Candy Bunny Reader

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 the stand-alone sequel to When it All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw , which I read and reviewed earlier this year! You can read that review here .  Under All the Lights follows Aisha's (from the first book) boyfriend Ollie, who is a amateur musician. Recently his family has fallen on hard times financially, and he has been having a lot of conflicts with his dad. When a homemade music video of his goes viral after being shared by popular singer Jesse Jacobs after a musical festival, he is given an offer by Jesse's record label to tour around the country (Canada) with him! Ollie accepts the offer. His goal is to help his family, and maybe the tour will be his one way ticket to a good music school. But he has to do all of this while managing his anxiety, which isn't easy. Just like When it All Syncs Up , it's a book that deals with a lot of heavy stuff (but handled in a good way!) while also pursuing ones dreams. The book is also very diverse, too. Ollie is Algerian-Ca...

The best reading month so far! So many 5 stars! I read a total of 12 books and DNF 3 .  Links to reviews if applicable.    5 star books   Shadows House Volume 9 by Somato The Witch Who Chases the Sun by Dawn Chen She Loves to Cook Volumes 1 and 2 by Sakaomi Yuzaki Monster High: New Scaremester Volume 1 by several authors Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix Nightbooks (and the sequel Gravebooks) by JA White Witchlings 1 by Claribel Ortega Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon Eden of Witches Volume 6 by Yumeji   4.5 Stars  Monster High: New Scaremester Volume 2 by several authors   DNFs  These two were bad:  A Condition Called Love Volume 1 by Megumi Morino Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay   This was just boring:  A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff   

Wow! Where I do I begin? When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw is a YA novel set in Canada. The MC, Aisha, loves ballet and is trying to get recognized by any prestigious ballet academy, but things weren't working out at her elite ballet academy. She decides to move in with her childhood friend Neil (after Neil himself has a huge health scare) and transfer to his public arts high school.  Unfortunately, things don't change a lot right away, but now Aisha has a new circle of support with Neil, Neil's best friend (and later Aisha's boyfriend) Ollie, a guy named Ebi, and another girl named Khadija. Aisha also learns in her new environment what does she really want to do, and try not to live up to other people's expectations (mostly her mother's).  On the surface it looks like another work-really-hard-for-your-dreams book with ballet as the center, but this story ended up being a lot deeper than that! It dealt with racism, sexism, eating disorders, alcoholism, strain...

  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

Please read the full list of trigger warnings for this book here: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/Pet_by_Akwaeke_Emezi  Pet by Akwaeke Emezi is a young adult dystopian (although set in a utopia), speculative, and urban fantasy book. It is set in a utopian community called Lucille that has is run by Angels (people considered good) and has (supposedly) eliminated all of the Monsters (people considered bad) after a revolution a long time ago.  The main character is a trans girl named Jam who has selective mutism. One day she accidentally brings to life one of her mother's paintings, and a creature emerges from it named Pet. Pet is there to search for and destroy a Monster that still exists in Lucille. It needs Jam's help because the Monster is at Redemption's (Jam's best friend) house.  The whole situation is shocking and confusing, but Jam will do anything to help and protect her best friend and his family.  This book wasn't very long (only 12 chapters), but it reall...

  A random list of romance novels I've read over the years that I love and I hope you love, too.  I will do a part 2 soon of favorite romance graphic novels (includes manga) soon!  1. The Sun is Also a Star and Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon 2.  Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley 3. Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Johanneau 4. Sleeping Around by Morgan Vega 5. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 6. Everything Leads to You  by  Nina LaCour 7. If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia/Holden So 8. Dos and Donuts of Love and Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar 9. I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver 10. Moment of Truth and By Your Side by Kasie West 11.  Let's Talk about Love by Claire Kann 12. A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen 13. Flip the Script and I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee 14. The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery 15. She Gets the Girl   by  Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick 1...

  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

  Well, it's a long list so instead of dividing it up by month, I will divide it up by ratings. The 5 stars books  Witch Hat Atelier Volume 13 by Kamome Shirahama Call the Name of the Night Volume 5 by Tama Mitsuboshi Gigi Shin Live From Manhattan by Lyla Lee A Song for You and I by Kay O'Neill The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen Tiny Dancer by Siena Siegel Somali and the Forest Spirit Volumes 2 and 3 by Yako Gureishi Our Not So Lonely Planet Volumes 5 and 6 by Mone Sorai Wings of Starlight by Alison Shaft Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Volumes 7 and 8 by Saki Mikami A Sign of Affection Volume 11 by Suu Morishita The Nighthouse Keeper by Lora Senf Ashes of the Academy by Faith Erin Hicks  In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volumes 2 and 4 by Yoshino Fumikawa Eden of Witches Volume 2 by Yumeji Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend One Piece Heroines Volume 1 by Eichiro Oda The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Anothe...

