#sandhya menon

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (September 19th, 2023)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Standalones/First in a Series:

Nightbreaker by Coco Ma

When A Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi

How to Find A Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Of Dreams & Destiny by Sandhya Menon

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie

The Collectors by Various

Running Past Dark by Han Nolan

Archives of Despair by Caleb Finn

New Sequels:

Shadow Coven (The Witchery #2) by S. Isabelle

A Crown So Cursed (The Nightmare-Verse #3) by L.L. McKinney

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Happy reading!

[the-final-sentence]

And the world closed in around them.

Sandhya Menon, from As Kismet Would Have It 

[wannabe-british-fangirl]

~ books read in 2024 ~

#25: Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon

Apollonia "Onny" Diamante walked into fifth-period biology with magic tucked into the back pocket of her jeans.

Rating: 4/5

Three Sentence Review: This book was enjoyable even if it was a bit cheesy. The interwoven stories were fun, and there were plenty of background characters that I would love to read more about if these authors ever revisited them. I just wish the Halloween setting was more utilized - while it's there, the town's own folklore is really the main focus and the story could conceivably be set at any time.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Of Dreams and Destiny | Author: Sandhya Menon | Publisher: Simon Pulse (2023)

[notpoet06]

“She willed him to be hypnotized by her smile, her brown eyes, her easy banter.”

Heh? I didn’t flirt with anyone today. (Or ever.) I talked to like two people outside of my family today

Book divination be upon ye!

Pick up the nearest book or access what you’re currently reading on your e-reader. Go to page 73. Point to a place on the page at random. What does it say about your day?

Reblog this post with the line, phrase, or sentence you landed on. Add the book title in the tags if it feels good. Or don’t, and just embrace the chaos! Up to you!

We’ll go first.

Like we know something other people do not.

[readtilyoudie]

“Shit.” I sink back down onto my bed. “How the hell do these things always happen to me?”

“You’ve summoned creatures of night by accident before?” the demon in my room asks, cocking his head quizzically.

Eternally Yours: My Demon Prince Charming by Sandhya Menon

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

When was the last time you spoke out? Sometimes all it takes is a few seconds of bravery (or sass) to completely change your life. .

I read #whendimplemetrishi ages ago, but this quote has still lingered in the back of my mind. I could have changed my life a dozen times if only I'd said the words at the tip of my tongue. So here's a challenge for you to today: Say the things you never say.

[bookishjules]

where to even start..

it's about the ice queen. the one who feels a sense of duty to her family, or a responsibility to be untouchable because of her station in life. the girl who's learned that having a hard exterior is safer somehow, and who may not even see the value in vulnerability ..and the one who gets under her skin. the one who can see through her facade. the one who helps her realize that the surface-level relationships she surrounded herself with were just scraps that her big heart was struggling to live on

and of course it's about the dweeb. the one who has always felt invisible, or cast to the side ..and the one who makes him feel seen and appreciated, who shows him he's always been more than enough.

it's about the walls that raised the queen up so high coming down as the dweeb gains confidence in themselves and rises to meet them in this space where everything is clear and honest and they see each other in a way few others have managed to. it's about two people who wouldn't normally be together, realizing that there's actually no one else they'd rather be with. because they complement each other, they challenge each other, and, maybe most importantly, they understand each other, which allows for everything else to fall into place.

ice queen / dweeb ships. you agree

[youareinlove]

c’s books 2024 📖

serious moonlight by jenn bennett - january 8

better than the movies by lynn painter - january 31

pride and prejudice by jane austen - march 28

do you take this man by denise williams - april 12

little women by louisa may alcott - may 9

one last stop by casey mcquinston - may 10

a pho love story by loan le - june 18

when dimple met rishi by sandhya menon - june 29

the two lives of lydia bird by josie silver - july 3

funny story by emily henry - july 6

the ballad of darcy and russell by morgan matson - july 27

how to read literature like a professor by thomas c. foster - august 20

happy place by emily henry - august 29

hamlet by william shakespeare - october 7

paper towns by john green - october 7

book lovers by emily henry - october 21

their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston - october 23

frankenstein by mary shelley - november 18

the eras tour official book by taylor swift - november 30

the left hand of darkness - december 12

[richincolor]

We have something for everyone this week! Which of these books are on your radar already?

