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    • Deal Announcement: Chloe Gong, YA Fantasy

      Posted at 10:41 am by Laura, on February 24, 2021

      I’m thrilled to share the announcement that Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and forthcoming Our Violent Ends, will have a new duology publishing in Fall 2022, beginning with Foul Lady Fortune!

      Sarah McCabe at S&S/McElderry has bought a YA duology by bestselling author Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights). Foul Lady Fortune, the first of the two books, is a speculative historical noir surrounding the events of Imperial Japan’s expansion into China in the 1930s. A familiar character is recruited as a national spy, maintaining her false identity by posing as a young married couple with someone who might be the very enemy. Publication is set for fall 2022; Laura Crockett at Triada US Literary did the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights.

      Last time I announced a deal for Chloe, I mentioned how amazed I was with her ability to weave historical fact with fantasy, to keep me glued to my seat, to make me want to research more into this period of history while also enjoying a thoroughly enticing and engaging novel. That certainly hasn’t changed!

      Not long after her first sale, knee-deep in edits with her editor for These Violent Delights, Chloe shared an idea with me about [redacted character] and her intention to make a spin-off duology following [redacted]. Yes, I said––run with it, expand it, let’s see what you’ve got, let’s see if [redacted] can stand on two legs and be a star.

      Fast forward to 2020, where she’s promoting her debut launch in the middle of a pandemic while also revising Our Violent Ends. Even though we couldn’t celebrate in person like we all dreamed for her, the onslaught of praise and admiration and splashy reception Chloe received in trade, commercial, academic, and general reader circles was astounding!

      We felt confident that her idea for [redacted] would work, so she wrote her optional materials, submitted shortly before winter break, and received wonderful news from her publisher that they loved it too.

      In the words of her editor Sarah, “The queen of hate-to-love romance––the incomparable Chloe Gong––has an incredible new story coming, and you’d all better start prepping because you ARE. NOT. READY!!!!!” And she’s so right. Add Foul Lady Fortune to your TBR!

      Congratulations, Chloe!

      Posted in agenting, deal announcement | 1 Comment | Tagged agenting, deal announcement
    • MSWL for 2021

      Posted at 12:15 pm by Laura, on January 1, 2021

      Also known as
      What I’d Like to See in my Agent Inbox in 2021

      In general, my manuscript wish list stays the same no matter the season or year! But for 2021, I’m really hoping to see these kinds of projects in particular appear in my inbox. Similar to 2018, 2019, and 2020, but with some adjustments and additions (pie-in-the-sky dream projects).

      Keep in mind, a manuscript is more than a recipe combining themes of Book A, characters like those found in Book B, with a plot like Book C. It’s in the essence of the writing, the make-up of the narrative, the style of the voice––that’s what captures attention. A really great manuscript infuses the tone, atmosphere, and emotion into every word, applying careful attention to detail to evoke a sensation from the page to the reader’s mind. That’s what agents are looking for. We’re enticed by your recipe and hope to be moved by the outcome. So while I am pointing out published books that accomplished elements of what I love and what I’m seeking, I’m also pointing out books that most accurately display the essence of what I’m looking for.

      ~~~

      ADULT FICTION

      Fantasy || I adore fantasy inspired by historical events, cultures, folklore, and fairytales. More often than not, these fantasies tend to be set in secondary worlds, where magic may or may not exist, but the feel of the novel is certainly magical. My absolute favorites are The City of Brass (Islamic- and Arabic-inspired, set in 18th-c outside Cairo), Uprooted and Spinning Silver (Eastern European and Jewish fairytale retellings), The Wolf of Oren-Yaro (Filipino-inspired culture), and Daughter of the Forest (Irish Celtic mythology). Award-winning author and client Tasha Suri‘s Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash are based on 15th-c Mughal-Indian mythology, and upcoming Malice by Heather Walter spins a fairytale completely on its head. Each of these books have lush writing and beautiful characterizations, which is what I’m most drawn to in these fantasies. I also enjoy in-depth world-building and unique perspectives (literally everything about A Darker Shade of Magic), have thoroughly enjoyed dragon stories (Priory of the Orange Tree and His Majesty’s Dragon), am seeking more previously-established ensemble casts with one POV (a la Kings of the Wyld), and I want to find my own Queen of Blood, Bone Ships, or The Wolf and the Whale.

      Pie-in-the-sky manuscript: What every single book mentioned above accomplishes is the ability to take a creature, character, or tradition from a culture, tale, or faith and make it entirely new, unique, fresh. I want to see golems, djinn, wendigos, vetalas, almasties––I’m tired of the typical werewolf/vampire/angel/fairy. Give me something rarely covered in Western literature. Give me depth to the world and the characters. I don’t need heists and sword fights and action-action-action to propel my reading.

