To quote one of my favorite TV Shows ever: “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live.”

And that is exactly what our protagonist, Madeline, intends to do.

Madeline's story is tragic and lonely: we are told that she has an immunodeficiency disorder that requires her to stay inside at all times. Most people may know this from something like The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. She only experiences the world via books, the internet, Skype, movies, and more. But then a boy moves in next door. Her life changes forever.

Taking risks can be one of the forefront themes for this novel. It seems each character is faced with certain risks and we get to see how they choose to handle them (or run away from them and hide/lie in some cases). Life is not always about mitigating risk. Sometimes life has to be about accepting and managing risk, because it's going to be there whether we like it or not. How we manage it, not mitigate or minimize it, is what makes everything, everything worth it.

4.5 stars from me! I would have given it a full 5 but I am not sold on insta-romances, no matter how cute and adorable they are. It's just hard for me to get behind falling in love in a matter of days and a couple conversations. But that's just me! I know a lot of people who are fully on board with that. Find out for yourself and check out this book!

FROM: findingmontauk1@ gmail.com
TO: bookstagram@ goodreads.com
DATE: June 16 at 3:08 PM
SUBJECT: Re: this book is so good!!
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So I have seen the movie Love, Simon a bajillion times but never made it around to reading the book-- UNTIL NOW! And my husband and I first saw a special screening of the movie in Atlanta where Becky Albertalli sat two rows in front of us! *gasps in rainbow* The book was just as great - I loved getting even more emails and inner thoughts of Simon as the story progresses. I found myself smiling a lot while reading. I feel like there are times in my life maaaaaaany years ago when I was just like Simon. And that makes me smile, too. I can't wait to see the new show tomorrow (Love, Victor). 5

If you are the kind of reader who is into a story with flashes of urban legends, dark family secrets, murder, and ghosts... then this is the book for you! I FLEW through this story as Sonora Taylor is fantastic author and made that easy for me. I found myself "ooooh!" at the first chapter as I cozied down deeper into my couch with a cup of coffee. And I did not move until I finished it! Taylor creates a likable teen protagonist with a "gift" of seeing things. Ghosts, to be more specific. Highly recommend this one! I could even read a series with this character as the lead if that would ever happen! 4 stars!

I chose THE BLACK FLAMINGO by Dean Atta as my first read for a readathon and ❤❤OH MY GOSH❤❤ it is EVERYTHING! Going to go ahead and spoil this review: 5 ⭐!! The whole time reading I just felt this universal and human connection... I related to some things while I know and love people who have endured, survived, and lived through a lot of the other topics and situations here. Coming out for yourself vs a societal demand and embracing YOU FOR YOU!

Wow - so if this is a debut novel then sign me up for whatever comes next! In this nearly-500 page book, John Fram delivers a dark and gritty thriller akin to Gillian Flynn with supernatural horror elements resembling something we might see from Stephen King. This story explores a small town that, on the outside, is obsessed with their high school football team (I can relate with that upbringing - so much that even alumni in their 60s are raging mad on Facebook groups that there is even talk about changing our mascot name in light of current situations). But beneath the surface, literally and figuratively, there is a seductive and dark power. It seems everyone has secrets in this town, both past and current. And many are trying as hard as they can to protect these secrets. But what are the secrets - how dark and terrible are these secrets? What happened to the star quarterback? What are the Bright Lands?

This book is completely intoxicating and you may find it hard to put down. The chapters alternate between different POVs and are pretty quick which helps keep the flow and pace moving along quite nicely. The Bright Lands perfectly blends crime fiction, horror, thriller, supernatural, and suspense! 5 stars!

I just finished reading DEAD INSIDE by Chandler Morrison. It was WILD. But I found myself really enjoying the plot, character arc/growth, and the writing style! This book is loaded with literally every trigger warning you can think of, but because of Morrison's brilliant mind and amazing storytelling skills, I was able to see beyond the gore, fetishes, and totally taboo actions. I was able to (I hope and think) see this story of seemingly star-crossed lovers as they struggle with societal and self-acceptance, sacrifice, and love. At least that's how *I*read this one! This is an author with a great imagination and a unique ability to craft a great story behind a lot of gross actions. 4.5 stars and definitely can't wait to read more by Chandler Morrison!