Of Dreams and Destiny (St. Rosetta's Academy #3) by Sandhya Menon Simon Pulse

It’s senior year, and Daphne Elizabeth “DE” McKinley, the heiress to the McKinley hotel dynasty, is still licking her wounds after a painful breakup. She’s determined to keep her head down and her heart shuttered—even from new student Xander, no matter how dreamy he is. Then Rosetta Academy is swallowed up by a sudden and massive spring storm, and very strange things start happening. The students start to fall into a stupor, then a deep sleep…one by one. Soon, DE is racing against the clock to find the source of the strange spell and stop it before it claims the entire school. Could Xander’s help be the key to solving the mystery?

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr Abrams

In the vein of Grown and The Poet X, a searing and defiant novel in verse about reclaiming agency after a sexual assault within the church community. Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh has always believed in using her tongue as her weapon—even when it gets her into trouble. After cursing at a classmate, her father forces her to volunteer at their church with Pastor Johnson. But Pastor Johnson isn’t the holy man everyone thinks he is. The same voice Amina uses to fight falls quiet the night she is sexually assaulted by Pastor Johnson. After that, her life starts to unravel: her father is frustrated that her grades are slipping, and her best friend and boyfriend don’t understand why the once loud and proud girl is now quiet and distant. In a world that claims to support survivors, Amina wonders who will support her when her attacker is everyone's favorite community leader. When Pastor Johnson is arrested for a different crime, the community is shaken and divided; some call him a monster and others defend him. But Amina is secretly relieved. She no longer has to speak because Pastor Johnson can't hurt her anymore–or so she believes. To regain her voice and sense of self, Amina must find the power to confront her abuser—in the courtroom and her heart—and learn to use all the fighting parts within her.

Nightbreaker (Nightbreaker #1) by Coco Ma Viking Books for Young Readers

Fifteen years ago, The Vanishing thrust Manhattan into darkness, forever changing the City That Never Sleeps. Aboveground, resilient New Yorkers have adapted by clinging to the vestiges of their cosmopolitan lives. Below the streets--well, you never go underground unless you have a death wish. Or unless you're Rei Reynolds. By day, Rei attends the an elite New York prep school, but by cover of night, she's is a self-initiated warrior with a knack for hunting Deathlings, the deadly creatures that haunt Manhattan's subway tunnels and blood-soaked streets at night. All Rei wants is to avenge her parents, who were slaughtered years ago by the nightmarish monsters. The Tournament is the only path to the career Rei has always dreamed of--becoming a Maverick, the city's elite Deathling-killing force. Winning should be a breeze, but the one potential problem is fellow competitor Kieran Cross, Rei's infuriating ex with whom she shares a bitter history. But as the Tournament progresses--and the cutthroat betrayals mount--everything Rei believed about who she can and cannot trust is called into question. She soon becomes the target of everyone who wants to keep the city's ruling class in power, as well as those who seek to bring it down. In other words, Rei is positively and completely screwed. Coco Ma's exhilarating fantasy blends thrills and chills for an immersive read featuring the snarky, postapocalyptic heroine we all hope to be.

Shadow Coven (The Witchery #2) by S. Isabelle Scholastic Press

After defeating the Wolves, Jailah, Logan, Iris, and Thalia want nothing more than a summer of fun and relaxation. But there is no rest for the wicked, especially when Death comes for Iris. She is to become a Reaper, tasked with banishing souls who refuse to cross over. But Iris suspects there’s something more ominous going on when Mathew’s role as her tether grows sinister. Logan and Thalia are ready to prove themselves as witches. Except Logan still hears the howling Wolves and realizes that the Haunting Season may have awakened more than just her magic. And while Thalia wants to spend her days cleansing the Swamp for good, she finds herself heading to a place she swore she’d never go again: home. Witches have started going missing near Annex, and Thalia is convinced that her father is behind the disappearances. With the help of Logan and Trent, Thalia returns to stop him. Meanwhile, Jailah is focused on her internship with the Haelsford Witchery Council until she discovers a treacherous magic hidden beneath Mesmortes, and there are those who will go to great lengths to keep it buried. So, she turns to the only person who understands, even if it’s the one witch who hates her most. Separated by distance, the coven is surrounded by magical and mundane threats that must be defeated before they lose their witchery--and each other--forever...

