Transitive Verve

While my blog post itself does not contain any sexual content, this book does. This is a review for a book that is meant for mature audiences, and therefore is unsuitable for minors. Thoughts at a glance: ***** (It was amazing!) Summary: Maria Lopez and Jay na Thalang are sworn enemies from the start. Jay, a professor at Berkeley, assumes that beautiful, glamorous Maria is a fake, shallow dolt; Maria, rightfully, thinks he's sexist and elitist. Every encounter between them after their first meeting is ferocious and full of fire. Unbeknownst to either of them, they actually get along really well--online. Maria runs a popular blog, and Jay is one of her biggest fans, and for the past year and a half, they've been communicating under pseudonyms, Em and A. Their friendly messages have turned into flirtation, and their flirtation is slowly turning into love. As sparks fly (not always in a good way) between Maria and Jay, Em and A grow closer. But eventually the truth will...

I know, I know - podcasts aren't books.  BUT, there are some amazing ways that podcasting is being used to tell stories, much like the old radio programs of yore. And I feel like following a story via listening is a bit different from watching it unfold on-screen. Listening to serial fiction podcasts isn't reading, but it's not watching tv either. I guess you could say they're closest to audiobooks :) Which I am totally in favor of, as a reader. I don't listen to a LOT of podcasts. Or, I should say, I don't subscribe  to a lot of podcasts, since I'll listen to episodes of random podcasts because they have guests or topics I'm interested in for that particular episode. But there aren't many that I would stick around for. Welcome to Night Vale  is one of them. In fact, it's the podcast I've been subscribed to the longest. It's a fictional series, about a mysterious desert town, where everything is... well, the quickest, simplest su...

This book was provided to me for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts at a glance: ** (It was okay) Audrey comes from a poor family in a poor neighborhood, and she is extra-dedicated to academics because that is her only ticket out of her life after high school. Scarlett West is beautiful and wealthy, and needs help bringing up her grades. Despite some past drama between the two, Audrey agrees to help her, and against her better judgment, she finds herself more and more preoccupied with thoughts of Scarlett. Despite their different backgrounds, there is an undeniable attraction between the two, and both girls find themselves conflicted about whether or not to pursue a relationship with each other. Meanwhile, Audrey is also preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor whom she is convinced might be a serial killer. Again, against her better judgment, she keeps formulating plans to find out who he is. Mild spoilers below

This copy was provided for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thoughts at a glance: **** (I really liked it) I'm going to paste here for you the official book blurb instead of summarizing it on my own, because for once I want to point out specifically the way it's described: Eighteen-year-old Tally is absolutely sure of everything: her genius, the love of her adoptive family, the loyalty of her best friend, Shane, and her future career as a Nobel prize-winning astronomer. There's no room in her tidy world for heartbreak or uncertainty—or the charismatic, troubled mother who abandoned her soon after she was born. But when a sudden discovery upends her fiercely ordered world, Tally sets out on an unexpected quest to seek out the reclusive musician who may hold the key to her past—and instead finds Maddy, an enigmatic and beautiful girl who will unlock the door to her future. The deeper she falls in love with Maddy, the more Tally begins to r...