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Debut Author

Blog posts that feature books by a debut author.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko: Book Tour and Playlist
Blog | Book Tours

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko: Book Tour and Playlist

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The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed: Book Tour
Blog | Book Tours

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed: Book Tour

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Review and Dreamcast: Keep What Remains by Carrie Beamer
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Review and Dreamcast: Keep What Remains by Carrie Beamer

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Review: The Helm of Darkness by A. P. Mobley
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Review: The Helm of Darkness by A. P. Mobley

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Banner showing several The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae books
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Review: The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

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If you're looking for diverse and fun reads, you've come to the right place.


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I love a Becky Albertalli book, but I haven’t re I love a Becky Albertalli book, but I haven’t read one of her releases in a hot minute, so I was excited to pick up Amelia, If Only. It had some of the hallmarks of her writing with Jewish rep and discourse around pressure to come out or being outed. What I loved most about the book was the conversation around fan culture and parasocial behavior and the effect they can have on the celebrity.

This story was really fascinating from the perspective of someone who doesn’t stan anything or anyone anymore. Humans are fallible, and that’s way too time consuming. I like to casually enjoy things. But as a teenager, I was all about a parasocial relationship. Justin Bieber. 1D. 5SOS. Cody Simpson. Mindless Behavior. Small indie bands. So, I could understand the draw Amelia had to Walter because of how she related to him.

The latter half of the book was my favorite because there was some serious tea spilling that had me fully invested. Being famous can sound like a horror story at times, and I truly can’t imagine what it feels like to have people think they know every facet of your being.

Amelia herself was a lot, and I think where the book lost me was with the humor. There was a lot of banter in the book that didn’t land without knowing all the lore and inside jokes of the friend group, especially since Amelia was constantly joking throughout the book. I also didn’t care much for the romance part of the story. It felt a little tacked on rather than integrated throughout the story, and I just didn’t believe in the relationship. 

Overall, I think this is a read for those interested in fandom and who love good side characters. I do wish I had realized this was connected to Imogen, Obviously because I would have read that first, so I could have had more background on Imogen and Tessa.

*Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds #AmeliaIfOnly #BeckyAlbertalli
The book mail started piling up right after my las The book mail started piling up right after my last reel, so I’m back with another one of all the good stuff that’s been sent my way. Thank you to the tagged publishers 🫶🏼

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (Purchased from her event that I couldn’t go to 🥲) (Adult Fantasy/Horror/Thriller/Mystery??)
Climate of Chaos by Cassandra Newbould from @PeachtreeTeen (YA Dystopian)
The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter by Barbara Carroll Roberts from @HolidayHousebks (MG Contemporary)
The Visionary by Kamryn Black & Kristin Harris from @kriskampublishing (YA Fantasy)
The Great Misfortunes of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle from @EpicReads (YA Romance)
Hazelthorn by CG Drews from @fiercereads (YA Horror)
Say it Out Loud by Ashley Schumacher from @delreybooks (Adult Romcom)
Queen of Faces by Petra Lord from @fiercereads (YA Fantasy)
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry from @marinerbooks (Adult Literary Fiction)
Roommating by Meredith Schorr from @readforever (Adult Romcom)

#BookishEnds #BookMail
Realized I haven’t posted my Kobo Libra Colour y Realized I haven’t posted my Kobo Libra Colour yet, but I’ve had her for a few months and I adore her 🥰 Will probably make a separate post about her one day. But for now, The Wedding Planner.

This book wasn’t on my radar, but it came up when I was searching for potential comps for my own, and I’m so glad it did because it easily became a favorite of mine.

I read a good amount of romance books every year, but it’s very rare that a book actually makes me want to be in love. So when Solange and Dean’s interactions had me giddy and blushing and wanting what they had, I knew this book was something special.

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of fake dating, and I loved that Solange and Dean had such different mindsets when it came to love and relationships. Both of their upbringings really influenced their outlooks, and their journeys serve to show that you don’t have to let your circumstances dictate your future.

There are mishaps and conundrums and meddling aplenty in the story that added richness to the characters’ lives and complicated their goals. Solange’s family was large and in charge, and I adored the chaos and love that abounded whenever they were on the page. The size and presence of her family contrasted with Dean’s, but I enjoyed how he blended in and was accepted effortlessly. 

If you like equally sexy and hilarious romances, When Harry Met Sally (iykyk), and Brazilian culture, I would definitely check this one out. This is also for the girlies with commitment issues.

