#SBS May Monthly Wrap-Up

Welcome to our monthly feature where we talk about what we read, adopted into our libraries, and what’s on our minds. After hosting #SignedBookSundays on instagram for 5+ years, we are transitioning to this format as a way to share signed books and talk about bookish (and personal) highlights. Join us the last Sunday or last day of every month (or whatever day today is…)!

In Case You Missed It

• We have launched our Pride Month TBR & Giveaway!
• The old signed books page has broken, so I created a new one, Where to Buy Signed Books, so if you bookmarked it or linked to it, update your links, please!
• We curate a Bookshop page with most of the current YA New Releases – please consider supporting us by buying books through our links or shop, or we have a Ko-Fi!

What We Read

Kelly: I read 7 whole books this month! I am impressed with myself! I hope I can keep this pace up and you know read like 10+ in June since I am approximately 9 books behind schedule of completing my reading challenge.

Some of my stand outs of the month were:

• Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli – 5 shining stars – WOW, just wow. Becky absolutely slayed the ‘queer’ discourse in this book, and how easy it is to overlook yourself when you are surrounded by your queer friends and family, thinking I’m just an ally. I mean seriously, read this book for the gatekeeping queer discourse alone, but its a sweet and endearing YA as well.
• No Boy Summer by Amy Spalding – 4.5 stars – this is a great little summer read that takes place in the summer in LA, and it’s just good plain queer YA fun!

Christy: WOOWWWW 9 whole books this month! Lots of time on planes so books got read. They’re almost all review books so not much here but stay tuned.

• Star Wars: The High Republic: Cataclysm by Lydia Kang – I have loved Lydia’s other books so I was thrilled when she joined THR team! Sooooo much happened in this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next. So many books came out at the same time so I have been (quickly) working my way through things.

What We Hauled

You too can be obsessed with signed books, look here for where to buy a copy from your favorite author’s local indie or preorder incentives that include bookplates.

Kelly’s Highlights

• Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton – Releasing June 27th – Thank you Bloomsbury YA for the finished copy!
• A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz – Releasing September 19th – Thank you Page Street YA for the advance copy!
• Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson – Available Now – Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for the gifted promotional box & finished copy!
• Secret of the Moon Conch by David Bowles & Guadalupe Garcia McCall – Releases June 6th – Thank you to Bloomsbury for the finished copy!
• The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne by Shannon Takaoka – Releasing October 31st – Thank you to Candlewick Press for the advance copy!
• Signed Books I added to my collection this month: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen, and well there was YallWest, and I got like maybe 35 books signed, highlights being George M. Johnson, Abdi Nazemian, Becky Albertalli, and Casey McQuiston. So many queer YA authors were there this year, and it warmed my soul.

Christy’s Highlights

• Preset by Sarina Dahlan – TY to Sarina for introducing me to her book!
• You: The Story by Ruta Sepetys – TY to Penguin. I am excited to see how Ruta walks people through writing their history.
• Always isn’t Forever by J.C. Cervantes – TY to Penguin. Even the COVER of this book says paaaaainnnnn.
• Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon – TY to Penguin! I have had the pleasure of accidentally meeting Rebekah several times (at The Ripped Bodice and festivals!). I can’t wait!

What We Hope to Read

Kelly & Christy’s TBR

Gearing up for PRIDE MONTH reading we have created a feature post including a giveaway – so check that out!

On the Top of Our Minds

Kelly: 

Well it is basically June, the half-way point, and I am consistently 10+ books behind on my reading goal, so guess what? I dropped it by 10 books, I went from 90 to 80, which was my goal last year. I have no qualms dropping my goal, I just can’t handle not completing it! I mean it doesn’t motivate me if I am always too far behind…so now I am 4 just books behind 😉 Maybe I will miraculously read 90 books by the end of the year, but at least I am not spiraling because of the number.

YallWest was so wonderful! I met so many of the bookstagram community that I haven’t met in person before, and got to see some of the West Coast folks that I talk to all the time in the book community, and it was all just so fulfilling. Hugging friends and authors and just a big day filled with fun – and a lot of cupcakes & donuts. Of course you know I love meeting authors and going to author events, so I was trying to be chill, but I am like stars truck and a big goober around authors, hope I seemed way cooler than I was! HA! And afterwards Christy took me to Disneyland for my first ever visit.

Absolutely so cool and wow, how different things are than I imagined them. Mostly because I haven’t even been to Disney World in over 3 decades! I was but a mere young teenager and now I am old AF. But seriously Batuu – Star Wars – was just unbelievable. I mean my brain melted it was so cool, all the characters, the voices, the rides….the landscaping!!! It was just so damn rad for this old school SW fan to experience. Highly recommend for that part of the park alone. Totally geeked out for sure. And to get to enjoy it with someone who knows the park inside & out, made it so much easier for us to experience everything we could in the short time we had there. I can’t thank Christy enough for making this happen!

Christy:

😅 Oh boy. May was wild. Kicked it off with a trip to Disneyland with Kelly (her first time!). I think she had fun ;). We saw lots of Star Wars and Marvel characters! Then I took trips to Ohio and Disney World. Went to The Disney Immersive Experience, a Drag Cycle, All Time Low at Red Rocks (my first RR concert!), and cooked a bunch of food!

I am sad that RunDisney is over. This season was a blast and I am excited to come back for a perfect season to celebrate turning 40 in 2024. Springtime Surprise was fun and I think I brought my best costumes! I mean, I do love a good Pixar theme. I celebrated with a photoshoot with my running partner Alyssa in EPCOT’s Morroco pavilion.

Tours are slowly coming back and we saw MUSE and Evanescence. Both amazing shows and highly recommend.