Mark Reads: Tortall

In my internet ramblings, I've stumbled over some pretty fun stuff, but I have to say that these video series is my current favorite.

Mark Reads is basically this guy, Mark, as he reads books. And sometimes fanfiction. He has a whole series dedicated to Tortall, and I love his reactions! Go and check it out :)

Forever by Judy Blume: a review

Like my mother said, you can't go back to just holding hands.

Forever, Judy Blume

Just thinking about Judy Blume puts me in a happy mood. Her young adult books do not shy away from the tough issues, something that has gotten her in some trouble with the sensors. Judy Blume lays it out, real talk. But that, more than anything, proves that what she has to say is something that the younger generation needs to hear.

She writes stories about young people, going through issues that young people face on a constant basis. Reading about it, though? How scandalous! 

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce: a Review

“I’ll not stand for any tricks. I may be human, but I’m not stupid.”

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce is an accomplished fantasy YA novelist (We're talking 26 books, including 5 quartets set in two different, well established universes). I could go on for days about her epic world building, lush characters, and how amazing it is that her books feature a wide variety of strong female characters (and characters within the LGBT community!). You go Tammy!

Looking for Alaska by John Green: a Review

“Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.”
Looking for Alaska by John Green

If you have read my post on Paper Towns, you know how much I love John Green's books, and this is no exception.  Pudge, our narrator, is over his uneventful home life. So he enrolls in Culver Creek Boarding School in an attempt to seek "The Great Perhaps". There, life gets infinitely more exciting, crazy, and destructive, especially upon meeting Alaska Young (who is equally exciting, crazy, and destructive.) 

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson: A Review

“Sometimes I feel like I've been waiting for someone to tell me when I can be normal again,' she said. 'I keep thinking I'll get a letter. Or a call. When does it happen?'

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

Hi there! My name is Allison and this is a guest post. You can check out my college advice blog

here: http://adviceforthealmostadult.blogspot.com

First off: I LOVED this book! It’s been almost three years since I read it and it’s still near the top of my list of all-time favorite books. Maureen Johnson just published her tenth novel last month, but this

was her first, and in my opinion her best (though I’ve only read about five of her other works). Johnson is an interesting writer because her novels span from realistic, to magical, to adventurous, to supernatural thriller. I definitely suggest checking her out if you haven’t already, there is bound to be something you like.