thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

Golden Boys is a YA contemporary novel that follows the lives of four close friends as they embark on their own personal summer adventures. I frequently got the boys confused in the first few chapters, but it became easier once I got further into the story. While the book kept my attention, I can only give it a three-star rating because I enjoyed some of the characters more than others and I thought the plot was a little predictable. 
(PUB DATE: 02/08/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I was hesitant to read this title early because I did not love the author's debut novel, The Ex Talk. However, I am happy to report that I enjoyed this book much more! I adored Ari and Russell, the two love interests, and was completely invested in them getting their happily ever after. If you are looking for a lighthearted read that manages to still include some important topics, Weather Girl is the book for you. 
(PUB DATE: 01/11/2022)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

After seeing multiple people refer to this title as a "gay Grease", I knew I had to get my hands on it. Luckily, a friend sent me a copy of this lovely book and I read it all in a single day. Ollie, the protagonist, is a teenage boy whose family moves across the country the summer before his senior year of high school because of a family emergency. He tries to navigate a new school while staying true to his sexual identity and overcoming heartbreak from a summer fling with a boy who just so happens to also attend his school. This book was adorable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, humorous read!

You would think that a graphic novel about a mom dying from cancer wouldn't be funny, but this one is. Feder, the author and illustrator, tells her own story about her mom's passing in this book. I commend her on tackling the topic of grief in a way that I have never seen done before. While I have never experienced a death of a close loved one, I imagine this title would be helpful to those who have. Especially if they share the same bizarre humor as the author. 

I listened to You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey as an audiobook and if you decide to pick up this title I highly recommend that format. The story is narrated by both sisters, Amber and Lacey, and will make you actually laugh out loud. This book shows the ignorance and racism that black women in the United States deal with on a daily basis. Between laughing, I found myself cringing because of the behavior of white people in these stories. Add this one to your reading list if you are looking to supplement your heavy antiracist reading with a lighter (but still important) read. 

When this title was first published, I was hesitant to read it because I thought it would be too much like Riley Sager's novel, Final Girls. For anyone else who shares that concern, let me assure you, this book is much scarier. Hendrix is a master at frightening his readers and when I read anything written by him, I find myself having trouble falling asleep. I could not put The Final Girl Support Group down (despite being terrified the whole time) and recommend it to anyone looking to completely freak themselves out. 

If I had to use only two words to describe this novel, they would be dark and disturbing. The Roanoke Girls is certainly not for the faint of heart. Engel, the author, does not shy away from the heavy themes in this story which include incest, child abuse, and death. Overall, I don't think I would go out of my way to recommend this title to other readers. The story was just okay and really relied on the shock factors of the topics involved. If you are looking to read something else from this author, I would suggest The Familiar Dark, a title I enjoyed more. 

In order to read Union's newest memoir, which was published recently, I figured I should read her first book to become more acquainted with her life. In We're Going to Need More Wine, the famous actress is very vulnerable with stories of racism, sexual assault, infertility, and other very serious topics. If you are able to read this book, you should. I can't wait to read You Got Anything Stronger? when my library hold comes in! 

Unashamed is one of my favorite nonfiction books that I read this year. Leah Vernon, a body-positive model and content creator, did a wonderful job detailing her experiences with the world due to different aspects of her identity. I learned a lot from her stories and even saw myself in a few of them despite our differences. Vernon had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the emotions in between while reading her memoir and I cannot recommend this title enough.