In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

Title: In Five Years

Author: Rebecca Serle
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: March 10, 2020
Pages: 225
Source/format: Hardcover gifted
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Where do you see yourself in five years?

When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Kohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend's marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan.

But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future.

After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind.

That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision.

Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

I haven't read a book in awhile that tugged at my heart strings. The question at many interviews is "where do you see yourself in five years?" It's definitely easy said than done. At first you think you are reading a typical contemporary novel where a woman is trying to juggle her career with her romantic love life.

Dannie has a promising career and her boyfriend popped to question to marry her. You would think that everything will be a happy ever ending and everything will go according to planned. One night, Dannie has a dream. This is no ordinary dream but a dream that will haunt her for the rest of her life since she has a different ring on her hand, she is in a different home and there is a different man in her life. What is going on?

However, this dream is more like a premonition of something that will happen to Dannie in her future but Dannie doesn't know the details of how she got there. While she tries to collect the pieces of this puzzle, time flies by to almost five years which is when the events occurred in her dream. Dannie has no clue if the dream will come true but she is determined to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't. The premonition is part of her fate and she cannot undo her fate. She can only accept her fate. 

The way Rebecca Serle writes about relationships is realistic. She writes like the reader is at the scene to witness these companionships. We see how the relationships grow and how much they mean to each of the characters. I loved the friendship between Dannie and Bella. They are there for each other no matter what. During the good times and the bad times, they are always thinking of one another. They grow older together and they each grow to be better person. While the relationship with Bella grows, her relationship with her boyfriend, David, becomes more stagnant. 

Serle created a novel that is relatable yet she adds a bit of magical realism to novel. The twist at the end completely caught me off guard but it makes so much sense. I haven't sobbed over a book for a long time. Serle penned characters who I had grown close to like good friends. So when one character is in anguish, I can feel their anguish. I can feel their happiness when some good happens. 

In Five Years has some heavy content. There is instances of death, cheating, grief, etc. This is not a light hearted book but it covers topics in occur in real lives.

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Olives

Author: Jenna Evan Welch
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: November 10, 2020
Pages: 512
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.
And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a Mamma Mia–inspired tale about a teen girl finding romance while trying to connect with her absent father in beautiful Santorini, Greece.

M Y  T H O U G H T S 

Liv Varanakis lives with her mother and her stepfather in Seattle. Her father left her family when she was about eight and he currently lives in Santorini, Greece. Liv has always had a good relationship with her father and when she was younger, she would always be Indiana Olive uncovering the secrets of Atlantis with her dad. One day, a postcard with her name on it beckons her to Greece. She refuses to go but her mother convinces to reunite with her father for 10 days.

So during the summer before senior year, Liv travels to Greece. At first her father is no where to be found and she has to hop on a motorbike with Theo, her father's friend's son, in order to meet her father at Oia. Liv spends time in Greece to mull over what life means to her. Her boyfriend wants her to go to Stanford but she really wants to go to RISD to pursue art. Liv tries to forgive her father and to make up for lost time. I love how Theo nicknames Liv Kalamata. Even though Theo and Liv don't warm up to each other at the beginning, their relationship slowly blossoms. And the fact that Theo wants to be an adventure filmmaker, it definitely intrigues Liv. In Love and Olives, Liv breaks out of her shell and embraces who she is not only as a person but to really hone on her artistic skills and to make long lasting relationships. 

Jenna Evans Welch not only transports her readers to another beautiful European country but she is able to tell us a wonderful story. I love how Welch starts each chapter with one of the items that Liv's father left behind...from Big Red chewing gum to pages of Plato's Timaeus and Critias. Liv is able to reconnect with her father through a documentary they are filming about finding Atlantis for National Geographic. They both rekindle their daughter/father relationship over one of their favorite things they bond over. 

I highly suggest Love & Olives for readers who are consumed by wanderlust and those who want to be transported somewhere new. I also enjoyed reading other books by Welch such as Love & Gelato and Love & Luck. 

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

Title: Rent a Boyfriend

Author: Gloria Chao
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: November 10, 2020
Pages: 400
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this incisive romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

M Y  T H O U G H T S 

Chloe Wang hires a fake boyfriend, Drew Chan, from Rent for Your 'Rents to take home to her parents during the holidays. However, who would have known that she will fall in love with Drew. Sometimes love can be found in the most unexpected places and situations.     

Chloe wants to appease her parents and to get away from Hongbo Kuo. While her parents try to set up an arranged marriage, Chloe wants to make her own choices. Drew takes on the job as pretend boyfriend in order to earn money so he can pursue his dream being an artist. 

From the first page, I fell in love with Gloria Chao's writing. It reads effortless and smoothly. I love Chloe from the start and understood exactly how she feels when she has those internal monologues. Rent a Boyfriend is written in two POVs with Chloe and Drew alternating chapters. Chloe and Drew both are hilarious. Their reactions to what Chloe's parents have to say are priceless. I couldn't stop chuckling when reading the novel.

