Call Me by Your Name is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Aciman's ability to portray human feelings and emotions is impressive, to say the least. He is obviously a very talented writer. In addition, he did a fantastic job creating the setting for this story and discussing Jewish identity within his characters. That being said, I did not really like Elio and Oliver, the two main characters, very much. Usually, when I dislike the protagonist(s) of a story, I rate it much lower than the four stars I am giving this one. However, because the writing was both gripping and beautiful I deemed it worthy of a four-star rating.

I was really disappointed with this one. As a plus-sized woman, I was super excited to read a book with a protagonist with a similar body type. However, the aspect of the story that I was most excited about was not executed well. I felt that the author spent too much time talking about Bea's, the protagonist, weight. Representation like this is more harmful than helpful to the image of the plus-size woman. I believe that plus-size women are more than just their weight and this book did not share that sentiment. The author did a nice job emulating the romance reality tv show within her plot, but I could not overcome the issues I had with her choice to portray the main character as she did. While it is currently a popular title in the book world, I do not recommend One to Watch.

My mother, a high school Spanish teacher recommended this book to me a few years ago. She adored it, mostly for its representation of a Mexican-American family. While this was written back in 2017, there still is not a ton of representation of first-generation Americans of Latinx descent in YA fiction. I applaud Sánchez for writing this story because her story of Julia and her family is much needed in this genre. However, while I enjoyed the overall themes of the book, I had some issues with the actual storyline. Sánchez tried to tackle too many issues with this short book (mental illness, immigration, poverty, gang violence in Mexico, homophobia, suicide, and infidelity - just to name a few...) This story could have been much more impactful if she had only focused on and delved deep into a couple of these issues. Also, an important part of the plot which includes the death of someone close to Julia seemed incomplete. I felt like the idea of this novel was great but it was just not executed very well.

I had no idea that this story was told in poetic verse until I opened up the first page. I am usually not a fan of this writing style, but for this book, it worked. Atta, the author, did a magnificent job creating the character of Michael and I had to remind myself a few times that the story was fictional. Michael and the other side characters felt so real to me and I predict this book will be very successful because of its ability to captivate readers. I had already made up my mind to give this title five stars before I reached the end of the novel, but if I hadn't the epilogue would have forced me to. The last poem was beautifully written and showcased how modern society views human sexuality. It reminds the reader that they do not owe anyone an explanation in regards to who they are attracted to and/or who they decide to be in a relationship with.

This is the best book I have read so far this year and I already know it will be in my top three reads of 2020. If any book deserves to become a movie, it is this one. I do not usually enjoy the enemies to lovers trope, but Tucker does a fantastic job incorporating it into her novel. If you have not read this book yet, (I was late to the game, as it was first published almost two years ago!) add it to your list. You will not regret it.
**PS - I love my boyfriend very much and I know I would never fit into the Alaskan wilderness lifestyle so it could never work even if he was a real person, but Jonah (one of the protagonists in this book) is my new literary crush. Who would have thought I would find an Alaskan Bush Pilot to be so desirable?

Cleave, the author, did a fantastic job writing in two different point of views for this story. Laura and Little Bee are about as different as two people could be, but he was able to create the voice of each character flawlessly. My mom gave me this book last year to read and I honestly don’t know why I took so long to get to it. To future readers of this novel — go into this one blind. I didn’t read any summaries or teasers before opening up this book and I’m glad I didn’t. The story was much more impactful not knowing the relationship between the two narrators right away.

I am both heartbroken and inspired after reading this book. Breakfast at Bronzefield is an exposé of the criminal justice system and female prisons in Great Britain. Sophie, the author, is honest about how the system fails women constantly while they are serving their sentences. She addresses problems inmates face both inside and outside of the jail setting and calls for action to be taken to ensure prisoners are given the appropriate support. I enjoyed this book more than others I have read that deal with these issues because the author served time in prison herself. She is able to articulate what is not working by referring to her own experiences. As always, it is important to elevate the voices of those who have dealt with an issue personally. I can see this book being an important source for those interested in prisoner advocacy.

(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Eight passengers have been taken hostage in the United Kingdom. Their driverless cars have been hacked and are going to collide with each other, killing them all. Broadcasted live for the world, this situation tests the decision making skills of Libby, our protagonist, as she and the other members of the jury must choose which passenger to save in front of a worldwide audience. I was hooked from the first page and finished this read in just two days. If you're looking for a dramatic and suspenseful novel set in the near future, this is your book. I would not be surprised if this was picked up for either a television series or a movie, as it was very engaging and well written.

The characters in this novel are beautifully written and are the main reason I gave it such a high rating. Chloe, our protagonist, is one of the most dynamic and interesting characters I have ever come across while reading contemporary fiction. She suffers from both physical and mental pain daily and has trouble making and keeping friends because of her disabilities. Her love interest, Red, reminds me a lot of my boyfriend. He is caring, patient, and understanding of Chloe’s limits. I have never read a love story before that was quite like this one. Yes, there’s love, sex, and adoration, but there is also a story line of mutual respect and understanding that the characters display. It is important to have this type of representation in modern writing and I am glad to have had the opportunity to come across this book.

At the beginning of this book, Russell, the author, makes it clear that this is a fictional story. With that being said, I want to commend her on her ability to write such a realistic tale of an inappropriate relationship between a teenage girl and her teacher. If you have been following my reviews, I have read Lolita (the classic story of sexual grooming) and Being Lolita (a memoir highlighting a real-life relationship between a student and her teacher - written by the student, who is now an adult) already this year. My Dark Vanessa is a combination of those two novels. It has a more modern setting and is told from the perspective of the girl who was abused but it is not a true story. There are scenes in this book that are difficult to read and that is intentional. The author wants you to feel uncomfortable and acknowledge how inappropriate the relationship between Vanessa and her teacher is. Also, the aftermath of the abuse and how it affects the titular character is represented well and is not sugarcoated in any way. Most of the criticism this book has received is in regards to the horribly graphic scenes (both of abuse and recovery) it has. No matter how uncomfortable reading this book makes you, it will never even begin to be on the same level of discomfort victims of sexual grooming experience. If you suspect that there is an inappropriate relationship happening between an adult and a minor (the gender of either party does not matter), please speak out. This is an issue that is continuously shoved under the rug in the United States - and I am sure in other countries as well - and reading books like this one will allow and empower you to put an end to this kind of abuse.