Kayla loves to read Historical fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, and Poetry. Recently, she has really enjoyed a few nonfiction titles and has gotten back into the nonfiction kick! You can ALWAYS find her geeking out over anything written by Casey McQuiston or VE Schwab.
This is a collection of essays about bisexuality. What is means to be bisexual and how society views the idea of being bisexual. These essays are funny, thoughtful, and relatable. I found myself in the pages and could not put it down. A true testament to the struggles of identity and feeling comfortable in your own skin in a society that is always questioning you.
This book was pure perfection from start to finish. As someone who has dedicated their entire life to the study and teaching others of language and the interpretation of language (specifically literature/writing) this book was everything to me. It was a dark academia fantasy about children who were stripped away from their home countries to be elite academic translators for the corrupt 1800s Oxford college—Babel Institute of Translation. With their translations, they could create magic engraved onto silver bars that would help society, or destroy it, by making life “easier” for some but immensely difficult for others. This book deals with some incredibly heavy but important topics like the corruption of higher education, the philosophy of translation, unions and labor forces, xenophobia and exploitation, racism and sexism. This book brought up every topic seamlessly and addressed them beautifully and tragically. Hands down a Top 5 read of ALL TIME for me.
This is a stunning YA novel written about the hold that mental health issues (specifically OCD) can have over a person. This is a very approachable read with friendship, loss, and mystery. It is by far the best representation of mental health in a book I have ever read.
This is a FANTASTIC YA Fantasy that is a King Arthur/Knights of the Roundtable retelling. It is gripping, thrilling, and suspenseful. The author does a beautiful job rewriting history in this book through an anti-colonist lens and sharing black history. This book leans heavily on the discussion of grief and it is one of the BEST representations of grief in writing I have EVER read.
This is a slow burn novel about a girl who makes a deal with the gods of the dark to escape her pre-planned life. Addie LaRue is suddenly thrust into a life where those she knows and loves no longer remember who she is and moments after meeting anyone they forget her. This is a tragic, yet beautiful, story of finding yourself and making sacrifices for those you love.
This is the perfect cozy comfort read. This is the first book in the Monk and Robot series that tells the tale of a world where robots gain consciousness and leave to go live on their own in the wild. But when a tea monk encounters one of these robots in the wild their lives become intertwined and they learn about the world through each other’s eyes. This book brings a piece of joyful hope and is a very light, quick, and happy read
This book instantly became my new favorite and I could not stop thinking about the story and the characters for days on end. It highlights the ups and downs of friendship and the desire create with those you love (but not always romantically!) This books use of video games as a metaphore for life is perfect for anyone who feels a little lost sometimes.
A cute feel-good coming of age queer story with lovable characters and great representation. There is a little bit of mystery and lots of great love stories. McQuiston's FINEST!
A 10/10 from not only me, but Jordyn and Nick too!
If you love Rock ‘n Roll then this book is a must read. A fictional story written brilliantly in interview format in which all band members are speaking on their experiences of being in the band and writing/performing their top of the charts album. You love to hate the members of the band and you wish so badly they were real so you could see them perform.
TW: substance abuse
A hauntingly beautiful story about connecting with a past you never really knew. Schwab writes in vivid detail, making sure to leave her readers entranced by the ghosts this story leaves behind. Just go where the book takes you.
A beautiful YA novel written in verse about two twin boys navigating their relationship, grief, and owning it up on the basketball court. A great book for any age, but geared toward middle school.
Everyone says it, but it's true: this book is like getting a warm hug. This book is about a lonely man who finds a family in the most unlikely place and with the most unlikely.. people? It is such a sweet book with characters you will fall in love with and root for instantly.
A collection of essays and short stories about life. I have read this 4 times and get new meaning everytime. It gets me through the haredest and the brightest times.
A dystopian society where firefighters burn books for the government to keep information away from common-folk. A very dark, but too real, take on what happens when we are censored from our historical past.
A comforting take on what happens after we die. This book made me feel warm and cozy like I do when I drink a cup of hot tea by a fire.. perfect for a book set in a tea shop in the woods! This book is a difficult read, but so worth it.
TW: death, child death, suicide