My #bookhaul after raiding bookstores, used and indie, on Mass St. in Lawrence, Kansas.

1.5/5 stars. This has a lot of potential, but sadly falls short of the praise surrounding it. To say, "Every poem in this stunningly addictive and deliciously rhythmic verse novel begs to be read aloud," as the J. Ireland quote declares on the back cover is terribly misleading. This book has important themes and a powerful message, but the execution is poor. The 1.5 stars is for the handful of lines that moved me enough to finish it. #ya #poetry

4.5/5 stars. I read this immediately after finishing Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and I loved them both. I found it hard to get past the "realistic" writing style, but the plot made me never want to put it down. Overall, it's a sweet story that perfectly captures the drama and fun of high school. It's in classic YA form, reminding me why I love this genre to begin with.
#ya #youngadult #lgbtq #love #highschool #drama #funny

2/5 stars. Hooo boy. I went in thinking I'd love this book because I love Krysten Ritter. Unfortunately, I could not get into the story. The plot is shakey, the protagonist's actions are questionable, and it goes in so many directions that by the end I don't even care about what happened. I felt the story of a small town girl coming home after a decade of running from her past is so overdone, especially when it's not executed well.

I've got a hamper of really loud mistakes
and a graveyard in my closet.
I'm afraid if I let you see my skeletons,

you'll grind the bones into powder
and get high on my fault lines.

#poetry #RudyFrancisco #buttonpoetry #feels #inspiring #writing

The public librarian has been typecast. We're supposed to whisper and shush, demand silence, when in reality we work our asses off trying to help people speak up. Maybe it seems safer for us to whisper. Because maybe if we could shout, it would shake the walls down.

4/5 stars. I know some people aren't big on Jenny's sense of humor and/or writing style. However, I love her because I can relate to her. She explores her unorthodox childhood, dealing with multiple mental/physical health problems, and finding a person who loves her as much as being infuriated with her at times. She is, as a person and a writer, someone I look up to with grateful admiration.

Never done this before, so here goes:

1. Almond Joy/Mounds. Coconut is gross.
2. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
3. Italian.
4. I think it's around 21? Maybe more. I don't talk to most of them.
5. #FriYay

@Redwritinghood @Graciouswarriorprincess @BookishMarginalia

4.5/5 stars. It's refreshing to read something completely different than what I've been picking up recently. The story is compelling and complex, and the glamour aspect is marvelous yet insightful to what it took to be a star back then. The only thing that holds it back from a perfect rating is the writing can get tedious. I felt she over-described moments that weren't pertinent to the narrative. But this is still a new favorite of mine.

2/5 stars. The author includes so many intense topics that she wasn't able to go into depth about any of them. The narrator didn't sound like a senior in high school, but rather a middle schooler or freshman. I don't know if it was just because of the diary format, but all of the other characters felt flat. It was a struggle to get to the end. #ya #youngadult #mexicanamerican #diversity #teenpregnancy #addict #abortion #rape #lgbtq+

5/5 stars. I have so much respect for this woman amd all her nerdy wonderfulness. #nonfiction #memoir #FeliciaDay #gamer #nerd #geek #internet #mentalhealth #depression

4/5 stars. The narrative may have gone off on tangents a bunch, but the heart of the story is a keeper. What a wonderful way to kick off fall. #fallintoreading #autumnfavorites #magicalrealism #fiction #alicehoffman

1/5 stars. The only reason this gets 1 star is because out of 200 pages, about 3 "poems" made me feel something other than annoyance. All I can say is I'm glad I didn't spend money on this and checked it out from the library. Yes, poetry is broad and encompasses a lot of things, but honestly, this book is just a rambling Tumblr blog, not really poetry. Her story is tragic. I get that. I just don't want to read about it in such an amateur way.

4.5/5 stars. I read this in less than a day and was pleasantly surprised. She dapples in a lot of different forms of poetry, and I enjoyed most of them. Overall, I'd definitely recommend it. I found her through the one and only Neil Hilborn, so you know she's good.
#depression #anxiety #poetry #spokenword #buttonpoetry #magic #tricks

"I wish someone had told me this simple but confusing truth: Even when everything's going your way you can still be sad. Or anxious. Or uncomfortably numb. Because you can't always control your brain or your emotions even when things are perfect."
Jenny Lawson, thank you thank you thank you for understanding and putting this into words. #mentalillness #depression #anxiety #currentlyreading

5/5 stars. What a touching read. The parallelism is heart-wrenching and Alan writes the narrative in a deeply intimate, beautiful way. Reading about his journey of exploring his family's history and its connection to mental health is relatable, and even better is the way he can still bring humor to his story. Not My Father's Son quickly became a nonfiction favorite of mine. #nonfiction #librarypick #childhood #memoir #fathers

What an excellent book so far. I'm a sucker for memoirs, and Alan's story had me hooked from the first page. #currentlyreading #memoir #alancumming #nonfiction #librarypicks #litsyloveslibraries

The topic of this book is so, so important and this specific plot was very interesting. However, this being a debut novel for Thomas, there were issues with pacing and narrative. The time jumps felt disjointed and there were a lot of conversations about nothing that didn't move the plot along in any way. The book could've been a hundred pages shorter. And the ending was tied up in a nice bow that felt fake.

4/5 stars. I really liked the plot and pacing of this story, but I'm not so sure about Finn. He felt a little too flat. The descriptions of Hayley's panic attacks were spot on, though.

I love this book because it is so authentically Carrie. Can't wait to read more.

I just got this ten minutes ago from the library, but I'm already in love with the plot. I've heard good things, so the bar is set a little high! #newbook #library #YA #YAlit

5/5 stars. I loved the old fairytale feel of these stories while they were also able to convey messages about current issues. Well done, Riggs.

3.5/5 stars. I wanted so badly for this book to live up to the hype, but I can't give it a perfect rating. The format was intersting and the plot twist had me for a loop, but it wasn't completely surprising. Overall, I'd recommend it for a fun read, but to me it's just another YA story with sickness involved.

If you couldn't tell, I'm currently obsessed with YA novels. After I get through the ones checked out from the library, I think I'll get back in the groove of nonfiction. #YA #YAlit #nicolayoon #library #cantstopwontstop #kidatheart

I loved Jennifer Niven's first YA novel and I loved this one. It was thoughtfully written and wonderfully paced. With just the right amount of humor, love, and heartbreak, I was interested from cover to cover. #YA #YALit #Love #Teens #Heartbreak

New day, new book. So excited for this one. 😍
#bookworm #cantstopwontstop #newbook

3/5 stars. I'm glad I read it, but it moved too slowly for my taste. I felt myself glossing over huge chunks of text.

While I'm slowly but surely getting through Hamdmaid's Tale, I found three more books to bring home. My eyes are starting to be bigger than my stomach. #libraryperks #librarywoes #bookhaul

As if there was any way I belong in another house. #HarryPotter20 #HarryPotter #Ravenclaw #RavenclawPride 💙📚✨🎂⚡

Happiest of birthdays to my favorite book series. Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for the most influential story of my childhood. #HarryPotter #20Years

I pushed through 50 pages and just couldn't keep going. There was something about the tone and quality of writing that I couldn't get behind. I returned it to the library immediately.

It's about time I read this.

I've read a lot of YA, but never one that hits so close to home as a fan or speaks to the truth of the awkwardness of navigating college. Thank you for another amazing book, Rainbow Rowell.

Loved this book. The style, the symbolism, all of it.

When you start your shift with a new book waiting for you. Working in a library has perks. 💚📚

Just started this one, but so far so good.