Hey all! Today I'm bringing you a new type of post that I am super excited to do, and that is the try a chapter tag! This tag is exactly what it sounds like: you pick up books you haven't read yet, try the first chapter, and from there you can pick your next read. This comes at a suuuper convenient time for me because I recently purchased five new books and I have no idea where to start.
Before we do the tag though, I have EXCITING NEWS: I have finally started my BookTube! My first video going up on my channel is also a Try a Chapter Tag (in vIdEo fOrMaTioN!!) but it features three different books than the ones I am trying in this post. The video will be up tomorrow at 12 PM, and my channel can be found here! I'm super excited to be starting this channel and branching out, so click subscribe will ya? ♡
Alright, let's do the tag!
Pre-chapter thoughts: I've heard a lot of positive feedback about this book. It seems to be a mystery about a particular family's history in a town that is very meticulous and maintained about the way things work. From the synopsis, there also appears to be an element of racial tension when the family tries to adopt a Chinese-American baby, which apparently completely disrupts the branded lifestyle of this town.
Post-chapter thoughts: the book begins with a house fire and the suspect of the arson is Mrs. Richardson's daughter Isabelle. I can already tell that I am going to love this book because of the tone of the writing. It's very serious, like the author was intentionally trying to make every paragraph sound grave. Will probably get sucked in.
The only thing I have to say about this book negatively is the fact that the print is so small. Books with small print kind of stress me out because I have a tendency to start glossing over words sometimes, so I'm hoping I won't run into that problem too often while reading LFE.
Pre-chapter thoughts: So I caved. I talked about L&G in my Popular YA Books I've Never Read blog post a few weeks back. I saw it in Barnes and Noble, and figured it was time. The synopsis makes this book sound like the perfect cute, contemporary summery read, and that's what my heart longs for right now.
Post-chapter thoughts: So even though there's still a lot I don't know about this book from just the prologue and the first chapter, I do know that I admire the voice of our main character Lina. She talks and thinks like a teenage girl does, and her reactions to the extreme circumstances of her life are both comical and realistic. I appreciate that. I think if anything though, the first chapter made me want to keep reading, because it's a very... interesting situation Lina's in, and I can tell that there's still a lot left unsaid. Excited about this one!
Pre-chapter thoughts: I am both excited and incredibly scared to read this book. I'm scared because I know I'm probably going to come away from it feeling hopeless about the state of the planet. However, I'm also excited because knowledge is power. The reason I take pride in saying I am aspiring environmental scientist is because I care so much about learning and preserving the natural world, including endangered species. So while this book will inevitably sadden me, it will also help keep me connected to my passion of environmental conservation.
Post-chapter thoughts: Yeah, I was right on both accounts. Sad, yet empowering. I have to read the rest of this book.
The final verdict...
After reading the first chapter of all three books, I have to say that this is a tough decision. All three books grabbed my attention and kept it throughout the entirety of the chapters, which is a major win. If I have to break it down to pros & cons, here are my thoughts:
Little Fires Everywhere: love the tone, but also not sure I'm currently feelin' a mystery book.
Love & Gelato: very cutesy, love the MC, still want to read more.
100 Under 100: scientific, sure to keep saddening yet empowering me, so stoked to learn more.
I'm going with both Love & Gelato AND 100 Under 100.
My new reads for the month of July are Love & Gelato, 100 Under 100, and one other book from my Try a Chapter YouTube video that you'll have to watch to find out ;) I actually really enjoyed putting this post together, so let me know if you enjoyed reading! See you next Thursday!
