Reading is Inevitable

Whether you want to admit or not, summer is coming to a close. Well, at least the summer vacation part, which is what I'm referring to. (School's going to begin only just around now for us, for anyone who was confused because they started earlier.) That means that I really don't have any more time left to cover my summer TBR list. If anyone doesn't remember or didn't see it, towards the beginning of my summer vacation, I had composed a TBR (to-be-read) list of books that I hoped to possibly read over the summer. Now, dd I completely tackle my TBR list? Partially? Barely? Not even at all? Well...

Hello! In the book-loving community, I have noticed a lot of videos of bookshelf tours uploaded to YouTube or posted on social media accounts. Now, while this is not a video, it is still a bookshelf tour! I thought I might as well do this so that I can share with you my shelves and some of my favorite books! Unlike some people where they have several huge bookcases, I have one bookcase with two shelves. In this post, I will be sharing with you my top shelf, which contains my most liked books that I own. Also, a good number of the books mentioned have a book review up on the blog, so I created links to these posts when you click on them. With that all said, let's get started!

Title: Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen Author: Jazz Jennings Genre: Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia Before you begin to read my review, I want to tell you a few things. It's hard, in my opinion, to rate a work of nonfiction, especially when it comes to biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. When I say that I give this book a "4 out of 5", I am in no way judging Jazz's life or identity. No, I am not doing that, but rather stating how much I personally enjoyed the book. This memoir follows the life that Jazz Jennings has gone through due to her being transgender, specifically MtF (male to female). In the book, she writes about a variety of topics, including how she knew she was a girl, transitioning, being an advocate for LGBT+ youth, and more. One of the things that I liked when reading this book was that it gave me a new perspective. I really did come to understand the challenges that comes with being MtF or FtM. I mean, I think...

Title: How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? Author: Yvonne Cassidy Genre: Realistic Fiction Rating: 5 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia When I first started this book, I really wasn't expecting the story that I ended up reading. Almost everything that happened in the book was unexpected. I did not think that I would like this book as much as I did. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. How Many Letters Are in Goodbye? is constructed of the letters that Rhea Farrell writes to her mother, who happens to be dead. The story starts off with Rhea living on the streets of late 1990s New York City. At this point, she has lived almost 18 years of her life, and it hasn't been the easiest. Not only has her mother passed away (with a questionable death, too), but she was taken away from the life that she knew in Ireland over to the United States when her father also passed on. In the states, she was to live with her aunt, Ruth, her aunt's boyfriend, Cooper, and his daughter, Laurie, and new ...

Title: Gena/Finn Authors:   Kat Helgeson and Hannah Moskowitz Genre: Teen/YA realistic fiction Rating: 4 Reviewer: Em This book is way different then I thought it would be. When I picked it up at my local book store, I chose it because, first of all, I liked how it was all in emails and texts and stuff like that; not in the usual format you read a book in. I like books like that. Anyway, I read this book in a day. It was a fairly quick read, but it was interesting - very interesting. I thought it'd just be a cute book on two people meeting, and then becoming great friends (or more, maybe). It was so much more than that. It wasn't like my new favorite book, but still. Like Finn said (I think it was Finn) about the TV show they both love, it's about how the characters change more than the plot. And I found that to be kind of true with this book. You really get to know the characters in this book.

Happy Pride Month, everyone! (That is, if you are in the United States.) Yes, that's right: in the US, it is pride month. Yesterday, it was officially one year since gay marriage was legalized in the United States, making it one year and one day today. In celebration of this, I have formed this post: a post on some good LGBT+ books. I have also made a list of LGBT+ books that I have not read but look good, so you may check that out, too. (Note: I apologize for all of these list posts and such - "filler posts", as I sometimes call them. Don't worry, for next Monday there should be a book review up on the blog; can't do it this Friday because that'll be our monthly reflection. If you have any suggestions for posts, feel free to tell me. I am always looking for post ideas!)

Hello, everyone! So, as of last Monday, it is officially summer, no matter when you got off from school. (Although by now I would imagine that you are on your break.) With summer vacation comes more time, and lots of opportunity to get books read! (There will also be more time for blogging. Thank you, summer!) I am very excited to get reading this summer, and below is my complete list of books that I want to read this summer. Feel free to read "with me" by picking up some of these books this summer! Unfortunately, I know that I won't get to read them all. Notes: If you don't like the books listed below, check out another list of summer books: "Books to Look For: Summer 2016" . Also, they are not in a particular order, and I have no idea what order I will read them in.

Okay, maybe I'm cheating a bit because this "discussion" is not actually a real discussion. It's just a record of my imaginary discussion with some people who wrote about Rumble on Goodreads. I had originally went to Goodreads to look at some other reviews of Rumble . While I was there, I happened to stumble upon the comments, where I was surprised with some people's thoughts on the book. Many of them had lots to say on the book's topics, such as depression/suicide, the LGBT+ community, anxiety, family issues, religion, and so forth. And while I do not have a Goodreads account, I still have a lot to say myself. So, without further ado, I shall begin. Note: the dialogue below are not actual quotes. They are just lines that I wrote that show a general thought by some readers of Rumble. Also, this post contains spoilers.  If you would like to read my book review on  Rumble instead, click here .

Okay, while we all already have a really long TBR list of books that are already published, when new books come out, we just have to read them! Below you'll find a list that includes both books I am personally interested in and books that I think the majority of teens will like. So take a look: you might just find something! Just to let you know, the books are placed in no particular order. And, yes, I did add the pictures of the covers, because I know that those can be helpful (even if we aren't supposed to be judging books by their covers.)

Title: Rumble Author: Ellen Hopkins Genre: Realistic Fiction (in free verse!) Rating: 3.75/4 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia *Note: this book contains some ideas that may be upsetting to certain audiences. Topics such as suicide and depression are mentioned, and, while I did not believe this myself, some readers might find parts too depressing.  Where should I start this review? How should I do it? How will I do it? All of the above were thoughts of mine when I started writing this review. I was under a lot of pressure, not only because I was writing it two hours until it was due to be published, but also because I feel that it's important. Beginnings are special. And difficult. That's how Matthew "Matt" Turner, the narrator and main character of this book by Ellen Hopkins, felt (also at a beginning - the beginning of the book). How could he start his life again after what had happened? Would he be able to move on and face more beginnings as he continued to gro...

Title: Symptoms of Being Human Author: Jeff Garvin Genre: Realistic Fiction Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Reviewer: Julia Why is Symptoms of Being Human such a great book? I am not sure if I have enough space in this post to tell you all of the reasons why I love it. In general, this book by Jeff Garvin is so wonderful because of the "different-ness" of the book. Not every teen book you come across will address anxiety, depression, the LBGT+ community, friendships, bullying, and more in only 330 pages. Yet somehow, Garvin accomplishes this and so much more.

Title: Made You Up Author: Francesca Zappia Rating: 5/5 Genre: YA fiction Reviewer: Emily "'But-but what if this whole place"-I had to suck in air again-'what if everything is inside my head? East Shoal and Scarlet and this bridge and you-what if you're not real because nothing is real?'" This book is told from the point of view of Alex, a high school senior with schizophrenia, which is a mental disease which causes you to have hallucinations, or see or hear things that are not real. She constantly struggles with trying to figure out what is real. Starting her first day of senior year at a new high school, she takes pictures of possible hallucinations, and hopes that no one will ever find out about her. However, there's this boy that looks exactly like her childhood friend, but she had surely made him up, hadn't she?