April | 2017 | Scribbles & Wanderlust

Monthly Archives: April 2017
- Book Review: “Alex, Approximately” by Jenn Bennett
  
  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on April 20, 2017
  
  Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
  
  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Published: April 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
  ISBN: 9781481478779
  Rating: ★★★.5
  
  Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
  
  Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.
  
  And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.
  
  Bailey is an Artful Dodger: she likes to avoid confrontation, she dislikes new environments without checking them out first, and she’s wary of new people. The one true friend she has someone named “Alex” online on a classic Hollywood film fanatic website, and he happens to be living in the same California coastal town Bailey just moved to. Before telling him she’s moved there, she wants to test the waters first and see if she can figure out who he is before the summer’s big film festival on the beach. But her new job at the local museum, and the annoying boy Porter she’s beginning to fall for, are making her Artful Dodger plans to meet Alex unravel. Or are they?
  
  This was such a cute contemporary, and definitely something the doctor ordered! It has an awesome surfer/beachy vibe to it without it being all about going to the beach and getting tan or catching boys or getting up to shenanigans. Bailey’s interest in old Hollywood films also adds retro flavoring — she dresses like classic film stars and even drives a Vespa! So cool.
  
  Bailey’s voice was engaging, and I liked the recipe for romantic banter between her and Porter: the kind that is genuinely funny, there’s no game involved, and they don’t hate each other. They just know how to bicker really well, and really affectionately. It was almost like reading an old couple’s bickering conversation — laced with love, but still poking fun at one another.
  
  Elements of the novel that really appealed to me included one perspective (gosh, this feels so rare in contemporary YA lately — or YA in general) and a super cool, unique job. She’s not working at one of the many churro stands along the beach, or a boardwalk shop, or fast food restaurant, or babysitting, or any of the other super predictable summer jobs for teens. No, in this YA, Bailey is working at an interesting, local, wacky museum that’s part manor house part cave, curated by a wealthy couple from the 1920s and full of all sorts of odds and ends within themed rooms. This is the perfect job for Bailey because she would like to be a museum curator one day.
  
  I’m not sure if I wanted to know that Porter is Alex. In many ways it makes Bailey look dumb — to no fault of her own. I tried to read this without my extra insight getting in the way. Would I have noticed this clue if I were Bailey? But I have to admit that part of the fun of the book was waiting to see when Bailey (or Porter) would figure it out.
  
  If you’re looking for a grounded YA contemporary that’s not too fluffy but not too serious, has great “we met on the internet” vibes, and you’re eager to dig your toes into some figurative sand, grab a copy of Bennett’s latest novel!
  
  This qualifies as book 6 of 5 library books in 2017.
  
  Trigger warning: guns, shark attack
  
  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review
- Book Review: “Outrun the Moon” by Stacey Lee
  
  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on April 12, 2017
  
  Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
  
  Publisher: Putnam
  Published: May 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780399175411
  Rating: ★★★★★
  
  San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.
  
  On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?
  
  Mercy Wong is eager to make something of herself and help her family out of Chinatown. In order to do so, she needs to attend St Clare’s School for Girls. Getting into the school is the first of many hurdles, and Mercy is nearly unprepared for what’s in store within the school’s walls. But when a disastrous earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying the city and setting it alight, Mercy and the other girls do their best to set up a temporary encampment at a nearby park and make the most of what they have. Mercy can’t sit by and watch the world burn — but what can she do to help ease the pain of her crumbling home?
  
  Once again, Stacey Lee steals my heart and shares another important story. Important in American history, important in Chinese-American culture, just all around important. She delivers it with such artistry and storytelling mastery. I’m blown away.
  
  Mercy is one fierce, independent, determined young woman. She wants to make something of herself so that she could also assist her family and help them out of poverty. The Wongs, like most Chinese-American families in Chinatown, would otherwise face the inevitable cycle of poverty just because of their race and location of their home. Mercy consults a businesswoman’s book to help her navigate the “white ghost” language, social structure, and business in a fair and structured way. No one could lawfully question her otherwise if she’s playing by their rules. But in order to do so, she needs to attend an all-white, very prosperous, all-girls school. The struggle is real, folks.
  