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...

  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...

  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...

  My first Claire Kann book!  If It Makes You Happy follows 18 year old Winnie, who has her whole summer planned before she starts college in the fall: work at Goldeen's, her grandmother's old fashioned diner, and hang out with her ungirlfriend named Kara.  But then Winnie somehow accidentally becomes part of an annual matchmaking tradition the small town she is staying in has with the next small town over. She gets crowned queen, and a guy she's kind of secretly liked for a long time named Dallas steps up to become her king.  Now all of her plans are thrown out of whack as she and Dallas go around attending town events as Misty Haven's unofficial king and queen. Even worse--Winnie thinks the more she hangs out with Dallas, her queerplatonic relationship with Kara will be ruined. Winnie wonders if there is a way to make everyone happy while also prioritizing her own happiness.  This book got me hooked on from page one! I love the way the author writes, and Win...

  It's like this book was written just for me! Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao is about two first year students at Wellesey College in Wellesey, Massachusetts. One is named Sophie, the other is named Jo. Sophie runs an Instagram account called Dear Wendy where people at Wellesey send her questions (usually about relationships) and she answers them in posts. Jo runs a similar Instagram account called Sincerely Wanda, which is like Dear Wendy but instead of giving serious advice, they give much sillier answers. The two develop a huge rivalry online that the students at Wellesey can't get enough of. Both of them stay anonymous online, and no one else except for their respective roommates know each Instagram account's true identities.  Sophie and Jo end up becoming friends after they meet in their Women and Gender Studies class. They bond over the fact that both of them are aromantic and asexual. They start hanging out with each other more and more and grow close, but each worry about ...

Another book I picked up on a whim and ended up loving! Basil and Oregano by Melissa Caprigione is an urban fantasy story set mostly in a really expensive magical school called Porta Bella Academy, where student learn cooking magic. The main character, Basil, and all of her friends were lucky to get into the school on scholarships, and Basil's dream is to be top student. It will be a ticket to better support her and her two dads. Attending the school at the same time is Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a famed magical chef Ametrine Oregano. Basil falls in love with her at first sight, and before they knew it they become friends.   But being in this magical cooking school isn't easy. The students are constantly having to come up with new recipes to impress teachers, and Basil sometimes has to deal with mean girl Xynthia and her cronies. Meanwhile, Arabella has a secret of her own that might sour her and her mother's reputation. The girls have to come up with solutions to t...

  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...

How come it took me so long to get around to reading this? It is an instant new favorite! I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver is about 18-year-old nonbinary Ben, who got kicked out of their house after coming out as nonbinary to their parents. They go to live with their sister Hannah and her husband Thomas. At Ben's new school, they meet another student named Nathan. It takes Ben a while to warm up to Nathan, but when they do they become great friends. Nathan especially loves Ben's art, and loves it when Ben draws and paints pictures of him. Nathan and his other two friends Meleika and Sophie help Ben get used to their new situation while also having fun as friends should. At the same time, Ben's sister Hannah recommends that Ben should see a counselor to deal with his trauma after getting kicked out and other things, and so they start seeing an LGBT-friendly counselor named Dr. Taylor. Things aren't always easy, but things do start to get better for Ben. slowly. T...

  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...

Another great book by Adiba Jaigirdar ! Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is about two Bangladeshi-Irish girls named Hani and Ishu who start fake dating for different reasons--the popular Hani because she wants to prove to her friends that she is bisexual since she's only dated guys, and the unpopular bookworm Ishu because she wants to be Head Girl and needs to make herself better known and better liked by the rest of her classmates. It's not easy at first because they are polar opposites in personality. But after a few incidents, they find that maybe they really do need each other after all.  I really liked how the author weaves so many great things into the story! From being queer, to being Muslim, to being a person of color in a predominantly white society, to family dynamics and friendship dynamics. Everything is so well done, relatable, and heartfelt! So I gave it 5 stars . I think Adiba is becoming a favorite author of mine! I'll read anything she puts out.

  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.