Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

October 17, 2021October 18, 2021 | piperreads

Deja, I don’t want October to be over. Because October means you.”

This was a pretty fun and easy read. I’ve read a few of Rowell’s books and enjoyed them so I decided to check read this for my TBR. The story follows, Deja and Joshia who are seasonable best friends as every autumn throughout high school, they work together at the same pumpkin patch. But this time, it will be different as this is their last year working together before they graduate high school and go their separate ways. The two had different ideas for how their last shift should end but both believe that it should end with an adventure.

The characters especially Deja were fun, interesting, and relatable and I loved the relationship between Deja and Joshia as it felt real. The plot was cute and the ending was super cute and I liked how things developed throughout the story. I found the romance pretty cute and believable and I’m glad that it wasn’t rushed. Super cute and fun story so if you’re looking for a short and easy read, this is for you!

Reality Check

September 30, 2021 | piperreads

The word crazy had never meant more to me than any other word in the English language. It wasn’t a curse, and it wasn’t derogatory in my mind. That was before my diagnosis. Now, the word felt dirty, cruel, and everything I was trying my hardest not to be.

In ten seconds Priya watched her lover, Dimitri get fatally wounded yet while she watched his life slip through her fingers. Except there’s only one thing: Dimitri never existed and was created by Priya in her mind as she has been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. While Priya is still mourning her loss and coming to terms with her diagnosis, her clinical team decides that she needs to learn how to be a normal teenage to find her footing in reality. They give her a checklist and with the help of her best friend Eli, she is able to discover that being a teenager can be fun and exciting. But as she finds success with checking things off the list, she also struggles with her own mind and being able to live life to the fullest with the good and bad. Will Priya be able to stay grounded in the real world or will she fall back into the one inside her mind?

This book really is a reality check and I was very impressed and glad to see Schizophrenia in YA book handled the way it was. I was a little nervous especially since I think Schizophrenia is misunderstood as a mental illness and sadly not done the way it should be. I found myself learning more about the disorder and that was something that I appreciated the author for including in the book. I think it’s important to provide readers with accurate information about mental disorders as it can help lessen the stigma and create a bigger conversation. But, it was interesting to see it in a YA book and while there is heavy subject matter in the book in addition to mental illness, there are also heartwarming, emotional, and light-hearted moments that help drive the plot. Priya is a very real and relatable character and you find yourself rooting for her to find a peace of mind while coming to terms with her diagnosis. She’s witty, funny, strong, and is passionate about what she wants to do with her life and not be defined by her diagnosis. Singh did a fantastic job as it showed that the things discussed in the book were detailed and thought out to be portrayed in a way that felt raw and very real. I highly recommend this book!

Fade Into White

September 30, 2021 | piperreads

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

On the outside, Thea Fenton’s looks perfect but looks can be deceiving as her life is falling apart and she’s struggling to pick up the pieces. The young girl is wracked with anxiety that no one around her seems to care about or understand so she resorts to self-harm to deflect the pain inside. But, when a local teen commits suicide, Thea’s world completely unravels as her anxiety skyrocket’s and things beginning happening that she can’t explain leaving her trapped in her own chaotic mind. The lines between reality and another world are starting to blur leaving Thea to feel like the world is caving in on her. That is until she meets Khi, a mysterious new boy from a coffee shop that seems to know Thea better than anyone does even herself. She finds herself drawn to him and is able to tell him how she really feels and he listens and tries to help her sort through her own thoughts to make sense of them.

Well this is probably one of the best novels about Mental Health in particular anxiety that is very accurate which made me super happy as it’s hard to find good rep with mental health. Sometimes, I feel like the authors don’t do the research or portray it correctly and it’s more romanticized than it needs to be. As someone who was diagnosed Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I found Thea extremely relatable and felt for her as she developed throughout the book with character growth. I felt like the author did a very good job at portraying anxiety and how it differs from feeling anxious and how that anxiety can be so exhausting and draining that you don’t even know how to explain it. It was truly well written and I loved the end result of where Thea ended up on her journey with finally coming to accept who she is. She never thought she would get there and she does and I think it was really well done and I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.

