Category: ya

fantasy, Four Star Book, graphic novel, ya

Lumberjanes Vol 1 Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: Lumberjanes Vol 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
  • Author: Noelle Stevenson
  • Book Form: Ebook/Graphic Novel
  • Pages: 128
  • Publisher: BOOM! Box
  • Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, YA
  • Rating: ★★★★


At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

-Goodreads

This graphic novel was adorable. I loved following the girls through their camping experience. Of course, they followed none of the rules. Stayed out late, snuck out, found boys. But not for the purpose you’re thinking. The boys were brainwashed and they had to save their camp!

I went to camp when I was a kid. Once. I did NOT have a great time like these girls did. All I remember is getting stung by a wasp and my bestfriend leaving me by myself because she got to go home because she had an ‘ear infection’. I still don’t believe her and I’m still salty she left me. haha!

If you’re into kick-butt girls who break all the rules in order to have a good time – and save the camp – I definitely recommend this book! It was so funny, and such a fast read. I’m thinking of adding Vol. 2 to my TBR this month! Maybe graphic novels are my thing. Who knows?

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, fantasy, graphic novel, Sci-Fi, ya

May Plan

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

WOW! May already. This year is flying by with Book Battle! Here are my 15 planned reads for next month! Not including the random audios I will find on scribd.

As you can see, a lot of Jay Kristoff this month, since he is coming to chat with Book Battle May 21! Also a lot of space, since our theme is Space: The New Frontier!

Sadie is the only audio I know I am going to read. I’m also tempted to get Aurora Rising in audio, but we will see. There’s also eight ARCs listed! I hope I can stick to my TBR this month! I’m excited about it!

Also, notice the nurse book! Nurse’s Week is May 6-12 so Kahla included a nurse prompt for me! I’m super excited about it, too!

Until next time…

adult, ARC, contemporary, fantasy, Five Star Book, Four Star Book, graphic novel, three star book, ya

April Wrap Up

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Wow! How is April already gone? Mylzs second birthday is early next month and I am not at all prepared!

I totaled 17 books this month, which is pretty good for a hard month in book battle. I try to read at least 15 a month, so I’m glad I hit my goal. Nine were audios, which I think is a record. Three were graphic novels, which may also be a record. Then five physicals.

Here’s what I read:

AUDIOS

  • True West by Sam Shepard – Two stars. I bought solely because Kit Harington was narrating it. I couldn’t even tell it was him and the story was hard to follow.
  • Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes – Five stars. Another creepy, enthralling read. Can’t wait for book 3.
  • What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Brundell – Four stars. Great mystery set right after WW2. Very emerging.
  • Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Five Star. Full review to come. Ensemble cast and one of the best audio’s I’ve ever heard.
  • The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally – Five stars. Full review to come. Super funny.
  • One of the Guys by Delaney Diamond – Three star. Nothing wrong with it, but typical romance. Full review to come.
  • Picture Perfect love by Melissa McClone – Three stars. Another typical romance. Full review to come.
  • Yield by Lilia Moon – Three and a half stars. Super spicy read! Full Review to come.
  • Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner – Three and a half stars. Original mystery/thriller. Full review to come.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

  • A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold – Four stars. Great introduction to kids who have autism.
  • The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York by Kory Merritt – Four stars. Super creepy art.
  • Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson – Four stars. Great friendship and girl power. Full Review to come.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

  • An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley – Four Stars. Love a book set in old Paris. Full review to come.
  • Little Darlings by Melanie Golding – Four and a half stars. Arc. Super creepy. Super amazing. Great look at PPD/PPA
  • Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce – Great beginning to one of the OGs of YA. This was recommended to me by another Words and Whimsy modmin and I loved it! Can’t wait to continue the series.
  • White Rose by Kip Wilson – Four stars. ARC. Written in verse. German resistance in WW2. Amazing read.
  • Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller – Five stars. My second Tricia book and I fell even more in love with her.

As you can see, I never stick to my TBRs. Ever. BUT I will have my May TBR up tomorrow!

Until next time..

fantasy, Four Star Book, ya

Alanna: The First Adventure Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

  • Title: Alanna: The First Adventure
  • Author: Tamora Pierce
  • Book Form: E-Book
  • Pages: 274
  • Publisher: Simon Pulse
  • Genre: YA, Fantasy
  • Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page. 

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins – one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

– GOODREADS

This month the modmins of Words and Whimsy were tasked with recommending a book to one another. This book was recommended to me by Kahla. Tamora Pierce is her favorite author, and after reading this book, I can see why.

