Author: Zakiya N. Jamal

Zakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. She has been published in Romper, BuzzFeed, People.com, Thought Catalog, and more. Her non-fiction essay about her "Cuban Impostor Syndrome" can be found in the Latinx anthology, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed. You can find her on Twitter at @ZakiyaNJamal.

Book Review: Lady Midnight

Posted on March 29, 2016March 28, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

I had to return Lady Midnight to the library and I was so sad because all I want to do is reread it over and over again. It was so good!

First of all, I love all the characters. Emma is a BAMF and I like her better than Clary although not as much as I love Tessa. And Julian is such a sweetheart but he’s also pretty hard core, which is such an interesting combination of personality traits. My heart went out to Julian because he’s had to take care of his younger siblings for the past five years and he was only 12 when he had to start doing this. It’s completely unfair and I just wanted to give him a hug multiple times throughout the book.

I really love all the Blackthorns but Ty’s probably my favorite, after Julian of course. I liked that he’s different and the way he handles things. I think in us human terms he probably has Asperger’s or is somewhere on the autistic spectrum. I liked that even though he goes about things his own way his family still loves and respects him and I hate that the Clave might see him as a problem just because he’s different.

I also really like Mark and Cristina. Mark was hilarious as he adjusted to being back in the Shadhowhunter world and out of the Faerie Hunt. Cristina is just a great person. She’s the perfect friend Emma needs because Cristina listens to Emma without judgment but also tells Emma when she’s doing something crazy.

I could go on and on about these characters but I don’t want to spoil anything. What I will say is this book was filled with twists and unexpected turns and I couldn’t put it down. When a good amount of visits from characters in The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, which made my heart soar. I’m so glad to be back in the Shadowhunters world and just like everyone else I’m now impatiently waiting for the next book.

Borrow or Buy: Buy! I want this book on my shelf so bad!

Stars:

Favorite Line: This was a really tough call. There’s some many memorable quotes from this book but I have to see this one is my absolute favorite.

“And if my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would be painted over with you.”

Other Reviews

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ARC Book Review: The Haters

Posted on March 22, 2016March 21, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

From Jesse Andrews, author of the New York Times bestselling Me and Earl and the Dying Girland screenwriter of the Sundance award–winning motion picture of the same name, comes a groundbreaking young adult novel about music, love, friendship, and freedom as three young musicians follow a quest to escape the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them.

Inspired by the years he spent playing bass in a band himself, The Haters is Jesse Andrews’s road trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every realistic expectation, become a band.

For Wes and his best friend, Corey, jazz camp turns out to be lame. It’s pretty much all dudes talking in Jazz Voice. But then they jam with Ash, a charismatic girl with an unusual sound, and the three just click. It’s three and a half hours of pure musical magic, and Ash makes a decision: They need to hit the road. Because the road, not summer camp, is where bands get good. Before Wes and Corey know it, they’re in Ash’s SUV heading south, and The Haters Summer of Hate Tour has begun.

In his second novel, Andrews again brings his brilliant and distinctive voice to YA, in the perfect book for music lovers, fans of The Commitments (author Rody Doyle raves “The Haters is terrific. It is shocking and funny, unsettling and charming.” ), and High Fidelity, or anyone who has ever loved—and hated—a song or a band. This witty, funny coming-of-age novel is contemporary fiction at its best.

*I received a free advanced reader’s copy of this book from Amulet Books. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be released on April 5, 2016.*

First, when I said I was going to take a break I never intended it to be a week long thing so I’m super sorry about that. I hit a really bad reading slump and I had to stop reading a book because it was just going too slow for me.

But enough about that. Now I’ll just tell you guys about how much I loved The Haters. A book hasn’t made me laugh this hard in a long time. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I read a book that made me laugh this much.

I haven’t had a chance to read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl yet so this was my first Jesse Andrews novel and I absolutely loved it. His writing style is so different and creative and his characters are flawed, witty, and a little insane. I absolutely fell in love with the narrator and main character, Wes. He’s pretty weird and dorky but also an overall good guy.

His best friend, Corey, is equally strange but in a very different way. And the way that Corey and Wes interact with each other is fantastic. They have this weird bit they do about harming their dicks, which like I said is very weird, but was very funny to me.

Then you have Ash who I had a love/hate relationship for various reasons. Mainly, I’m just not sure if I’m supposed to like her. Throughout the novel I feared she’d come between Corey and Wes’ friendship but also I just didn’t want her to hurt Wes. I love Wes so much and I just had a, “We need to protect Wes at all costs,” vibe going throughout my whole reading of this novel.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed how Wes, Corey, and Ash worked together. Their band is a bit of a hot mess but their friendship is solid. One of my favorite parts of this novel was the way the dialogue is written. Sometimes it’s the typical way with quotations but a lot of times it was written in script format. And then there was one or two chapters where Andrews just seemed to say, “Eff it,” and just wrote with no quotations or script style but people were communicating. Things got a little hazy during that part but I’m pretty sure that was intentional because the characters were high.

