My favorite poems in this collect are "Your Last Drive," "Where the Picnic Was," and "Days to Recollect." These poems capture the grief of Hardy's lost love. His wife lives on in the lines of verse that have immortalized her to all who read Hardy's heartbreaking poetry.

Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

SPOILERS MAY LIE AHEAD. PROCEED WITH CAUTION DEARIES.

Something in Between is what I needed after a tough week in the U.S. It tells a compelling and realistic story of an undocumented teen and how her status affects her future, the view of herself, and ultimately the resolve to fight. As a daughter of immigrants, I could relate to Jasmine and her family in a way that is unparalleled to any other character I ever read. My parents had to file and wait for citizenship, a process that isn't easy just as Jasmine discovered throughout the story.

There are countless of stories that mirror Jasmine's in real life. For those of us who are natural-born citizens, it is easy to forget that we are privileged - that we have an abundance of opportunities compared to our undocumented counterparts. Life Jasmine's family - the reason they left the Philippines was to seek a better life full of endless possibilities and opportunity.

The rawness and authenticity of this story pulled at my heart and I cried. I am crying as I write this. I had a bucket full of empathy for Jasmine and her situation. I also really loved how she handled the hurdles that were thrown her way. This is contemporary and it has fluff, but it also heavily conveys the issues of immigration, identity, stereotypes, and the oppression of minority groups in the U.S.

Melissa de la Cruz weaved all these issues in the story seamlessly. She didn't push her views down my throat, rather, she demonstrated it through Jasmine. Because of her "illegal" status, Jasmine began to question who she was, letting the fear of not having a paper that said she was a citizen contradict her feeling of being American. She also wondered how she would be treated by her race because she did not speak Tagalog (her native Filipino tongue) fluently. Lastly, the oppression of minority groups is seen in the story's antagonist, Mason Blakely. Jasmine is targeted by his racist remarks.

As the story still lies in the realm of contemporary, there was a budding romance that made my heart melt - that gave me light. Royce Blakely isn't your typical male protagonist. He is Mexican-American, dyslexic, and unbelievably adorable. He is charming without being arrogant. He is sweet without being obsessive. He is everything that Jasmine doesn't need, but wants anyway. THAT is love. I love how they aren't dependent on each other to live. There are also some definitely swoon-worthy moments that you'll definitely have to see for yourself!

Then, there is an overwhelming amount of support - not just within Jasmine's family, and they are pretty much a family I'd love to be a part of! but also regarding her peers. I think that's an important idea to portray. A person should be judged by their character and not by the color of their skin, status, gender, ect.

Lastly, one of my favorite things about Something in Between were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They inspired me to never give up and to act. I cannot sit idly, while the world around me is in chaos.

This is one of those reads that you have to read - to gain knowledge and understanding of a facet within immigration. If you're wondering what happens to Jasmine and her family, well...that's something I am unwilling to give away :P Something in Between will stay with me for a long time and I will always remember how it gave me an insight on immigration and Filipino culture.

I commend Martin Amis for the unforgettable storytelling. The story is written in reverse chronological order; a writing style that I have never seen before. Amis stays true to the style throughout the novel, delving the reader into mystery.

At times, I found it difficult to read because some of the events were incomplete ...? Above all, the question that still remains is, who was the narrator? Was it Tod's subconscious? A second personality? I do not know. Do you?

I won this book as an ARC back in November I believe. When I got it...I was excited to read this new book and hope that it had romance. Well, I was not disappointed in the romance aspect one bit. Aria and Perry's relationship grows throughout the novel to a beautiful and passion love that I absolutely adored.

When I began to read the novel I had to read it very slowly because it was set in a new world with terminology that I hadn't yet come to learn. As the story progressed I found myself unable to put the book down. At one point I actually brought it to my doctor's appointment and didn't want to stop reading. It is a beautiful and captivating debut novel that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who loves adventure, newfound land, and romance.

Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

Prom Queen Perfect was everything I needed in an incredibly sweet and short (to my utter dismay) story about childhood friends turned high school frenemies/sweethearts. I plunged into this novel blindly; not really knowing or expecting how I’d feel. At the end, I felt a WHOLE LOT FOR ALEX AND ADAM.

Alex dela Cruz is that popular girl in high school that everyone hates but wishes to secretly be. She rules Asia Pacific Academy with an iron fist; no one dares to undermine her superiority. Well, except Adam Cordero. Adam is the only one who tells Alex that she is selfish, which sends her into an obsessive spiral of proving him wrong. Her project? Turn Christy Marquez from invisible to popular.

