Simon vs. The homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Book review : Annie on my mind by Nancy Garden

This groundbreaking book is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. This book is so truthful and honest, it has been banned from many school libraries and even publicly burned in Kansas City.

Of the author and the book, the Margaret A. Edwards Award committee said, “Nancy Garden has the distinction of being the first author for young adults to create a lesbian love story with a positive ending. Using a fluid, readable style, Garden opens a window through which readers can find courage to be true to themselves.”

*****

This book is a must read classic coming out happy ending young adult book for LGBT book fan. I bought this book in the Big Bad Wolf sale and was super excited. I have the e-book version in my Ipad but I haven't read it cause I was planning to get myself a physical copy of this book. Got it for a very cheap price in Big Bad Wolf, so yay! I am actually not a big fan of coming out books or stories involving teenagers exploring and guessing their sexuality, but I feel like I really want to read this book.

This book was written based on the point of view of a girl named Eliza. She wrote several letters to her best friend, Annie (which she did not send any of them) and readers get to know about how Eliza and Annie first met, becoming friends, falling in love, struggle with the issue of sexuality, how they got caught by Eliza's teacher, how they cope with homophobia and their decision to come out to family and friends. This book was published in 1982, so I guessed that being gay around this time was pretty hard. 

This book was thin around 200 ++ pages. I could finish this book in just a day or two. The language was easy. I really like this cover. I think this book used to be banned and burned in several schools before homosexuality was widely accepted in the US. I love Annie's character and the chemistry between the two main characters were great. I like how Eliza always thinking about Annie but at the same time afraid to explore her feelings.

This book was great, I give this book 4 stars.

Book review : The abyss surrounds us by Emily Skrutskie

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested Neo Pacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water. 
There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea. But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she's not about to stop.

*****

If you enjoy reading about pirates, sea monsters and lesbians, than this is the book for you! 

This book was about a sea monsters' trainer named Cassandra who was abducted by a group of pirates led by the pirate Queen Santa Elena. She was ordered to raise and trained an unhatched sea monster on the pirate ship or her life will be at stake. Santa Elena assigned one of her crew named Swift to keep an eye on Cassandra and if Cassandra failed or tried to flee, she will kill Swift as well. Reluctantly, Cassandra must obey Santa Elena and gradually befriended and attracted to Swift as their life depended on each other.

I supposed the event in this book happened in an alternative real world (or the future) where sea monsters roamed the high sees and trained to guard ships from pirates. The idea was fresh and I really like it. The characters were interesting; Santa Elena was a real badass, Swift was really cool and Cassandra wasn't that bad either. I like how Cassandra and Swift's relationship deepened. I like how they have this love-hate relationship and how much they would do to save each other. 

The author was quite knowledgeable about ships and mechanical device and it felt like I was watching an action movie or something. I like Cassandra's character development and how she tried to get along with the pirates and thinking about killing them at the same time. The thing that I don't like about this book is how thin it is and I finished reading it in less than a day. But I think there should be a sequel to this book as the ending was a cliffhanger. 

I like this book. I give this book 4.5 stars.

Book Review : Huntress by Malinda Lo

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

*****

I've been wanting to read this book ever since the first time I heard about it. I love LGBT theme and to find it in a young adult fantasy book was super amazing because it is very rare. Maybe my knowledge is limited but please recommend to me if you come across or happen to know any LGBT young adult fantasy / sci-fi books, ya.

This book was about an interesting relationship between two girls on a dangerous journey to escort the prince to meet the Fairy Queen. The land was divided by two kingdom : the land of human and the land of fairies and supernatural creatures. The story began when the king in the human land received an invitation from the Fairy Queen so he sent his son, three guards and two 17 years old girls from the Academy named Kaede and Taisin as his representatives. Both of them were classmates but barely spoken to each other. Taisin was a gifted student and good with magic and sorcery and she wished to be a mage after graduating. However, Kaede was only good with daggers and weapons and had no interest in sorcery at all. The relationship between Taisin and Kaede deepened as they have to rely on each other to complete their mission. 

I love the chemistry between Kaede and Taisin. They were shy and awkward at first (as they barely spoke to each other in class) but once they realized how much they attracted to each other, their relationship deepened.  They talked and giggled like best friends and they find hope to survive the mission in each other. They needed and relied on each other so much. I can only think of good things about their relationship because I ship them a lot. I cried at the end of this book because I think their relationship was very honest  and innocent BUT I hate their ending.

This book was not thick 300++ pages. The plot was okay and fast paced. This book was enjoyable to read especially the romance between Kaede and Taisin. However, I dislike the ending and I wish I could rewrite them based on my own liking. Haha.. I think the writer did not elaborate much on the characters in this book but I like how she wrote about feelings and how Kaede and Taisin fall in love. The description was very deep and poetic and I felt like Kaede and Taisin were very real.

I love the story but I hate the ending. So I give this book 4 stars.

