Heretics Anonymous

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

Put an atheist in a strict Catholic school? Expect comedy, chaos, and an Inquisition. The Breakfast Club meets Saved! in debut author Katie Henry’s hilarious novel about a band of misfits who set out to challenge their school, one nun at a time. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Robyn Schneider.

When Michael walks through the doors of Catholic school, things can’t get much worse. His dad has just made the family move again, and Michael needs a friend. When a girl challenges their teacher in class, Michael thinks he might have found one, and a fellow atheist at that. Only this girl, Lucy, isn’t just Catholic . . . she wants to be a priest.

Lucy introduces Michael to other St. Clare’s outcasts, and he officially joins Heretics Anonymous, where he can be an atheist, Lucy can be an outspoken feminist, Avi can be Jewish and gay, Max can wear whatever he wants, and Eden can practice paganism.

Michael encourages the Heretics to go from secret society to rebels intent on exposing the school’s hypocrisies one stunt at a time. But when Michael takes one mission too far—putting the other Heretics at risk—he must decide whether to fight for his own freedom or rely on faith, whatever that means, in God, his friends, or himself.

My Review
I loved this book! It follows Michael, who is about to begin attending Catholic school, and he is an atheist. Along the way, Michael befriends Lucy, who is Catholic, and Lucy introduces him to her other friends who do not fit in with the school's Catholic mold. Together they form a secret society, which they name Heretics Anonymous, with the goal of making the hypocrisies of the school public. 

Michael turned out to be one of my favorite characters. His humor is irreverent, but hilarious, and even though he becomes more open minded about religion, he does not stray from who he is and what he believes for other people. 

The humor in this book is constant and refreshing! I love that the message of Heretics Anonymous is not to convert readers to Catholicism, but to show that it is ok to believe in what you want and to be who you are. Love and tolerance themes are present throughout the novel. This book also brings up some good discussion points about how we should accept others and when you know that you are crossing a line. This book discusses religion and its impact on others without encroaching on other characters' or readers' freedom of religion and the right to their own opinions. 

I really appreciated that this isn't a "conversion" story. It is really refreshing, and I would love to see more books like this that teach tolerance and that you can come together despite your differences. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Quotes: 

“Straight white boy destroys everything, world stops to listen?...That’s the history of the Western world.” 

“I wonder what the Catholic Church does to people who get turned on at chastity assemblies. They probably castrate them.” 

“Good intentions don't excuse destroying somebody's culture. Good intentions don't excuse anything. We can't judge dead men by our standards, fine, but we choose who we canonize, and we can do better. Shouldn't we want to do better?” 

"I didn't lose my faith or anything. I never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God, just like I never believed in werewolves, or ghosts, or that mixing Pop Rocks and soda would make your stomach explode."

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people in order to be noticed by them. (Matthew 6:1)


Lucy doesn't have a note for that, but I think it means you should do what's right because it's right, not because you want people to see and praise you for it.” 

“Nuns are great, but they aren't priests. Nuns can't celebrate Mass. They can't hear confessions or consecrate the Eucharist. They can't become bishops or cardinals or popes, they can't become the people who make the big decisions. How do you change a church that doesn't listen to you?” 

“A heretic is someone who has belief, but not the right kind. At least according to the Catholic Church. A heretic might believe in God, but some of the other things she believes don't match up with the party line.” 

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When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

The rom-com everyone’s talking about! Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?


Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

My Review
Page Count: 384 pages
Genre: YA Literature, YA Contemporary
CW: mild cursing, mild sensual scenes

The Good: 

• This book is so precious! I really appreciated the fact that the book is told from both Dimple's and Rishi's points of view. 
• Dimple is a girl who codes! She is very smart and independent, and does not like wearing makeup or conforming to what society tells her she should look like. 
• Rishi is a romantic and an artist. He is so innocent and endearing, that you cannot help but love him. 
• The protagonists are Indian-American, and, while I cannot speak for the accuracy of the representation, I didn't come across anything that seemed negative toward their culture. From the reviews I've seen, this book is pretty accurate, but please correct me if I am mistaken. 
• I enjoyed the aspects of Indian culture in this book. Many of the characters use Hindi phrases and terms of endearment and respect. I love that Dimple and Rishi embraced their culture during various Insomnia Con events. I did do a few Google searches for various phrases and terms that came up, and I feel like I have come away knowing a bit more about Indian culture. 
• The humor is constant. Dimple and Rishi's banter is cute and witty.
• Even though this is a romance, this book does not fall into the "insta-love" category. Dimple attends Insomnia Con with no intentions of meeting someone and falling in love. Her top priority is meeting a famous web designer so she can jump start her career and get her app into production. The romance was slow to build, but so worth it!

