The Pond News! Issue #2 – Wholesome Books Releasing This Week and Exciting & Diverse Book Announcements!

Text: The Pond Book News. Issue 02: So many books, too little time! Releases, sequels, and featured bloggers.

Welcome to Issue #2!

Hello, Lovelies! After a wonderful adventure I went on to find this week’s book news I found at the Whispering River, I came to tell you of all the amazing book news of the week! Some amazing MG, YA, contemporary and fantasy books were released this week and they sound absolutely amazing. I’m really excited to read them all when I get the chance to and I hope you do too!stella 6

Also, some really great bloggers are featured that you should definitely check out because they’re just as amazing as the content they create!

I hope you enjoy this weeks post as much as I enjoyed working on it with Xiaolong! Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Love, Stella ❤

Book Releases This Week [May 27th – June 2nd]

All the Ways Home by Elsie Chapman

Sometimes, home isn’t where you expect to find it.

After losing his mom in a fatal car crash, Kaede Hirano–now living with a grandfather who is more stranger than family–developed anger issues and spent his last year of middle school acting out.

Best-friendless and critically in danger repeating the seventh grade, Kaede is given a summer assignment: write an essay about what home means to him, which will be even tougher now that he’s on his way to Japan to reconnect with his estranged father and older half-brother. Still, if there’s a chance Kaede can finally build a new family from an old one, he’s willing to try. But building new relationships isn’t as easy as destroying his old ones, and one last desperate act will change the way Kaede sees everyone–including himself.

‘All The Ways Home’ sounds like such a sweet and heartfelt read, oh, my gosh. I absolutely want- no, scratch that. I need to read this book.
The cover is so adorable I just have to applause the artist who created this beautiful masterpiece.
I love the sound of the story and how it shines a light on unconventional families and how people move on from sadness in their lives. Fast or slow, it’s important and I’m glad someone is writing stories like these for people to enjoy. I really can’t wait to get to know Kaede and how he grows and evolves in life.
My feelings are everywhere and I’ve only read the synopsis. it’s going to be such a great read- wow!

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


Fake It Till You Make It by Jenn P. Nguyen

Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought…

I adore hate to love romance books so much. So, how am I not seeing this book everywhere as it should be? To quote a very famous vine, “I’M CONFUSION!”
I can’t wait to read this book and gush over these super cute characters and their mums telling them that they knew they were perfect for each other all along. The cover is also so damn cute I can’t explain how much power this book cover holds. it’s beautiful and perfect for a contemporary.
This sounds absolutely fantastic read and I really cannot wait until this book is released because I needed this book yesterday.

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn

Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement. She’s obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel brave, fabulous, and like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother sees this as a distraction from working on her portfolio paintings for the prestigious fine art academy where she’s been accepted for college. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi’s estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life.

When she arrives in Japan, she loses herself in Kyoto’s outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival–and meets Akira, a cute med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. What begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies.

Adorable, cute and compelling. This book sounds amazing and I need it on my bookshelf now. The cover is so pretty, I’d love to take pictures of it and soon!
I love how Kimi makes her own clothes for her and her friends it sounds so adorable and I can’t wait to read about their friendship.
From reading the synopsis, I feel like I could relate to Kimi a lot as she loves doing and making lots of things, unlike many characters I’ve read about before as they tend to only have one hobby/and or talent that is focused on.
Also, can we talk about how cute the romance sounds? Well, as I said before, it sounds down-right adorable! A meet-cute at a cherry blossom garden with a guy who’s a med student and cute and is on the front cover? ADORABLE.
I also can’t wait to read and learn about Kimi’s familial history and drama. I always find history fascinating especially when it comes to ancestors and what-not.
Overall, I can’t wait to read this book. I have such a good feeling about it and it’s so beautiful, too!

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga

I am learning how to be
sad
and happy
at the same time.

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.

At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s never known before. But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary

I really, really can’t with this book. My feelings, art appreciation and overall excitement levels for this book are off the charts. I love that it’s not just a story about a girl coming to terms with living in a new environment but also learning to become herself even more. And it’s just so pure and makes my heart so, so happy! Overall:

I just know

in my soul

I’m going to

love this book

oh, so much.

