The Romance Bookie

 Hey Everyone! Happy New Year! I can't believe we are already on day 5 of the New Year, but here we go! I just finished my third book of 2023, and am thoroughly enjoying this time off to recuperate after a surgery I had a couple of weeks ago, and getting lots of time to work on my planner and read! For today's review I have a new release!   Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman, which was just officially released this past Tuesday!  I was able to find a copy last week during the annual 50% off hardcovers sale at Barnes and Noble, so I was super excited to have it in my hands early.  I love the Heartstopper series, and am looking forward to the last volume, set to hopefully release next month?  Not sure though if that's official, because there still isn't a cover, and it's hard to believe an author could have two releases within such a short time...but weirder things have happened, and I'm really hoping the last volume comes out next month, because I'm looking fo...

 Hey Everyone! I've got another review for 2022!  I have been hearing so much about Sarah J. Maas, and just haven't had a chance to read anything by her; but I knew I needed to at some point!  Then, a couple of weeks ago I was going through the Hoopla App on my phone, and I saw that my local library offered the Court of Thorns and Roses series!  So I jumped on the chance, and checked out the first book in the series, titled the same.   So here is my review! From Goodreads: Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill - the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price... Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jeweled mask, is hiding far more th...

 Hey Everyone! Alright, time for the review of book 2 of the One of Us Is Lying series by Karen M. McManus, One of Us Is Next !   From Goodreads: Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.  A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it's not an app, though--it's a game. Truth or Dare. Phoebe's  the first target. If you choose to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark. Then comes Maeve  and she should know better--always choose the dare. But by the time Knox  is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection. Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High al...

 Hey Everyone! I can't believe I forgot to write a review for this one!  It was so good!  I started listening to it while on my trip, and finished it last week!   One of Us is Lying , the first book in the series by the same name, by Karen M McManus.  From Goodreads: Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain , is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty , is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal , is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete , is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast , is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, w...

 Hey Everyone! So I have some catching up to do!  I went on vacation for the last three weeks, and we only got back on Sunday evening, so I haven't been in front of my computer until now.  We had a great time! We got to experience snow for the first time, like the most beautiful powdery white snow you can imagine during our trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, and then after spending a week there we flew to Florida to celebrate the 50th with Walt Disney World!  It was a lot of firsts for our son, including flying on an airplane, snow, and of course going to Walt Disney World, so it was all very exciting.  Albeit, a little stressful at times, but so worth it!   I am excited to be home again.  Just to have these quiet moments while my son is taking a nap, and being able to catch up on some things, feels nice.  Plus a little space never hurt anyone ;).   Anyway, during my trip I utilized the gyms in our hotel room, and during that alone time, I got ...

 Hey! Here for another review! This one for the third book in the Dash and Lily  series, Mind the Gap, Dash & Lily  by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan! From Goodreads: For Dash and Lily, it's beginning to look a lot like...distance! Just in time for the series release of Dash & Lily on Netflix comes a new helping of love -- this time across the pond as best-selling authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan send Dash and Lily to England. Dash and Lily were feeling closer than ever...it's just too bad they're now an ocean apart. After Dash gets accepted to Oxford University and Lily stays in New York to take care of her dog walking business, the devoted couple are struggling to make a long distance relationship work. And when Dash breaks the news that he won't  be coming home for Christmas, Lily makes a decision: if Dash can't come to her, she'll join him in London. It's a perfect romantic gesture...that spins out of Lily's control. Soon Dash an...

 Book #2 of 2022 ✔! Now it was a graphic novel, therefore a fun easy read for me, but still think I'm off to a great start in 2022!    I'm also so excited to have gotten my hands on this one early, because it technically isn't supposed to be released until tomorrow!  But for some reason my local Barnes and Noble already had copies sitting on the shelf, so I ended up sneaking into my pile during the 50% off hardbacks sale, even though this one was a paperback 😉. From Goodreads: Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fourth volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon. Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Charlie's beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you. Nick's been feeling the same, but he's got a lot on his...

I finished my first book of 2022!!   And I did it on January 1st!! Now I did start it last week, when it was technically still 2021, but I still needed to read quite a bit when 2022 started, and after listening over 4 hours yesterday, I finally finished! Gilded , the first book in Marissa Meyer's new series! From Goodreads: Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantasical and spellbinding and entirely untrue. Or so everyone believes. When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods.  In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her...for a ...

 Hey! This might be my last book of 2021!  I'm really glad I was able to get this one in, because I meant to finish it before Christmas, but just didn't have the chance, because I was more listening to books than reading physical copies, but I did it! This review is for My True Love Gave to Me , an anthology of 12 Holiday stories written by 12 different Young Adult authors; ranging from contemporary romances to fantasy.   From Goodreads: If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you're going to fall in love with My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories  by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. Y...

Hey Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate) with loved ones.  Ours was very nice, one of the nicest we've had in a long time.  Our son is old enough now to get more into it, than he did last year (he was only 3 months old last year), and it was such a joy to see him get excited to open presents, enjoy food, listening to Christmas music, and spending time with family.   I ended up reading a quick read the other night, and thought I'd share my thoughts on it. Pumpkin Heads  by Rainbow Rowell, and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks. From Goodreads: Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they've worked together at the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world.  (Not many people know that the best pumpkin patch in the whole wide world is in Omaha, Nebraska, but it definitely is.) They say good-bye every Halloween, and they're reunited every September 1. But this Halloween is different --Josi...

