Candy Bunny Reader

 TW: Mentions of scandals, losing a parent, and shootings. It's been a while since I read something by Leah Johnson ! The last thing I remember reading from her was Ellie Engle Saves Herself (you can read that review here ) two years ago, and a year before that my favorite book so far from her You Should See Me in a Crown (you can read that review here ).  So how was this book? Rise to the Sun is a dual POV book about two girls: Olivia and Toni. They both find each other at a weekend-long music festival while hanging out with each of their best friends. Each girl is trying to escape from something that's weighing each of them down. Olivia with her most recent breakup (not to mention a scandal with her recent ex-boyfriend), and Toni after losing her musician father.  The two girls end up bonding during a scavenger hunt and over their favorite musicians performing at the venue. Their respective friends Peter and Imani end up falling for each other, too.  But when a...

  I read a total of 11 books this month! You might notice I did not put any One Piece manga volumes here. That is because I decided to switch to the anime! So I am still consuming the story, but in a different format. I think the anime adaption by Toei is really well done!  Anyway, how did your reading go last month? Find any new favorites? 1. Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson. A middle grade urban fantasy book of a girl named Ellie who loves superhero stories. One day, she mysteriously gets magical powers to bring dead things back to life. Ellie tries to keep her powers a secret, but it isn't easy. I unfortunately gave this book 3 stars . Interesting premise, weak execution. You can read the full review here.  2. The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. A magical realism novella set in a small village in Switzerland narrated by an eccentric unnamed guardian angel. We get to meet and learn about the people in the town, most notably an American girl named Zola, who...

Well, this was kind of disappointing. Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson is a middle grade novel about 12 year old Ellie Engle, who loves superhero stories. On the first day of school, an earthquake happens, and after the earthquake Ellie gets magical powers where she is able to bring dead things back to life. Ellie has mixed feelings about her new powers, and her best friend Abby tells her to keep it a secret. She accidentally exposes her powers while in her science class, because she accidentally brings a frog back to life, and everyone starts calling her "Frog Girl". Pretty soon she is famous all over town, and her friend Abby gets jealous about this. Life is not the same now that everyone knows she's basically a real life superhero with superpowers! At the same time, Ellie deals with her rocky friendship with Abby while getting to know some other people in her life better.  I'm gonna be honest, this book did not live up to the hype for me. While I was read...

These are not all 5 star books, as you can see. These are books (and two series that's still ongoing) that I read this year that now just have a special place in my heart 😍. Tell me your favorite books of the year! Sleeping Around by Morgan Vega The Witch Hat Atelier manga series by Kamome Shirahama Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan One Piece manga series by Eichiro Oda Jane of Lantern Hill by LM Montgomery The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw Nevermoor Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Another very favorite contemporary novel! You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is a YA contemporary novel about high school senior Liz Lighty, who has a dream of going to the prestigious college Pennington College, being in their orchestra, and then going to medical school. However, she and her family struggle financially and she didn't get the financial aid she applied for. Liz finds out she can get a scholarship and recognition if she becomes prom queen of her high school. The competition is not all fun and games as it is a struggle to get to the top, but Liz also meets someone she has a lot in common with in the process: a girl named Mack. And they start to fall in love with each other... This book was literally everything I love seeing in contemporary romance books. The perfect balance of the emotional moments making you feel things in your chest, and the lighthearted and funny moments making you smile. Leah Johnson is a great writer! I gave it 5 stars. I don't kno...