      Historical Fantasy || Though a branch off fantasy (“low fantasy”), this category is for all those books that have a hint of magic within the historical narrative. Not necessarily magical realism––but a tiny little something sparks that energy and spins into the fantastical. In Another Time explores wormholes in WWII, The Familiars leaves you wondering if she really was a witch, The Winter Witch adds an element of intrigue in a quiet Welsh farm, Outlander has a hint of time travel but is otherwise historical, and A Secret History of Witches explores generations of women in one family and the impact their magic has on the community. My favorite books in 2020 included The Once and Future Witches and The Year of the Witching, and I would fall over to represent something like that! Basically if it involves witches, a hint of magic, and the ways in which a community unravels, I’m down.

      Pie-in-the-sky: A fresh and unique spin on historical events that then asks, “what if…?” What if witches were real during XYZ historical event? What if witches were behind A? What if magic was the cause of B? What if someone with XYZ abilities could’ve changed the outcome to C? What if magic/witches were the root of religion? Take the idea and run with it.

      Women’s Fiction || I adore women’s fiction that is about the average woman doing average things, experiencing the difficulties of everyday life, and growing from it — such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, A Window Opens, Leave Me, Goodbye, Paris, and The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living. On the flip-side, I love chick-lit — humorous women’s fiction that’s appealing to a millennial audience, about young women in the workplace and the silly things that happen in their life. My absolute favorite is Sophie Kinsella, along with Don’t You Forget About Me, The Friend Zone, Ayesha at Last, and The Flatshare. Romance is not a primary draw for me, but it doesn’t turn me off to the story, either!

      Pie-in-the-sky: I’ve found I’m drawn to two particular sorts of protagonists and life journeys in women’s fiction. The first is the character that thinks they’re content when actually they’re lonely. Though these characters are typically older or curmudgeonly––and that’s okay––a kind and young character can experience this too. I’m drawn to the ways in which another character/event challenges them to break routine. The second is the character that has something preventing them from moving forward in life––grief, finances, a relationship––and the snowball effect that has throughout the narrative.

      Historical Fiction || I love all sorts of historical fiction, especially when it branches off little-known aspects of history, or it takes on a fresh new look at popular historical events (WWI and WWII, for example, are incredibly common on the shelves, but it’s how the story is told or the unique perspective the story is told through that brings them to the shelves). For example, my favorite historical fiction includes Shadow on the Crown (Emma of Normandy and early British history), The Alice Network (WWI/WWII parallel narrative shining light on female spy networks), The Romanov Empress (about Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II), and Dear Mrs. Bird (WWII advice columnist/slice-of-life narrative). I would love to see some more light shed on impressive women in history and the things they accomplished despite society’s limitations (STEM, feminism, code-breaking, politics/reigns, first female to ___), like client Clarissa Harwood‘s Impossible Saints. Admittedly, I’m most familiar with European (specifically English) history, but I’m open to reading anything as long as the premise is compelling and fresh and the writing style relatable to a modern audience.

      Pie-in-the-sky: Lately I’ve been craving Gilded Age/turn-of-the-century narratives, particularly in the ways American wealth supported British aristocracy. I also want to read about women we know (Wu Zetian, Elizabeth Bathory, Mette Magrete Tvistman), women behind great men in history, and women being the first in smaller [and oftentimes fictional] ways––like the first to run her family’s Victorian shop, with Sarah Waters vibes, for example.

      Contemporary/Historical Parallel Narratives in Fiction || There are great ways to introduce parallel narratives in historical and contemporary women’s fiction. Some of my favorites include anything pertaining to archivists, curators, scribes, researchers, and academics. Sometimes the parallel narrative is in the form of epistolary fiction –– artifacts and documents the curator, archivist, or researcher in the modern day stumbles across that takes us into the historical narrative literally (like The Weight of Ink and Possession) or figuratively (Meet Me at the Museum). I especially adore fiction that follows said curator, archivist, and academic on their journey, like The Clockmaker’s Daughter. I’m open to two historical narratives (Letters from Skye) as well as one historical and one contemporary, just as long as both narratives are tied in some way while still having two separate, compelling journeys.

      YOUNG ADULT FICTION

      Fantasy & Historical Fantasy || The YA world is difficult to break into, especially in fantasy. But I’m such a sucker for YA fantasy — I love all the worlds and ideas and originality that floods the market. That’s the issue at stake, though: it needs to be original. So while I love fairytale retellings, they need to be proper retellings, with twists and turns and (for goodness’s sake) new names––just like my clients Lisa DeSelm’s The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice and Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights. I love culturally-influenced or mythology-inspired stories (like Spin the Dawn and Don’t Call the Wolf), but I’m not interested in Greek or Roman mythology whatsoever. (Never have been.) I love historically-inspired fantasies, too, such as Walk on Earth a Stranger. That said, I’m very much into elemental magic — when magic is innate, a part of the world, or part of the world’s faith/mythology — over all other kinds of fantasies, like Shielded by my client KayLynn Flanders. Think Star-Touched Queen, Shadowfell, Sorcery of Thorns, and Hunted. If you have a YA fantasy, send it my way, especially if they fit into any of the above criteria.

