I have posted my buzzwordathon tbr for the year long reading challenge. Check out my video to see all that I’ll be reading. The buzzwordathon is hosted by booktuber booksandlala and there are themes for each month. You plan your tbr around those themes and just have fun. đ
Tag ebooks
Over Time By Moon Bey | Book Review
Synopsis:
A wise man once said unrequited love is like cyanide in a styrofoam cup. For the first time in almost two decades, Natasha is ready to kick her most deep-rooted habit.
Natasha became infatuated with Arielle the second she learned what love was. Always eager to please, Natasha knew Arielle would have no choice but to become hers.
Review:
4 StarsÂ
Over Time was something and it was so real too. This is about Natasha having feeling for Arielle, but Arielle seems take Natasha for granted and she seems like she doesn’t care. Arielle believes she can have her ass kissed by Natasha and Natasha will always be there.Â
Natasha is pretty much over being treated like trash and wants more from a friendship and relationship. I’m kinda salty with how Natasha handles situations. She hurt Grey to once again be with Arielle. It’s like it’s a game no one knows what they want.
Moon Bey doesn’t disappoint I enjoy her writing and she has become a favorite of mines. Great story.
Natasha is pretty much over being treated like trash and wants more from a friendship and relationship. I’m kinda salty with how Natasha handles situations. She hurt Grey to once again be with Arielle. It’s like it’s a game no one knows what they want.
Moon Bey doesn’t disappoint I enjoy her writing and she has become a favorite of mines. Great story.
Â
June – What I plan to Read for the Month #PrideMonth + #GeorgeFloydMurder Discussion in video (Inside Post)
Synopsis:
Bingo Love is a story of a same-sex romance that spans over 60 years. A chance meeting at church bingo in 1963 brings Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray together. Through their formative years, these two women develop feelings for each other and finally profess their love for one another.
Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid 60âs, Hazel and Mari are reunited again at a bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.
Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid 60âs, Hazel and Mari are reunited again at a bingo hall. Realizing their love for each other is still alive, what these grandmothers do next takes absolute strength and courage.
Synopsis:
The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than sheâs ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than sheâs ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
Synopsis:
Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isnât an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends.
One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryannâs offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselvesâand Ryann learns her secret: Alexandriaâs mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.
Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .
In K. Ancrumâs signature poetic style, this slow-burn romance will have you savoring every page.
One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryannâs offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselvesâand Ryann learns her secret: Alexandriaâs mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.
Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .
In K. Ancrumâs signature poetic style, this slow-burn romance will have you savoring every page.
Synopsis:
Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrusâs bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.
Trinidad. Sixteen-year-old Audre is despondent, having just found out sheâs going to be sent to live in America with her father because her strictly religious mother caught her with her secret girlfriend, the pastorâs daughter. Audreâs grandmother Queenie (a former dancer who drives a white convertible Cadillac and who has a few secrets of her own) tries to reassure her granddaughter that she wonât lose her roots, not even in some place called Minneapolis. âAmerica have dey spirits too, believe me,â she tells Audre.
Minneapolis. Sixteen-year-old Mabel is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why she feels the way she feelsâabout her ex Terrell, about her girl Jada and that moment they had in the woods, and about the vague feeling of illness thatâs plagued her all summer. Mabelâs reverie is cut short when her father announces that his best friend and his just-arrived-from-Trinidad daughter are coming for dinner.
Mabel quickly falls hard for Audre and is determined to take care of her as she tries to navigate an American high school. But their romance takes a turn when test results reveal exactly why Mabel has been feeling low-key sick all summer and suddenly itâs Audre who is caring for Mabel as she faces a deeply uncertain future.
Junauda Petrusâs debut brilliantly captures the distinctly lush and lyrical voices of Mabel and Audre as they conjure a love that is stronger than hatred, prison, and death and as vast as the blackness between the stars.
Trinidad. Sixteen-year-old Audre is despondent, having just found out sheâs going to be sent to live in America with her father because her strictly religious mother caught her with her secret girlfriend, the pastorâs daughter. Audreâs grandmother Queenie (a former dancer who drives a white convertible Cadillac and who has a few secrets of her own) tries to reassure her granddaughter that she wonât lose her roots, not even in some place called Minneapolis. âAmerica have dey spirits too, believe me,â she tells Audre.
Minneapolis. Sixteen-year-old Mabel is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why she feels the way she feelsâabout her ex Terrell, about her girl Jada and that moment they had in the woods, and about the vague feeling of illness thatâs plagued her all summer. Mabelâs reverie is cut short when her father announces that his best friend and his just-arrived-from-Trinidad daughter are coming for dinner.
Mabel quickly falls hard for Audre and is determined to take care of her as she tries to navigate an American high school. But their romance takes a turn when test results reveal exactly why Mabel has been feeling low-key sick all summer and suddenly itâs Audre who is caring for Mabel as she faces a deeply uncertain future.
Junauda Petrusâs debut brilliantly captures the distinctly lush and lyrical voices of Mabel and Audre as they conjure a love that is stronger than hatred, prison, and death and as vast as the blackness between the stars.