  Race is a common theme throughout the novel, and one that is demonstrated without pushing an agenda. This is how things were then — and it’s painful and honest and difficult to take in — and likely how things are still now. We can learn from our history, and Lee does an excellent job of saying such by showing us the conflicts, triggering the reader’s emotions and reactions. I, for one, wanted to punch the living daylights out of so many white characters; meanwhile, Mercy held her ground with strength and poise. I admired her.
  
  To end on a light note, I was touched by the affection between Mercy and Tom, another Chinese-American boy with aspirations to fly. They love one another, you can feel it in their interactions, and they set out for their goals with the other in mind to share in the dreams and success. Though this isn’t a romance per se, it’s beautiful.
  
  This book is about Mercy’s journey to achieve her dreams while fighting through adversity, and experiencing this journey with a close group of schoolgirls in the middle of a very traumatic moment in history. Open it and take the journey in another’s shoes. Find compassion. Be inspired.
  
  .
  
  This qualifies as book 6 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.
  
  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR
- Book Review: “Hunted” by Meagan Spooner (ARC)
  
  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on April 6, 2017
  
  Hunted by Meagan Spooner
  
  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Published: March 2017
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062422286
  Rating: ★★★★.5
  
  Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.
  
  So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.
  
  Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
  
  Yeva’s family is forced to move to their winter home, a hunting lodge on the outskirts of town at the edge of a deep woods. Yeva and her father are pleased by the move, only because they’re such natural hunters. But when he comes back from a hunt raving about a Beast, and disappears again in his madness to find the creature, Yeva takes it upon herself to find them. What she was not prepared for was just how right her father was, how unprepared she is, and how otherworldly the Beast and his own captivity is. Has she entered a fairytale, or a nightmare?
  
  You think you know the Beauty and the Beast fairytale story. A selfish prince is cursed, turned into a beast until he learns to love another and the other loves in return. There’s captivity, madness, and magic, and in the middle of it all is a beautiful young woman. I love this fairytale, problematic situations and all. I was concerned this would be another one of those retellings that just rehash the same old story — and poorly — but that was not the case.
  
  This novel was so intense and perfect and exactly what I wanted from a Beauty and the Beast retelling without even knowing it. The hunter/hunted theme really brought out just how self-sufficient our leading lady (the Badass Protagonist) is. Yeva is quite possibly one of the fiercest, strongest female protagonists I’ve seen in YA fantasy in a while. There is no Stockholm Syndrome here!
  
  What I loved the most was how quickly I forgot this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The setting alone quickly maneuvered the comparisons and made the story stand on its own. A Russian winterscape — almost solidly historical at first before Yeva crosses into the magical woods — was absolutely perfect. It turned Hunted into a fairytale within a fairytale. Yeva even uses Russian fairytales to help maintain a calm rationale for everything, as she herself had difficulty coming to terms with the magical elements she encountered.
  
  I applaud Spooner. This is a phenomenal book.
  
  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HarperTeen for review!
  
  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 8 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review
- Flipping Through the Pages: Winter Rewind 2017
  
  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on April 1, 2017
  Instead of participating in the Monthly Rewind meme, every three months I’ll update the world on my life from the previous season. Enjoy the Seasonal Rewind!
  
  Through the Lens
  
  Most of my winter months were spent catching up on manuscripts and submissions, reading from my TBR pile, and reading ARCs. Many of my afternoons looked like the far left picture, in a nutshell. In March, my best friend and I went to San Francisco and one of the mornings we met Karl the Fog and walked across the Golden Gate Bridge! But the biggest event in my life happened at the beginning of March. My grandfather passed away from lung cancer. I won’t go into the details about his journey, but I’m glad I was able to say goodbye in person on one of his last few good days. He was a rock for this family, and we miss his presence deeply. It’s hard.
  
  Life Highlights
  
  In work news: January was huge for my clients Tara and Jared! Tara announced the title for the second book in the Timekeeper trilogy as well as the release date for Timekeeper on audio (add Book 2 and the Timekeeper audio book to your TBR!). Jared’s A Short History of the Girl Next Door had a cover and publication date reveal, and early ARCs are already making the rounds. In February I negotiated a deal that was announced in March for my client Clarissa Harwood! She’s an adult historical fiction novelist, and I can’t wait for the world to read Impossible Saints!
  
