In 2024, I’ve read 38 books so far.
The breakdown is:
3- Adult novels
0- Adult non-fiction
9- Graphic novels
2- Middle Grade novels
24- Picture Books and Board Books
0- Young Adult novels
of which
7- Nonfiction Picture Books
2- Audio Books
3- Books by Filipino Authors and/or Illustrators
4- Books by LGBTQ+ Authors and/or Illustrators
I reread the Amulet series to fully appreciate the final book in the series. Here were my quick reviews:
#1: The Stonekeeper- Still memorable as I recall how intense the series starts with a car accident. Immediately exciting and cinematic, especially the final scenes. I still recommend Amulet by saying it’s like a video game in book form.
#2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse- New world. New friends. New dangers. An exciting sequel with an amazing fight sequence.
#3: The Cloud Searchers: Loving the expanding world. At the edge of my seat with all the action sequences. Really upping the stakes.
#4: The Last Council- New locations. Secrets. Betrayals. Glad the next books are out already so I don’t have to wait to see what happens next.
#5: Prince of the Elves- Cinematic in scope and execution. There were some truly incredible spreads.
#6: Escape from Lucien- This one had a very different vibe. Storywise, it made sense to shake things up in a way as everything is starting to lead towards the final battle.
#7: Firelight- Wow! Emotional and exhilarating. Reminds me of how excited I was when I was watching the animated X-Men show in the 90’s and the Phoenix Saga storyline was on. Truly fire!
#8: Supernova- This felt like the calm before the storm. Even after rereading the entire series before the final book comes out, I can’t believe it’s all leading to one last showdown.
Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I appreciated the fact I was surprised by what happened- and what didn’t happen- in this book to wrap the series. I can only presume that this would have been a completely different kind of story had it been released years before and that time kind of dictated what it is. I need to know what other readers think so I can talk about it without spoiling anything.
Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A sweet queer retelling of The Little Mermaid. The illustrations were wonderful. You’ll want this book to be part of your world.
Expected US release date is April 2024.
Tiny Bear Can, Too! by Yusuke Yonezu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Adorable lift the flap board book that will keep babies moving!
How We Play by Dolisha Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This board book series is great for providing representations of all types of people coupled in this case with the different ways kids can play. Great backmatter with additional information and questions to engage the reader.
Haunted Holiday by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kiersten White has crafted a spooky middle grade series. Young horror fans will enjoy all the references. A fun and satisfying ending. The audiobooks are great.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I would totally watch a movie or mini-series of this. Such a good story between two creatives at the top of their games.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Asexuality by Molly Muldoon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
For some reason, I got it into my head to read the Quick & Easy Guides series. This was a good introduction to asexuality but reading more on the subject will definitely be beneficial. Luckily, it has good resources at the back of the book.
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have this problem of using the term “guys” as my default when talking to groups of people- like “What are you guys up to?” or “How are you guys doing?”- even when they aren’t guys at all. And when I’ve gone to certain events, I’ve been seeing the use of pronouns being included in name tags. This book is a quick but informative read for anyone middle grade and older who want to get a better understanding of gender pronouns.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This would be a great book to have as a reference guide because this is jampacked with information.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Consent by Isabella Rotman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For some reason, I got it into my head to read the Quick & Easy Guides series. This was a good and necessary introduction to consent aimed for high schoolers- although consent should be taught at a young age.
A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A. Andrews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
For some reason, I got it into my head to read the Quick & Easy Guides series. This was a good introduction dispelling myths and answering some questions regarding sex and disability.
You can view all my reviews over on Goodreads. Please consider supporting independent bookstores when you want to buy any of the books I’ve mentioned via Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Happy Reading!
The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer - Earl Dizon 