“It’s Monday! What are you reading?” is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date. The folks at Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers have given #IMWAYR a new lens by focusing on books for kids & teens. Check out their blogs to see what they’re reading!
WHAT I READ LAST WEEK
- Squad by Mariah MacCarthy, audiobook narrated by the author
- Up For Air by Laurie Morrison
- The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie, audiobook narrated by Sophie Amoss
- Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
- The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston, audiobook narrated by Emily Lawrence, Caitlin Davies, & Eileen Stevens
- My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren, audiobook narrated by Shayna Thibodeaux & Deacon Lee
Last week was a great reading week for me, and I’m really hoping to keep up the momentum!
WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK:
The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
Jess always struggled to control her anger, but falling in love with Vivi helped her funnel her emotions into art instead. But when Vivi dies in their senior year, Jess finds her future uncertain and begins to fall back into her rage.
This heartbreaking YA contemporary is told in alternating timelines: sophomore year, as Jess falls for Vivi, and senior year, as she grieves for her. I’m about halfway through and already know I’m going to shed plenty of tears by the end! I’ve seen a lot of YA books about grief that deal with the loss of a parent, friend, or sibling, but not too many about the loss of a partner/significant other. I’m obsessed with the cover, and I love that the queer rep is own-voices.
The Meaning of Birds is out on April 16. Thanks HarperTeen for the review copy!
The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
A spooky, atmospheric YA novel about the town of Four Paths, where the descendants of the founders have powers, and a beast lurks in what is known as the Gray. This book also touches on family, grief, and much more!
I just started this audiobook and am super curious to see where the story goes. It’s spooky, dark, and whimsical. The Devouring Gray has been compared a lot to Stranger Things, and I definitely see the connection; this also is a perfect recommendation for readers who loved Claire Legrand’s Sawkill Girls! I’m exited to listen to the rest of this, though I have a feeling I’ll need to do so with lots of lights on!
What are you reading this week?
Books. Libraries. Also, cats. 
I did not enjoy Squad, but have both Girls on the Verge and My Favorite Half Night Stand on my TBR. How were they??
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i was kind of so-so on Squad, so I know what you mean! I loved Girls on the Verge!! My Favorite Half Night Stand was cute, but not my favorite from Christina Lauren.
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Okay, good to know!
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You read so many books!! Literally, tell me your secret. I’ve been seeing The Devouring Grey a lot recently so I hope you enjoy it!
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The Meaning of Birds sounds like a pretty special book. Thanks for sharing.
Have a great reading week:)
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Curious to see what you think of Devouring gray
I’m ripping through first true thing and then it’s a boy and his doing at the end of the world (which I’ve started) and all we could’ve been.
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I’ve seen all these books around, and they look interesting. Hope you have a successful week again! c:
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I’m currently reading The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley-it’s definitely absorbing! Good on ya for getting so much read last week, that’s impressive!
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Great selection of books. Have a good week. My weekly updates
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Happy reading this week! I’m very interested to see what you think of the devouring gray. I’ve finally decided to read it 🙂
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The meaning of birds is on my radar. Will probly get it for my teenage daughter. 🙂
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I’m still working on Up For Air right now, but your two YA novels (that you’re currently reading) sound very intriguing! I liked the idea of two timelines in The Meaning of Birds and The Devouring Gray is completely new to me and sounds ominous! I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you’re finished. Have a wonderful reading week, Ari!
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