https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0 en-us 2018-09-27 18:57:23 UTC 2023-01-23 23:05:42 UTC hello@padlet.com anaik965 https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/292592559 Title: Coffeehouse Angel
Author: Suzanne Selfors
Genre: Fiction/Romance


Katrina works at her grandmother's struggling coffee shop, barely surviving as a result of the popular new shop that opened just next to theirs. One night, while taking out the trash, she meets a boy sleeping in the alleyway behind her the coffee shop. She speculates about what he might be doing there, but ultimately decides that she should give him some food and coffee from the shop, which he takes and disappears with. Over the next many days, the angel, Malcom, attempts to give her the one thing she truly wants– only she doesn't know what it is, and neither does he. Over the course of the book, Katrina has to save her grandmother's coffee shop, deal with an unpleasant type of fame, and deal with the people (and angels) around her. First, she wishes for luck, but that is given to her best friend, Vincent, and it ends badly for her and her grandmother's coffee shop. Then, she wishes for fame, but that has the same result. What will happen at the end? Will Katrina find what she really wants in life? And what will happen on Malcom? Read Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors  find out.

This is much like other teenage romance novels, and could probably be turned into a rom-com for Netflix. The only purpose the author seemed to have for writing this book was to give readers something lighthearted to read. This book specifically reminded me of a lot of different fantasy novels, because of the inclusion of angels. However, the real-world problems that Katrina faces are problems that many people probably face on a daily basis. Her grandmother's coffee shop, the only source of income for the two of them, was being jeopardized by the new, more popular shop. Her "teenage" problems, involving best friends and boys seemed to be something many real people face. Katrina's parents also passed away, and her grandmother is her only guardian. Not having parents for one reason or another is something that happens to many people in the world.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate this book a 7. It was funny at times, gave me feelings of secondhand embarrassment, and was a nice, light book to read in a day or two. This would be a good book for people who like the idea of the paranormal but are not at all into scary books or movies. People who enjoy watching romantic comedies like To All The Boys I've Loved Before would also enjoy this. Overall, it's a lighthearted novel without much depth in the plot, but a fun book nevertheless.]]> 2018-10-14 20:52:29 UTC https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/292592559 anaik965 https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/313230867 Title: Symptoms of Being Human
Author: Jeff Garvin
Genre: Fiction

Riley Kavanaugh is the child of a politician who is running for re-election, a new transfer to public school, and genderfluid. A part of the LGBTQ+ community, they don't conform to the gender binary and is mercilessly bullied for their identity. On their first day of school, while discussing their gender audibly and rudely, a classmate says of Riley, "'Yeah, but look what it's wearing'" (5). As Riley copes with the new change in their life, their therapist also recommends starting an anonymous blog to show the internet what living in their shoes is like. 'Alix', Riley's pseudonym, soon gains an incredible amount of popularity online, but then, somebody who knows that Alix is Riley threatens to reveal their secret. Over the course of Symptoms of Being Human, Riley has to come to terms with who they are, what they are willing to risk for happiness, and how they want to change how the world sees the LGBTQ+ community. Will Riley stay safe in an environment as judgmental as theirs? What will happen to their father's campaign? And will those around Riley accept them? Read Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin to find out.

This was a book designed to make readers think about the lives of people who are not straight or cisgender, and how drastically they differ from what society considers the norm. It shows the reader how every moment of a closeted LGBTQ+ person is filled with fear. Riley says, "All at once, the fear from last night- that somehow he knows about my blog, that he'll expose me- comes rushing back, and I look down and walk faster" (122). The fear of being outed rather than coming out on one's own terms is so tremendous. This book is written in a way that shows people who do not have to come out what every second of being closeted is like. This is a book that shows a perspective that is not usually seen in mainstream media, one of a transgender and genderfluid person. Throughout the whole book, Riley's pronouns are respected, and unlike some stories that attempt to include genderfluodity, it never reveals what gender Riley was assigned at birth. It respectfully addresses their pronouns, not to remain 'mysterious' about the gender Riley was assigned, but to remain respectful of the validity of the spectrum of gender identities.

In my opinion, this book is a 10 out of 10, and a must read. The way Jeff Garvin addresses the lives that many people live is incredibly respectful and validates many young members of the LGBTQ+ community, yet it educates people who don't know much about the community immensely. It also shows that there will always be people who never accept the community, and how overcoming that is difficult, but possible. Symptoms of Being Human is a light read that also strives to educate the world about a marginalized group of people.]]> 2018-12-11 01:55:54 UTC https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/313230867 anaik965 https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/343624095 https://vocaroo.com/i/s1HoO7zaxdhq ]]> 2019-03-21 04:05:21 UTC https://padlet.com/anaik965/rlkogb1pg2t0/wish/343624095