Month in Review: November

 

I am in Christmas mode. After the year it's been, I think everyone who celebrates any kind of holiday during this time of year has started celebrating a little bit earlier. We could all do with a little bit of cheer. But, even if you don't celebrate anything during this time of year, I hope you still find joy in something. Here's what I got up to in November: 

What I Read:

A Discovery of Witches by: Deborah Harkness: 3/5 stars 

Dear Justyce by: Nic Stone: 5/5 stars 

Furia by: Yamile Saied Mendez: 4/5 stars 

An Ember in the Ashes by: Sabaa Tahir: 5/5 stars 

A Torch Against the Night by: Sabaa Tahir: 4/5 stars 

A Reaper at the Gates by: Sabaa Tahir: 4/5 stars 

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by: Roselle Lim: 4/5 stars 

Favourite book: Dear Justyce was an incredible sequel to Dear Martin. I was very curious about Quan's story from hearing about him in Dear Martin, and this book offered an amazing insight into him, and the lives of incarcerated black teens. I think this book gives a great outlook on racism within the justice system. I thought it was really well written. 

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Roberta shares Gratitude on Tell Me Something Tuesday 

Sabrina shares Five Signs that You Should Take a Reading Break 

Claire interviews author Maurene Goo 

Cee discusses Setting Work/Life Boundaries 

Simone shares Wheelchair Facts and Stories 

Life Stuff: 

November was a very busy month school-wise. I rarely ever get stressed out about school, but this month I almost sent myself into a panic attack! To be honest, I was actually kind of happy that I was stressed about school and not other things, because I feel like school is a more common thing to get stressed about rather than the stuff that usually stresses me out. I know it's sad that school is such a common thing to get anxious over. We definitely need professors and teachers to be a bit more understanding. 

Anyways, this month was spent at my desk studying and writing masters applications. It's so nerve-wracking! But, hopefully December will be more under control. I'm looking forward to the winter break and I'm definitely looking forward to the holiday season. Even though it will look different this year, the spirit will still be there. But please party responsibly this year and limit social gatherings! Let's have a happy new year, instead of a sick one. 

How was your November? Do you have any plans for December? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

With the Fire on High by: Elizabeth Acevedo

 Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Published: May 7, 2019 by: Quill Tree Books 

Pages: 400 

Rating: 5/5 stars 

CW: slut shaming, difficult parental relationships

Emoni Santiago has a young daughter to care for and her abuela to support. She also has a dream of working in a real kitchen, and her high school culinary arts class is the perfect way to get there. Emoni loves to cook, and when she is in the kitchen, all her troubles go away. But, her responsibilities are tolling, and when Emoni gets the opportunity to attend a class trip to Spain, she will stop at nothing to get the funding for that trip. Mix that with a budding romance, and her complicated relationship with the father of her child, and Emoni is in for one hell of a senior year. 

I loved this novel. This was the first Acevedo book I have read, and I believe she mostly writes in verse poetry, though this novel was prose. The story was incredible. I immediately took a liking to Emoni as a character, and I was rooting for her the entire way. Also, can we discuss this gorgeous cover? Everything about this book was just fabulous. 

First off, I loved how this book wasn't just a sad story. Often times when reading of girls who have teenage pregnancies, their lives are just absolutely horrible. Now I'm not saying that having a kid in high school is all butterflies and rainbows. But Emoni's story is one of triumph, and that's refreshing to see. She is an amazing mother, and amazing granddaughter, and an amazing chef. She is so much more than just a teen mom. 

The food descriptions in this book will make your mouth water. Emoni is Afro-Latina, and so a lot of her cooking is based off of Latin American cuisine. I loved how Acevedo describes the flavours that Emoni uses, and how each ingredient is meticulously used. I am a sucker for food descriptions in books, and this one had a lot of it. There was something really magical about all of the food descriptions. You could really see how this is Emoni's passion. 

I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Emoni's best friend is so supportive of her, and I loved her sarcasm and wit. Even Emoni's ex who is the father of her child, was not a super hateful guy. I mean, he definitely has his faults. But he and Emoni were able to make it work for their kid. And that was great to see. Also, Malachi, who is Emoni's love interest, was so adorable. This book had a great slow-burn romance to it. And I loved every second. 

With the Fire on High was a fantastic read, and it really made me love Acevedo as a writer. I think she is so gifted in her writing, and she writes fantastic, diverse characters who I rooted for every step of the way. I was so happy that I got a book about an Afro-Latinx teen mom that wasn't just doom and gloom. 

Have you read With the Fire on High? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Foolish Hearts by: Emma Mills

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Published: December 5, 2017 by: Henry Holt and Company 

Pages: 320 

Rating: 5/5 stars 

CW: panic attacks, seizures, high-risk childbirth

Claudia is trying to get through helping out with her school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. There's just one problem. She is working with Iris, a girl who has little respect for Claudia after Claudia accidentally eavesdropped on Iris' rough breakup with her girlfriend Paige. Claudia and Iris must work together to keep the production afloat, all while dealing with their sourness for one another, and working with Gideon, a goofy guy who Claudia just might have a crush on. 

I LOVED this book. I read it unexpectedly for a Shakespeare readathon I participated in a while back, and I didn't really know what to expect. What I got was a fun, heartwarming book about love, friendship, and Shakespeare. Not to mention that the cast of characters were diverse and so easy to love. 

First off, I will say that we need more books that show teenage boys having deep friendships with other teenage boys, and not being afraid to be emotional. Gideon's friendship with his best friend Noah was so lovely to see, especially considering that toxic masculinity makes most teenage boys afraid of being emotional with another boy. I loved how Gideon and Noah were able to call out the bullshit of the boys in their school who were disrespectful, and we love seeing white men who are able to check their privilege and do something to help those who are not privileged. It was awesome to see. 

This book tackles a lot of subjects that I don't see much in YA. For example, Claudia's sister is dealing with a high-risk pregnancy, and Claudia is concerned for her safety. I thought this was an interesting topic to deal with in a YA book, because high-risk pregnancies can be very stressful situations and are not usually discussed in fiction. I thought it was handled really well. 

I also loved how this book had a sapphic relationship that represented the "It" couple at the high school. Usually in really tropey YA high school novels, the "It" couple are straight. But Iris and Paige are the relationship that all the girls wish to have. Yay for sapphic representation! 

This book was super easy to get through, and I loved the Shakespeare references as well. It wasn't too much Shakespeare that left me overwhelmed or bored. Mills is able to bring Shakespeare into YA in a really crafty way. Shakespeare does not overshadow the stories of the characters, and I can appreciate that. 

Overall, anyone who loves YA contemporary, needs to read this book. I loved how the diverse characters in this book aren't necessarily put into upsetting situations. This book really lifted my spirits. 

Have you read Foolish Hearts? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess