LazyDayLit's FEBRUARY 2023 Reading WrapUp & Challenge Progress

GOODBYE FEBRUARY! 



What I read this month:

FICTION READS

Loveless by Alice Oseman
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Keily

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

GRAPHIC NOVELS READ IN FEB

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Castaways by Laura 

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez and more
Colorblind: A Story of Racism by Johnathan Harris

Crushing by Sophie Burrows
The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman

Daybreak by Brian Ralph


NONFICTION READS

WHAT I READ TO MY CHILD

CHALLENGE PROGRESS

ABC CHALLENGE

FEBRUARY

Fiction:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
10 / 26

Graphic Novels:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
3 / 26
Nonfiction:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
8 / 26

Fiction:
L - Loveless
K - Kindred
C - Catherine House
R - Ring Shout

Graphic Novels:
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse
Castaways
Chef's Kiss
Colorblind
Crushing
Daybreak

Nonfiction:
All Boys Aren't Blue
And Yet
What Kind of Woman

BookRiot's READ HARDER Challenge

2/24

JAN: 0/24
FEB: +2

Prompt 4: Read a recently banned or challenged book by a queer and/or BIPOC author:
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds (Black author)
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson (Queer Black author)

Prompt 10: Read a book you know nothing about based solely on the cover:
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

The52BookClub Reading Challenge

2 / 52

JAN: +2
FEB: +6

Prompt 33: A banned book
~All American Boys

Prompt 41: A character that is a refugee:
~All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Prompt 7: A city or country name in the title:
~An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Prompt 48: A book by Octavia E Butler
~Kindred 

bonus prompt 55: A time loop
~Kindred

Prompt 6: A book under 200 pages
~Ring Shout

Prompt 8: Dystopian fiction
~The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

PopSugar Reading Challenge

Jan: +1
Feb: +4

Prompt 29: A book a friend recommended:
Loveless by Alice Oseman

Prompt 9: A book with a color in the title:
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

Prompt 18: A book that's been banned or challenged in any state:
All American Boys
All Boys Aren't Blue

Prompt 48: Book with two languages:
All My Rage

Prompt 20: A book becoming a tv series or movie in 2023:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes


Barnes&Noble ReadingChallenge

Jan: +3
Feb: +4

Prompt 29: A picture book:
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse

Prompt 44: A B&N YA book club pick:
Loveless by Alice Oseman

Prompt 6: A National Book Award Winner:
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Prompt 14: About a person that you don't know:
All Boys Aren't Blue

Prompt 10: About boxing
Hands by Torrey Maldonado

Prompt 3: An author I've never heard of
P. Djeli Clark (Ring Shout)

Nonfiction Reader Challenge

Memoir/Biography:
All Boys Aren't Blue

The Arts:
And Yet & What Kind of Woman


NEW TO ME AUTHORS

FEBRUARY:
Charlie Mackesy
Brendan Keily
George M. Johnson
Tayari Jones
Octavia E Butler
Kate Baer
Torrey Maldonado
Johnathan Harris
Elisabeth Thomas
P. Djeli Clark
Brian Ralph


Happy reading! 

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds (Young Adult Realistic Fiction Book Review)

 

All American Boys
by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely
Published by Athenium
on September 29, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction / Contemporary
Length: 316 pages
Ages: 12 & up
Grade Level: 7 - 9

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Literary Awards:

Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (2016)
Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Author Honor (2016)
Walter Dean Meyers Award (2016)
Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee for High School (2017)
Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2017)
Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2017)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2017)
Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee (2018)
Lincoln Award Nominee (2018)
South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult (2018)


Synopsis:

Rashad is absent again today. 

That's the sidewalk graffiti that started it all...

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn't matter what Rashad said next--that it was an accident, that he wasn't stealing--the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again... and again... stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing. 

And that's how it started. 

And that's what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend's older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first, Quinn doesn't tell a soul... He's not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school--and nation--start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like "racism" and "police brutality". Quinn realizes he's got to understand it, because, bystander or not, he's a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be. 

Rashad and Quinn--one black, one white, both American--face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn't die after the civil rights movement. There's a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that's how it can end. 


