Happy Saturday Friends!
I have been VERY absent from the online book world recently. Is anyone else just constantly exhausted by life? The state of the world? The fact that we still have to wait three months for the third Crescent City book?! If yes to any of the above, I’m sending you hugs. We got this.
I’m coming to you today with two quite different books today, but both absolutely satisfy the fall vibes in some way. Also, I have a backlog of ARCs to review…so combining a couple into one post seemed ideal lol.
First up: You Again by Kate Goldbeck.
Thanks to NetGalley, Dial Press, and Kate Goldbeck for the digital and print copies in exchange for an honest review! (The print ARC was thanks to a giveaway!)
This book just DRIPS with fall vibes. It is a loose retelling of “When Harry Met Sally” and it is absolutely fun and glorious. While there are definitely funny and nostalgic moments, this book isn’t just pure fluff; the vulnerability and heart that Ari and Josh show give this story such depth. From the immediate dislike (or is it a spark??) that they experience with each other at the beginning to the adorable, swoony end, this is a definite must-read romance.
Next: The Haunted Mansion: Storm & Shade by Claudia Gray
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!
Okay, this book is different from You Again for many reasons, but the main two are 1)It’s a YA and 2), GHOSTS.
I thought this one was so much fun, and also so important in how clearly and lovingly it deals with anxiety disorders. I can’t wait to have this book in my classroom because we love a spooky vibe, but also because I feel like my students are part of the target audience, and I think many could benefit from how thoroughly anxiety is discussed, and how main character Audrey grows throughout the story–both in terms of her anxiety and her confidence.
As someone who literally grew up with the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, I loved this updated tale of the Mansion. In case you weren’t aware, a newer Haunted Mansion movie was recently released, and while this book was released in tandem with the film, they are two different but complementary stories. I loved the spooky ghost vibes! I’m not sure if a sequel is planned, but I would 100% read another.
Have you read any books lately that give you fall vibes? Comment and let me know! 🙂
The Bookish Bird 