Bearly Read

Blogging about & reviewing books. Mainstream, indie, YA & adult. Coffee date? || Book depository

[nyx-pendragon]

Favourite Books Read in 2016: 5/?

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

“Right now, I’m just a girl, and there is also magic in that.”

[canthinkofaurl-deactivated20221]

YA books about POC by POC #ownvoices

 for the people who keep telling me they cant find diverse #ownvoices books by people of color or that there are none. 

contemporary + romance

- asian authors -

born confused - tanuja desai hidier

girl in between - pintip dunn

i believe in a thing called love - maurene goo

enter title here - rahul kanakia

if you could be mine - sara farizan

its not like its a secret - misa sugiura

my so-called bollywood life - nisha sharma

since you asked - maurene goo

starfish - akemi dawn bowman

tell me again how a crush should feel - sara farizan

this promise i will keep - aisha saeed

to all the boys ive loved before - jenny han

qala academy - tanaz bhatena

when dimple met rishi - sandhya menon

written in the stars - aisha saeed

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

- black and african authors -

all american boys - jason reynolds & brendan kiely

allegedly - tiffany d. jackson

american street - ibi zoboi

the boy in the black suit - jason reynolds

dear martin - nic stone

the hate u give - angie thomas

little & lion - brandy colbert

peas and carrots - tanita s. davis

the sun is also a star - nicola yoon

this side of home - renée watson

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

pointe - brandy colbert

when i was the greatest - jason reynolds

you dont know me but i know you - rebecca barrow

- latinx authors -

the education of margot sanchez - lilliam rivera

the inexplicable logic of my life - benjamin alire sáenz

juliet takes a breath - gabbi rivera

north of happy - adi alsaid

we were here - matt de la pena

when reason breaks - cindy l. rodriguez

yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass - meg medina

high fantasy + urban fantasy

- asian authors -

the bone witch - rin chupeco 

the forbidden wish - jessica khoury

huntress - malinda lo

not your sidekick - c.b. lee

prophecy - ellen oh

the reader - traci chee

serpentine - cindy pon

silver phoenix - cindy pon

soulmated - shaila patel

the star-touched queen - roshani chokshi

- black and african authors -

akata witch - nnedi okorafor

promise of shadows - justina ireland

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

- latinx authors -

labyrinth lost - zoraida córdova

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

historical + historical fantasy

- asian authors -

an ember in the ashes - sabaa tahir

a flame in the mist - renée ahdieh

everything i never told you - celeste ng

outrun the moon - stacey lee

under a painted sky - stacey lee

- latinx authors -

burn baby burn - meg medina

iron cast - destiny soria

shame the stars - guadalupe garcia mccall

magical realism

- black and african authors -

into white - randi pink

- latinx authors -

the girl who could silence the wind - meg medina

summer of the mariposas - guadalupe garcia mccall

the weight of feathers - anna-marie mclemore

wild beauty - anna-marie mclemore

when the moon was ours - anna-marie mclemore

sci-fi

- asian authors - 

forget tomorrow - pintip dunn

the amaterasu project - axie oh

the girl from everywhere - heidi heilig

want - cindy pon

- black and african authors -

binti - nnedi okorafor

the blazing star - imani josey

the fifth season - n.k. jemisin

orleans - sherri l. smith

is that enough? they’re out there. you just have to be willing to look.

All Book Recommendations | My Book Blog 

[cometcrystal]

a show like drunk history but it’s called drunk special interests and the guest infodumps about their special interest instead of talking about a history topic

[abigailinc]

say in the tags what you would be drinking and what your topic would be

[bearlybooks-blog1]

okay i finally made an instagram, but i’m not sure what to do with it? i mIGHT just post more raw book photos/more than just my fave from a set, but. IDK LMAO.

[ruspeach]

Все краски осени в одном фото [fs'e kraski os'en'i v adnom foto] - All colors of autumn in one photo www.ruspeach.com

[suspiciouschicken-deactivated20]

He is the Sun Lord

[elodieunderglass]

So He Is

[bearlybooks-blog1]

New Year, New Books

january 1, 2017. early morning on my patio

[bearlybooks-blog1]

happy new year in 15 minutes y’all!!!

i want to get into bed and read my book tbh

[clarkethesharkmacarthur]

[merwild]

Some authors need to remember that being a bad boy and being abusive are two different things.

[bearlybooks-blog1]

Bearly Read Books’ 2016 Reviews

Here’s a collection of all the reviews I’ve done in 2016!

Five Star

Goldenhand by Garth Nix

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Four Star

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Three Star

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

My goals for 2017 are gonna be mostly focused on pushing myself to do a little more. I read 50 books this year, so I want to try to at least match that and write reviews for more of those books, take more pictures, read more indie books, find more #OwnVoices books, and participate some more in memes and challenges.

