The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar – ARC Review

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

Series: N/A

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Expected publication June 6, 2023

Genres: LGBTQIAP+,  Romance,  Teens & YA

Pages: 336

Format: ARC – Audiobook

Buy: Amazon

* Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions are, as always, my own.*

A pun-filled YA contemporary romance, The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar finds a teenage girl competing in a televised baking competition, with contestants including her ex-girlfriend and a potential new crush – perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off and She Drives Me Crazy !

“Welcome to the first ever Junior Irish Baking Show!”

Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop.

Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen.

As the competition intensifies , Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more― including potential sabotage―if she wants a sweet victory!

This book is about Shireen, a Bangladeshi-Irish young girl competing in a Junior Irish Bake-off show!

It’s in general a coming of age story that includes “Mentions of racism and fatphobia, depictions of anxiety (specifically anxiety and panic attacks and spiraling thoughts), and online harassment” according to the author’s website.

Shireen is still hurting from a recent breakup with Chris and this show is the only thing that can put her in a good mood, until she knows she has to be paired with her ex!

Even with her heart broken Shireen is excited to get more attention to her parents’ donut shop and hopefully help her dreams come true!

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Books I’m Thinking of Buying!

Hi guys!

I was browsing my bookstore and taking inventory of every book that had a good synopsis so this is the list I made! Hope you like it and if you’ve read any of them please comment and say your opinion!

Also, all links lead to Goodreads!

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
• The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
• Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
• Mika In Real Life by Emiko Jean
• Love Stories by Trent Dalton
• Yerba Buena by Nina Lacour
• The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
• Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
• The Summer Switch- Off by Beth Reekles
• Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
• The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• Yours Mine Ours by Sinéad Moriarty
• Careering by Daisy Buchanan
• Things I Wanted To Say But Didn’t by Monica Murphy
• 99% Mine by Sally Thorn
• Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R. Shrum and Sara Waxelbaum
• Out of Character by Jenna Miller
• Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
• If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
• This is Gonna End in Tears by Liza Klausmann
• Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin

These is form the manga Store I visited, a lot of Junji Ito I have yet to read and some other finds!

• Blue Flag by Kaito
• Blood Lad by Yuuki Kodama
• Ramen Wolf & Curry Tiger by Emboss
• Polar Bear Café by Aloha Higa
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime by Fuse
• Yon & Mu by Junji Ito
• Tokyo Revengers by Ken Wake
• Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito
• Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito
• Remina by Junji Ito
• Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito
• Shiver by Junji Ito
• Deserter by Junji Ito
• Frankenstein by Junji Ito
• No.6 by Atsuko Asano
• Rose Versalles by Riyoko Ikeda
• Overlord by Kugane Maruyama
• Don’t Toy with Me Miss Nagatoro by Nanashi
• Forbidden Scrollery by Zun
• Burn the Witch by Tite Kubo

And these are some of the ones I checked online and am interested in buying!

• Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire
• Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Tress Grew Because I Bled There by Eric Larocca
• Ever Since by Alena Bruzas
• Secretly Yours a by Tessa Bailey
• Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
• Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
• Part of Your World by Abby Jimineez
• Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
• Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
• If it Bleeds b y Stephen King
• Florida by Lauren Groff
• Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• Difficult Women by Roxane Gay
• All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell
• Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick
• Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
• Trust by Hernan Diaz
• So Happy for You by Celia Laskey
• Mother Mother by Annie Macmanus
• People Person by Candice Carty-Williams
• Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

That’s it guys! Hope you enjoy adding some of these to your TBR and don’t forget to comment below if you’ve read any and what’s your opinion!

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett – Review



The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Series: N/A
First published October 8, 2019
Genres: Dystopia
Pages: 407
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon

THE RESISTANCE STARTS HERE.

No one speaks of the grace year.
It’s forbidden.
We’re told we have the power to lure grown men from their beds, make boys lose their minds, and drive the wives mad with jealousy. That’s why we’re banished for our sixteenth year, to release our magic into the wild before we’re allowed to return to civilisation.
But I don’t feel powerful.
I don’t feel magical.

Tierney James lives in an isolated village where girls are banished at sixteen to the northern forest to brave the wilderness – and each other – for a year. They must rid themselves of their dangerous magic before returning purified and ready to marry – if they’re lucky.

It is forbidden to speak of the grace year, but even so every girl knows that the coming year will change them – if they survive it…

A critically acclaimed page-turning feminist dystopia about a young woman trapped in an oppressive society, fighting to take control of her own life.

This book feels to me, like a mix of Handmaid’s tale and Lord of the Flies.

In this town, girls that complete 16 years old are banished to the wilds and they call it their “Grace Year”.

They have to do that in order to purge themselves of their dangerous “magic”. This magic is said to have the ability to seduce men, lure them to sin.

Once out in the wild, the girls need to survive the elements, evade the poachers who are looking to harvest their body parts, and try to not kill each other when they start going crazy.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

Series: ? Hopefully???

Publisher: Lion Forge

Expected publication: October 15th 2019

Genres: Graphic Novel, YA, LGBTQ+

Pages: 320

Format: ARC

Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

* Received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much! This doesn’t affect the review in any way. My opinions are, as always, my own.*

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #4
Publisher: Bloomsbury
First published July 8th, 2000
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 617
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

“There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.”

The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter – but that doesn’t stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition. Then at Hallowe’en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through – alive!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury
First published July 2nd, 1998
Genres: YA/Children, Fantasy, Magic
Pages: 360
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

“There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year.”

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone… Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

 

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Series: N/A
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
First published August 8th, 2017
Genres: YA, Contemporary, LGBT, Mental Illness
Pages: 325
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she’s isn’t sure if she’ll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new…the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel’s disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself–or worse.

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

 

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #2
Publisher: Tor Books
First published February 23rd, 2016
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 509
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again-and so to keep magic’s balance, another London must fall…in V.E. Schwab’s “A Gathering of Shadows.”

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

 

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White
Series: The Conqueror’s Saga #3
Publisher: Delacorte
Published July 10th 2018
Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Haunted by the sacrifices he made in Constantinople, Radu is called back to the new capital. Mehmed is building an empire, becoming the sultan his people need. But Mehmed has a secret: as emperor, he is more powerful than ever . . . and desperately lonely. Does this mean Radu can finally have more with Mehmed . . . and would he even want it?

Lada’s rule of absolute justice has created a Wallachia free of crime. But Lada won’t rest until everyone knows that her country’s borders are inviolable. Determined to send a message of defiance, she has the bodies of Mehmed’s peace envoy delivered to him, leaving Radu and Mehmed with no choice. If Lada is allowed to continue, only death will prosper. They must go to war against the girl prince.

But Mehmed knows that he loves her. He understands her. She must lose to him so he can keep her safe. Radu alone fears that they are underestimating his sister’s indomitable will. Only by destroying everything that came before–including her relationships–can Lada truly build the country she wants.

Claim the throne. Demand the crown. Rule the world.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Publisher: Tor Books
First published February 24th, 2015
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 398
Format: Paperback
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.