      Pie-in-the-sky: (As stated in the adult fiction section, since it applies here too) What every single book mentioned above accomplishes is the ability to take a creature, character, or tradition from a culture, tale, or faith and make it entirely new, unique, fresh. I want to see golems, djinn, wendigos, vetalas, almasties––I’m tired of the typical werewolf/vampire/angel/fairy. Give me something rarely covered in Western literature. Give me depth to the world and the characters. I don’t need heists and sword fights and action-action-action to propel my reading. They’re entertaining, but I’m here for the meat of the story, not the garnish.

      Contemporary Fiction || It is all about the voice for me when it comes to YA contemporary. When I read YA contemporary, I need to feel like I’m talking to my high school best friend. Teen readers can spot inauthenticity in a heartbeat, and you want to make sure you have their desires and heartbreaks in the voice of your protagonist. You’re not an adult trying to be a teen — you are a teen. That said, I am seeking fantastic rom-coms like When Dimple Met Rishi (technology camps!), Royals (royals’ sidekicks fall in love!) and Anna and the French Kiss (study abroad programs!), badass heroines like Dumplin’ (fighting against stereotypes!), and great family and friendship dynamics like Emma Mills, Morgan Matson, and Jenny Han. Perfect examples of this are my own clients Jared Reck (A Short History of the Girl Next Door) and Nina Moreno (Don’t Date Rosa Santos). I’d love to see more characters with fun and interesting jobs and unique hobbies. I tend to lean on the lighter side of things, with hope at the end of the tunnel. I do like tear-jerkers, but I want that spark of hope and inspiration at the end.

      Historical || Historical fiction is very hard to break into in YA. Sometimes it needs to have magical elements, sometimes it needs to be an era that readers are familiar with. Look to your own city, look to the history books, look to your family history, and see what seemingly small event had a large impact for that area. A Prisoner of Night and Fog is set in Germany in the 1930s, not quite WWII but through the perspective of someone in the middle of the frightening changes in the country; Outrun the Moon is set during the San Francisco earthquake, and how race and economic status barriers fell in a state of emergency; A Madness So Discreet is set across America in the 1800s, battling patriarchy and standing up for those unlawfully sentenced to mental institutions; The Forbidden Orchid is set in Asia as a Victorian girl hunts down her father, a man in the middle of a race to find a perfect, rare orchid; The Bird and the Blade, though partially based on a folk tale, is inspired by historical events during the Mongol Empire and the Great Khan’s reign of power. There are so many more — but great YA historical fiction requires an intriguing and original premise, a general accessibility, and bringing the past to life. I would love to see historical fiction set outside the US and Western Europe!

      ~~~

      For a final once-over, feel free to follow my #mswl and #MSWLaesthetic on Twitter, read my Manuscript Wishlist post, follow submission guidelines, read up on Publishers Marketplace deals, check out my clients page and book deals records, and catch up on this blog once in a while to read my thoughts and reviews of published works. Every little bit helps to getting representation! Oh, and as a reminder:

      ALWAYS seeking: diversity. Race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, mentality, health, economic status, religious affiliation, all of it. The obvious shouldn’t need to be said — that I want my projects to reflect the beautiful diversity of the world, that I want to see and share with others life through another’s eyes, that I want to see these differences expressed through art and creation and culture, that these books need to be on bookshelves — but that’s the state of things. So yes, there is no question to it: I want diversity.

      ALWAYS open to queries: even during times of the year when publishing seems extra busy, or extra slow, or I’m on vacation or traveling — I am open to queries. I never close. I read every single query. It’s unfair to you as the writer to try to keep track of all the agents who are opened or closed, and (selfishly) it’s unfair to me to be closed when something truly remarkable could have been in my inbox for me to represent. SO! With that said, if I’m busy or traveling or on vacation, I’ll have an away message up with clear, simple instructions about what will happen with your query in the time I’m away. I am never closed to queries.

      NEVER seeking: anything set in space, anything set in the future, thrillers and suspense (psychological, military, legal, political, or otherwise), Greek or Roman-inspired narratives (I’m sorry, I’m just not into it), all nonfiction (poems, essays, memoirs, how-tos, everything nonfiction), scripts or screenplays, paranormal romance, erotica. If your project uses any of these concepts to describe it, it’s an automatic no. I’m not the agent for any of these projects, so please do not send them to me.

      ~~~

      I hope this is helpful! I’m looking forward to receiving great manuscripts and selling lots in 2021!

