I am definitely behind on times when it comes to wrapping up my May reading month. Life got pretty dang hectic for a while there, but things are mellowing out a little bit now so I’m going to try and do some catch up. I read a lot in June, so I think we should probably just jump right into it. You’ll find them all below the cut.
1. Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: There is a full review of this up on the blog here.
2. Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really interesting prequel to We Were Liars. It wasn’t, in my opinion, as good as the original, but I genuinely enjoyed reading it. It was interesting to read about the Liars mothers and how their youth went. I found the unreliability of the narrator to be interesting. It kept me reading until I had finished it because I just had to know what happened. E. Lockhart has a great writing style.
3. Manga Classics: Jane Eyre by Stacy King
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: It’s been a while since I’ve read Jane Eyre, but I really liked this adaptation. It felt like it did the story justice. It was well designed and carried the story across well. I was glad to be able to revisit a story I liked as a teen in a way that was shorter and more accessible.
4. Manga Classics: Les Miserables by Crystal S. Chan
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I have always been intrigued by the idea of reading Les Mis, but I’m not sure I could commit to the actual reading of that monster of a book. This was a great way to tackle it in a much smaller and. more accessible way. The art was well done and the characters were well designed. It was a great adaptation.
5. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I wasnt sure what to make of V.E. Schwab’s next novel after Addie LaRue, but I did enjoy this story. I think it would have been better if I would have been able to devote a serious amount of time to it. I think it’s meant to be read in a smaller number of sittings. The worldbuilding was interesting, and I really liked the main character.
6. Four Short Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I’d never read anything by Arthur Conan Doyle so it was interesting to listen to this collection of stories. They were dark and twisty, and not quite what I expected. I’m glad that I read them.
7. We’ll Be Watching by Ruth Ware
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I joined Ruth Ware’s book club and so I got to read this novella/short story she had published for her book club/newsletter subscribers. I had a lot of fun with this. It had some really great twists and I liked the premise of how it was an escape room gone horribly wrong. The characters were interesting, and the plot was fun.
8. The Tale of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this prequel to one of Ruth Ware’s novel. It was well written and an interesting exploration of the character. It made me want to reread the novel with what I knew now.
9. Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Crystal S. Chan
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: The art in this one was really well done, but I’m not sure it really suited the story that was being told. The characters were well designed and I was able to appreciate how the story was represented, but I just didn’t think that the story was best suited to being adapted.
10. Manga Classics: Great Expectations by Nookman Poon
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I liked the art of this and how the characters were easy to tell apart. It gave me a good idea of the storyline while making it a much faster read. The storyline wasn’t my favourite, but I am glad that I will be able to understand the reference to Great Expectations in The Outsiders now. The manga style was the real star of this adaptation.
11. Vampires Never Get Old by Various Authors
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I had a lot of fun reading this collection of vampire stories by various YA authors. I liked that they each explored different aspects of vampirism and the kind of stories that usually surround the mythical creature. I also liked the interjections from the editors discussing the ways the authors took on these tropes.
12. The Raven’s Tale by Cat Winter
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I liked the premise of this story, but I didn’t super love the pacing of it. It took me a really long time to read because I wasn’t super hooked on the storyline. I liked the character of Lenore and the idea of a personified muse. I also enjoyed reading the fictionalized account of Poe as a young man. The author said she did extensive research, so I really appreciated that aspect as well.
13. The No-No Boy by Ken Narasaki
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I enjoy the LATW audiobooks because they usually have an interesting plot and I enjoy the full cast audiobook. This one wasn’t my favourite, but I found it interesting to learn about the afterwards of the Japanese Interment Camps. The family strife felt realistic.
14. A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities by Mady G.
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I think this is a super helpful guide for people who want to learn about queer/trans identities. The art style was cute and I enjoyed the quirky aspect of a snail telling other snails. It was a neat premise. It felt really postive and was written in an easy to understand fashion. The art was cute and I appreciate the illustration style.
15. The Rabbits by John Marsden
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m glad I accepted this as a recommendation for an assignment I had to do. It was well written, and the few chosen words were deeply impactful. It really made you think about the subject of colonialism, and how easily the Australian allegory this story featured would translate to a Canadian context.
16. Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I very much enjoyed this one. There are elements to the story that are unrealistic/unlikely, but I can forgive that in a middle grade novel. I really liekd the protagonist and her resourcefulness. It waws well paced. I enjoy novels in verse. and this really worked for me. It had some really interesting elements to it.
17. Rebound by Kwame Alexander
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I can’t always say that I love sports books, but I always say that I love Kwame Alexander’s writing. This was no exception. His main character, Chuck, was very interesting and you really felt for him as he coped with his grief and the changes in his life. The verse was beautiful and the depiction of grief felt really very real.
18. The Missing Passenger by Jack Heath
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoy this series. I like that they are short and fast-paced, and that they throw you right into the action of the story. There is a lot of action, and there are a lot of tense moments. Jarli is an interesting character; he’s smart and resourceful. I liked the way that this added further complications to his life. I will definitely be continuing this series.
19. Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I liked Socut as a character, because she felt like the students I teach. The art is great and I liked that it had little introductions for each new character that was introduced. I also liked the definitions that it included because it gave some additional context. I liked how both girls grew a bit over the course of the story. It’s not my favourite graphic novel, but I’m definitely glad that I read it.
