Hot Cocoa Hearts by Nelson

    Hello fellow readers! I am ending the year with a  sweet book from the ever popular Wish Series. 

    This is a charming tale of first love, friendships, and dealing with grief. Emery Mason, our main character hates  Christmas. Ironically, she works at her parents' photo booth in the mall as an elf every holiday and her house, known as the Holly Jolly House in the neighborhood is always decorated with lights and plastic animals for all of the neighborhood families to enjoy. This year however, Emery is trying to impress  her  crush Sawyer, who hates the stereotypical winter season. She is torn between her authentic self and impressing him as memories spent with her late grandmother come back to haunt her during this time. She learns to share the past with a trusted friend, Alex. He is always there with a lending ear and a hot cup of cocoa. 

 Readers will enjoy finding out which crush Emery chooses this holiday season. It will be between staying true to what she knows or coming to terms with the past. 

Holiday Picks

 Tis the season for fun teen books and romance novels! I know it has been a minute since I have posted and let's not beat around the bush... since I have completed a book. I just finished Jennifer Yen's, A Taste for Love. This book is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han as we follow a young bright protagonist who has aspirations of becoming a famous baker much to the dismay of her strict mother. It is a timeless tale with a Jane Austin vibe that will have you well engaged. 

I am also hoping to get my hands on " So this is Christmas," for the holiday season. It sounds like the perfect book to cozy up with this winter. Let me know your thoughts and your favorite holiday reads in the comments below. 

#authorjenniferyen #authortracyandreen

#teenholidaybooks 

Summer Constellations by Sevigny

 What a summer it has been! With a blink of an eye, we are knee deep into fall. I wish the weather would catch up, but in Southern California we are here facing a 97 degree afternoon in mid September. 

I just finished a fun, quick read titled Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny. Our fierce protagonist, Julia looks forward to another summer working at her family's resort. Her summer fling Dan returns to the resort each year and she hopes they can rekindle their flame into something permanent. Much to her surprise, Dan brings his new girlfriend and she soon learns that the resort is in jeopardy of being sold. She befriends Dan's cousin in hopes that he can help her as a friend and maybe more. With spirit, spunk, a younger brother who suffers a serious illness and summer romance... this book is a great one to add to your list. 

Other titles I'm trying to finish...

Happy reading! 

Glitter Gets Everywhere by Clark

 Hope, sorrow and grief fill the pages of this title as we witness Kitty navigate the everchanging waters of grief. She longs for things to return to normal but they never will, leaving her sister and father trying to cope as a family. Her dad uproots the family to New York due to his work and we follow Kitty along as she tries to make the best of things and understand her grief. 

As a woman who just lost her own Mom, I found this book to give me hope, sorrow and many memories. 

The Retake by Jen Calonita

     It is so exciting to be back in the library exploring new books. I ran across a newish title from Jen Calonita and it did not disappoint. 

    Zoe has just started seventh grade and with that comes problems! Her and her best friend Laura have not been connecting on the same level as she had hoped. Zoe longs for their friendship to stay the same, but Lara has other people and things on her mind that don't include her. As our protagonist struggles to hold on tight to her friendship she comes across a mysterious app on her phone that allows her to "retake" scenarios in her life. She goes back in time to manipulate her circumstances surrounding the lost friendship only to find that fate still has its own agenda. Mixed with emotion, lessons on female friendship and middle school drama, this book is a must read for both contemporary fiction and fantasy readers. By the way.... who wouldn't want to "retake" the bad moments in their life? 

Books for Healing and Other Soft Reads

Hello fellow readers! I know it has been quite some time since I have blogged. 2020 was quite a year for me with many changes, and 2021 has quickly become a year of growth, healing, and then some! I have been reading and working on my own young adult fiction novel as many of you may already know, but if you're looking for some fresh reads... check out these books perfect for a year of healing: 

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Gemma's heart is broken at the beginning of summer by the love of her life. Rejected in a parking lot by her perfect guy and spotting him with a flirty tattooed girl was not quite how she pictured her season of fun to begin. She is sent off to the Hamptons with her father and pushed into a past that she must now come to terms with. As Gemma tries to get over her heartbreak and make amends with an old best friend, she is caught between telling the truth and finding a new love that may last. Fans of light romantic fiction will enjoy this read and may learn a lesson or two on revenge and love. I can't wait to finish off the series and share it with you.  

