Recent Reads //(An Attempt to Not Fail My Reading Goals For 2020)

Hello again, my dear readers. I don’t know about you, but I have found myself sighing over the stage of my reading challenge for 2020 and desperately attempting to read more. So far, I am failing and still reading at a slower rate than I would like, but I am gaining (some) ground and while doing so have found quite a few reads that I got through quickly. As I tried to decide what to post on this rainy December day, I kept coming back to this post. So..here we are.

*A quick note before we begin, younger readers beware books that are marked with a heart, these are book I would rate as PG-13 rather than PG.

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With The Fire On High – Elizabeth Acevedo ★★★ (❤)

After reading Clap When You Land, I could not wait to read another Acevedo book. I was under the impression that WTFOH was written in verse when I first picked it up, but was sadly proven wrong. After I got over my minor disappointment, I found myself enjoying this story.I loved the characters, Emoni who shares my love of cooking, Babygirl who is adorable and Malachi who is rather sweet.

All in all I enjoyed this book and I am eagerly awaiting another Acevedo read.

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Furia – Yamile Saied Méndez ★★★ (❤)

I picked up Furia on a whim after looking at a list of #ownvoices YA books, and although I don’t regret it, I was not blown away either. 

I appreciated being exposed to the Argentinian culture through the eyes of a, rather progressive, Argentinian young woman. It was interesting and deeply saddening in a way.  

I enjoyed the characters and the plots and although a solid 3 star read for me, I wouldn’t be opposed to reading another of Méndez’s books.

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Before the Ever After – Jacqueline Woodson ★★★

I was really excited for this book and sadly it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. 

Before the Ever After, is written in poems, and is about a young boy, who’s father is struggling with the consequences of a career playing football. It was heartbreaking to read about how hard it is for the MC to watch his young, strong father lose his mental capabilities and begin to forget who his son is. 

I absolutely recommend this read to anyone looking for a quicker read in verse (with a beautiful cover).

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City Spies – James Ponti ★★★★

City Spies is a fun, fast-paced read that kept me flipping pages at a record speed. The story line was enjoyable, if not always realistic, and the characters were interesting and lovable. 

After taking months off of reading MG books, I absolutely fell in love with the category once again. I forgot how much fun a story can be without romance (not really , but almost, considering it is a given no matter the genre in YA, why??). 

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Storing Up Trouble – Jen Turano ★★★★

This wonderful story, reaffirmed Turano’s place on my mental list of all-time-favorite-authors. I had doubted that Turano could top Diamond in the Rough, but she managed to do it.

Beatrix and Norman’s dialogue is Turano classic, enjoyable and hilarious. Their story is unusual to be sure and they have their fair share of (slightly unbelievable) adventures, but it still manages to feel meaningful. Character growth and the focus on the suffrage movement plays a large role in keeping the story serious (ish) enough.

The side characters were, as usual, masterfully written in a quirky lovely way that left me eagerly awaiting Turano’s next release. Bottom-line, I just absolutely love this book. 

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Where are you at with your reading goals (if you have any)? Do you have any shorter book recommendations for me? Have you read any of these books? What are you currently reading?