DISCUSSION: we need to talk about these iconic ya movie soundtracks (part 1)


Hello, I am back to say that we need to talk about these iconic YA movie soundtracks. And yes, this is a part one because I had to split the post in half. YA adaption soundtracks just go too hard!! Anyways this started because I had Thoughts on Twitter (apparently a lot of my discussion post ideas come from some random thing I tweet . . . sorry about that), and thought, THAT, that right there is a post in and of itself.

LIST: most anticipated 2019 releases (pt. 2)


As we're approaching the middle of the year, I thought it was time to (finally) do a part two to the list of my most anticipated 2019 releases. Of course, these aren't all of the releases for the rest of the year; rather, these are just the ones I'm looking forward to! Now, only to catch up on my tbr lists before all these great releases come out . . .

REVIEW: Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

**I received an ARC from a giveaway (thank you BookishHQ and PenguinTeen!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**


Wicked Fox by Kat Cho


Release Date: June 25, 2019

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

TOUR / REVIEW: Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein


**I received an ARC for this tour. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**


Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein


Release Date: June 11, 2019

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: The Bold Type meets The Social Network when three girls vying for prestigious summer internships through a startup incubator program uncover the truth about what it means to succeed in the male-dominated world of tech.

This summer Silicon Valley is a girls' club.

Three thousand applicants. An acceptance rate of two percent. A dream internship for the winning team. ValleyStart is the most prestigious high school tech incubator competition in the country. Lucy Katz, Maddie Li, and Delia Meyer have secured their spots. And they've come to win.

Meet the Screen Queens.

Lucy Katz was born and raised in Palo Alto, so tech, well, it runs in her blood. A social butterfly and CEO in-the-making, Lucy is ready to win and party.

East Coast designer, Maddie Li left her home and small business behind for a summer at ValleyStart. Maddie thinks she's only there to bolster her graphic design portfolio, not to make friends.

Delia Meyer taught herself how to code on a hand-me-down computer in her tiny Midwestern town. Now, it's time for the big leagues--ValleyStart--but super shy Delia isn't sure if she can hack it (pun intended).

When the competition kicks off, Lucy, Maddie, and Delia realize just how challenging the next five weeks will be. As if there wasn't enough pressure already, the girls learn that they would be the only all-female team to win ever. Add in one first love, a two-faced mentor, and an ex-boyfriend turned nemesis and things get...complicated.

Filled with humor, heart, and a whole lot of girl power, Screen Queens is perfect for fans of Morgan Matson, Jenny Han, and The Bold Type.

#waitingonwednesday: girls of storm and shadow


Today, I'm #waitingonwednesday for Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan! Girls of Paper and Fire was one of my favorite books of 2018, and I am so, so excited for the sequel. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher (thank you Jimmy Patterson Books!), and let me tell you, it is a stunning sequel. Girls of Storm and Shadow releases on November 5, so don't forget to preorder it / request it from you library / add it to your tbr list!

REVIEW: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

**I received an ARC at a festival. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**


Wilder Girls by Rory Power


Release Date: July 9, 2019

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary: It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Please see author's website for trigger and content warnings.

TOUR: Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan

**I received an ARC for this tour, and I was not compensated for this post.**

Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan


Release Date: June 11, 2019

Summary: When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself.

Knowing the viceroy won’t protect her village without the jewel, she takes matters into her own hands. But once she catches the thief, she discovers he needs the pearl just as much as she does. The two embark on an epic quest across the land and into the Courts of Hell, taking Anlei on a journey that reveals more is at stake than she could have ever imagined.

With incredibly vivid world building and fast-paced storytelling, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon is great for readers who are looking for something fresh in epic fantasy.

BOOK REC FRIDAYS: i wish you all the best


So I do a thing on Twitter where I recommend a book, complete with an aesthetic, every Friday. Or I try to. But anyways! I wanted to bring it to my blog, particularly for Pride Month, so I could recommend more books! Don't forget to check out my masterlist of 2019 LGBTQ+ ya releases for more recs.

⚞💜⚟


I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

Release Date: May 14, 2019

REVIEW: Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

**I borrowed an ARC from a friend. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**


Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi


Release Date: June 11, 2019

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She's the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win.

Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead - Sana.

There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since.

Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strongwilled young women falling for each other despite themselves.

REVIEW: Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins


Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins


Release Date: May 7, 2019

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Summary: Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.

Millie can't believe her luck when she's accepted into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.

The only problem: Mille's roommate Flora is a total princess.

She's also an actual princess. Of Scotland.

At first, the girls can barely stand each other--Flora is both high-class and high-key--but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn't a fairy tale . . . or is it?

#waitingonwednesday: crier's war


This week's #waitingonwednesday is Crier's War by Nina Varela. I first heard about this book from Twitter, and it immediately captured my attention. I mean, that cover! That plot! That f/f relationship! You can pick this book up on October 1st!

LIST: 2019 lgbtq+ ya releases


READ ON MY NEW BLOG!!!


Happy pride month, lovelies! Last year I wrote a list of all the LGBTQ+ ya books I could think of, but for this year, I didn't want to just add onto the list because it wasn't that thorough honestly.

So to celebrate this year, I compiled (with the help of Charlotte, who co-runs readsrainbow, a blog dedicated to LGBT media) a list of all the LGBTQ+ ya releases in 2019. This was as thorough as I could make the list, and I hope you all enjoy!

I have a Ko-fi account now! If you like this list and want to support me, feel free to donate.

⚞🌈⚟


In addition to Charlotte and Anna's blog, LGBTQ Reads (run by Dahlia Adler) is a great resource if you're looking for more books, in other genres and published in any year.

⚞🌈⚟


As always, I am only human and I make mistakes. If you see any mistakes here, please let me know, and I'll amend it as soon as I can! I tried to note representation as specific as possible, but I haven't read much of this list and it was difficult to glean specific rep from reviews sometimes. Let me know if there's something on-page that's not noted here! Also, there are trigger and content warnings for many of these books that I haven't noted, so please be aware of that.

⚞🌈⚟

© magical reads
Maira Gall