Another lil library haul

Remember the last time I did this? I called it "A Little Library TBR"? Well, PAH! Turns out, it was not actually 'little', at least not for my standards! Let's be honest, a seven book long tbr could take me all year to get through! But let's hope not. And if we're being TOTALLY honest, as the above suggests, then I should probably admit that I only used the word 'little' because it alliterates with 'library. And I am a huge proponent of alliteration. Even if it compromises factual accuracy (and I must be honest, once again, I only noticed this just now. Literally, just then. I was like 'hang on, didn't my last library haul have like a crap tonne of books in it? Then why did I call it LITTLE, WHY, ARIELLE, WHYYY?'). Alliteration is why. That, and I hadn't planned that many books to go into that post!

 

OK, the point I am trying to make is, THIS TIME, I'm using the word 'lil', and it is truly gonna be accurate to the number of books I'm including in this post. Two. Just two!

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

 

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

 

This sequel to 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' was cute, light, fun and just plain old lovely.

The book started off where the first book left us - Lara Jean and Peter realising their relationship is way more than pretend, and their reality is just beginning. It's cute, it's exciting, and it's everything we've wanted since the first book. It had me all giddy and bubbly, the way LJ and Peter got together! That porch scene was perf.  

A Little Library TBR

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han - i know imma love this. TOP of the TBR.

 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - i have been meaning to read this for literally years. eep.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - tried to read this earlier this year. seemed like spoiled rich kids blah blah blah. but apparently this is good! so i will try to persevere past the first few pages and see if i can get into this.

New on my bookshelf

 

A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty

 Yay!!! My hardback pre-order finally came in the mail! This will probably be my most anticipated release of the year. Jaclyn Moriarty is one of my favourite authors and this adventure/fantasy YA trilogy (the Colours of Madeleine) is utterly phenomenal. It's everything and I am going to be so sad after reading this BECAUSE THIS IS THE LAST BOOK WAHHH. Read my reviews of the first and second books in the series. I could not gush enough.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

 

 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

 

 The first time I heard about Jenny Han was from Christine (polandbananasbooks on Youtube) and all I remember is her saying over and over how funny Jenny Han's books were. It's true because I was chuckling the whole way through. But the other reason I loved this book was because the MC was just so darn real to me. I could relate to Lara Jean hard. So many times I'd catch myself thinking, yep that is exactly what I'd do, yup, I'd have thought the same way.

If you don't know the premise yet, go read it here on Goodreads. It in itself is tragic and hilarious - a combo of two things I love to be entertained by. The story is great, the characters are so well-written, it all just makes for a really spectacular contemporary YA novel. The title might suggest a romance-heavy theme, but really I'd attest that it's relationship-heavy instead. Lara Jean's relationships with her parents and especially her sister are particularly pivotal. I'm really excited to read the next book in this series (P.S. I Still Love You). I could do it right now if I wanted to, the book is sitting right here on my shelf. Hmmmmmm. :)

 

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Bookish Fun: A Quick One

Just a fun lil bookish survey :)

1. The book I'm currently reading: The Martian by Andy Weir

Only coz I loved the film. The book is taking me a long time to get through... only because I kinda already know how the story goes and the in-depth scientific explanations of how Watney is surviving is a *little* laborious and slow-going for me.

 

2. The last book I finished: Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Cute and fun. I read this in Woolworths while shopping for snacks with my sister. I love Aaron Blabey's picture books because they're a whole lot o fun for both kids AND adults. Definitely at least 4 stars.

The Taming of the Tights by Louise Rennison

 

The Taming of the Tights
(a.k.a. "Wild Girls, Wild Boys, Wild Tights" for those hamburger-a-gogo folk)

[The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey #3]

by Louise Rennison

 

 When I heard the news of Louise Rennison's death, I was shocked and saddened. She is one of my favourite authors, and I thought she'd be around for way, way longer, writing books that would keep me laughing for the rest of my life. But unfortunately, that was not the case.

All I have left, and all the world has left of her, are the books she was able to get published in her lifetime - which, I know I'm making out to be not much (which it is! It is much! I can only dream to leave behind 13 published novels before I die) - but I'm just still reeling over the fact that I have just read her last novel, and now the only thing I can do is reread all of her books. Of course I'll still enjoy rereading the Georgia Nicolson series from beginning to end, but there will never again be something new for me to read from Louise Rennison, that wonderful, hilarious, fun-tastic, crazy humourous writer that brought so many joyous, teary-eyed-and-stomach-pained-from-laughing-so-hard memories to my childhood (and who am I kidding, adulthood too).

Okokok. It's probably time I talk about this book already, huh? Ok.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

This is first YA from Sophie Kinsella and it was pretty wonderful. I always have faith in a SK novel to deliver quality writing and characters, and that's what she's done. Finding Audrey was hilarious, hysterical, relatable and real. 

The story is about a girl who's been through an ordeal at school, something intense and bad and inexplicable. It's literally never explained what exactly happened. But it's left Audrey with a pretty awful case of anxiety, so much so that she needs therapy and wears sunglasses 24/7, in order to avoid eye contact with people, even her immediate family. Audrey never leaves the house and spends her days in a dark den with black-out curtains drawn.

It was so easy slipping into Audrey's shoes. Her story is incredibly relatable to me and as I read the book I felt almost UNeasy because I was empathising with Audrey so much. One of the things I loved most about this book is the family dynamic. Audrey has such an awesome family, and her mum provides a lot of the hysteria. Frank, Audrey's big brother, was hilarious and Felix, her baby bro, was so so sooo cute. I love them all so much but not just because of who they are (or how well their characters were written) but because of how they loved each other. 

There's a cute romance that sparks between Audrey and Lionel (Frank's friend). Lionel helps draw Audrey out of her dark place and back into the world. There were so many sweet moments between them, like the note-writing with Felix as their messenger, or when Lionel knew Audrey couldn't manage eye contact so he'd challenge her with things like shoe contact or thumb contact or knee contact. :) 

I'd rec Finding Audrey for anyone who likes Sophie Kinsella, teen reads and laughing, 

Rating: 4 stars