Champion of Fate (Heromaker #1) by Kendare Blake Quill Tree Books

Behind every great hero is an Aristene. Aristene are mythical female warriors, part of a legendary order. Though heroes might be immortalized in stories, it’s the Aristene who guide them to victory. They are the Heromakers. Ever since she was an orphan taken in by the order, Reed has wanted to be an Aristene. Now, as an initiate, just one challenge stands in her way: she must shepherd her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and Reed will take her place beside her sisters. Fail, and she’ll be cast from the only home she’s ever known. Nothing is going to stop Reed--until she meets her hero. Hestion is fiery and infuriating, but what begins as an alliance becomes more, and as secrets of the order come to light Reed begins to understand what becoming an Aristene may truly cost. Battle looming, she must choose: the order and the life she had planned, or Hestion, and the one she never expected.

A Crown So Cursed (The Nightmare--Verse #3) by L.L. McKinney Imprint

In the third book in L.L. McKinney's Nightmare-Verse trilogy, Alice gets one last chance to save Wonderland from itself. Alice and the gang are trying to recover from recent events—but members of her crew start having weird dreams. The same dreams. It seems the evil in Wonderland may not be as defeated as they thought—because someone's building an army of Nightmares to attack the mortal world. But before Alice jumps into battle, she discovers she has a personal connection to Wonderland, and she must face what it means for the fight ahead. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi Tu Books

After Zahra Paracha makes a decision at odds with her beliefs, her mother forces Zahra to make an impossible choice about her future. So Zahra runs away. A train and a plane ride later, she finds herself in New York, where she relinquishes her past in favor of a new future. There, she must learn who she is without the marionette strings of control in her mother's hands. There, she must learn who she wishes to become. On Long Island, Zahra stays at a bed & breakfast, unsure of her place in the world. Anxious, depressed, and grappling with guilt, she wanders aimlessly. She eventually visits the local masjid, where she is befriended by two sisters and drawn into the welcoming Muslim community there. It is in this place of safety that Zahra's healing truly begins--but can she create a home for herself when the foundation is built on lies she's spun to protect her from the past? When a family friend recognizes her, will everything come crashing down? As Zahra tries to build a life for herself in this new place, the heart of the matter becomes clear: she can't run away forever. Can she close the rift in her family and truly, fully heal? In this powerful novel from new voice Aamna Qureshi, a Muslim teen goes on a breathtaking journey to find her home and--more importantly--herself.

[good-books-to-read]

Beauty & the Beast

A curse so dark and Lonely (ACSDAL) by Briged Kemmerer

Of beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of curses and kisses by Sandhya Menon

A Court Of Thorns And Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. Maas

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

[ramblingsofanamorophile]

a little poem I wrote called "a book on a screen". In response to reading the book "there's something about sweetie," by sandhya menon.

in peals of laughter a soul once dark with a heart now filled to the brim sparks alight in the blue sheen of a book on a screen a love so vast that heart aching blast a joy shines like a gem though it doesn't belong to them, they hold it dear waiting and wishing happy at last for when they may feel this rosy mass of epiphany of candy sunrises and of starry nights of a warmth to fill them up in their darkest times for when finally their wish is fulfilled

[postanthropoceneplanning]

Gf and I planning

(unrelated to project)

Books for future kids:

