Candy Bunny Reader

  The second literary fiction book I've read that was originally published in Japanese! The first one I read was Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa back in 2023. You can read that review here . We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida is one of those books where each chapter is its own story. They all follow the same formula: a person has a problem. They find themselves going to this mysterious psychiatric clinic where they get to keep a cat for about a week to help them with their problem. The problem is resolved, in an unusual way. The person found themselves very attached to their cat and end up keeping the cat.  It's a very heartwarming book, and it has great conversations about mental health! The book also has an overarching mystery with the clinic itself because it's so unusual. The last two chapters do answer some questions about the mysterious cat clinic, but a lot of it is still pretty open-ended and up for your interpretation. I won't get into it here b...

Wow! My first dark academia book, recommended by the wonderful @greenghostreviews over on Instagram.  The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern , to put it simply, is about Zachary, a college student who finds a mysterious book called Sweet Sorrows in his university's library. The book was donated by the equally mysterious Keating Foundation. Within the book are symbols of a bee, a key and a sword. Zachary wonders what it could all mean, especially since the story seems to be about him! He finds huge lead at a party that is literary-themed. From there he finds himself in the middle of a magical underground world of all the stories that exist in the world, as well as the people behind it that are trying to preserve it all.  This book was so atmospheric and whimsical! Intertwined with Zachary's story are other stories in and around the actual Starless Sea and its Harbours. Everything comes together neatly at the end. It kind of reminded me of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Gr...

  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...

  I need to read more middle grade horror books after this!  The Clackity by Lora Senf is about 12 year old Evie, who lives with her aunt Desdemona is a reportedly haunted town called Blight Harbor. One day, her aunt goes missing after investigating a strange phenomenon in an old abandoned slaughterhouse. Evie tries to get her aunt back, but she does so by making a deal with a creepy creature called the Clackity. The Clackity wants Evie to bring back the ghost of a notorious criminal named John Jeffery Pope. So Evie goes on this quest through 7 mysterious, magical houses to find her aunt--and the malicious John Jeffery Pope.  Whoa, this book had me on the edge of my seat! I like that was scary but not too scary. It was more mysterious and even a little whimsical at times. I can't wait to read the next book in this series! I gave this first book 5 stars .

  OMG! I think I found my true favorite Sharon Creech book of all time! Bloomability is now at the number two spot. The Wanderer is about thirteen year old Sophie, who goes on a sailing trip with her two cousins and three uncles across the Atlantic Ocean to meet her grandfather, Bompie, in England. They make a lot of pit stops along the way to get their boat fixed and to pick up more supplies. Sophie and her cousins also learn a lot along the way: about sailing, stories about each other, their uncles, and Bompie, and other random things like juggling. But the trip is not a smooth one! Sailing out onto the ocean blue isn't as whimsical as Sophie thought it would be, and they run into a lot of problems. Luckily, she has her family and they always support one another.  The story is actually told in alternating points of view of Sophie and one of her cousins named Cody. We learn that Sophie is actually hiding a mysterious past that she doesn't really want to talk about, and Cod...

  Oh, this one was just lovely! A French Girl in New York by Anna Adams is about Maude, a 16 year old who lives in Carvin, a small town in the north of France with her foster family, who act coldly towards her and refuse to talk to her about her birth parents. Maude also loves to sing and play piano, but unlike most people her age, she prefers opera and classical music. One day during a school field trip in Paris, she comes across an American social media influencer named Chad, and he invites her to perform inside. Maude sings a cover of a popular pop song, and to her surprise, Chad records the whole thing, and it ends up going viral. The next thing Maude knows, a record label president named Terence and his adult daughter Cynthia show up at her house and want to turn her into a pop star! Maude then finds herself in New York City learning the ins and outs of the music business. She also starts falling in love with two guys at once. One named Matt who is her music partner, and anot...

