017 Reads and I just love it so much. I highly recommend.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Because I'm in the middle of my second year of college and because I've started my second job on campus, school has basically become a full-time job. During the fall semester, I was on campus for about 40-50 hours a week and when I wasn't working I was working. I really did not have much time to read. I'm so lucky that I hunkered down after finals and smashed so many books. I had so much fun. It was so great to chill and read. 

Anyway, I've had to learn to prioritize what I read, what books I accept and to become pretty lenient on my reviewing/blogging schedule. Some weeks I didn't even post. At first, this horrified me. I was so ashamed. I was so upset that I was letting people down. In the end, I have had to accept that my schooling is much more important and I cannot let myself slack. If that means I don't blog, I don't blog. I'm paying to go to school. I'm going to get those A's! This mindset will definitely follow me into the new year. 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Guys. I have no idea. Numbers are arbitrary. 

 However, THANK YOU FOR 50,000+ PAGE VIEWS! WOW I'M SO BLESSED!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Any review!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?


Any bookish candle company that I find on the Bookstagram community is the best!

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?


I set a reading goal to read 60 books this year...I hit 88! Yay! 

In 2018, I'm not going to pressure myself to accept a massive amount of review books, I'm not going to push myself to read gobs and gobs of books, and I'm not going to force myself to read books that I'm not enjoying. 

Another lesson I learned this year was to follow my heart and read what I love. I didn't have the time this year to read books I didn't enjoy, so I didn't.  

Looking Ahead:

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

I have quite a few: 
  • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
  • Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan
  • The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
  • Quests for Glory by Soman Chainani
  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
  • Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
  • The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater
  • The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
  • Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills 
  • That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?
A Court of Frost & Starlight by Sarah J. Maas!!!!!!!
also, TOG#7!!!!

 3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
There are a few that I'm interested in, but I'm not really caught up on all of the 2018 debut releases. 

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

 Oh my gosh! I have so many!

 ~TOG #7 - THE FINAL BOOK IN THE SERIES OH MY GOSH!
~A Court of Frost & Starlight - THE ACOTAR NOVELLA!!!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?
  • Stop procrastinating on writing reviews! 
  • Make a dent in my TBR shelf
  • Read more for me 
  • Stop buying books excessively. Only buy the books I know I'll love. 
6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):
I've only read 1 2018 release so far, but I'm not sure if I'd recommend it. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it....

This was so much fun to fill out. I'm sorry this is being posted later than usual, but I didn't want to post it without editing technical errors and the grammar issues.  

I highly recommend that you check out Jamie's blog! It's so cool! She's such a great writer!

Happy reading and Happy New Year!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~
Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin

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Monday, January 1, 2018

2017 Reading Wrap Up


Hey, guys!

 This year has been pretty great reading-wise. I've read 88 books this year and I've had such a good time reading them. Some of the books were really disappointing, but I really enjoyed the select few that made it to my top list. I didn't read as much as last year, but this year has been so busy that I'm not surprised I didn't read 100+ books. 88 is pretty great in my book. The books I read are narrowed down by when I read them and they are marked according to the guide below. Any unmarked books just mean I read them for myself. 
I'll post a huge end of year reading survey within the next few days! I hope you enjoy!


 *review copies/ARCs from authors/publishing companies
+for class
** book club book of the month
^ buddy reads

January

February

April Wrap Up: {click here}

May:

May Wrap Up: {click here}

June:

August:

September:

September Wrap Up: {click here}

October:

  • Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney+
  • Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle+
  • Ruby & Olivia by Rachel Hawkins*
  • Filter Bubble: How The New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read & How We Think by Eli Pariser+
  • Red Hood & the Outlaws, Volume 1 Redemption by Scott Lobell, Kenneth Rocafort, & Joshua Williamson
  • Whichwood (Furthermore #2) by Tahereh Mafi*
  • Grendel by John Gardner+
October Wrap Up: {click here}

November:

  • Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1: The World's Greatest Team (Dragon Ball #17) by Akira Toriyama
  • Wolf Children Ame & Yuki (#1-3) by Mamoru Hosoda, Yuu (Visual Art)
  • The Assassin & the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Assassin & the Healer (Throne of Glass #0.2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • The Assassin & the Desert (Throne of Glass #0.3) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Soul Siphon (Soul Stones #0.3) by T.L. Branson
  • The Assassin & the Empire (Throne of Glass #0.4) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us & Them by Joshua Greene (read and skimmed)+
November Wrap Up: {click here}

December:

  • Technopoly... by Neil Postman (half read)+
  • It's Not News, It's FARK... by Drew Curtis (half read/half skimmed) +
  • Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
  • {DNF} Secrets of the Tally by Halie Fewkes+
  • Someday Somewhere by Lindsa Champion+
  • The Backstagers: Rebel Without Applause (Volume #1) by James Tynion IV & Rian Sygh
  • Jem & the Misfits (The Misfits #1) by Kelly Thompson, Jenn St. Onge, M. Victoria Robado
  • Ladycastle #1 by Delilah S. Dawson & Ashley A. Woods
  • Runaways (2017~) #1 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
  • Runaways (2017~) #2 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
  • Runaways (2017~) #3 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
  • Runaways (2017~) #4 by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka
  • Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
  • Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
  • Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan
    •
  • Anne of Green Gables the graphic novel by Mariah Marsden, Brenna Thummler, Kendra Phips, and Erika Kuster
  • An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Here are my basic reading statistics! I'll have a more detailed one coming on Tuesday! It's so much fun to write!

