Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny And Meghan Rienks // 2-In-1 Book Review

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Hi Friends,
There are some books that I read, but don’t have enough thoughts to dedicate a whole review to. I decided that, in those cases, I would do mini review posts. So, I will be doing shorter reviews for multiple books in this post. Here, I will be reviewing a middle-grade and and a sort-of-memoir. I hope you enjoy!

“The Everything I Have Lost” by Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny
2.5/5.0 Stars
*I received an ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley*
This is a hard-hitting contemporary middle-grade, told through a young girl’s diary entries. I found this to be a very impactful story that deals with some serious topics. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the main character to life, and I felt all of her emotions. I knew going into the story that it would be sad and touching. It gave a look at the differences between living in Juarez, as compared to El Paso, which was interesting to hear about.

However, there were some plot points that left me feeling uneasy. There was an incest incident that was unsettling and glossed-over. Also, one of the characters was shamed for being plus-sized, called Fat Nelly. However, the book is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old, so I tried to ignore the stereotyping. I wouldn’t exactly call this a middle-grade read, since the subject matter is heavy. But if you are looking for a bridge between tween and young adult, you might want to give this one a try.

“You’re Not Special” by Meghan Rienks
2.5/5.0 Stars
A person has to be pretty awesome for me to want to pick up their memoir. The life of YouTuber Meghan Rienks wouldn’t exactly be one I would usually care to read. However, I heard a rumor that it talked about her falling out with her mother, so it piqued my interest. This is mainly because I used to see her mom in her vlogmas videos, and they seemed to have a good relationship. First, I want to note that I never really watched Meghan’s YouTube channel, but I have seen some of her vlogs. No shade to her, I just always found her personality to be over-the-top and unauthentic. I think she overacts in her videos.

Anyhow, the book is tagged as sort-of-memoir, where she tells stories and gives real advice. I found the deeper parts of the book engaging and interesting. Learning about her struggles with alcohol and strained parental relationship were the best parts of the book. They were the most honest and unfiltered chapters as well. However, most of the book was filled with random, silly anecdotes with pop-culture references. This could be her inner YouTuber coming forth. In my opinion, much of the book could have been a story-time video. I got the impression that she was trying too hard to keep the reader engaged with her tips and witty one-liners. My biggest issues with the book was that it blurred the lines between memoir and self-help book. It was too all-over-the-place for me to truly enjoy.

I can’t wait to do more of these 2-in-1 mini book reviews. Don’t worry, though – I will still be doing solo reviews as well. I would love to know if any of you have read either on these books. If you have, leave your thoughts in the comments. Please like and share this post with all your bookish friends.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Summer Bucket List // Book Tag

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
I wanted to do a bookish summer tag post, and after doing a little research, I decided that the “The Summer Bucket List” book tag would be the perfect choice.


1) Hit the Beach: a book set by the water?
I don’t believe I have read many books that take place by the water. The only one that comes to mind is “Listen To Your Heart” by Kasie West. I could be completely wrong about this taking place near water, but I am going to go with it anyways. This is a YA contemporary that has elements of romance, podcasting, and a love triangle of sorts. I usually enjoy Kasie West books, and this one was no exception.


2) Watch Fireworks: a book with a fiery romance?
I don’t know if this counts as a fiery romance, but recently I read “Cool For The Summer” by Dahlia Adlier. The characters started as friends and an unexpected romance grew from there. I think the romance was pretty intense. Some might even call it fiery.


3) Go for a Road Trip: a book that involves a journey?
I haven’t read a lot of books that involve a journey, yet I read “Time Of Our Lives” by Emily Webberly and Austin Siegemund​-Broka. It follows two high school seniors that cross-paths during their college tour road trips. I have a review on the book that you can read if you’d like.


4) Camp Under the Stars: a book that left you starstruck?
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee! This is a YA contemporary with dystopian and sci-fi elements. The whole plot, including the twist at the end, left me 100% star-struck. This is another book that I have reviewed.


5) Marathon some Movies: a book you couldn’t put down?
This is an easy pick for me, If I’m Being Honest by Emily Webberly and Austin Siegemund​-Broka. I was going to DNF it, but I am very happy I didn’t. After the fifth chapter, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. I finished it in two days, which is unusual for me.


