Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin

Synopsis:
A modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn't want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

Blog Tour: Stay A Little Longer by Dawn Lanuza (Review)

A BIG HELLO to you book wanderer who is reading my smol book blog! Today is my stop for the international blog tour for Dawn Lanuza's latest romance novel, "Stay a Little Longer"

Props to the amazing duo of Erika of The Nocturnal Fey and Rafael of The Royal Polar Bear Reads for organizing this tour.

PH Blog Tour: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (Review+Giveaway)

I am back, my book wanderer friends! I have risen from the book blogger crypts (or wherever place book bloggers lie when they are dead in the book blogging world) because I need to tell you about this new book by romance maven, Helen Hoang.

Huge thanks to Fay of Bibliophile Soprano for hosting the PH Blog Tour for "The Bride Test" by Helen Hoang.

10 Author-Character Lookalikes

Photo by elen aivali on Unsplash

CONFESSION TIME! The main reason that I am not big in participating book events is because I am extremely uncomfortable mingling with crowds of strangers. On the few book events that I have attended and recapped here on the blog, my sister was always with me. (Sissy, I love you. You are my rock.) I cannot always drag her to events tho. Thus one time, I braved going to a panel ALONE and WHAT HORROR! I was a BIG panicky mess inside. I was calming myself, taking deep breaths and half-wishing that I become invisible the entire time. The Gryffindor in me managed to ask questions to the panel and to quickly say hi to some book bloggers but the ordeal exhausted me so much to the point that on the way home tears are leaking incessantly down my face for no apparent reason. I am not certain if that was just my chronic shyness or if I am suffering from a case of social anxiety disorder (Full disclosure: I am not diagnosed). One thing I’m sure of is I don’t intend for a public meltdown to happen anytime soon. SO HELLO HERMIT LIFE!

Review: Fresh Ink: An Anthology by Lamar Giles

Fresh Ink: An Anthology
Edited by Lamar Giles

Synopsis:
In partnership with We Need Diverse Books, thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors come together in this remarkable YA anthology featuring ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print.

Careful--you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written--whose next chapters are up to you.

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang

Synopsis:
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Review: All My Lonely Islands by V.J. Campilan

All My Lonely Islands
by V.J. Campilan

Synopsis:

One crisp March evening, Crisanta and Ferdinand arrive on the remote Batanes islands for a mission: locate Graciella, whose son, Stevan, they saw die in a tragic accident a decade ago. But they need to confess something to her: Stevan’s death is not all what it seems. Oppressed by a decade of painful memories, Crisanta and Ferdinand must race against time—from the wild swamplands of the Sundarban forest in Bangladesh to the back alleys of Manila to the savage cliffs of Batanes—to offer Graciella the truth that they themselves cannot bear to face.

Review: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not

by Adam Silvera

Summary:
The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto -- miracle cure-alls don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can't forget how he's grown up poor or how his friends aren't always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough.

Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn't mind Aaron's obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past. But Aaron's newfound happiness isn't welcome on his block. Since he can't stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.

Review: Believarexic by J.J. Johnson

Believarexic

by J.J. Johnson

Summary:

In 1988, when she was fifteen, JJ Johnson was hospitalized for treatment of bulimarexia, a combination of bulimia and anorexia. During her ten-week stay, JJ had to eat everything on her tray, and took classes like "Assertiveness Training," "Depression Management," and "Body Image Workshop." She gained weight, but her path toward health was a constant struggle. In her heart, JJ knew-she knew-that she would be a happy, healthy adult one day.

But how? Instead of a clear path, there was a black abyss. She needed a guide, a mentor, someone who knew her inside and out.

So, one morning, just before weigh-in, JJ closed her eyes and made a deal with herself: