Epic Reading Challenge: March

Welcome back to the Epic Reads Challenge 2024, where each month some of the TBG members choose a book that fits the prompt. Provided by Epic Reads, these prompts inspire new and unique book choices among readers. We encourage the community to join in this challenge with us and participate each month!

March’s prompt was… A book with a film or TV adaptation

In the current age of having thousands of movies and TV shows simply a click away thanks to streaming services, more and more books each year are being adapted for the screen. This is a perfect prompt for all cinephiles and book lovers, but just remember the true bookworm’s rule: always read the book first!

Grace’s choice for March is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. 

This novel is a time-loop story, where our main character, Samantha Kingston, is stuck reliving Valentine’s Day over and over again. We follow Samantha through seven different days that all begin the same way (yet end very differently). Samantha is part of the “popular” group at her high school, and as a senior, makes it a hobby to torment many of her fellow classmates. Before I Fall explores heavy topics of bullying and suicide, and how the butterfly effect of human action has a greater impact than is often realized. 

I really enjoyed this novel, and the fast-paced writing style always kept me drawn into the story. You might think that a character reliving the same day over and over would get boring, but the author did an amazing job of creating differences in the storyline of each repeated day that kept the reader engaged, while also exploring the many important themes of the novel. My only complaint is the ending, though I won’t spoil it for anyone. 

The movie can be rented on Prime Video or Apple TV and stars Zoey Deutch and Halston Sage. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Movies/TV Shows That Would Have Made Amazing Books

Author: Luke M.

Anybody interested in literature or film knows that no idea is truly original. It’s easy to conclude that some of the most popular movies and tv shows, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Game of Thrones, are based on books. In fact, between 1968 and 2002, about 35% of movies were based on books. This is why it’s so rare to find an amazing movie and/or tv show, and then discover it’s not based on any printed source material. That being said, such media does exist and today I am going to list 10 movies/tv shows that would make amazing YA books, in no particular order.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring 2024 TBR

Written by Grace H. 

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! 

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…Books on my Spring 2024 TBR!!

I’ve had a great start to my reading goals in 2024 in the past few months, and I’m so excited to add these books to my “read” pile this spring!

Epic Reading Challenge: February

This year, the TBG is participating in the Epic Reads Challenge 2024, where each month presents a different prompt to inspire our reading choices! We encourage the community to join in this challenge with us and participate in the prompt each month.

We're still playing catch-up, so February’s Prompt was… a multi POV book

A multi-POV book simply means that the novel contains chapters/content from the perspective of more than one character. This technique is often used in romance novels, with each individual in the love pair being given chapters from their own POV. It can even be used in tandem with third-person narration, which can often in high fantasy novels.

Grace's choice for February is Every Time You Hear That Song by Jenna Voris.

This novel is centered around two main characters, both of which get their own POVs throughout the book. Darren is a young journalist who is fascinated by the legendary country star, Decklee Cassel, and the mysteriously empty time-capsule that she left behind after her death.

Not only is this book told in two perspectives, it is told in two different timelines. The “present” is told through Darren’s POV, as she unveils clues in a scavenger hunt for the real time capsule. The reader can also enjoy flashback chapters, told from Decklee’s POV, giving the story of her rise to fame and shaky relationship with fellow artist Mickenlee. 

The novel blends an exciting mystery and two romances in this upcoming YA release. I thought that the two different POV’s kept me on my toes and made for a page-turning read!

5 Questions With...Vanessa Montalban!

By Grace H. 

Hello and welcome to the first post in part of the TBG’s new series: “5 Questions With…”!

Today we will be starting off with the local author of A Tall Dark Trouble, Vanessa Montalban! She was born in Miami, graduated from UCF, and now writes young adult fiction. A Tall Dark Trouble was her first novel! Without further ado, here are the 5 questions!

                               

First off, can you tell us a little bit about what inspired your debut novel?

Oh yes, so many things went into the inspiration for A Tall Dark Trouble. First, I'm a big fan of witchy stories. I rewatch Practical Magic every year, and the sisterly storyline always reminded me of my own sister! I was also really charmed by the idea of a love curse because it's such a common motif in Cuban/Caribbean lore. You'll usually have a family member who'll swear they were cursed by an old bruja (witch) on the island. The idea was already ruminating, but it wasn't until 2016 that it all came together. I was visiting my dad in Miami when the news that Fidel Castro had died was announced. Castro was the dictator of Cuba for over 50 years. All the streets of Miami were suddenly filled with people cheering and crying, waving the Cuban flag and hoping the news would spell freedom for their island. I felt the relief, the joy of my family, but at the same time, I felt disconnected from it. I didn't live through what they had lived through, or suffer what they had suffered. That's when I had the idea of writing a multi-generational story. I loved the idea of stepping back in time, into another generation's shoes and exploring how their experiences influenced them as people. It was also important for me to show how being a product of that inherited trauma, being part of the diaspora, affects you even when you're born and raised in the United States. Tossing in murder, mystery, and magic made it all the more fun to write.

If you had to describe your book in one sentence, what would you say?

An adventurous witchy story about three teens navigating love, magic, and murder!

What were some of your favorite scenes to write?

One of my favorite scenes to write was the final scene when it all came together! I know, sorry. That's really vague. It was just so cool to see how every character stepped into their power and conquered fears. And there's a high-speed chase! I also really loved writing the romantic moments between the characters. Each duo was so different from the other. There's also a scene when Delfi and Lela are making up after a sisterly fight, and it's a quiet scene in their house, but it felt so real while I was writing it.

What was your experience writing from the perspective of three different characters and two timelines? Was it difficult to keep track of?

Keeping track of the two timelines and figuring out where exactly they should intersect was incredibly difficult. Took a lot of work between me, beta readers, my agent, and my editor. We wanted it to flow together as organically as possible, so if I introduced a certain symbol or theme in the past chapters, I wanted it to carry through somehow in the current-day chapters. I also had to plan reveals to align with both timelines. On the other hand, writing from each perspective wasn't as hard for me. It felt natural to fall into that character whenever I had to switch to another point of view. I think it's because with every character I write, even the villains, they all carry some aspect of me, and it's always fun to think from another perspective, taking into account everything that's shaped that specific character.

And finally, what comes next on your writing journey?

Yes! Thanks so much for asking. I'm really excited about my next project. It releases in February 2025 through Zando Young Readers. It's another standalone YA paranormal/contemporary fantasy. A reimagining of La Cegua, a mythical creature from Nicaraguan folklore who lures men into the woods towards their doom. I'm hard at work with revisions now! After that, who knows? Hopefully, there'll be more to come.

Thank you so much for speaking with us, Vanessa! 

If you'd like to read her action-packed fantasy, A Tall Dark Trouble, check it out from Winter Park Library today! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book

Hello, everybody! Below are ten books and what weird or funny things Helena searched while reading them.