I can understand how Chloe feels about the expectations her parents pave for her. Although my parents let me choose my own path in life, I can relate to typical Chinese expectations and wants for their children. Chao's incorporates humor within the novel and showcases cultural differences between Chinese culture and the western culture. I appreciate her subtext regarding certain Chinese traditions and concepts. Things like mentioning mooncake points instead of brownie points makes the characters more believable. 

Rent a Boyfriend is a heartfelt contemporary novel where family expectations, finding yourself and cultural identity collide. Join Chloe and Drew on a love adventure they didn't know existed.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Title: Magic Lessons
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: October 6, 2020
Pages: 416
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Magic Lessons is a celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Magic Lessons is the prequel we have all been waiting for! Readers finally get a glimpse of Maria Owens's story and how the Owens's curse began. For those who are familiar with Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, you are in for a treat.

Maria Owens was abandoned as a baby in front of Hannah Owens's home. Hannah is gifted at the Nameless Art and acted as a mentor for Maria as Maria grew during childhood. However, Maria did have a chance to find out who her birth mother and birth father are. Unfortunately, they were not all about raising Maria as a family unit due to a complex situation back in the 1600's. Maria eventually sees the harrowing death of someone she looks up to, gets sold in servitude on a boat to Curaçao, works hard to pay off her debt for freedom as a child, falls in love with a man who lives in Salem, gives birth to a child from said man, tries to locate this man in Salem, only to find out he was using her.

What Maria didn't know was that her daughter's father is actually a well-known man in Salem, MA who is married and has a child. Her heartbreak grows while a curse is a-brewing, as readers are immersed in the world of chaos. When I was reading this novel, I was silently rooting for Maria and Samuel Dias even though I know Maria steadfast in finding Faith's father.

Alice Hoffman has a gift in storytelling. She is able to narrate such a wonderful novel. Hoffman weaves historical fiction and magical realism within Magic Lessons. The pacing is steady and spans many years from when Maria was a baby to her adult years. I did enjoy reading sections where we see Faith's perspective when she flourishes helping others with the Nameless Art. Through hard work, love, regret, revenge and heartbreak, Maria lived a difficult life but she always tried to find the light beneath the darkness. She has escaped death several times. Unfortunately, her curse lives among the Owens's women for centuries to come. 

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Title: Harley in the Sky
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: March 10, 2020
Pages: 416
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

 Harley Milano has dreamed of being a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her soul that she could be up there herself one day.

After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystère. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion and collaboration. But at the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past—and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

"I love the circus. I love the mystery, and the wonder, and the way every act transports my soul into another dimension. I love the way it makes me feel as if the world is in reverse and upside down all at once--like there's starlight beneath my feet and the ocean above my head, and every impossible dream can come true with a single whisper." - e-ARC, Harley in the Sky

Eighteen-year-old Harley works at her parents' circus but they into a disagreement about Harley's career goals and future. Harley wants to be an aerialist but her parents want her to go to college. Harley, feeling betrayed, ends up ditching her parents' circus for another circus. Harley does not run away to any circus but she runs off to a rival circus, Maison du Mystère. Harley wants to harness herself to become the best she can be and she feels like her parents are stopping her from reaching her full potential. However, quickly learns that working at a circus is hard work. It's not all about magic and love. Harley learns that there are people that can make her dream as an aerialist difficult at Maison du Mystère. She wants to learn but not everyone supports her. Some people actually see her as a threat. One particular aerialist feels threatened by Harley and is not super welcoming or helpful at all.

Akemi Dawn Bowman shows Harley's internal struggle with mental health issues as well as Harley's struggle to do what is best for her despite what her parents think. She is bi-racial and never quite feels like she knows where she belongs. Vivien, Dexi and Vas definitely have good relationships with Harley and I would love to read more about them. Bowman writes poignant novels with a strong plot and character development. Readers will feel emotionally invested when they read Bowman's novels.

Harley in the Sky is about self-exploration; it's about exploring who you are but staying true to yourself at the same time. It's about self-acceptance and following your dreams and figuring how to navigate internal struggles. I highly recommend this book if you love reading about circuses and self-discovery. 

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Title: Winterwood
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: November 5, 2019
Pages: 320
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance set deep in the magical snow-covered forest, where the appearance of a mysterious boy unearths secrets that awakens the enchanted, but angry, woods.

Be careful of the dark, dark wood . . .

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Nora is descended from a long line of Walker women who bear magic and are consider daughters of The Wicker Woods. Two weeks ago, a storm blew four feet of snow over Jackjaw Lake and Fir Haven. Two weeks ago a boy went missing and one boy was found dead. The woods are rugged, unkind and should be untrusted but Nora still walks through them because she is drawn to the woods. She always finds lost things in the woods during a full moon. After finding the missing boy from Jackjaw Camp for Wayward Boys in the woods, Nora feels connected to him. Oliver is changed by the woods.

