Show Us Your Books + Big Birthday Giveaway of Books!

Posted May 12, 2020 by shooting in Book Review, Giveaway / 63 Comments

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I’m here with Jana and Steph to share some of the books I’ve been reading in the last month (or at least finally reviewing in the last month). Come chat books with me!

Show Us Your Books: May 2020

I haven’t been reading as much as I normally do, but I still feel like my reading is going okay. I’m not sharing everything I’ve read in the past month, because I have some individual review posts for those that I want to share soon. Don’t worry – I’ll recap them next month for Show Us Your Books if you miss the initial post!

Affiliate Note: Before I dive in I wanted to let you know that I’m now an affiliate for Bookshop.org, which means I get a small percent if you order from any of those links (at no extra charge to you!). You can check out my Book Shop with some recommendation lists right now if you wish. Bookshop.org is a great way to support local bookstores!

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

Man, this one really hit me in the feels. I actually read the entire thing in one day, which is a bit rare for me (unless the book is a graphic novel, and this is not) so that shows how much I was invested in these characters. I really liked the diversity throughout, and I think the almost simplistic writing style worked really well for the story. I definitely wanted to grab both boys and just hug them for hours.

Buy Gone, Gone, Gone from Bookshop.org Today!

Man Up by Kim Oclon

Brief Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, which focuses on David trying to get through his senior year of high school without having to come out. He’s been dating Tyler, who is on the track team, for six months, but he knows people aren’t going to like it if someone on the baseball team is found out to be gay, so he keeps it quiet. His family knows, but his best friend doesn’t.

You can read my Full Review – along with my Make it a Gift option!

Buy Man Up at Bookshop.org today!

 

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What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Brief Thoughts: I could definitely relate to Maisie in a lot of ways – really liking a guy but not having them be interested in you (and then them being interested in your skinnier, prettier best friend) – oh yes, this has happened to me. I understand Maisie’s frustration, but she also wanted her friend, Anna, to be happy, so she couldn’t kick up a fuss and tell Anna to not hang out with Sebastian. However, because of Anna and Sebastian pairing off, this leads to Maisie kind of growing into a new person.

Check out my Full Review – and DIY Journal Ideas!

Buy a copy of What I Like About Me from Bookshop.org!

 

 

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Happyface by Stephen Emond

Brief Thoughts: I loved that the book really looks like Happyface’s sketchbook – you get lots of black and white illustrations among the story. It really brings the world of Happyface alive. Like I said above, not everything is happy in his world though. There is a bit of a mystery through a lot of the book – a mystery I didn’t even realize was there most of the time! I loved this though, because it does really hit you more, I think, when things are suddenly revealed.

Check out my Full Review of Happyface!

Buy your own copy of Happyface from Bookshop.org

 

 

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Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz, illustrated by Thomas Pitilli

Brief Thoughts: Reading the beginning of this book, I thought Bruce looked Asian, so it was a pleasant surprise to read that his mom is actually Asian. It’s a departure from the original tales, but I thought it was a really cool one. Why can’t we add some diversity to these predominately white characters?

While the book does follow Bruce a lot, Gotham High is actually narrated by Selina, which was kind of fun. I liked being in her head and seeing the world through her eyes. I will say that the overall mystery was a bit easy to guess, but it didn’t bother me.

Check out my Full Review of Gotham High!

Buy your own copy of Gotham High from Bookshop.org 

 

 

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The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Brief Thoughts: Despite it being upsetting, I did appreciate learning more about this time period in U.S. history. I didn’t realize that so many people from China came to the U.S. when the Civil War was over because they could no longer keep slaves. The Chinese people were just substitutes and still viewed as lesser than.

Check out my Full Review of The Downstairs Girl

Buy your own copy of The Downstairs Girl from Bookshop.org! 

And there you have it – a look at some of the books I’ve read in the past month (minus The Downstairs Girl, but I hadn’t posted my review of it yet!)

It’s Giveaway Time!

I turn 30 on May 30th – yes, my golden birthday – and I want to celebrate by giving some of you lovely people gifts!! Be sure to follow my social media for a couple more giveaways coming this month, but for now, I thought today’s post would be a great place to share this one!

Prize: up to $35 in books from Book Outlet (if you’ve never used the site, feel free to utilize my affiliate link to get $10 off your first order of $25 or more – free shipping when you hit $35)

Open To: USA and Canada

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter – giveaway ends on Sunday, May 31st! 

  • this post is not sponsored by Book Outlet – I’m using my own money to buy the books
  • not responsible for lost or damaged items once I order them
  • must be 13+ to enter with parental permission, unless you’re 18+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

63 responses to “Show Us Your Books + Big Birthday Giveaway of Books!”

  1. Carly

    Happy (early) Birthday! This is such a good assortment of books- I just added What I LIke About Me to my tbr- I’ve been wanting to read more YA.