6) Go Out for Ice Cream: a book with a sweet romance?
I chose “Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. Sure, most of the romance took place through emails and the two didn’t know each others identities. But I loved how sweet and real their relationship was from the start. Simon and Blue fell in love in such an innocent and adorable way that you cannot help but love their relationship.


7) Picnic in the Park: a book that was a breath of fresh air?
This is an odd pick, but still, I have my reasons for choosing it. The book id “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini. The book deals with anxiety and mental health in a way that I haven’t seen before. I don’t know if I can classify it as YA, though it isn’t Adult, either. The story follows a teenage boy as he admits himself into the hospital psych ward. It talks about serious topics that a lot of books shy away of, which was very refreshing.


8) Go for a Hike: a character who conquered an obstacle?
How can I not go with Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” by Susan Collins. She, willing, volunteered to enter a game of life and death. Although she was fighting for her life instead of being ruthless, she was smart. She faced many challenges, all for the ones she loved. Also, she is badass.


9) Grill some BBQ: a book featuring delicious food?
Again, I haven’t read many books about food. But I am going with “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” by Jenny Han. The main Character, Lara-Jean Song-Covey, loves to bake. She makes tons of delicious sweets throughout the trilogy.


10) Watch the Sunrise: a book that inspired you?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott! The relationship between the March sisters was inspiring. They supported each other always, even though they all chose different paths for their lives. It shows that not everyone has the same dreams and that is okay. It proves that there are more important things in life than money mainly family and love.

Those were all the questions in this bookish tag. I hope that you all will do the tag as well. Please check out the creator of the tag Read by Tiffany’s original post. Don’t forget to support my blog by liking and sharing this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

What’s Not To Love // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: What’s Not To Love
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Since high school began, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed on almost everything. AP classes, the school paper, community service, it never ends. If Alison could avoid Ethan until graduation, she would. Except, naturally, for two over-achieving seniors with their sights on valedictorian and Harvard, they share all the same classes and extracurriculars. So when their school’s principal assigns them the task of co-planning a previous class’s ten-year reunion, with the promise of a recommendation for Harvard if they do, Ethan and Alison are willing to endure one more activity together if it means beating the other out of the lead.
Source: GoodReads

I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, if it’s done right. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. The lead characters argued all the time, and had no chemistry. For the first half of the book, they bickered the whole time, which annoyed everyone around them. Honestly, there wasn’t a point where I, as the reader, could see them becoming more than rivals. It was irritating that these two had absolutely no reason to dislike each other, except for the fact that they wanted to out-do the other. The whole meaning behind their rivalry was very juvenile.

The lead male, Ethan, isn’t a horrible character, but he was trying to find himself in this feud he has going on. As for the female lead, Alison, she was one of the major downfalls of this book. I understand not wanting to be treated like a child, but she was immature, snobbish, and self-centered. The way she treated her friends was one thing, but how she acted towards her family was unbelievable. She was downright rude and offensive to her older sister because her life wasn’t they way Alison thought it should be. She had no right to judge her or talk the way she did to her family. Honestly, for someone that wanted to be seen as a grown-up, her attitude was very immature.

The plot seemed random, since I don’t believe a high-school principal would care about two students’ petty feud. If it was such a big problem, you’d think it would have been dealt with sooner than their senior year. They could have put them in different classes, or set up a meeting with their parents. The whole main plot was just off. There was a nice throwback to “Time Of Our Lives” which is another novel by this duo. Two of the characters from the book did show up in this one, but since I wasn’t a fan of “Time Of Our Lives” it didn’t mean much to me.

I want to like this author duo, but I am starting to think that “If I’m Being Honest” was a fluke. I might pick up their next release, but go into it with low expectations. Please give this post a like and share, and follow my little book blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Blogger Myths & Blogging Tips

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
Today, I am going to be shattering those myths of being a book blogger. I think these are Booktube myths as well, but I could be wrong. I am including a few blogger tips for all you new bloggers, or those of you thinking of starting a blog.

No Books Necessary
A lot of people think that book blogging is all about having a huge personal library. We see bloggers posting their rainbow bookshelves on Bookstagram, and we think the first step to being a book blogger is to buy books. This is completely untrue. Many book bloggers use the library and borrow books from friends. You can even use apps such as Libby and Overdrive to get audiobook and ebook copies of books from your local library. You can still share your love of books without owning a single book.

