Candy Bunny Reader

Trigger warning: mentioning of miscarriages     Ugh, the book was good until it got to the end... You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley is an adult contemporary romance novel with a dash of magical realism. Mia and her husband Harrison have just moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a small town called Hope Springs, thinking life would be easier for them. Instead, Mia has trouble finding a job that she can do with an art degree, and Harrison seems to be hiding something related to his job (he works as a surgeon in a small hospital) from Mia. Even worse, they have been struggling to have children as Mia has already had two miscarriages.  While all of this is going on, Mia keeps having recurring dreams of her encountering a stranger. Well, she's actually been dreaming of this mysterious guy for years. Most of the dreams usually takes place in a carnival, and most of the dreams involve something tragic. Freakier still, Mia ends up finding the guy in real life! His name i...

      A kids' manga I found on a whim!   This first volume of Hikaru in the Light by Mai Matsuda is about a girl named Hikaru who likes singing at her family's bath house. She is a really good singer, and she dreams about becoming an idol just like her childhood friend, Ran.    One day Hikaru finds out about an audition to form a new girl idol band that will be hosted by popular and successful record producer M. Hayama. Hikaru signs up. Much to her surprise, Ran signs up, too. She just quit the girl group she was a part of, and decided to partake in this audition for a new girl group to improve on her dancing and singing skills. The two friends support each other through the audition process, and they end up making the cut!    Hikaru and Ran and a bunch of other girls end up going to a training camp for idols.    Throughout all of this, Hikaru finds out that becoming an idol isn't easy peasy. But it should be easier with Ran by her side...

Hey y'all, I am going to be taking a semi-hiatus from my blog.  I only going to pop in once in a while to just to do book reviews. So no extra types of posts (no book lists, no book tags, etc.)  So I will not be very active on here for a while.  I don't know how long this break will last, but  one day  I will be back in full swing.  Take care. 💓 

  Another graphic novel about dance! Tiny Dancer by Siena Cherson Siegel is a memoir about the author growing up as a ballet dancer. She is very passionate about it--until one day during a summer dance session she gets a very bad injury that alters her dancing skills. She goes through a period where she feels she is unable to do anything and be good at all of it. Especially when her friends all move up into higher levels and all end up at prestigious dance schools. Siena ends up quitting ballet in high school, and she tries to find other paths in life to become passionate about. Luckily, her love of ballet never goes away!  This was one of the most relatable memoirs I have read so far! I did ballet all throughout elementary school and part of middle school. I never got any serious injuries from it, but in middle school I did quit doing it because I wasn't enjoying it as much as I once was. I later on found out it was mainly because of sensory issues (after I was diagnosed wit...

  This book was a part of the 12 books 12 friends challenge.  Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man about the Natural World by Christian Cooper is a memoir about various parts of the author's life: growing up in New York, his family, finding out he was gay, his time working at Marvel, traveling the world, and many more. Everything is tied together through his love of bird watching. As he tells us stories about parts of his life, he also drops facts on different kinds of birds and how you can be a good birdwatcher, too. It's a cool memoir! I especially liked the parts where he talked about working at Marvel, and how it was like growing up as a gay black man in the second half of the 20th century. I also have a mild interest in bird watching, and I had no idea so many things went into trying to find birds.  I do have to give it 4 stars though, because the book did feel a little disjointed at times. There were some chapters I felt that the author was trying ...

  I finally read this and it was wonderful! The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen is a story about a boy named Tien and his parents, that learn to connect with each other through fairy tales. These stories help Tien come out to his mother as gay, and his mother also comes to terms with her past with leaving Vietnam.  Aside from the beautifully woven story, the pictures in this book were really beautiful! I especially loved the illustrations that accompanied the fairy tale portions of the book. They were so detailed. They reminded me a little of the manga Witch Hat Atelier.  I gave The Magic Fish 5 stars. A great book not just for Pride Month, but anytime of the year.  

  I do this every year! Approxiamately halfway through the year I just answer these question about the books I've read so far.  You can check out past year's answers here in my site's Navigation Page, if you're interested.  And you can do this tag too! Here's one of the books I mentioned here. I haven't read it yet but I will sometime before the end of this year: 1. Best book of the year so far? I am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang 2. Best sequel(s) you read so far? So many of them! Here are a few: The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity volumes 2-6 by Saki Mikami Yotsuba&! volumes 9-15 by Kiyohiko Azuma A Sign of Affection volumes 7-10 by Suu Morishita Witch Hat Atelier volume 13 and Witch Hat Kitchen volumes 4 and 5 by Kamome Shirahama Call the Name of the Night volumes 4 and 5 by Tama Mistuboshi  A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows 3. New releases you haven't read yet but want to. Sil...