How to Be Calm by Anna Barnes

This easy to follow guide book focuses on ways we can input calmness and peace into our lives. The chapters include beautiful quotes and ideas which include changing our diet, scenery, and home for a peaceful life. Young adult will find the writing practical, inspiring and easy to follow. 

The Velvet Room by Snyder

This week, I re-read an old favorite from my childhood, The Velvet Room, and it was just as beautiful as I recall. What are some of your old favorites that you are reading during quarantine? Share them below. Also, if you love mysterious old mansions, historical fiction, and wanderlust characters... The Velvet Room is for you! 

She also wrote the fantastic novel, The Egypt Game, which is a fantastic story for middle schoolers depicting the time of Ancient Egypt. 

I'm also trying out a new hot pick from Barnes and Noble.... I'll be posting the review next week so stay tuned! 

#JessicaPennington #teensummerreads

Old Favorites for Teens - Blue is for Nightmares by Stolarz

I have been working on adding favorite titles to my home book shelf and came across "Blue is for Nightmares" by Laurie faria Stolarz at Book Off. As stores slowly start to open up during this COVID-19 pandemic, I was excited to finally walk into a bookstore! I finished off the first title in the series. Remember, some libraries in California are starting to do curbside pickup with a valid library card.
Title: Blue is for Nightmares
Author: Laurie faria Stolarz 
Summary: Hillcrest Boarding School is home to Stacey Brown, a teenager who utilizes her Wiccan powers and premonitions to ward off a killer. When her roommate starts to receive creepy phone calls, Stacey must use her powers and images from her nightmares to find the killer and keep her friend safe. Will she make it on time or will she lose friends over keeping this and other things a secret?


More in this series:
White is For Magic
Silver is For Secrets
Red is For Remembrance

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni Santiago's life has been very different ever since she got pregnant freshman year. Her decisions revolve around her precious abuela and her baby girl Emma. Her one place of sanction is the kitchen where she cooks up fiery recipes to match her fiery personality.
At school, she is invited to participate in a culinary elective class to showcase and hone in on her talents. The class begins to be a bit much for her and she has to make a decision to stick it out and also learn to trust in love again.
Teens will love the realism depicted in this book. Finally a story about what happens to a teen mother after she gives birth and how young girls in her situation can still achieve their dreams!

Mystery Lovers... are you out there?

As we struggle through almost a month of quarantine COVID-19 blues....I invite you to revisit a few of your favorite books. As teens, mysteries can be a fun genre to dive into, especially if you love a good realistic fiction novel with a twist. I am very old school, so this week I propose that we take a look at everyone's favorite female detective Nancy Drew. Once this #safeathome era is over, I'm hoping to revive this old character at my library with a fun book club... complete with a scavenger hunt and selfie station.

Here's a few mystery titles that teens and tweens may enjoy:

    

Comment below if you would like more information about these books or the Nancy Drew bookclub I am planning. Cheers and be safe!

Donut Go Breaking My Heart

Sheyda is an aspiring set designer who doesn't mind helping out in her friend's Donut Cakery shop, Doughlicious, in Manhattan. Her life is filled with the normal middle school activities and her position as the perfect daughter with a drama-free life. One day, celebrity Caleb Sadler shows up at the doughnut shop and his manager asks to film in the facility. Her best friend Kira appears to be smitten with him and longs to star in his film, yet it is Sheyda who is selected. As her admiration for Caleb grows, Sheyda has to speak out to Kira about her feelings for him alongside other issues that have emerged. Can she stay in her perfect bubble or will her perfect world collide?
This is another sweet tale from the Wish series to enjoy. Oh! It will also make you crave doughnuts with all the delicious recipes at the end of the book.