Hello friends!

As promised, this post is about my favorite books from the year (so far).  It took a little longer than expected to put this together, but I finally did it!  Let’s get started!

• If We Were A Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal.  This book is so cute, and the perfect summer read.  I loved the characters and the movie theater they worked, plus the romance was super cute!
• Accidental Demons by Clare Edge.  What I loved most was the concept!  A Type-1 Diabetic summons demons when she checks her blood sugar made for a great novel, and it got me thinking about chronic illness in magical worlds.  It’s not something you see a lot of, and I wish we saw more of it.  It’s also nice to see a book about chronic illness that’s not mental illness.
• Wishing Upon The Same Stars by Jacquetta Namar Feldman.  I talked about this one a few days ago, but I love Yasmeen so much, and her family has been through a lot.  This book does a great job at highlighting what’s going on in Palestine, and how that impacts families like Yasmeen’s.
• Most Likely by Sarah Watson.  This book was great on audio but I also just loved the story of 4 best friends, any of whom could be president.  One day, I hope I can reread it because I would love to do that knowing which girl actually becomes president.  But it’s such a great read, and they really do have a great friendship that has lasted for decades.
• The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann.  I loved Joy, and though I wasn’t the biggest fan of Malcolm, her best friend, I was so glad to see a main character who’s ace!  I really need to read more books about ace characters, and this book was a great read.  I’m really glad it was recommended to me, and I definitely need to find more books like it.
• The Davenports by Krystal Marquis.  I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but I was glad I picked this one up.  It’s inspired by a real life family, the Pattersons, and we have four incredibly different but also amazing young women.  They have so much to navigate, and things aren’t easy for them, but they do what they can with what they have.  I can’t help but wonder what things would be like for them if they had been born a few decades later, but this time period is also perfect for them.

• A Banh Mi For Two by Trinity Nguyen.  This book was so cute!  I loved the romance, the food, and navigating a tricky family history.  I cried so much when I was reading this book, but it was worth it!  I loved seeing Vivi explore Vietnam through food, and Lan had a lot of grief to work through, but her story was just as important as Vivi’s.
• The Lumbering Giants Of Windy Pines by Gabe Netz.  This book has Gravity Falls vibes, and I really liked Jerry.  It’s a good fall/Halloween read, but honestly, I think it’s a good read no matter when you’re reading it!  Whether she’s making friends or saving the day, Jerry has a lot of adventures.  I think the disability rep is so important too, because Jerry and her mom need to live in a place that’s accessible to Jerry, who is in a wheelchair.  We see that every disability is different, but that being in a wheelchair is a normal part of Jerry’s life.  It’s such a good book, and one I’m glad I read.
• Catch And Keep by Erin Hahn.  I’ve been a fan of Hahn ever since I read You’d Be Mine a few years ago.  This is another great romance from Hahn, and I loved seeing Maren and Joe fall in love.  This book is particularly cozy, and I loved that she not only fell for Joe, but his kids as well.  And she definitely felt like more of a parent to them then their own mom did.  At least from the glimpses we got of her.  I loved the friendships, the romance and found family we get in this book.
• The Fervor by Alma Katsu.  I am a fan of Alma Katsu, and this book was such a good read!  I love the way she blends horror, history and the supernatural.  With everything going on with the ICE raids, a book about the Japanese internment camps is such an important book to read.  It does seem very timely, but if that’s a part of our history you’re not familiar with, I highly recommend taking the time to learn more about it, because it’s happened before, and I would not be surprised if it happened again.
• Lore Of The Wilds/Lore Of The Tides by Analeigh Sbrana.  I loved this duology so much, and if you want a full review of Lore Of The Tides, you can click here.  Lore is amazing, and I love the world she lives in.  I’m not going to talk about this duology too much, because I’ve already talked about it quite a bit, but it’s a great read.

That wraps up my mid-year recap!  If you have any favorites from this year, let me know in the comments!  See you around!