May 2020 - Booked J | in the Land of Stories

Top Ten Tuesday: The Last Ten* Books I Abandoned (#91)

11:00 PM

I'm back! I needed a little break from posting for a while, but hello, I missed you guys, and it is time for TTT! (Going with a topic that I missed from earlier this month instead of today's prompt.) Welcome, welcome... to the DNF pile! I've only just started to bring myself to the point where I'll willingly DNF a book if I...

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Jasmine Guillory is Back and Better Than Ever | Review: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

3:57 PM

Get ready to swoon--the next installment of Jasmine Guillory's beloved romance series, The Wedding Date, is almost here! ...

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Vicious, Vivid and the Ultimate Prequel | Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

3:37 PM

I still hate the cover, and still wish we had a prequel for pretty much any character in The Hunger Games, but DANG--The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was actually REALLY good. Like, really good. ...

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My Big Source of Entertainment During Quarantine | Review: Crave by Tracy Wolff

3:12 PM

This is not a drill! My review of Twilight Crave is here! And guys, I don't know about you, but I had a lot of nostalgia infused fun with this one. (And some cringe, too, but that's okay. Because.. quarantine.) ...

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The Absolute Best Series Introduction by Maas | Review: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

1:25 PM

If you follow Booked J on any social media platform, you already know I'm a MASSIVE fan of SJM's A Court of Thorns and Roses series. (And that I have a lot of mixed, love-hate, feelings on Throne of Glass.) Well, I've got an update for you: House of Earth and Blood is one of her best series introductions to date, and Crescent...

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Delightfully Witty, Heartfelt and Apologetically Real | Blog Tour, Giveaway, Review + Playlist: The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigidar

6:30 AM

In other news: another one of my most anticipated 2020 YA releases DEFINITELY lived up to the hype. The Henna Wars is truly can't-miss-fiction. (So, duh, get it together and check it out. After reading my review, of course.) ...

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Thoroughly Adorable and Fun | Blog Tour, Review + Playlist: By the Book by Amanda Sellet

7:00 AM

Will I ever stop swooning over how adorable By the Book is? Look at that cover! Read that book! Tell me it's not a total gem. I dare you. ...

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Emotional and Charming | Review: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman

3:20 PM

Good news! I liked I Was Told It Would Get Easier a lot more than The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. (Which was one of my more disappointing reads of 2019, despite loving Abbi Waxman's prose.) ...

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Breathtakingly Honest and Painful | Review: What Unbreakable Looks Like by Kate McLaughlin

12:00 AM

What Unbreakable Looks Like tackles some seriously heavy topics and, as always, I encourage you to look into its content to avoid triggering any unwanted reactions/emotions. That being said: wow, this book is a force to be reckoned with. ...

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Charming, Hilarious and Delightfully Feminist | Blog Tour, Playlist + Review: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

7:30 AM

The day is finally here! One of my most anticipated YA contemporary novels is officially out in the wild! And I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour. Because, duh, The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is a total gem. ...

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Another Swoon-Worthy, Hilarious Sapphic Rom-Com! | Review: I Kissed Alice by Anna Birch

6:30 AM

I Kissed Alice is the WLW YA rom-com you've been waiting for. AND IT DEFINITELY LIVED UP TO THE HYPE I SET MYSELF UP WITH. ...

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Welcome to the Summer of 1977! | Review: Music from Another World by Robin Talley

6:30 AM

Music From Another World has made me discover this: I need, need, NEED, need to read more by Robin Talley. Like, immediately. Now. Yesterday. Please. ...

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A Powerful Story that is Truly Gorgeously Written | Review: Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab

6:00 AM

At first glance, I knew I wanted to snag a copy of Breath Like Water for two reasons. 1. The synopsis hooked me. 2. THE COVER IS A WORK OF ART THAT I CAN'T STOP LOOKING AT. ...

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april genevieve tucholke

Another Excellent Spin on the Arthurian Legend | Review: Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke

6:30 AM

April Genevieve Tucholke proves once again that she is a standout voice in YA literature with this gorgeous retelling of the Arthurian Legend. (No, I will never tire of good takes on this legend, okay?) ...

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Books, Aliens and Pop Music... Oh, My! | Review: The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

8:00 AM

Can you really go wrong with a book like The Sound of Stars? In my eyes? NOPE. Sign me. I'm smitten. I'm here for the long haul. ...

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Paris Never Leaves You Was Beautifully Written... but, Not For Me | Review: Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman

6:30 AM

I really wanted to like Paris Never Leaves You far more than I did. Alas, it was one of those books that was 'meh' for my personal preference, despite how beautifully it was written. ...

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child (#90)

11:00 PM

Yes! I'm doing last week's prompt (Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child) because I was taking a break from blogging and because I loved it/regret not doing it. Also, because I couldn't think of anything for this week's topic. So, here we are! Hope quarantine is going well for you guys--things are going to begin reopening around here over the...

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Sweet, Relatable and Highly Entertaining | Review: It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

7:30 AM

Me being the shallow gal that I am, I definitely "knew" I "needed" to read It Sounded Better in My Head when I saw the cover. Oops! (Look, sometimes it pays to be shallow. It does here because this book was super fun.) ...

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Hilarious and Electric--Genuinely Some of the Most Fun I've Had Reading in Ages | Review: The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

5:00 AM

Get ready to beat the quarantine blues with this laugh-out-loud novel! The Marriage Game is here to hit all the right marks and help you escape the now. ...

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An Incredibly Fast and Fun Read That is PERFECT for the Summer | Review: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

5:01 PM

The tagline had me at its comparison to Crazy Rich Asians. Because, er, well, reasons. Reasons I probably don't need to list! ...

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My Shameless Love of 'Bad' Things Continues! | Review: Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello

4:45 PM

With my binge reads and rereads of books such as Gossip Girl and V.C. Andrews' entire archives, you had to expect this one. I'm on a 'bad book/film/show' binge and does it get anymore "bad" than Valley of the Dolls? ...

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An Engaging Story of Slow-Burn Romance, Family and More | Review: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

4:08 PM

This book made me feel so many things in such a short span of time. My. Emotions. Are. On. High. ...

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The Sapphic Love-Story You've Been Waiting for! | Review: Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

3:45 PM

The time has nearly come! One of my most anticipated debut novels of the year, Something to Talk About, is just weeks away from publication. I promise you guys: it was worth the wait and I'm so totally smitten. ...

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A Sweet and Sometimes Cheeky Debut Novel | Review: Tiny Imperections by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

3:02 PM

*Insert endless babble about how adorable the cover of Tiny Imperfections is here* (But, really! This book was such a fun read and the cover is just... lovely. One of my favourites of 2020!) ...

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Welcome, Welcome

BOOKED J was created by a group of friends who wanted nothing more than to discuss literature with the world. In the time since, Booked J has gone through a number of changes in name and content.

Presently run by Jessica, a freelance writer, singer, Goodreads Librarian and avid reader, Booked J is--somehow--still going strong. With several years of book blogging under her belt, and a desire to work with the literary community in making it more diverse, she is always open to collaborations.

You can always find Jessica obnoxiously singing show-tunes into her morning coffee. When not reading or researching true crime, she is likely running around outside with her dogs and generally making a fool of herself.

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