My favorite of the Modern Love books.

I've been waiting for Jia's book since she and Ayesha were introduced in Wrong to Need You.

For more thoughts and a giveaway (ends February 19, 2021), visit my Instagram account https://www.inatagram.com/sarahs.thoughts.on.books

Love it. Especially as a second generation to the US. While my parents speak decent English, there's still a language barrier between them and my nieces.

Love that this book was about where your imagination can take you and dealing with sibling rivalry.

This book is really something between pick and so-so, and that's because as someone local-ish, there was some geography issues.

Looking forward to reading the related book, The Dating Game

Some stories are uneven, some are great. They might need to sit with you a while before moving on. My favorite was Richard Of York Gave Battle in Vain. I found Anything Could Disappear to be the most heartbreaking.

There isn't a connecting thread, but once I was done reading the novella, I could see that the stories built up to the novella.
After finishing, I felt empty. I didn't want novella to end where it did, but it was also very fitting

The Magic Fish is now one of my go to recommendations for everyone.

There's so much to love about this book from the way Tiên struggles to tell his parents about his being gay, to the fairytale retellings, to Helen's sadness of being an adult child not being able to see her mom. LOVE

Back in early 2010s, maybe as late as 2014, to save space, I had to sell or donate all my books. I've gradually re-purchased my favorites as eBooks. With renewed popularity of The Bridgertons, I was going to re-read the series. Only to realize that I didn't have An Offer From A Gentleman in ebook. Low and behold my mystery box from Paperback Exchange came in, and look what was in there.

Highly encourage you to check their IG account, PBXBooks

Looking forward to reading this novelization. Hoping it ties up some loose ends from the graphic novels

Another book for my TBR courtesy of Penguin Teen. Hopefully I'll be able to get to it this year

Received a review copy from SMP Romance.

Content Warning: (Social) anxiety, panic attacks

Low steam: slow slow slow burn, they don't kiss until about 85% of the book

This book has one of my favorite tropes: secret/hidden identities.

Really enjoyed the story, but some parts wrapped up too quickly, and other parts lingered too long. These took away from the central story. I'm looking forward to reading more from author in future

Received a review copy from the publisher, Forever.

You do not need to read The Chai Factor first, it's probably better if you don't.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You've got neighbors, a rom com where the meet-cute does not involve an embarrassing situation. Interfering parents. A lot of food, particularly bread. Fake relationship.

Hot.

Internet friends meet in real life. One bed. Insta-love.

Childhood friends to lovers. Pining from both. Sign me up

Not my favorite of the series (just might be The Perfect First - educational kissing, or The Third Best Thing - pseudonym/secret identity), but scratched an itch.

CW: talks about cancer, alcoholism, divorced parents

Took me a while to read, and get into the novel but overall enjoyed. This is not a retelling, as the title says, it's before the Sword. Really enjoyed the retelling of folklore to give us a background.

I understand where Yang was trying to go with this book in mixing the myth with a contemporary story. To help the target audience feel seen, and that they don't need to blend in, however I think the execution could have been done better. I just was not into Danny and his visiting cousin. It was a distraction, and the story would have been better without it

Slow start. Dialogue heavy. Not a fan of Alex's dad and how he's a very religious man that uses religion as punishment.

Would have liked Alex to have more agency, rather than being so passive-aggressive. Edmund was very what can I do to help make this right, and did his best to give her choices, but in some ways she was too obstinate to see it for what it was.

Might re-read Book 2 when I get a chance, will re-read book 3 for sure

DNF. Maybe I'll come back, but probably won't.

Maybe it is me, but the first five chapters didn't catch my attention. It was slow. Also, I need friends, so over the loner-nerd. It seemed like she was beginning to build friendships in her coding club, but why didn't she already have them?

Fake dating with your former childhood best friend/ current enemy? Yes please.

Mad at Romancelandia for not telling me about this book last year. Steamy sex scenes. Co-worker/rivalry trope. A little suspense. Also laid the grown work for the next two books

Giving away a copy of The Son of Good Fortune on my Instagram account (@sarahs.thoughts.on.books). Thanks @eccobooks and Bibliolifestyle for my copy

Mariana's dad is running for president, and he wants Mari to play a larger part of the campaign. Mari isn't comfortable with this, especially as she realizes that her beliefs might not align with her father's platform. This book is about Mari finding her voice for her opinions and the desire for privacy, just as much as it is about her struggle to be heard by her parents.

Recommend these and the other books about voting/activism published in 2020

A Good Family is AH Kim's debut novel. It is a family drama that kept me captivated.

The author deftly weaves the dual POV, and the present with the flashbacks. There's Hannah, who will do what she needs to do to help her brother, especially now that his wife is in prison, and he needs to raise their two daughters himself. Then there's Beth, Hannah's sister-in-law, who won't she sacrifice to get a head.

Enemies to lovers in YA. Sex positive. Fanboys/fangirls.

This is the body positivity book that One To Watch is not. Skye is not letting her weight/body shape prevent her from trying out for a K-Pop competition. During her journey she makes new friends.

Pick with caveats. Picked it up thinking it would have more Asian characters, since pre-release most people were CRA x Gossip Girl. It was not. It did not disappoint on the modernized Anna Karenina front though. Or at least what I got out of Anna Karenina my one reading.

Was looking forward to this book, but didn't quite meet expectations. Maybe because I'm not a fan of the bodyguard trope. Otherwise, enjoyable.