20. The Golden Hour by Niki Smith
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fantastic graphic novel. The art was quite visually stunning and I liked the use of colour to help represent how Manuel was feeling. I liked how he blossomed with his friends and worked to cope with his PTSD. It was very movinng. I also found the rural setting really interesting, and I liked the inclusion of the photos the characters took. The dynamics of their friendships were very sweet.
21. The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: It’s crazy that something set in the early 2000s is historical fiction, but it is. I found this story quite compelling and deeply moving. The depictions of mental health and eating disorders were handled fairly way and in a way that wasn’t glorified. The isolation that the character felt was realistic, and I found myself really feeling for her. I also enjoyed the complicated depiction of friendship.
22. Ichiro by Ryan Inzana
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: While I enjoyed this story, it was very much trying to do a whole lot. It was perhaps a bit too much. I did enjoy learning about the elements of Japanese mythology that were included as it’s not an area I’m very knowledgeable in. I wanted to see more of that. I. also really enjoyed the protagonist’s arc. He grew a lot.
23. Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: Initially, I was quite confused by this graphic novel. However, once I settled into the story, I found myself deeply engaged. I really felt for the main character as she struggled to acclimate to the living in the U.S. I loved how colour was used to convey emotions. I also liked how the story ended in an optimistic way.
24. Maus II by Art Spiegelman
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: It took me a while to finish this series, but I am glad that I have. I wanted to read the conclusion of Vladek’s tale. I found it interesting to read his account of what was happening in his past and during his time in the concentration camps. It was also interesting how it was layered with the story of Art trying to get his father’s story. The art was quite interesting.
25. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I love this story, and I had fun reading it with my class. I highly recommend it.
26. The Game by Linsey Miller
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This wasn’t my favourite YA thriller that I have read, but I’m still. gald that I did. It had an interesting premise. The pacing was really good, and kept me turning pages until I had reached the end of the story. The main character was empathetic. I think this would be a good addition to a quick reads collection. I liked the whole premise of a game gone horribly wrong. It made for a fun time.
27. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I love Jason Reynolds and this was a great re-read. It is beautifully adapted from the novel in verse. It really just adds visually to the story and accentuates what was already there. The art style is absolutely gorgeous. This is a highly recommended book for me. It’s moving, complicated, and incredibly gritty.
28. Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I liked the dichotomy of the two. main characters in this one. It wasn’t the greatest or most impressive stroyline, but I found it interesting enough,. The story only briefly tapped into the power and I would have liked to read more about it. There was a nice complete story arc with the potetial of a sequel.
29. Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was fantastic. I loved the premise of Mean Girls meets Teen Wolf and the take down of terrible men. It was a fantastic combination. The art style was gorgeous and the characters were well designed. They all felt really unique in their design. I found the storyline quite compelling. It was fast paced and action packed. It came to an interesting conclusion. The romance that developed was cute.
30. Incredible Doom by Matthew Brodart
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was an okay read for me. It had a lot of potential, though I found the technology aspects a little bit confusing. The characters were a really interesting part of the story. I wanted to know more about them. However, I felt that it read too much like a prologue than a complete story for my liking. I do recognize that it was volume 1, but I still wanted more of a resolution.
31. Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I liked this graphic novel, but It was a bit overly complicated in some aspects. There was a lot going on. I enjoyed the futuristic setting and the science fiction elements. I also loved Fassan and Lu’s friendship. They had had a really strong friendship and I found that quite compelling. I also liked the exploration of AI in this story, and how the AI could grow and change. It was quite LGBTQ+ friendly, which I loved.
32. The Rose that Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I’m not a big fan of rap music and don’t know a lot about it. I also don’t think I’ve ever listened to a Tupac song and might not be able to name one of them, but I still really liked this collection of poetry. I liked that they included copies of the poems as he wrote them in his handwriting but paired them with a transcribed version. They were very well written and several were quite moving.
33. Giant Days by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I loved how this had a very strong emphasis on female friendship. I also really liked the realistic setting and how they would get caught in ordinary drama. The characters were well designed and overall the story was really sweet. I definitely want to continue with this series.
34. Treasure in the Lake by Jason Pamment
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a super cute graphic novel. I liked the themes of growing up and feeling like you are being held back by your friends. It was nice to see the two friends learn to appreciate the other. The timelines were really convoluted but it was intriguing to try and figure it out. The art was really cute and it got the story across well. I loved the design of the characters.
35. Passport by Sophia Glock
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I enjoyed this graphic novel memoir. Sophia had a cool style of art, though it wasn’t my favourite of the novels I have read recently. I liked reading about her dealing with typical teenage things, such as boys/crushs, rebelling against parental authority, and drama between friends, while also knowing her parents had this mysterious role where they were spies. It is fairly mature and dealt with topics such as drinking and sex. It wasn’t something I related to, but it was still pretty great.
36. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This absolutely made me sob. The friendship dynamics just really hit me in the feels in a way that I should. have known that they would. The art was super adorable and I loved the colours and design of the characters. I really enjoyed reading about the way that Vera interacted with the world. It was all very typically little kid. The militaristic Russian camp wasn’t my favourite, but I loved reading Vera’s story.
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