Tamora Pierce is like, one of the OGs of YA and I can really see where he influence lies is modern YA books.

I instantly fell in love with Alanna. She was strong, she was sassy, and she knew what she wanted. She was not going to let anything stop her from being a knight, even her gender.

This book follows the first few years of her training to be a knight. You get to see all her successes and struggles – even her entry to womanhood, which I thought was amazing.

I enjoyed all the side characters and wanted to know more about them. I loved seeing their journey growing up. I can’t wait to read book #2!

Thank you, Kahla, for recommending this to me!

Until next time…

Four Star Book, mystery, ya

What I Saw and How I Lied Review

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  • Title: What I Saw and How I Lied
  • Author: Judy Blundell
  • Book Form: Audiobook
  • Pages: 284
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press
  • Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery
  • Rating: ★★★★


When Evie’s father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe’s company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.

– Goodreads

I kept seeing this book pop up on Scribd, and I’m so glad I finally gave it a listen. Mysteries have been one of my favorite genres since I was young. I remember reading my mom’s Mary Higgins Clark books as a pre-teen and teen and never being able to get enough of the suspense and the whodunnit.

My favorite thing about this book was the heroine. Evie was a teen coming into her own skin and trying to make her own decisions. She falls for an older man, and things just go downhill. She’s learning how to navigate first love and reading signals. Evie definitely grew from the beginning to end of this novel and it was a great thing to see.

Another thing I loved about the story was the time and setting. It takes placed just after WW2 ended. I felt so immersed with the use of slang and sayings of that time.

My least favorite thing was it felt like at times the story dragged on. I kept thinking the story was about to end, and it just kept. on. going.

The pace of What I Saw and How I Lied was overall pretty good. The story kept me wanting to read more up until the end. I like how the ended played out, I just felt there was a little too much unnecessary information.

All in all, this was a really great YA mystery. I loved the decisions Evie made and I loved the immersion with the language. I would recommend to anyone who likes YA mysteries!

Until next time…

fantasy, Five Star Book, Romance, ya

Daughter of the Pirate King Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: Daughter of the Pirate King
  • Author: Tricia Levenseller
  • Book Form: E-Book
  • Pages: 311
  • Publisher: Feiwel Friends
  • Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance
  • Rating: ★★★★★


There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

– Goodreads

So this is the second Tricia Levenseller book I’ve read. The first was Warrior of the Wild at the end of last month. You can see that review here.

Daughter of the Pirate King was just as good as Warrior of the Wild. Instead of being loosely based of Vikings, this adventure takes us into the life of pirates.

Tricia’s books are so easy to read. They are quick novels, but I feel so immersed in the story. I was so interested in Alosa’s life and backstory. And the interactions between her and Ridan had me DYING.

I loved that Alosa was the captain of her own ship and her first mate and main crew were all females. As my friend Kahla pointed out, Tricia does great at showcasing not only strong female leads, but physically powerful. I really love that. Being a strong female lead is usually about decision making, personality, those kinds of things. But I love that Tricia’s leading ladies can kick some serious ass.

I love all the sneaking around and hijinks Alosa gets herself into. The twist totally caught me by surprise. I was so invested in this story and cannot wait to get my hands on the next one!

Until next time..

dystopian, Four Star Book, Romance, Sci-Fi, ya

The Program Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: The Program
  • Author: Suzanne Young
  • Book Form: Audiobook
  • Pages: 405
  • Publisher: Simon Pulse
  • Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Romance
  • Rating: ★★★★


Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Goodreads

I am ashamed to say how long this series has been on my bookshelf. The whole series. Years. It’s been years.

What prompted me to finally read it was our author chat with Suzanne Young!

This novel takes place in the maybe-not-so-distant future. The government has developed a program to “fix” teens with depression to try to curb the suicide rate. By fixing them, they basically erase their memories.

Sloane has been affected by suicide. First, her brother. Then her friend attempted, but was taken by The Program. It all spirals downhill from there.

I really enjoyed the story. It kept me captivated from the first chapter. I was on the edge of my seat to see if or when The Program would come for Sloane and her boyfriend, James.

The characters Sloane meets throughout the novel are highly interesting. I wanted to learn all of their backstories and how The Program affected them.

I can’t think of what I didn’t like about this book. I’m waiting for my scribd account to renew so I can listen to book two – The Treatment!

