Read Game Craft

I love books about summer in the same way I love books about college or moving to a new city. There's something in me that loves reading about the life I wish I could have. It's never the ones in which I could never hope to achieve the lives of the characters, like the ones where they find fame or fortune. It's always the ones where the hopes are just out of my grasp. This summer, I've been reading a lot of those books, and I've been loving it. I'm in a good place this  summer and it's been really nice to read some feel-good books. This is also the first summer where I've really felt like I've been doing something with myself and having fun. That means I'm able to stay away from the feeling of missing out these books sometimes give me. What are some of your favorite summer books?

Title: Tonight the Streets Are Ours Author: Leila Sales Release Date: September 15, 2015 Publisher: Macmillan How I Found It: I read Leila Sales' This Song Will Save Your Life  and then requested and was given an ARC of her latest. Synopsis:  Recklessly loyal.  That's how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she's grown resentful of everyone--including her needy best friend and her absent mom--taking her loyalty for granted. Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to  get  her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn't even met her. Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him. During one crazy night out in New York City filled with...

If you're reading this, you might have noticed I haven't written a blog post in two months. This is partially because school kept me from having time to write anything. It also kept me from having the energy to read. I always make time to read even if it seems like there should be no way I'm able to. But this school year, it hasn't even really been an issue of time. It's more of an issue of energy. I was always, always tired. (Still haven't really gotten over that yet) I always wanted to be reading something but even though I have a huge backlist of books I want to get to eventually, I couldn't think of anything, or find anything, or nothing held me. This school year has not been easy on me. It was my junior year and I can only hope that my senior year, which I start in about two months, isn't any harder. Even if it is, I refuse to let it get to me the way this year did. I'm finally going to listen to the advice my boyfriend has been giving me for ...

I recently finished Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld and have now started reading The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi. I also went to the library and bookstore and picked up some books. image from goodreads Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan From Amazon: Kami is linked to two boys. One through a strong magical bond, and the other through unforgettable love. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town. Working with her friends, Kami uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins From Amazon:  Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan ...

I'm always looking to see depictions of things we don't usually see in YA literature - or literature in general, really. Whether that's other races, genders, or sexualities, I'm interested in all of it. I'm also interested in areas that get even less press than the ones I've already listed. Mental illness, for example. It's not only mental illness that we need more to be written about. We also need to be able to find more books about neurodivergence in general so if you have any in that area to recommend, let me know in the comments. A few weeks ago, I found myself having an unusual reading experience: I read two books featuring mentall illness back to back. I don't think that's ever happened to me. And I'm not talking about books that feature depression, which I've seen before. While I appreciate accurate depictions of depression and believe they're entirely necessary, I think it's just as important to portray the mental illnesses ...

Title: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel Author: Sara Farizan Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers Rating: 3/5 Synopsis (taken from Amazon):  High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual. Struggling to sort out her growing feelings and Saskia’s confusing signals, Leila confides in her old friend, Lisa, and grows closer to her fellow drama tech-crew members, especially Tomas, whose comments about his own sexuality are frank, funny, wise, and sometimes painful. Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are more complicated than they firs...

I finished In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken. I read it on and off for about a month which, considering my reading speed, is highly unusual for me. The length of time it took me to read this book shouldn't be taken as an indicator of its quality. Instead, it's just an indicator of my life right now. I'm always busy with school and when I'm not doing math homework, I'm in desperate need of a nap. Because of the mental and physical exhaustion I put myself through in school, I've been in a reading slump which I've mentioned on the blog before. I hated feeling like maybe I couldn't read anymore. But it seems as though finishing In the Afterlight catapulted me out of this slump. I went on to immediately read four books back to back. Reading felt easy and normal again and I couldn't be happier about that. The books I read were Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan, The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder, Schizo by Nic Sheff,...