#please ignore Vera dietz

[authormorganbrady]

Book Recommendation of The Month - Nov.22

So, I’m hoping people might enjoy this because I’ve read so many books in my lifetime that I might be running out. Without further ado, my first book recommendation EVER:

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King

-

The novel is an absolute show stopper. For one, I personally am a fan of untraditional writing styles. “Chapter 1,” “Chapter 2,” it all gets jumbled together for me. The way King chose to write this book is flexible, unique, and a breath of fresh air.

The novel centers around a girl named Vera Dietz, her very dead best friend Charlie, and what she knows about his death that perhaps the police.. don’t know. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s lovely.

The book also offers very raw and honest representation for domestic violence survivors, sexual assault / grooming survivors, and child abuse survivors. So, very firm trigger warning. But, if you can stomach it, or if you’re like me and representation almost furthers healing for you, it won’t bother you much. It’s a very real and honest take on what those situations truly look like.

Best part? No film adaptation. Ah, sweet literature. That’s all for now - love you!

- m.b

[vechter]

dick grayson & jason todd: on brotherhood

nox, anne carson // nightwing secret files and origins (1999) #1 // nathaniel orion g.k. // batman: battle for the cowl (2009) #3 // nightwing (1996) #119 // the crucible: a play in four acts, arthur miller // task force z (2021) #7 // outsiders (2003) #44 // mikey and nicky, elaine may // task force z (2021) #8 // white is for witching, helen oyeyemi // outsiders (2003) #44 // cain, josé saramago // new titans (1984) #55 // dayspring, anthony oliveira // batman (1940) #436 // and the coyotes howled, part I, lev st. valentine // i am the brother of xx: stories, fleur jaeggy tr. by gini alhadeff // new titans (1984) #55 // new teen titans (1984) #20 // please ignore vera dietz, a.s. king // nightwing (1996) #62 // mirror traps, hera lindsay bird // batman and robin (2009) #25 // brother, murder by death // countdown presents: the search for ray palmer: red rain (2007) #1 // killing flies, michael dickman // nightwing secret files and origins (1999) #1 

[hestiashand]

i know why the caged bird sings.

the trees witness everything, victoria chang | unknown | bookwyrminspiration | richard siken | brother, sister, rival, friend: the longstanding effects of sibling relationships, joshua a. krisch | bloodshot, julien baker | antigone, sophicles | unknown | please ignore vera dietz, a.s. king | everyone but you, the front bottoms | wandavision 1x08, dir matt shakman | jamie anderson | antigonick, anne carson

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE.

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

___

275. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a lot rougher than I was expecting. Man, this was sad.

I don't know what I was expecting when I first started this book, but it had been sitting on my shelves for years and I figured it was time. First of all, I really liked the way King introduced the MC's relationship to her ex-best friend. Off the bat, we have a funeral and we are brought into a world of grief. What I liked about it was how as the story progresses, we slowly go through the different stages of the grief as things are revealed.

The back and forth of the past and the present works as a great juxtaposition to show how naive the MC was at the beginning of her friendship and how jaded she was by the end of it all. We see her grow as a character, but also lose the childhood innocence she tried to hold on to for a very long time.

We are also shown the devastating path of trauma. The breakdown of the best friend as each trauma is revealed and eventually lead up to a devastating conclusion. This, in a way, reminded me of those ads in the 90s and early 2000s that showed the effects of a child on drugs--except that while this book definitely had some drug and alcohol abuse, it was also just the risky behaviour that showcased the effects of trauma and the choices we make after or during the moments that trauma is occurring.

My heart broke for Vera and even her best friend. They were robbed of a future they could have had by a select number of circumstances and a lack of self-worth. While the MC is trying to slip into the background of her life until she can escape her small town, her best friend took on more of that negative notice.

By the end of the book, I was left grieving (still) for a character who I finally fully understood and who, after everything, was still a child who was handed a shitty card and zero ways of healthily dealing with his trauma. And it was in the moments where we got a few POVs of the best friend after he dies that made it even more obvious how out of control his life had gotten.

