Reading, Writing, and Me

It's the end of another month! That means it's time to start talking about the books we can look forward to for May. Like I said last month, release dates are rapidly changing. Many books are getting pushed farther into the summer or fall, so I've had to change up the list a little since I first started collecting titles. There's a chance there will still be changes, but these are updated to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, this means that there aren't many books on this list, but the next few months are bursting with new titles. I'm still looking forward to all the books I've had to move. Just like the April post, I encourage you to place preorders or library requests for the books you're adding to your TBR if you can. This time around, I'm adding links to each author's website (just click on their name) because many authors are partnering with specific bookstores to offer special incentives or signed books. It's also a great w...

Fashionopolis  by Dana Thomas Overall: 5 General Thoughts: I did not want to put this book down. I listened to it on audiobook and played it all day. The narration is great and read by the author, which is a nice personal touch. As I mentioned before in my Over-Dressed review, I've always had an interest in fashion, but I've really turned my focus towards learning about its impact and how to make it more sustainable. This book is the perfect mix of informational overview and fascinating read. The writing is fresh, crisp, and efficient. There are many high profile interviews conducted with people like Stella McCartney and other leaders of sustainable fashion brands or companies that hope to aid that process. You can tell that Thomas did her research, and she presents it in a way that feels both warm and personal while also staying professional and clearly informative. The book opens with an overview on the current pitfalls of the fashion industry. It emphasized a lot of th...

I read The Gravity of Us a few months back and absolutely loved the book! It's the perfect read for right now with a cute romance and a thoughtful plot without being too intense for the moment. If you haven't heard about the book or missed my review, you can check it out here so you have a little context going into my conversation with Phil. I'm so happy he took the time to talk with me, and he had some great insight into the creation of the book and writing process. If you want to learn more about the book and where you can purchase it, I'll leave a link to his author website here . 1. The story really kicks off when Cal is forced to move to the Clear Lake area because his father gets a job at NASA. This was a really cool premise for me because I spent a lot of my childhood in Houston and have been to NASA probably too many times. What made you interested in writing a book that explores the idea of a new NASA mission? The details you gave while building that se...

Time of Our Lives  by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka Overview:  Juniper is ready to leave her giant, tight-knit family to find herself at the college of her dreams. As the oldest of many siblings, she's always been the glue, but she's excited to finally be free of her expectations. Going on a college tour up and down the East Coast with her boyfriend, Matt, feels like the first step. Fitz, on the other hand, has already decided he's going to stay in his hometown for college so he can care for his mom who is facing early onset Alzheimers. He feels a responsibility to stay behind and care for her even though his mom is pushing him to explore schools in other states and his brother seems more checked out from the family than ever. But, to please her, Fitz and his brother, Lewis, are on the same path at Juniper and Fitz. While Juniper is determined to soak in every moment, Fitz wants to block out the reminders of the world he's not allowing himself to ha...

Right now, we're all looking for an escape from both our rooms and realties. Books are one of the best ways to do that. While some of us are struggling to read, others are finally finding comfort in reading again. I'm reading more than I have in the last couple years, and I've really fallen back in love with YA after stepping back from it for a couple months. Because of this, I've had to get more creative with sourcing my books. Like I said at the start of the year, I've been trying to avoid buying books in both an effort to save and to not have a ton of books I don't know what to do with when I go to college. I do still buy the occasional book I've fallen in love with, but I've managed to mostly stick with it. The problem, now, though, is that even if you wanted to buy books, it's gotten far harder. Browsing indie bookstores, Barnes and Noble, or even your library is out. Shipping times are getting longer and more unpredictable. While supporting...