His and Hers

September 30, 2021 | piperreads

“Tell a person they’re wrong, and they’ll cover their ears. Tell a person they’re right, and they’ll listen to you all day long.”

This is the story that is told from three pov’s: His, Hers, and Truth. When a young woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, everyone is on high alert. The case begins to unfold as Jack London, a detective covering the case is suspicious of Anna Andrews, a newsreader who is reluctantly covering the case. But before Jack can make any movements, he becomes a suspect is his own murder investigation. Danger lurks in the shadows as someone isn’t telling the truth and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

What a fascinating murder mystery as I found myself deeply immersed into the characters, the plot, and how the story was told. This the first book by Feeney that I’ve read and I will reading more of her books as this was truly enjoyable and a true thriller. Anna, works as a BBC Commentator and Jack is a chief police officer who find themselves tangled in web of lies, seduction and murder. Anna tells her story while Jack tells his and we also get a POV from the killer! The way the POV’s are told really makes you turn the page in anticipation to find what out what will happen next and I really enjoyed how Feeney wrote the POV’s and the way she set up the atmosphere, it really felt like I was there. There are just some books that reel you in and you can’t set it down because you want more and yo don’t want to wait to find out. Well, that’s how I felt with this book as it really felt like a thriller and didn’t have silly plot points but the development of the characters, the plot, and eventually the ending made this story truly satisfying and enjoyable. I highly recommend it especially if you’re into thrillers and mysteries!

Five Feet Apart

September 25, 2021 | piperreads

“How long will I live my life afraid of what-ifs?”

Stella Grant loves to be in control except when it comes to her health, she has no control over her lungs that keep her in and out of hospitals for the majority of her life. The only thing Stella needs is to stay away from anything and anyone who may jeopardize her chance to get a lung transplant so she can be free do what she wants. That means staying six feet apart at all costs, no exceptions. Will Newman is exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. The only thing Will is concerned about is getting out of the hospital, he could care less about treatments, transplants, and anything medical related. Once, he turns eighteen he’ll be able to get out and experience the world and start a life of his own. They are exactly what the other needs to stay away from, if they get close to each other they could run the risk of death. But, six feet away doesn’t feel like safety but more like punishment.

I’m a sucker for love stories but this is one love story that I wish I didn’t read. There’s a lot to unpack here so let’s get started. First, let’s talk about the characters which Stella and Will who were one dimensional and stereotyped. Stella is a type A personality who has to be in control of everything and Will is the rebel and the two completely disregard their illness and risk everything over one chance meeting. They were so focused on getting better and staying healthy so they wouldn’t run the risk of something happening.Which is problematic in itself and doesn’t send a very good message to readers in particular those who are living with a life threatening illness. It’s also a dangerous message to send to readers that if you’re not able bodied then you can’t live the life that you want and that is utterly wrong. It’s a message that is portrayed over and over and I wish writers would stop doing it.

Please quit killing off POC/LGBTQ leads just for the sake of the story. It’s so overdone, this book was hot mess in my opinion. There was a lot of aspects that could’ve been handled in a much better way and maybe I would’ve liked it more.

Dating Makes Perfect

September 15, 2021 | piperreads

“You want me to say that you’re stunning? That I wish I could take a photo, so that I can look at you all day? That the material is soft and touchable–and as skimpy as it is, it still covers way too much?” His eyes are black and furious and mesmerizing. I couldn’t look away if I tried. “Yeah, I could have said all that. No doubt, that’s what Taran’s going to be thinking. But I didn’t, because I have too much respect for you. Even after everything we’ve been through.”

The Tech Sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they don’t want to, not because they’re not interested but it’s all because their not allowed to do so. In a move that other Asian-Americans know all too well, six months after the oldest Tech sisters go to college and get asked by their parents about not being in a relationship or marriage. The sisters retaliated by saying that they won’t marry for ten years as they need to dating practice and that could take longer depending on other life events. But now things are different, the youngest sister Winnie must practice fake dating until her parents watchful eye. But as we all know, things don’t always go so easily and when Winnie’s parents pick the preferred match for Winnie to date, she could be less than pleased at the thought of dating her worst enemy.

