Reading, Writing, and Me

I've had a crazy busy last few weeks which led me into a pretty horrible reading slump that I just couldn't break out of. On top of not having enough time, I couldn't find a book that would make me want to take stolen moments to power through it. I needed to figure out how to get out of my reading rut, so I turned to the one place where I could be completely surrounded with hundreds of book possibilities: the library. I've been twice now in the last two weeks enjoying all the new books that have been brought up and the complete freedom to walk out with as many books as I want. Even though I work at a bookstore, there's a certain magic about the books in the library. It feels so much more limitless. Going in, I decided I'd walk over to the YA section and grab any book that sounded remotely interesting. I filled my giant canvas bag with books I'd been meaning to read, ones that had been mentioned on podcasts, ones that had gotten a lot of buzz on Twitter,...

Tell Me How You Really Feel  by Aminah Mae Safi Overview: Sana and Rachel hate each other. After a bad encounter freshman year and a misunderstanding that followed, the two have been at odds in their two separate worlds. When the two collide on the school field, Sana and Rachel are pulled together to make it right by Sana staring in Rachel's movie. While the two struggle with their futures, they find interesting allies in each other. Overall: 4  Characters: 4 I really loved both Rachel and Sana's characters. Sana feels the need to be perfect to make her mother and grandparents proud. She has to bear the weight of intense expectations on her shoulders, and as senior year comes to an end, she finally feels the need to break out of her box and start living for herself. Rachel feels the need to be perfect because she's at her fancy private school on scholarship, she needs to earn money to go to college, and she wants to prove that she belongs with the rich kids. Her chip...

Fear of Missing Out  by Kate McGovern  Overview: Astrid has a form of brain cancer called astrocytoma that causes a star shaped tumor to form near her brainstem. Though she was in remission, two years later, the cancer comes back, and Astrid becomes convinced that she won't beat the disease. She starts to pursue options that will allow her to have a life in the future, namely, cryopreservation. After essentially freezing her body, she hopes to wake up when there's a cure for her cancer so she can rejoin the world and see some of the milestones she fears missing. On the road trip to tour the Arizona facility, though, Astrid makes other realizations about her life and eventual death that alters how she sees her original plan. Overall: 4  Characters: 4 Astrid is relatable. She has a touch of dry, witty humor that makes her relatable. She loves her friends and family deeply, but she also has a conviction to follow what feels best for her. I appreciated how she always t...