Month: October 2016

GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | Review

October 31, 2016 / 3 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Review
GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | Review

Review: GEMINA by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff I’m not sure what I can say about GEMINA that I didn’t already say in my review of Illuminae last year. Like Illuminae, Gemina is a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller with brutal death toll, a shippy romance, and twists at every turn. And like Illuminae, Gemina is also told completely in gorgeous source documents that get you right into the action. While Illuminae is set on two spaceships just outside the Kerenza colony after an attack by a corporation trying to cover up their illegal mining operation, Gemina is set on a space […]

Maud by Melanie J. Fishbane | Waiting on Wednesday

Maud by Melanie J. Fishbane | Waiting on Wednesday

Guys. Gather round. Let me tell you a story. So it’s no secret that Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite heroines of all time. I’ve been fascinated with her and with author L.M. Montgomery for a very long time. So when I first heard about MAUD, a YA novel based on Montgomery’s teen life a few years ago? I freaked out. Not only did I hear about it, but I heard about it from a friend. My friend Melanie Fishbane, who I met through book blogging. And the reason she was telling me about it? Because she wrote […]

GIVEAWAY: Who’s your favorite #BossBabe? | Boss Babes by Michelle Volansky

October 17, 2016 / 10 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Book Extras, Giveaway, Giveaways
GIVEAWAY: Who’s your favorite #BossBabe? | Boss Babes by Michelle Volansky

Hey guys, today I have a special post for you! Workman Publishing very kindly sent me a copy of their new colouring and activity book, Boss Babes. As you’ll see below, this book is all about celebrating the strong ladies in our lives – both the ones we see on the news, and each other. Since today is National Boss’ Day, I’m sharing a US/Canada giveaway for the book, along with my thoughts and bonus! A colouring of one of my fave boss babes. Scroll down to enjoy! Boss Babes is an absolutely adorable colouring and activity book. Warning, though: […]

“Weirdly Passionate” | This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills | Review

October 14, 2016 / 3 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Favorites, Review
“Weirdly Passionate” | This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills | Review

Review: This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills This Adventure Ends is amazing. There, I got that out of the way. Like First & Then, Emma Mills’ debut, this book continues the author’s ability to articulate teen life in the most deadpan, honest way. Sloane Finch, the MC, is funny, sarcastic, and deeply kind, able to right wrongs, but unable to break herself out of a bubble of not being engaged in things. Sloane and her family have recently relocated permanently to their summer home in a small town in Florida. When she meets the vivacious Vera Fuller and her brother Gabe, […]

Middle Grade Reads #1: Gertie’s Leap to Greatness and Rebel Genius

Middle Grade Reads #1: Gertie’s Leap to Greatness and Rebel Genius

Hi guys, today I have some middle grade recs for you, courtesy of my husband, Evan! Evan is a mostly comic book reader, with lots of literary fiction interspersed. That said, he’s really interested in the middle grade age group – his favorite cartoons (Adventure Time and Steven Universe) explore that age. So when we saw that Gertie’s Leap to Greatness was illustrated by Jillian Tamaki (one of the artists on Adventure Time), and Rebel Genius was written by the creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra (the cartoons), he volunteered to read and review. Read […]

On Writing Longhand | Speed of Life Blog Tour | Guest Post by JM Kelly |

October 12, 2016 / 0 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Blog Tour, Guest Post
On Writing Longhand | Speed of Life Blog Tour | Guest Post by JM Kelly |

Hi friends, hope you’re having a great Wednesday! Today I’m excited to be part of the Canadian blog tour for the just released YA novel Speed of Life by J.M. Kelly. I’m proud to be welcoming J.M. to the blog to talk about writing this novel longhand. That’s right, J.M. wrote this whole book, about two sisters trying to raise a baby while one also tries to realize her dreams of getting a degree in automotive restoration, by hand! Not only does the writing process sound interesting, but I’m also fascinated by the concept and themes of this book. Sisterhood, being in a tough […]

Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz | Review

October 10, 2016 / 6 Comments / Posted by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit in Diversity, Review
Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz | Review

Review: Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz is the sensitively told story of Jasmine de Los Santos: straight A student, cheer captain, and junior class president. She’s poised for greatness, earning a National Scholarship, when her parents drop the bomb: she can’t accept it because she and her family are undocumented immigrants, in America illegally. Something in Between was my first Melissa de la Cruz book, and I really enjoyed it. I know that Melissa has written dozens of other books in the past, but this one that really appealed to me. […]

Recently in Romance #4 | Bedmates by Nichole Chase, new Courtney Milan & more!

Recently in Romance #4 | Bedmates by Nichole Chase, new Courtney Milan & more!

Recently in Romance is my mini-review feature where I bundle my recent reads and buys for those of you who are fans of romance and erotica. Recently Read: I really enjoyed Bedmates by Nichole Chase, the author’s take on “American royalty” aka the President’s daughter and the Vice-President’s son. This is an adorable romance between Maddie and Jake, who have known each other for a long time but are seeing each other anew. It started off choppy with alternating points of view, but smoothed out as the characters became more comfortable with each other. It’s also an interesting, if a light […]

5 Complex Villains I’ve Encountered While Reading | Top Ten Tuesday

5 Complex Villains I’ve Encountered While Reading | Top Ten Tuesday

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday was super hard for me, because I’m not really into books with true villains. I’m all about the good guys (and good boys). If you’re a contemporary reader, you’re going to get a lot of books with real-life characters. Some of them, I admit, are total jerks. But many of them are just more complex than you realize. Like real life, I believe there’s more to people than just good or bad. So in making this list, I looked for layered, complex characters who presented me with views and ethics that really made me think. 5 […]