Category: Not-Reviews

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Sixteen-year-old Jessie, a baking aficionado, is shy, overweight, and worries too much about what people think. But one summer, a family emergency makes her realize that life is too short to live it on autopilot. Taking her life by the reins, she embarks on a journey that involves ditching the apron for her tank top, as she hip-hop dances her way to new friendships, stronger family ties, and into her school’s most elite club.

I’ve heard good things about this book. A lot a lot of good things. I hadn’t had the chance to purchase it though when I went to UNIQUBE to hunt down Songs of Our Breakup. It was there, in bright green paper, Choco Chip Hips was the free e-book that came with my purchase.

I don’t know, maybe something about the concept and the cover subconsciously scared me. I only got around to actually checking out the first chapter last week. And even then, I had to stop and take a break before continuing. Because the feelings… oh, the feelings, you guys. It was just too real. A plump, young girl, struggling with her inner demons, insecurities and love of food, trying to overcome them so she could find her place in the world. Her happy place, to be exact. And dagnabit it hit way too close to home… 🙁

Continue reading FEELS: NOTED || Choco Chip Hips by Agay Llanera

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Or get the paperback at UNIQUBE

High school student Hikaru Saito is in trouble. She is failing English because she’d much rather bury her nose in the latest manga than study pronouns and prepositions. To keep her from getting kicked out of school, she is assigned a tutor in the form of the most popular boy in school: golden-haired genius Takeshi Hinata.

You’d think Takeshi would be Hikaru’s surefire way to academic success, but her stubbornness, lack of concentration, and general disinterest in things other than her precious manga frustrate Takeshi to no end. To make matters worse, a young, pretty boy teacher is determined to rescue Hikaru every chance he gets, riling Takeshi up even more—and confusing the hell out of Hikaru.

But as they spend more time together and get to know each other beyond their high school reputations, Hikaru and Takeshi enter a situation neither of them expected to find themselves in—one that factors in stolen kisses, controlling parents, a princess-in-hiding, and the deepest yearnings of a teenage heart.

About a month or so ago, Tara, another author friend of mine, decided to read the book Songs of Our Breakup. She spazzed about it, live tweeted the heck out of it, and was imploring our small group of friends to read it too. I was curious. But when I looked into buying Songs of Our Breakup (“Songs”), I discovered that the author Jay E. Tria had another book, her first book, Blossom Among Flowers (“Blossom”). I really was planning on getting Songs, first. But Blossom’s book blurb just made it impossible to pass up.

I read the book in less than five hours. Oh yeah, I took note. Because it was a work day, and I couldn’t focus, and I rushed to finish all my work stuff just so I can set aside two hours of lunch to read the next hundred pages—the first hundred I read in the same amount of time before I clocked in that morning. Whatever was left, I read in about thirty minutes, hidden away in the office pantry, as soon as five o’clock rolled around.

This book consumed me as aggressively as I devoured it.

Basically, Blossom and I made out like teenagers. And it was awesome. ♥

Continue reading FEELS: NOTED || Blossom Among Flowers by Jay E. Tria

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Just for the record, the heat can get to even the most calculated of minds.  

Let it be stated that Rhys loves Ryan forever and ever. But certain needs are not being met, leaving her frustrated and asking for too much than the conservative and almost rock star, Ryan, is willing to give. Uncooperative (or cooperative, depending on your point of view) weather provides her an opportunity to ask not what she can do for her friends, but what a friend can do for her.

Isaiah likes to say that the best thing about Rhys is that he can stand in her breathing space and feel nothing. Something of a breather when dancing with Lia short circuits his entire operating system. But all his beliefs are challenged when Rhys chances upon him in a steamy practice room in the middle of a heat wave.

This book and I met during the early days of the SparkNA writing workshop. We were asked to pick three books to read from the Romance Class Catalogue for one of the activities. I’d already picked my three when Therese, a friend and SparkNA classmate, started sending me screenshots of this story.

She wasn’t just sending them, either. She was aggressively insisting that I read it. She said it reminded her of me. From the excerpts I was getting it was difficult to disagree. Even before I finally bought the book, I knew for sure it would give me feelings. But then it gave me way more. Like, flip-table-ugly-cry-and-scream-onto-a-pillow feelings, yo.

Continue reading FEELS: NOTED || Just For The Record by Six De los Reyes