This is probably one of the cutest ya rom-coms that I’ve read in awhile. The premise, plot, characters, atmosphere and writing really made this a fun and interesting story from beginning to end. Before I go into what made this book so wonderful, I did want to point how much I enjoyed learning about the thai experience. As someone who has been accustomed to privilege my entire life, I understand how important it is for #ownvoices and having their stories told so I appreciated learning more about the culture. Not only did I love the characters but the dynamics between especially within the family and between the sisters, it was hard not to feel for them especially with wanting to be respected for who they want to be and the struggle of choosing their own identity and how differing from that can cause conflict within the family. The romance was very cute and I did feel like it was well written and not forced like other romance books that I’ve read. Overall, this is super cute and fun rom-com so be sure to check it out if it sounds like something you want.

Hana Khan Carries On

September 11, 2021 | piperreads

“My father says that trying to stop hate is like trying to stop the tides,” Rashid said. “The best thing you can do is take advantage of it. Don’t stop the tide from flowing. Build a hydroelectric dam and make electricity instead, enough to power ten thousand houses. That’s how you stop hate.”

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood in Toronto, Canada. Hana, works part time as a waitress while she dreams of making it big with owning her own radio show but for the time being she’s stuck being a waitress and trying outshine her fellow interns at the city radio station. Hana is confident that things will fall into place and she will be able to succeed but all that crumbles when a new Halal restaurant opens in Golden Crescent threatening to shut down Three Sisters for good. Hana finds herself thrown into different directions while trying to figure out who she is and how she can finally use her voice for what really matters.

First, I’m glad that romance wasn’t heavily focused as I was really immersed in Hana’s personal journey and the changes that she went through during the book. I thought she was a very well written main character who had flaws and struggles that many people can relate to especially with trying to find her own voice. I think that’s something that many people can relate to and trying to figure what really matters to them. While this is one of the main theme’s of the book, this book also touches on serious and heartbreaking issues especially dealing with racism that Hana and her family deal with as Brown/Muslims experience in the modern world. This is why I’m glad that romance wasn’t the main focus because I think the way the experiences and Hana’s personal journey was done was more interesting and compelling than the romance.

Even with the serious and heartbreaking issues that were covered, this is a light-hearted novel that was very compelling and interesting from beginning to end and I strongly recommend it others even if romance isn’t your thing.

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

September 7, 2021 | piperreads

“Sometimes, the people we want to protect the most might not understand why we do the things we do. But that doesn’t mean they love us any less. Only you can decide where your faith lies.”

Nick Bell, a superhero? Not what he thinks but as the famed writer behind The Extraordinaries, a popular series that has given Bell the praise, adoration, and success that he’s always dreamed about. But, when a chance encounter with Nova City’s famed superhero, Shadow Star and Nick’s biggest crush, he sets on a journey to make himself extraordinary with or without the help of his best friend and possible love of his life, Seth Gray.

I have mixed feelings about this book as I did enjoy the characters, the plot, and the writing, I was a bit surprised at the heavy subject material wasn’t handled with more care as it focused on the police. There were times reading through this book that I felt like it was glorifying the police and others time where I didn’t feel that way. Klune did address it and I give him kudos for that as some people would not only let it slide but get offended over the backlash. Besides this issue, I did enjoy the characters, humor, representation, and plot as it featured a variety of different characters that were all unique in their own way and I loved that he included a character with ADHD. I don’t see many ADHD characters in YA and as someone who was diagnosed with it as a child, I thought he did it very well. But, with the main issue I couldn’t give this book a higher rating so be aware of that when going into this book. That’s all for now!

September TBR

August 31, 2021 | piperreads

I can’t believe Septmber is already here but I am so excited! Fall is my favorite season and I’m ready for it. I have a lot of good picks for the month and I’m excited to share them with you! Let’s start!