Was reluctant to read it, but so glad that it happened. Lighter read than I expected. Loved that the three women bonded and became friends rather than fight each other. Can't wait until we get the rest of the series

This book deserves every accolade it's been receiving. Coming of age novel, where the MC made a decision a few years ago, but is wondering if that was really the correct decision. This happens as he tries to navigate the complications of high school. So while trying to find love

Enjoyed. A graphic novel about finding yourself, and acceptance

Overall I enjoyed this book. It took a while to get into, because I read the first few chapters a bit too critically. It was as though the author couldn't decide if she was writing this for a white audience, or if she should decide to not explain things that are generally acceptable in Asian (Chinese) cultures. Part of this was also the reason why I was 50 pages in before realizing it was an epistolary novel.

Not sure why everyone is giving it rave reviews. Were they paid? I only finished because it was an accident I couldn't look away from. Wondering if the reviewers don't really read romance, because it's not the first time there's a plus size heroine. Feel that it should actually be Women's Fiction. Characters are a bit flat.

Overall enjoyed. Wish it had resources for it's audience listed in the back.

Coming of age story

Everything the synopsis promises. Touches on many social issues briefly without being over bearing. Loved it. Cannot wait to dive into Brandy Colbert's backlist

As a child of refugees from Cambodia, I try to learn more about refugee experience, and find it difficult to talk to my parents due to language barriers. While both journeys lead to diaspora, the refugee experience, is diff from immigrant experience. I found myself connecting to Tran's experience. In other ways, my experience didn't match. That's okay. Asian people are not a monolith. It does not stop me from enjoying the story, and being engaged.

Picked this book up because it was epistolary. Thought it would be a breeze read about friendship. While not triggering for me, marking it so-so instead of pick because it should come with content warnings on the book - mental health, and PTSD, at minimum.

I also didn't really connect with the characters, but I feel that's because I don't read fan fic/ not part of a fandom

Yellow dress on the cover? Must read. Secret Heiresses? Yes Please! Only the book ends up not meeting my expectations.

This is the first book in a new series by Madeline Hunter.

Pacing of the book could use work; felt that the mystery around the late Duke's death really slowed things down.

Received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher.

Okay, I try to be cognizant of not giving YA books bad ratings because I'm not the intended audience, but I just found this book to be over-hyped.

It was supposed to be a sex-positive book, but I found it heavy on the slut-shaming, and very mean girls. Sure the character that is slut-shamed does not hide, but it's still happening.

MC Keely was also BORING. Her character was very flat, with no interest outside of losing her virginity.

Lost in translation? I thought the book was okay, but wondering if some of the content was lost in translation. As someone that previously took our local metro daily for a few years, I didn't notice the same people getting on my train car. I might have noticed them in the station, but not my car. So I thought the part where she observed fellow passengers daily habits was intriguing

Small portion of my book haul early this week. I'll get to these books one day

Lack of better term, thought provoking light read. I see why it's getting all the accolades for the author, and why it was chosen for Reece's book club.

Does it have the best writing? No. Do I have the need to have all my friends read it so that I can discuss my feelings about a character, and plot? yes (Basically I've got strong feelings about Alix/Alex 😡). #OwnVoices #ReecesBookClub

Who doesn't love a book launch/talk that gives you stickers, and has Teaspoon tea? Bonus: moderator was Sabaa Tahir. Can't wait to dive into this book

1. Is it the UK cover that is used for the book? I'm jealous if it is. 2. Oh my thoughts (I've had running commentary on my second Twitter account since the first page). Still reading (mid-part 3). Though what I thought would be a "deep, slow read" is really quite a quick thought provoking read.

Bailed after 7 chapters, there are 52. I really tried to get through it so that I could check off a BINGO square in one of my reading challenges.

I however the description/book blurb doesn't tell you that it's a super religious book. It's not preaching to you, instead, it's all about how you should trust God/let God decide/be the savior to ask the people. There's like one sentence in each paragraph.

Kristen has a webstore where she sells stuff for small dogs. When the carpenter she contracts for her items quits, her BFF suggests hiring Josh. K & J don't quite get a long due to an incident earlier that day. However J has debts, and the money will come in handy. Book then proceeds as romances do. Though K has feelings for J, she friend zones him because he wants a big family, and for health reasons, she's going to have a hysterectomy soon.

Swoonsh. That's really all there is to say. Kate Clayborn does a great job describing the letters/calligraphy that I really wanted to stop reading and go practice my lettering.

Meg was a bit annoying in her passive-aggresive/ need to keep the peace/lack of confidence ways, but there's a turning point when she realizes she needs to fight to stay in the game.

Loved the secondary characters. Hope there's a connection story for Lark

Kept going into all my libraries to see if they added these books to their Overdrive/Libby catalog when the books were released. The constant checking paid off, as I was able to check out both books from the same library before other people checked out all the copies.

Made some magnetic bookmarks with left over paper. Determined to read these books in 2020

Listened to audio version. Even knowing how it ends, I cried all the tears when it came to the last chapter and epilogue. Some of the medical terms went over my head, but it was well written.

Growing up, Keiko doesn't fit into society. It's not until she becomes employed at a convenience store while at University does she really feel like she belongs. Here she's given specific tasks, phrases to repeat, a uniform. Basically a list of how to conform. Sure also picks up how to act when not working by mimicking her fellow employees. I feel like it has so much to say about Japanese society, but it's not something I'm qualified to analyze.