This is an incredibly sad book, but so powerful. I think that this book should be read by any generation because even though it is slightly older (by book years), it holds very important messages.

___

276. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honestly, this book was just okay.

It spans one night of adventures after graduating from high school and it took me a while to get into. I did like the artistic descriptions and the love that the MCs had for art. But it sometimes felt like there was too much going on?

The running around of the characters and the misadventures definitely made this book feel like one of those books you'd read on a whim in the middle of a summer night. You'd wake up in a fog and barely remember what you read, but knew that it would just be one of many books read in the coming summer nights. Meaning, it was enjoyable for what it was, but wasn't anything particularly special.

I do think this would make for a great movie, especially if it had been made in the early 2000s. It had that aura of "all or nothing" that some teen movies had back then.

___

277. The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB is NOT a horror story. The title is both misleading and not--simply because the story DOES deal with some ghosts, but it's not the paranormal kind. This was a coming of age story where the ghosts haunting the story is the grief that follows the family. And this is all done in the background as we follow the MC through his boyhood in Niagara.

There were so many heartbreaking moments in this book and I wanted to give several characters a hug, especially when the truth was starting to be revealed. It's also incredible how powerful the human brain can be.

I loved that the MC splits the narrative between his past and present because I enjoyed knowing that he would overcome his childhood and the secrets of his family. The adult perspective versus the childhood innocence was a great example of how much can change when the perspectives are altered slightly.

I don't want to say too much because spoilers, but I think this book was more than what the title hinted at. It is adventure, boyhood, innocence, family, and that mystery of the great unknown. It is friendship, first loves, narrow escapes, and bullying. It is a whole childhood experience that may or may not be relatable to some and eye-opening to others. It was a beautiful hodgepodge of experiences tossed into a well-written book with a very intriguing title.

___

278. A Stealthy Situation by Saxon James--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I've been wanting to read A STEALTHY SITUATION for a bit, especially because it deals with one of the twins from a previous series this author did. I'm a huge fan of Saxon James, but this one didn't fully hit its mark with me.

While I loved the sexual tension and the relationship when the two MCs fell into their love for each other, there were a few things glossed over that I would have loved to see. The fast-forwarding through certain moments was a bit disappointing. I also wasn't a fan of the whole conflict, but I did enjoy where it went in the end.

Overall, I still got those little butterflies in my stomach that I usually get when reading James's writing, I just wish this one felt a little more substantial.

___

279. The Solution by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the most intense book in the series so far.

A lot of the kids' morals were challenged, which I think would mimic real-life situations (for most kids), especially because sometimes I have a hard time with this series because of HOW moral they are and how unrealistic it comes off. How the whole situation was approached made this one of my favourite books in this series so far.

This one also had some great twists. It definitely left me wondering what would happen next and what else David would do. I did feel weirdly bad for David at some points because he was just a kid trying to find a solution to his unexpected problem and grief, but he was also awful.

Definitely interested to see what else happens in this series!

___

280. Exteriors by Annie Ernaux--⭐️⭐️

This collection reminds me of when I used to have to write vignettes of the life around me for my creative writing class in university. In the moment, the observations feel poignant and impactful, but cobbled together it can be disorienting.

While EXTERIORS has moments of extreme insightfulness, ie. a man yelling at his dog to go home being equated to how women and children are sometimes yelled at by men, others are random observations that leave the reader wondering why this was something added to this collection. I get that this is the point and I’m not faulting the experiment—but the pieces are sometimes so short that they don’t have that punch that’s needed to stay with the reader. On the other hand, there are other longer pieces that land just as equally emotionless and without any staying power.

But, but, but there are definitely some moments caught in the author’s day that definitely felt powerful and was the main reason why I kept reading. The observations on social classes, race, sexuality, gender, and other important topics were definitely felt.

I love this one review that mentioned that they're not French enough to understand this LOL. Maybe this review commentary resonates with me because I, too, am not French enough for this. But like I mentioned above, EXTERIORS immediately made me think of that class assignment. I think I understand what was the intention and why it was so disorientating, but I do wish there was a bit more...cohesiveness to the collection. But I guess when you people watch, life isn't exactly cohesive.