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis

For Indigo Phillips, life has always been her and her identical twin—Violet. The perfectly dressed, gentle, popular sister. But now Violet is terminally ill and, in a few hours, plans to die on her own terms via medically assisted suicide. Even though she and Violet have drifted apart lately, Indigo doesn’t know how to face life without the only person who really understands her. Until suddenly she hears a mysterious voice claiming to be God, insisting that if she takes Violet to a remote rock formation in the Arizona desert, her sister will live.

Indigo is sure she’s losing it. But Violet agrees to go—if their incredibly dysfunctional family accompanies them on their trek from Seattle to Arizona. Indigo can barely be in the same zip code as her distant mother and controlling big sister, much less keep the peace on a road trip. Speaking her mind is the only way she can deal. But between facing senseless mishaps and strange lodgings, and meeting even stranger folks along the way, Indigo will learn shocking things about those she thought she knew too well. When a sequence of wrenching secrets detonates, Indigo must figure out how to come to terms with her sister, her family…and the voice in her head.

The Voice In My Head Sounds Like such and emotional investing (I’m so ready to cry) and compelling read. It touches the subjects of family loss and self-growth. I really like the twist of the main character being able to hear God’s voice in her head. It adds a level of mystery to the plot because you don’t know if she really does. I love that the book also talks about relationships between siblings. As a big sister myself, I love that because it can be different depending on the person and how they grew up. or sometimes brothers and sister aren’t related because it’s not always that your family has to be related by blood to you. The difference varying between each person is fascinating and beautiful because it adds a difference to humanity and we’d be nowhere without our differences. It’s honestly beautiful and I can’t wait to read The Voice In Head because it’s not the standard family it’s different and beautiful because of that.

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

LGTQIA+ rep, witches, the possible end of the world and a cute romance wrapped into one book? I love that. The plot sounds so interesting and very similar to Sabrina The Teenage Witch (a show I absolutely adore) which is amazing and makes me want to read it even more! I really love dark stories with light elements so it feels balanced. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of ‘These Withes Don’t Burn’ I love the cover and I can’t wait to get to know these great characters! basically, take my money. I Need. This. Book.

Released on the 28th of May 2019. Add this book on Goodreads.


Book News!

Book announcement: Two new books announced by Iranian authors

A meaningful middle grade story that sounds so good and that I’m definitely going to cry over and a cute YA contemporary which I can’t wait to read a gush over these characters the only sad thing about this is that we have to wait so so long for these.


Book announcement: New high fantasy book with asexual rep

Wow, I’m excited for this! A high fantasy with Asexual rep? I love that especially for those who are asexual I think it’s really beautiful that we have all these stories that represent so many people and I can’t wait to read this one!


Book announcement: A new romantic dramedy – with enemies-to-crushes

This sounds so cute! and it reminds me a little of Simon Vs The Homosapiens Agenda with the love letter situation that’s going on. It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to read it!


Book announcement: A new picture book about cultural identity

Did I almost cry when I read this teeny weeny synopsis? heck yes! I love the sound of this and I would’ve loved to read this as a mixed kid growing up. So the fact that mixed kids today have stories like these now makes my heart feel so warm and fluffy.


ICYMI: Hate-to-love rom-com, Along for the Ride, is out July 16th

AHHHHH- I need this book right right now. I love the sound of this and I am especially excited for the release of ‘Along For The Ride’ as I adore hate-to-love rom-coms! Also, how gorgeous is this cover? It just makes me want to read this book even more! It’s available to pre-order now and the link is on the announcement tweet!


ICYMI: Finally! An anthology of fat stories, out September 24th

This sounds amazing!!! “An anthology of stories that represent the fat and fierce.” I love that it sounds amazing and as a fat girl myself, I really can’t wait to read this! Representation like this matters in all stories and it’s so amazing!


Movie adaptation: MG novel, Hello, Universe, is getting an adaptation

This is so exciting! A new Netflix adaptation to add to my list! Hello, Universe is a middle-grade novel by Erin Entrada Kelly about friendship and wonderful and rich characters. This sounds super interesting and I can’t wait to see what they do with this story!


Book Community Spotlight!

Book blogger: Sun and Chai

If you aren’t following Shri yet, then ask yourself: why?! Shri is a book blogger at Sun and Chai and her content is absolutely incredible. Not only are her reviews excellent, in-depth, and informative, she is also currently running a series called #RepresentationMeans, where she talks about representation means to her and how she has found herself in YA fiction. If you aren’t following her, I highly recommend rectifying that and giving her a follow or her posts a like – you won’t regret it! You can also follow Shri on Twitter and Goodreads.


Bookstagrammer: thehijabifangirl

View this post on Instagram

Have you ever wondered what kind of book that your favorite character(s) would read? 🤔 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s National Book Day in Indonesia and I remember that I took this picture last year after receiving those P5 bookmarks but I never posted it (until now OOPS) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I tried pairing them with books that I think the characters would enjoy —like; “Oh Goro would definitely read this!” “I’m pretty sure Ann loves young-adult fiction!” “Ooooh Akiren reads this in canon!” “Ryuji MUST learn from this book” and it was REALLY fun 👀 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Try it (swipe to read the instruction) and comment your result! [Character name(s) and the book(s) that they would enjoy from your own collection] I would love to know if you enjoy this game I invented 😄 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Selamat #HariBukuNasional #NationalBookDay 📚

A post shared by Gerardien • Indonesian (@thehijabifangirl) on

Gerardian is such a great person and I really love her photos! She’s the queen when it comes to editing and is just so great wonderful in general. Her photos are always amazing and I really am a big fan of everything she does. She always brings joy to my instagram feed when she posts and I hope when you follow her she does the same for you.


Booktuber: readwithcindy

Cindy is such an amazing booktuber. I love all of her content from drunk hangovers v.s. book hangovers to making beautifully edited aesthetic videos.  I’m a big, big fan of Cindy’s and if you aren’t already, you probably will be. because she is just that amazing! Her latest video was a reading vlog in NYC (which is great and you should totally watch it) which you can check it out here. You can also follow her on her Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Goodreads

10 thoughts on “The Pond News! Issue #2 – Wholesome Books Releasing This Week and Exciting & Diverse Book Announcements!

    • I can’t wait to get my hands on all of these contemporaries too! Cindy is so amazing how could she not get featured? Thank you so much for reading! ❤

      Like

  1. All seven of those books sound great! Fake it Till You Break It sounds so good! I also wonder why nobody is talking about it that much? It’s fake dating *and* enemies to lovers I need!! I basically live on twitter but I haven’t heard of most of the book news featured in this post? Wow, Stella, you are amazing! I’m so here for an anthology centering on fat rep. Shri IS AMAZING omg she’s so eloquent and kind. And her representation means post is so hard hitting and I truly feel like everyone would benefit from reading it. Cindy is too, and I’m so happy that she’s growing as much as she should! She’s just so snarky, and I love how she reviews books, and does her vlogs. I also want to have most of the books I read be from the library like her 🖤

    Liked by 1 person

    • You are so kind, Catlin! Thank you so much for reading our second issue! It means so much to me that you enjoyed it! I haven’t seen Fake It Till You Break It all that much on any platform which is sad considering how amazing it sounds! I really want to pick it up asapp!! The fat rep anthology sounds soooo good I love Shri and Cindy! They are both so amazing and I love both of their posts! I hope you have a good day and once again, Thank you so much for reading and commenting! ❤

      Like

  2. What a lovely & very informative feature! I am #1 on my library hold list for Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga, and I am getting super excited to start!!!

    I did not know Hello, Universe was getting a Netflix adaptation! I haven’t read it yet, but I love me a good MG book 🙂 I’ll have to add it to my upcoming TBR.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you so much for reading issue #2! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I can’t wait to read Other Words For Home and Hello, Universe! I really want to read more MG since there are so many good ones out there! I hope you enjoy/enjoyed reading them both! ❤

      Like

    • Same here!!! It sounds so amazing and emotionally draining. I have my crying armour on, and I am ready to read this book! Thanks so much for reading Issue #2! ❤

      Like

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