Starting the Year Off Strong

The title is a lie. Every January I make grand plans to keep this blog up and then I do a pretty solid job of it... and then school starts up in the fall, my world becomes chaos and the blog fades into the back ground. So... I guess I'm at least consistant. Last year I stopped blogging in August, so we've got some catching up to do. We're going to make it quick and easy and I'll share bite sized reviews of the books I"ve read since then. Buckle up... let's go. 

First up I read Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall and Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. Both of these books are quick reads that suck you right in and you immediately care for the characters. In both cases we've got some reluctant relationships and all the messiness and drama that comes with that.  The Charm Offensive also includes some of the best representation of anxiety that I've ever seen. Throughout the book I kept going "oh. yeah. That is how that feels." I highly recommend both books. 

I also had the good fortune of snagging a couple books from NetGalley. First I read the Many Half Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya McGregor. This was a tricky book for me. At first it seemed to be trying to do all things and I struggled tofigure out how it all fit. Was it a coming out story with the associated trauma, was it supernatural based, a true crime maybe?  In the end it all wrapped together really nicely, and I found myself flipping back through the book to see where I might have missed the pieces coming together. 

Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve was one of my most anticipated books for 2022, so when it popped up on NetGalley I jumped on it. Arden is a great main character and Stoeve does a phenomenal job showing Arden as a kid who is in the thick of it. Arden is dealing with relationship issues on multiple fronts, her family is shifting and she has to reckon with the reality of being from a broken home. Arden is also coming to terms with who she is and what kind of relationship she wants with people… family, friends, and romance. In this book we see things like broken homes, abusive relationships, people exploring different identities, and shifting friendships. None of it is easy, because life isn’t easy. I’m so thankful that Stoeve chooses to let it all sit in the light. 

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride is one of the best books I've ever read. The story follows Moth who has lost her whole family in a car accident, even the aunt she went to live with has left her. And then she meets Sani, who is also on his own and looking to find his place in the world. Together they set off on a road trip in hopes they will both find what they are looking for.  The story takes many twists and turn and at a certain point has

a reveal that had me actually yelling at the book and wondering how I had missed what was happening. It changed the way I thought about everything that came before it. This book is amazing and I highly recommend everyone give it a read.