Candy Bunny Reader

While I wait for book 4 of the Huda F series to come out (apparently it's no longer going to be a trilogy), I decided to read another one of Huda Fahmy 's books.  Yes I Am Hot in This doesn't have a linear story--it is more a series of short, relatable comics of funny, awkward, and sometimes unfortunate situations the author has experienced as a hijabi. Sometimes her husband in involved, too. Once again, the book is filled with Huda's fun illustrations! I gave it 4.5 stars , but like the last book of her's that I read, it was because of a few Harry Potter references. But this book was published in 2018, so I could overlook them this time.  

I really liked reading this author's Huda F YA trilogy, and I felt that I needed to read the rest of her books!  That Can Be Arranged by Huda Fahmy is ultimately about how the author met and married her current husband in a very unexpected way. Leading up to that are anecdotes about how she mostly had bad luck when it came to relationships. Sprinkled throughout the book are also mini lessons on how arranged marriages in Muslim communities look like.  This was very interesting to read! I love the author's sassy sense of humor, and her artwork is fun, too.  I gave it 4.5 stars , but that was because of some Harry Potter references. However, even though the book was published in 2020, the author mostly likely wrote it in 2019 before JK Rowling's controversies, so I could overlook the references this time. Any book published after 2020 has no business referencing Harry Potter. 

These are all the books I gave either 3 stars or less and all the DNFs. The only 3 star book:  Juliet Takes a Breath graphic novel by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote All the DNFs:  Deep as the Sky Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig Days at the Torunka Cafe by Satoshi Yagisawa Shokugeki no Sanji by Yuro Tsukuda Beach Read by Emily Henry Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour  Always a Catch Volume 5 by Mayo Momoyo Fall in Love You False Angels Volume 4 by Coco Uzuki The Island Book 1 by Gordon Korman A Condition Called Love Volume 1 by Megumi Morino A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan Brigands and Breadknifes by Travis Baldree Sorceline Volume 1 by Sylvia Douye Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley The Queer Girl is Going to Be Okay by Dale Walls Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Ju The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier All Systems Red by Martha Wells Sheeta's Little Big World Volume 3 by Yuk...

  Copied and pasted from my Instagram page...  

  I do this tag every year sometime in June.  Check out my answers for the previous years on the Navigation page! 1. Best book you read so far this year? I've got two: The Witch Who Chases the Sun by Dawn Chen and Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura   2. Best sequel you read so far this year? Amari and the Metalwork Menace  by BB Alston and Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw.   3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.  Smash or Pass by Birdie Schae 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. This is actually a revised edition of a book originally published in 2009, but The Diaries of Emily the Strange: The Lost Days is coming out in September 2026.   Another one is the second book of the Kiki's Delivery Service series (yes, it's a whole series) titled Kiki and the New Magic . The author is Eiko Kadono.  The book was originally published in Japanese back in 1993 and getting an English release i...

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui  is a graphic novel memoir about the author and her family and their story of being refugees during the Vietnam War, and how they came to live in the US. The author tells her story with the framing device of becoming a new mom, and her trying to understand her own parents and why they acted the way they did with her growing up. So it doubles as a surviving war story and a generational trauma story.  This was really great, heartfelt, and very informative! The author has some really gorgeous artwork.  I gave it 5 stars . Considering what this story is about, it has a lot of trigger warnings. Please read with caution. 

Posting what I have over on my Instagram, @candybunnyreader. Check out the previous parts of my favorite authors series in the Navigation Page!  

   ...and also drawing in general. It's been a while since I read something from Raina Telgemeier ! I read Smile, Sisters , and Drama way back before I started my blog. So how is this newer book of hers that she wrote with Scott McCloud ? The Cartoonists Club is about a group of friends: Mikayla, Howard, Art, and Lynda that form a club at their school dedicated to writing, drawing, and sharing comics. Each friend has some sort of struggle when it comes to writing and drawing their stories. Mikayla has a lot of ideas but usually doesn't know how to get started. Howard often times gets in trouble for focusing too much on comics and not enough on his schoolwork. Art just likes using their hands and creating things in general, and wants to hone their skills. Lynda is very shy to share what she draws because she thinks she's either not good enough or what she draws is too personal.  Luckily, with the help of their school librarian, Ms. Fatima (yes, that's her name!), the ...

  And all year long. I did this kind of post last year, too! Check it out here .  

Um, I think I expected a little too much from this one... The graphic novel adaptation of Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (and illustrated by Celia Moscote) is about 19-year old Juliet, who is queer, Latina, and lives in the Bronx. She gets accepted to do a writing internship with her favorite queer feminist author, Harlowe Brisbane. After coming out to her mother as a lesbian goes wrong, and her girlfriend Lanie starts to seem distant with her, Juliet hops on the first flight to Portland, Oregon to work with Harlowe. Harlowe lets Juliet room and board at her house, and she gets familiar with people in her social circle, mostly Harlowe's ex named Max and her new girlfriend Zaira (they first meet at a writer's club). Juliet also goes a lot to the library to do research and gets close with an intern there named Kira. Juliet is happy to be surrounded by a lot of like-minded people at first, but Harlowe is probably not who she seems to be... This story did a lot of things th...

  This is not a typical review. It's just that I read the entire Bone series by Jeff Smith a few years ago when I first started my blog, and it was epic! I need to reread the series sometime, and the rest of the supplemental material. This book is the prequel about the character Thorn's grandmother, and the events of what led to the conflict that we see in Bone (if you know, you know). I gave it 5 stars !

