Hai Beautiful!

Wear your face mask!

I didn’t notice how long it has been since I’ve given book recommendations… Honestly, what have I been doing on here!?

Recently, I was giving book recommendations to someone at work and realised I hadn’t recommended you any books recently. So today we will be talking about four YA contemporary novels I loved, based on four of my home-made face mask designs!

Red + White Spots // THE THINGS WE PROMISE by J. C. Burke

For my red and white spotted mask, I chose The Things We Promise by J.C. Burke. I read this book a while ago and to this day I still love it! It deals with the topic of AIDS from the perspective of a girl who’s brother has contracted and is dying of the disease.

It’s an interesting read and certainly a topic that I haven’t seen in other YA novels. The breakdown of the taboo in TTWP is absolutely wonderful, as well as the learning curve and character development that emerges throughout the novel.

I paired it with this mask because this material is one I have limited amounts of and the topic in this book is very taboo and limited in conversations.

White + Flowers // ALL THE INVISIBLE THINGS by Orlagh Collins

This material is one of the first ones I purchased and probably my favourite thus far! I paired these cute flowers with All The Invisible Things by Orlagh Collins, another contemporary novel that I read this year that I am raving about.

Amazing cover art aside, this book is told from the perspective of a teenage girl who is moving back to her old house after years away, rekindling her relationship with her best friend, being a mother figure to her little sister and trying to understand her own sexuality.

This novel is full of highs and lows but in the end, I was so glad to have picked it up and read it. There is nothing better than going into a book blind and coming out the other side absolutely feeling like you needed to read it!

Mandala Flowers // SAVE THE DATE by Morgan Matson

This fabric is a little chaotic and that’s why I paired it with Save The Date by Morgan Matson.

This book is chaotic, fun and an overall wild ride as we follow our main character through the mess that is her family coming together and planning a wedding. There is romance, scandal, breakups and family drama all around. If something can go wrong in the situation it will!

I loved this book when I read it but over time I think I’ve fallen out of love with it. Maybe it’s the whirlwind fun that only lasts when you’re reading it or the secondhand embarrassment that lasts the entire novel. I’m not sure, but it’s certainly worth a read once.

Pink // CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT by Brigid Kemmerer

I, of course, had to choose a plain pink fabric for my masks and what better novel to pair it with than this beauty than Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer!?

I read this book recently and fully expected to hate it! I know that sounds weird but hear me out. The novel is told in dual perspectives from a boy and girl who’s path are destined to be crossed.

Both individuals have been ostracised in some way, whether it be by their own actions or the actions of others and as they’re slowly drawn to each other, they learn just how cruel people can be, especially those they thought they could trust.

It’s an interesting novel in which every young adult has their own problems that entwine with everyone else’s. Nothing is complicated or confusing from a single glance but if you manage to put yourself in the shoes of each character you can understand how hard their decisions are to make.

I hoped you liked that new style of recommendations. It was so hard to choose which books to talk about today!!

There are so many contemporary novels that I want to scream from the rooftops about, so if you’d like to see any more contemporary recs, please let me know down in the comments below!

MORE ABOUT THE MASKS!

Did you know I’m making face masks?

I have opened a shop on my blog to sell journaling/ scrapbooking ephemera, handmade bookmarks (coming soon) and face masks!

There are nine different types of fabric advertised and all masks are double-sided/ reversible so you can be twice as stylish! They are all handmade and custom made to order, just follow the descriptions in the listing.

You can find the listing at this link, or via the shop tab in the menu bar!