Hello, everyone, and welcome to our new blog! We are very excited to share our thoughts on our NetGalley books from January to June 2022. We will be going from most to least recent here. All e-galleys were received in exchange for honest review and have been catalogued previously on our Goodreads and Storygraph pages.
So, let’s go!
June
3.75 stars.
In this story, Amalia and her family are encountering a stressful time and as the story progresses, you realize that taking a step back and re-evaluating things might be important for them as something is right about to give.
I enjoyed the story overall and think that this might be a very good read for those who are encountering stress or burnout. Some things I would have liked to see different: I found the font a bit difficult to read (although it’s aesthetically pretty charming), the father character in particular was a bit much for me, and some of the language was off-putting, especially early on. However the progression of the story was really good and landed on an ending I was definitely satisfied with.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: family conflict, stress, burnout
– tips for requesting NetGalley books and keeping your feedback ratio high
– creating book reviews for various formats (e.g., blog, YouTube, Instagram, etc.)
– social media tips and strategiesI particularly enjoyed the strategizing and accessibility sections! There were a couple of formatting issues I found, such as deleting extra spaces, but overall I really liked the format of the toolkit.I recommend this to anyone just starting out on NetGalley or who is looking to improve their experience on this platform.Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.
February
Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really cute graphic novel about Ben Cook, a new graduate who needs to find a job ASAP who, despite being unable to find a job related to his degree, is given a shot at a restaurant. During his time at Le Cochon Doré, he is faced with several challenges and finds himself falling for one of his mentors and becoming more distant from his initially desired career path.
This book makes it really easy to root for Ben as he learns how to improve his culinary skills. I really loved the characters, especially his friends Liz, Rachel, and Tom! Oh, and gosh, it was a bit silly but I just LOVED Watson. And thought he was just a wonderful addition to the book. I do wish that there was a little bit more of the romance, mostly because I wanted to see more of this blossoming relationship. I did really love Liam’s character and how supportive he was. I thought this was really cute and would like to read more from the author in the future!
CW: emotional abuse, homophobia.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, author, and illustrators (cover and main book) for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
2.75
CW: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Child abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Death, Eating disorder, Queerphobia, Grief, Trauma, Sexism.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a concise and very well written graphic novel which serves as an introduction to asexuality. My favourite part of the graphic novel are the descriptions of the following:
– differences between asexuality and aromanticism
– ace stereotypes in culture and media representations
I do wish that the illustrations were more detailed as it mostly centred on the two narrators; since the graphic novel is in black and white, more detail would have added visual interest to the book. Or, to add colour to the various illustrations in lieu of additional detail. However, I still think they did a good job of maintaining the reader’s interest through interesting dialogue and topics covered.
I would recommend this book to those interested in learning more about asexuality and would also recommend it to my friends who are practicing medicine; as a healthcare worker, I found the feedback re: the Ace patient demographic and experiences within medical clinics to be incredibly beneficial!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, author, and illustrator for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
There were so many “fun facts” about health and the human body sprinkled within the book. I found them to be highly engaging and informative.
Additionally, the book provided a small guide for caregivers and for parents, as well as a link to numerous books, videos, and organizations relating to the subject matter presented.
I would recommended this to parents and caregivers of children 6-10 years who would like to help ease any anxiety their little ones are facing regarding health.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, author, and illustrator for providing an advanced reader’s copy in exchange of an honest review.
Finally, each illustration nicely complimented the text well. The activity at the end of the book would be a fun one for younger readers!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
3.75.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Welcome to the book blogging world, Sara! I'm a big graphic novel reader, so I made note of Amalia, and I've also heard really great things about Abuelita and Me as well. I also love that you fit in so much nonfiction—there's a bunch of great picks here! Thanks so much for the wonderful post!
You've read some really good books. I like the look of Holiday Swap. I'll have to check that one out. Congrats on the new blog. It looks great!
Congratulations on your new blog! I enjoyed Holiday Swap as well; a good contemporary romance hits the spot sometimes (and I embrace the tropes). Abuelita and Asexuality seems like good and important books for kids.
Thank you so much, Max! I definitely recommend those two if you enjoy graphic novels and picture books. Abuelita and Me was just fantastic. Thank you again for the warm introduction here!
It's a very cozy read – thank you so much for the warm introduction!
Thank you so much for the warm introduction, Helen! I definitely agree, I think that both Abuelita and Me and Asexuality are both in very accessible formats. A good graphic novel/picture book really does make all the difference with such complex topics and themes! Happy to hear you enjoyed The Holiday Swap as well! Such a comforting read!
Hi, welcome to the world of book blogging. I think you'll meet a lot of nice people here. I love the sound of Holiday Swap. Have you read Beach Read by Emily Henry? I thought that was great fun.
Thank you so much, Cath! I haven't read Beach Read by am definitely meaning to!! I loved People We Meet on Vacation! Cheers and happy reading!