Nora is the girl that lives across the lake. The boys at the camp tell Oliver to beware of the Walkers because the Walkers are witches and they cannot be trusted. Winterwood invokes magic within you. It's the magic of believing yourself and honoring your own power and history. While Nora's mother tries to stamp out the Walker lineage, Nora embraces it.

Shea Ernshaw's writing is gorgeous and atmospheric. She breathes life even into inanimate objects like The Wicker Woods. Winterwood is written in alternating POVs. Readers experience what Nora and Oliver experience. Ernshaw's novel is spellbinding and the descriptions are vivid, suspenseful and mysterious.

There are some instances in the book where there is a lot of repetition such as how Oliver shouldn't trust Nora or how Nora shouldn't go into the woods. At first it was bothersome to read but then again, it could be part of the characters'' own internal monologue and how their thinking patterns look and sound like. 

I enjoyed reading the excerpts from the Spellbook of Moonlight & Forest Medicine. The excerpts included information about the Walker women like Florence and Willa. The Walker women remind of the Owens from Practical Magic. Both the Walkers and Owens are witches and the women who fall in love with men who come and go.

Winterwood is a well-written intriguing novel to read during a crisp autumn night with a mug of tea while curled with a blanket on the couch. Readers who enjoy Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic and Halloween Town will fall in love with Winterwood. It's the perfect October/November read.

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao

Title: Our Wayward Fate
Author: Gloria Chao
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: October 15, 2019
Pages: 320
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher and ARC from Emma of Miss Print
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Seventeen-year-old Ali Chu knows that as the only Asian person at her school in middle-of-nowhere Indiana, she must be bland as white toast to survive. This means swapping her congee lunch for PB&Js, ignoring the clueless racism from her classmates and teachers, and keeping her mouth shut when people wrongly call her Allie instead of her actual name, pronounced Āh-lěe, after the mountain in Taiwan.

Her autopilot existence is disrupted when she finds out that Chase Yu, the new kid in school, is also Taiwanese. Despite some initial resistance due to the "they belong together" whispers, Ali and Chase soon spark a chemistry rooted in competitive martial arts, joking in two languages, and, most importantly, pushing back against the discrimination they face.

But when Ali’s mom finds out about the relationship, she forces Ali to end it. As Ali covertly digs into the why behind her mother’s disapproval, she uncovers secrets about her family and Chase that force her to question everything she thought she knew about life, love, and her unknowable future.

Snippets of a love story from nineteenth-century China (a retelling of the Chinese folktale The Butterfly Lovers) are interspersed with Ali’s narrative and intertwined with her fate.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Ali Chu is the only Asian person in her middle-of-nowhere Indiana high school until Chase Yu arrives being the new kid. Ali gravitates toward Chase because she finds out he is also Chinese American and Taiwanese. They bond over similar traditions, food, culture and language. It's her way of connecting with her true identity. No longer will she have to wear a façade pretending to be someone she is not. She is not Allie, but Ali like the mountain in Taiwan. She doesn't have to pretend she likes eating those horrible PB&J sandwiches just to fit in.

Although Ali and Chase become more than friends after awhile her parents don't want Ali and Chase to be together even though they are both Chinese. Both families hide secrets from their children regarding their history or their plans for their children. The families are saving face. They want better for their children. Ali discovers what her mother has been hiding from her when she journeys to China. Her mother wants to carve a better path for Ali because Ali's mother did not find happiness for most of her life. Ali's mother lives in regret and doesn't want Ali to live a life of regrets as well.

Ali and Chase make a cute couple. Both are sarcastic in their own way and they get each other. With their Chu and Yu puns, it keeps me laughing throughout the whole novel.
Gloria Chao writes books about her history and origin but she also writes for her readers who can relate to what she goes through. With American Panda, she writes about family expectations with a prestigious college and going into medicine when in fact Chinese folk dance is her passion. In Our Wayward Fate is touches upon how Kung Fu is something she wants to pursue. She fights the patriarchy with her main characters. Ali fights sexism. She does things that men can do. Chao delves more into cultural identity in Our Wayward Fate compared to American Panda.

Chao weaves the Chinese folktale of the Butterfly Lovers, Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo, within Our Wayward Fate to connect Ali to China. The park dedicated to the lovers is the only reason why Ali agreed to go to China and to appease her parents, especially her mother. At first, the excerpts of the Butterfly Lovers halted the flow of the book but it made sense later why the excerpts were inserted within random chapters.

Our Wayward Fate is one of the most relatable books for me. Even though my family is not Mandarin speaking, I can picture myself being in Ali's shoes being an Asian American in a sea of White people. I can understand how she feels when microaggressions are thrown at her. The writing resonated with me. I grew up in Boston, just like Ali did before she moved to Indiana. However, I ended up attending public school from 4th grade to 12th grade in a very affluent and very White suburban town west of Boston.

