The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story

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The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondō

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Diamond Distributors
Published: 2017
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Manga, Educational, Organization, Lifestyle, Cute


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From the #1 New York Times best-selling author and lifestyle/cleaning guru Marie Kondo, this graphic novelization brings Kondo’s life-changing tidying method to life with the fun, quirky story of a woman who transforms her home, work, and love life using Kondo’s advice and inspiration. Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Love – Claire Kann

31625039Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Borrowed
First Published: January 23rd, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, College, Asexuality, Romance, Friendship, Family


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Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done. But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!) When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood. Continue reading

Best Young Adult Books with Mild LGBT Themes

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Dear readers, I was reading an M/M romance erotica that was really disappointing me (off with Insta-Lust’s head!) when I decided to make a list of the best Young Adult books with mild LGBT themes I’ve read in my life. (Click on the covers to buy.)

Here it goes. Continue reading

Review: Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

16090645Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: March 11th 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 11+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Prom, Love

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Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there’s only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother’s best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek…with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart’s interests–even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart’s simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all… Continue reading

Review of Wish You Were Italian (If Only… #2) by Kristin Rae

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: borrowed
Publication date: May 6th, 2014
Genres & Themes: YA, Traveling, Romance, Contemporary, Summer, friendship, family.

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Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?

Continue reading

Review of Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5) by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

My rating: 3 of 5 lovely stars
Received: bought
Publication date: July 15th, 2014
Genres & themes: YA, Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Family, Death, Guilt.

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Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

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Review of The Storybook of Legends (Ever After High #1) by Shannon Hale

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publication date: October 8th, 2013
Genres & themes: middle grade, fairy tales, boarding school, friendship, adventure.

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At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens…whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.

As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen’s destiny is to follow in her mother’s wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven’s style. She’s starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.


What if Raven doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.

Continue reading

Review of Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Loved it! stars

This book was so much fun! A breath of fresh air! I actually read this book while eating popcorn. No kidding. If you’re looking for something entertaining and purely enjoyable, I highly recommend you Rebel Belle. It also contains a little bit of creepy and/or strange scenes that are only going to make you want to read more and more of it.

Harper might seem to you, at the beggining of the story, a little too girly and vain, but she’s actually not that way. She has her reasons why Homecoming is very important to her that you’ll learn eventually in the story. I must admit that her one thousand dollars or more dress made me cringe my teeth. That excepted, Harper is mostly a normal seventeen years old teenager dating and loving a nice boy and expecting to pass a great evening at the Homecoming event accompanied by her boyfriend and best friends. Unfortunately, when the school janitor transmits her some weird thing while unexpectingly kissing her, everything changes. And that’s when she becomes a kick-ass girl with new superpowers.

The writing isn’t impressive but nice instead. Standard but efficient since a book like this one is better off complicated words and long sentences. It could’ve been prettier though. This book has a cool atmosphere that’ll get you at ease and make the reading comfortable. The story might very likely seem to you either very interesting or fun. Or both. Either way, you’ll enjoy it and found it adorable. I thought it was amazing and well done. It felt like watching a comedy/supernatural/drama/action movie. I loved it!

The romance was pretty clean. It was cute and sometimes sigh-worthy. And sometimes frustrating indeed. Previsible by moments but also enchanting. Sweet and rightly accompanying the story.

If you liked/loved Rachel Hawkins’ other books, there are many chances you’ll appreciate Rebel Belle too.

Happy reading! (And don’t forget the popcorn and/or candy!)

View all my reviews on Goodreads.