Wishlist Thursday[153]: Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: April 5, 2016

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dan Garrett has become exactly what he hates—popular. Until recently, he was just another live-action role-playing (LARP) geek on the lowest run of the social ladder. Cue a massive growth spurt and an uncanny skill at taking three-point shots in basketball and voila…Mr. Popular. It’s definitely weird.
And the biggest drawback? Going from high school zero to basketball hero cost Dan the secret girl-of-his-dorky dreams.
A tuba-playing nerd with an eclectic fashion sense, Zelda Potts’s “Coolness” stat is about minus forty-two. Dan turning his back on her and the rest of nerd-dom was brutal enough, but when he humiliates her at school, Zelda decides it’s time for a little revenge—dork style. Nevermind that she used to have a crush on him. Nevermind that her plan could backfire big time.
It’s time to roll the dice…and hope like freakin’ hell she doesn’t lose her heart in the process.

Why?:

I read her first book when it was released years ago, and I loved it. Books with nerdy characters and subjects are definite deal makers for me, though. And since this book features a similar theme, I am super excited for it. It sounds super cute. I do believe it’s in the same world, though, and I remember very little about the first book, since it’s been so long. I might have to re-read it.

What’s on your list?

Manga Review: LDK, Volume 2, by Ayu Watanabe

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: December 2015

Volumes: 19+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

LOVE RIVALS Aoi appears to finally be coming to terms with her feelings for Shusei. But before she can come to a conclusion, she witnesses a shocking scene between Shusei and a beautiful woman. However, it turns out that Shusei is not the only one who's popular with the opposite sex, as a younger rival enters the fray and vies for Aoi's attention. One boy is enough headache, but what will Aoi do with two gorgeous boys as love interests?

Review:

I really want to love this series. I really, really do. But it’s just not working for me.

I expect this kind of series to have a lot of drama, and romance, and maybe a little bad smut. I expect it to be a guilty pleasure drama, one so badly good you can’t stop watching. But this just isn’t doing it for me.

We meet Shusei’s sister in this volume, who forces Aoi to pretend to be Shusei’s girlfriend, to a ridiculous amount. Then there’s a school festival, where girls argue over who gets Shusei’s school shirt. We meet a rival for Aoi’s affections, a guy who actually likes her and is kind of sweet, even if he does push himself on her too much. He gives her more room and kindness than Shusei, at least. Which, of course, means that Aoi doesn’t like him like she does Shusei.

Shusei could be more a dick bad boy, but I actually think his personality is okay. He likes Aoi, and he’s not afraid of it, which I like. But mostly the drama and the emotions, and even the artwork, is very one-dimensional. Aoi’s freak-outs are over exaggerated, as is the drama. None of it is pulling me in, and none of it is making me want to read more.

I want this to get better, but I don’t really think it will, sadly.

Teaser Tuesday[195]: Random by Tom Leveen

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

-----------------------------------

Random by Tom Leveen

Genre: YA Realistic; Suicide; Cyberbullying

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: 2014

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Who's the real victim here? This tense and gripping exploration of cyberbullying and teen suicide is perfect for fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why.

Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It's a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line.

He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself.

The request plunges her into confusion. Because if this random caller actually does what he plans, he'll be the second person connected to Tori to take his own life. And the first just might land her in jail. After her Facebook page became Exhibit A in a tragic national news story about cyberbullying, Tori can't help but suspect the caller is a fraud. But what if he’s not? Her words alone may hold the power of life or death.

With the clock ticking, Tori has little time to save a stranger—and maybe redeem herself—leading to a startling conclusion that changes everything…

Excerpt:

“Notes on everything you’re saying, everything I’m saying. I have to cover my ass here. I hope you understand that.” (Hardback, pg. 83)

What are you reading?

Manga Review: Handa-kun, Volume 1, by Satsuki Yoshino

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before his exile to an island and his exploits with Naru and friends in the pages of Barakamon, Sei Handa was a neurotic teen and aspiring calligrapher, who was convinced that his classmates despised him! His enigmatic nature, though, makes him a magnet to everyone around him, and every day is a comedy of errors. Prepare yourself for one of the funniest manga in years as it follows the misadventures of Handa-kun!

Review:

Being a big fan of Barakamon at this point, of course I wanted to pick up the spin-off/prequel.

Handa-kun is currently in high school, and he is very misunderstood. He is convinced that everyone at school hates him, that they’re always glaring at him, and think he’s a freak. Whenever someone talks to him, he’s convinced that they’re playing a prank on him, that the punchline will be coming soon. He’s terrified of his classmates.

When, in reality, his classmates all admire him. They think he’s so aloof, and that he’s mature way beyond them, too mature to get into any of the high school drama. When a girl tries confessing her love, he thinks she’s calling him out for a duel. When he’s so intensely practicing calligraphy during class, they think he’s too smart for class. Even gangs are terrified of him, because of all the misunderstandings regarding his reactions.

I love most seeing his interactions with Kawafuji, because Kawafuji finds how everyone reacts around him hilarious, and how Handa pretends not to know Kawafuji “for his own good”. It’s hilarious. I also like the comic strips about what Miwa, Tama, and Naru are doing at the same time, so young and adorable.

I’m looking forward to the next one.