Chao navigates how Ali approaches her cultural, racial and family identities. Who is Ali? How did she learn to appreciate her Chinese heritage and to become the real Ali. What made her shed her feeling of impostorism and trying to fit in with her peers. Instead of blending in with everyone else at her school, she steps up and owns her heritage. A turning point is when Ali tells her friends that her name is Ali and not Allie. She becomes empowered to embrace who she truly is.

Our Wayward Fate has a feminist approach while exploring racial and cultural identity. Our Wayward Fate is a coming-of-age novel that is important and needed in our society. Check out this fantastic #OwnVoices novel.

Permanent Record Blog Tour

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for inviting me to be part of this amazing blog tour! Not only am I excited to share more about Permanent Record with everyone reading this post, but I hope you are able to read Mary H.K. Choi's debut, Emergency Contact, as well. Choi's novels are character-driven and are the perfect reads if you are looking for YA/NA novels. It's very hard to find books about college-aged individuals and I am happy to see that Choi is closing the gap.

Title: Permanent Record
Author: Mary H.K. Choi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 3, 2019
Pages: 400
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Emergency Contact, which Rainbow Rowell called “smart and funny,” comes an unforgettable new romance about how social media influences relationships every day.

On paper, college dropout Pablo Rind doesn’t have a whole lot going for him. His graveyard shift at a twenty-four-hour deli in Brooklyn is a struggle. Plus, he’s up to his eyeballs in credit card debt. Never mind the state of his student loans.

Pop juggernaut Leanna Smart has enough social media followers to populate whole continents. The brand is unstoppable. She graduated from child stardom to become an international icon and her adult life is a queasy blur of private planes, step-and-repeats, aspirational hotel rooms, and strangers screaming for her just to notice them.

When Leanna and Pablo meet at 5:00 a.m. at the bodega in the dead of winter it’s absurd to think they’d be A Thing. But as they discover who they are, who they want to be, and how to defy the deafening expectations of everyone else, Lee and Pab turn to each other. Which, of course, is when things get properly complicated.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Permanent Record is a coming-of-age story that is relatable. This contemporary novel seamlessly blends the woes of young adults. Readers encounter financial struggles, family expectations, how social media affects lives, life after high school and how to live a meaningful life.

Mary H.K. Choi includes a male POV in Permanent Record which I am grateful about. I love reading from a male perspective in YA novels because YA is dominated with female voices within the novels. Diversity is important in this novel as finding your identity. Pablo Rind is half Korean and half Pakistani and he learns what it means to be mixed. He conquerors who he is and who he wants to become. I enjoyed reading his internal monologues even though he may be uncertain about himself. He struggles regarding what to do with his life. This is exactly what we see in young adults today! There is too much pressure for young adults to make the "right decision." However, sometimes, they need a break from societal expectations and they need to focus on self-care.

Pablo meets Leanna Smart, who is half Mexican and half White, at the bodega and they click despite their many differences. Pablo is currently working a graveyard shift in order to pay back student loans and credit card debt. He drops out of college in order to take care of his debt but is debating whether to go back to NYU. Leanna, on the other hand, is a celebrity who is social media famous. Sometimes opposites attract. Although this pairing is not common in the real world, this can meeting can happen.

Choi writes about financial struggles which I enjoy seeing in a book because nowadays, young adults are struggling to make ends meet. Cost of housing, food, college loans, etc. are rising to the point where young adults are willing to work more hours, cut down on meals and make huge sacrifices but at what cost?

Permanent Record is the perfect read for those who want to know more about the time bridging high school and college. If you are a fan of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell or Emergency Contact by Mary H.K Choi, you will enjoy this novel.

ABOUT MARY H.K. CHOI

Mary H.K. Choi is a writer for The New York Times, GQ, Wired, and The Atlantic. She has written comics for Marvel and DC, as well as a collection of essays called Oh, Never Mind. Her debut novel Emergency Contact was a New York Times bestseller. She is the host of Hey, Cool Job!, a podcast about jobs and Hey, Cool Life!, a podcast about mental health and creativity. Mary grew up in Hong Kong and Texas and now lives in New York. Follow her on Twitter @ChoitotheWorld.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

August 26th– Vicky Who Reads

August 27th– Adventures of a Book Junkie

August 28th– Utopia State of Mind

August 29th– Read by Tiffany

August 30th– Rich in Color

August 31st– Your Tita Kate

September 2nd– Books on Pointe

September 3rd– Andi’s ABCs

September 4th– Book Scents

September 5th– Twirling Pages

September 6th– Bookshelves & Paperbacks

September 9th– YA Bibliophile

September 10th– Mary Had A Little Book Blog

September 11th– Chasing Faerytales

September 12th– Nicole’s Novel Reads

September 13th– Mel to the Any

Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows Blog Tour

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours and Ryan Calejo for hosting this wonderful blog tour. If you love middle grade novels, this is one not to miss! Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows is the first book in the series. Definitely check out the second installment, Charlie Hernández & the Castle of Bones, which comes out on October 22, 2019.