Until next time…

fantasy, Four Star Book, ya

Warrior of the Wild Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: Warrior of the Wild’
  • Author: Tricia Levenseller
  • Book Form: E-Arc
  • Pages: 336
  • Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
  • Genre: YA, Fantasy
  • Rating: ★★★★


As her father’s chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: to win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.

– goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for a free ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So. Let’s start with this. On the first page, Tricia thanks Johnny for introducing her to Overwatch. I am a HUGE Overwatch fan (Junkrat main whaaaaat?!) So I immediately knew I at least loved Tricia. Turns out, I felt the same about her book.

Ras has trained for ten years to become the only woman warrior. Talk about girl power. She’s fierce. She’s lethal. She’s backstabbed.

The first twist – the betrayal – caught me by surprise and broke. my. heart. I talked to some other friends who saw it coming, but again, I never see anything coming.

She’s banished to the wild because of this betrayal. There she meets two boys, and they tolerate each other. Then become friends. One may become something more.

I loved the story arc. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put this novel down. Turns out I may have somewhat of a book hangover, because I haven’t been able to commit to a book since.

I loved the development of friendships. The learning to trust one another, then fighting for one another, no matter the cost. I love portrayals of true friendships like this.

The ending was satisfying and very girl power. Ras proved she could do anything she put her mind to. She’s strong, fierce, loyal, and lethal. And I love her.

The only disappointing thing about this book is it is a standalone. But the story wrapped up well, and I really don’t know where a sequel would go. I just didn’t want to leave Rasmira’s life!

This was my first Tricia Levenseller book, and I cannot wait to read her duology!

Until next time…

Four Star Book, three star book, ya

April Plan

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Okay so I was going to post this days ago, but I have a sick two year old who only wants momma. So all those plans flew out the window.

This month I’m leading a team in book battle! I’ve never been a leader before, so it’s exciting!

I currently have nineteen books I want to read this month. And here they are! *drumroll please*

Nine of these are ARCs! So far two are audio, but I’ll probably sprinkle more audios in while working.

So far I’m having an issue committing to a book. I don’t know what the deal is.

Here’s a little update since we’re a few days in April:

– I finished Picture Perfect Love. 3 stars. It’s a typical love story with HEA. This was a novella. I was quite interested in the characters and I think I would have liked it more if it were longer.

– I finished Recalculating. 4 Stars. This was a good suspense novella. The story was intriguing and I have never read a book with this suspense plot line. I was only sad that it was 40 pages so I couldn’t count it for book battle!

– I’ve tried starting and restarting The Antidote about three times now. I’m just confused and can’t get into it. Can anyone convince me to read it?

That’s all for now. Warrior of the Wild and The Program reviews will come as soon as sick baby allows!

Until next time…

contemporary, LGBT, three star book, ya

How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

  • Title: How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom
  • Author: S.J. Goslee
  • Book Form: E-Arc
  • Pages: 240
  • Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  • Genre: LGBT, YA, Contemporary, Romance
  • Rating: ***

Nolan Grant is sixteen, gay, and (definitely) still a virgin. He’s never had a boyfriend, or even been kissed. It’s not like Penn Valley is brimming with prospects. And when his big sister stages an elaborate “prom-posal” so Nolan can ask out his not-so-secret crush, Nolan freezes. He’s saved from further embarrassment by bad boy Bern, who, for his own reasons, offers to fake-date Nolan.

Nolan thinks it’s the perfect way to get Daphne off his back and spend the rest of the year drawing narwhals, tending to plants, and avoiding whatever died under his bed a few weeks ago. What he doesn’t think about is Bern’s ex-girlfriend, who seriously wants to kill him.

-GOODREADS

I received a free copy of this book from netgally and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

Man. This book had so much potential. Lets start with the things I liked about How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom.

I love teenage, highschool, lgbt romances. They are usually just so cute and fun, and this was no exception. I liked the two MCs, even though Nolan could be a jerk. He comes to realize this, which makes me like him more.

There’s also the fake dating troupe, which I find fun. You know they’re going to end up liking one another, and I loved hearing the past between Nolan and Bren. SUPER CUTE!

Lastly, I love stories where the siblings are close, and Nolan and Daphne are very close. Nolan was adopted into a loving family, and that’s something I haven’t seen much of. I loved seeing that represented!

Now for what didn’t work so well for me. I felt like the plot kind of drug on at times. Almost like there was no plot? There were just days and days of his life? That’s okay for some people, but I was left thinking ‘where is this going?’

Overall this was a cute story. I loved the ending and the fake dating troupe. I would probably recommend this book!

Until next time…