I am super excited to talk about this adorably gay contemporary with y'all. Becky's writing is one of my favorites, and despite this being my first Adam Silvera book, I'm very eager to check out some of his books. If anyone has read an Adam book, please let me know which one I should pick up first! She asks as if her tbr pile isn't haunting her enough already.

The Plot

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that was so cute and light and funny that you didn't want to finish it because you didn't want it to end? This book was that for me. It wasn't something super groundbreaking as compared to Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. In a way, I felt like it was more simple than that. You know what I mean? The characters are what really made the story.

The Characters

Writing Style 

Creativity 

I don't think the story itself was super creative and unique... In a way it was, yes. Because there certainly aren't a lot of light gay rom coms out in the world. The story didn't center around the subject of their sexuality or coming out-- it was just a meet-cute love story about two boys! I really liked that and it makes me even more excited for the movie to come out (hehe pun not intended).

Aesthetic

Pace

Cover

SO CUTE. CAN'T EVEN. OH MY PRECIOUS BOYS. <3333 Whoever did the cover design... Can you please move into my home and draw my favorite characters every day? Thanks. ^-^

Overall

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? ARE YOU A FAN OF BECKY OR ADAM'S WRITING? Which book of Adam's should I read first? DO YOU FLAIL OVER CUTE ROM COMS? BECAUSE SAME. 

Caution warnings

I got Love & Gelato a little while ago and I didn't know much about it but recently, I had been seeing it around on the interweb so I decided to finally read it! I'm glad I did because it was the perfect summer read.

It's a really cute story that takes place in Italy with a lot of city-exploring, gelato, and Italian style pizza. I really loved the vivid description of Italy, it made me feel like I was lying in bed and watching a romcom on Netflix, but... there really should have been more gelato and pizza discussions. LIKE COME ON. 

But this one had a little bit of an exciting romantic sort-of-riddle to it. The main concept is that Lina goes to Italy to stay with her father, whom she has never met, after her mom dies and tries to piece together why her parents had broken up by reading through her mom's journal entries.

The Characters

And I loved his relationship with Lina. They started off as great friends and their personalities just CLICK. It was perfect! I just wish that the story focused on them a bit more rather than her mother's past... I mean, don't get me wrong, I love how her mother's past ties in with the rest of the story but IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS MISSING. Maybe not missing but I felt like it could have been better in a way?

there's this adorable little gelato place near where i live and sometimes i bike there to get spaghetti sundaes (yes, you heard me) or my second favorite, strawberry gelato.

The Writing 

Overall

Plot: 6.5/10 

Characters: 8/10

Writing style: 6/10

Creativity: 7/10

Pace: 5/10

Cover: 10/10

Conclusion: cute cute cute

TALK TO ME!

What are some cute summer reads you've enjoyed? DOES ANY OF THEM REMIND YOU OF A NETFLIX MOVIE BECAUSE SAME. Do you feel like some of them could have been... better? DO YOU LIKE MY BOOKISH CHATS? Please let me know! I'd hate to bore you. 

xx Kenzie

The Upside of Unrequited is about a girl who has always had a crush on someone from afar (26 crushes total) but she's never tried to fulfill those crushes due to her fear of rejection. When Molly's twin sister, Cassie, gets her first girlfriend and is head over heels, Molly suddenly feels distant from Cassie. Cassie tries to set Molly up with her girlfriend's best friend in hopes of saving their bond as sisters but Molly has someone else in mind...

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing Style: 10/10

Creativity: 8/10

Pace: on the "little quick" side

Cover: LOVE

Overall: supah cute. squeal worthy 

This book contained MAJOR sister/sibling representation. If anyone was looking for a cute read about family relationship, this would be your book. I find that it's really important to have books that do focus on the family aspect of characters because THAT'S REAL LIFE, YO. PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE FAMILIES. YEP, I KNOW. I'M JUST AS SHOCKED. But yeah, this book was more about Molly's relationship with her sister than it was about the rooooooomance. (Even though there was some super cute romance- Hang on, you'll see.)

TALK TO ME!