  I want to get back in the groove of posting another part of this series once a month. Let's see how it goes. 1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -okay, this one is actually kind of popular in memoir circles! This is the story of author and journalist Jeannette Walls and her life growing up in an unconventional and dysfunctional family, and how she escaped and changed her life for the better while acknowledging you can never truly escape your past.  2. Aquicorn Cove by K. O'Neill -another whimsical book from author K. O'Neill all about protecting the environment to protect the animals--including magical ones!  3. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei -you know what, this memoir is quite popular, too! This is a graphic novel memoir about popular actor George Takei's experience as a victim of the Japanese internment camps during WW2, and a little bit on how he became an actor as an adult.  4. Sylvia Doe and the 100 Year Flood by Robert Beatty -a middle grade novel a...

  Can you believe we are 20 parts in? You can find the previous posts in this series under Navigation above.   I decided to switch things up a little for this post and show what I have over on Instagram...since it's a special one!    I guess in this case, swipe or scroll down...  

  A must read for Monster High fans (and new ones too)! The first volume of Monster High: New Scaremester is by several different authors. It is told in the style of American comic books. The first chapter is very chill and is about Clawdeen and Toralei's relationship (yes, they are a sapphic couple here!). The second chapter is about a gay couple, Valentine and Spelldon. It's also pretty chill. But with the last few chapters the story takes a darker turn. Many characters, including the Headmistress Bloodgood, mysteriously disappear. Many think it was the fault of normies (humans), and new rules are put in place restricting everyone's activities.  The friendship between our main six ghouls gets strained, and Frankie notices her/their father (he becomes the temporary headmaster) acting stranger than usual.  Well, I'll have to find out in the next volume what happens!  I gave this first comic book 5 stars . I love how this comic incorporated so many characters and lor...

  A part 2 to my favorite romance novels from two weeks ago.  These are just some random romance graphic novels and manga that I love, and I hope you love, too! 1. Girl From the Sea by Lee Ostertag 2. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang 3. Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez 4. Cheer Up by Crystal Frasier 5. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz 6.  If You'll Have Me by Eunnie 7. Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione 8. Leap by Simina Popescu 9. Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton (The rest of these are all manga series)  10. A Sign of Affection by Suu Morishita 11. Sakura, Saku by Io Sakisaka  12. Kilala Princess by Rika Tanaka 13. Donuts Under a Crescent Moon by Shio Usui 14. In the Name of the Mermaid Princess by Yoshino Fumikawa 15. Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide by Mone Sorai 16. Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa

Self-explanatory title.    1. Witch Hat Atelier --waiting for volume 14. Also want to check out the anime! 2. Sakura Saku --only 1 more! 3. A Sign of Affection --waiting for volume 13.  4. Amari series --waiting for book 4 5. Somali and the Forest Spirit series --only three more! 6. Fall in Love, You False Angels --ongoing, need to read volume 4 next 7. Eden of Witches -ongoing, need to read volume 5 next 8. The Savior's Book Cafe in Another World --only 3 more! 9. Sheine Lende --the prequel to Elatsoe 10. Always a Catch --ongoing, need to read volume 5 next 11. Morrigan Crow series --ongoing, waiting for book 5 12. Avatar graphic novels --Well, as of writing this I don't see any new comics coming out. But maybe that will change in the future. I just need to read The Lost Adventures and Team Avatar Tales.  13. Yona of the Dawn --I watched season 1. Well, let's see how much of season 2 will   cover the manga whenever it comes out before I get the rest of the s...

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

Where do we even begin?! Halfway There by Christine Mari is a graphic novel memoir about the author growing up struggling with her half-Japanese, half-American identity. During her college years, she studies abroad in Japan thinking she'll be able to find who she truly is, but instead deals with more identity crises. It all leads to depression, and she learns to reach out and ask for help from her grandparents and a therapist.  You really have to read this book to understand how lovely and heartfelt it is! For me it was relatable in so many parts (having parents from two different countries, not knowing where I belong, mental health struggles, getting help when needed, being a great artist, etc.). I really saw myself in this author! I gave it 5 stars . 

I actually read a book illustrated by the author of this book back in 2022, titled Mooncakes! You can read the review for that book here .  Tidesong   by Wendy Xu is about Sophie, who wants to enter a prestigious academy of magic, but first needs to refine her magic skill to pass the auditions. She gets sent to live and train with her great aunt and cousin. All they seem to do is make her do a bunch of chores, and she feels her magic still isn't good enough. One day she tries out a spell of her own and almost drowns, but is saved by a shapeshifting dragon prince named Lir. Sophie and Lir end up getting their magic powers tangled up, but when they start practicing together, Sophie finds her magic getting better! But eventually Lir has to return home or his father, the Dragon King, will be furious and probably cause a destructive storm... This was so sweet and whimsical! I loved the magic system and the mythology sprinkled throughout. I also love the way Sophie's mental health ...

  I read a total of 11 books and I DNF 2. Links to reviews if applicable. 5 star books: How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Perisco Almost American Girl by Robin Ha Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume 7 by  Yoshino Fumikawa and Miya Tashiro Always a Catch! Volume 1 by  Mayo Momoyo and Kaki Nagato Fall in Love, You False Angels Volume 2 by Coco Uzuki    4.5 star books: Fall in Love, You False Angels Volume 1 by Coco Uzuki Always a Catch! Volume 2 by Mayo Momoyo Kaki Nagato   The only 2-star book:   Firefly Wedding Volume 1 by  Oreco Tachibana   The two books I DNF: Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni girlmode by Magdalene Visaggio