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Showing posts from May 10, 2020

Conan Gray's Kid Krow Meets YA

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For today's Music Meets YA, I wanted to pair books with one of my favorite recent albums that's been getting me through self isolation. Conan writes the most interesting, witty lyrics and pairs it with careful production that makes it come to life. Think Billie Eilish meets Taylor Swift, in a way. I've also loved watching Conan's old YouTube videos lately because of their positivity. They always make me feel better. I hope you enjoy these song pairings! Let me know in the comments what pairings you would make. Have you listened to the album? Do you have more pairing suggestions? What I Like About You (Online Love) What I Like About You centers around an online relationship between Kels and Nash. They're both very invested and think they could be more than friends, but because they only know each other in the online world, they don't think they'll ever get a chance to discover what might be. That's the crux of "Online Love", a short but m

YA Book Review: Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab

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Breath Like Water  by Anna Jarzab TW: Discussions of self harm, Manipulative behavior, Discussions of bipolar disorder  Overview: Susannah has one major life goal: qualify for the swim team at the Olympics. She had a major triumph at the Worlds competition when she was 14, but dealing with the changes in her body and an injury has slowed her down. With a new couch, though, she's working on using a different approach to get back on top. As swimming comes back together, her relationship with fellow swimmer, Harry, starts to fall apart, threatening to distract her from her ultimate goal. Over the course of sophomore year, Susannah struggles to find balance while fighting to achieve her ultimate goal. Overall: 3.5 Characters: 3 Susannah was my favorite part of the book. I like the glimpses of friends and family moments mixed with her view on swimming. She has a hard time figuring out how she feels about the sport anymore. She loves being in the water, but there's also so mu

End of the Driveway

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This is a little flash fiction  I  wrote the other day and felt like sharing, which I don't usually do on here. I was listening to Sody's song "Charlotte" and thinking about friend break ups (which we've all been through) and how haunting they are. I was also looking for silver linings with the world being turned upside down. We're all losing a lot, but I wanted to write a little  glimpse  of two people who got something back. Anyway, I'm not sure what my point is, so I guess just enjoy.  This is called "End of the Driveway".  You’re at the end of my driveway. I never thought that would happen.  I’m sitting up at the top of it with my back pressed against the splintery wood of the garage. It’s fitting, isn’t it? We’re trying to close the unspoken gap of hurt between us, but we’ve got a giant gulf of black asphalt to separate us now.  “I don’t mind this social distancing thing so much anymore,” I say softly.  “What!” You shout becaus

YA Book Review: Most Likely by Sarah Watson

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Most Likely  by Sarah Watson Overview: From the start, we know that one girl in the friend group will become president. We also know one will marry a Diffenderfer. Will it be CJ, Ava, Martha, or Jordan? While you're left to wonder throughout the book, I didn't find that to be the point. It's more about senior year and how messy and complicated and scary it can be. It's about realizing that dreams don't have to come true (and how that isn't always a bad thing), how relationships can be good even if they're messy, that parents are people too, and that staring adulthood in the face can be really, really scary. Overall: 5+ I've really struggled with writing this review because there's just so much in this book to discuss and it left my heart feeling so full and seen. I'm not sure how to say everything I want to without overwhelming everyone with a book's worth of thoughts. But I'm going to try. This book hits every note in the chorus o