The Not-So-Good: 

• My one complaint is that I would really have liked to see more of the actual web design. During the last three weeks of Insomnia Con, it is crunch time for participants to complete their app designs, but that is where the book seems to steer away from the web design and more into the romance. Even though I enjoyed the romance, I wanted to see more of Dimple's ideas and how they actually produced the app. 

Overall, I LOVED this book! It is a sweet, fluffy, funny, contemporary, and I cannot wait to read more of Sandhya Menon's work! Go get this book now! 

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Diverse YA Literature Resource Guide

I am currently enrolled in a Young Adult Literature course and had to build a thematic resource guide/database for  theme of my choosing. I chose to focus on diverse young adult fantasy literature for the Thematic Resource Guide assignment. Young adult fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and it is extremely popular right now. Because of its popularity, I wanted to hone in on young adult fantasy that contained diverse cultures and characters. I purposely chose novels that contained characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters, and books that contained cultural mythology (i.e. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi is based on Hindu mythology). When I was growing up, most of the fantasy that I had access to was “white-washed” and didn’t contain much diversity or diverse characters. Looking back, it saddens me that there wasn’t much representation in the books published then, but it is very exciting to see how much the young adult fantasy market is expanding to include characters of color, cultures, and sexualities.

Google Sites is my platform of choice. I researched a few sites, including Wordpress, Wix, Weebly, and Blogger, but Blogger didn’t format to my liking and the other sites weren’t as easy to navigate and manipulate as Google Sites. Because of it is user friendly, I believe that Google Sites is a platform that librarians can use that is easy to update and maintain. Another benefit of using Google Sites is that there is an option for the creator to give permission to other users to edit the contents of the website. This will allow other library staff members to help maintain the site, freeing up the head librarian for emergencies or higher priorities.

This thematic resource guide was made in order to give young adults a database that they can refer to when they want diverse book recommendations. The Google Site is streamlined and not overly busy, so it is easy for users to navigate and gain information about young adult fantasy books and authors. Because this is geared toward more diverse literature, I think it will be a motivation for library users to check out these books. Now that they have a database they can reference, that will continue to grow, they can add these books to their “to- be- read” lists. The books in this guide cover a variety of representation, which is important for young adults. It is important for them to read books with characters that come from their culture or their race. It is important for them to read books with homosexual, bisexual, or gender fluid characters. Not only do these books give readers relatable characters in which they can find comfort, but they also expose readers to differing viewpoints and ways of life. They push readers outside their worlds and comfort zones as well as build empathy for others. These books show young adults that they matter, that their culture matters, and that they deserve to be in the spotlight.

Overall I really enjoyed this assignment. Not only was it fun, but I learned a lot about diverse authors and books in the young adult fantasy genre. I am excited to share this knowledge and these amazing works and authors with others, particularly the patrons of my future public or school library. I plan on continuing to maintain this site or possibly expand to a larger site in the future because I do believe that librarians and library users need easily accessible databases that feature diverse literature.

You can view my database here.

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King of Scars Cover Reveal!

Today is the day, folks. Leigh Bardugo revealed the cover to her new book King of Scars, set to release in 2019. 

Description from the Author's Website:
"Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal."

Pre-Order links are not available as of yet, but I cannot wait! 

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We Are Okay

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. 

An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.

My Review
I LOVED this book! Reading We Are Okay feels like you are experiencing a depressive episode just like the protagonist, Marin. This book isn't so much plot-driven as it is character-driven. The focus is on Marin and her journey of processing the death of someone close to her and finding out the truth. Meanwhile, she is working through repairing a damaged relationship with her best friend, Mabel. 

The Good: 

• I loved how this book switched between past and present. It allowed Marin's story to reveal itself slowly and gives readers a little bit of breathing room. 
• The accuracy of depression. Nina LaCour's writing allows readers to experience the heavy, hopelessness that is depression. Her prose is beautiful. 
• The issues in this novel were addressed wonderfully. Issues include depression, mental illness, grief, friendship, family, first love, bisexuality, homelessness, loneliness, lack of belonging, and growing up. 
• Marin's character development. Because this was a character-driven novel, we really get to see Marin grow through her thoughts and actions. 
• I ugly sobbed throughout this book. The story was so incredibly touching. 
• I related to Marin's depression. Readers who have experienced a loss of a loved one will find solace in this book. 
• Because this book dealt with loss, it made me remember good memories of my father and grandmother. Their deaths were so traumatic for me, and it was nice to be reminded of why I love them so much. 
• Marin really connected her self to Jane Eyre, one of my favorite classic novels. 
• This book has my heart. 
• This book shows that while depression feels like it is never going to end, there is hope, and we will be okay. 

