Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

If Aristotle and Dante were to meet in these modern times, would they stand out?

Dante loves reading poetry, while Aristotle gets pleasure from learning truths, something Dante knows plenty. Both of them are loners, preferring each other's company rather than a fake crowd. But will Dante confessing he's fallen in love with Ari break the best of friends forever?

Benjamin Alire Sáenz focused on sections and not chapters, a remembrance that life is divided by a series of beginnings and endings, and often when we least expect it. The book tackles several LGBT themes like coming out to oneself and to others and hazing. Also taking on family issues such as non-communicative parents, something I relate with the older generations of the Latino community. Ari had a strong personality, making it easy to be in his head, but not too easy to get inside his heart. It was sweet to see how Dante tried.

An inspiring story that reminds us you can't hurry love.

Review: Stitches

There is nothing more awful than being forced to live a life in silence.

Back in the 1950s, David's dad, a doctor, believed in the magic of radiation. And so, he forced his young son to endure numerous x-rays, certain it would cure his asthma. Instead, the radiation turned into cancer. Still thinking they were in the right, his parents kept it hushed and opted for a secretive surgery, where David lost his vocal cords. Can David forgive his parents for the jagged scar stitched along his throat? 

Stitches goes even deeper and delves into the restrained family relationships. All in all, Small didn't write this book for pity, he wrote it to tell his story and did so through gorgeous detailed drawings. The constant references to Alice in Wonderland helped established the scenery and turn it into a piece of art.

A tragic turn of events, filled with raw emotions, this is the kind of memoir that leaves a mark. 

Feature and Follow Friday: Join Our Team

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Create an ad listing all the qualities and qualifications of your perfect co-blogger.

"We accept the cheese we think we deserve"

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse)

Felt rude not to include my current co-blogger Latte.

For my part: The co-blogger would need to love reading YA or NA and be fair in their reviews.I'm not a big fan of reviewing books that were DNF. I prefer posts about why the book was not finished.

Latte requests: Someone who is pet friendly and speaks rodent. A love for carrots would be considered a plus.


Since we are on the theme of collaborations, how to do you feel about Co-Writers?

Review: The Walled City

What does a hoodlum with the need to prove himself, a thief with a heart of gold, and a sex slave have in common?

Dai and Jin Ling are haunted by the siblings they've lost to the walled city -- a dark and somber place filled with drug lords, thugs, and prostitution. A countdown begins, as together they face danger, in order to clear Dai's name and help Jin Ling find Mei Yee, her sister, sold to a brothel. All the while, Mei Yee is fighting demons of her own. It turns out, that not only is she a slave, but she belongs to most notorious gang lord.

Told with three point-of-views, we get to see different lifestyles inside the walls. Mei Yee is by far the most captivating. She struggles with a stalker client and the rest of the girls who are giving up hope of ever escaping the brothel. Despite of the harsh topics, the author adds romance to the twist and includes several pictures of the real life walled city know as Kowloon in Hong Kong.

More NA than YA and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Review: Ashes to Ashes

Some boys are forbidden. 

Lilia always felt guilty about going behind her best friend Rennie's back when it came to Reeve. The no-dating-your-bff-ex will not only get you kicked out of the clique, but as Ashes to Ashes shows us -- it can cause heaps of trouble.

Unlike the sequel, where Kat was passively left without much of a role, the three girls are more present than ever, as Kat and Lilia rush to uncover the secret behind Mary's disappearance. But neither of them drag out the story as we puzzle through the enigma. Instead, they divert our attention to other serious matters like intimidation, suicide, grief and sex. Life is forever changing, and this book reminds us to hang in there.

An unexpected shocking conclusion to the Burn for Burn series.