Don't forget to check out a chance to win a signed hardcopy of Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows at the bottom of this post.

Title: Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows
Author: Ryan Calejo
Pub. Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Aladdin
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 330
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, The Book Depository

Synopsis:

Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.

But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.

Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).
No pressure, muchacho.

ACCLAIMED PRAISE

“This is a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan’s many series, particularly for those eager for mythologies beyond Greek and Roman stories.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A winner for all kids, but it will be especially beloved by Latinx and Hispanic families.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Lightning Thief meets the Story Thieves series in this middle grade fantasy inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America.

ABOUT RYAN CALEJO 

Ryan Calejo was born and raised in south Florida. He graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He’s been invited to join both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden Key International Honour Society. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to. His first novel was Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows.

Simon & Schuster Webpage| Twitter| Goodreads

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Move over, Percy Jackson. Charlie Hernández is here with a story for you all to hear. For those readers who like to read about mythology, you will love reading Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows. Charlie's parents disappear all of a sudden and his house burns down. He starts to see he has sprouted a set of horns and a coating of feathers. What can this mean?

Charlie always enjoyed listening to his abuela's stories about creatures and monsters. Little did he know that the Latin American and Spanish folklore and myths are based on reality. Charlie and his friend, Violet, hop on an adventure to locate his parents.

Ryan Calejo's writing is fun to read and full of action. Charlie's voice actually sounds like an authentic middle schooler's voice which is great! With twists and turns, Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows is chock full of adventure. Calejo introduces readers to a plethora of folktales they have never heard before but readers will be immersed.

Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows is relatable. With the We Need Diverse Books movement, I am delighted to see more books that more people can see themselves in. Calejo does just that with this novel.

GIVEAWAY

1 winner will win a signed hardcover of CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS, US only. Nicole's Novel Reads is not responsible for books lost or damaged in the mail. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE

Week One:

8/19/2019- BookHounds YA- Interview
8/20/2019- Savings in Seconds- Excerpt

8/21/2019- Twirling Book Princess- Excerpt
8/22/2019- Country Road Reviews- Review
8/23/2019- Lifestyle Of Me- Review

Week Two:

8/26/2019- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
8/27/2019- Wonder Struck- Review
8/28/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
8/29/2019- Aunt Addie's Bookshelf- Review
8/30/2019- The Desert Bibliophile- Review

Week Three:

9/2/2019- The Layaway Dragon- Review
9/3/2019- Random Bookish Banter- Review
9/4/2019- Eli to the nth- Review
9/5/2019- Novel Novice- Guest Post
9/6/2019- Fyrekatz Blog- Review

Week Four:

9/9/2019- Nicole's Novel Reads- Review
9/10/2019- Marshmallow Pudding- Review
9/11/2019- Nerdophiles- Review
9/12/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads- Review
9/13/2019- two points of interest- Review

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love

Title: Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love
Editors: Elsie Chapman, Caroline Tung Richmond
Authors: Elsie Chapman, Caroline Tung Richmond, Sara Farizan, Sandhya Menon, Sangu Mandanna, Rebecca Roanhorse, Adi Alsaid and Phoebe North
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: June 18, 2019
Pages: 352
Source/format: e-ARC/Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

From some of your favorite bestselling and critically acclaimed authors—including Sandhya Menon, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Rin Chupeco—comes a collection of interconnected short stories that explore the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives of thirteen teens.

A shy teenager attempts to express how she really feels through the confections she makes at her family’s pasteleria. A tourist from Montenegro desperately seeks a magic soup dumpling that could cure his fear of death. An aspiring chef realizes that butter and soul are the key ingredients to win a cooking competition that could win him the money to save his mother’s life.

Welcome to Hungry Hearts Row, where the answers to most of life’s hard questions are kneaded, rolled, baked. Where a typical greeting is, “Have you had anything to eat?” Where magic and food and love are sometimes one and the same.

Told in interconnected short stories, Hungry Hearts explores the many meanings food can take on beyond mere nourishment. It can symbolize love and despair, family and culture, belonging and home.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love embodies a variety of different cuisines from numerous cultures with a wonderful line up of diverse authors. Written in a variety of genres, the authors have included some of the very best, deliciously described foods in short stories, emphasizing how food, family and culture intertwine, creating a unique identity. Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love will make your mouth water as you read all these stories.

From bakeries to cooking competitions, Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love feeds the soul. These interconnected stories are heartwarming and they are just what everyone needs. What I love is how each story incorporates a variety ingredients, different cultures, different techniques and different time periods. It's like a mixing bowl of flavors.