      Posted in agenting | 1 Comment | Tagged agenting, personal
    • Top Five Books of 2020

      Posted at 10:56 am by Laura, on December 31, 2020

      It’s that time of year! Everyone is sharing their favorite books from 2020, and for the first time in a very long time I have to struggle to pick five from the pile of five-star reviews rather than accept the meager few as my top.

      When I made it my goal to read for quality over quantity this year (even though I did give a number and didn’t reach it), I found myself really enjoying reading for pleasure again (who would’ve thought?). This resulted in tossing aside several books to the DNF and TTFN, and diving deep into the ones I was truly enjoying. Several four-, four-and-a-half-, and five-star reads came forth, and it was such a joy! I can look back on my reading year in 2020 fondly.

      Top Five Books of 2020

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      “But Laura,” you say, “there are six books here! Can’t you count?”

      Top Five Books of 2020: Born a Crime, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Happy Ever After Playlist, Mexican Gothic, and A Darker Shade of Magic make my top most top five of the five-star reviewed titles. 

      Five other five-star reads include Becoming, Digital Minimalism, The Lost Words, Recommended for You, and The Once and Future Witches.

      The Top of the Top Best Book of 2020: The Year of the Witching, solidifying itself as one of my favorite books ever. All the stars to this book. All of them.

      And of course, my clients! 

      Shielded by KayLynn Flanders

      The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice by Lisa DeSelm

      These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

      ~

      Looking forward to another great reading year in 2021! 

      Posted in books, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, personal, top five books
    • Book Review: “A Darker Shade of Magic” by VE Schwab

      Posted at 4:55 pm by Laura, on December 26, 2020

      A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

      Publisher: Tor
      Published: February 2015
      Genre: fantasy
      Rating:
      ★★★★★

      Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

      Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

      Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

      After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

      Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

      This isn’t so much a review as it is a journey of my experience with Schwab’s writing and this book in particular.

      In the spring of 2014, I went to a book signing for Schwab’s YA duology. I’d read The Archived for my graduate thesis and wanted to meet her. At that event she talked about a book about “pirates, thieves, and sadist kings” that would be published in the next year or so. Then this came out, the world exploded with hype, and I avoided it like the plague—because more often than not, hyped books disappoint me. I wanted to read it away from all that. Fast forward to fall 2019 when an Instagram friend read it for the first time. She was separated from the hype, and loved it to pieces. At this point I figured it was safe…so I bought it, and like many books, it sat unread on my shelves till now.

      I shouldn’t have been so worried or afraid. But at the same time, I don’t regret waiting so long to read this book. I think I can appreciate it more now, absorb and cherish it better than I could have in the middle of the hype.

      Schwab infuses the magic of her world into every single carefully written word. Her language evokes the atmosphere, her words propel the narrative, the diction and syntax so purposefully crafted that I felt transported immediately in the first chapter. Her characters are so well-developed in the way she shows their actions and movements and interactions with others, there wasn’t a single moment of telling or explanation for behavior or history. The world/s is/are so lush and vibrant and beautiful—even in the Grey and White—and yet she managed to craft them with little description. I’m in awe. She evoked all the senses in her writing and not once did I feel bogged down by the narrative, or annoyed with the dialogue, or frustrated with the pacing. It was all so perfectly, exquisitely written.

      A wholly unique experience. I loved this with every fiber of my being.

      I’m excited to learn more about Kell and Lila on this next adventure in the Shades of Magic trilogy. This is one of a kind!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 4:39 pm by Laura, on December 26, 2020

      This final set of mini reviews was meant to be primarily contemporary adult fiction, but it does contain one rogue fantasy title! 

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      Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (★★★★)

      One night when Alix’s house is vandalized, Alix calls upon Emira to take Briar out of the house and kill some time while Alix and her husband sort out the mess. While Emira is at the grocery store with Briar, a customer and a security personnel question her motives and assume Emira kidnapped Briar. A young man, Kelley, films the whole scene till Briar’s dad runs in and clears up the matter. The rest of the novel spirals from there, sharing the impact one event can have on three people.

      This is definitely a novel about race, perception, misunderstandings, motive, and passive listening. Alix intended to be better with and around Emira, a young black woman, but her way of tiptoeing and forcing a relationship (which…felt very white savior) was not genuine. Meanwhile, Kelley, a white man, may have been genuine but it also felt a bit white savior, and (as pointed out in the narrative) fetishized. Wrapped up in all this is Emira, who loves Briar deeply but desperately wants health insurance, a 401k, and a “true adult job” but she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She’s about to turn 26 and be kicked off her parents’ insurance, and she’s watching her friends “grow up” at a faster rate, feeling left behind. I really felt for her and wanted her to find that perfect path. But life isn’t perfect, and when you factor in race, it’s hard to tell who is really on your side with genuine intentions and care.