The Ultimate Book of Animals: Anne-Sophie Baumann

Egyptology: Dugald Steer

Actual Size: Steve Jenkins

Why Are We Afraid?: Fran Pintadera

Different-A Great Thing to Be!: Heather Avis

The Brain Forest: Sandhya Menon

Spaghetti! An Interactive Recipe Book: Lotta Nieminen

Stellaluna: Janell Cannon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Eric Carle

The Very Busy Spider: Eric Carle

By the Light of the Halloween Moon: Caroline Stutson

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Bill Martin Jr.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: Laura Joffe Numeroff

Rumble in the Jungle: Giles Andreae

Commotion in the Ocean: Giles Andreae

What Makes a Baby: Cory Silverberg

I Spy: Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo

The Mitten: Jan Brett

William and The Magic Ring: Laura Robinson

Humongous Fungus (Underground and All Around): Wenjia Tang

Life After Whale (The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall): Lynn Brunelle

Remember: Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Of Princes and Promises | Author: Sandhya Menon | Publisher: Simon Schuster (2021)

[booklovershouse]

Oi oi oi, booklovers!

O post das leituras do mês tarda mas não falha kkkkkkk ~ pra ser sincera, eu tava até pensando em deixar pra amanhã, só que aí já seria abril 🤡

Mas enfim, apesar de tudo, as leituras de março foram um pouquinho mais proveitosas, apesar de que li praticamente a mesma quantidade do mês passado.

🩷| Match Imperfeito - Sandhya Menon (3★)

Eu tenho um belo problema com autores que não sabem quando é a hora de parar, o que infelizmente acontece muito em livros nacionais. Sabe, aquelas horas que parece que já aconteceu tudo o que tinha que acontecer, mas o autor continua escrevendo e vc, que estava gostando da história até então, começa a pensar "só acaba pelo amor de Deus" ? Esse livro foi exatamente assim.

Os protagonistas - que, inclusive são indianos e os pais meteram eles num casamento arranjado, embora Dimple sempre tenha odiado a ideia - já estavam apaixonados logo no começo, mas ficaram enrolando e dando desculpinhas pra não ficarem juntos. Depois, a gnt acompanhou umas tretas aleatórias que aconteceram e afins

Achei que a autora ficou enchendo com linguiça e que dava pra ter terminado bem antes.

❤️| Átimos - Mari Fernandes (5★)

Um conjunto de pequenos contos - alguns fofos, alguns mais reflexivos - que te deixam com o coração quentinho. Achei bem legal.

🩷| Dom Casmurro - Machado de Assis (3★)

Que foi de Dom Casmurro que veio o "traiu ou não traiu?" todo leitor sabe, agora ler mesmo, só li nesse mês (por causa da escola, claro).

Achei tudo muito arrastado, com 91728272 acontecimentos pra um livro de menos de 300 páginas e o Bentinho parava pra narrar e descrever tudo e qualquer coisa! Eram tantos capítulos que parecia que eu estava lendo um calhamaço tipo Os Miseráveis!

❤️| A Bússola do Coração - Sarah Ferguson (Cr)

Esse eu não terminei ainda, por isso não posso nem avaliar, porém falta só uns 40% do livro então irei repassar minhas impressões até agora:

1) Gostei do começo, achei interessante.

2) O foco não é no romance e tá tudo bem, mas não aguento mais nenhum capítulo da protagonista ajudando alguma comunidade pobre de Londres (tipo, que bom que ela ajuda, mas acho que não preciso saber de tudo que acontece lá né?)

3) Achei que a parte do romance em si ficou um pouco apressada, embora tenha demorado séculos para acontecer. Sla, parecia que a autora apenas queria que acontecesse naquele momento. Dava pra fazer de outra maneira e sem deixar a gnt com raiva de ninguém - pq eu estou irritada até agr com o que aconteceu.

Enfim gnt, é isso, boa Páscoa pra vcs! 🩷✨

Bjs e boas leituras <333

[bookaddict24-7]

RECO OF THE WEEK!

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

Synopsis: 

“Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s 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?”

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Check out my review here.

Add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here.

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Have you read this book? Would you recommend it? 

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Happy reading!