Book Review : Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

****

First of all, I think the book cover was very pretty. The title was great. But the most important thing is, the book was AWESOME! I fall in love with this book after reading the first chapter. I knew that I have to finish it, and I did in just one day despite of the thickness of this book. It has 400++ pages but the chapters were short and the language was very simple but poetic and philosophical. The main character was a young boy who was in the process of searching himself and who he really is and found the answer after meeting a new friend. I personally like this kind of books as it makes me think a lot about life.

This book was about an emotional and lonely 15 years old boy named Aristotle (Ari), an American-Mexican in search of himself, making new friend with another boy named Dante. They have different personalities ; Ari was a bit harsh, strong and quiet while Dante was the opposite of Ari but they shared similar interests in finding the secret of the universe. They became closer and best friends until one fateful day changed everything. Ari saved Dante from an accident and Dante had to move to another city for a year or two. They exchange letters, living their life while thinking and missing each other and finally at the age of 17, Dante returned and they resumed their friendships as usual. 

I love how the writer wrote this book. It was very poetic and light. The friendship between Ari and Dante was super amazing and I nearly cried at the end. The ending was perfect. The book was also about family, grief, love, innocence of young adults and puberty. I was never a fan of contemporary books but I just can't get my hands off this book and I was really sad when the book has ended. I wish this book has a sequel about Ari and Dante in college or work and how their relationship expands and how they faced the stigma from the society. This book was definitely about homosexuality so it might not attract some readers who doesn't like this genre.

I love this book a lot and I give this book 5 stars (out of 5). 

Book Review : Ash by Malinda Lo

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

*****

Ash was a lesbian version of Cinderella retelling, which I like so so much. The book was not thick, I think 200 ++ pages. The language was simple but poetic. This book was about an orphan girl named Ash who lived with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters. She loved fairy tales and always dreamed about a male fairy named Sidhean whom she believed will take her away some day. But when she met the King's Huntress named Kaisa, she enjoyed her companionship  and started to fall in love with her, but she was torn between her feelings to Kaisa and her promise to Sidhean.

I think the author did a great job in describing Ash. I love her character ; she was a girl full with curiosity, emotions, feelings and she was not a weakling. She was a rebellious girl and always sneaks out from her stepmother to meet the fairy or Kaisa. Ash did not rely on others to make a decision, she fought for what she believed and what she loved. I love Kaisa as well as I always love stories about huntress and women who fight. I ship them. Ha ha

This book was not an ordinary Cinderella tale where a handsome prince came to save the poor girl. It was about making decisions, fight for what you believe and what you want and of course about love. This was the first book written by Malinda Lo and I am looking forward to read her other books.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

Book review : Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

*****

This book is a gay version of Harry Potter! And I love it. Its lighter than the Harry Potter series and the romance was adorable. This book has similar characters as in the Harry Potter series; the chosen one, the enthusiastic, loyal and brainy sidekicks,  the wise headmaster, the nemesis, the bully and so on. 

If any of you read 'Fangirl' also by Rainbow Rowell, you will notice that Simon Snow was actually a fictional character in the Simon Snow book series (like the Harry Potter series). The main character of Fangirl love the series and she wrote a fan fiction titled 'Carry On'. So basically, this book is a fiction in a fiction. I haven't read Fangirl yet though as I am not a big fan of contemporary young adult books.

I read this book in just two days and enjoyed it. The language and the plot was okay. I am a big fan of LGBT books so Carry On got me completely hooked.  There are plenty of things to like about this book. I love the love-hate relationship between Simon and Baz. I love the quotes. I love Watford School of Magicks. I love how they use 'sentences' as magic spells. And I love the ending.

I give this book 4 stars. 

Book Review : Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

*****

I love this book so much and it was super amazing. The book was quite thick 400++ pages but it was worth it. The language was good and understandable for non English speakers. If you love Ocean Eleven, than you would love Six of Crows. The writer of this book was the same writer who wrote the famous Grisha trilogy which I haven't read yet, but I will later. The story took place in the Grisha universe so at first it was kinda hard for me to understand the unfamiliar 'Grisha jargon' in the story, but once you started to read and understand the plot I guess it was ok. Some readers might recommend you to read the Grisha trilogy before reading the Six of Crows, but it was fine with me.

The story was about six unique individuals with different personality, different skills and different backgrounds went for a deadly mission to break out a prisoner from the Ice Court. Readers will understand  all of the characters and their backgrounds as the point of view in this book shifted from one character to another. I love how the writer wrote about each characters' POV and their interactions. Kaz Brekker especially, the leader and mastermind of the team reminded me a lot of Ciel Phantomhive from a Japanese manga, Kuroshitsuji. I have no favourite character because I LOVE them all. 

The book started quite slow in the beginning maybe because I was having trouble to understand some of the words and the characters in the book. Those who have read the Grisha trilogy might not experience the same as me. I really love the energy, the action,  the plot, and the romances in the story. The romances were subtle and not cheesy. So I really like it as I am not a big fan of romance novel.

I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE and I will definitely read the Grisha trilogy later. I can't wait to read the continuation of this book. Thank you Leigh Bardugo for writing such an amazing book.

I give this book  5 stars (out of 5).

check out this fan art