 Hey!  Finished another one!!! Not sure how many more I can in the eleven days we have left in 2021, but I am trying!  I want to read at least one more, and that's a library book I need to return asap.   I ended up listening to Majesty, the second American Royal book by Katharine McGee. I've been having so much fun listening to audiobooks while I work on my planner!  Especially now that I got my Always Fully Booked Planner from Little Inkling Designs! Isn't it gorgeous???!!!  I am having so much fun setting it up for 2022!   Anyway, on the my review! From Goodreads: Is American ready for its first queen? Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless.  Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we're looking at you Daphne Deighton. As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with e...

 Hey! Another review coming your way! This was a quick holiday read that I listened to on Audiobook over the last few days.   I had the opportunity back in the day to read an ARC of the first book in this series, and absolutely loved it!  Since then  Dash & Lily's Book of Dares  has been released as Netflix movie (which is also super cute), and two more books have been added to the story; something I didn't learn about until last year, when I watched the movie.  Since then, I've wanted to read the next books, because I truly loved the first book.  It was such a fun read, that took you through the streets of my favorite setting in a book, New York City.  It was a story of finding oneself, finding love, friendship, family, and so much more.   When I found out that my local library had an online audiobook library I ended up finding, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily , and since it's the holiday season, I thought what a great time to finally...

 Hey Everyone! I am really excited to write this review.  I didn't think I would I would be able to read another book this year, let alone two, and then also have one of them be a favorite of the year!  I am on a roll this month and trying to keep the momentum going! For my review today I have an audiobook I got to listen to, for American Royals  by Katharine McGee. From Goodreads: What if America had a royal family? When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either...except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If ...

 Hey Everyone! My husband and I recently moved our little family to a new town, and last week we decided to go for a walk together and check out our new (to us) local library.  It was such a great experience, because for one, I haven't set foot in a library in quite some time (both due to Covid, but also because my old local library wasn't really all that great), and two because we have such a great library now.  They have a beautiful children's section, decked out with a giant pirate's ship, columns holding up the building that look like giant books, and a wonderfully stocked Young Adult section.   They had an ample supply of graphic novels, and because of my newly found obsession this year, on graphic novels, I found myself filling the stroller with those initially.  I ended up with four graphic novels, and two regular chapter novels.  To which my husband said, "That's probably enough."  Well, challenge was accepted apparently, because I finished all...

 Hey! Today I have a review for a book that I have been waiting a LONG time to read!  It was finally released officially last year so I have the chance for a while to read it, but didn't get to it until now.  I ended up getting the audiobook of it, because I have recently really gotten into planning, and decorating said planners, and all things to do with planners (calendars, stickers, Washi tape, Happy Planner accessories, etc).  It's become a serious addiction, but a nice welcome to getting my head out this crazy world we live in.  Anyway, my head hasn't been in picking up a physical book in a while, so I figured let's try an audiobook, instead of watching yet another random movie from Netflix.  Anyway, let's get to it...the review for Midnight Sun , a review over a decade in the making. From Goodreads: When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight , an iconic love story was born.  But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. ...

 Hey Everyone! I finally managed to finish a book!  A lot has been going on, so I haven't had the time or the head to really get into reading recently.  But I found the manga version of Rainbow Rowell's novel Fangirl  at Barnes and Noble the other day, and had to pick it up.  I seem to really be into YA Manga Adaptations this year! Anyway, I finished it today! From Goodreads: The manga adaptation of the beloved novel by #1 Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell!  Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can't let it go. Now that they're in college, Cath must decide if she's ready to start living her own life.  But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? Cath doesn't need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she's a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online. But now t...

 Hey! I finally finished an actual novel this month!  It's been a rather odd month.  I'm feeling off at the moment, can't really explain it, but my head has been in the clouds so to say.   But anyway, finished an actual book in July, instead of another graphic novel. The Girl Least Likely by Katy Loutzenhiser was released on June 29th, so a new release! From Goodreads: To All the Boys meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (with a dash of Dumplin' ) in this funny, romantic, and heartfelt coming of age story about a teen stand-up comic learning how to be her truest self, from the author of If You're Out There . Gretchen has always been more of a "least likely" than a "most likely" kind of girl. So how does she somehow find herself living out every trope from her favorite rom-coms...? The Best Friend Crush: Why is it suddenly so hard to act normal around her childhood BFF, Samuel? Must be time for a -- Makeover(!): Black leather pants and some red lipstic...

 Hey Everyone! I finished Tahereh Mafi's new book An Emotion of Great Delight .  I could not put this one down.  I mean, I had to, because you know, baby, appointments, chores, errands, etc.  But I was reading any chance I got.  Even during my waits at the chiropractor I was reading.  I finished this one in a day, which is pretty impressive for me at this point. From Goodreads: From bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy -- even when you're trapped in the amber of sorrow. It's 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the ride, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down....