Book Hauls Aren’t A Requirement
This is piggybacking off the last myth, but book hauls don’t matter. Yes, it is cool to see the book people buy or receive, still, there are tons of minimalist book bloggers out there. Also, a lot of book bloggers go on book buying bans until the clear their tbrs. I don’t typically buy books, so most of my collection is books I’ve received as gifts. Library hauls are a great option, or buying discounted books from a local thrift shop is an inexpensive way to grow your collection as well.

Reading, Reading, Reading
I used to think that I couldn’t be part of the book community because I was an extremely slow reader. Luckily, that isn’t a problem anymore, but truthfully, it doesn’t matter how many books you read a month. There are tons of people in the book community that only manage to read one or two books a month. You are not alone in your struggles to read, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t hit your GoodReads goal. As long as you have a passion for books, and you engage in the community, you are golden.

What Everyone Else Is Reading
This might shock you, but you’d have to read the same books as all the other book bloggers. It is a common mistake that all book bloggers have to read the same books and genres. At times, I am guilty of trying to read what’s popular. I’m not saying it isn’t nice to read multiple opinions on the same story, but people, including myself, read book blogs to discover new, underrated books. Don’t be scared to read for yourself, and not what people except you to read.

Want An ARC
I am sorry to break this to you, but if you want to become a book blogger just to get arcs, you’re wasting your time. Yes, sometimes book bloggers are fortunate enough to receive ACRS of books. But this rarely happens, especially for physical copies. Publishing companions are very selective about sending out review copies. Most of authors and publishers are turning to Netgalley for ARC releases. I have been using the platform for a while, and I can say that getting approved for some ACRS aren’t easy. Don’t start a book blog for money or gifts.

Tech Savvy
The last myth I want to shatter is that you have to be some web design wizard to start a blog. True, there is a learning curve when starting any kind of blog. But a lot of sites, such as Squarespace or WordPress, are pretty straight forward. Also, there are tons of articles and YouTube videos on how to navigate just about any platform.

As for my tips, I only have a few, so don’t stop reading yet.
1) Write Before Publishing: This is something I wish I had done before publishing my blog. I think you should write at least 10 to 20 blog posts before launching your blog. This way, you have a lot of posts that will go up so that you don’t have to worry about writing a new post every week. You can focus on reading and writing as you go.

2) Set Schedule: Some people might say this is due to my need to plan everything, but I think having a posting schedule is important. Whether you post once a week, month or even once a year, you should pick one day for your post to go up. This way, your readers know which day to visit your site for a new post. I don’t think a set time is as necessary as a regular day, but having both couldn’t hurt.

3) Always Edit: I didn’t do this with my earlier posts, but I found that editing and proof reading is a must. You should read over your post at least twice before publishing it. Also, if you suck at grammar like myself, it couldn’t hurt to use an editing software or subscription. I hear that Grammarly is a great resource for bloggers. But keep in mind their subscription is quite expensive.

I hope that you liked this original post. It was fun exposing book blogger myths and sharing some of my blogger tips. Please support my little book blog by liking and sharing this post. If you want to join my mailing list, you can subscribe via email.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

29th Birthday Haul // Non-Bookish

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
You might have saw my birthday book haul already, but some of you wanted to see the non-bookish gifts I received. However, I got two books from family members that I didn’t feature in my book haul. Simply because I will be returning those books, because I already own them.

ColourPop Lizzie McGuire Collection

ColourPop Hocus Pocus Palette
Macaron Candle Gift Set

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Backpack Purse

Light-Up Picture Hanging Decor
Hocus Pocus Game Board

I am extremely grateful for everything I received. My family is truly amazing and I can not say thank you enough.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

To Be Read // July 2021

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
In July, I wanted to participate in a readathon. But I didn’t think I would be doing two in one month, but I’m not mad about it. First up, I will be doing the Summerween, which takes place from July 2 – July 8. I have been wanting to read my horror/thriller books, making this readathon the perfect choice. I have picked out one book that fills all the promotes, but I do have another book that I can read if I did up having the time.

Challenges:
1) Bake or make a drink with your spooky read

2) Read a book in the dark

3) Read a paranormal book

4) Read a horror book

5) Read a book with black or orange on the cover (or both)

I was going to pick Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, since it’s a paranormal horror story. But the audiobook won’t be available at my library until four weeks. Instead, I found a graphic novel that easily fulfills all the promotes. Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, and Miquel Muerto is a horror and paranormal story about missing children, monsters and a monster hunter. I heard that it is compared to Netflix’s Stranger Things, which I haven’t seen, but I know it is popular. I don’t know if the this book has enough Halloween colors on the cover, but the authors names are in orange, so I’m counting it.

