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Favourite Books of 2022, so far!

| sarasreadingnook

Hello, everyone! 

Olivia is deep in thought reminiscing about the year. 

And we are SUPER excited today to talk to you about our favourite books of each month from 2022! 

All books listed below are very good, but we do have a clear favourite. Let’s find out which one is our fav so far of the year! I’m so curious to know if this book will end up being my favourite at the end of 2022. It might be!

Book Title: If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

Author: James Baldwin

This is the love story between Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, and Fonny, a young sculptor and the father of their child.  Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and sent to prison soon after they are engaged. They must face an uncertain future ahead while as they attempt to clear Fonny of his name.

Why this book?

Here it is – this is our favourite book of the year! Are you as surprised as I am? I started off the year reading a lot of great books for our Hello 2022 Readathon, but as soon as I finished this book, I knew this book would be very hard to top. 

This book made me feel every emotion possible. It discusses very important themes such as race, police brutality, and injustic, and yet still at the heart of it, this book is a love story. I was deeply invested in Tish and Fonny’s story together – from childhood to adulthood. 

Favourite Quote

“Neither love nor terror makes one blind.
Indifference makes one blind.”
– James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk

Book Title: Ace of Spades 

Author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

In Ace of Spades, two of the highest achieving students at a prestigious private academy are the targets of personal attacks. However, these attacks are incredibly dark, twisted, and have the potential to disrupt or potentially even end their educational and professional ambitions. 

The question is: who is Aces? And what can be done to stop them from destroying Devon and Chiamaka’s dreams?

Why this book?

I read this book for our instagram buddy read of the month during February. This was such a good book that covered important themes, including: institutionalized racism, homophobia, and classicism. But it did more than that and was reminiscent to me of the film Get Out and the tv show Pretty Little Liars. 

Months later, I still think about this book, and I definitely recommend this as a must-read thriller.

Favourite Quote

“I didn’t invent this twisted system that pits us against each other and makes us do crappy things for status – but I do know how to play it.”
– Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Ace of Spades

Book Title: Night

Author: Elie Wiesel

This is a book everyone needs to read – it is book one of the Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel, who is a holocaust survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. This book takes place during a dark time in history, when Elie and his family were taken from their home in Sighet, Transylvania in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp.

Why this book?

I just knew I would need to read this again at some point this year. 

Now reading this for the second time, I find myself drawn even further into Elie’s story and the connection he had with his father, family, and his belief system. 

There’s honestly not much more to say except: if you haven’t read this already, that needs to change. Soon.

Favourite Quote

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed …”
– Elie Wiesel, Night

Book Title: Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café

Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

What would you do if you could time-travel to talk to a loved one and have closure? Would you do so? This is the second book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. 

There are four stories within this collection from those seeking closure to move on with their lives following a visit to a special café.

Why this book?

I read this book for the Catathon Readathon for the prompt “read a book with a cat on the cover.” I knew that this was going to be an emotional read after reading the first book. However, this one tug even stronger on my heart strings and was so memorable. 

I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and recommend this series if you are looking for books that will have you reaching for the tissues box.

Favourite Quote

“At the end of the day, whether one returns to the past or travels to the future, the present doesn’t change.”
– Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café

Book Title: Beasts and Beauties: Dangerous Tales

Author: Soman Chainani

This is a collection of twelve classic retold by Soman Chainani including: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and more. While grim (no pun intended), they are told in a way that will mystify and pack a punch the reader.

Why this book?

I read this book with Angie Henderson and we had such a great time revisiting old tales, now with a fresh perspective. We both enjoy reading retellings. 

You won’t want to miss reading Jack in the Beanstalk and Cinderella told with a twist! This is definitely for you if you enjoy short stories.

Favourite Quote

“Get too used to glorious sunsets and it is easy to blame the sun for stealing the clouds’ glory — but withhold the sun and there is nothing to see.”
– Soman Chainani, Beasts and Beauty


Book Title: Sailor Moon Eternal Edition, Volume 5

Author: Naoko Takeuchi

In this fifth volume of the infamous Sailor Moon manga series, the outer senshi are spotlighted and we get to learn about Sailor Pluto, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Neptune. 

Why this book?

When thinking of books to read for the Hello Spring/Autumn readathon, this was a clear winner! However, it took me longer to read this book than expected. I did not finish it until June and I’m so glad I did because it ended up being my favourite volume of the entire series! 

Read this if you are a fan of the Sailor Moon manga/anime and want to discover more about all the Sailor scouts!

That wraps up our favourite books of the year so far (by month!)

QOTD

What were your favourites? Let us know!

Our first post! – Mid-Year NetGalley Review Wrap-Up!

| sarasreadingnook

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

Amalia by Aude Picault

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel.

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed reading this NetGalley toolkit.
It was very helpful and included a lot of useful information, including:
– 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

3.75

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

This poetry collection by Amanda Lovelace is the third instalment of the “you are your own fairy tale” series.

CW: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Child abuse, Confinement, Self harm, Death, Eating disorder, Queerphobia, Grief, Trauma, Sexism.

 
My rating:

This was such a good children’s novel that focused on the perspective of a granddaughter and her abuelita.
The illustration style is absolutely gorgeous and beautifully helped tell the story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, illustrator and the publisher for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
My rating:
This was such an adorable book! First, Maxine’s little critters are anxious about getting their vaccine shots so she eases their anxiety and congratulates them all for getting their shots. And then, Maxine goes to the vet to get her actual shot, and her and her critters all celebrate together.
I’m a huge fan of the artwork! I think that this is such a delightful book for children getting all of the shots they need to and can be so useful.
Thank you to the publisher, the authors/illustrators, and to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy for an honest review.

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:

– what asexuality is; the spectrum of asexuality
– 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.

 

My rating:
 
The narration throughout the book was kind, welcoming, and informative. Reassurances were provided in a nonjudgemental fashion, allowing the reader to know that they are not alone when facing health anxiety. I thought that the illustrations were great: representations of children from various ethnicities, backgrounds, and with disabilities were provided.

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.


Astronomers and What They Do

My rating:
 
I really liked the illustrations, but also enjoyed the simple way scientific concepts were broken down. Bolding terminology was done effectively, and I liked that comparisons were used to distinguish similar sounding terms, such as astronomers vs astronauts.

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.

I really loved that this book was set on the beach in Florida, a welcome departure from the cold weather we have been having this winter.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full review and reading vlog:
I really enjoyed The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox! It was a very fun read and had likeable characters, an interesting set of protagonists, and a good set of challenges and obstacles to overcome. I feel like it was a perfect read for the holidays, and it was just so cute.

😸