Giant Days Vol 2 by John Allison

Giant Days, Vol. 2 by John Allison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this 2nd volume of Giant Days for The Hub Reading Challenge & April topic of college & career for chat with #yearofya on April 26 at 8pm. In this continuation, I really enjoy the friendship of Esther, Susan and Daisy as they traverse the angst of college, boys, and themselves. The 2 guys, Ed and Susan's beau, are getting a lot more page time and I love this series!

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When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book s part of The 2017 Hub Reading Challenge receiving The Stonewall & Rainbow Awards. This book was lush, full of confusion, lies, secrets and the drama of families. I loved Miel, the girl who fell out of the water tower after her mother tried to cure her of the roses growing out of her wrists. Even more, I loved the story of Samir, the boy (the only person) who helps her throughout her life; is her best friend and her love. But life is not easy for these 2 as the author weaves mysticism, Pakistani and Latina beliefs, fairytales integral with their daily lives. Also Sam has protecting his mom and also hiding a big secret Sam (born Samira) protecting his mom in the practice of bacha posh - binding his breasts, wearing large pants, not taking gym, and deepening his voice. None of this matters to Miel, best friend in love with Sam. As the Bonner sisters (EVIL, EVIL, EVIL) bully their way into Miel's secrets, her fears, her love for Sam I was truly afraid. I rooted for Sam and his mom, Sam and Miel and lastly Miel and her sister. The character development was epic but I did have a heard time following some of the aspects of the character's lives but I could not put the book down, I just could not stop reading about Miel and Sam! I loved the moons, the pumpkins, the roses- and the many other symbols that pulsed with questions was just fantastic.

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Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I listened to this book as part of the 2017 HUB Reading Challenge for awesome audiobooks. Barrett Wilbert Weed did a spectacular job of narrating all the girls voices, the guys in the band and all of the British accents were perfect. But that is all I can say- performance great but I HATED the story! The main character, Lydia is an unreliable narrator - she kept saying she was going to the police about band boy, Rupert P being tied up in the chair in their room - but she never does and her reasoning was just so awful- meant to be funny but just weak excuses to me. All of her friends were not really her friends and as they get deeper and deeper into the Rupert P mishap, things just keep getting more and more ridiculous. So I was not a fan of these fan girls, not a fan of the story but I did like the narrator's performance.

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Perfect (Flawed #2) by Cecelia Ahern

Perfect by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I loved this 2nd and final book in the Flawed series - there is heart racing and heart wrenching action as Carrick and Celestine stand up against Crevan who hates Celeste & is hiding his involvement. It is horrifying to Celeste when she runs into all these missing people in Crevan's Highland Castle. Celestine really became a stronger character in this book- she used her mathematical abilities and some other tricks up her sleeve to become a heroine to the Flawed and all the other Perfects. I really liked Carrick, his group of friends and family who helped Celestine at great risk to themselves. I also was so glad to see her granddad, mom and sister, Juniper jump to her defense- there was real love and acceptance and a willingness to do whatever it took - just like Celestine became emboldened to use her voice to rally a cry against the Flawed system and the Guild's handling of the Flawed cases. The plot moved swiftly, with lots of suspense and I could not put this book down, so thrilling! Great writing and characterization, teens will love this dystopian duology!

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King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, I am so glad there will be a 4th book in this Red Queen series, because even though I understood the ending, I DID NOT LIKE IT. But I am also aware Mare & Cal have much love for each other but too many issues (like the color of their blood, Cal is born to be a King & Mare is born to fight and love, Cal holds out to "help" Maven while Mare wants to kill him). So I guess even though I always was team Cal, maybe now is the time to choose another team like Team Kilorn??? I will just have to wait and that will be really hard...I really liked this 3rd book- Maven tortured Mare, himself and almost everyone else while he attempts to overthrow the world- good title BTW Maven, Cal & Mare are all entangled in the King's Cage image, metaphor in this book! I loved all the fighting scenes (very gory), preparing to fight-- especially the Silver/Reds and Red Guard interactions, and the politics of the rulers were so sickening with their oh so entitled ways/decrees. I liked seeing Evangeline and Cameron's POV, those chapters really gave great insight to these characters, make makes them tick, and their harsh realities. But time just kept ticking like a time bomb and the Mare and Cal scenes even with heart throbbing declarations, which I loved and wanted to continue--- and also have Cal choose Mare, you can see agendas are working against them. I loved Mare's survival and instincts to be a better person (talking, confiding, being honest) with her family, friends, comrades but there are too many issues being decided behind the scenes. I hated the ending, I know I said that FIRST in this review, I just hope for a really good resolution in the 4th book - like Cal finding a way for Silvers & Reds to live side by side equally and even more -choosing Mare, but the ending of this book does not provide that redemption that I really like to see in books.

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Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as part of the 2017 HUB Challenge and oh did this audiobook narrated by Allan Corduner deserve the Odyssey Award and kudos to debut author, Gavriel Savit; I look forward to reading more from him. It is 1939 and Anna is just 7 yrs old when her Polish father is taken away, never to return. Anna meets the Swallow Man who is a master manipulator, commands a knowledge of many languages and together they teach each other how to survive in a world gone beserk. OMG I loved Allan Corduner's narration, his voices, his hypnotic voice, his chilling voice, his Anna and his Swallow Man. A must read; a different kind of Holocaust book but gut wrenching all the same about a horrific period of time.

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How To Make A Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and HMH Books for Young Readers for the ARC, How To Make A Wish by Ashley Herring Blake. I really really really liked this book! The inner turmoil Grace suffers stems from a lifetime of having to protect and save her totally irresponsible mother from bars, bad boyfriends, and her very scary reality. This has made Grace grow up tough and prickly and rather than grow close, she keeps everyone at a distance or she just ducks and runs. All that changes the summer she meets grief stricken Eve, whose mother has died. Eve and Grace click, and as her summer spirals out of control; Eve saves Grace by slipping into her window for nightly jaunts to the lighthouse, sharing her peanut butter, and her heart. Blake has crafted a beautiful LGBTQ read that honestly deals with friendship, family, death, grief, and finding oneself. Since it is due out in May, it will be a great beach read too. I fell in love with this book!

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