Overdue Contemporary-a-thon & September Wrap Up!

Hello everyone! September was a good month, I read a total of 14 books (of which 5 were for the contemporary-a-thon). I also read some books from Netgalley, I let you know which are and if they're not published yet, I'll give you the release date.

I had a two-star read, some three-stars, mostly four-stars, and a new favorite. I squeezed in some poetry and graphic novels too. So it was a successful reading month, here are all the books I read:

Rating:

★★☆☆☆

This was my dark read for Contemporary-a-thon, and it was heavier than what I expected, there was so much trauma about loss and abuse, and I feel like that part was well treated by the author. However, I did not feel any chemistry between the main characters, plus it took them ages to get together. Also, I wanted to see more of Will and Molly's familial relationships since they didn't know each other beforehand, but this was glossed over and mostly told not shown. I was really let down by this, especially, because I had enjoyed the previous books from the series.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

I read this at the beginning of the month so I vaguely remember anything about it. I do recall enjoying these characters, but not loving them together as much. I loved the depiction of fan culture, especially anime fan culture. Still, at times it felt very drawn out, and it was supposed to be a novella. Another thing that bothered me a little, was the fact that the only reason why Reggie's life was so independent was that she was rich.

Rating (duology):

★★★☆☆

I felt a bit disappointed with duology, I've had heard so many great things about it and about the romance, but I was let down. I mean three stars is not a bad rating, because it was an entertaining read. Still, the romance was a bust, the narrative was trying to be something that it's not and the characters that I wanted the most from I got only crumbs.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.

First thing first, this book has diversity for days! We got lesbian grandmas, non-binary werewolf and a hard-of-hearing character. I believe, also, that Nova's family were Chinese-American. The art is so cute and totally made for fall. It's got some creepy, but comfy vibes! We have magic and witches galore, and we love that aesthetic. Also, Tam's puns gave me life!

As for the story, it was cute, but it felt kind of monotonous at times, it felt like I story I've read before (a bit cookie-cutter). I wish there had been more development between Nova and Tam... I know this is a graphic novel and that things are told in a different pace, but the two kiss far too quickly for my liking. I feel like story-wise this could be guided more towards middle grade than YA (which is not a bad thing). I had fun reading it!

Rating:

★★★☆☆

This was my yellow book for Contemporary-a-thon. I'm not sure how to review this book because it was such a short book that it had little to none character development. It was an interesting look into Armenian culture (which I knew nothing about), and Turkish and Armenian relations. It was a cute love story, although I felt it was a bit insta-love, and most of the time I didn't even like Ethan. My favorite parts were their escapes to NYC, they were cute and fun.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

This was my illustrated cover for Contemporary-a-thon. This book had all the makings of a favorite of mine, but it fell short. I feel like there were too much telling and not enough showing. I just... I don't know what happened. I was really hoping for this to be a five-star-read, and don't get me wrong I liked it, but I wanted to love it. I guess it's my fault for having too high expectations.

Rating:

★★★☆☆

This was my 2019 release for Contemporary-a-thon. I pondered on what rating to give this, it's not full four, but not three, so somewhere in between. I really liked the way this story developt, still I had to suspend my disbelief in some part. Also, Cope was an a**hole a lot of times. I just... It was kinda cliche, and it felt like this author had never written an M/M book before.

Rating:

★★★★☆

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual trauma, self-harm, mental illness, violence, and racism.

Last year, around the same month, I read The Chaos of Longing by this same author and I loved it. I think that one thing that really characterizes this author's poetry is that it always feels very personal, and love that about poets. This work is divided into three main sections called: immerse, drown and emerge. In part conveys the author's journey through some dark moments, but at the same time, it shows how one can heal. And even though it felt a bit repetitive, it also was relatable a lot of times. It had some stunning use of language and just fell in love with it. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Rating:

★★★★☆

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to begin by addressing the fact that I am a disabled-Latina-cis woman who is also heterosexual. I always considered myself an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, and of being knowledgeable when it comes to gender identity and different sexualities. Still, there was so much I learned from this book because goes deeper than just the “basics”, the book recognizes the complexity of gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexuality. I especially loved the correlation the author makes between the behavior of animals and humans. Of course, the art was beautiful and inspiring. I wanted to quickly mention that I appreciated a lot the part where it touches upon intersectionality and white feminism.

However, I disagree that this could be a “beginner’s guide to gender”. Indeed, it tackles a diversity of topics, but I feel it could have organized those topics better to create a simpler and more cohesive idea. I also felt like parts needed for the reader to somewhat be acquainted with gender identity.

Rating:

★★★★☆

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, it was fast-paced and filled with action. I enjoyed the characters, especially Silas (whom I believe was a very smart and interesting character) and his relationships with the other main characters. I do feel, however, that the world-building lacked a bit, I think the author wanted to a lot more with this world but it fail to shine it through.

Rating:

★★★★★

This was a re-read for me, I read this a long time ago after loving the movies, and I still loved it. This read brought back so many memories, especially of the Holidays! I just felt so warm and happy as I read it... I wish I could find my kindred spirit.

Rating:

★★★★★

This book was so delightful. It was beautifully written and the characters were so masterfully developed. Yes, it had its sad moments and I did cry, but overall it was fascinating to read. The story and its twist took me by surprise, I've been postponing reading this book and now I want to hit my past-self because this is for sure a book that I'll be rereading. There's not much I can say without spoiling the book, just know that I love Jude and Noah with all my being.

Rating:

★★★★★ Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy for an honest review.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, abuse, sexual assault, death, eating disorders, gore, blood, queerphobia.

I wanted to read this book for a while, so I was very happy when I saw that it was approved for an advance reader's e-copy, and this did not disappoint. This felt so personal, both from Aphrodite pov and the poet pov. The voices felt different, but at the same time, Aphrodite felt like an alter ego of the poet (which I loved). There was so much rawness too this, that I couldn't but to tear up at certain parts. And yes, this talks about trauma and abuse, but it also speaks of healing and about knowing your worth. It also uses art in the form of mixed media which made the reading experience gratifying. I can't wait to own this physically!

So yeah, that was a lot. Those were all the books I read the past month, and have to say overall it was a great reading month. Hoping for the good run to follow over throughout October.

Until next time!

#wrapup #reading #september