The second readathon I will be doing is the Buddy Readathon. Joining this readathon was a very last-minute decision. I have been wanting to meet others in the book community, and this seemed like the perfect way to do so. If you’re interested in participating in the Buddy Readathon, please watch the announcement video. For the readathon, I was paired with Jazz! We got together and decided that we would try to get a bingo, and read one of the group books. Below are the prompts and books we will be reading.

Published Before 2016: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Group Read: Legendborn (Legendborn, #1) by Tracy Deonn

One Word Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer

I already have a lot of required reading for the month, yet I’m adding more books to my July tbr. I am a big supporter of Christmas in July, so I have to try and fit in a Christmas read.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
This book follows two teens that send each other on a holiday adventure across New York. I have tried to read this YA Christmas story twice. I can never seem to get pass the first chapter. But I am on my reading game this year, so I believe I can finally cross this one of my tbr. Also this winter, I want to watch the Netflix series adaptation of the book.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
I have been wanting to reread this book for a while, and July seems like the perfect month for it. This is a YA Christmas Carol retelling that is pretty imaginative. I don’t remember my thoughts on the book the first time I read it, but Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” so I know this one had to have been a favorite.

On average, I have been reading 4 to five books per month. I will be prioritizing my readathon reads, but I am hoping to get to all the books on my tbr. I am over-estimating how much time I’ll have to read in July, still, a girl can dream. Let me know what is on your July tbr in the comments below. Please the support the blog by sharing and liking this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My 29th Birthday Book Haul

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
If you saw my birthday wishlist post, you’d know my 29th birthday was a few days ago. I was blessed enough to receive gifts from all my loved ones. My amazing spouse got me some books that I have been eyeing. I usually only buy books I have read, but a lot of the time I ask for books that I assume I would like. If you are a book blogger, booktuber, or book lover, you understand this struggle.

Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh

Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Teen Angst? Naaah… by Ned Vizzini

Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury, #1) by Tracy Banghart

Piper by Jay Asher and Jessica Freeburg

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein

Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

How We Roll by Natasha Friend

Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Hearts Made for Breaking by Jen Klein

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love by Various Authors

I hope that you all enjoyed this post, and I want to say once again that I am very thankful for all I was gifted.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

 

Unbirthday // Book Review

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Title: Unbirthday
Author: Liz Braswell
Published: 2020
Genre: Middle Grade/Retelling


2.5/5 Stars


Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts’ tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?
Source: GoodReads.com


Writing a bad review is one of the worst parts of being a book blogger. I never want to offend the author or other readers, but not everybody will enjoy the same story. I went to this book with an open mind while excepting much. I read, and reviewed a different book in the “Twisted Tales” series, so I sort of new what to except. Going into this book, I knew it was going to be a fresh take on the Wonderland story, and hope it would instantly capture me. Unfortunately, nothing about this story worked. The writing style was geared towards a much younger audience, which being a middle grade is to be suspected. But there are some pretty spectacular middle-grade books that work for all ages.

The biggest issue I had with the story was that it was slow. I don’t mean slow for the first half of the book, and then it picks up. It was slow and boring throughout the entire book. I kept getting distracted, and tuning out while reading. I had to go back and reread pages multiple times. Truthfully, I wanted to DNF the book, but I felt like I had to see it through to the end. I’m not mad that I stuck with it, but I did want more from it.

I didn’t get the connection between Alice’s real-life and wonderland life. Speaking of Alice, she acted just as bratty and sure of herself as she did in the original story. But being 18 years old, you would think she’d grown up. It seemed that even the Wonderland characters didn’t enjoy her company. The plot of Alice having to save Wonderland from the Queen of Hearts could have been interesting if the villain was an actual part of the story. During Alice’s journey through Wonderland, the Queen didn’t appear until the final few chapters. She didn’t even say much or acknowledge Alice’s presence.

I wanted a whimsical re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland, and that wasn’t the case. The book didn’t hold up to Lewis Carroll original work, nor the classic Disney animated film. Honestly, Tim Burton did a better job retelling the story. One final thing to note this book is nearly 500 pages long—too long for most books, especially middle-grade reads.