SHOULD I DO A BOOK CHAT ABOUT LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT? Do you think family representation in books is important? WHY? Do you have a sibling (or siblings) you are super close to? I DO! Have you ever felt like a late bloomer? BECAUSE SAME. What are some books you've read that aren't super "omg-this-just-changed-my-entire-existence" but really enjoyable and just good to read? Let me know! :) 

xx Kenzie 

The Hate U Give is about sixteen-year-old Starr who lives in a poor neighborhood but attends a private school where she is constantly balancing two different version of herself. After witnessing her best friend get shot by a police officer, Starr has to deal with the pressure of speaking up against the hurtful headline directed toward her friend. What she does and does not do, will affect her life. 

Plot: 9.5/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing Style: 10/10

Creativity: 9/10

Cover: 10/10

Overall: asdfghjkl love 

The Hate U Give was one of those books you read and you think about long after you've finished it. It's definitely a classic and is SO worth reading. It made me laugh. It gave me the chills. It made me understand and feel more appreciative towards the topic of race and police/gun violence- which is something hard to tackle but Angie Thomas did it soooo well.

The book pretty much starts right off with the main character (Starr) who is the eyewitness of her best friend's murder. I was kind of expecting the book to go through a series of big events which would eventually lead to the climax but instead, it focused more on Starr's daily life after the shooting and her fighting the fear to speak up.

And I'm pretty sure you can guess what my favorite part of the book was. ;) YES SIR, YOU KNOW ME SO WELL. It was... THE CHARACTERRRSSSS!!!!! I honestly found myself laughing A LOT. I loved, loved, LOVED the writing and narration style. It felt like Starr was actually talking to you and making sarcastic side comments.

The best. 

lol don't ask me what is in the water there, i have absolutely no idea

And can I just say how much I love her family?? FAMILY REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS IS SO IMPORTANT. They were all so supportive and caring for one another. I just devoured every scene with them. And honestly? You don't need to have a book with all these big scenes that are supposed to leave your heart racing-- all you need are scenes to make you fall in love with the story. UMMM CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW CUTE HER BROTHER SEVEN IS? AND DEVANTE?! AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HER UNCLE CARLOS (honestly, husband goals). Oh, and CHRIS? LOVE THAT BOY. He was so freaking cute, I can't even.

I really admired Starr's character, too. She had her sassy and sarcastic side, but she also had her sensitive side. Like, this girl was not afraid to cry AND I LOVED THAT. I loved how she was fighting this crazy amount of fear and learning that you can be brave and scared at the same time. It was so realistic.

Another thing I really liked about this book was that it showed both sides of the story. If that makes sense? I mean, obviously, there is the ONE side of the story but it wasn't afraid to shine a light on every aspect. For instance, it showed how hard it is for someone to get wrapped up in gangs and how difficult it is to get out of them. I have so much respect towards Angie for being able to put this on paper.

This book was a breath of fresh air and is a MUST read. It makes me want to march around with signs and tell the world to just loVE ONE ANOTHER PLZ.

TALK TO ME!

What are some YA books that you KNOW will be classics? ARE THERE ANY THAT YOU STILL THINK ABOUT TODAY? Am I the only one who wants The Hate U Give movie ASAP?? I thought it came out next month but now I have to wait until October. Grrr. But Amandla is the perfect Starr like... yasss kween. 

xx Kenzie 

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

Thank you so much, Kate, for allowing me to be part of the team and read the second book to THE BLOOD RACE series. I seriously devoured this book and I cannot for everyone else to enjoy it as much as I did!*

I’ve decided to start giving my book reviews comprehensive ratings as well so let’s start with those, shall we? Then, I have some AESTHETICS for you! Because who doesn't love aesthetics?

*Since I am part of the launch team and did receive an ARC of Worlds Beneath, I have to disclaim that this is an honest review and all in my own words. 

Plot: 9.5/10
Characters: 10/10
Setting: 9.5/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Creativity: 10/10
Book cover: GORGEOUS
Overall: 100000000/10 

What made the second installment in The Blood Race series so incredibly amazing was THE CHARACTERS. 

Of course, the overall theme of the book is so unique and captivating compared to everything else I've read, but I feel as though what captured me the most were the characters. I have to admit that Hawk was probably my favorite in Worlds Beneath. We get to uncover so much of her story and the flashbacks really added to the built of her character... In the first book, Fin was my favorite. He still is- you get to see and witness so much more of him in this book and it'S FREAKING FABULOUS.
But now I’m having conflictions with who I ship Hawk with. o-o I really liked Icarus a lot more in this book as well. In the first book, I couldn’t see a relationship between he and Hawk. I didn’t ship that ship... but now, I actually really like them together. (I love to ship all the ships so this aspect is very important to me if you hadn't notice.)

