jennifer e smith — Blog • NOVL

Books That Will 100% Make You Cry in Public

I am a total cry baby. I cry all the time. If there’s an ASPCA commercial, a really sweet movie, a military surprise homecoming, when the barista remembers my order on a really tough day—tears! Here are a few titles that will give you that cathartic cry session, no matter where you are. You’ve been warned!

listicleStefanie HoffmanJanuary 12, 2021dear evan hansen, val emmich, benj pasek, justin paul, steven levenson, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, girl in the blue coat, monica hesse, hello goodbye and everything in between, jennifer e smith, we contain multitudes, sarah henstra, when the stars lead to you, ronniComment

Pick a Smash Hit from The Vengaboys, Get a Book Rec

Who asked for this quiz? Absolutely nobody. But guess what – the Vengaboys are the only thing that have gotten me through month eight (EIGHT?!) of quarantine. Let’s put on the Vengaboys and read because those are the only things holding me together.

quizSavannah KennellyNovember 13, 2020jack of hearts, l. c. rosen, the diviners, libba bray, the loose ends list, carrie firestone, fence, sarah rees brennan, hello, hello goodbye and everything in between, jennifer e smith, the cruel prince, folk of the air, holly blackComment

Senior Year Anxiety Reads

Senior year tends to be overwhelmingly stressful in normal times. Whether you are off to college in the fall or have other plans in store, these seven books recs are here to connect, entertain, and inspire during this uniquely challenging time in your life.

listicleLBYRMay 29, 2020most likely, sarah watson, dear universe, florence gonsalves, hello goodbye and everything in between, jennifer e smith, the revolution handbook, alice skinner, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, fierce, aly raismanComment

Choose an animal facemask, and we'll give you a book you should read while you self-care it up!

5 Nonfiction to Fiction Pairings

One portion of my reading diet that needs some boosting in particular is non-fiction. So, in the spirit of switching things up and developing a well-paired tbr, I bring you my favorite pairs of fiction and non-fiction books to read back to back!

listicleSavannah KennellyOctober 16, 2019fierce, aly raisman, throw like a girl, sarah henning, the geography of you and me, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, we are displaced, malala yousafzai, read spies, spies, marc favreau, assassin's guide, virginia boecker, we rule the night, claire eliza bartlettComment

The August 2019 NOVLbox, curated by Kass Morgan!

There’s nothing quite like going out into an open field and staring up at the stars, trying to pick out constellations. If summertime makes you think of the cosmos, this NOVLbox is for you!

novlboxSavannah KennellyAugust 1, 2019light years, supernova, kass morgan, rapture practice, the statistical probability of love at first sight, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smithComment

Choose a bunch of books, and we'll guess your star sign

Oh yes, we’re back with another astrology post. This time, we put ourselves to the test by guessing your star sign based on books you choose. Do you read books similar to your sign? Let’s find out!

quizEmily ZhuJuly 29, 2019cloudwish, fiona wood, amelia westlake, erin gough, we contain multitudes, sarah henstra, every exquisite thing, matthew quick, the plain janes, cecil castellucci, jim rugg, dear evan hansen, val emmich, steven levenson, benj pasek, justin paul, the loose ends list, carrie firestone, love and first sight, josh sundquist, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, finding yvonne, brandy colbert, grace and fury, tracy banghart, read rule, rule, ellen goodlett, little & lion, little and lion, assassin's guide, virginia boecker, throw like a girl, sarah henning, we rule the night, claire eliza bartlett, astonishing color of after, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, the unlikelies, teeth in the mist, dawn kurtagich, the diviners, libba bray, six impossible things, the statistical probability of love at first sight, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, tyler johnson was here, jay coles, trinkets, kiwi smith, ash, malinda lo, a match made in mehendi, nandini bajpai, defy the stars, claudia gray, the bone houses, you must not miss, katrina leno, darkest part of the forest, holly black, the revolution of birdie randolph, when the stars lead to you, ronni davis, the cruel prince, internment, read internment, samira ahmed Comment

11 Kisses in YA, definitively ranked

As an unapologetic lover of YA, I’ve read through my fair share of kissing scenes. Some of them make my heart swoon to the point where even I can feel the fireworks. Other times, I have to take a small break from reading because the second-hand embarrassment and awkwardness is too much.

listicleEmily ZhuJuly 6, 2019astonishing color of after, the astonishing color of after, emily x.r. pan, amelia westlake, erin gough, twilight, stephenie meyer, the summer of us, cecilia vinesse, the statistical probability of love at first sight, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, the cruel prince, holly black, folk of the airComment

5 Books for When You Go Through a Big Life Change, but Everything Will Be Okay

Sometimes, big changes are thrown at you like curveballs from life, speeding in from out of nowhere to smack you in the face. Other times, big life changes are expected and anticipated and yet no less difficult. Either way, with every big life change comes an adjustment period. So here are some books for when you go through a big life change, but everything will be okay.

listicleSavannah KennellyJune 5, 2019the revolution of birdie randolph, brandy colbert, the plain janes, cecil castellucci, jim rugg, six impossible things, fiona wood, hello goodbye and everything in between, jennifer e smith, jennifer e. smith, the loose ends list, carrie firestoneComment