Because of the anthology formatting, it makes it easy to pick up the book to read at your own pace. I would love to see a blog tour or some kind of collaboration tour where someone cooks a dish to represent each story from Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love. Or even better, a recipe book that goes hand in hand with the anthology. If you love food or anything culinary related, pick up Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love.

There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

Title: There's Something About Sweetie
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Pages: 384
Source/format: e-ARC // Netgalley

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2 

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The irresistible companion novel to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi, which follows Rishi’s brother, Ashish, and a confident fat athlete named Sweetie as they both discover what love means to them.

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

M Y  T H O U G H T S

There's Something About Sweetie is bursting full of cuteness, fuzzy good feelings and amazing relationships whether it be friendships or romances. Ahish Patel and Sweetie Nair are too cute for words when they are together. With alternating POVs between Ahish and Sweetie, There's Something About Sweetie explores the thoughts of each teenager and what they think about their cultural expectations, social norms and what is true to their hearts.

Sweetie is confident young lady despite people putting her down about her weight, even by her own family. She proves to others that she can be an athlete and a great singer despite people calling her fat. Sweetie believes in herself and she radiates in self-love. Ahish is recovering from a broken heart and is also having trouble with the pressure of his family telling him he must date and marry an Indian girl per expectations and approval of his family. Because Rishi, his brother, ended up finding Dimple, Ahish believes he can find love too and allows his parents to set him up with a girl of their choice even though he was originally hesitating about the idea.

There's Something About Sweetie is body-positive. Sandhya Menon defies stereotypes and focuses on self-acceptance and acceptance of each other based on personality and not social norms and physical appearances. Abiding by cultural traditions and expectations are often hard for many young people. Sweetie and Ahish make their own story even though society builds this wall of pressure telling them what they should or shouldn't do. However, they are very cordial about incorporating their Indian culture with their American lifestyle, finding a good balance between the two. I highly suggest reading this rom-com if you love Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi. There's Something About Sweetie is a little bit too instalovey at times but I can get pass that.

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

Title: Love from A to Z
Author: S.K. Ali
Publisher: Salaam Reads
Publication date: April 30, 2019
Pages: 352
Source/format: e-ARC // Netgalley

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

From William C. Morris Award Finalist S.K. Ali comes an unforgettable romance that is part The Sun Is Also a Starmixed with Anna and the French Kiss , following two Muslim teens who meet during a spring break trip.

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.

An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.

But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.

When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.

Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.

Then her path crosses with Adam’s.

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.

Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.

Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Zayneb Malik is 18-years-old and is currently suspended from Alexander Porter High in Indiana. She is suspended because she spoke up in school about her teacher being Islamophobic, breaking through the silence that has been haunting her for years. Because of her religion and culture, people make assumptions about her. Her father is from Pakistani and her mother is Guyanese and Trinidadian. Her family wants her to lay low and not to cause any issues. However, Zayneb is angry at the world because of all the injustices and inequalities. Zayneb is on her way to visit her aunt who lives in Doha, Qatar.

Adam Chen, currently 18-years-old in college, stopped going to class two months ago. He is flying from the University of London to visit her sister and father who live in Doha. His mother passed away when Adam was young from Multiple Sclerosis, the same disease he is diagnosed with.

Adam and Zayneb meet in an unexpected place. They both meet in London awaiting a plane to fly to Doha. Zayneb flew from Chicago and had a layover in London. However, their meeting was short. Eventually they reunite at a gathering where Zayneb's aunt introduces Zayneb to Adam.

Both Adam and Zayneb have a Marvels and Oddities Journal where they record their marvels and oddities of life. They both are Muslim as well. Although they have similarities, they also have differences which balance each other. Their personalities are completely contrary. Adam is calm, mellow and peaceful while Zayneb is passionate, fiery and is activist. At first, Adam and Zayneb become friends but eventually fall for each other.

Love from A to Z is a cute play on Adam's and Zayneb's names. The novel is written in dual POVs in a diary-like format with a date and either a marvel or oddity title. It covers social justice, Islamophobia, activism, chronic illness and finding yourself. Zayneb speaks up for what she believes. Even though her high school set her up to fail by siding with her teacher, Zayneb doesn't hold back for what she believes in. When she visits her aunt in Doha, she speaks up to a couple of people at the fitness area's pool about how women should have the right to wear shorts in the pool if men are able to.

S.K. Ali gives insight about what it means to be Muslim. Learning about someone's religion and culture is important. Reading about Adam's and Zayneb's experiences are important. It is satisfying to read about Islam and what it means to be a Muslim from a point of view of someone who is born into a Muslim family and also reading about someone whose family converts to Islam. Ali reminds people that Islam is a religion and it's not defined by a certain race or ethnicity.