The Not-So-Good:

• While this book is meant to mirror depression and it's ups and downs, the book did feel a bit slow in the middle. 

“I was okay just a moment ago. I will learn how to be okay again.” 

“The trouble with denial is that when the truth comes, you aren't ready.” 

“I wonder if there's a secret current that connects people who have lost something. Not in the way that everyone loses something, but in the way that undoes your life, undoes your self, so that when you look at your face it isn't yours anymore.” 

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Turtles All the Way Down

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
   
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

My Review
It is really hard to put all of my thoughts into words. Turtles All the Way Down is a book that makes you think...and think...and then think some more. This book contains some of the best descriptions of anxiety I have ever read. The character development was pretty good, especially Aza's character. She grew so much in this novel, and it was wonderful to see. I also enjoyed Daisy's character. Even though she was very wacky at times, she was human. She loved Aza, but also got frustrated with her because her mental illness affected Daisy too. Don't let the synopsis fool you. It reads as if the main plot is about finding Davis's father, Russell Pickett; however, this book is really about Aza's mental illness and her struggle in daily life. 

As someone who suffers from anxiety, sometimes this book was hard to read because the descriptions were things I have felt or experienced. Sometimes this book feels like you are in the middle of a panic attack. Your heart races, you can't get your thoughts together, sometimes you feel like you are dying, and you feel EVERYTHING all at once. I have seen a lot of reviewers state that they did not like that the book made them feel that way, but I am glad it did. This is such a raw, rare glimpse into how anxiety works, and it is hard to understand if you've never experienced it. John Green did such a good job writing this novel in a way that makes readers FEEL anxiety and how it can take over every aspect of your life. This book made me feel understood, and it made me feel like it is OK to feel the things I do because that is how mental illness affects everything. 

Aza talks about "thought spirals." Basically, your thoughts keep spiraling, getting tighter and tighter with no end, which is something that I experience very frequently. “The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening, infinitely.” This is exactly what my anxiety feels like! I am in constant battle with my negative thoughts, and most of the time they win. Reading about Aza's thoughts and struggles  makes me and my thoughts feel validated, and I know that I am not alone in this battle against mental illness. 

I also like that John Green addressed mental illness medications in this book. Unless you are someone who has had to take medication for mental illness, Aza's attitude toward her pills might be a little hard to understand. I do have to take medication for my mental illness. Sometimes I take it every day because it does make me feel better. Sometimes my mental illness wins, and I don't take it for days. Some days I simply don't want to take it because I am tired of having to take medication that helps lessen my mental illness but doesn't cure it. Aza feels this way in the book, and it was so refreshing to see such a realistic portrayal of this. 

Again, I am just in awe at how accurate the depictions are in this book. My respect for John Green has increased because of this and because he put his heart into the book. From what I understand, he struggles with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and, because of that, this book feels so incredibly personal. 

Please go read this! You will not be disappointed. 

Favorite Quotes
"To be alive is to be missing."

"Love is not a tragedy or a failure, but a gift." 

"I, a singular proper noun, would go on, if always in a conditional tense." 

"One of the challenges with pain--physical or psychic--is that we can really only approach it through metaphor. It can't be represented the way table or a body can. In some ways, pain is the opposite of language.” 

"You pick your endings, and your beginnings. You get to pick the frame, you know? Maybe you don't choose what's in the picture, but you decide the frame.” 

"Your now is not your forever."

My favorite: “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.” 

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The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater! Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

My Review

I liked this book a lot more than The Raven Boys. In The Dream Thieves, we get to learn more about the characters, particularly Ronan, and we get to see where the story is going. I cared a lot more about the characters in this book, and I flew through it because I wanted to see what happened next. I honestly fell in love with Ronan because of this book. He is a complex character who tries to do what he thinks is right. I also enjoyed the addition of a few new characters, including The Grey Man. 

Oh my God, THAT ENDING! Can you say cliffhanger?! I am so glad that I purchased the entire series before I started reading them. I am jumping right into Blue Lily, Lily Blue! 

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - ⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

Lara Jean’s love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling “lovely, lighthearted romance” (SLJ) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

This paperback edition includes bonus recipes from Lara Jean’s Christmas Cookie Bonanza!

My Review

This book was so cute! Lara Jean is a sweet, innocent girl who gets caught in a love triangle. She is also learning how to deal with new challenges in light and high school. The character development was pretty good in this book; however, none of the characters really grew that much. I gave it a lower rating because Lara Jean, as a narrator, sounded a little too young for her age. I also predicted very early on how Lara Jean's letters got mailed. Overall this is a really sweet book, and I did enjoy reading it. I plan on finishing the trilogy. 

I did listen to most of this book through Audible. The narrator was really good, and I enjoyed listening. 

I highly recommend it for 8th grade and up!

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