I feel as if I enjoyed the setting in this book much more than the first. 

I really enjoyed seeing what is below the ravine. Everything was described so vividly and made me feel as if I was really there. I am a sucker for vivid storytelling plus #ForestAesthetic so I was very pleased with this aspect of the story.

If I had one word to describe this book it would be POWERFUL 

The emotions from the characters and the whole storyline were so strong and I really, really loved that. Kate’s writing style is AMAZING. She really made me feel what the characters were feeling and I’m not gonna lie... My heart was racing (lol blood race pun).

This book also tackles ethical/political dilemmas which is so nice to see in a fictional pick given that we have to face these types of problems in our everyday life.

If you’ve already read The Blood Race, I highly, highly, recommend reading Worlds Beneath.  

It is so worth it and it builds up so much more to come. Plus, THE ENDING... THE ENDING. I remember finishing the book and just sitting there with my mouth hanging open. Kate really knows how to leave you hanging.

CHECK OUT THE EPIC TRAILER!

Dude. This trailer left me with chills. By far the best book trailer I have ever seen. I'm honestly not surprised Abbie made it because she's just that awesome.

The Blood Race (The Blood Race #1) by K.A. Emmons

Worlds Beneath (The Blood Race #2) by K.A. Emmons

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Have you read The Blood Race? Are you excited for book 2? READY FOR BOOK 3 LIKE ME?? Because I'm kinda dying over here. 

xx Kenzie

We're All Just a Garden Full of Souls is Julia Ryan's second poetry book and is everything you will ever need.

While reading this book, I could feel my soul eating up every single character of every single word on every page. 

And if that didn't convince you to pick up this beautiful piece of perfection, then maybe this will...

INTERVIEW TIME!

Thank you so much for joining us here at Paper Pizza, Juila. I hope your stay wasn't too cheesy... *snickers* Anywho. I should probably shut up and give everyone what they came for, huh?

Have you always wanted to write poetry? Or was it something that just sort of happened?

Truthfully, I have not always written poetry, nor have I really ever wanted to. I remember having to scribble down some for schoolwork as a kid. I actually didn’t mind, while others were whining about it lol! Also, I would come up with these “songs”. I thought it was a silly phase for a long while, but maybe that was the beginning? I truly feel like it just happened on a larger scale two summers ago though.  

What inspires you most to write?

The beautifully broken and incomplete, yet running wild in a field of flowers people. 99% of the time I’m having a conversation with a friend, or see a moment in somebody’s life and I have words flowing rapidly, needing to be written down. This is a major problem because I can’t always stop what I’m doing to do so!! (aka at work :P)

I feel you, my dude. So, what is something we don't know about you? (Aside from writing really beautiful poetry asdfghjkl.)

Oh dear. Probably lots yiiikes. I don’t like snakes, I love showering people with gifts of food, I’ve kept a solid journal since I was 8 (I have little scribbles from when I was 6 tho), I am not a fan of spicy foods, and long section of numbers are easier for my to memorize than short ones. Hehee incredibly random!

How do you see the world?

Two days ago, it was an “oh God give us peace in this troubled land” kind of day. Yesterday, I saw the world as one big ray of sunshine even though it was pouring rain. And, today I’m tired but the feeling of yesterday lingers on. The world changes immediately after I come to the conclusion of how I see it. I’m afraid we will never be able to truly see.

The cover of We're All Just a Garden Full of Souls is simply gorgeous. Can you talk to us about that a little bit?

OH. YES YES YES. darling kenzie, I could talk about that all day. Yellow has become a color that screams happiness to me at this moment in my life. I knew the cover had to include that somehow. I truthfully started to layer things on top of each other, and this cover came to be. I worked hooooouuurrrssss on it. Before work, after work, the weekend, you name it, I was doing it. lol! It was really fun to show the progress to my family + close friends as I perfected it. They helped me soooo much.

The title also has a really fun story behind it. I was brainstorming with my sister, Sarah, about novels and such things when I suddenly heard “WE ARE ALL JUST A GARDEN FULL OF SOULS”. I scribbled it down fast, thinking “k, that will probably become part of a poem.” But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this was meant to be my books title! I kid you not, I burst with creativity once that hit me. I had been stuck for awhile and BOOM. God inspires.