 Number of Pages Read: 22,665
Number of Books Read: 88
Shortest Book/Novella Read: The Audition by Rachel Hartman (17 pages)
Longest Book Read: A Court of Wings and Ruin (707 pages)

Happy New Year, everyone!
Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~
Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin
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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Graphic Novels & Comics Read In 2017

Hey, guys!

       I read quite a few graphic novels and comics this year, especially towards the end of the year. I really enjoyed reading the interesting storylines and getting to see how the authors and illustrators imagined their characters. 

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 The School For Good & Evil: The Never Ever Handbook by Soman Chainani

 My Rating: 4 stars

 My Review: {click here}

 This really made me excited to read book #4! I can't wait to get to it! I definitely recommend you read it after The Last Ever After!









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Red Hood & the Outlaws Volume 1: Redemption by Scott Lobdell & Kenneth Rocafort

 My Rating: 4 stars
I really enjoyed this! I borrowed this from my boyfriend a couple months back and I really enjoyed the art style and story. I'm really behind on reading all of the back story, but I really enjoyed the first volume of Red Hood & the Outlaws!








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Dragon Ball Z Volume 1 by Akira Toriyama

 My Rating: 4 stars

 I really liked this too! Alex is a big DBZ fan and when I found this at Goodwill I knew it would be fun little surprise for him...and then he let me read it. I thought this story was really interesting. Though I don't have time to actually read all of the volumes or watch the show, I know I'd be interested in reading/watching more eventually. 







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 Jem & the Misfits by Kelly Thompson

 My Rating: 3 stars 

 I really liked the art style of this comic. I think I'd continue with it if I found the other issues for as cheap as I did this one. I think that the characters could be really cool and I think the way the story was going could be really funny too. 









31549546

 The Backstagers Act One by 

 My Rating: 5 stars
Of the comics that I bought with my Christmas money, this one was probably one of my top favorites. I really enjoyed the characters, the art style, the story, and the plot. I can't wait to get my hands on more issues. I've been looking for the full first volume for about a week now. 






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Ladycastle by Delilah S. Dawson & Ashley A. Woods

 My Rating: 4 stars

 This comic really has a great story and some really awesome characters that I want to know more about. I cannot wait to find more Ladycastle issues!









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The Runaways (#1-#4) by Rainbow Rowell & Kris Anka

 My Rating: 5 stars all together

 Alex and I have really gotten into the Runaways lately, so I'm really excited to get the next issues purchase the full first volume. I love the story and I love the characters. Rainbow Rowell's writing is phenomenal and the art style is awesome. 









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Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

 My Rating: 4.5 stars

 17131869My Review: {click here}

This was a reread, but I loveeee this story and this series. I can't wait to continue on with this series.











Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

 My Rating: 4.5 stars


I looooved this volume! This series just gets better and better! I cannot wait until I can just buy the mega volumes and binge them all. This story is so great!!!
19358975










Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

My Rating: 5 stars

This was definitely my favorite of the three volumes I read. I really love how this story is developing. I can't wait to read the rest of the volumes and I can't wait to see where the characters go.








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Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden, Erika Kuster, Brenna Thummler, & Kendra Phipps

My Rating: 4.5 stars
19351043
I just adore Anne's story. While this illustrated parts of the story beautifully, it wasn't the full book, so don't expect a full graphic novel version of the classic story. This graphic novel was STUNNING! I was absolutely floored by how gorgeous the illustrations were. I'm so glad that this book is a thing. It included almost all of my favorite parts of the original book. I highly recommend this graphic novel if you love Anne of Green Gables!





Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

My Rating: 5 stars
My Review: {click here}
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This is one of my favorite graphic novels and one of my favorite graphic novel artists and writers. I read this back in 2015 and I really really loved it. When I picked up a copy for myself this year, I had to read it again. This is one of my favorite stories and when someone asks for a great graphic novel I, of course, recommend this one. 










Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda & Yuu

 My Rating: 3 stars

 My best friend, Emmie, let me borrow her copy of Wolf Children and it was very interesting. I really like the art style and the length of the book, but the story was very very strange and kind of unsatisfactory. Overall, the story was good, but it wasn't my favorite.







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Night Shift by  Debi Gliori

 My Rating: 4 stars

 My Review: {click here}

 This was sent to me for an honest review, and wow was I glad I accepted the request. This book is so powerful and has such a great message. 



I'm really happy with the graphic novels, mangas, picture books, and comics I read this year. Comment down below if you read any of these or if you'd like to read any of them!

 Happy New Year!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~
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