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The Bookish Fairy

Young adult, magical realism, and every book in between infused with fairy dust...

Back to School Diverse Reads

October 1, 2019

Back to school season is ultimately upon us whether we are ready for it or not! Even though this teacher could have used another month off I still can’t help but get excited for the fresh beginnings of a brand new school year! There is also nothing better than delving into some good back to school diverse reads to really get me into the school mode. 

Here are five essential back to school reads with diverse characters and own voices authors to add to your back to school supply list!

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni Santiago plays by the rules but the one place where she breaks them is when she is in the kitchen. She creates the kind of food that has magical and healing properties that revives everyone around her. Emoni has been dealing with some tough choices throughout her life when she got pregnant as a freshman and has to take care of her Abuela. When her high school offers an elective to study abroad in Spain for a culinary arts program she knows it’s an opportunity she can’t pass up. Despite the lack of money and time, Emoni knows that her passion for food is one that she simply cannot ignore.

This is an inspiring back to school read for those that have a dream that seems impossible. Not to mention, reading about the food will definitely give you a hankering for some good back to school snacks.

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Tanner Scott’s family moved from California to Utah which is known to be a devout Mormon community. Unfortunately, this has pushed him back into the closet. The bisexual teen expects to coast his way into his last semester of high school when he ultimately falls for the Mormon prodigy Sebastian who mentors the class he is enrolled in. Now Tanner must figure out whether he wants to coast through his senior year or risk outing himself to have a chance with his new crush.

Autoboyography seems to be an adorable rom-com back to school read that I definitely want to delve into. This is the first young adult romance by Christina Lauren and I know they will deliver the kind of fluffy romance that will leave us smiling from ear to ear. I have a feeling this is the kind of book that will make us nostalgic for first love and those obligatory butterflies. 

Analee, in Real Life by Janelle Milanes

Analee Echeverria is the kind of girl who is trying to figure out who she is after losing her mother to cancer three years ago. She plays two different identities. In school, she is a shy and awkward teenager. At home, she is the online avatar elf hunter of her favorite online game named Kiri who takes no prisoners. She would much prefer to get lost in her online world and avoid the world of high school until she gets an offer from the most popular jock in school. This offer makes Analee realize that she has an inner fierceness that is slowly waiting to come out.

Analee in Real Life was the first YA book I read with the main character who is Cuban and it made my heart so happy as a Cuban American woman. This fake dating trope has the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before feels only with a clever twist.  The thing I loved about Analee, in Real Life is that it illustrates the reality of what high school is really like without sugarcoating it. Milanes perfectly depicts the journey that Analee goes through in high school and slowly finds the Kiri that is inside her all along. 

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

The Nowhere Girls brings together three different girls from vastly different backgrounds to vindicate the rape of a classmate. Grace Salter is the new girl whose family had to escape their community due to their mother turning from a Baptist preacher to a radical liberal. Rosina Suarez is a queer girl from a Mexican family with a pension for punk music. Erin Delillo lives for marine biology and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Together these girls create the secret group The Nowhere Girls and they combat the sexist attitudes running throughout their school and bring justice to the rape of their classmate. 

Amy Reed’s book is giving me the Foxfire girl power vibes from the nineties and this is the exact kind of book we need in our #MeToo culture. The Nowhere Girls is the perfect book that tackles serious issues that high school students face in their day to day realities. 

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Vivian Carter is tired of the sexist culture that pervades through the school and she begins to take action when she hears four little words. “Make me a sandwich.” Vivian is officially fed up and she decides to create a feminist zine and names it Moxie. Vivian’s mom used to be in the riot girl crowd and this influenced her to create the Riot Girl movement in her school. Vivian brings together all kinds of girls from all different backgrounds to come together to take a stand against the prevalent sexism in their school. She meets girls like Lucy Hernandez who is the quintessential Moxie girl and she encourages Vivian to push the boundaries of Moxie. Vivian gets all the girls together to spark the Moxie movement and they learn to find their own inner Moxie girl! 

This book will teach women and girls everywhere to do what makes them happy and let go of the stereotypes and unrealistic expectations that are put upon them. Moxie is the kind of book that should be required reading in schools because it truly explores the different facets of feminism and how we view it in our society today. Not to mention, it will also inspire us to let our badass riot grrrl self out and live our best Moxie lives! 

