• A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami (I'm not sure if I really liked it... a friend suggested Kafka on the Shore to me, and said Murakami was a really good author.. so maybe I was blinded by that 'convincing' to love too, like it was in high school with certain characters. You hypnotize yourself to focus only on the good, and can ignore the bad. The bad in Murakami books is his obsession with sexuality, often in a stale, misogynistic light (in my opinion). So I loved Kafka on the Shore, but hated a few scenes. They feel so unnecessary. Like someone would tell me it's just how the real world is - I'm being immature for disliking the inclusion of such scenes. But I wonder...

The Wild Sheep Chase had some good scenes and characters - like the chauffeur who has God's phone number. The Sheep Professor. The idea of a sheep that is trying to take over, and uses people's bodies as a host. The Rat. Hmm

• Nightfall - Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg

Apparently this was originally a short story, and I could see where it started and ended. I'm glad it was turned into a novel - i appreciated seeing what happened after nightfall. It was a very cool book and I really enjoyed reading it. I was surprised that I had a little trouble putting myself into the reader's shoes. Like how they describe how horrified they were with the idea of a world like ours - having light for one half of the day and darkness the other. How life wouldn't be able to grow because of the lack of sun. It made me wonder... is this what we would think if we lived on Kalgash? Was there any way for their severe aversion to darkness to be cured? It left me with many questions and maybe there's some real life examples of this kind of mass hysteria. But my lil monkey brain was like 'yo what this would never happen the heck is this'. I really enjoyed reading it though. Couldn't put it down for the first 50 or so pages. Exciting! Made me think, is the "kalgash 2' going to come or not ooooh And oh girl. Did it Also it was released in 1941 apparently. It doesn't feel like it at all and I wonder why? (May 20, 2021)

• Lalani and the Distant Sea - Erin Entrada Kelly

One of those books like a fairytale. With insufferable people telling you can't do something, and yourself telling the same things. Someone too trusting for their own good. But everything works out in the end! It was a really precious story. I'm going to check out the author's other books (May 26, 2021)

• In Real Life - Cory Doctorow. Good idea for a story, but maybe could have expanded it more. It's difficult to develop a lot of plot in a graphic novel like that, but it was still a good effort! Made me think about how addicting games can be, and how some people really have to make money off of that
• Lily and Dunkin - cute, cute. Also reinforced I have a lot to learn. Should read more books like this. And i appreciated Dunkin's character as a representation for mental health. Even though I'm not bipolar, I had a period where the doctor thought I might be and it was a lot. I think the author did well with this book, and definitely did a lot of research
• End Game - Nancy Kress. The author said this is a horror story, but I wonder... It almost gave me Murakami vibes at times. The only thing that confuses me is why the wife became so obsessed with her garden. What happened between her and the main character? Maybe it just went over my head, but it felt like it came a little out of nowhere.
• Skinwalker, Fast-talker - Darcie Little Badger. Really enjoyed this one. Awesome characters and cool to hear Native American folklore, especially from someone who is Lipan Apache themselves. Sweet!
• Tiger Queen - Annie Sullivan. At first I didn't like it, mainly because the main character was so unlikeable (for me at least). After a slow start, we get introduced to the other main character, and I didn't realize it at first - but the only thing wrong with him is that he doesn't seem to have any flaws. This book is very fun once it gets going, but I think the fact that things are rather simplified (even though the characters do shine through in spite of that) held this book back. Still enjoyed it though!
• Hidden - Helen Frost. It's surprising that the format of the book was so easy to get used to. It was a good story, but felt very contained. Apparently there was some secret stuff hidden within the very text of the book, like up and down the sides that kind of stuff but I couldn't figure it out :? I'll have to look it up. This must have confined her to use certain words in certain ways. Maybe this is what made it feel tight? (for lack of a better word) Like it could have been fleshed out further I guess? A reviewer described the book as a puzzle of poems. I liked it, but was never much of a puzzle person haha
• Wayward Son - Rainbow Rowell
• Blood Red Snow White - Marcus Sedgewick
• Heart of Iron - Ashley Poston
• Girls of July - Alex Flinn
• Snowflake, AZ - Marcus Sedgewick Didn't make it through :'( Sorry bro, just the pacing was all over the place I couldn't focus on it
• The Ruins of Gorlan - John Flanagan Getting into Ranger's Apprentice again! Enjoyed reading something that was a little more light-hearted but still has serious notes and is well written
• Quincredible - Rodney Barnes Loved it! Would like to see more in the future, such a great setting and likeable hero
• The Bone Queen - Alison Croggon Was surprised at how quickly the ending scene went - was expecting a more all-out battle but eh, still really great book. Wish she wrote more in this universe
• Anyway the Wind Blows - Rainbow Rowell I was waiting until the characters actually got 'likeable' (like they were really...pricks before lol. This book really saved it for me. Want more)
• SICK - Tom Leveen. Honestly enjoyed it - was definitely more graphic than I was expecting, but it was well-written. Made me feel a little scared to walk the halls, I could almost imagine a 'zombie' jumping out at me. Freaky! Liked the way the infection was described too. That made it more interesting and the zombies more humanized. Felt real.
• American Gods (Graphic Novel: Volume 1) Neat! Left me feeling the way most Gaiman books do. That is - odd. Like I've overheard gossip, or stories that I really have no business hearing? lol IT makes it feel like Gaiman is representing that all stories are worth telling. Makes you feel better about your own life - like someone would tell it kinda thing