Wow - that is about all I have to say after reading this one. I am just thankful for digital forensics and all the people who can dismantle cyber crime! This story itself blew me away - but it also blew me away because I honestly can't imagine the main guy, Dave, not KNOWING what was really going on the whole time. Call me paranoid, preparanoid, untrustworthy, skeptical, etc, but I just would have been a whole lot more questioning and more concerned than he was? Either way - THIS STORY! And I am always thankful when the real victim gets justice... even though a life cannot be reclaimed... there's some sense of order and justice that helps with closure.

The only thing that kept me from 5-starring this is there was a bunch of stuff I do not feel like I needed to read about: what is Facebook and how to use it, the kind deeds of everyone in one of the character's family tree, etc. But I will say that Leslie Rule has a knack for telling a story - and this was a whole WEB OF LIES AND DECEIT. I will be reading more of her!!

I am constantly blown away by Tananarive Due's storytelling skills. It's really something that is hard to explain and just needs to be experienced. In this collection of short stories, we are thrown into everything the summer has to offer. All of these stories were so unique and felt so real - she did a great job at putting the reader in the scene. I also love when authors put little blurbs after their stories noting things like inspiration, first time published, etc. It really puts a cherry on top to understanding why they chose to write the story they did - and Due has some great inspirations for hers! 4.5 stars!

As you can see from the stickers all over the cover, this book is AWARD-WORTHY!! This story is so bizarrely interesting and unique - and usually when I use those descriptions its because the book has over-the-top gore or perversions and just batshit crazy things happening. I say it here because I'm just wonderstruck by the story and how it was presented. The future utopia of Lucille has gotten rid of all monsters - rapists, billionaires, police, etc. Now our protagonist, a transgender teen, has accidentally summoned Pet, a hunter who says a monster is still in Lucille. And kids and teens can see and accept things before adults sometimes. And this story shows we CAN get rid of the monsters... but we have to acknowledge their presence before we can stand up and fight. Just a BEAUTIFUL and haunting story. 5⭐

I read this in one sitting. If that explains ANYTHING. I read this based on the supposition that this is the grossest book a lot of people have read... but... unfortunately (or fortunately lol) that was not the case for me. I have read FAR grosser books (like Carlton Mellick a Chandler Morrison). But the grossness is not what I focused on because the perpetrators see it as art and there are so many other themes prevailing here.

So let me back up. Andrew Compton is a serial killer in a mirror image of Jeffrey Dahmer in prison in London. He fakes his own death and finds his way to New Orleans. Jay Byrne is an "artist/photographer" in New Orleans who has a dark obsession with... I just want to say dark and twisted things as to not spoil it for you. Then we have Tran, a runaway Vietnamese-American who starts falling for Jay. Tran is the embodiment of gay hope and love in a disease and drug-ridden gay world. I can just picture him being this radiant and jubilant ball of sunshine and always the life of the party. Now, I think Jay and Tran might make it work. Tran intoxicates Jay in a way that he stops his deranged behavior and it seems like Jay could change. Then Jay meets Andrew in a bar. And all hell breaks loose. And there is NO going back.

But while this book is loaded with gore and extreme sexual situations with vivid descriptions, that is not the focus of the book. This book heavily explore what it means to be alive and living. HIV/AIDS is always on the forefront in the book as most of the book is connected to blood and sex. Fear, acceptance, life, living, love, death, everything. There's a lot to be said about physical pain vs a disease that is slowly killing you before it turns full-blown lethal, too. There's a WHOLE lot truly happening in this novel. SO MUCH.

And Brite's writing is SO intellectual and intoxicating. It felt like reading Bret Easton Ellis meets Anne Rice meets gore porn. This book explores the darkest corners of the mind as we journey to understand the minds of serial killers, how they love, and how they view killing, sex, and death.