For the first post of 2021, I'd like to share this year's Notion Template.
Notion is a great platform for productivity and organization. I began to use it on April 2020 and it has since become a huge asset. I like to organize my uni life on it, plan my content, tracj my expenses and so much more!
You can get my template and use it too! Just go to my shop and purchase it.
till next time!
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Synopsis: Levine Querido has bought debut author Donna Barba Higuera's middle grade novel Lupe Wong Won't Dance. Publication is slated for 2020.Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She's also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy…like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much…like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons.Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who's Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she's not gonna let that slide.Not since Millicent Min, Girl Genius has a debut novel introduced a character so memorably, with such humor and emotional insight. Even square dancing fans will agree…
“Would you rather hang from a burning rope over the Grand Canyon filled with rattlesnakes or dance on stage in five minutes?” — Donna Barba Higuera, Lupe Wong Won't Dance
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera tells the story of Guadalupe Wong, a twelve-year-old girl who dreams of becoming the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. And the first Mexinese girl to throw a no-hitter. After her uncle promises her an encounter with Fu Li Hernandez, a Chinacan/Mexinese professional pitcher (and her idol) under the condition that she must get straight A's all across the board, she studies hard but there's just one problem.
This quarter's PE curriculum is... Square dancing. And Lupe Wong rather "eat raw maggot puke" than do that.
Well, much like Lupe Wong, square dancing was also a part of my school's curriculum (I hated it too). However, opposite to her, I just... played hooky. Yes, not my proudest moment, but not all of us can be persistent badasses like Lupe, ok?
Speaking of her, Lupe Wong is such a great character! She's so driven by her goals and determined to do right by her causes. She exhales the type of confidence and purpose kids have, while also being vulnerable and funny. I loved her character the most, although her friends were also great.
“Remember when I peed my pants in the fourth grade?”
“Yeah.” I shrug like it was no big deal, but it was one epic
accident. “My mom isn’t the one who got Ms. Cox in trouble for not letting me go to the bathroom after I’d already asked four times.” Her jaw is tight. “You did. You’re the one who got equal potty rights for everyone even if we’d just been at recess. You’re the one who made sure no one teased me.” Andy’s eyes are welling up a little." — Donna Barba Higuera, Lupe Wong Won't Dance
I wanted to read Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera so badly because I don't see a lot of Asian-Latinx representation out there. I am not Mexinese (I'm Japanese-Brazilian), but I could relate so much with her struggles to conciliate both of her cultures. There was one scene, in particular, a family dinner, that felt so familiar to me.
I haven't read many Middle-Grade books and Lupe Wong Won't Dance is just the book I needed. It's funny and charming while also being relevant and thoughtful. It tackled issues like racism, gender norms, and historical oppression, but it's also a light book about a funny preteen who doesn't want to dance in school. I loved how fresh it felt.
The plot is interesting and gripping and I read the book in like... two hours? And it brightened my Sunday. The ending was very cute, all characters had their well-deserved growth. However, I had one little problem: a lot of very relevant issues with square dancing are brought up and they are dealt with some way or another, but I didn't feel like it was enough, you know? To quote Lupe herself, "If a system is flawed, they should scrap it". But that's just my personal opinion based on some very messed up childhood experiences with square dancing.
“I mean, what if I’m gay?” I ask. “Shouldn’t I be able to dance
with a girl?”
“Are you gay?”
“I don’t know. I’m only twelve. I thought I’d figure it out in a few years.” — Donna Barba Higuera, Lupe Wong Won't Dance
Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera is a great Middle-Grade book. I recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect easy and fun reading that will make you cry-laugh and cry-cry and feel happy at the end.
Thank you for reading, and thanks to Colored Pages Book Tour and Publisher Levine Querido for this amazing opportunity!
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Thanks to Colored Pages BT for including me in this book tour and to the publisher, Algonquin Young, for the ARC.
So, I am writing this review with no hope of it being coherent. Do you know how when you love a book, you rarely can summon words to tell people why? You just loved it so much it rendered you speechless. Well, that's Furia for me.
In any way, let me try.
Synopsis: A powerful, #ownvoices contemporary YA for fans of The Poet X and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, Furia is the story of a girl’s journey to make her life her own
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez tells the story of Camila Hassan, a girl from Rosario, Argentina, who dreams of becoming a professional soccer player (preferably, in the US), as impossible as that may feel like. She plays for a small team called Eva María in secret while her brother gets to live the dream of being signed into a club.
On top of that, her childhood friend and crush, Diego Ferrari, comes back to town for a week after spending a year living in Italy and playing for Juventus and she cannot deal with that on top of the coming up Sudamericano tournament and the piles of lies she's told her family.
"The part of me that had been set free during the game stretched her wings and howled at the sun." — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
Before signing up for this book tour, I was drawn to Furia for two main reasons: first, the Argentinian rep. I know it's easy to think about Latin America as being just one place but the truth is, the continent is huge, and just 'latinx rep' doesn't always hit home, you know? Well, even with our countries rivalry, Argentina and Brazil are close enough (don't tell anyone that, please), and reading Furia felt great.
