Middle Grade Review: Right Back at You

Mason's parents have separated. He's very angry at his dad. Guys at school are bulling him. His mom has checked out and drinks too much. He's at his wit's end. His therapist suggests he write a letter to someone. He chooses Albert Einstein because of the book he's reading. After he writes the letter, he places it in his closet so no one will find it.

However, the letter travels through a wormhole to a girl's closet in 1987. At first Mason doesn't believe Talia, but after they exchange more letters, he can't help but trust in this strange phenomenon.

Talia has bulling troubles of her own. The boys in her class are bullying her because she's Jewish. None of the adults are taking it seriously, except for her parents. But that just makes everything worse.

The more they write letters, the more they become a lifeline for each other.

Why I read this book: Loved the concept and I love epistolary novels

My Thoughts: I loved this book. It had so many important pieces. I'm so glad that Mason and Talia found each other. The time difference added some humor to the story. I wanted to give them both hugs for all they were going through with family drama and bullying. I really love how the two friends supposed each other. The antisemitism was hard to read, but I was proud for Talia and how she stood up for herself - even if her friends would not. I love how that storyline turned out. This is an important read that clearly still relevant today. as bullies are everywhere. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute - Love all the pieces of the keychain

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for school and public libraries 

Review: Infinite In Between

Five teens meet at freshman orientation. For their project, they decide to write letters to themselves to open in four years - after graduation.

After writing the letters, they go their separate ways, but their paths wind together. Through the next four years, we witness their heartaches, romances, hopes and dreams.

My Thoughts: I loved this book - I loved following the same characters all the way through high school from the beginning to the end. I loved reading their different perspectives especially of the same situations. 

I liked how each character was so different from the strange quirky girl to the daughter of a Hollywood star, to the boy who came out to his family to the it girl who fell from Grace to the guy who obsessed over one of the girls. 

The chapters were short pulling me through the book quickly and even though it's 480 pages, I would have read more!

Cover Thoughts: Cute, I like the chalk letters
Source: BEA arc
If You Like:

Final Thoughts: A fantastic read about the highs and lows of high school - that almost makes me want to go back and re-do high school. 

Tween Tuesday Review: Best Friend Next Door

Hannah can't believe her rotten luck. Her BFF moves away and another girl moved in to take her place. Plus her father and stepmother are having a baby. They won't need her any more. She's not please about being replaced as a friend nor a child.

At first Hannah and Emme do not get along. But after a lost animal smooths the way between the, they become the best of friends. They had so many interests in common, but several other interests. Can their friendship stand when they're common interests change?

My Thoughts: I Loved this novel about finding new friends. I loved their palindrome moments. I loved the girls' first interactions with each other and how they became friends. I liked watching Hannah navigate the waters of new friendship. She's keeping secrets from her friend, as if telling her secret will make it not true. I liked watching Emme navigating in a new friends. I liked reading both girls perspectives. 

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: A fantastic book on navigating friendships, amidst changing interests, secrets, and starting over in a new town.

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Books into My Possession

This week's topic is  Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession  (purchased, from the library...you get the picture)

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish

From the Library:

Wicked Charms

Second Chance Summer

Emmy and Oliver

Best Friend Next Door

Spoonful of Murder

For a Blog Tour:

Anne and Henry

For Review:

Revenge of the Flower Girls

Revenge of the 

Jars of Hope

Purchased:

She Went All the Way

On My Hold List (104)

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold. 

I haven't done this post in a while. Since coming back from BEA, I've decided that I need to change my reading habits. I need to start reading the ARCs and worry less about the library books for right now, except of course for the hot books coming out that I need immediately.

So my hold list has dropped to roughly 10 books.  Here are a few of them.

Wicked Charms: I Love Janet Evanovich. It's been a few years since the last WICKED book. I don't remember much from the book, but I know I enjoyed it.

Best Friend Next Door: When her BFF moves away and a new girl moves in, will she and Emme become friends? Looks super cute!

Nashville Season 1: Not a book, but maybe for a secret project and because I've heard it's a great show.

What are you waiting for?

BEA Recap: Author Moments

This year at BEA, I had some great moments meeting and chatting with authors. Here are few pictures I snapped to remember.

The Harlequin booth always has a group of knock out authors. Two of my favorite romance writers were there, Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold) and Kristan Higgins. I was very happy to chat with both of them for a minute. I just finished Hold Me, the first in the newest Fool's Gold trilogy. And next up I'm going to read If You Only Knew.

I got a hug and a signed copy of Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between from Jennifer E. Smith which I read and LOVED. (Review coming soon.) 

My librarian friend snapped this picture of us.

I stood in line for ages for Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl! For some reason I had it in my head that it was a graphic novel. I'm happy to be wrong. I'm really excited to read this book - and happy for my signed copy. We talked about how Black Widow needs her own movie!

I've heard such great things about the Daughter of Deep Silence, so I was excited to meet Carrie Ryan and grab a copy.

Super happy to see Liza, whom I chat with on twitter signing her YA debut Hello? - which sounds like a fantastic friendship story and I can't wait to read it!

Carolyn Mackler was signing the Infinite In Between about five teens throughout their high school careers. I'm really excited about following their friendship for four years. Plus I'm really looking forward to her MG debut: Best Friend Next Door. (I  just ordered this from my local library)

I sat in Richelle Mead's line for almost 2 hours because the line started, I really wanted to read Soundless (fantasy based in Chinese folklore), and because I really needed to sit down and rest. It was perfect. I chatted with people in line, had a snack, and then hugged the book tightly. 

I was first in line - something that NEVER happens. 

I got the book signed for my father-in-law and he wrote a little note in it for me.

Super nice! 

photo credit: Pam Jaffee

After that, I wondered over to the line for Meg Cabot, happy I got up extra early for a ticket. 

Those of you who read this blog regularly, know that I'm a huge fan of Meg Cabot's - she's the reason I became a YA Librarian. 

We've met a few times before, so we snapped a picture. 

 I just finished Royal Wedding (and a re-read of the books prior to this one). We talked about that while I had the book signed for a friend.

It was the PERFECT ending for a fantastic conference. I couldn't stop smiling!

Review: Future of Us

Josh and Emma used to be best friends, but that was before Josh tried to kiss Emma. Now they talk, but their friendship has an awkwardness that they can't seem to get past.

Then Josh brings over an AOL disk for Emma's new computer. Emma logs in and immediately sees Facebook - and herself in the future. She's married. Curious, she calls Josh.

Together, they try to figure out what Facebook could be and who they are in the future. They realize that the actions of today changes the outcome of their future.

What will they change?

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book- it hooked me from the beginning. However, my teen years were the 90s when AOL and dial-up internet were in fashion. I hope that today’s teens can relate to the story because it was great. I loved the friendship turned romance. I loved how Emma changed her future with knowledge of Facebook. I loved the alternative perspectives. I’ll be so curious to see if teen gobble it up as fast as I did.

Cover Thoughts: I like it, but it's hard to see what's in the background. I like the fuzziness- as the future changes.

Source: BEA Arc

Comes out: November 21st