I will state for the record that I don’t think this book is for everyone. I think you have to have a certain sense of humor or at least be open to a different kind of humor to really enjoy this book. If you don’t like the humor you’re not going to like this book at all. I could definitely see some people thinking this novel is strange or not good but for me I loved it. Andrews made me laugh but more than that I think this book had a pretty good message about being yourself and also not being afraid to take risks sometimes.

I say give this book a chance. If it’s not for you then fine, but I’d definitely purchase myself a copy if I were you.

Borrow or Buy: Buy, duh!

Stars

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Taking A Break!

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Hey friends! Don’t freak out, I’m not taking a break from blogging. At least not all of it but from now on I’ll be doing just book reviews. As much as I love blogging and interacting with my followers I’ve realized that I may have taken on too many things and I’ve been feeling pretty stressed and tired lately.

So, for the sake of my sanity I’ll only be doing two posts a week, which will be my book reviews on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Of course if I have time I’ll do other posts besides that but I’m not sure if I will. I’m not sure how long this will last but for now I need to take a step back from something and this is it.

Thank you so much to all my followers that consistently read and like my posts. I love blogging and engaging with this amazing community and I have no intention of leaving it anytime soon. I just need to cut back a little bit. You can still connect with me on my bookstagram account and on Twitter. Thanks for understanding!

Book Review: Stars Above

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

The enchantment continues. . . .
The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories – and secrets – that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?
With six stories – two of which have never before been published – and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

I was so happy when I finally got a copy of Stars Above. I desperately needed more Lunar Chronicles in my life and I loved all these short stories, some more than others.

My favorite has to be the extra epilogue, “Something Old, Something New”. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t read it yet but one of the four couples is getting married and it’s absolutely adorable. Seeing all my favorite characters together again and all of them happy made me so happy. Also, I think Iko might have a love interest in her new graphic novel, at least based on this short story. That should be interesting since she’s an android but I support it.

My second favorite was definitely “The Princess and the Guard”. To be perfectly honestly, I wasn’t really a big fan of Jacin in the series. I don’t know why but I didn’t really like him. However, after reading this short story I like him way more now. It was so cute reading how he and Winter’s friendship slowly developed into something more. It also reminded me why I hate Levana.

The story I probably liked the least was “The Little Android” mainly because it didn’t really have anything to do with the central characters of The Lunar Chronicles. Cinder appears in it briefly but that’s about it. I knd of skimmed this one because I found it difficult to care about an android I’d never met before.

Overall, I really loved this short story collection and hopefully I’ll be able to purchase a copy to keep on my shelf forever. Until then, I’ll probably read Fairest soon since I still haven’t read it. I highly recommend reading Stars Above though. It will give you all the feels.

Borrow or Buy: Buy! I want to reread these stories over and over again so I never have to leave these characters behind.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I will accept any amount of monsters my mind wants to give me, but I will not become a monster myself.”

Other Reviews

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Book Review: Glass Sword

Posted on March 8, 2016March 8, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Note: If you haven’t read Red Queen yet and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read this review.

Synopsis from Amazon:

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

Honestly I wasn’t a big fan of Red Queen. There’s a long list of reasons why I didn’t like but the main one is I thought it was too predictable.

Well, Glass Sword threw me for a loop and I loved every second of it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and Victoria Aveyard made me cry and get so angry multiple times. I just wasn’t prepared for the emotional roller coaster that was this book and I don’t know how I’ll be able to wait a year for the next book.

Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen left off. The Scarlet Guard, along with Mare and Cal, are running from Maven, the new king. Once they escape Mare knows Maven won’t stop until he kills her and Cal and although Mare wants to trust Cal she also fears she can never trust anyone ever again.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. What I will say is I liked Mare a lot more in this book and I don’t know what that says about me. In the first book Mare just seemed very whiny and naive to me. In this book, Mare is hardened. She’s been through the ringer with Maven and his mother and she’s not going to let her guard down for anyone ever again.

I loved seeing Mare be kind of ruthless and cut throat. She didn’t back down from what she wanted and although she definitely made mistakes in this novel I also respected that she made her own choices, whether they were wrong or right. Mare’s done being controlled in this novel and I liked that a lot.

What really made me love and hate this book though was the last hundred pages or so. Everything just spiraled out of control and I didn’t know who to trust or what would happen next. And then the ending! Unbelievable! I love a book that catches me off guard and Glass Sword definitely did. I didn’t know how this book would end but I definitely wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did. Amazing!