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Filed Under: YA Book Lists Tagged: Amy Reed, analee, Autoboyography, Back to School Diverse Reads, Christina Lauren, Diverse Back to School Reads, elizabeth acevedo, in real life, Janelle Milanes, Jennifer Mathieu, Moxie, The Nowhere Girls, With the Fire on High

Latinx May Reads

September 7, 2019

Featured on Frolic Media
Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina MorenoDon’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

 

Don’t Date Rosa Santos is a book about a Cuban-American girl who is cursed by the sea. She lives in Port Coral which is a Gilmore Girls like town in Florida, where she lives with her grandmother who is the healer of the town. Rosa is cursed by the sea. She longs to study abroad in her families homeland of Cuba even though her Abuela refuses to talk about the island. Rosa is a girl who is trying to find her own identity and get to know her own culture and where she came from.  She is a girl who is caught between two different worlds and is figuring out her own place in the world. When she meets a boy named Alex Aquino whose family owns a marina, she must figure out if he is worth risking the curse and if there is a way to break the spell.

Nina Moreno’s book has everything I live for in a book! Not only is the book written by an own voices Cuban-American author, but the book is described as Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic.  My heart cannot contain my excitement for this book and I will be enjoying it with a guava pastelito in hand!

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni Santiago has a lot of responsibilities and she is only in high school. She has a daughter to care for and she also supports her Abuela. Emoni has a passion for cooking and it is the one place where she can escape all her worries. She is passionate about the food she cooks and is always adding a dash of magic to her dishes. Even though, she loves to cook she knows that she cannot devote her time for her school’s culinary arts class and she doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain. Emoni is someone who feel a tremendous amount of pressure to play by the rules and she must decide whether she is going to embrace her talent for the kitchen and let it shine once and for all.

The synopsis of Acevedo’s book completely won me over because I haven’t read any YA books with a high school mom as the main character! The plot sounds so original for YA and I love the fact that this seems to have a strong Latinx character who is hustling to take care of her Abuela and give her daughter the best life possible. Since Acevedo is a killer poet, I have a feeling it is going to give me the lyrical feels of Like Water for Chocolate and it is going to be the kind of book that is going to get me seriously hungry!

Deadline in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera
Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera 

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera has been frequently compared to The Outsiders and it is a young adult dystopian in which the women are governing the world. The main Latinx character Nalah lives in Mega City and she is the leader of one of the most powerful female fighter groups. Although, Nalah’s ultimate goal is to be able to live in the Mega Towers where only a select few get to live. Nalah is ready to get off the streets and has lost the thrill of being able to access the hottest bodega clubs. She has the opportunity to go on a mission to leave Mega City and she is given a chance to prove to others that she can achieve her dream of living in the Mega Towers.

Lilliam Rivera’s novel sounds like something I have never read before. I have never been a huge fan of dystopian books, but this is the kind of book that I would read because I couldn’t resist a world where women govern! This book seems to be more than just a dystopian but a novel about finding your place in society.

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Filed Under: YA Book Lists Tagged: Dealing in Dreams, Don't Date Rosa Santos, elizabeth acevedo, Latinx May Picks, Latinx May Reads, Latinx Rep, Lilliam Rivera, Nina Moreno, With the Fire on High

Waiting on Wednesday: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

January 9, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth AcevedoWith the Fire on High on May 7, 2019
Pages: 400
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Books & Books
Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Breaking the Spine, and is now hosted by Wishful Endings (as Can’t Wait Wednesday). It’s a feature where they discuss one of the most anticipated upcoming book releases. The anticipated book release is With the Fire on High by the incomparable Elizabeth Acevedo!

Synopsis

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free. 

Why I’m Waiting

The synopsis of Acevedo’s book completely won me over because I haven’t read any YA books with a high school mom as the main character! The plot sounds so original for YA and I love the fact that this seems to have a strong latinx MC who is hustling to take care of her abuela and give her daughter the best life possible. The book reveals that Emoni has a passion for cooking and loves to add a dash of magic to her food and I couldn’t help but think about Like Water for Chocolate!

Since Acevedo is a killer poet, I have a feeling it is going to give me the lyrical feels of Like Water for Chocolate and it is going to be the kind of book that is going to get me seriously hungry! 

Chat with me and let me know what are your “can’t wait Wednesday” books!

 

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Filed Under: YA News Tagged: elizabeth acevedo, hustling teen mom, latinx read, Like Water for Chocolate vibes

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads of 2018

January 1, 2019

Happy New Year Tuesday and happy birthday to me! I am officially in my mid-30’s! Gasp!

Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. Top Ten Tuesday this week consists of the best books of 2018.

1…Save the Date by Morgan Matson

I was highly anticipating this book for a solid 6 months and waited anxiously for my pre-order! I am so happy to say that I absolutely freaking love this book! If you know me then you know Morgan Matson is my contemporary homegirl! Morgan Matson has the ability to bring out those relaxing summer vibes along with the perfect blend of sentimentality! She has a gift of character development and she knows how to show the growth of her characters in a realistic pace. This book brought me to tears and hysterics at the same time which is hard to do! My love for Morgan Matson is real especially since I traveled all the way to Georgia from Miami just to meet her! Read my review about this book here.