OTHER BOOKS I WANT TOÂ READ DURING MONTH:
Synopsis:
Tight: Lately, Bryan’s been feeling it in all kinds of ways . . .
Bryan knows what’s tight for him–reading comics, drawing superheroes, and hanging out with no drama. But drama is every day where he’s from, and that gets him tight, wound up.
And now Bryan’s friend Mike pressures him with ideas of fun that are crazy risky. At first, it’s a rush following Mike, hopping turnstiles, subway surfing, and getting into all kinds of trouble. But Bryan never really feels right acting so wrong, and drama really isn’t him. So which way will he go, especially when his dad tells him it’s better to be hard and feared than liked?
But if there’s one thing Bryan’s gotten from his comic heroes, it’s that he has power–to stand up for what he feels . . .
Torrey Maldonado delivers a fast-paced, insightful, dynamic story capturing urban community life. Readers will connect with Bryan’s journey as he navigates a tough world with a heartfelt desire for a different life.
Bryan knows what’s tight for him–reading comics, drawing superheroes, and hanging out with no drama. But drama is every day where he’s from, and that gets him tight, wound up.
And now Bryan’s friend Mike pressures him with ideas of fun that are crazy risky. At first, it’s a rush following Mike, hopping turnstiles, subway surfing, and getting into all kinds of trouble. But Bryan never really feels right acting so wrong, and drama really isn’t him. So which way will he go, especially when his dad tells him it’s better to be hard and feared than liked?
But if there’s one thing Bryan’s gotten from his comic heroes, it’s that he has power–to stand up for what he feels . . .
Torrey Maldonado delivers a fast-paced, insightful, dynamic story capturing urban community life. Readers will connect with Bryan’s journey as he navigates a tough world with a heartfelt desire for a different life.
Synopsis:
When best friends Tai and Mila are reunited after a summer apart, their friendship threatens to combust from the pressure of secrets, middle school, and the looming dance auditions for a new talented-and-gifted program.
Fans of RenĂ©e Watsonâs Piecing Me Together will love this memorable story about a complex friendship between two very different African American girlsâand the importance of speaking up.
Jamila Phillips and Tai Johnson have been inseparable since they were toddlers, having grown up across the street from each other in Pirates Cove, a low-income housing project. As summer comes to an end, Tai canât wait for Mila to return from spending a month with her aunt in the suburbs. But both girls are grappling with secrets, and when Mila returns sheâs more focused on her upcoming dance auditions than hanging out with Tai.
Paula Chase explores complex issues that affect many young teens, and So Done offers a powerful message about speaking up. Full of ballet, basketball, family, and daily life in Pirates Cove, this memorable novel is for fans of Ali Benjaminâs The Thing About Jellyfish and Jason Reynoldsâs Ghost.
Fans of RenĂ©e Watsonâs Piecing Me Together will love this memorable story about a complex friendship between two very different African American girlsâand the importance of speaking up.
Jamila Phillips and Tai Johnson have been inseparable since they were toddlers, having grown up across the street from each other in Pirates Cove, a low-income housing project. As summer comes to an end, Tai canât wait for Mila to return from spending a month with her aunt in the suburbs. But both girls are grappling with secrets, and when Mila returns sheâs more focused on her upcoming dance auditions than hanging out with Tai.
Paula Chase explores complex issues that affect many young teens, and So Done offers a powerful message about speaking up. Full of ballet, basketball, family, and daily life in Pirates Cove, this memorable novel is for fans of Ali Benjaminâs The Thing About Jellyfish and Jason Reynoldsâs Ghost.
Synopsis:
The only thing more beautiful than BeyoncĂ© is God, and God is a black woman sipping rosĂ© and drawing a lavender bath, texting her mom, belly-laughing in the therapistâs office, feeling unloved, being on display, daring to survive. Morgan Parker stands at the intersections of vulnerability and performance, of desire and disgust, of tragedy and excellence. Unrelentingly feminist, tender, ruthless, and sequined, these poems are an altar to the complexities of black American womanhood in an age of non-indictments and deja vu, and a time of wars over bodies and power. These poems celebrate and mourn. They are a chorus chanting: Youâre gonna give us the love we need.
May 2020 TBR — What I Want To Read For the Month
 I will be participating in a readathon hosted by booktuber Mande Garrett [Link to Mande’s video] it’s called the Fire readathon and there are 3 prompts. This readathon runs the whole month of May.
1. The book that has orange, red, or yellow or all of the colors on the cover. — City Born Great by NK Jemisin [already read and rated]
2.Have the word ‘FIRE’ in the title or spelled out somewhere on the book or has a fire on the cover– With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
3. Read a book that has anything related to fire example Kingdom of Ash— A Phoenix Must Burn by Patrice Caldwell
Synopsis:Â With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesnât have enough time for her schoolâs new culinary arts class, doesnât have the money for the classâs trip to Spain â and shouldnât still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life â and all the rules everyone expects her to play by â once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
Synopsis:Â Sixteen tales by bestselling and award-winning authors that explore the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and magic.