What I liked most about the plot was the fact that yes, it sounds cliche, but it is executed well with stunning metaphors that are unique to Clarisse Davide. The amount of emotion also blew me away as I felt overwhelmingly giddy for Alex in her bouts of clarity over love.

Even though Prom Queen Perfect> is abundantly sweet, there are still some issues that Alex overcomes like the estranged bond between her and her mother, what it means to have a best friend, the act of selflessness vs. selfishness, and of course, how it feels to be in love.

I also loved the diverse cast from a diverse author! That was gold and god, soooooo good. I literally devoured this book in one sitting and all I wanted was MOAR.

At 58% I made a note: Slowly falling in love is one of my favorite things to read.

It is. It really is. The relationship between Alex and Adam was everything my little heart desired. I was grinning like the mad Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. It was that SWEET AND JUST ASDFGHJKL.

I also highly enjoyed the relationship between Christy and Alex. It was an unexpected friendship. It was interesting how their bond grew, broke, and was mended back together as authentically as any friendship in real life.

Prom Queen Perfect is a beautiful, whirlwind of a story about learning to be not-so-perfect and showing the world who the girl behind the facade really is. I truly loved this so much and just want more of Alex, Adam, and Christy in my life.

Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

MINIMAL TO NO SPOILERS LIE AHEAD. YOU’RE WELCOME.

I didn’t really know what to expect from I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Within the first three chapters I was inwardly groaning to myself: Ugh…not another cliche high school hierarchy story. After those three chapters and the explanation of what exactly a manic pixie dream girl is…well, I was hooked.

The main protagonist, Bea “Trixie” Giovanni, is an incredibly smart, sassy, and stubborn biracial filipina on the brink of a unique and creative experiment. Her love for math helps her concoct a formula using applied math to real life. Her reasons for this experiment is to help her best friends Gabe and Spencer deflect bullying and to climb the social ladder in their senior year of high school. Bea’s reasons to use the formula on herself is to win her ex-boyfriend back from the clutches of Toile, the epitome of a manic pixie dream girl. Well, at least it starts out that way.

Bea’s personality greatly shifts throughout the story, which gets kudos from me. It is important for the character to grow and flourish rather than stagnant. No one wants to read about a character who is too set in their ways. I love the moments of clarity for Bea like when she realizes what her intentions have become by using the formula and the matters of her heart.

One of my favorite things (which in truth is becoming a thing I look for in books) is the amount of diversity. You’ve got a non-white strong female lead, a gay supporting character who does not die and is used as a sympathetic tool for main character, endearing portrayal of LGBT romance, and a romantic interest that is not part of the jocktocracy, i.e. not popular or is in a sport. I loved Bea so much that I could honestly say I’d like to be friends with her. She is the kind of girl that likes to keep to herself, that loves math so much that she lives and breathes it. Her friends accept her for who she is just like she accepts them. There are a handful of times where Spencer tells Bea that she does not need to change for anyone, much less a guy who is fickle. #friendshipgoals

Then, there is Gabe who is just FABULOUS. I really like how McNeil addressed the stereotypical tropes of a gay young man, but also stayed true to Gabe’s true personality and wishes apart from the formula that made him a star. The portrayal of gay romance is also sweet, highlighting that love is never easy no matter what gender is preferred.

Lastly, the last character of this lovely platonic triangle is Spencer. There aren’t enough words for Spencer other than:



Spencer is the kind of guy we all want. The guy who values a girl’s worth and doesn’t demand change just to suit his needs. He is artsy, smart, and stubborn yeah, there are times Bea and Spencer butt heads. He is the voice of reason throughout the story. And boy, I wish Bea would have listened to him sooner. She could have avoided a lot of the mess created by the formula. But hey, if she didn’t make them…well, we wouldn’t have had such a whirlwind of a story!

This book also highlights feminism (the good kind), family relationships/dynamics, and what it means to be yourself. It is an outstanding hoorah! and is sure to fill you with unbelievable happiness and empowerment. I’m pretty sure my face was plastered in a goofy smile 89% of the time while I read.

I'm crying and smiling because this was just so unbelievably sweet and heart wrenching. A full review to follow.

A beautiful story of love, adventure, and the eventual heartbreak that comes with life. I loved Lou's quirkiness and Will's sarcasm. I also loved how these two characters despite their beliefs found and understood one another to an extent that no one else could rival.

The ending had me sobbing. I am still crying.

This will be one of those books that stays with me forever.

My Lady Jane was a historical retelling filled with magic, comedy, and romance. As I read, I could imagine this as a play and how amazing it would be to see the story come alive in that manner.

I loved how seamlessly the writing flowed. The characters held their own voices in their respective chapters. And lastly, I loved the twist of history!