Honestly, if you’re like me and you didn’t like Red Queen I urge you to read Glass Sword anyway. It’s really good and much better than Red Queen in my opinion. Also, Cal and Shade are everything to me and I just have a lot of feelings about them. That is all.

Borrow or Buy: Buy this book so you can reread it and cry over it over and over again until you run out of tears. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”

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7 Signs You’re Suffering From A Book Hangover

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

I finally finished Glass Sword and now I’m in a serious book hangover. It’s going to take me forever to get over that book. Don’t know what a book hangover is? Here’s some typical symptoms that may indicate you’re suffering from your own book hangover.

1. You can’t stop thinking about the book.

You finished the book but you’re still living in it. Why did that happen? What will happen next? Why did that character have to die? For why?

2. You try to start another book but your brain keeps going back to the one you just finished.

You pick up another book and try your best to stick with about but all you can think about is that other book you just finished. Nothing will ever compare to that so can you possibly read something else?

3. You want to talk to everyone about this book.

“Have you read Glass Sword yet? I can’t believe that ending!” You need to tell someone how good this book is. You need everyone to know and then feel the pain you feel now that it’s over. And when you can’t find someone in real life…

4. You start looking around the Internet for the rest of the fandom.

There must be other people who love this book as much as you. You need GIFs, memes, discussion groups, role plays. Anything to keep you in this magical world of awesomeness because it can’t possibly be over.

5. You find yourself reading/writing fan fiction to keep the story alive.

“Okay but what if that character didn’t die? Or what if after the book ends they then go on another adventure?” The book never has to end with fan fiction. It becomes your life line when you desperately need more of your favorite characters.

6. You immediately find yourself looking for a sequel or another book by the author.

Fanfics are great but you need some canon fiction in your life. If there was a cliff hanger at the end of your book you absolutely need to know what will happen next. And if it was a stand alone novel does the author have other books that are just as good? Because you need to read those immediately.

7. And every time you think you’re over the book you’ll suddenly remember one moment that you absolutely loved and have to read it again.

Signs You're Suffering From A Book Hangover — Source: Disney

No matter how hard you try to forget about the book you find yourself always wanting to pick it up just one last time. You just need to read that scene again. Or you don’t remember what exactly happened and you just need a refresher. You tell yourself you’re not going to read the whole thing again but then an hour goes by and you realize you’ve been sucked back in.

Book hangovers are the worst but they’re also the best because that means the book was really good. Good luck trying to move on though. Happy reading!

6 Feminist Books You Should Definitely Read This Month

Posted on March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Happy Women’s History Month! Despite what you may hear in the media today, women do have a voice, whether some believe it or not. Women are strong, bright, beautiful, and kick a**. We come in different sizes and shapes and some of us like make-up or sports or both because who says we have to choose? We’re freaking fantastic but sometimes we need a reminder. So here’s some books that’ll make you laugh, feel strong, and maybe even cry but in the best way.

1. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

In this awesome book of essays, Roxane Gay takes readers through her life journey as a woman, particularly as a woman of color, while also commenting on feminism in society today. Funny and full of so many memorable quotes, this book will stick with you long after you’re finished reading it.

2. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

First, you need to listen to this audiobook. Second, you need to listen to it because hearing Amy read the book makes it feel like you’re just chatting with a friend who’s giving you some life advice. From discussing her divorce to questioning why women feel the need to explain why they’re saying no, Yes Please is funny but also very insightful.

3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is an incredibly moving and heartbreaking novel about a girl named Melinda who becomes almost mute after being raped at a party and then shunned from her friends and classmates because she called the cops and the party was busted up. Through the novel we see Melinda come to terms with what happened to her and finally find her voice.

4. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Tina Fey doesn’t sugarcoat things. She’s honest about her insecurities and the frustrations that come from being a female writer in a male dominated field and she openly discusses her fears and concerns about having another kid. Proudly owning the Bossypants title, Fey illustrates through her own life story that being a leader and going after what you want isn’t just something men do; women can, and should, do it too.

5. Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan

Nothing says girl power like a group of friends getting together and talking about why they’re tired of men. There’s a bond that happens when women can just sit down and air their grievances with each other. And even though all these women just want a man that’ll take their breath away, eventually they realize they don’t need a man at all.

6. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Feminist, a person who believes in the equality of the sexes.” Whether you’ve watched Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TEDX talk or not you’ve definitely heard that line before (thanks Beyonce). Well here’s her talk adapted into a nice little book that you can keep with you always and be inspired on the go. You’re welcome.

What books do you plan to read during Women’s History Month? Let me know in the comments below.

[Photo By SaraduJour]

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Posted on March 3, 2016May 11, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.

*This book is part of my POPSUGAR 2016 Reading Challenge.*

I honestly have no idea why it took me so long to finally read this book but I’m so glad I did. Sarah J. Maas is a master story teller and the world she creates in A Court of Thorns and Roses is unbelievable.

