Hello friends! I meant to post this yesterday, but the day got away from me. So here we are today! My final weekly wrap up for the year of 2020, the week of 12/26. I finished 7 books for the week of 12/26! It was a great way to round out the year, and also included some great reads. I also finished my December TBR, which is always the best feeling, honestly. I love checking off all those little boxes in my planner. It’s the little things that make me happy.
Also I’m finally working on my StoryGraph page! It’s an alternative to Goodreads and I highly recommend it. I haven’t been on it long, but I already enjoy the features so much more than the features on Goodreads. Without further ado, here are my bite size reviews for the week of 12/26!
Bite Size Reviews: Week of 12/26
My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand (12/26)
This is the third book in the Jane series and this time we’re heading to the Old West. Calamity Jane is a part of Wild Bill’s Traveling Show. Which is just a front for their real job: hunting garou (or werewolves). When Jane accidentally gets bitten during a hunt, she heads to Deadwood where she’s heard there’s a cure. But all isn’t what it seems on the surface. This was such a fun story! I loved the Wild West theme, and there are some snarky comments from the authors about our current society. All around, this series has been really entertaining! (4 stars)
Ms. Marvel Vol. 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson (12/27)
After the events of the last volume, Kamala Khan now finds herself a part of the Avengers. with new found fame. But when her face is being used by a local real estate company for gentrification without her permission, Kamala vows to get to the bottom of it. I’ve loved pretty much every volume from Ms. Marvel that I’ve read, and I hope that continues! This year, I’m hoping to catch up on some of the comics that I’ve been meaning to read, and I’m actually pretty excited about that! (5 stars)
How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi (12/28)
Amir knows that coming out to his Muslim family will be difficult. When he’s threatened to be outed by blackmail, he runs away. To Italy. What he never thought was his story would be told in an airport interrogation room. I listened to this on audio and it was a great way to listen to this story, honestly. It flips between Amir and his family in the interrogation rooms and his time in Italy. Having the different voices really brings Amir’s story to life. And an important story it is. There’s a lot in here about the intersection of culture and sexuality that are important conversations to be had in young adult lit (4 stars).
Anti/Hero by Kate Karyus Quinn (12/28)
Piper and Sloane are enemies, both at school and in the superhero world. When they’re accidentally switched, they have to figure out how to work together in order to fix it. These DC graphic novels for middle grade readers are a great introduction into superhero graphic novels. While in this one, things got a bit confusing at times when Piper and Sloane were switching back and forth. But overall, this was such a fun story that I really enjoyed reading (4 stars).
Running by Natalia Sylvester (12/30)
Mariana Ruiz’s father is running for president. While he’s always been in politics, Mariana is now seeing his policies in a new light. And maybe realizing that she doesn’t quite agree with everything that he’s fighting for. In a year of plenty of political novels, because of the election, I thought this was really delved into a lot of teens’ journeys. High school is often a time when teenagers figure out maybe they don’t have their parents’ beliefs. Sylvester really hits the nail on the head (4 stars).
Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz (12/31)
All Lana has ever wanted is to compete in the Blazewrath Games as a runner. She’s always preferred dragons to people, even after an incident with them as a child. When an opportunity presents itself, Lana is ecstatic. But not everything is what is seems. And maybe the Blazewrath Games aren’t all they were cracked up to be. What this book has going for it: dragons, tons of queer characters, and a unique magic system. I just felt like it lost its way plot wise about halfway through, until it came back in the end. If you’re looking for a unique magical world, definitely look out for this one! (3 stars)
Parachutes by Kelly Yang (12/31)
Teenagers dropped off to live in the United States on their own are called parachutes. Which is what Claire. She finds herself living with Dani and her mom. Dani thinks Claire is incredibly privileged, and the two don’t want much to do with each other. Little do they know they have more in common than they first thought. Fair warning, there are strong descriptions of sexual assault and sexual harassment in this book. It was much darker than I first thought when I started. Many important conversations are had throughout this book, and though I felt it ended a bit abruptly, it was an overall good story (4 stars).