A Song for You and I by Kay O'Neill is about Rowan, who is an apprentice nature ranger. They get assigned to watch some fields. If they are successful at their task, they will get their name carved on the door of the academy they go to.  Everyday on Rowan's fields, there are some sheep that like to come and graze there. Also every day there is another person named Leone who likes sitting and playing violin music for the sheep. But one day as Rowan tries to rescue Leone from an intense thunderstorm, their winged horse Kes gets her wing injured. As they wait for Kes's wing to heal, Rowan and Leone start getting to know each other better as they hang out more everyday and run errands together.  Well, it's not a very long story and I don't want to tell you too much, so you'll have to read the book to see how everything turns out! Unless you've already read it.  Yeah, I don't know what else to say except it's another great book by this favorite author of...

    Why'd it take me so long to get around to this? It was great! Taproot by Keezy Young follows a young gardener named Hamal, who can see ghosts. Every around him that he works with thinks he's weird. But Hamal is just happy to have so many friendly ghosts to keep him company. He usually talks to this one ghost named Blue. The two have gotten really close recently.  There is a reaper who lives in the forest nearby, and they've found out about Hamal practicing necromancy without a license. They threaten Blue about it whenever he visits the forest. Blue and Hamal come up with a plan to ease the reaper and for Hamal to get his license to talk to and work with ghosts. And for the two of them to be together! This was such a simple but very heartwarming story! I liked Blue and Hamal's dynamic, and I loved the message about the cycles and balance of natural life.  I did give it 4 stars though, but that was mostly due to pacing issues. I also thought the second half of th...

  I have been reading books that were recommended to me by some of you and some people in my personal life.  Thanks to all of you who recommended me something! Here's what I've gotten around to so far: 1. The Creepy Cat manga series by Cotton Valent --Really loved all four books! I gave each of them 4 stars . 2. Greenglass House by Kate Milford --Really cool book! I gave it 4 stars . 3. Don't Sleep There are Snakes by Daniel Everett --Unfortunately I DNF this one. I didn't like the author's writing style. 4. Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper --I am going to read this one soon! 5. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern --I will also be reading this soon! 6. The Savior's Book Café in Another World by Kyouka Izumi --Still need to read it, too. 7. Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie --Unfortunately I DNF this one. I just didn't vibe with the story. But I do want to try the author's other books! 8. Donuts Under a Crescent Moon by Shio Usui --Al...

We do this every year. Halfway through the year I share all the five star books I have read up until this point.  Luckily I found a ton of new favorites! 1. The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo  2. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews 3. The Bounty Hunter and Tea Brewer (Avatar the Last Airbender Comic Book) by Faith Hicks 4. Call the Name of the Night Vol 4 by Tama Mitsubushi 5. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo 6. My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows 7. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Volumes 3, 4, and 5 by Saki Mikami 8. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver 9.  Yotsuba&! Volumes 9, 10, 14, and 15 by Kiyohiko Azuma 10. Amari books 1 and 2 by BB Alston 11. The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DicCamillo  12. Moment of Truth by Kasie West 13. Witch Hat Kitchen 4 and 5 by Kamome Shirahama 14. Neighborhood Story Volumes 1-4 by Ai Yazawa 15. Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione 16. Kilala Princess (Collector's Editions) ...

  Luckily, there is only one book I gave a low rating to this year, but it wasn't even that bad. But it was still disappointing! In other words, it was 3 stars . That book is... Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I still love the Studio Ghibli movie this book is based off of! Just not the book. This is a case where I found the movie to be waaay better than the book.    But there are lot of books I DNF'd so far.    Here are the ones I DNF because I found them boring/couldn't get into them: 1. Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith 2. The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech 3. Honey Lemon Soda Volume 1 by Mayu Murata 4. Act Cool by Tobly McSmith 5. Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary 6. Dear Mr. Earnshaw by Beverly Cleary 7. Save the Date by Morgan Matson 8. A Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland by Catherynne Valante 9. Hold Still by Nina LaCour 10. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale 11. Mao Vol 1 by Rumiko Takahashi  12. Blue Flag Volume ...

  Every year I read and recommend so many books with queer representation in them! Here are some more books that I love and I hope you love, too: 1. Unfamiliar duology by Haley Newsome 2. Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Winans 3. The Witch Boy Trilogy by Molly Ostertag 4. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour 5. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz 6. Monk and Robot duology by Becky Chambers  7. Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar 8. The Moth Keeper by Kay O'Neill 9. The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught 10. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callendar 11. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar 12. Aquicorn Cove by Kay O'Neill 13. The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett 14. Witch Hat Atelier series by Kamome Shirahama 15.  Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott 16. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver 17. Princess Princess Ever After by Kay O'Neill 18. Stars in their Eyes by Jessica Walton 19. Speak U...