      I adored Emira, and Alix made me cringe on so many levels—partly for the mirror reflection personally, partly because I know people just like her. But at the end of the day this book had me examining what it means to be an ally, to be anti-racist, and how my words and actions have the potential to be misconstrued and misunderstood. Honesty is the best policy, no doubt. I was pleased with where this story ended, and I’ll admit I had zero idea throughout reading this book where any of these characters would end up! Just as unpredictable as life itself. This book got me out of a reading slump, and holds a special place on my shelves.

      The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (★★★★)

      Book club discussed this and it blew my mind—reality TV, religion, feminism, parenthood, capitalism, abuse—and the book left me speechless. Whoa is all I can truly coherently say.

      Essie is the youngest child in TV show “Six for Hicks,” and she’s pregnant. The world can’t know about it—out-of-wedlock pregnancy goes against the family’s extremely conservative, religious values—so she’s arranged to be married off. But when Essie plays her mother’s game and reaches out to a reporter who was once connected to another right-wing cult and broke free, she must now decide to tell the terrible truth of her family when the cameras are off, or quietly leave the show without imploding everyone’s lives.

      Very readable and engaging. The experience was almost like a car wreck and you can’t look away. There were some things I could relate to––possible universal experiences such as being raised to fit a certain role in life, to be burdened with specific responsibilities, respecting and honoring family first––though thankfully never to the extreme extent Essie experienced! I think we can all agree sticking to a prescribed role is confining, demoralizing, and has explosive repercussions when one wants to break free and be their true selves.

      The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (★★★)

      “How are you feeling?” Zachary asks.
      “Like I’m losing my mind, but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.”

      That just about sums up how I felt reading this book. The Night Circus is within my top five favorite books ever, and I went into this hoping for something similar. I wanted to taste the words and sink into the magic of the narrative and experience the tales with all of my senses. That certainly happened, but like Zachary says, “I wanted more story.”

      This is a story about stories about stories about stories. It’s incredibly meta. There are snippets of tales throughout Zachary’s narrative that have a fairytale-like quality to them—and because it’s Morgenstern, you know you need to pay attention to them because they’ll come back later. (My favorite story was the key collector. I felt a kindred spirit with him.) There are discussions on what makes a story—is it a book, a play, live theater, a board game, a video game, D&D; is it about a quest or a romance or the journey; does it have all the tropes, a beginning and end, an arc?—and every single one is explored in here. I can certainly appreciate that. The prose is stunning and the world is a bookworm’s paradise.

      But there were so many stories within stories I was frustrated and lost track. Zachary was so determined to find the ending of the story in his book that all other questions—who is the antagonist, what is this group, why are they dying, how do they know these things, how is he being followed, who are these people, why are they doing what they’re doing, what is the purpose—flew out the window. He simply…bumbled along. And by the end it’s so trippy I simply accepted the lack of plot and answers and went with it. I wonder if I would have a different experience with this if I re-read it. Honestly, I don’t know if I will—it’s a couple hundred pages of wandering around not getting questions answered too long for me—but I’m pleased at least that her magic is still there.

      Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis (★★★★)

      Emmie never really had friends or family, never always felt she had a home or a safe space, until after a horrific event prompted her to send a message tied to a balloon—which crossed the Channel and found its way to Lucas in France, who emailed Emmie back. For 15 years, Lucas was Emmie’s life. But now he’s getting married, and everything’s changing.

      I was extremely frustrated with Emmie’s dependent attachment to Lucas, the way she‘d drop everything and everyone else for him, the way she loved the idea of him and was blind to his true nature and to everyone else around her. I was frustrated because I was once Emmie too, and it wasn’t healthy. Emmie endured a traumatic experience and never received the help she so desperately needed, and here she was living with it haunting her everyday. Of course she would cling to the one good thing from her life all those years ago. Of course.

      I fell in love with the book more and more as Emmie distanced herself from Lucas. Her relationship with her landlady Louise, rekindling the friendship with Lucas’s brother Eliot, opening up to her colleagues at the hotel, finding her birth father—it was great to see her open her eyes and take stock of what she has in her life, and that it doesn’t need to revolve around a man to make her happy. (And the slowest of slow burns romance? Loved. It. That’s respect right there!)

      I recommend this book to anyone who has come out the other side of trauma: you’re not alone. I recommend this book to anyone who loves someone who’s been through trauma: here is an example of those attachments they formed. I recommend this book to anyone who loves someone still stuck in that trauma: with patience, time, and love, they do come out the other side stronger. 

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 1 Comment | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fantasy, mini review, review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 4:17 pm by Laura, on December 26, 2020

      This next set of mini reviews is reserved for young adult fiction!

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      Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest (★★★★)

      Evie is the granddaughter of a famous actress, and she recently blew her acting dreams apart with one bad viral video. Ashamed and desperate to make it back to the center stage, Evie heads to Gigi’s and stumbles into Milo, a young musician Gigi has taken under her wing. Though Evie’s plans to convince Gigi to attend an award ceremony backfire, she and Milo spend a week together exploring NYC, learning what’s important in life, and discovering that media is a fickle friend.

