The Overstuffed Bookcase

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DNF Review: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

So Much Potential… I was SO excited for Of Fire and Stars. A LGBTQIA YA Fantasy about a girl betrothed to the prince, and she falls instead for his sister? It sounded SO GOOD. And it also reminded me a bit of my own work-in-progress. But unfortunately, I just didn’t click with the characters, and I found myself, frankly, kind of  ...

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Mini Review: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

I didn’t write too many notes as I was reading Fun Home, so I’m just going to make this a mini review where I share some of my notes: It’s interesting how this book goes back and forth in time a lot. On one page, we see Alison at 3 or 4 different ages. What? Women had to wear at least 3 articles of women’s clothing in  ...

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Review: The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle

  A Bit Back and Forth For some reason, my opinion of The Great American Whatever kind of went back and forth a lot. I liked the humor right from the beginning, but then it seemed to be too clever. The main character, Quinn, would think about how he was “so awkward” but he constantly had witty comebacks for everything. And then  ...

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Review: We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

Title: We Are the Ants Author: Shaun David Hutchinson Series: None Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: January 2016 Pages: 451 Format/Source: ARC/From Publisher Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary, Science Fiction, LGBTQIA There are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t. Henry knows that his mom is struggling  ...

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Review: Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Title: Symptoms of Being Human Author: Jeff Garvin Series: None Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publication Date: February 2, 2016 Pages: 352 Format/Source: eARC/From publisher via Edelweiss   Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary, LGBTQIA The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a  ...

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Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Title: This Is Where It Ends Author: Marieke Nijkamp Series: None Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Publication Date: January 5, 2016 Pages: 282 Format/Source: Hardback/Purchased Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary, Mass Shooting 10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire  ...

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Review: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Title: More Happy Than Not Author: Adam Silvera Series: None Publisher: Soho Teen Publication Date: June 2, 2015 Pages: 293 Format/Source: Hardback/Library   Age Group/Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary, Science Fiction, LGBTQIA In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to  ...

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Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Title:  Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Author:  Becky Albertalli Series:  None Publisher:  Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publication Date:  April 7, 2015 Pages:  303 Format/Source:  Hardback/Purchased  Age Group/Genre:  Young Adult/Contemporary, LGBT Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama  ...

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Review: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title:  I’ll Give You the SunAuthor:  Jandy NelsonSeries:  NonePublisher:  Dial Books, an imprint of PenguinPublication Date:  September 16, 2014Pages:  371Format/Source:  ARC/From publisher, via BEA Age Group/Genre:  Young Adult/Contemporary, LGBT A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John  ...

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Review: Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

Title:  RumbleAuthor:  Ellen HopkinsSeries:  NonePublisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’sPublication Date:  August 26, 2014Pages:  546Format/Source:  ARC/From Publisher Age Group/Genre:  Young Adult/Contemporary, LGBT, Religion, Free Verse Eighteen-year-old Matthew Turner doesn’t  ...

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