There is only 6 days left to the year 2019. It's crazy how fast the year has gone by, don't you think? I still can't believe it myself. I was checking out the tags to see what I could do when I found this one below and thought it would be a fun idea to do it myself.
Lara Jean is having the best senior year.
And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.
Life couldn’t be more perfect!
At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks . . . until she gets some unexpected news.
Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?
The last book of the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before". I didn't have a physical copy of this one as I'm still waiting for it to be available, in hardcover, at the thrift store but I loved the first two so much last year that I had to get my hands on it one way or another. I used one of my credits on Audible and proceeded in listening to it right away. Loved everything about it. Even the narration was fun. Very nice conclusion to a fun series for sure.
A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
This book was a surprise for me. I was first drawn to it because Adam has the same illness than me and I was interested to see how the author would write about that. The romance fell a bit flat but it was enjoyable. I was definitely left wanting more about the judgement of people about different religions, here being Muslim.
Lottie collects dead creatures and lovingly cares for them, hoping to preserve them, to save them from disintegration. Her father understands—Lottie has a scientific mind, he thinks. Her aunt wants it to stop, and she goes to cruel lengths to make sure it does.
And her mother? Lottie’s mother died long ago. And Lottie is searching for a way to be close to her.
The Art of Taxidermy is a heartbreaking verse novel exploring love and death, grief and beauty, and the ways we try to make sense of it all.
This book was a real surprise for me. Taxidermy isn't a subject I have an interest in and I've always ignored books of poems and books written in verses and prose. I requested it on NetGalley mainly for the gorgeous cover and also because of my curiosity getting the best of me. This book talks about grief, the repercussions of that on a person and the family and friends and there's also history about World War II.
It is the summer holidays, and one night Harry Potter wakes up with his scar burning. He has had a strange dream, one that he can't help worrying about...until a timely invitation from Ron Weasley arrives: to nothing less than the Quidditch World Cup!
Soon Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and gasping at the thrills of an international Quidditch match. But then something horrible happens which casts a shadow over everybody, and Harry in particular...
Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...
The last two books don't really need to be explained, I think 😏.
Honorable mentions
The Time for Murder is Meow by T.C. Tempo
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Maybe I should give the Han series a try, I'm usually not one for straight up YA romance, but this sounds like it has enough levity to it that I might like it. :) Guess I need to get my 2019 lists ready! WOW, this year has flown by!!!
ReplyDeleteI just love seeing all these top posts on blogs~ I really liked your top 5, and happy to see HP on the list! Very curious about The Art of Taxidermy, the cover looks fabulous.
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