      This is Kristina Forest’s sophomore novel, and now I want to read her debut! The writing nailed the YA voice, the immediacy of everything was exhilarating and fun, Evie was deeply relatable despite her celebrity, and Milo was definitely swoon-worthy in a far less obvious way. I enjoyed every second of this. Most of all, I appreciated the openness and honesty between the characters, even though part of this narrative hinges on dishonesty. Not once did I want to bonk them on their heads and say “just TALK!”—so that was an immense relief. Evie’s growth and “I don’t have an answer but that’s okay” felt so right, too. You don’t need to have it all figured out yet!

      If you’re in need of a feel-good read to put a smile on your face, look no further!

      Recommended For You by Laura Silverman (★★★★★)

      Shoshanna Greenberg is determined to be the best bookseller at Once Upon this holiday season. But her moms are fighting, her car keeps breaking down, and the new employee at work—Jake Kaplan—is her biggest competition. He’s cute, he’s Jewish, and even though he doesn’t read books he’s somehow hand-selling more books than Shoshanna! Game on. But as Shoshanna tries to fix everything falling apart around her, she soon discovers some things require time to mend, and others require a little more thoughtfulness.

      I started for the holiday rush at a bookstore setting—holy heck was it all SO RIGHT, it made me remember my bookselling days!—and stayed for the big heart and big emotions. Shoshanna is so well-meaning and endearing, and even though she tends to knee-jerk react, it all comes from a place of compassion. There’s a lot to love about this book: employees as family, the diversity across the board (Jewish rep, LGBT+ rep, ability rep, poverty rep), a bookstore as a home, all the ways people can be called readers, the ways food connects to the heart, the true holiday spirit…Perfect, cute, fun holiday book for bookworms!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, mini review, review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 12:46 pm by Laura, on December 22, 2020

      As the year comes to a close, I needed to wrap up my reviews from books read several months ago. Some more mini reviews coming your way. This one is themed historical and fantasy!

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      The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by KS Villoso (★★★.5)

      Talyien is the Queen of Oren-yaro, or rather all of Jin-Sayeng, after unifying the warlords and city-states to her marriage with Rayyel, the Ikessar Prince and Dragonlord. It’s a big deal because there’s been what seems like centuries of bloodshed and warfare. But the night before they’re crowned, Rai walks out on Talyien. Flash forward five years. Their son is 7, Oren-yaro and the warlords are on the brink of civil war again, and Talyien receives a letter from Rai to meet with him in the neighboring kingdom across the sea. Skeptical but hopeful, Talyien sets sail…and 400 pages of obstacles happens.

      I’m not kidding. Talyien is betrayed left and right and doesn’t know who to trust—literally everyone except for maybe two people can’t be trusted—and she’s going to need some major therapy to work through these attachment issues and PTSD. And this is only the beginning! Villoso has a trilogy in store, and she’s only scratched the surface of Talyien and this Filipino-inspired world. 

      I found Talyien’s voice easy to read, but this character-driven narrative requires close attention to detail. She is holding back from the reader––you, too, face surprises at every turn. While you do discover why Rai left, and who is behind all this turmoil and destruction, I did find the reason odd and not quite powerful enough to warrant the mess Talyien was left to deal with. Then again, I could be totally wrong—like I said before, this is only the beginning of this journey and trilogy! And for the record, Khine is my favorite.

      I’m looking forward to diving into The Ikessar Falcon in 2021!

      The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (★★★★)

      This was my very first Davis novel, which is shameful when I tell you the context: her editor shared a copy of The Dollhouse (her debut) with me when it first released, and it’s still on my shelves unread with the personalized note still paper-clipped to the cover. Lions is Davis’s fourth or fifth novel at this point. (I’m sorry, Stephanie! You can bet I’ll be reading them now!)

      Historical parallel narratives will always be my bait; NYC narratives are hit or miss for me. So I went into this with hopes of enjoying a good library-centered book—and I really, really enjoyed this to pieces. Laura in 1913 and Sadie in 1993 each have connections to the iconic New York Public Library, and both are intricately connected to a series of thefts of valuable books in the library’s collection. Which books, who stole them, and why are at the heart of this narrative.

      Laura wants more from life, and works hard toward a masters in journalism so she can help bring in some extra cash while her husband, the NYPL superintendent, can finish his manuscript. They live in an apartment in the library itself, and everyone suspects the Lyons family is behind the thefts. Sadie is set in her ways and has built a wall around her lonely heart, and feels she can really only connect with literature and answer patron questions—making her the perfect librarian to curate a special exhibit collection. She, too, is suspect in the thefts.

