“TEN. That‘s how many bullet holes I counted puncturing the rusted brown Bardell County highway sign.”
#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl
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We Deserve Monuments | 
“TEN. That‘s how many bullet holes I counted puncturing the rusted brown Bardell County highway sign.”
#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl
pickWe Deserve Monuments is a beautifully written YA novel, that focuses on a multitude of important concepts while exploring small mysteries!
I read 30 books in June, woot! One for each day basically.
My fave book of the month is easy to pick - We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds @jashammonds is easily the best book I‘ve likely read this year. Such an important story and I was honored to meet the author at ALA this year!
My runner ups were:
The Sun and The Star by Riordan and Oshiro
Fourth Wing by Yarros
I read so many good books but these were the standouts!
pickSuch a very real book. I cried so many times and my heart fluttered. A light yet heavy YA read
pickA bit of a late review. I finished this at the end of February and overall really enjoyed it! The very end of it I don't think was necessary or made a whole lot of sense for the story, though. The characters were lots of fun and I loved Mama Lettie!
This was my #BookSpin pick for February 💙
pickComing of age YA novel about a high school senior navigating family secrets and her identity in GA. There‘s a lot in this novel, the plot keeps moving, and there‘s a lot to like. Some parts needed the reader to just accept a character/ moment that was a little far fetched, but overall, well written and engaging.
pickIt‘s an inspirational story about the life of an upper middle class, biracial lesbian teenager. It doesn‘t involve vampires or anything that could be said to be fantasy aside from the tavern in the woods perhaps. I enjoyed it and recommend .
pickThis was an excellent novel about a young woman finding herself (and her roots) in the town that her mother grew up in. The relationships with her family and friends felt real - being a teenager IS tough - although all the additional struggles felt a bit much for me. Usually I‘m here for all of the dramatics, so maybe it was just my headspace, but there was a LOT going on for one protagonist. Still - definitely worthy of my first book of 2023! 😄
I had a rough reading year in 2022, so we're starting out 2023 gentle. 😊
I'm looking forward to jumping back into #FoodandLit, Book Riot's #ReadHarder challenge, my #Outlander series read (maybe as part of #SeriesLove2023?), and #BookSpin...while also realizing that with a full time job, a part time job, and a new project, I probably won't be reading 20 books a month any time soon. 😂
Here's to being an active Litten once again! 🥂
When you're excited that one of your library holds came in but also excited for Christmas! 😂📚❤️💚
pickWe Deservw was pretty good The main story is about a teenager girl going to a small town in Georgia with her parents to be with her dying grandmother. I love how the three generations of women come together and find live and understanding. Mama Letty is a hoot! I really enjoyed Avery relationship with Mama Letty and her new friends. Overall this was a very enjoyable book and I would definitely recommend it.
pickThis debut YA novel is a beautifully written, atmospheric look at life in small town Georgia. It is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl and deals with racism, anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments and family secrets. While it had some dark moments, there is also a lot of humour and a teenage romance. I did have a small quibble with the ending and wished for more detail about the final reveal, but I still really enjoyed the book. 4.5/5 stars
pickThis book went straight to my heart!
The themes of generational trauma, racial biases, societal expectations, friendship, and love were well done. The complications and anxieties... but also the beauty of finding community.
Some chapters give us perspective from other characters throughout that paint a full picture outside of just what Avery experienced.
But it never felt like there was too much going on, and I was eager to see how it all ended!
so-so2 stars - The premise and writing style are what first piqued my interest of We Deserve Monuments when I saw it offered on Bookish First. I really liked the beginning of the story but my enthusiasm quickly faded as the storyline became muddy and stagnant. It felt very anticlimactic. A few dramatic twists and turns to make the story more complicated would have definitely made it more interesting. Overall, it fell very flat.
pickA great story about family relationships and forgiveness as well as a coming of age story. Loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.