___

281. FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Phew, FANTASTICLAND was a RIDE. It took me a bit to fully get into it, but when I did? Hooked.

There's always such an eerie atmosphere when a horror book makes the human characters the real monsters of the story. In my opinion, I find those books a lot more disturbing and scary because humanity is capable of such atrocities.

FANTASTICLAND is like a LORD OF THE FLIES times ten. This book didn't shy away from the bloody murders and the horrible characters and the unforgivable acts, it embraced them fully. And I think that since this is told, essentially, as interviews (different characters per chapter) it makes the horrors feel more rounded. We get different perspectives and different reactions to the horrible things done in the park. There was one particular chapter that broke my heart, especially because of how it was connected to another chapter. It added a surprising moment of levity to a novel full of so many horrible things. It weirdly felt like that one character was justified in her actions afterward.

I also loved how the chapters worked off each other--it helped me see how biased certain characters were and what others thought of them. It felt like chisme and I was thoroughly entertained.

I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like too much gore or humans as the monsters of horror, but for everyone else, I would one hundred percent recommend this book. It was such a great experience and I'm glad I finally got to it!

___

282. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honestly, this was OK. The kind of read that I kept listening to because I felt too invested to DNF but secretly hoped I HAD DNFed. I did like that it was an adaptation of the true crime Ted Bundy case.

I think my issue with this book was that it felt too long and the different timelines were sometimes confusing. I'm still not sure how we got from one moment in a timeline to the other and when it clicked, I just thought "Oh, duh, of course." I listened to the book during an overnight shift at work and I remember looking at the audiobook and noticing how much time was left--definitely felt like a never-ending book.

The characters themselves were good. I liked how much they offered to the story and how they all had unique enough personalities that they stood out to me. I also really like the MC from the sorority because she carved her own path in a time where women were expected to be docile. Her boyfriend was a douchebag but she didn't let that stop her from pursuing what she wanted. I really liked that we got to see her in the present and how she turned out after the bloody events of her college years.

One of the most scarring things about this book was how we got to be inside of the head of one of the victims. There's something so incredibly sad and tragic about seeing from the POV of a character that is doomed. Even worse when you know that it is a mirror of an actual case that happened, AND add to it the toxic familial connections she had. I think that particular chapter was one of the eeriest and most powerful moments on the book.

Overall, while the book was a little too long and sometimes a bit meh in that it had moments where my attention wavered, it definitely had some powerful scenes. I think it was also a very, very interesting take on this historic murder case. It was also a great representation of how queerness was seen back then and how a woman's status in society was put into question if they didn't fit the societal expectations.

Read this if you love true crime and complex characters, especially ones who challenge the status quo.

___

Happy reading!

[catre33]

My favourite books in my personal library: (in completely random order)

The Little Prince by Antione de Saint Exupery. 111pg

'The little prince lived alone on a tiny planet no larger than a house. He owned three volcanoes, two active and one extinct. He also owned a flower, unlike any flower in all the galaxy, of great beauty and of inordinate pride. It was this pride that ruined the serenity of the little prince's world and started him on the interplanetary travels that brought him to earth, where he learned, finally, from a fox, the secret of what is really important in life.'

OH, my heart-. This absolute journey of a story is impossibly dear to me. I always pull it out when I need a reminder to grow old, but never grow up; and how stupid grown-ups can be. I've read this at least 7 times and watched the corresponding movie at least 5 times. It puts such a thrilling perspective on things I have had to fight with myself whether it should go in the fantasy or philosophy section. Sometimes we all need to remember how simple the world really is.

High Maintenance by Jennifer Belle 351pg

'Liv Kellerman has just left her cheating husband and--more tragically--their fabulous duplex with its Empire State Building views. Now Liv--alone for the first time in her life with few marketable skills, and crammed into a crumbling "fixer-upper" in Greenwich Village--is contemplating her next move...'