      Laura’s journey was equally empowering and frustrating, what with the suffrage movement happening simultaneously. I was pleased with her narrative and arc. Sadie was…woof, super close to home for me. Her preference for music without words to help calm her down, her attraction to 1950s clothing, her ability to be a human Google but struggles to interpret others’ romantic feelings (since she doesn’t feel worthy of their love), her complete absorption in literature…gosh, I felt that deeply. Her character is an example of the mistaking-contentedness-for-happiness characters I gravitate toward and enjoy. Davis did an excellent job of expressing each woman’s experience. I’m sold on her other books, regardless of plot or location! Character-driven narratives are my ultimate jam.

      If you love books about books, Kate Morton’s sense of place as a character, and parallel narratives, this book is for you!

      A Dance With Fate by Juliet Mariller (ARC) (★★★)

      I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of the warrior bard series last year (The Harp of Kings)—the undercover work, spy mission, character development, druids—and reading this next installment proved Marillier still has those writing chops for great character development and visceral storytelling.

      However, the content in the novel was a bit vicious and harrowing for my taste right now (trauma, abuse, neglect, gaslighting), and the leader reminded me so much of the current scumbag in office that I struggled to not get extremely riled up when the characters just took his lashings without comment. It’s dark yet beautifully written—just hit a little too close to home. I’m glad to see the representation in here—mental health, blindness, domestic violence survivors—and of course I’m thrilled to see where Dau and Liobhan end up in the final book.

      I’m aware this review isn’t much of a review—I can’t say too much without spoiling the narrative—but I read it, I enjoyed it as a second in the series, but it (through no fault of its own) was a bit too close to home for me at this point in time. Years down the road I’ll reread this with new eyes and absorb the other aspects of the narrative, I’m sure.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, mini review, review
    • Favorite Reads So Far in 2020

      Posted at 3:44 pm by Laura, on October 31, 2020

      I’m extremely behind on book reviews––heck, one of these books I finished at the start of lockdown––but I wanted to write up a post of my favorite five-star reads so far this year. Now there are a few nonfiction titles I gave five stars to (Born a Crime and Becoming among them), and I’ve already reviewed two others (The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Digital Minimalism), but I’m focusing today on fiction and ones I haven’t reviewed yet!

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      Just looking at these covers make me so happy! I’m hoping I’ll find another gem before the end of the year. There are many other books I still need to review, and may end up doing another group post to save time. Until then, click below the break and read my five-star reviews!

      ★★★★★

      Continue reading →

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, review
    • Book Review: “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary

      Posted at 11:52 am by Laura, on October 1, 2020

      The Switch by Beth O’Leary

      Publisher: Quercus
      Published: April 2020
      Genre: women’s fiction
      ISBN: 9781787474994
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen… So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.

      But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn’t straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?

      Leena is super stressed at work, and her grandmother Eileen wants to expand her dating horizons, so they decide to spend the summer at the other’s home—sometimes all you need is a little change of scenery. Hilarity, enlightenment, community, and heartwarming experiences ensue!

      This is the perfect little pick-me-up and cheerful read. I loved Eileen’s gumption and view on life—her no-nonsense personality and “see it, fix it” helpful attitude, her sense of community spirit—and she totally reminded me of my own Nana. Eileen is the kind of person I strive to be, to find or have the answers while helping others while maintaining healthy boundaries and a balanced sense of self. Leena, on the other hand, was achingly familiar to me. I related a little too intensely to her desire for perfection, her need to please, her hamster-wheeling brain. There were whole scenes in the book that had me wondering if O’Leary had a little camera on the wall of my office. But Leena, too, found her zen in her summer and it served as a reminder to me to take a step back and breathe once in a while! You can’t give your all when you’re out of gas.

      While Flatshare highlighted gaslighting, unhealthy romantic relationships, and finding ways to come out of abuse in a healthy, positive way, The Switch focused on self improvement, self care, and familial grief. Leena and her mother experienced Leena’s sister’s death in two drastically different ways, and Eileen was left to referee her daughter and granddaughter’s emotional well-beings. Part of Eileen’s tendency to keep the peace in all aspects of her life brought on heavy burdens she didn’t need to take on. Part of Leena’s tendency to grind and overwork was to stave off unwanted memories and unacknowledged grief, all of which she needed to experience in order to reunite with her mother and move forward in life.

      What I love the most about O’Leary’s books is the way she handles universal, deep, and modern female experiences––all of them heavy, many of them uphill battles as a modern woman––and wraps them with humor and compassion. I know now when I dive into her novels I’m going to be dealing with some dark stuff, but I’ll still smile and laugh throughout the journey. All in all, she’s an “up-lit” author!