MY THOUGHTS:

Teenage JROTC cadet Rashad finds himself brutally attacked by a police officer without probable cause and ends up in the hospital. In an alternate POV, classmate and football player, Quinn, witnesses the brutal attack. Unfortunately, the cop that beat Rashad is Quinn's stand-in father figure, his best friend's older brother, Paul. Quinn struggles with his involvement in the beating as well as his relationships with his best friend and their family.
Meanwhile, Rashad becomes a hashtag for repeatedly missing school while he heals in the hospital. 

This is a tough read, similar to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, with police brutality against an unarmed Black boy and its effect on the characters' lives at the forefront of the story. 

The chapters alternate between Rashad and Quinn's perspectives to give a well-rounded account of how the events affect the community and classmates. 

The subject matter is tough, but it ultimately has a very uplifting message of togetherness and reminds us all that we must do our part to speak up and stand against racism. 

Content warnings include language, drug use, police brutality, bullying, and more. 

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Hands by Torrey Maldonado (Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Book Review)

Hands
by Torrey Maldonado
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books
on January 24, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction / Contemporary
Length: 144 pages
Ages: 10 - 12 years
Grade Level: 5 - 6

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:
The author of What Lane? and Tight delivers a fast-paced read that packs a punch about a boy figuring out how to best use his hands--to build or to knock down. 

Trev would do anything to protect his mom and sisters, especially from his stepdad. But his stepdad's return stresses Trev--because when he left, he threatened Trev's mom. Rather than live scared, Trev takes matters into his own hands, literally. He starts learning to box to handle his stepdad. But everyone isn't a fan of his plan, because Trev's a talented artist, and his hands could actually help him build a better future. And they're letting him know. But their advice for some distant future feels useless in his current reality. Ultimately, Trev knows his future is in his own hands and he must choose how to use them. 


MY THOUGHTS: 

Trev takes matters into his own hands when he learns his stepfather will be getting out of jail soon. Faced with tough decisions and seemingly impossible situations. Trev takes it upon himself to step up and protect those he loves and cares for and learns what his hands are capable of. 

This is a fantastic realistic fiction for middle-grade readers about a young man determined to protect his family and friends, even if it means 'throwing hands'. 
Trev is a flawed but loveable MC that is growing up with both good and bad mentors in his life as well as rough situations that require a lot of bravery and character growth. 

There are a lot of inspirational and uplifting messages in this story that make it an absolutely amazing read and one I would recommend to all! 

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Loveless by Alice Oseman (Young Adult Contemporary Book Review)

Loveless
by Alice Oseman
Published by Scholastic Press
on July 9, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: 432 pages
Ages: 14 & up

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

Literary Awards:

Buxtehuder Bulle Nominee for Shortlist (2022)
Audie Award Nominee for Young Adult (2023)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for YA Fiction (2022)


Synopsis:
For fans of Love, Simon and I Wish You All the Best, a funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of a girl who realizes that love can be found in many ways that don't involve sex or romance. 

This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn't understand why she can't crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She's surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It's not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum--coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she's been told since birth isn't easy--there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia's determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major dram of) her friends. 


My Thoughts:

Georgia Warr has always loved the idea of romance. 
She's watched all the films, read the books, and always pictured herself following the same steps that society has laid before her. But then she realizes that she's far behind her peers, in many ways. So off to Uni she goes, determined to find that special someone to "fall in love with" and have her first kiss with, except that once there she finds the task more difficult than ever. 
While new and old friendships clash around her, Georgia tries to figure out who she is, or isn't, and comes away with a much clearer picture thanks to new friends on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. 

Personally, I don't always love contemporary novels, especially in school/college settings, but Oseman has a way of drawing me in. Her stories are always lighthearted and inspiring (even when there's really tough subject matter) and I love that Oseman always seems to include plenty of mental health awareness in their novels. It's a really great balance that I believe is perfect for young readers. 

This novel in particular is a fantastic and informative look at the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and Aro-ace (aromantic asexuality) in general. 
There's also lesbian, bi, and pansexual rep in this novel! 

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Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros (Middle Grade Graphic Novel Retelling Review)

Anne:
An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of)
by Kathleen Gros
Published by Quill Tree Books
on October 25, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Retelling, LGBTQIA+
Length: 304 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years
Grade level: 3rd - 7th

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:

Inspired by Anne of Green Gables, this contemporary middle-grade graphic novel Anne follows feisty red-haired Anne, who finally finds the perfect foster family and confronts her perhaps more-than-platonic feelings for her new best friend Diana. 