 TW: Mention of a parent dying This is Morgan Matson's middle grade debut, and I had a blast with it!   Firefly Summer is about Ryanna, who lives with her father, who is a famous movie director, and stepmother. One day they get a letter in the mail from Ryanna's maternal grandparents, the Van Camps, whom she's never met. They want her to come to their vacation house to meet the rest of her late mom's side of the family. The vacation house happens to be situated it what was formerly a summer camp site, that was also owned by the Van Camps. Ryanna's father is a little relunctant to send her at first since he had a falling out with his in-laws after his wife's death, but when he sees a note in the letter that it might be the last summer the Van Camps might be able to get together as a family, he agrees to send Ryanna. It coincidentally happens to be around the same time he has to go to Hungary to film a new movie, too.  When Ryanna gets there, things get off to a...

  ...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.....

So this is the first book I read for Middle Grade March. It is the second book of the Amari series by BB Alston . I read the first book, Amari and the Night Brothers last month. You can read the review for that here . I can't get too into detail with this second book, Amari and the Great Game , because it's a sequel. I will say though this book was way more intense than the second one! I really love the way BB Alston writes. The story had me on the edge of my seat. I love Amari and her friends. The worldbuilding is cool, too. The mystery was mind blowing. I can't wait to read book 3! Image of book was found on Google Images

  (Made in Canva by me. Photo of book found on Google Images) This book is a part of the 12 books from 12 friends challenge , and was recommended by @carolynolmstead_author on Instagram.    Greenglass House by Kate Milford is a middle grade mystery book set at a mysterious inn called Greenglass House, which itself is situated in a small town known for its smugglers. The owners of the inn are the Pine family, which consists of Mr and Mrs Pine and their 12 year old son Milo. Milo was looking forward to a quiet and cozy winter break, but then all of a sudden a handful of guests arrive. The guests are: Mr. Vinge, an elderly man who always wears multicolored socks. Georgie, a young blue haired woman who likes to read and invent things, Mrs. Hereward, an elderly woman who probably has ties connected to the Greenglass House, Dr. Gowervine, a professor who likes to study stained glass, and Clem, a red haired young woman who likes to exercise. All of the guests seem like they ar...

  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...

  Welcome to part 12 of my series of more books that need more love! 1. Magical Boy duology by The Kao. Book one description from Goodreads here . Chronicles the adventures of Max, a trans boy who is tasked with saving the world with some help from his friends. 2. If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia/Holden So. Full Goodreads description here . A YA contemporary sapphic romance novel of two girls rekindling their friendship while helping another friend find her grandmother's long lost childhood friend.  3. My Life in France by Julia Child. Full Goodreads description here . Julia Child's memoir on how she became a celebrity chef. 4. Morrigan Crow series by Jessica Townsend. Full Goodreads description here . A middle grade mystery fantasy series of Morrigan Crow and her adventures in the Wunderous Society, and Nevermoor. 

  Another great book by one of my favorite authors! Did you know around the time this book was released (October 2024), an actual flood happened in Asheville, NC, which is where this book also happens to take place? It was also because of a hurricane: Hurricane Helene. Robert Beatty decided that a portion of his sales from this book will go to help victims of the floods. i bought a copy of this book to help out the cause. Thank you, Mr. Beatty! Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is a middle grade urban fantasy novel about 13 year old Sylvia Doe, who has run away from another foster family back to Highground Home for Children, where she feels she truly belongs. This is quite a problem for her social worker and the state, since she can't permanently live in the place like an orphanage from the old days (the book takes place in modern times). But on top of that, Hurricane Jessamine has passed through the area and has flooded the area, destroying a lot of things and hurting a lot of p...

 TW: D3ath My second book from Colleen Oakley ! The first book I read from her was Close Enough to Touch back in 2019.  The Invisible Husband of Frick Island  is an adult romance novel that follows two characters: Piper and Anders. Piper is a woman living on the eccentric Frick Island, which is a small island community in the Chesapeake Bay. Anders is a reporter working for a small newspaper and on the side, has his own podcast where he talks about random weird stuff, but he is struggling to get any listeners.  Piper recently lost her husband Tom, in a boating accident, but she continues to live on as if Tom were still there. In fact, sometimes she talks to him as if he was still there. The rest of the Frick Island community goes along with it so they don't hurt her feelings. When Anders arrives at the island to do a report on a Cake Walk Festival held there, he finds out all sorts of things about Frick Island: how the island is a victim of climate change, a new ce...