Evoking BeyoncĂ©âs Lemonade for a teen audience, these authors who are truly Octavia Butlerâs heirs, have woven worlds to create a stunning narrative that centers Black women and gender nonconforming individuals. A Phoenix First Must Burn will take you on a journey from folktales retold to futuristic societies and everything in between. Filled with stories of love and betrayal, strength and resistance, this collection contains an array of complex and true-to-life characters in which you cannot help but see yourself reflected. Witches and scientists, sisters and lovers, priestesses and rebels: the heroines of A Phoenix First Must Burn shine brightly. You will never forget them.
Authors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Amerie, Dhonielle Clayton, Jalissa Corrie, Somaiya Daud, Charlotte Davis, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, Danny Lore, L.L. McKinney, Danielle Paige, Rebecca Roanhorse, Karen Strong, Ashley Woodfolk, and Ibi Zoboi.
These next books I want to read if have more time in the month (but won’t make any promises if I’ll get to all of them)–
Synopsis:
With a bootylicious body like Beyoncïżœ and a face that would put any top model to shame, Toi McKnight has all the cuties coming her way. Who could blame them? She was always rocking the latest fashion trends and hanging at every bangin’ party in the city. But all that came at a price, and now Toi McKnight is the seventeen-year-old mother of a baby boy.
Between bills to pay and adult responsibilities to meet, she’s got zero time for sizzling gossip, chilling with her friends or doing the things she used to. So when unexpected sparks start flying between her and six-foot-two, deliciously fine Harlem, Toi knows she’s got to dead any chance of a relationship fast since he doesn’t date teenage mothers–and she’s vowed to never love again. But every time Toi tries to cut Harlem loose, she falls harder for him. And all the other drama in her life doesn’t help the situation any, especially when her son’s father comes back around. Toi tries to do the right thing, but doing the right thing just may put her on heartbreak express for good.
Between bills to pay and adult responsibilities to meet, she’s got zero time for sizzling gossip, chilling with her friends or doing the things she used to. So when unexpected sparks start flying between her and six-foot-two, deliciously fine Harlem, Toi knows she’s got to dead any chance of a relationship fast since he doesn’t date teenage mothers–and she’s vowed to never love again. But every time Toi tries to cut Harlem loose, she falls harder for him. And all the other drama in her life doesn’t help the situation any, especially when her son’s father comes back around. Toi tries to do the right thing, but doing the right thing just may put her on heartbreak express for good.
Synopsis:Â
Will their romance fade with the music?
Baileyâs settled for working in her motherâs salon instead of pursuing her dream. Music. She has the soul of a singer. Melodies speak to her heart. She could face her fear, but that would take courage and ignoring the disapproval of those close to her. When an incredible opportunity comes her way, she must decide whether to take the risk or live in regret.
Jacksonâs a musician determined to make it into the business with his band. After years of hard work, his dreams may come true. He can make amends for the past. He can let go of his guilt.
When Jackson and Bailey meet online, their love for music forms an extraordinary bond. Once they both pursue their passions, including the one between them, thereâs no going back. But thereâs a secret. A secret that will make Bailey question everything.
Â
Synopsis:
Fall in love, break the curse.
Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
Synopsis:
Zoe Washington isnât sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father sheâs never met, hadnât heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and whoâs been in prison for a terrible crime?
A crime he says he never committed.
Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoeâs worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that sheâs worthy of auditioning for Food Networkâs Kids Bake Challenge.
But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcusâs conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesnât know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.
A crime he says he never committed.
Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoeâs worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that sheâs worthy of auditioning for Food Networkâs Kids Bake Challenge.
But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcusâs conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesnât know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.
The Princess Saves Herself in This One By Amanda Lovelace | Book Review
Synopsis:Â “Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we’re off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales.”
A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. Explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.
Review: 
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
To be honest and fair I been following the author since her tumblr days. I honestly owned a copy of this poetry book when it came and just didnt read it for a long time. I guess thinking it was …I don’t I wasn’t going to like it. I have access to the audiobook and to hear the author actually speak her words the way they should be read felt great to hear.
Amanda talks about mental illness, being alone, about her mom, relationships, rape culture, having issues with weight, ect I loved this poetry book! Her voice is so soothing she doesn’t rush the words, she want’s you into her life word by word. I will be reading all her other books.Â
Ghost Squad By Claribel A. Ortega | Book Review
Synopsis: Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.
For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business.
Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late.
With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.
Book Review:Â
Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ghost Squad is a fast paced middle grade #ownvoices/ Latinx novel great for young readers or anyone who wants something different. This story is about Lucely and her best friend Syd stumbling onto ghosts in their town. Lucely is also trying to communicate with her mother who passed away sometime ago through fireflies. This book I find has a lot of things going on and kids may like that aspect. Since I’m not a big middle grade reader myself and I’m typically not the audience the author goes after the things happening within the book will be different coming from someone in the 5th grade.
But overall I enjoyed it, the audiobook was great. I thought the narrator did a good job with keeping the story alive. Ghost Squad was fun, cute, diverse, #ownvoices and something I’ll let my son listen to.