For those who have yet to read this beautiful masterpiece, what are three things readers should expect from it? 

1.       well, lots of words. lololol but truly, lots of hard words. sad ones, some that don’t make sense unless you’ve lived through a very similar valley, others that might make you smile or laugh for how odd they are, but words fill the pages entirely. (that and my heart xx)

2.       also....expect a few typos. A friend of mine pointed out a few typos in the book, to which I replied with *facepalm* lol!! Maybe someday I’ll have everything in my life neat and tidy? Nah, probably not, right?

3.       And, lastly, I would hope that you would expect to be able to carry this book basically everywhere you go! It’s honestly the most darling book size I’ve ever held.

It does make me want to carry it with me wherever I go! Now, can you describe your aesthetic in ten words or less? 

Sunsets that send the sky into a flurry of pastels. (BOOM. 10 words exactly. That was hard o.o LOL)

What is your MBTI type? (I'm a psychology nerd hehe.)

I originally tested as an ISTP, but lately, I’ve found myself to be slightly more extroverted? But, E/ISTP is 100% me and it’s almost scary lol!!! (also SAME. What are you???!?!)

I'm an INFJ but I was originally tested as an ISTP! (Or was it ISFJ?) But those are the most extroverted introvert types! Anywho. Where do words come to you the most? (For me, it's the shower.)

When I’m almost asleep (urgh) or driving (double urgh. I literally repeat the words over and over to myself so I don’t forget them until I get to where I’m going so I can write them down lol!)

Should we expect more from our favorite poet, Julia Ryan?

First off, KENZIE YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE ME CRY. And, to answer you question, yes.. Julia Ryan is quite attached to her poetry at the moment. I’m trying to make time for two extra projects including “WE’RE ALL JUST A GARDEN FULL OF SOULS” at the moment, plus working 3 jobs. I’m getting there, slowly!! So, be on the lookout xxx

What is something you are super proud of?

All the people I come into contact with that surge over the drowning waves CONSTANTLY, yet inspire me and touch others. I’m proud of the kindness that is in that and I’m proud to be apart of a community that supports it.

I really like your clothes. Can I shop in your closet?

Okay, this literally made me grin. THANK YOU. And hmmmm, that might just be possible someday!

What is something you've always wanted to do?

For the longest time, it was fly in an airplane. I accomplished that last year and now I would probably say on a huge dream list, eat gelato in Italy, hike in Ireland, LIVE IN SWITZERLAND. Ya know, little things lol. On a more day to day thing, I would say start a community garden.

Ideal date??

FELL ONTO FLOOR LAUGHING AT THIS ONE. XD probably something that includes ice cream? I mean, that’s kinda my thing. Jsyk world. ;)

And the final, most important and crucial, question of the interview... Do you like pizza?

I ate two slices yesterday and wanted it for lunch today, does that answer your question? Xxxxx

Whelp. You won me over! Any last words to the readers?

I post every Wednesday over at the barefoot gal. My poetry blog, Twilight to Dawn, has sporadic posting, which often includes pictures/random notes about the poem.

WHERE YOU CAN GET THIS BOOK

If you would like to purchase my book, here is the blog post I did at the time of its release. or you could jump to: http://www.lulu.com/shop/julia-ryan/were-all-just-a-garden-full-of-souls/paperback/product-23611253.html

Also; use the code FIFTEEN for 15% off until June 28th @ 11:59pm!

Thank you thank you, THANK YOU, Kenzie for interviewing me. Thank you for becoming one of those supporters that I tell others about when they go “so, what keeps you going in this venture?” Thank for telling me that you love my words. Thank you for inspiring.

GO OUT AND SMILE IN THIS DETERIORATING WORLD, MY FRIENDS. 

Forever a friend, 

Julia Ryan

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and for being such a lovely creator. And for those who have yet to read your amazing work... IT IS SO WORTH IT.

TALK TO ME!

What is your favorite type of poetry? FAVORITE POET? Are you familiar with Julia Ryan's words? HAVE YOU READ THIS ASTOUNDING BOOK YET THAT GOES PERFECTLY WITH MY INSTAGRAM THEME?? if not then idk what you're doing. 

xx Kenzie  

But it was so worth the wait.

So, I don't know if you already know this but I really flipping LOVE this book.

I take back every single word I just said.