Tag: 2018

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

by Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Book Overview:

Author: Sandhya Menon | Series: None | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Sneha Mathan & Vikas Adam | Length: 10 hours, 46 mins | May 30, 2017 | Genre: YA Contemporary | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2017) | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes



“This is our life. We get to decide the rules. We get to say what goes and what stays, what matters and what doesn’t.”


I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’m so bummed that I didn’t read this last year when I meant to.

This was another book that I don’t normally read – meaning contemporary since I like to read about young adults saving the world – but I thought that this was very enjoyable. In this book, we meet Dimple Shah, a recent high school graduate that wants to attend a two-month long summer program that deals with computer science and app coding, more formally known as Insomnia Con. She wasn’t sure how she was going to convince her parents to let her go, especially since it would cost her parents a thousand dollars for her admission fee.

So when her mom and dad actually agree to let her go and pay a grand to send her to San Francisco for this program, she can barely believe it.

On the other hand, there’s a boy named Rishi, who believes that his future wife will be attending Insomnia Con, and actually embraces the idea of having an arranged marriage that is traditional in Indian culture. So when the time comes to meet this girl, he is so full of hope and love that he could care less that he’s attending a program that has nothing to do with his passion nor degree field.

There definitely wasn’t a “meet cute” instance in this book, and that’s what I loved about it. Dimple is so sure that she doesn’t want to marry or meet any boy during her time at Insomnia Con and in the future. Rishi is so sure that he wants to get married and start a family and have that woman be one of her parents’ choosing. So you can imagine how these two complete opposites are having such an interesting time together.

I think Rishi is one of my all-time favorite characters that I’ve read about, and I may have to enlist him as my book boyfriend. The way that he is so sure of his culture and his traditions without being ashamed of where he comes from is so rare these days. I really admire that about him, and how he will stand up for those that are being mistreated.

“I feel like I need to speak out, because if no one speaks out, if no one says, this is me, this is what I believe in, and this is why I’m different, and this is why that’s okay, then what’s the point? What’s the point of living in this beautiful, great melting pot where everyone can dare be anything they want to be?”


I highly recommend reading this book and enjoying a young friendship that may or may not blossom into something more.

Author Spotlight
Courtesy of Goodreads

Twitter: smenonbooks
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads Member Since: January 2016

Author of light, bright, diverse YA. Hiding behind my coffee cup, eavesdropping on your conversations.
Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

by Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A kingdom burns. A princess sleeps. This is no fairy tale.

It all started with the burning of the spindles.

No.

It all started with a curse…

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape…or the reason for her to stay.

Book Overview:

Author: Lexa Hillyer | Series: Spindle Fire | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham | Length: 8 hours, 25 mins | Publish Date: April 11, 2017 | Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling | Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: Yes

“One night reviled, Before break of morn, Amid the roses wild, All tangled in thorns, The shadow and the child Together were born.”

I read this book for my book club: Bookish Babes of Norfolk. Click on the link to check out the public Facebook Page and let us know your thoughts!

So I am a YA fan, as you all probably know. So when I found out that this was the book for February, I was excited to get my hands on it. I heard so much about this book, both positive and negative. For the most part, though, it seemed like a book that I could potentially love. So, while I thought this book was pretty decent, I didn’t immediately fall in love with it. I’m a little disappointed about it, but I know that I won’t love every single YA book that I’ll read.

One of the main things I loved about this book was the sheer love and devotion that Isabelle and Aurora had for one another. They are half-sisters, and even though Isabelle is the King’s bastard daughter, Aurora never treated her sister as a second-class citizen. They love one another, and they would do anything to protect each other. That’s what I love about their relationship. Yes, there is a time where they get into a fight, but don’t all sisters get into the occasional argument? It happens.

Another part of this book that I thought was very interesting – and seemed to move the book in a totally different direction that I wasn’t expecting – was that they both had a disability (albeit, caused by fairies and not natural causes, but still). Isabelle was blinded at the age of two when the fairies tithed her eyesight, and Aurora can’t speak or feel anything thanks to the fairies as well. Apparently, these were supposed to be gifs, kind of like the beginning scene of Sleeping Beauty when Maleficent comes and makes bad stuff happen (but I love her). There’s also references to Hansel and Gretel in the book and the allusion that True Love will break whatever spell was cast upon Aurora. Sounds familiar? Yep, typical fairy tale elements.

This story is about two sets of sisters – two half-sisters and two twins – and the dynamics between them is an element that I really appreciate. This book shows that the relationship between sisters can have some pretty damaging effects, and that there really is nothing stronger than the bond between sisters. I can’t wait for the second book, because the ending was so abrupt that I could barely process if I missed anything.