2…Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis 

This wouldn’t be a Top Ten Tuesday without mentioning the book Girl, Wash Your Face! I cannot begin to tell you how important this book was for me this year. When I turned 34 this year, I had so many goals and I felt like I was in a race due to the fact that I am about to enter the mid 30’s and I was freaking out about not accomplishing my ultimate goal which is to finish my book. My Capricorn self is always making deadlines and I was pushing myself to finish writing my book by the age of 35.  Rachel Hollis taught me that accomplishing your goals is not about being on a race and that it’s about working on them every day on a consistent basis. This woman offers real advice in a way that is relatable and feels like your vulnerably talking to that best friend after drinking a bottle of wine. She has taught me to stop the self-doubt and insecurity and to go after my dreams no matter what.

3…The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

If I could sum up this book in two words I would say that it is one of the most authentic and relevant books I have read this year! This book is about the Black Lives Matter movement and it encompasses so many issues that our society is facing today. The Hate You Give should be required reading for high school students because it really touches on issues of race, tolerance and stereotypical attitudes many people hold especially in the times we are living in today. 

4…The Thorn Necklace by Francesca Lia Block

The Thorn Necklace is officially my writing bible resource whenever I am stuck on where my novel is going! This year of 2018, I actually took action and began to write my novel. Currently, I am on 13,000 words and wanted to get to 20,000 words by the end of this year but I keep telling myself that I went from writing 0 words to 13,000 words and that is a huge thing. This book has had such an impact on me and if you want to find out why read my book review here.

5…The Poet X

This is one of the most original and touching books I have read in 2018! Now I never planned to read The Poet X this year because I had no idea about this book AT ALL until I met Elizabeth Acevedo when she did a book talk with Tomi Adeyemi of Children of Blood and Bone. The minute I heard Elizabeth Acevedo speak I was completely blown away and I bought her book right on the spot! This is a coming of age story about a Latinx girl written in the form of beat poetry! The writing is FLAWLESS! I read this book and finished the rest of the book on audio since I heard it was highly recommended. The writing of this book filled up my soul and find out why in my book review here.

6…The Sun is Also a Star

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicola Yoon’s debut novel Everything, Everything was an addicting read for me! Yoon’s lyrical, poetic, and creative writing completely transfixed me! The Sun is Also a Star was just as beautifully written as Everything, Everything and the only regret I have is that I put this book off for far too long! The relationship between Natasha and Daniel is insta-lovey but it is one of the few instances where instant love is written with that exquisite feeling of those first-love butterflies.

7…Analee, in Real Life

Analee, in Real Life, was like coming home to me. This is written by a Cuban writer with a Cuban main character! Analee is the MC and she is your typical awkward teenager who struggles with the growing pains and losing her mother to cancer. She ends up in an unexpected relationship with the popular guy in school and through this relationship, she learns a lot about herself in the process and most importantly learns to accept the beauty within herself. One of the things I loved about this book is her Cuban family and the Cuban elements sprinkled throughout this book that reminded me of my own upbringing. I love the message behind this book and the unexpected ending of this book! This book is like To All the Boys I’ve Loved before with a twist! 

I am happy to say that I got to meet this author and I intend to read every single book written by Janelle Milanes! The Victoria in My Head will be my next read for 2019!

8…Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 

This book was the ultimate feel-good YA contemporary romance of the year! If this book didn’t give you the warm and gleeful fuzzies than there is something wrong with you! I was fortunate to read this book and then see a private viewing of the movie right after!

 

 

 

 

 

I will forever ship the romance between Simon and Blue forever! Read my fangirly review here.

9…The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I did a buddy read of this book with my mom and I didn’t expect this book to break me the way it did! At first, I thought this was just going to be a fun and gossipy read but I was utterly WRONG! The character of Evelyn Hugo was written in such a realistic fashion that I felt like she was a real person that I could just google and find her whole Wikipedia biography! I finished this book on a plane and I was a sobbing mess after reading it. Read more about all emo feels of Evelyn Hugo here.

10…Warcross

This book is not my typical read because sci-fi is definitely not my go-to read but the plot sucked me in! The book is a virtual reality kind of book and I have always been fascinated with virtual reality. The virtual reality aspect definitely piqued my interest in this book! The world was written in such a fascinating and realistic fashion and let’s just say I had a complete crush on Hideo Tanaka! He gave me the 50 Shades of Grey feels only the writing was ten times better! I want more of Hideo Tanaka and Emika Chen and need to read the sequel Wildcard for the year of 2019! 

 

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Filed Under: YA Book Lists Tagged: angie thomas, becky albertalli, elizabeth acevedo, francesca lia block, Janelle Milanes, Maria Lu, morgan matson, Nicola Yoon, rachel hollis, Taylor Jenkins Reid, top ten reads of 2018

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