This book is HILARIOUS. I read it during my first and only trip to The Big Apple and finished it in the hotel room on the 2nd day (if I remember correctly). High Maintenance made the trip so much more thoughtful, and the people-watching much more interesting. People-watching in New York is already AMAZING, but I was able to better imagine the story behind the dude doing pull-ups on the street lamp (no joke). And it honestly made me think more than it made me laugh.S

tonewords, A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad 130pg

'The first time Zoe met Zoe Louise, Zoe was four years old. Zoe Louise was more than one hundred. From that day on--living in the same house, separated by a staircase and a century--Zoe and Zoe Louise have been an important and permanent part of each other's lives. Now Zoe is older. And although Zoe Louise never grows up, she is changing in dreadful, frightening ways. Time is running out for Zoe's best friend--and Zoe is the only one who can help her. To do so, she must travel back one hundred years in time and somehow alter the past. But in changing the past, must she also change the present? If she saves her friend's life, will she lose Zoe Louise forever?'

Stonewords is an annual fixture in my life. Though it doesn't in my book classify as a thriller it's still a ghost story and my favorite thing to read late on Halloween night. It's also one of the only books that use theoretical time travel that I will tolerate (mainly because it doesn't try to explain it away but rolls with the ideas). The character development is refreshing, as it is not in the ways you would originally expect.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 489pg

'An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries...unveiled at last.'

This book is an absolute constant stream of 'I should have seen that coming!!!' I mean, are you kidding me?! Twists and turns left and right, never quite knowing where you are for a couple of paragraphs, and riddles hidden in the page headers! And an absolute wonder as a mythology lover having grown up in a Mormon household. The recognition of pagan beliefs and traditions that have become such essential parts of Christian culture is incredible. The Da Vinci Code rivals Good Omens as my favourite book of all time.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King 323pg

'Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if I loved him once? Even if he was my best friend? Is it okay to hate him for being dead? Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone--the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?'

This was a surprisingly recent read; and though it took a little bit to get into it, I was entranced. It was really just an erratic puzzle coming together much slower than I would have liked it to, and it was terribly easy to relate to Vera's desire to please be ignored. I have to be honest; I grew as a person, reading this book. You get to know the dead kid more than you think you would. It is altogether nowhere near what I expected, and more than I thought I'd ever need.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell 579pg

'Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes an assignment in New York City, where an injured patient in Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric prison ward has specifically asked for her. While Scarpetta examines him, she listens to one of the most bizarre stories she has ever heard. Oscar Bane says his injuries were sustained in the course of a murder...that he did not commit...' (the blurb is paraphrased as it is the longest blurb in history sorry)

Not only is this book written by one of my favourite milfs, but there is also a very homo romantic subplot that I could not get enough of!!! (pg354 AAAH!!!) Scarpetta and everyone around her had me hooked from the first words (which were 'Brain tissue'). There is nothing I could do while reading this but live the plot. The incredibly emotive writing dragged me along for a rough but worthwhile ride.

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix 372pg

'Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own. Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land--and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.'

I bought this book from an elementary school book fair when I was maybe 10 years old, and it must be one of my most 'loved' paperbacks with all it's been through. It has been in the hands of family and friends and calls me out in ways I will never admit. Frogkisser! is a beautiful story with the perfect doses of snarky and silly weaved throughout every character. I used to know the plot so well that I would open to a page at random and read it just to cheer myself up. Now it's a nostalgic symbol of my childhood; not just of the good parts, but a basis of the good parts.

Skellig by David Almond 182pg

'Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister's ill, his parents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage. What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael's world changes forever.'

This was also a very recent read and oh my goodness gracious aGnES NUTTER, WITCH! I didn't know what to do with myself after it. I... I can't even explain it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to read this book for the first time. I was helpless in dreaming of angels and owls and clay and death and life and everything in between. I could never possibly do Skellig justice, so I'll leave it at this. Read it, and you'll know what I mean.