    Reply
    • Carly

      and I’ve never used Book Outlet before but always hear about it. Long Bright River is my latest read that I’d definitely recommend.

      Reply
  4. Linda Romer

    Happy Birthday! I don’t believe I have. I just finished Wilde in Love by Eloisa James, it was very good. Thank you

    Reply
    • Chelsea B.

      Happy birthday!!!
      I loooooove book outlet! Been awhile since I ordered from there. But always a treat to.

      Reply
  5. Nancy @ NY Foodie Family

    Happy Early birthday! I just added The Downstairs Girl to my to read list. It sounds like an interesting read and a period of history that I don’t know much about. I have never bought books from Book Outlet before. I just finished an ARC of the Best of Friends that I would recommend!

    Reply
  9. Danielle Hammelef

    I shopped Book Outlet last year and bought way too many books that were on my backlist. I recently read and loved The How and The Why by Cynthia Hand.

    Reply
  10. Charlotte

    Oooh great reviews, Lauren! A few of these titles I recognize from you sharing but there are a few new-to-me that I haven’t yet heard of (but would really like to check out, like Gone Gone Gone). Thanks for this and hope you’re enjoying the books on your shelf (me too, lately though I did have one clunker).

    Reply
  11. Tanya @ A Mindful Migration

    Happy Early Birthday to you! So cool that you’re doing a giveaway to celebrate too. Love the pic with the kitty. I am a sucker for tuxedo cats and love big white paws too! The Downstairs Girl sounds interesting – adding it to my TBR.

    Reply
  14. Dani

    Manu Up sounds cute, but Gone, Gone, Gone sounds like a must read for sure. And a golden birthday- how exciting! Happy early birthday!

    Reply
  25. Shea

    Happy early birthday! Some of these sound really good, I’m intrigued by Gone, Gone, Gone. I LOVE Book Outlet! I just ordered from them for the first time a couple of weeks ago!

    Reply
  30. Becki

    Happy Face looks intriguing. My daughter and I also enjoyed Gotham High. I’ve never shopped at Book Outlet before. Most of the books I get are for review, so I have a hard time justifying shopping for myself ! Enjoy your week.

    Reply
  31. Jackie B @ Death by Tsundoku

    Happy early birthday! I had not heard of a Golden Birthday until long after mine came and went… If I had only known! 🙂

    The Downstairs Girl is on my TBR, but I’m waiting until things are a bit more normal before I try reading it. It seems… like a lot for my brain right now. I’m glad you’ve been able to read more challenging books during this crazy time!

    Jackie B @ Death by Tsundoku recently posted: Brightly Burning
    Reply
  32. lisa thomson

    You’ve covered quite a few interesting reads, Lauren. I’m impressed with your reading speed 🙂 I’m a bit slower…Love your Instagram posts. I realize how time consuming those can be and you do a stylish job of showing what you’re reading and reviewing. I’ll check out your links, too.

    lisa thomson recently posted: She Dressed In Black #poem
    Reply
    • shooting

      aw, thanks! I’m trying to do Instagram more. It can definitely take some time, but they’re fun.

      Reply
  33. Jen

    Yay a giveaway! I just entered. Thanks for the opportunity and for sharing some of the books you have been reading.

    Reply
  37. Cali W.

    Happy Birthday! Thanks for the giveaway and yes I have used bookoutlet. I bought a Mermaid Handbook recently. Love that the books are reasonably priced. 🙂

    Reply
  39. Linda

    Happy birthday! I haven’t used Book Outlet before. I recently read The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel and enjoyed it.

    Reply
  41. Pam

    I used bookoutlet alot. Especially during the quarantine. I just received Digital Minimalism in my most recent order and can’t wait to read it!

    Reply
  42. Summer

    Happy Birthday! I’ve used it, it’s been a great resource for inexpensive reads. My most recent read was Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett, I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
  44. Bernie Wallace

    I have not used Book Outlet yet. I enjoy reading the books of Carl Barks. They are comics but they have great characters and stories.

    Reply
  45. Shelly Maynard

    I haven’t used Book Outlet before but definitely going to check it out! I would recommend the new Carolina series from T.I. Lowe. The first book released is Beach Haven!

    Reply
  48. Candice Gigous

    Happy Birthday. I shopped at Book Outlet before and got some great books. The most recent books I read that I would recommend are The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren, Night Swim by Megan Goldin, Minor Dramas and Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West, and Diamond City by Francesca Flores.

    Reply
  53. Kathleen P

    Happy belated birthday! I love book outlet. I usually do a haul around the holidays. I just read and really loved Kissing Lessons by Sophie Jordan & Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert.

    Reply
  54. Jonnie

    I have used Book Outlet many times before. I would recommend Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner. It’s a fun, light read in these trying times.

    Reply
  56. Wanda B

    I haven’t tried Book Outlet yet, but I sure want to. The last great book I read was “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.

    Reply

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