Completely Full Bookshelf

Hi folks! This post will be very brief, because I'm running short on time this weekend.  Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea Written by Ashley Herring Blake Middle grade · 2021 Add it on Goodreads · · · The publisher says: · · · A poignant yet hopeful novel about a girl navigating grief, trauma, and friendship, from Ashley Herring Blake, the award-winning author of Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World . Hazel Bly used to live in the perfect house with the perfect family in sunny California. But when a kayaking trip goes horribly wrong, Mum is suddenly gone forever and Hazel is left with crippling anxiety and a jagged scar on her face. After Mum's death, Hazel, her other mother, Mama, and her little sister, Peach, need a fresh start. So for the last two years, the Bly girls have lived all over the country, never settling anywhere for more than a few months. When the family arrives in Rose Harbor, Maine, there's a wildness to the small town that feels like magic. But when Mama ...

I hope people are having a wonderful holiday season! I don't have any books to review today, but I am a third of the way through a nonfiction graphic novel, Fine: A Comic About Gender  by Rhea Ewing. This book pairs Ewing's own experience as a transgender person with insights from their interviews with fifty-six other people, all in the service of trying to describe gender and how it affects our lives. It's excellent  so far, and I look forward to reviewing it in full when I finish it! The Kidlit Lovers' Meetup! Also, I'm excited to share that our EIGHTH Kidlit Lovers' Meetup is officially scheduled for: Saturday, January 25 4-5 PM Pacific / 5-6 PM Mountain / 6-7 PM Central / 7-8 PM Eastern Virtual (via Zoom) As always, these meetups are a chance for us kidlit book bloggers and readers (and anyone else who wants to join in on the fun) to connect and discuss books, reading, blogging, and more! I've decided to stop using RSVP forms because it was getting confu...

Hi hi, folks! I've got quite  the review for you today, so let's get to it! Chef's Kiss Written by Jarrett Melendez, illustrated by Danica Brine, colored by Hank Jones, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou Young adult/adult · Graphic novel · 2022 Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · "A perfect mix of romance and self-discovery." — Publishers Weekly 2023 Alex Award Winner 2023 Eisner Award Nominee 2023 GLAAD Award Nominee 2023 YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens 2022 New York Public Library Best Book Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel! Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywritin...

Two in a row, y'all! I have a second book review for you this week, and it's another story very much worth sharing. So let's dive in! Feelings A Story in Seasons Written and illustrated by Manjit Thapp Young adult/adult · Graphic memoir(-ish) · 2021 Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · A stunning illustrated journey through one young woman’s year of feelings—from the saturated highs of early summer to the gray isolation of late winter.   Enter Manjit Thapp’s Feelings , where you’ll find moods that change as quickly as the weather; the different shades of anxiety and hope that each new season brings; and the stages of joy and pain that fuel our growth. From the spark of possibility and jolt of creativity in High Summer, to the need for release from anxiety and pressure during Monsoon, to the desolation and numbness of Winter, Feelings implores us to consider the seasons of our own emotional journeys. Articulating and validating th...

GUYS!!! I READ A BOOK!!! I actually do that sometimes, here on this book blog! I was at the bookstore with a friend recently and saw this book hiding on the shelf, and it called to me. So rather than shoving it into my own stuffed bookcases, I actually read it, thereby proving the impermanence of my reading slump. So let's talk about the book! Lavender Clouds Comics about Neurodivergence and Mental Health Written and illustrated by Bex Ollerton Young adult/adult · Graphic memoir · 2024 Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · A dazzling, humorous, and highly personal portrayal of neurodivergence from a leading voice in mental health comics. Eisner Award nominated author Bex Ollerton—known as @Schnumn to her thousands of followers—is a talented comic artist who feels energized and courageous on some days and exhausted and emotionally depleted on others. In Lavender Clouds , she translates her experiences with Autism, ADHD, and mental health in...

Y'all, I have a confession to make... Today I'm reviewing a video game, not a book. And I kind of hate that I'm doing it! This is a book blog, and I post in a roundup of book bloggers. So I hate to use this forum for whatever I feel like—there are standards  to be abided by ,  for goodness's sake! Aaaaaaaaaaaand yet...at the same time, I really want to talk about this game with y'all. Because it's one of the most beautiful pieces of art I can think of, and it matters a lot to me, and I think every human being would find joy and meaning from playing it, and that includes y'all! And I miss talking to y'all about what I'm interested in. And I daresay this game might even have particular appeal to book lovers...especially graphic novel lovers like moi self. (I know that's cheap, but just go with it!) So we're doing it—we're talking about Monument Valley 2 ! What is Monument Valley 2 ? Well, one easy way to find out is to watch the trailer: Bu...

I still haven't read anything, though I actually dreamed I had read some books and put a post together for y'all—does that count? I feel like this has been a pretty good week overall—I had some really fun hangouts with different friends, and I've been fairly productive with the 300 million bazillion things on my to-do list. I would be remiss if I did not mention the election tomorrow. I'm very anxious about the outcome—I think everyone is, but half of us for different reasons from the other half. It's strange—if I and half of America have our way, we will have our first woman president and second president of color, which I think would send a really powerful message to our population about what this country stands for. Or if the other half of America has their way, we will spend four years worrying about the ways our rights could be creatively rolled back, by a man who has said so many appalling and disgusting things that it is literally impossible to keep track. It...

Hi y'all! Again, I am still in a reading hiatus, but I'd be remiss if I did not mention... The Kidlit Lovers' Meetup! If you're interested in coming to the sixth Kidlit Lovers' Meetup  this November, then please fill out this scheduling survey by the end of the day Tuesday!  Your input helps me select a time that as many people can attend as possible. And if you're not familiar with what the meetups are, you can learn more here ! That's all for now—I wish everyone a good week and a happy Halloween! (And don't forget to vote early! ✨🗳️✨)

Still nothing read, as I balance some different hobbies with the chaos of the semester, but I did want to poke my head out of my turtle shell and give a plug for... The Kidlit Lovers' Meetup! Our FIFTH Kidlit Lovers' Meetup is scheduled for: This Wednesday, October 23 4–4:45p Pacific / 5–5:45p Mountain / 6–6:45p Central / 7–7:45p Eastern Virtual (via Zoom) As always, these meetups are a chance for us kidlit book bloggers and readers (and anyone else who wants to join in on the fun) to connect and discuss books, reading, blogging, and more! I've decided to stop using RSVP forms because it was getting confusing. Instead, sign up for the meetup mailing list so you can get the Zoom link for this meetup and all future meetups as they are scheduled. (You can also click that link to learn more about the meetup format, if you're curious!) (I suspect it's also going to get confusing to have two mailing lists, one through Mailchimp for blog posts and one through regular emai...

I am continuing my grandiose reading slump—and honestly? Not feeling too bad about it! Books will still be there when I get back to them. I mentioned last week that I've been playing a video game for a few weeks, Desta: The Memories Between —and like thirty minutes ago, I BEAT THE STORY MODE!!! I love this game—the story is affecting and poignant and wise, and the gameplay is engaging enough to make me feel all clever when I do something right, yet not so demanding that I can't sit and have a relaxing time playing. There are other game modes that I could play in order to explore the rest of the game's story—or I could switch over for now and play another game by the studio (Ustwo Games). Decisions, decisions! But all good decisions, thankfully. Also, I mentioned last week  that I was into the album With a Lightning Strike  by Genevieve Stokes—and if I was into it then, I am INTO IT now. Geez! This album is literally getting me through—I love it so much. Also, something you...