Notes: Good Omens is not listed here as it lives in my schoolbag, not my personal library. Coincidentally, all books listed were paperbacks LMAO

[jxrm]

book log - 2016

[the year my danny was born]

what to expect when you're expected by david javerbaum

seconds by bryan lee o'malley

choose your own autobiography by neil patrick harris

the beast within by serena valentino

the secret life of marilyn monroe by j. randy taraborrelli

brave new world by aldous huxley

fantastic beasts and where to find them by j.k. rowling

harry potter: the prequel by j.k. rowling

start here by scarlett macdougal

the lake house by kate morton

84, charing cross road by helene hanff

she went all the way by meg cabot

too late by colleen hoover

november 9 by colleen hoover

confess by colleen hoover

the motion of puppets by keith donohue

the regulars by georgia clark

life of pi by yann martel

mr. penumbra's 24-hour bookstore by robin sloan

all the missing girls by megan miranda

the singles game by lauren weisberger

emails from an asshole by john lindsay

dark lover by j.r. ward

the nest by cynthia d'aprix sweeney

queen of babble by meg cabot

harry potter and the cursed child by john tiffany

after dark by haruki murakami

one hundred names by cecelia ahern

they left us everything by plum johnson

what is not yours is not yours by helen oyeyemi

boo by neil smith

the royal we by heather cocks

made you up by francesca zappia

the magic strings of frankie presto by mitch albom

the book of awesome by neil pasricha

furiously happy by jenny lawson

the miseducation of cameron post by emily m. danforth

fresh off the boat by eddia huang

everything, everything by nicola yoon

why not me? by mindy kaling

humans of new york: stories by brandon stanton

the heart goes last by margaret atwood

devil may care by sebastian faulks

the book of you by claire kendall

dirty rush by taylor bell

if i was here by gayle forman

yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass by meg medina

let's pretend this never happened by jenny lawson

people i want to punch in the throat by jen mann

something real by heather demetrios

words and their meanings by kate bassett

don't look back by jennifer l. armentrout

reality boy by a.s. king

station eleven by emily st. john mandel

revival by stephen king

please look after mom by shin kyung-sook

please ignore vera dietz by a.s. king

the yorkshire pudding club by milly johnson

52 reasons to hate my father by jessica brody

i wrote this for you by pleasefindthis

what you wish for by kerry reichs

necessary lies by diane chamberlain

the girl with all the gifts by m.r. carey

china rich girlfriend by kevin kwan

the universe verus alex woods by gavin extence

half broke horses by jeannette walls

the book of bunny suicides by andy riley

godmother: the secret cinderella story by carolyn turgeon

harry potter and the philosopher's stone by j.k. rowling

lord of the flies by william golding

[jellybeanbeing]

Books That Made Me Cry pt. 2

I’ve already written a part one of this list but it’s been about two years since I wrote that one and in that timeframe I have read more books that have made me cry so here is an updated list!

Part one:

https://jellybeanbeing.tumblr.com/post/180974041971/books-that-made-me-cry

Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

I am so surprised that this book made me cry because it was a book I had to read for school. Usually, I always feel disconnected with books I have to read for school because I’m forced to read it, but with this one, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The journey that Anil and Sarath (and I guess Gamini) go on is filled with such turmoil and tragedy. Throughout the book, each of the characters’ background are sort of revealed, bringing out who they really are to the surface. There is so much heartbreak and loss, and you’re just hoping in the end that everything will be fine but it’s not. 

A Torch Against the Night & A Reaper at the Gates by Sabba Tahir

I recently reread the first three books for the third time, and it was this time that the second and third book made me sob. I think it has to do with the fact that I feel like I finally understand these characters and their motivations more clearly now, and I can connect with them. Laia, Elias, and Helene each go on their separate journeys to becoming who they are meant to be, and along the way, they are also hit with difficult and life altering changes though they never want it. They are constantly having to do things and become things that they don’t want to become but they have to for the sake of the greater good. 

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (spoilers included)

I have to congratulate this book so hard because it is the only book ever to make cry because of the romantic relationships. Like every other book on the lists of ‘books that made me cry’ made me cry not because of their romantic plot lines, but because of their own personal growth and journey and feelings. The moment where Jesse said he would give his last breath to Lucie was just perfect and everything romantic. And at the end, I could just feel the agony and sadness in Cordelia because she and James now have to “pretend” to be in love when she really is but he’s not, and it hurts so much. Also when Matthew tells Thomas (and Anna??) why he hates Alastair so much in front of Alastair and they basically tell him to fuck off, made me cry so much. This entire book is just filled with heartbreak and I know that the next two are going to be the same if not more.