If you would like to send me an inquiry about reviewing a book or product please email me at narges.errandi@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that all my reviews are 100% honest.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Road To Christmas // Movie Review

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Title: Road To Christmas
Network: Hallmark
Released: 2018


Los Angeles television producer Maggie Baker unwittingly falls for Danny Wise, the son and former producer of his mother’s popular annual Christmas special Julia Wise Lifestyle. When Maggie’s secret plan to reunite Danny and his two brothers with Julia during the live broadcast in Vermont goes awry, Maggie is reminded that above all, it is the love for family and friends that makes the merriest of Christmas.
Source: Hallmark.com


Let’s face it, most Hallmark movies have some cheesy and predictability factors. But, this one was a sweet Christmas movie, where the romance takes a backseat. This movie feature is a workaholic character, like many Hallmark movies do, that never makes time for romance but discovers that you can always make time for the things that are important, especially love. I enjoyed the character tremendously, and thought that all the actors had great chemistry.

Most of the time, we get workaholics that are cold and uptight. But this movie takes a new approach to the stereotype, which was refreshing. She loved her job and was willing to skip Christmas with her family for work. Still, she loved the holiday, and missed her loved ones dearly. It was nice that her love interest wasn’t some unfeeling jerk coming to take over her job. He was a genuine guy, doing a favor for his mom and trying to show that Christmas traditions are important.

I will say that as the producer of the Christmas special who has been working at the company for five years, they should have had a little more faith in her ability to put on a good show. On the flip side, I understand that most of us trust our families opinions more than other people. I loved the plot of reuniting the brother to surprise their mom, live on TV. It was a wholesome idea that showed how spending the holiday with family is all that matters. I did find the fact that they were known as the “Three Wise Men” a little silly and too on-the-nose Christmas for me.

I thought the brothers interacted well together, and you could get a feel of their different personalities. Even though the movie was only an hour and a half long, the love story wasn’t rushed. They fell for each other naturally, despite their contrasting personalities. The plot was fun and creative, while still being a typical Hallmark movie. I don’t think this movie is super original, but it is one I would watch again.

If you would like to send me an inquiry about reviewing a book or product, please email me at narges.errandi@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that all my reviews are 100% honest.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Conceal, Don’t Feel // Book Review

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Title: Conceal, Don’t Feel
Author: Jen Calonita
Published: 2019
Genre: Middle Grade/Retellings


When a magical accident erases Anna and Elsa’s memories not only of magic, but of each other the sisters are separated for protection. But when Elsa unexpectedly finds herself as a young queen mysterious magic begins to happen and questions of her past start to form. Will the sisters ever be reunited?
Source: GoodReads.com


I pictured this book to be a new take on the Frozen story. However, it was the same basic story with slight changes. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Frozen movie, so I don’t know why I was excepting to enjoy this book. When I think of retellings, I envision a whole new tale that takes inspiration from it’s origin story. Unfortunately that was not the author’s plan for this novel.

I was curious to see who Elsa and Anna would become without one another. The answer the same exact people they were in the film. There were minor changes to their personalities, but unless you were looking you wouldn’t be able to notice these differences. I think the biggest change was Elsa and Hans’ relationship. Although, he is scum the book and movie writes him in a charming almost likable way. As someone that loved his and Anna’s duet from the animated film it would have been great to have him be a good guy this go around.

This is probably an unpopular opinion but I find Olaf to be annoying. He is too much for me in the movie. However, I liked the change to his personality in the book. The author kept his lovable and clueless charm while reining in his over-the-top persona. Also, I found his forgetfulness kind of adorable. One character change I wasn’t a fan of was Kristoff. Now I enjoyed his interactions with Sven, yet he seemed cold and irritated with Anna. I didn’t see them development from friends to lovers, or in this case enemies to lovers.

Overall, this book was an average, quick middle grade. While being a good choice for Disney fans, if you’re looking for a reimagined take on the story, skip this one. This is my first “Twisted Tale” and despite it not being my favorite, it hasn’t totally prevented me from giving others in the series a fair chance. Still, here’s hoping the rest are a bit of a fresher take on the classic tales we all know and love.

If you would like to send me an inquiry about reviewing a book or product please email me at narges.errandi@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that all my reviews are 100% honest.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny