Top Ten Tuesday | Books With Deliciously Diverse Characters

This is a weekly list meme hosted by the wonderful bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Diversity in books has been a hot topic for a while. Authors, readers, and bloggers have been advocating for a larger representation of disabled, LGBTQ+, mentally (an physically) ill, and multi-racial characters in literature. So far, the YA genre has taken huge strides in the right direction, which we are celebrating today. 

Here is my list of favorite books with diverse characters. 

Blog Tour + Review | The Beginning of Never by O. E. Boroni

The Beginning of Never

Author: O. E. Boroni
Series: The Never Trilogy
Release Date: April 26, 2015
Pages: 326

Summary from Goodreads:

Twilight meets Eleanor and Park in this contemporary romance story about a love that insists on forever.

When Lenora Baker and Nathan Roqué run into each other in their boarding school courtyard, they have no idea that they are about to begin a journey that will take them the rest of their lives to recover from. Both scarred from parents who were once in love but ended up destroying each other, they are sworn off the possibility that there can truly exist a love that will never end.

But when with each other they find a passion so strong that it heals as powerfully as it burns, a love that will run out is no longer an option for them. Together, they discover just how far they are willing to go to preserve what they know they will only find once in their lifetime.

This is the start of their journey, and here you will come to realize, that falling in love is only the first part of the story...

Series Review | Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Steampunk is not normally one of my favorite genres, but the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld may have changed my mind. 

 In this steampuck version of the early 20th century, half of the world follows the science of genetic engineering and the other half is devoted to the creation of machines. These completely different philosophies fuel the fire of the war known as "The War to End All Wars."

At first glance, it seems like a simple war series. But underneath all of the stereotyping, Leviathan is about finding yourself, true friendship, following your passions, and the tedious balance of the world. 

*There will be spoilers for the later books in the series, so if you have not read any of the books just stick to reading the first review.*

Top Ten Tuesday | Last Ten Books that I Have Acquired

This is a weekly list meme hosted by the wonderful bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. 

I am not much of a book collector. My bookshelves are stuffed, but not overflowing. I do not get new books every week unless I make a trip to the library. But the past couple of weeks, I have been acquiring a couple of books in various ways, like from the library and through book tours. So, I am going to share with you the latest books that have joined the ranks of my bookshelf.

Book Battle | Starcrossed and Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Welcome to Book Battles, a feature here at Crazy for YA where I put two books in the battle ring and have them fight it out to see which one is better.

Today's fight is between Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini and Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini.

Starcrossed is a story based on the Greek story of Helen of Troy. Helen is the main character and throughout the novel, she learns about her heritage and how much it is going to mess up her life. As it turns out, beauty is not everything, especially when an entire culture is angry at you for starting a war over your romantic issues. 

Trial by Fire follows the story of Lily, the girl who is allergic to everything. One sniff of pollen can send her into a medical meltdown. These problems have always made her weak and unstable, but in a New Salem, she is the most powerful witch in existence. She must quickly figure out who sent her to this strange, and dangerous, Salem and learn to survive in a world of magic.