First of all, Feyre is a boss. She’s headstrong, good with a bow, and will do whatever it takes to make sure her family survives, even if she doesn’t particularly like them all the time. And then you have Tamlin, the beastly prince with a heart of gold. He can be throat and vicious, because he is a faerie and in this series faeries are meant to be feared. Still even from the start it’s clear her cares about his people and Feyre.

Then there’s Lucien, Tamlin’s right hand man. Lucien is hilarious and mysterious and has a great back story. There were some points when I’m pretty sure Feyre wanted to punch him in the face and give him a hug all at the same time. I felt the same way. And lastly my surprising favorite was Rhys. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t say much but I really am curious to know more about him because he seems like a really complex character that I already kind of love (although I’m not sure if I should).

As a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Maas did an excellent job of switching things up and still giving readers twists they wouldn’t expect. Although in the back in my mind I always assumed there would be a happy ending I could never trust that idea because Maas always had my heart racing. Truthfully, depending on how you look at it I’m not sure you could even this book has a happy ending.

What I will say is it kept me on my toes and I loved almost all the characters, even the villains. The twists and turns is really what made me stay up late and finish this book in one day. You won’t want to stop reading until you get to the very end.

Borrow or Buy: Buy it!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I love you. Thorns and all.”

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Book Review: You Were Here

Posted on March 1, 2016July 12, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis from Amazon:

Jaycee is about to accomplish what her older brother Jake couldn’t: live past graduation.

Jaycee is dealing with her brother’s death the only way she can – by re-creating Jake’s daredevil stunts. The ones that got him killed. She’s not crazy, okay? She just doesn’t have a whole lot of respect for staying alive.

Jaycee doesn’t expect to have help on her insane quest to remember Jake. But she’s joined by a group of unlikely friends – all with their own reasons for completing the dares and their own brand of dysfunction: the uptight, ex-best friend, the heartbroken poet, the slacker with Peter Pan syndrome, and… Mik. He doesn’t talk, but somehow still challenges Jayce to do the unthinkable-reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Cori McCarthy’s gripping narrative defies expectation, moving seamlessly from prose to graphic novel panels and word art poetry, perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, Jennier Niven, and Jandy Nelson. From the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum to the skeletal remains of the world’s largest amusement park, You Were Here takes you on an unforgettable journey of friendship, heartbreak and inevitable change.

*I received a free digital advanced reader’s copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be released on March 1, 2016.*

This book was better than I expected it to be. I don’t really know what I was expecting but I wasn’t prepared to fall in love with it as much as I did. Told in multiple point of views, Cori McCarthy weaves together a story of forgiveness, love, moving on, and hope.

It’s been five years since Jaycee’s older, dare devil brother Jake died while doing a dare. Since then Jaycee has kind of lost herself. She wears Jake’s clothes and follows his dares, trying to keep the memory of Jake alive.

On the night of her own graduation Jaycee realizes she’s lived past the age her brother did. Planning to go to the old, abandoned mental hospital she always does on the anniversary of her brother’s death she’s joined by her ex-best friend, Natalie, Natalie’s boyfriend, Zach, and his friend, Bishop. Creating a rag tag team that’s soon joined by Mik, Jake’s friend and Jaycee’s…something, they decide to go through Jake’s dares together, each for their own personal reasons.

Jaycee’s chapters are told in first person, Zach and Natalie’s are told in third person, Bishop’s sections are just illustrations of the art he makes, and Mik’s point of view is told in the form of comics. You Were Here is put together so creatively and I sympathized and related to each of these characters. Plus, there’s just so much going on but not so much that the important themes get lost.

Each character is going through their own issues. Jaycee is still reeling from her brother’s death, Natalie feels guilty about not being there for Jaycee five years ago, Zach isn’t sure about his future, Bishop is getting over his break-up, and Mik is a selective mute who struggles to speak around Jaycee, the one person he really wants to talk to.

You Were Here is released today and you should all do yourselves a favor and purchase this one. It’s seriously a book you’ll want on your shelf.

Borrow or Buy: Buy!

Stars:

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‘Me Before You’, ‘Confess’, And Other Books I Read This Month (Feb. Wrap-Up)

Posted on February 29, 2016February 28, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

I read a lot of great books this month and I got a bunch of books too! Check out my first monthly wrap-up. I plan to do this at the end of every month as a recap of what I’ve read and what books I’ve either bought or was given to me during the month.

Number Of Books I Read This Month: 11

Books I Received This Month

I didn’t buy any books this month because I’m currently on a book buying ban but hopefully that will change next month. Still, I did receive a box load of books from a friend of mine that works at HarperCollins Publishers. Here’s all the books I got and plan to read soon.