Love from A to Z is a coming-of-age love story about fighting for what you believe in. I highly recommend this novel if you've read The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Title: Emergency Contract
Author: Mary H.K. Choi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: March 27, 2018
Pages: 394
Source/format: Hardcover // Library

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Penny Lee just finished her senior year in high school and is off to college in Austin, TX to learn to become a writer. Her boyfriend Mark is just average and they don't know much about each other. Penny meets Sam Becker one day through her roommate at House, a coffee shop. However, there friendship didn't start until Penny ran into Sam on the side of the road when he was having a panic attack. After that incident, they become each other's emergency contacts.

Mary H.K. Choi writes a novel where the readers want to know more about the characters. Each character has their own unique history. I love how Penny is pensive and always give herself choices to act upon when she makes a decision. Choi even lists out the choices/reactions when Penny is trying to figure out what she wants to do. Her internal monologues are often comedic and are relatable. Although Penny's personality may be off-putting for some, she does have some difficulty making friends and being comfortable around people. Sam, on the other hand, is a social butterfly but harbors many demons that many don't know about. Penny is able to help pull him out of the darkness.

The formatting of the book include Penny's and Sam's POVs alternating every chapter. When Penny and Sam become emergency contacts, their text message between each other are formatted on the pages as if you are reading an electronic message back and forth. These flawed individuals end up relying on each other. Penny and Sam learn to trust one another. They become each other's life line and trusted advisor for difficult life decisions.

Choi delves into different socioeconomic and tough topics like addiction, unconventional parental upbringings, undocumentation, rape, etc. Sam is living on his own barely scrapping by to provide for himself. He doesn't have any close family to help him. Sam grew up with his mother in a trailer and his mother is an alcoholic who needed Sam to help get by each day. Sam is an inspiring documentary filmmaker who would love to go to college but due to his financial situation, he works at House as a manager and the owner lets him live there. Things get complicated when his ex-girlfriend claims she is pregnant.

Penny starts college at the University of Texas - Austin but her mother is more concerned about appearances and her mother dresses way younger than she is. Penny is unsure where she stands with her Mark since she doesn't really want to be with him because they don't truly know each other. I love how the romance between Penny and Sam starts off slow. Penny breaks it off with Mark because the relationship wasn't going anywhere and she was starting to have feelings for Sam. Penny finds that taking criticisms for her manuscripts is hard and she is learning how to hone her writing in order to please her professor but also to still stay true to herself. Penny is Korean-American and she discusses the many microaggressions she has to deal with everyday. I can definitely relate to the microagressions that Penny has to go through being an Asian American female.

Emergency Contact is a cute contemporary novel with just enough romance and a dash of comedy. If you love Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and/or Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, you will love this book!

Letting Go of Gravity Blog Tour: Interview with Meg Leder

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tour for this wonderful opportunity to interview Meg Leder, author of Letting Go of Gravity! I am a big fan of Meg Leder's debut novel, The Museum of Heartbreak and I absolutely enjoyed Letting Go of Gravity. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the blog post and check out the other tour stops! Also, you can check out my review for the novel here.

Title: Letting Go of Gravity
Author: Meg Leder
Pub. Date: July 17, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 432
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Synopsis:

Twins Parker and Charlie are polar opposites.
Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.
Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.
Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.
And of course, there’s the one other major difference: Charlie got leukemia. Parker didn’t.

But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn’t be going better for Parker. She’s landed a prestigious summer internship at the hospital and is headed to Harvard in the fall to study pediatric oncology—which is why the anxiety she’s felt since her Harvard acceptance is so unsettling. And it doesn’t help that her relationship with Charlie has been on the rocks since his diagnosis.

Enter Finn, a boy who’s been leaving strange graffiti messages all over town. Parker can’t stop thinking about those messages, or about Finn, who makes her feel free for the first time: free to doubt, free to make mistakes, and free to confront the truth that Parker has been hiding from for a long time.

That she keeps trying to save Charlie, when the person who really needs saving is herself.

ACCLAIMED PRAISE

“A gorgeous, sad, funny, and wise book about letting go and finding your place in the world. Meg Leder has written a story about a brother and sister that will break your heart and have you whispering 'I got you' long after you've closed the book.” –Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“For readers who love and appreciate a good coming-of-age story, a realistic romance, and a novel where every character gets to be a hero.” –Kirkus

“A poignant and carefully crafted story…. A compelling coming-of-age novel sure to appeal to those who love realistic fiction.” –School Library Journal

“Effectively shows how illness affects families and how a person can get stuck acting out a persona and end up knowing very little about herself.” –Publishers Weekly

INTERVIEW WITH MEG LEDER

1. Letting Go of Gravity contains a lot of relatable issues that many teens go through such as anxiety, supporting a seriously ill loved one and even living to society's expectations to do well in life. It's also a heartfelt and emotional novel. How long did it take from conception to final draft to complete the novel? Did it take many drafts to hone in on each character's story and issues they face every day?

