simon vs the homosapien’s agenda

5 Favourite Contemporaries

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

So these are a few contemporary books that I have read that I really enjoyed. Its not a genre that I generally lean towards but I have been trying of late to broaden my horizons so they definitely are on my radar. I gave all of these books 4 stars and I would definitely recommend them if you haven’t picked them up!

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia – I really felt like this book is necessary at this moment in time. The representation is wonderful and I felt like Eliza really embodies the struggle of the everyday teen in the cyber world today. Being outed online and then having to deal with the immense pressure and the anxiety that came with it felt real to me!

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Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda really showcases the emotional anguish and turmoil of a young gay man in our cyber society today. It was still witty and effervescent and I love the references to pop culture, this was a great book!

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Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry – I actually only read this book today and I was actually pretty impressed. I liked the commentary about religion and how everyone is capable and willing to believe whatever they want you just need to respect their wishes. I thought Michael was very entertaining to read from and even though he is so open with his atheism he is willing to have an honest and raw conversation about the beliefs of his peers and their reasoning.

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They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – I loved the concept of this book; it really had me intrigued from the start! The fact that we are basically already spoiled on the ending yet the book was still compelling enough for me to continue reading really shows how wonderful the writing is. The characters really stole the show for me, they complemented each other perfectly and the tragic nature of the story really made me connect with them more!

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Turtles all the Way Down by John Green – This was my first ever John Green book and I was pleasantly surprised. I found Aza to be a super relatable character and I actually really enjoyed the plot. It was very fast paced and kind of all over the place but that kind of made it more realistic for me.

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Wrap Ups

August Wrap Up

August 31, 2018November 21, 2018by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

This month I’ve had a lot going on and I haven’t been able to read as many books as I would have preferred. That being said I did complete 6 books this month that I absolutely loved and haven’t been able to stop talking about for the last couple of weeks. I do have reviews on all of these books up on my blog at the moment so feel free to click on the titles and check them out!

Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill – ⭐️4/5 stars

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner – ⭐️4/5 stars

Poison Study by Maria V Snyder – ⭐️4/5 stars

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – ⭐️4/5 stars

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas – ⭐️5/5 stars

Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – ⭐️4/5 stars

All in all it was a pretty great reading month for me. I lucked out and ended up pretty much loving every single book that I read. There is usually one or two books where I’m kind of like ‘eh’, but I honestly enjoyed my time reading every single one of these. Fingers crossed my luck continues onto next month and the rest of the year!

Happy Reading 📚

Reviews

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Review

August 27, 2018November 21, 2018by amyleighreads2 Comments

*Non Spoiler Review*

Oh Simon…

51YD0qrSr6L._SX328_BO1204203200_ This book follows Simon a 16 year old boy who is gay but hasn’t told anyone yet. Another boy in his grade finds out and makes thinly veiled threats about outing him unless he sets him up with one of Simon’s best friends.

This was a very fast paced, fluffy, feel good kind of book. However, there was also an undercurrent of emotional turmoil and anguish. I thought it was very well written and really evoked the frustration and confusion that Simon was experiencing at the time.

I loved the dialogue and the conversations used in the book, I thought it was witty and humorous and kept me thoroughly entertained. The characters were very well thought out and there was a depth to all of them, they all served a purpose in the novel and really added layers to the narrative. I also enjoyed the pop culture references and the use of music to help evoke how Simon was feeling.

There were times when Simon kind of got on my nerves, just a little too self absorbed but I think we definitely see him grow and realise his flaws and work towards being a better person which I appreciated. I also loved how he came into himself towards the end of the book especially when he finally shows how comfortable he is in his sexuality.

I liked the mystery aspect that Becky Albertalli added with the emails between Simon and Blue. I think it really allowed Simon to open up and express himself and show the softer, true side of him that he doesn’t really show to the world. It also was a fun way for the reader to try and dig through the list of characters to try and figure out who Blue is.

I also thought Simon’s sisters were fantastic. They were really supportive of him throughout this transition period in Simon’s life and the fact that they didn’t treat him any differently after he came out and just accepted him for the person he is really showed how much they love and trust him.

All in I thought it was a great book; I actually finished it all in one sitting so it is a very quick read. I loved that we see this in Simon’s perspective as a young gay man and how difficult it is for him in today’s cyber society and in a social environment like school.

⭐️4/5 stars a fun, quick, important read!

Updates

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

August 22, 2018November 21, 2018by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

I am finally going to be picking this up and starting it this week! Ever since the movie adaptation came out earlier this year I have been seeing this book everywhere. I don’t really read a whole lot of contemporary simply because it’s not my favourite genre, but I do like to dip me toes in every now and then and pick one up that seems to be popular at the moment and see how I like it. I have heard absolutely nothing but good things about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and I am looking forward to getting into this and seeing whether or not the hype behind it is justified in my opinion. As far as I know it’s about Simon a homosexual male in high school who hasn’t come out to anyone yet but someone finds out and threatens to expose him… I am excited to get started and I will definitely be getting back to you soon with my thoughts and review.

Happy Reading 📚

TBR

August TBR

August 14, 2018November 21, 2018by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

Since it is already the 14^th August I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself to read another 8 books this month but I do still want to give myself some form of structure for the rest of the month and have a goal to achieve. So for the rest of August I have four books that I would really like to finish. A couple have been on my TBR for a very long time now and I’m at the point where I am ready to get stuck in!

The first book that I would like to read this month is Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. This is the second book in the Stormlight Archives. I just finished The Way of Kings last month and absolutely loved it, so I definitely want to continue on in this series and see what is going to happen next. Even if I don’t completely finish Words of Radiance as it is over 1000 pages, just getting started will be a pass for me!

The second book on my TBR is Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas. I read the Throne of Glass series earlier this year and I actually really enjoyed it. I’ve been sitting on Tower of Dawn ever since as Chaol wasn’t really a favourite character of mine and I felt like Nesryn was just kind of thrown into the mix very suddenly and I didn’t quite gel with her. However, I’ve heard nothing but high praise for Tower of Dawn so I figure just give it a read and see how I feel.

The third book I’m hoping to complete in August is To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. I’ve seen this book floating around for the last few months now and it has me intrigued. The premise really appeals to me. I just recently read The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw a few months ago and was really captivated by it and this book seems like it fits into the same category from what I’ve heard. One of those dark, atmospheric, YA fantasy books that I think would be right up my alley.

The last book that I would like to have finished by the end of this month is Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I don’t read a lot of contemporary so every now and then I like to throw in a contemporary book to kind of cleanse my palate from all the fantasy that I read. Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda has been quite a staple in the contemporary world since it was published in 2015 but ever since the movie came out at the start of this year I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and everyone has been talking about it, so I thought it was high time I gave it a read.