  Another great book by Margaret Peterson Haddix ! The Secret Letters follows two preteens, Colin and Navaeh. Colin's single mother works as a consultant to help people tidy up their homes and remove and sell clutter. Navaeh's dad is the total opposite: he is known as the "Junk King" in their small town and buys old junk from people and keeps all of it. Their parents are huge business rivals!  Navaeh's dad gets called to buy out the stuff in the storage unit for a guy named Arthur Mongold. But when Navaeh and her whole family get there, the storage unit is empty! Except for a single letter. Navaeh's dad assumes Colin's mother must've stolen everything. His family tells him not to jump to conclusions and they will try to figure out where the Mongold's stuff went, and who wrote the mysterious letter that was left. One day, Colin, his mother, and three teenagers she hired are cleaning out one house when Colin discovers a shoebox underneath the floorb...

TW: Parent dying, toxic relationships   (Pic was found on Google Images) Another huge disappointment... Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch is about Lina, who just lost her single mother. Her mother's final wish was for Lina to visit the country she went to college, which was Italy. Apparently Lina's birth father is in Italy, too, and Lina can't believe she's finally meeting him. His name is Howard and he lives and works in a cemetery, much to Lina's surprise. Howard's coworker Sonia gives Lina her mother's journal when she lived and studied in Italy. Lina decides to read through it, as her mother didn't talk much about Italy and her father. One thing that stands out to her is her mother wrote down on one of the pages "I made a terrible mistake". Line tries to figure out what mistake her mother made living in Italy that made her go back to the US. While this is all happening, Lina then meets and starts hanging out with a guy her age who lives...

  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...

Let's talk about an author that became a favorite of mine this year! So Robert Beatty doesn't have as many books as the previous two authors I talked about, but pretty much everything he's written so far that I have read has been awesome! The first book I read from him was Serafina and the Black Cloak . I gave it 5 stars. The sequels Serafina and the Twisted Staff and Serafina and the Splintered Heart were great, too. I gave them both 4.5 stars. I did not like the fourth book, Serafina and the Seven Stars, that much. I gave it 3.5 stars. The main issue I had with this book is that I felt that it didn't tie in with the previous three books. The first three books had mystery stories that tied in well with each other, but book 4 didn't feel like an actual sequel for them. It felt more like a random standalone book that just happened to have the same characters and setting. I wonder if maybe Robert Beatty didn't plan on writing a 4th book and he probably only wrot...

  Another book by one of my favorite authors ever! I bought this copy at a used bookstore in my area. This is a reminder to support independent bookstores, especially if they sell second-hand!  Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix is about almost-thirteen-year-old Bethany whose overprotective parents have started acting strangely, and they just sent her to live with an aunt she never knew she had, named Myrlie. Bethany's parents also won't answer her phone calls, either, for some reason. Everyone in her aunt Myrlie's small town also react strangely every time they see Bethany, too. Her aunt Myrlie and her cousin Jocelyn, treat her very kindly, but Bethany feels like they're hiding something from her. Something involving someone named Elizabeth... Yup, another mind-boggling mystery story! This one really had me on the edge of my seat.  But I am giving it 4.5 stars . I had to take off half of a star because I didn't really like the way they handled the bad guy...

  I think Nina Lacour is becoming a new favorite author of mine! I don't know why it took me so long to read another book from her, because her writing is awesome. The first Nina Lacour book I read was We Are Okay back in 2022. You can read the review here . Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour is about Emi, an 18 year old young woman who got a summer internship in movie set designing thanks to her older brother Toby. One day she and her best friend Charlotte are invited to look through the estate of a really famous movie star that just died, named Clyde Jones. While looking though there to see what they can use for the set of an upcoming movie, they come across a record player with a hidden letter inside. In the letter, they learned that Clyde Jones actually left some money for his daughter Caroline to inherit. The girls find out that Caroline died a long time ago, but she had a daughter named Ava who is still alive and is around their age. After several roadblocks, they reac...