2018 Hooray for YA Books & Pairings
2019 Cedar Nooks for YA Books & Pairings
2020 Pomegranate Seed and Young Adult Reads Books & Pairings
#DEARBASICBUDDYREADS MARCH & APRIL 2023
Happy Saturday! Katie @basicbsguide and I have selected the 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 & 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 #𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬. We are embracing all things YA for the win! I don’t typically gravitate towards this genre (probably because I have a bunch of teenage boys roaming around my house 24/7), but these two books sound AMAZING and pretty much guarantee something to talk about! I can’t wait 😃!!!
#DEARBASICBUDDYREADS APRIL SELECTION
It’s that time of the month again. Katie @basicbsguide and I have decided on our April #dearbasicbuddyreads Backlist Buddy Read and we are thrilled to announce that our pick is 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘛𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 by Ruta Sepetys.
We will be reading this YA Historical Fiction novel the month of April and will have a fabulous discussion ( as always 😉) at the end of the month via a private Instagram chat.
True Love
Happy Valentine’s Day my friend! Roses, chocolates, conversational hearts, and sweet kisses fill this day of love. Today I am sharing with you one of my favorite graphic novel series that absolutely has all the feels and is perfect for this very special day or any day for that matter. Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series is an all-encompassing story of friendship, first love, and coming out…all during the awkward time of being a teenager. I borrowed this series from the library to read and have officially decided to purchase all four Heartstopper books because they left such a huge impression on my heart and now need a permanent place on my bookshelf. This book series had me squealing with absolute delight.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)
Pirates have been the butt of hundreds of jokes for decades upon decades and because of this, Indie Author Teddy Stoecklein compiled and wrote 50 of the best Pirate jokes to share with his readers in The Illustrative Anthology of Pirate Jokes. Did I mention he illustrated this chucklesome read as well? Whether you are on a boat, sitting around a firepit or chatting it up at your neighbor’s BBQ, Stoecklein offers his readers all the tricks they need to be the greatest jokester around.
Guest Writer
Dear Book Lovers,
I am so very happy to introduce you to today’s Guest Writer. Sol Kelly lives in Houston, Texas. She is the creator of the gorgeous book blog, The Sol Reader, and the popular Bookstagram (Instagram for book lovers) page, @thesolreader. Sol is an absolute free-spirit who loves to travel and explore new bookstores while learning new cultures and languages along the way.
I Support You
Dear Readers,
It has been a horrible week in the United States. With so many people hurting, I would like to especially acknowledge all of my Black readers and followers. I will never understand the pain you are going through, but I support you. With that said, my heart is broken. This week I have been quietly reflecting and listening. I am taking time to sort through everything.
Stay Gold
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Ponyboy Curtis. Does that name ring a bell? If not, let me fill you in. Ponyboy is the 14-year-old narrator of the coming of age classic, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. Hinton started writing this book when she was just a teenager. Her controversial book was published in 1967 when she was 18 years old.
The Falcon Has Landed
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
As you already know, I am a mom to three boys (13, 11, and 9). Like many kids, they typically ride the bus to and from school every day. Taking the bus decreases school morning traffic, is better for the environment, and is overall a more efficient way to get to school. During the last few weeks of the school year (who am I kidding…the last few months) we have embraced some extra sleep time and a more relaxed morning and opted to drive to school (FYI…bad habit to fall into). Every morning as we pulled into the middle school parking lot my son would shout…“Did you see that Tesla car mom? That is so cool.
Who Doesn’t Love a Good Backrub?
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Who doesn’t love a good backrub? I know it seems odd that I am opening up my letter today talking about something other than books and literary things. Stay with me though, I can explain. I am sure you have heard of the multi-billion dollar company, Google. But did you know that its original name was “Backrub” (no joke)? Well, I sure didn’t.