Meg: I worked on Letting Go of Gravity for four years, the last three of those in earnest. I have a full-time job as an adult nonfiction editor at Penguin Books, so I don’t write as quickly as I’d like. But I spend every Saturday and Sunday writing for 5-7 hours a day, and use the week to think about my characters, what they’ve done and what they’re going to do next. I don’t remember what exactly sparked the idea for this book—it’s a very personal project, so maybe the spark for it has always been in me! But once I knew I wanted to explore anxiety and expectations and how those play out in families, things started to take shape pretty quickly.

I did a lot of revising on my own before my editors saw the manuscript, and then once they came on board, we did a lot more! I worked with a fantastic team of three editors at Simon Pulse, and they each brought something really magnificent to the table. They pushed me and this manuscript beyond what I knew I was capable of, and as a result, I think the characters really breathe on the page. In particular, Charlie’s arc grew a lot from where I first started—they really encouraged me to go deeper with his character.


2. Your characters are very memorable. Who is your favorite character to write about in Letting Go of Gravity and why? Which character was the most difficult to write about?

Meg: I love all these characters so much, this is harder to answer than I expected! But I really loved writing Parker the most because she’s so much like me, but also because she’s eventually braver than me. She figures out who she is at a much younger age than I ever did, and even though it’s not an easy process, I’m kind of in awe of her for that.

The hardest character for me to write was Charlie. I love Charlie, but when I started this book, I didn’t always like Charlie. In early drafts, he came off as really angry and unlikeable, and I feel so protective about Parker, it was making me mad! But I didn’t want him to be a villain, and for me, the key to opening him up was digging into why he was angry. Once I started exploring that (and introduced him to Ruby, who is able to bring out a better side of Charlie), I started to discover the really wonderful parts of him.

3. When Parker rekindles her friendship with Finn, she ends up discovering her true passion and does some soul searching. When did you find your passion for writing? Also, what are some of your other interests?

Meg: I’ve always been a huge reader, and I’ve spent the last twenty years working in publishing, so I like to think that it all eventually just rubbed off on me! But it wasn’t until I was having lunch with my agent (who was repping me for some nonfiction projects) and he suggested I might have a voice for young adult that I began to consider what it might mean to write a novel. That was about ten years ago, and since then I’ve been hooked. It’s not easy, but I like creating something on the page and seeing where it takes me—I get a lot of joy out of that.

As for other interests, it will not surprise anyone who’s read Letting Go of Gravity to know I’m also a big fan of both pottery and street art. I’ve taken pottery classes on and off throughout the years, and I love the feeling of throwing clay on the wheel, and then pushing that into a finished shape. As for street art, one of my favorite ways to spend time is to wander a city and to discover its street art. Right now, I’m really into Invader, a French artist who posts video game images in tiles all over cities. There’s even an app you can use to record where you find them, sort of like a scavenger hunt.

4. Are you a plotter or panster?

Meg: I fit somewhere in-between. I always compare my writing process to a road trip. I know where I’m starting and I know roughly where I want to go, but I haven’t planned the route just yet. I like to head off and leave room to take side roads and to recalibrate my destination as I go!

5. So far you've written contemporary YA novels. Can you give readers some hints about your current work in progress?

Meg: I’m working on a few different things right now, and I’m not sure if either will bloom into a novel—it’s still too early too tell, I think! One is contemporary YA, one is trying something a little new. It’s like planting seeds—I hope one or both of them takes!

6. What are some of your favorite YA books that you would recommend?

Meg: Oh man, I could go on and on for this one! Some of my absolute favorites in the past few years: Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi, The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood, all of the Charlotte Holmes novels by Brittany Cavallaro, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, anything by VE Schwab (Darker Shade of Magic is so fantastic), the Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir… again, there’s so much stuff I love! I’m a sucker for any book with a romance, and I have a soft spot for fantasy. And I cannot wait to read Janet McNally’s The Looking Glass and Deb Caletti’s A Heart in a Body in the World, because I have heard such amazing things about both books already, and of course, am practically counting down the days for Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas.

Thank you Meg Leder for this splendid interview! 

ABOUT MEG LEDER

Meg Leder is the author of Letting Go of Gravity and The Museum of Heartbreak, and the coauthor of books including The Happy Book and The Book of Me. A former bookseller and teacher, she currently works as a book editor in New York City. She spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Tim Riggins.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

3 winners will win a finished copy of LETTING GO OF GRAVITY, US Only. Nicole's Novel Reads is not responsible for books lost or damaged in the mail. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/23/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

7/24/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

7/25/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review

7/26/2018- 100 Pages A Day- Review

7/27/2018- Never Too Many To Read- Review

Week Two:

7/30/2018- Book Princess Reviews- Review

7/31/2018- Nicole's Novel Reads- Interview

8/1/2018- The Reading Corner for All- Review

8/2/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review

8/3/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview