Candy Bunny Reader

  This tag was originally created by Alexa Loves Books on YouTube. The original video can be watched here .  I tagged some people over on Instagram. But anyone is free to do this tag! I do not own Sailor Moon. It is owned by Naoko Takeuchi.   1. Sailor Moon: A book that makes you hungry.  Several! I am a huge foodie so I read a lot of books centered around food. Two that come to mind are A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen and  The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich  by Deya Muniz.  2. Sailor Mercury: A book that features science and technology. Two that come to mind are both by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Double Identity and Turnabout .  3. Sailor Venus: A book that makes you want to play video games. Bye Forever I Guess by Jodi Meadows.    4. Sailor Mars: A book inspired by mythology and folklore. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. 5. Sailor Jupiter: A book that gives you strong feelings I got several, but a re...

  So I am a fan of ATLA, and I saw that A Clockwork Reader made a book tag that is ATLA themed!  I tagged some people over on my Instagram page. Feel free to do this tag, even if you haven't watched ATLA yet. If you already are an ATLA fan: yay!   I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender . It is owned by Nickelodeon .   1. Sokka and Katara: Best sibling relationship  Virginia and her sister (can't remember her name!) from Confessions from the Group Chat .  2. Yue: favorite star-crossed lovers I can't think of any!  3. Blood-bending: a book with disturbing content Some   memoirs that I ' ve read , such as The Glass Castle and Greetings from Utopia Park .  4. Toph: a character with surprising strength Yona from Yona of the Dawn .    5. The Tales of Ba-Sing Se: best short story or poetry collection Transmogrify is a great short story collection about trans characters and magic !  6. Kyoshi warriors: best warrior ...

Yes, I am just reposting what I posted over on Instagram, but I think this makes the post more fun to look at.   

    This is the second book in the Deer Hill Anonymous series by Jodi Meadows . The first book was Bye Forever, I Guess , which I read earlier this year, You can read that review here .  Confessions from the Group Chat is about Virginia, an eighth grade girl who has a rather toxic group of friends. She often finds herself acting mean like the rest of her friends, but every time she acts like them she feels guilty. She also has a crush on Grayson: a guy in her grade who used to be quite popular when he was a football player.  One day in their friend group chat, Virginia accidentally sends them a picture of Grayson she secretly took. The other girls start teasing her about liking "a loser" like him. The next day at school during lunch, Virginia kind of gets revenge on them teasing her by admitting a rather private secret of the girls out loud, named Kat.  Humiliated, Kat and another one of the friends named Mary Heather decide to take screenshots of all of Virgi...

  Everything I read in October! I sure read a lot, and had lots of new favorites.  Reviews will be linked if applicable.   5 star books: I Want to Be a Wall Volumes 1-3 by Honomi Shirano  Doughnuts under a Crescent Moon Volumes 1-4 by Shio Usui (link to Volume 1 review here ) In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume 5  by Yoshino Fumikawa and Miya Tashiro   The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Volume 9 by Saki Mikami Eden of Witches Volume 4 by Yumeji The Loneliest Place by Lora Senf The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen Hilda volume 1 by Luke Pearson By Your Side by Kasie West Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brogsol    4.5 star books: Transmogrify by several authors In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume 6  by Yoshino Fumikawa and Miya Tashiro     4 star books:  The Deep Dark by Molly Ostertag Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo Sakura Saku Volume 8 by Io Sakisaka

  This book was a used copy that used to be a library book. Fun fact: the author of this book actually visited my middle school way back when I was a student in middle school (in the early 2010s)! I never forgot him, the books he talked about, and the inspiration behind his books. This book that I just read was one of them. Maybe I am a little late to the party, but it's better late than never! The Prince who Fell from the Sky by John Claude Bemis is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where all the humans (referred to as "Skinless Ones" and "Old Devils" throughout the book) have left and left their relics behind. Nature has taken over completely. Our main character is an old bear named Casseomae, who is sort of an outcast in the Forest she lives in. One day a starship falls from the sky, and a human boy emerges from it. Casseomae decides to protect the boy as if he was her cub. But then the Ogeema (the wolf leader of the forest) finds out about Casseomae and the b...

  It was a mostly positive reading month! Found many new favorites. I read a total of 17 books and DNF 1 (one).  I hope your April went well, too! Links to my reviews provided if applicable.  The 5 star books:  1. Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao 2. French Girl in New York by Anna Adams 3. Neighborhood Story Volume 4 by Ai Yazawa 4. A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen 5. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann 6. A Sign of Affection Volume 10 by Suu Morishita 7. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Volume 6 by Saka Mikami   8. No Talking by Andrew Clements 9. Witch Hat Kitchen Volume 5 by Kamome Shirahama  10. Passing for Human by Liana Finck 11. Kilala Princess Vol 2 by Rika Tanaka   The 4.5 star books: 1. Funny Story by Emily Henry 2. Alice in Kyoto Forest Vol 1 by Mai Mochizuki and Haruki Niwa 3. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers    4. Amari and the Despicable Wonders by BB Alston The 4 star books: 1. Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech...