#BookishEnds #TheWeddingCrasher #TheKoboLife
Ashley Woodfolk’s writing always does something Ashley Woodfolk’s writing always does something for me, so I was excited to read this co-authored book, especially since I’ve heard good things about Olivia A. Cole’s writing. So, I’m pleased to announce that Call Your Boyfriend was such a fun romp. If you’re looking for a Sapphic John Tucker Must Die, this will scratch that itch. And while I haven’t seen Bottoms, this book definitely made me want to check it out. 

I’m always a huge fan scheming, especially when you know it’s not going to go as the characters think it will. Charm and Beau have a plan and ground rules, but of course, nothing is ever that neat and easy when actually implemented.

While this book had a fun premise, it got a lot deeper than I expected. I really enjoyed the conversation around figuring yourself and your identity out, and the ethics around involving other people in that process. Was Maia a villain or a victim? Does she deserve acceptance? All good questions that I think readers were made to sit with and decide for themselves. 

Being a hot mess as a teenager is also a right of passage, and I think this book did a good job of highlighting that these characters weren’t supposed to know everything and make the right decisions every time. I’ve seen people say they loved Charm a lot more than Beau, but emotionally avoidant characters are kind of my jam, so I really liked seeing Beau struggle when she’s the “expert.” 

Overall, this is a good one, especially if you like characters trying not to fall for each other. I needed an epilogue badly though because I was not ready for the book to be over.

*Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy. All opinions are my own. Also thank you to the authors, whose giveaway I won that came with cute necklaces (the waffle one shown in the pic) for me and a bestie.*

#BookishEnds #CallYourBoyfriendBook #SimonTeenInfluencer
My July TBR is finally here. I’m very likely not My July TBR is finally here. I’m very likely not going to get to everything on this list, but I wanted options.

Also calling this Run it Back July (or Spin the Block July 🤭) because five of these are from previous TBRs. 

•Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens
•A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury
•Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker
•Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli
•The Duke Steals Hearts by Elias Cold
•Guardian by K.L. Hernandez
•This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle
•Call Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole & Ashley Woodfolk
•This Kind of Trouble by Tochi Eze

Combining this post with my June Wrap-Up (see last slide). I read 12 books, 7 of which were client books. Only finished one nonfiction, but I’m currently reading two right now. I also finished June with 67 books read for the year, so we’re inching close to 100. And I only read 3/7 books on my June TBR, but some is better than none 😀

#BookishEnds
🐊🧙🏼‍♀️Keepers of the Marsh by Maura 🐊🧙🏼‍♀️Keepers of the Marsh by Maura Jortner—5/20/25🐊🧙🏼‍♀️

I haven’t posted a Middle Grade book in a hot minute, so here’s one I recommend ✨

Keepers of the Marsh was a fun read, and it had several different elements to keep attention, like the Alligator Witch song and the written account of Zofia’s life. I really enjoyed the way breadcrumbs were dropped throughout, making the book part mystery and part adventure. 

Nana’s involvement in the story was one of my favorite aspects as it was hilarious but also brought complications and a bit of reality to the story for those with sick and aging grandparents. The historical aspect of the book was also very interesting as I didn’t know about the Galveston flood, so it was interesting seeing the way the book connected it to the plot. 

Another thing I really liked was the emphasis the book put on the fact that people process death and grieve differently. It’s such a good lesson, and I think the way Lana came to understand it was very natural. I even found myself getting emotional toward the end, which was unexpected. Overall, this was a nice, magical read, and I would read more by this author.

*Thank you to Holiday House for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.* 🫶🏼

#BookishEnds
“‘I hope it makes you happy,’ he says. It so “‘I hope it makes you happy,’ he says. It sounds so simple but he thinks, Isn’t this the best one can hope for someone else, when it comes down to it: I hope you are happy.”

I’m back with another literary fiction review this month. This one’s going to be short because even though I sat with my thoughts for a few days after finishing, I truly don’t know if I got this book.

It was about race, but it wasn’t. It was about the afterlife, but it wasn’t. It was about reckoning with the consequences of your actions, but it wasn’t. It was a ghost story, but it wasn’t. 

It’s hard to clearly define the message, which also made it hard for me to feel strongly about it one way or another. It was a very neutral read. I did like the writing style. I did like the multiple perspectives and connections. I did love Ruben’s earnestness. But I think it tried to be so many things, that it kind of became nothing.

If you like a ragtag team or conversation around influencer and celebrity culture, I would give this one a try. 

I’d love to know others’ opinions if you’ve read this one.

*Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds
June but still getting this May content out 🤪 June but still getting this May content out 🤪 

I wasn’t going to post this because the original had the book cover blown out, but after some Canva magic, I’ve done my best.

Listening to Ms. Tina talk about Matriarch was a great event, and I just love the way the bookish community comes through. 

Thankful to @caseykelley.co @oneworldbooks and @randomhouse for the experience 🫶🏼

#BookishEnds #MatriarchBook

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