The second reason was the soccer.
Growing up in Brazil, soccer (or football, really) was always everywhere. It's weaved within families and friends, it's in bars and bakeries and schools. And I'm proud of my country, I'm proud of the five World Cup titles and the incredible players we have. However, sexism is deeply rooted in Brazil's history, and, because of that, only recently women have been acknowledged in the sport with the respect they deserve (and we're still far from equality). Furia is a book that centers on women's experience with soccer and for that, I'm profoundly grateful.
Camila was a brilliant character. I was impressed with how determined and strong she was. She's by no means perfect, but she felt real to me. I connected with her through her love of soccer, through her difficult family background, through her struggles to make her dreams come true. South America can be a difficult place to grow up in as a woman and it's not easy at all to accomplish our goals, and, even though I can barely play soccer, I could relate to Camila every time she was on the field.
"The part of me that had been set free during the game stretched her wings and howled at the sun." — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
The secondary characters (her family and her friends) were also written skillfully. Every one of them has virtues and flaws (some are worse than others) and still, most of them managed to grow throughout the pages.
I loved how the romance part was handled. Camila is a powerful character who knows what she wants (to play soccer professionally) and what she's willing to compromise to get there. Seeing how a relationship falls within those things, and, especially, how she never takes her mind off of her dream, was incredible (and refreshing!) to me. Regarding the love interest, Diego, well, I liked that he's cute, but not even close to perfect. He is the product of a society and, therefore, shares some of its beliefs and behaviors. That, added to his character improvement at the end of the book, made him realistic to my eyes.
"I’d leave this house the first chance I got, but not by chasing after a boy, including my brother. I’d do it on my own terms, following my own dreams, not someone else’s. And most importantly, no one would leech off my sacrifices. No one." — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
Concerning the plot, it was gripping and original. I read Furia all in one sitting because I simply could not put it down (Yamille owns me some hours of sleep). Being able to follow Camila's journey was incredible. It was painful and hopeful and ultimately the best experience a reader can hope for. The ending was very coherent with the story (and the characters' growth). Reading the epilogue made me giddy with joy (after I went through a lot of very stressful pages, lemme tell ya)
The book is written beautifully. I hadn't known any of Yamile's work before reading Furia but now I'll surely check it out. She can write characters and stories in an exceptional way. Also, Yamile's love for soccer permeated the story and it was incredible to read it.
Oh, and Marta is one of my role models too.
“I’m not like Messi or Dybala, or even you. I’m like Alex Morgan. Like Marta. My team doesn’t compare to yours, but one day I’m going to play in the United States with those women.” — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez is the perfect, gripping sports romance. I recommend it to anyone looking for strong female characters, breathtaking soccer matches, and some (realistic!) romance sprinkled on top.
my favorite quotes
(besides the ones already featured)
"Finally, I armed myself with courage. I was la Furia, after all."— Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
"Who would be next, and who would get to grow old? “Ni una menos,” I sang out. “Vivas nos queremos.” — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
"It took so little for a spark of faith to ignite a fire. It took so little for that faith to turn into ambition." — Yamile Saied Méndez, Furia.
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Synopsis: From award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a powerful coming-of-age fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life.Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village's stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes.Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit.One night, Xo's wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town's murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match... if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.
"I had my doubts about You and Your love but at the moment surrounded by possibility ad hope it was easier to believe" — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
“We all decided to come on this journey,” she reminded me. “You get to decide how to end it.” — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
"I was alive in that solitude. I was full, satiated by the knowledge that someone out in the world understood me. It never lasted long enough." — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
"Cada una de nosotras es una desiertaSolitaria y vastaQuemadaNos estiramos por siempreEach of us a desertsolitary and vastburnedwe stretch forever" — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
"I was born to a body meant to help others. But I am so selfish, Solís. I give and I give and I give myself: to You, to mi gente, but why did you put me in a body with such unending desire? That wants so much that it cannot have?" — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
“We are the stories we tell one another.” — Mark Oshiro, Each of Us a Desert
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| Tour hosted by Colored Pages Tours |
Synopsis:All around me, my friends are talking, joking, laughing. Outside is the camp, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the city, the country that hates us.
We are not free.
But we are not alone.”
From New York Times best-selling and acclaimed author Traci Chee comes We Are Not Free, the collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.
Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.
Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.
Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps. In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.
“And I get it, finally. Gaman. The ability to hold your pain and bitterness inside you and not let them destroy you. To make something beautiful through your anger, or with your anger, and neither erase it nor let it define you. To suffer. And to rage. And to persevere." — Traci Chee, We Are Not Free
"See, we don’t got liberty, we don’t got property, but you better believe we’ve got the Great American Right to die for a country that doesn’t want us.” — Traci Chee, We Are Not Free
“I want to believe in right and wrong. Here is what’s right. Here is what isn’t. Here is the line. Here is the question: If I go to war for America, if I kill for America, if I support an America that doesn’t support me, am I supporting my oppressors?” — Traci Chee, We Are Not Free
"You’ve lost too much to give more of yourself away.” — Traci Chee, We Are Not Free
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