I planned some challenges for myself, too:

Fandom-related books

Re-reads (esp. books I read as a kid or A Youth)

Self-pubbed books

*finger guns at 2017* Happy New Year everyone!

[elegantwolves]

by ohkamigang

[memelovingbot]

we popping the BIGGEST bottles when trash happens tomorrow

[bearlybooks-blog1]

Top 10 Books of 2016

There’s still a couple days left, but I don’t think I’ll be finishing anything that could overtake these books tbh. Some of these I read before I started the blog, but they’re all just. Treasures. Everything’s listed in chronological order except The First Sacrament. I read that before everything else but w/e.

1. The Diviners by Libba Bray

What an exquisite book. Snappy, perky writing, zippy dialogue, great characters. Lair of Dreams also deserves a spot up here, especially with the introduction of a disabled wlw Chinese girl, but I wanted to keep one book from series I read. Awesome ghosts, cool magic, just. Everything I’m into.

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I mean. Obviously. I read this before I read the Grisha trilogy, and I was hungry for the rest once I actually got through it. Each character is really great in their own way; Jasper and Wylan are peaches; Inej’s relationship with her race/ethnicity and her place in the city; Kaz’s trauma and disability; Nina’s chub and sweet sweet nature. All of them precious.

3. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The elegance of the writing; the sense of wonder and magic as we see things through Delilah’s eyes, even as Kell is immune to it all; the subtle differences in the Londons. I love this book. Some people think Kell and Lilah are flat, but I honestly love them both, and Rhy, the nerdy (bisexual) Prince.

4. When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

This has faced some criticism from trans reviewers and has come under a little fire for not being #OwnVoices (tho I don’t remember if it was advertised that way tbh?) but the writing style and the love that went into this weird magical realism/southern gothic novel are so good. Even the mundane is magic in this book. Pumpkins, rivers, honey, flowers.

5. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Despite a few rough patches and a really sweet missed opportunity for a relationship between the two main girls in the book, this was such a fun read. The difference in magical styles was something I can’t remember seeing before; the focus on nature and Polish heritage (something I’m trying to connect to personally) and finding your place in a setting that says you’re doing something the wrong way? Very good.

6. Goldenhand by Garth Nix

As if there were any doubt to anyone who knows me. This whole series is some of my most formative media, but Goldenhand not only lived up to the original trilogy? It really took it a step further. I have nothing bad to say about it.

7. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with this book, but it was good. I had very few complaints as I read it; the culture of the brujas and the family relationship, the world the characters fell into, the super cute wlw. All super excellent. Fun, rich read written with love. Another book that’s actually #OwnVoices iirc.

8. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Another #OwnVoices book, also incredibly cheesy and fun. Vampires and crime and Mexico City? It turns vampires on their head by bringing Mexican vampires into the mix, which I’d never read about. I love the main characters; the vampire cultures and societies are intricate and well developed and fresh. Love these nerdy vampires!

9. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Y’all. This book deserves all the hype. From the dust jacket on in, it mastered metatextual writing. Postmodernist/meta-fiction isn’t for everyone, but I love it, and this was right up my alley. It nailed the use of the pages, text, language, the cover design, etc. Gemina is the same way, but I didn’t review it, so I took it out for the current number 10.

10. The First Sacrament by Lex Duncan @lexduncan

I mean, this was written by a Good Friend, but it’s still a really great book. Mystery, demons, noir. Think The Crow meets Sherlock Holmes with gross demons and possessions. The city of Stone Chapel is so lovingly crafted and atmospheric, the characters are all big nerds and I love them, there’s a dog called Mo.

[readsthebooks]

My 2017 challenges! You can download the PDF version from my website. Are you going to participate? 

[tsundokusam]

Okay I NEED NEED NEED more booklr’s to follow, my dash has felt dead the last couple of days.

Please reblog/like if you’re a booklr, and, if you really want to make my day, recommend me your favorite booklr’s to follow!

[grace--upon--grace]

[seasonscozy]

🍂

[lgbtqreads]

Let’s Talk About Gay YA Fluff

#1 request this week? Super happy gay YA with HEAs. So here are some books with little to no angst (other than typical teen/romantic) or violence/SA/bullying, or death, that do have a whole lot of kissing (and maybe more, esp in the NAs) and some general merriment. (Full disclosure: I wrote two of them. I’m not doing that modesty thing where I don’t include them.)

How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis

Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler

Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley

Style by Chelsea M. Cameron

Out on Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler (NA)

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon (NA)

Out of Frame by Megan Erickson (NA)

Out in the Open by A.J. Truman (NA)