My Thoughts:

A modern-day LGBTQIA+ retelling of Anne of Green Gables!


Anne, an orphaned twelve-year-old, has been mistakenly sent to the Cuthberts who live in an apartment building called the Avon-Lea. After a short trial, the Cuthberts decide to give Anne a chance to live with them and Anne tries her hardest to be the good girl that the Cuthberts expect her to be. 

This is a wonderful retelling of Anne of Green Gables, with fantastic illustrations perfect for the age group and a sapphic twist that isn't at all a far cry from the original. 

This is perfect for middle-grade readers and includes a lot of Anne's struggles with being the new kid at school, making new friends, dealing with bullies, and more. 

I especially loved Anne's choice of extracurricular activity (zine club!) and the added visual explanation at the end of how to make your own one-page folded zine. Very fun and inspiring for young artists! 

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What We Saw by Mary Downing Hahn (Middle Grade Thriller Book Review)

What We Saw
by Mary Downing Hahn
Published by HarperCollins
on January 1, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 208 pages
Ages: 8 - 12 years
Grade level: 3rd to 7th

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Best Middle-Grade Novel (2022)

Synopsis:
A chilling murder mystery lies at the heart of this page-turning thriller about a missing teacher, small-town secrets, and turbulent tween friendships from the master of middle-grade horror, Mary Downing Hahn. 

When best friends Abbi and Skylar witness a clandestine meeting between a mysterious woman and someone in a dark van, they're thrilled. Finally, a mystery to spice up the summer! 

Who could these people be? Why are they meeting? Are they spies? Criminals? The two girls are determined to find out. But then a local woman goes missing and is found dead in the woods. And Abbi and Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. 
Suddenly, sleuthing isn't so fun anymore. 

As tensions rise and their friendship frays, the girls find themselves in increasing danger and must choose between keeping a secret or exposing a life-altering truth. 


My Thoughts:

It's summer and Abbi and her best friend, Skylar, spend the hot days reading, swimming at the community pool, riding bicycles, and exploring beyond the limits of their small town. Then they find an abandoned treehouse platform in the woods and witness something (or things) that will change the trajectory of their summer and their lives. Determined to get to the bottom of the mysteries, Abbi and Skylar return to the 'scene of the crime' and find much more than they bargained for.

I've been reading Mary Downing Hahn since I was a kid. I loved her ghost stories and sometimes feel the urge to go back and reread them, mostly for nostalgia reasons, so when I saw that she had a middle-grade thriller out, I had to grab it and I'm glad I did. 

This is a suspenseful story about two girls who witness something in their small town that will change their lives forever. Thinking they are the only witnesses, they attempt to figure out whether or not to tell someone, who to tell, and what will happen if they do come forward.

What We Saw reminds me a lot of 'Stand By Me', the film adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Body', though that's a hard comparison as this is meant for juvenile readers but I got similar vibes from it with the tight-knit friendship between Abbi and Skylar and the content that is aimed at young teens dealing with or wanting to be more open to the 'real' world. 

Content warnings include bullying, drug use, poverty, adult relationships/affairs, divorce, child abandonment, murder, and more. 

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LazyDayLit's FEBRUARY 2023 TBR & Reading Goals

HELLO FEBRUARY!


Hello readers!
January was a fantastic reading month for me (as you can see in my January WrapUp post.) I read a mix of fiction, graphic novels, nonfiction, and poetry and finished 20 books in all! 

You can see my yearly 100-book TBR list over on listchallenges (with visual covers and the ability to 'check' off what you've already read!) Of course, my moods change, new books emerge, and I get my hands on different things at different times so I don't always stick to it but it's a fun way to keep track. 

Hopefully, I will get to knock a few more books off my shelf and tbr list, but here's what I would also like to read this month:


MY FEBRUARY HOPEFULS


Library Loans

Nonfiction Picks

Both of these were Goodreads Giveaway ebook wins that I'm looking forward to digging into. 

Off My Shelves

A 'winter' read and two by authors of color for Black History Month! 

What are you most looking forward to reading this month?

You can keep up with what I end up reading over on Bookstagram @LazyDayLit! 

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