  ...and by one of my favorite authors, too! Funny enough, I realized this book also fits the prompt from Middle Grade March of reading from an author with three names. The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix is about three siblings: Finn, Emma, and Chess. They have a relatively normal live in their small town in Ohio with their single mother. That is, until one day news come out that three kids identical to them--down to the same first names and birthdays--are kidnapped several states away in Arizona. The three are shocked at these news--but when these news break out, their mother starts to act really strange. Then all of a sudden, their mother says she'll be going away and don't know when she will return. She leaves them in the care of Ms. Morales, one of her friends. The three siblings befriend Ms. Morale's daughter, Natalie, and they all try to figure out what's the deal with their mom. It leads to them finding out something they never knew about their own house.....

  This series will keep getting longer and longer as I keep finding more books that need more love. 1. Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee-- Full description here . A middle grade graphic novel of a girl that performs a seance and befriends a ghost, but this ghost has secrets of her own. 2. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke --Full description here . A middle grade novel of two brothers escaping from their terrible aunt and uncle and form a close knit bond with some other runaway kids in an abandoned movie theatre in Venice, Italy. They are then tasked to perform a heist that involves a merry go round rumored to be magical. 3. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang --Full description here . A cute historical fiction graphic novel of a girl tasked to design clothes for the prince of the kingdom. Great queer representation! 4. Bicycling with Butterflies by Sara Dykman --Full description here . A memoir of the author's journey following monarch butterflies on their migration path from M...

  I smell a new favorite series of mine in the making... I am so glad I finally picked this up! It had me on the edge of my seat. Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston follows 13 year old Amari, whose has been struggling in school and her older brother Quinton all of a sudden went missing. One day, she finds a mysterious briefcase telling her that she has been nominated by Quinton to join The Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, which Quinton himself was a part of. The Bureau invesitigates supernatural cases around the world and also tries to keep everything supernatural away from regular humans.  Amari joins the summer camp that trains new recruits, and she decides to become an agent like her brother to make it easier to find him. But then she discovers something about herself that is quite dangerous--and it leads to more surprises from there. It includes discovering the secrets and plans of the notorious Night Brothers! What else can I say except that it is such a page-turnin...

  I read a total of 23 books this month. And starting this year, I will also report on all the books I DNF (did not finish). I DNF 16 books.  Since this is a long list, I have decided to instead list the books based on their rankings. And I split the DNF pile into two based on why I DNF'd them.  I put links to full reviews when applicable and if you're interested. Books I gave 5 stars to: The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo-full review here . The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews-full review here . Avatar the Last Airbender: The Bounty Hunter and Tea Brewer by Faith Erin Hicks Ferris by Kate DiCamillo-full review here .  My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows-full review here . Call the Name of the Night Volume 4 by Tama Mitsuboshi The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Volume 3 by Saka Mikami I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver-full review here Yotsuba&! Volumes 9 and 10 by Kiyohiko Azuma Books I gave 4.5 sta...

  I never forgot about this series on my blog! As long as I keep finding underrated books, the list will get longer.  1. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech. Full book description here . A girl named Rosie and her grandma deal with Rosie's conflicts with her next door neighbor and best friend Bailey. Has disability rep.  2. Fairy Idol Kanon manga series by Mera Hakamada . Full book description here . A short but cute magical girl idols kid's manga. 3. Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier . Full book description here . Two friends, later girlfriends, deal with the challenges of cheerleading. Has queer representation.  4. Garlic duology by Bree Paulsen. Full book description for book 1 here . An anthropomorphic Garlic goes on adventures! 

  These are all 5 star books! What great luck that I found new favorites this year. I hope you found new favorites too! 1. One Piece Volumes 17, 18, 20, and 21 by Eichiro Oda (I read these in the beginning of the year before switching over to the anime) 2. Avatar: The Rift Volume 1 by Gene Yang 3. Witch Hat Atelier 11 and 12 by Kamome Shirahama (I also reread all the volumes up to 12 this year) 4. Akane Banashi Volumes 2 and 3 by Yuki Suenaga (although I don't feel like continuing with this series) 5. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei 6. The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo 7. Avatar North and South Volumes 1-3 by Gene Yang and Michael DiMartino 8. Avatar Imbalance Volumes 1-3 by Faith Erin Hicks 9. If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia/Holden So 10. The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego 11. Toph's Metalbending Academy by Faith Erin Hicks 12. If You'll Have Me by Eunnie 13. Unfamiliar Volumes 1 and 2 by Haley Newsome 14. Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by J...

  There weren't many books that I gave a low rating, but there are waaaay more books that I DNF (did not finish). I guess you can consider this an unpopular opinions post. Luckily tomorrow I will post the best books of the year which includes new favorites! Worst Books (all 2 stars): 1. Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch 2. To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han 3. Magic for Marigold by LM Montgomery I decided this year to split the DNF list into 3 categories. From books I thought were boring,  books I thought were bad, and nonfiction books that were actually pretty interesting, but made their points very early on and could've been shortened down.  Here are the books I DNF because I found them boring/couldn't get into them: 1. Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman 2. To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 4. Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth 5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 6. Rickety Stitch Volume 1 by Ben Costa a...

  Today we will talk about another recent favorite author of mine! This post won't be a long one. The first books I read from K O'Neill was their Tea Dragon Society series, which I read last year. I loved them so much! Especially the third book. Here's my review for the first book. This year I picked up Aquicorn Cove, The Moth Keeper, and Princess Princess Ever After. They were all great! Especially the Mothkeeper. That one is my favorite from them so far. You can read the reviews for each book here (just click the title): Aquicorn Cove The Moth Keeper Princess Princess Ever After I love K O'Neill's books because they are all very whimsical, enchanting, and heartwarming. They also have great queer and disability representation!

  Welcome back to another part of my Favorite Authors series! Here is another one that's a little more recent. The first book I read from Lyla Lee was I'll Be the One back in 2022. I absolutely loved it! Whenever I recommend people a book about K Pop, Korean rep, plus-sized rep, and queer rep, I recommend this one! I then read Flip the Script later in the same year. Also a masterpiece! This one is about K-Dramas and also features plenty of queer representation. Earlier this year I read the first book in her new middle grade series, Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd, and I also had a blast with it! I can't wait for the next book to come out.  I know she has a long running early chapter books series called Mindy Kim. I might read them one day. I heard they are kind of like the Junie B Jones series. As of writing this, Lyla Lee has two new books coming out! One will be an YA romance novel called The Cuffing Game, and the other is her first adult romance novel called Love in Focus. I a...

  Welcome back to my Favorite Authors series! Today it's all about Sharon Creech. The first book I read from Sharon Creech was Absolutely Normal Chaos , way back when I was in middle school. This book blew me away!  I didn't read another Sharon Creech book until I read probably her most popular book Walk Two Moons a few years ago. The book was good, but the ending was so sad! Still one of the saddest endings I ever read for a book.  I then decided to read more of her books. The next one I read was Ruby Holler. Then I read Chasing Redbird . Then I read Bloomability . I really liked all of them! Especially Bloomability .  Fun fact! Walk Two Moons, Bloomability, Chasing Redbird , and Absolutely Normal Chaos all take place in the same universe.  Unfortunately, I then read The Great Unexpected , and I DNF it. I also DNF'd Replay .  Luckily, I read The Unfinished Angel and Granny Torelli Makes Soup after that, and liked both of them!  Wanna know som...

  Welcome back! Today we will talk about bestselling author Kate DiCamillo! The first book I read from her was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane , way back when I was in third grade. This book was sooo beautiful, it instantly became an all time favorite, and it's still my favorite DiCamillo book. The second book I read from her when I was in fourth grade was the popular Because of Winn-Dixie . I actually watched the movie years earlier and enjoyed it, and I liked the book, too.  But I didn't pick up another DiCamillo book until I became an adult. The book I picked up was The Magician's Elephant, which I reviewed back in 2023 (link here ). I loved it, too! I plan on watching the movie sometime. I then read The Puppets of Spelhorst , which was also fun (link to review here ). A sequel for it came out recently, and I have it on my TBR. Unfortunately, I DNF The Tiger Rising . It was too sad for me. Now the rest of her books are on my TBR. I did actually watch the movie fo...

  All of the books I read in September!  I read a total of 17 books . Most were short books or graphic novels. It was mostly a good reading month. Except for that one book I gave 2 stars.  Links to Goodreads descriptions will be provided. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix -4.5 stars To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han -2 stars Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson -4 stars Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour -4 stars A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard -4 stars The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz -5 stars A Psalm for the Wild Built, and it's sequel, A Prayer for the Crown Shy , both by Becky Chambers , A Psalm got 4.5 stars, A Prayer got 5 stars.  Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar -5 stars Yotsuba&! Volumes 1-3 by Kiyohiko Azuma -all 5 stars! Seance Tea Party by Remina Yee -4.5 stars Huda F Are You by Huda Fahmy -5 stars Gigi Shin is not a Nerd by Lyla Lee -5 stars Homebody by Theo Parish -5 stars Mamo b...

Now, my history with Haddix's books is rather interesting, because when I tried reading her books when I was actually a kid, I didn't like them very much!  In middle school I tried reading Found , which is the first of her Missing series, and I found it hard to get through. The time travel stuff was also kind of confusing, and the whole book was just a set up for the rest of the series where the main characters go through time to restore history. I also tried reading Among the Hidden , the first of the Shadow Children. At the time I found it boring, but that would eventually change in the future.  The first book I read from Haddix as an adult would become an all-time favorite, and that is Just Ella ! It's a feminist retelling of Cinderella. The second book I read from her was Running Out of Time . I also loved it. I am not planning on reading the sequel, though. I thought the first book was satisfying enough But then I did read the sequel to Just Ella , which was Palace of...