      If you enjoyed the humor and familiarity and female experiences of The Flatshare, you’ll enjoy this book. If you’re looking for predominantly romance, this isn’t quite it—though there, it’s not the point at all. This is uplifting fiction, discussing grief, community, mental health, aging, and never giving up.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review
    • Mini Reviews

      Posted at 1:28 pm by Laura, on September 1, 2020

      It’s been…quite some time since I’ve really shared anything on here. It’s also been a very strange spring and summer, and reading for fun has been off and on, hit or miss. I’m way behind on reviews, so I’ll do my best over the next few weeks to catch up! First, some beachy contemporary reads!

      ~

      Beach Read by Emily Henry (★★★)

      I gave into the hype for my very first Book of the Month book, and while I enjoyed it I also found it to be of a bait-and-switch situation. Beach Read looks like a romcom, the premise seems like a romcom, but I’d argue it’s fairly close to domestic fiction with everything that’s unpacked in here. Nothing wrong with that––I enjoy romcom and women’s fiction alike––but it left a sour taste in my mouth with the packaging on this one.

      January is under deadline to write another romcom for her publisher, but she just doesn’t have it in her to do it. Her recently deceased father blew open a huge secret and it’s left her wondering if happily ever afters are possible. So she escapes to a lake house in Michigan to get back on track. Her neighbor, though, is rival writer Gus, who is so smug about writing literary fiction and winning all the big awards. They decide to enter a little competition: January will write something literary, and Gus will write something romantic. Sparks fly.

      Seems cute on the surface, but as we dig deeper into the novel there’s so much more to unpack: grief, childhood abuse, parental adoration, manipulation, the impact of bad relationships, defining family…to name a few. Though a few of the detours or ruminating scenes seemed unnecessary or overly drawn out to me, at the end of the day this is a character-driven novel that straddles commercial and literary romance. Go in knowing this isn’t a romcom, and you should be in good shape.

      Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner (★★★.5)

      I’ve checked out Jamie Brenner’s books from the library before but never got around to reading them before return. Finally was able to read this one in time, though. Jamie Brenner is going to be a new summer staple for me along with Kristy Woodson Harvey.

      The novel follows three POVs—Ruth (retired workaholic), Olivia (Ruth’s daughter, also a workaholic), and Elise (wife of Fern, owner of a tea shop)—and the lives of other women in the small Cape Cod Provincetown. Ruth just wants to reprioritize her life and relax, Olivia wants nothing to do with her mother and run run RUN successfully at her job, and Elise is desperate for a baby after she and her wife went through three failed IVF attempts. Ruth is renting Elise’s house for the summer, and all plans crash when a baby is left on the doorstep. Who is the mother? Why was the baby left here? And what is the right thing to do in this situation?

      I’ll admit I identified so much with Ruth and Olivia, and was very frustrated with Elise (so in this sense, I identified with her wife Fern who was so stern and practical). I’ll also admit this is likely because I’m in a headspace right now where the thought of having a child sends me into a panic. But there are women in my life, close friends, who would absolutely identify with Elise, who experienced similar disappointments. Ruth’s career-driven attitude and laser focus, and Olivia’s close connection with her phone, were both things each woman acknowledged and tried to redirect into something that brought joy. All in all, the way the women of this town come together to help raise the baby and figure out the best possible solution, was a joy to read. Sisterhood.

      This qualifies for my library books challenge!

      Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite (★★★)

      This YA novel is funny and surprising—a whirlwind of adventure, intrigue, and family secrets.

      Alaine is smart and sassy, clever and quick-witted. After her famous TV show host mother loses it live, and a nasty girl at school bullies Alaine over it, Alaine takes her abilities and uses it to pull an epic prank in a class presentation. Not the best idea in the world, as it results in her father sending her to Haiti to be with her mother and aunt, working on an immersion program to atone for her misbehavior. But once in Haiti, she finds there’s a whole lot more to her family history than she first believed, and that curses may in fact be real.

      I loved the way this was written—epistolary style is so much fun. Alaine is also the kind of person I wanted to be as a teen: fast with a comeback, confident, defends her loved ones fiercely. (I’m probably more of a Tatiana in this book!) She can be a little overly confident and that gets her into trouble, but her heart is always in the right place. I was surprised and very appreciative of the relationship she had with her mother. Her mother’s narrative is one I haven’t seen (or at least cannot recall) much in YA and I liked that exploration immensely.

      There was a lot happening in this narrative—Alaine’s assignment, her mother’s health, Alaine’s internship with her aunt for this app program, the history with her aunt and mother, the family curse—that felt disorganized. It worked, but did leave me reeling. I had to pause or slow down frequently to see how they all connected. Some events and characters seemed to be placed as vehicles to further the plot and curse. It almost felt like this book was trying to do too much, and I wanted more depth to one or two of the plots more so than a sprinkling of all of them. But ultimately, these writers (sister duo!) have a knack for the YA voice and it kept me engaged. I’m interested in reading their future books!

      This qualifies for my library books challenge!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2020 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, mini review
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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