Author Spotlight
Courtesy of Goodreads

Born: August 1
Twitter: Lexa_Hillyer
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Influences: Marissa Meyer, Marie Rutkoski, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo
Goodreads Member Since: September 2007

I’m the author of Spindle Fire (coming April 2017 from Harper!), Proof of Forever, and the poetry collection Acquainted with the Cold, which won the 2012 Foreword Book of the Year Award’s Gold Prize for Poetry. I’m also the co-founder of creative development company Paper Lantern Lit. My poetry was anthologized in Best New Poets 2012, and appears in several journals. I live in Carroll Gardens with my husband, daughter, and a very skinny orange tree. Follow me on instagram @ProofOfLex and twitter @Lexa_Hillyer !
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

by Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

Book Overview:

Author: Suzanne Collins | Series: The Hunger Games | Format: Audiobook | Narrated by: Carolyn McCormick | Length: 11 hours, 11 minutes | Publish Date: September 14, 2008 | Genre: YA Dystopia | Literary Awards: Georgia Peach Book Award (2009), Buxtehuder Bulle (2009), Golden Duck Award for Hal Clement Award for Young Adult (2009), Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Older Readers (2012), West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award (WAYRBA) for Older Readers (2010)
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award (2011), Red House Children’s Book Award for Older Readers & Overall (2010), South Carolina Book Award for Junior and Young Adult Book (2011), Charlotte Award (2010), Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (2010), Teen Buckeye Book Award (2009), Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award for Young Adults (2010), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2010), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (2010), Evergreen Teen Book Award (2011), Soaring Eagle Book Award (2009), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2010), Sakura Medal for Middle School Book (2010), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award (2009), Florida Teens Read (2009), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Preis der Jugendjury (2010), Iowa High School Book Award (2011), New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2011), Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (2010), The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2009), Lincoln Award (2011), Kinderboekwinkelprijs (2010), Missouri Truman Readers Award (2011), Cybils Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2008), Literaturpreis der Jury der jungen Leser for Jugendbuch (2010), The Inky Awards Shortlist for Silver Inky (2009), Prix Et-lisez-moi (2011), Missouri Gateway Readers Award (2011), Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for High School and Intermediate (2011), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2009)  | Rated: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ | Recommend: HECK YES

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”


I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have to do another Book vs Movie post after reading this. Someone remind me!

Anyway, I finally made my way to this book, after years and years and years of not reading it, even after all of the movies came out on DVD. It’s been ten years since this book first published, and yet this was my first time reading this book. I feel like I made the mistake of waiting for so long to read it, but I’m so glad that I did.

In typical dystopia attire, Katniss Everdeen lives in a place that used to be North America, before current North America that we know was utterly destroyed. This place is called Panem, and there are twelve districts that society inhabits in this future place. While the Capitol, and some of the closer districts like Districts One, Two, and possibly Three are thriving and rich, the others are extremely poor, with their citizens always on the verge of starvation. Society is separated into these districts because of a war that happened so long ago, and this is their way of punishment.

If that wasn’t enough, every year the districts have to choose one boy and one girl to compete in a fight for their lives in what is known as the Hunger Games.

The only reason Katniss was ever a tribute in the Hunger Games was that her little sister Primrose was unlucky enough to be chosen in the drawing for tribute. Katniss did something completely unheard of in their district: she volunteered as tribute. And now, along with Peeta, they have to fight for the lives, knowing that only one of them can be the winner. How can they go about this game knowing that they may have to kill the other?

This book was very interesting as far as the storyline. It reminded me of a movie that I watched with a similar premise, except it took place in Japan and it was an entire eighth-grade class that was taken to a secluded island. They were tasked with killing one another, or risk being killed themselves. It was the same concept in that this was all punishment for some sort of war or rebellion that took place years prior, and in both books, we are forced to watch children slaughtered without mercy, without guilt, all for the sake of entertainment.

I don’t really like having to watch children die for no reason, or any reason at all, and it makes it worse that this is deemed as an annual game that the entire nation watches. These children are being killed by their peers because they have no choice, and since the ages range from 12 to 18 years old, it always seems to be the younger ones that are brutally murdered by the older, more skilled fighters. It’s not a good thing, and it’s not all fun and games as those in the Capitol make it seem.

But this is just the beginning, and throughout the games, even before the Tributes set foot in the arena, it seems like there is more to this year’s game than meets the eye, and there may be a rebellion on its way. All it needs is a little spark.

If you haven’t read this book but have watched the movie, I highly recommend reading it as well. It explains more than what the movie shows, and there are some aspects that weren’t included at all that make certain scenes even more heartbreaking than they were on film. Go get it from your local library or bookstore and dive right in!

Author Spotlight
Courtesy of Goodreads

Born: in Hartford, Connecticut, The United States
           August 11, 1962
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult

Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days.

While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.

Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find…? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part series, The Underland Chronicles. Suzanne also has a rhyming picture book illustrated by Mike Lester entitled When Charlie McButton Lost Power.

She currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.

The books she is most successful for in teenage eyes are The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. These books have won several awards, including the GA Peach Award.