You know the drill by now. These are the best books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, music I’ve listened to, and other great things I’ve found during the months of February and March!
Books
Reminder: ALWAYS check trigger warnings before reading!
All summaries are shortened from the synopses on Goodreads.
Fantasy
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody (14+)
Enne Salta was raised as a proper lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave everything behind to follow her mother’s trail in the city where no one survives uncorrupted. She has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up an investment scam. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose.
Six of Crows x Caraval with the magic system of Red Queen
The “we’re forced to work together” trope
This one had me on the edge of my seat. The ending had me completely speechless
Levi Glaisyer is my king. That’s all. I love that man.
Contemporary
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver (14+)
When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're kicked out and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. Struggling with an anxiety disorder, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school. But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.
Friends to lovers
I knew probably two chapters in that this was going to be a 5-star read. I know I said I hate instalove, but me and this book? Instalove. Me and these characters? Instalove. This is more like a 100 out of 5 star read.
I spent the last 45 minutes reading this book sobbing. It was marvelous.
CW: anxiety, depression, parental abuse, misgendering, homophobia
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (14+)
Felix Love desperately wants to know what love is like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages, Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: landing in a quasi–love triangle. But as he navigates his feelings, Felix begins a journey of self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.
Online relationship, love triangle, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers
I absolutely adore Felix, and Kacen Callender blew this story out of the water. Spectacular.
I knew I was going to love this book before I even started, but I actually related to Felix so much, especially with his mindset about the future and taking risks
CW: homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, racism, cyber-bullying, parental abuse and neglect, drug and alcohol use
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (14+)
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship--the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Friends to lovers
Same as Felix Ever After, I went into this book knowing I’d love it, but I deeply related with Ari when it came to how he dealt with his emotions. And let’s also not forget Dante because I love that boy so much and I just want to give him a hug.
This story was told in such an endearing, almost nostalgic way and I just fell in love with the characters
Sad tears. Happy tears. This story is so beautiful. I think I cried on 3 or 4 separate occasions.
Sequel coming out later this year!
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (13+)
Frances Janvier spends most of her time studying. Everyone knows Aled Last as that quiet boy who gets straight As. You probably think that they are going to fall in love or something. They don’t. They make a podcast. In a world determined to shut them up, knock them down, and set them on a cookie cutter life path, Frances and Aled struggle to find their voices over the course of one life-changing year.
I am completely in love with this story and the characters. It’s always so nice to see a healthy, completely platonic friendship between two characters, and I connected to Frances and Aled immediately. They’re two halves of a whole. Platonic soulmates. They match each other.
And the representation? Fabulous. I love to see the queer + POC representation with the main cast, specifically the demisexual rep with one of the characters
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (12+)
Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more?
Graphic novel series
Friends to lovers
A really cute and quick read! I thought the narrative was beautifully crafted, and even though there were limited words, you were really able to get a sense of Charlie and Nick’s personalities. I love both of them with all of my heart.
CW: homophobia, f-slur, bullying, self-harm, eating disorder
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi (13+)
Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight-A student. She's the classic overachiever determined to win. Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead - Sana. There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a prank and has detested Sana ever since.
Enemies to lovers (and sapphic yay)
The story was told in a really creative way, with the backdrop of the story being Sana and Rachel working through a film project and interpreting the Odyssey through a different lens (reworking the perception of Helen of Troy as more than just a pretty face and exploring the idea of greater complexity in characters, instead of just the pretty girl being mean and the quiet girl being the underdog hero)
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales (13+)
Will Tavares is the dream summer fling, but just when Ollie thinks he's found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. To complicate the fairy tale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it's the same school Will goes to...except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn't the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted, and a bit of a jerk. Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn't ready for a relationship, especially since this new version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts "coincidentally" popping up in every area of Ollie's life, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening. But Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust Will with his heart again. Right?
Lovers to enemies-ish to lovers
If you liked Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, you’d definitely like this.
Something I loved about this book was that the side characters had stories of their own. For example, Niamh isn’t just Ollie’s friend. She’s an aspiring plus-size model who wants to make it in New York, but who struggles with PCOS and is contemplating whether to pursue a relationship with a guy when she’s just going to move away. No character is one-sided in this story, and I love that.
CW: terminal illness, homophobia
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (14+)
Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.
Beautiful writing and beautiful story
Sci-Fi
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He (14+)
Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her. STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth's last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she'll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.
This book made my jaw drop
I received an ARC for this book (thank you NetGalley!), but it’s out on May 4 so go check it out!
Movies/TV Shows
To All the Boys: Always and Forever: third and final movie in the TATB series; based off the books by Jenny Han, which I loved; has “Stanford is my safety school” energy but it was pretty cute
Music
“CHICKEN TENDIES” - Clinton Kane
"CWJBHN" - Jake Scott & Josie Dunne
“Tuesdays” - Jake Scott
“soggy cup noodles” - Emma Lin
“Let’s Go Home Together” - Ella Henderson & Tom Grennan
“Arcade” - Duncan Laurence
“Mr. Loverman” - Ricky Montgomery ft chloe moriondo
“Joshua Bassett” - Joshua Bassett (my faves: “Sorry”, “Heaven is You”, “Telling Myself”)
“Till Forever Falls Apart” - Ashe & Finneas
YouTube Channels
Sophia Borges: all-star cheerleader who makes lifestyle content, cheer content, and vlogs
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