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Every time I need a shot of nostalgia or sadness, I just open this book up and cry. It’s always so emotional and the way everything just ties in together is what I love so much and it makes my heart hurt. The internal and external personal journey the main characters go through is filled with so much emotion and tragedy that it’s hard not to feel for them and what they have to go through. It focuses in each characters’ relationship within their friendships and family, and it’s so beautiful and touching.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I absolutely loved this book and I read it at the most perfect time in my life. The way Noah and Jude’s story is drawn out was one of my favorite things about this book. It built up the emotions and really captured their personal growths and made me care for them and their stories. Usually with books told in two perspectives, I end up enjoying one perspective more, but I equally loved their perspectives. I loved the romance A LOT, but I loved that the story stayed to its core with always coming back to Noah and Jude and their family. The entire book is Noah and Jude finding their way back to each other and mending their family and I cried so much because it was just the most perfect thing ever.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S King

Honestly, I can’t believe I cried while reading this book. I was so mellow and lukewarm about the entire book so me crying is a big shocker. I think the thing that had me feeling so emotional was how atmospheric this book was and the relationship between Vera and her father. The father-daughter relationship they had, I felt like was very different from the others that I had read about. They aren’t happy all the time, and they weren’t that close. I really liked that aspect of the book. I guess I kind of also felt a connection with Vera and her feelings of loneliness and being lost in her own kind of world.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (spoilers included)

It took me FOREVER to pick this book back up but once I did again, I flew through this one. The story itself and the writing is so magical and pretty that it’s hard not to love it. I started crying when I got to part 6 because we get Katrina’s perspective and she cares so much for Zachary. We can see her hurt and slowly start to lose hope in finding Zachary, believing that he’s dead. We continue to see Katrina and her story and understand her character more and what she is destined for. The way this story is structured is kind of like stories within a story and the way everything comes back to the beginning and ties together was goddamn beautiful and I loved it. The romance killed me because there’s a lot of missed chances and the characters trying to find their way back to each other but can’t find them, especially with Simon and Eleanor. They’re both lost and have been for so long that they have forgotten what they were trying to look for but they know they are looking for something. Zachary was such a great character to follow and the way he just plunges into this entirely new world because he was just curious and knew that there was more to the world was such a relatable and precious thing. At the end when he loses Dorian and “dies” was the most heartbreaking thing ever because he had gone so far only to end up dead without finding out more. Because this book had an open ending was all the more heartbreaking yet hopeful because we see all the characters where they longed to be and understand their further potential.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

I loved that this book was written in verse because it made the story all the more powerful and heart hitting. Will has these moments that hit him in such quick moments and so much is happening. Every single moment and person matters in that short moment before the elevator hits the ground and it’s so overwhelming to Will because he has to make a decision and you just feel every single emotion that he feels. You’re there in that moment with him seeing everything come at him and then when it ends, you just hit with “what happens next?” and I loved it and it had me crying.

[webweave-lookatthetree]

My heart aches when I think ab them

the 1975//Richard Siken//Holly Black//Phoebe Bridgers//A. S. King x2//Sufjan Stevens//Jamie Anderson

[myso-calledlibrary]

💛🤍💛🤍

[jannatriestostudy]

the quirky book im reading, sunset on my last day of british council ever, and glittery me at bucharest pride!!

a.k.a haven’t posted in a while cus summer is a m a z i n g!!!! 

28.06.2019

[authorstalker]

My October & November Reads

Calypso, David Sedaris - Hilarious (obviously) and I think this is my favorite David Sedaris collection so far—but just a friendly warning that a few of the essays will break your heart. Whew!

How to Love, Katie Cotugno - I read the entire book in one sitting sooooo yeah, it's pretty great! How to Love is shelved in my library’s YA section, even though it’s definitely not YA. Just an interesting fact for y’all. I love Katie Cotugno’s strong, messy, realistic characters, and it must be said that she is astonishingly good at writing hot guys. Halfway through my read, I had to text Kerry just to say, “Sawyer sounds really hot” and Kerry replied in an instant: “All of Katie’s guys are hot.” I can’t wait to discover all these hot characters catch up on all of Katie Cotugno’s books!

Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King - A.S. King either brings a little bit of surrealism or a ton of it, and I prefer the former. I lucked out with this book, a classic King which I loved so much. I'm obsessed with King's early work, and I highly recommend this one, Ask the Passengers, and Reality Boy if you're considering her books. She’s an incredible writer. 

Life on the Leash, Victoria Schade - Rescue dogs! Cute dudes! Funny side characters! A woman getting her shit together! What more could you want from a book....perhaps a reality show about America's hottest landscapers? This book has that too! It's a delight, read it. :)

The Foreseeable Future, Emily Adrian - This is a fun coming-of-age story with a bit of romance, and it's an unusual story, too. It was refreshing to meet a protagonist who isn't crazy about books, who isn't sure about college, who frankly seems like an actual teenager. Of course I loved the romance (a dreamy beach cowboy, are you kidding me) but even more so, I loooved all the family conflict. SO GOOD. I'm looking forward to reading more Emily Adrian books.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand, Christina Lauren - Sigh. How are they always SO good? I mean really, how do they do it?! This one gets an A+. 

Normal People, Sally Rooney - Why did I read the whole thing in just one day? I'm devastated that it's over and am even more obsessed with Sally Rooney's writing (as the kids say: her MIND). Everyone who knows me IRL needs to read Normal People so we can discuss the ending, please and thank you.

One Day in December, Josie Silver - Definitely did not expect this book to take me on such a journey, but I really enjoyed it! I loved the writing, the women's friendship, the way the story shows how the tiniest decisions can be life-changing. Most importantly, there are plenty of swoony moments and the love interest is actually interesting. It's perfect for the holidays, plus Reese Witherspoon just chose it for her book club, and obviously we should do what Reese says.

[anditslove]

I'm thinking about how regret begets regret begets regret, and about the cycle I've just broken. I thought I'd feel better when I did it. I thought part of me would feel lighter. It doesn't.

A.S. King, Please Ignore Vera Dietz

[bookslinger]

Reading Log - Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Book: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

Format: Book

King, A. S. (2018). Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary:

Charlie has been Vera's best friend since they were kids, and he was her secret crush as they got older. But she lost him as a best friend after a falling out, and then she lost him altogether after he died. Vera is filled to the brim with Charlie's secrets, even after his death, and even about his death. As she tries to cope with the loss of the boy she both loves and hates, she also tries to avoid following in her parents' footsteps, fighting against "destiny."

Personal comments:

A.S. King's books do not pull any punches, which is both difficult and refreshing. I think it's important for teenagers to read books about other real teenagers. One of the most important parts of contemporary realistic young adult fiction is that there isn't always going to be a happily ever after. Real life is full of difficult decisions, confusing relationships of all kinds, sadness, and happiness too. Please Ignore Vera Dietz deals with concepts like death, abuse, alcoholism, and grief in ways that make the reader feel everything right along with the characters. Representation is important in young adult books, and I feel like seeing the dark sides of life can be just as rewarding in a book as a happy ending.

In the library:

Vera thinks a lot about destiny. Whether that means becoming like her mother or her father, falling for her best friend who could become like his abusive father, or anything else people could assume about her, she wants to avoid getting pinned down by fate. I think the concept of destiny is intriguing enough to spark conversation in a book club. Asking the question of whether Vera's life is controlled by destiny can make us think about our own lives and ask questions about the kinds of choices we make and what we want to do with our futures.

[anacedisgrace]

A. S. King, Please Ignore Vera Dietz

[ilikebooksthebest]

There was a reason Charlie was such a bright, blazing sun. He came from endless cold, black space.

- Vera Dietz (Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King)

[teencenterspl]

Audrey’s November Staff Picks:

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (YA F KIN)

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (YA F HAN)

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (Science Fiction – YA F SMI)

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (Science Fiction – YA F SIL)

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (YA F SIL)

Stephanie’s November Staff Picks:

Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow  (YA F GLA)

Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (YA F ALB)

Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti (YA F CAL)