August in Review

August in Review

Heartstopper, Volume 1 by Alice Oseman — 4 stars
Going the Distance by Beth Reekles — 3 stars
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau — 5 stars
Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi — 3 stars
The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert — 4 stars
My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann — 4 stars
Recommended For You by Laura Silverman — 4 stars
Fence: Rivals by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad — 4 stars

Heartstopper is such a sweet story! I especially loved the adorable art. This first volume was so lovely and I look forward to reading more volumes in the future.

Going the Distance is the sequel to The Kissing Booth. Since the adaptation was such a hit on Netflix, a second movie was ordered—and at the time a sequel did not exist for the book. Both were written around the same time, so they focus on a few major plot points but tackle them in somewhat different ways. You can check out all of the differences in my Book vs. Movie Review. As for the book, I found parts of the first book to be incredibly problematic, so I was happy that these parts were hardly present in the sequel.

I absolutely loved Bloom. The artwork! The sweet romance! The quiet beach town! The baking! It was all just so good. It’s a new favorite graphic novel for sure. Perfect for your summer TBR.

Permanent Record ended up being a lot different than I had expected it to be. It focuses on flawed characters and the growing pains of becoming an adult as well as touching on mental health. I had originally put it down after reading the first half of the book, but I ended up picking it back up again and sped read through the rest after the main character hits rock bottom and begins picking up his life again.

The Voting Booth takes places over one day covering a variety of topics, including racism, activism, privilege, interracial relationships, social justice, voter suppression, Black identity, and grief. And of course it highlights the importance of voting. A must-read for election year!

My Eyes Are Up Here is a solid debut! The focus on body image was very realistic for the high school setting. It was fun seeing Greer connect with her volleyball teammates and the love interest Jackson, who was sweet and quirky. One of my favorite reads in 2019 was We Are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan, and this one reminded me of it with the strong voice and humor!

Recommended For You is a swoon-worthy, Jewish romcom set at an independent bookstore! It starts on the last day of Hanukkah and takes us through the week after as holiday shopping becomes overwhelming in the mall. Shoshanna was an adorable main character, and I loved her excitement for books and wanting to save the independent bookstore she works at. This story is full of family dynamics, friendship, and a diverse cast of supporting characters. Recommended For You is a heartwarming holiday must-read! Be sure to check out my aesthetic for the book!

I love a good sports romance, so I was excited to pick up the Fence comics. But oh boy, is this a slowburn romance! I’ll definitely be keeping up with this series as I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters continue to develop. And as someone who knows nothing about fencing, it was fun learning a bit about the sport through this comic. Fans of Check, Please! will love this series!

Have you read any of these books yet? What books did you read in August?

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