  My birthday was in March, and my friends and family treated me well (especially considering my grandfather’s death a couple days prior). The Beau took me to a lovely Italian restaurant the evening before. On the day of, we had brunch at a new-to-us place in town (mouthwateringly delicious!), went to Barnes & Noble to buy some books, finished The Secrets of Great British Castles on Netflix, ate dinner with my parents, and then went out for drinks and dessert with my friends. The following day we had another big brunch, went for a long walk in the woods, attended an afternoon organ concert (“Job” by Petr Eben), and finished off the weekend with another dinner with my parents. So yeah. It was a great birthday!
  
  Tunes on Repeat
  
  Y’all, I wish I could share a playlist for you, or songs I listened to, but I have to be honest: all the music I listened to was in preparation for the choir concert (Durufle’s Requiem) OR it was an audiobook for the library bookclub.
  
  I know! How awful! How in the world does a musical person not really listen to music?! Especially when Ed Sheeran and John Mayer came out with new music?!
  
  *hangs head in shame*
  
  Bookmarked in the Community
  1. My Week of Attempted Reading Deprivation @ Clarissa Harwood — Clarissa spent a week not reading a single thing to see if it would boost her creative writing or help her observe more around her. Fascinating read.
  2. The Year of Recommended Reads: All the Light We Cannot See @ Alexa Loves Books — This monthly feature between Alexa and Lindsey @ Bring My Books is so neat, and the very first one was a great start to the year. I’m definitely interested in reading this book now.
  3. The Queens of Contemporary @ The Book Addict’s Guide — Brittany curated a great list of contemporary authors and their books for anyone who is a fan of or interested in reading more contemporary YA. The one thing I would’ve loved to see more of (not just this list, but in general) is more diversity. Who are the queens (or kings) of diverse contemporary reads?
  4. Friendship Breakups @ The Pretty Books — Stacey’s touching and heartfelt post about real life and literary friendship breakups was a refreshing read. What are some of your favorite friendship stories?
  5. 30 Things I Learned By 30 @ Belle of the Literati — If you haven’t noticed already, I adore Kelly’s travel posts and general life posts. This one tops the list.
  Popular Posts on Scribbles
  1. Book Review: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella — WOOHOO I loved this book too! I read it in December but was finally able to post about it in January. Have you read it?
  2. Book Review: The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan — Another book I adored. If you love historical fiction, this book focuses on one town across one summer at the start of WWII in England.
  3. Deal Announcement: Clarissa Harwood, Historical Fiction — YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CLARISSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  4. Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR — My TBR this spring is kind of insane and out of control. Here’s my post about it in March, and if you hop over to IG you’ll see what I’m talking about…
  Cherished Reads
  
  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden ★★★★
  
  You and Me, Always by Jill Mansell ★★★.5
  
  The Silver Gate by Kristin Bailey ★★★★
  
  Hunted by Meagan Spooner ★★★★.5 (review to come!)
  
  Cherished Quotes
  
  She rubbed a hand over her bare neck. The fringes of her chopped hair tickled her palm.
  This wasn’t a game anymore.
  It was hard for Wynn to remember things if she didn’t think about them
  over and over. Things that happened didn’t stay in her mind well.
  Now she couldn’t brush her hair and remember when Mother did it.
  She would forget. She always forgot.
  –The Silver Gate by Kristin Bailey
  
  Progress Update on Reading Challenges
  
  Required Library Books: 4 / 22
  
  The Light Between Oceans || The Husband’s Secret || W is for Wasted
  The Miniaturist
  
  Fun Library Books: 5 / 5 // Complete!
  
  Heart’s Blood || The Bear and the Nightingale || The Silver Gate
  Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies || A Window Opens
  
  Flights of Fantasy / Marillier & Gabaldon Challenge: 2 / 9
  
  Heart’s Blood || Son of the Shadows
  
  Classics & ReRead: 0 / 2
  
  Rock My TBR: 5 / 12
  
  Caraval || You and Me, Always || The Miniaturist
  Son of the Shadows || The Sun is Also a Star
  
  Impulse Buys: 4 / 5
  
  You and Me, Always || Flight of Dreams || Wait for Me
  The Hate U Give
  
  Overall Challenge: 15 / 50
  
  Random Obsessions
  
  On TV: Though it made me cringe (a lot), I watched Masterpiece’s Victoria. It was compulsive. I had to. I had to witness the train wreck. The costumes were great, everything’s pretty, and it’s staying (so very) loosely true to Victoria’s life, but man oh man. What a soap opera. ON THE OTHER HAND…I finished the second season of The Secrets of Great British Castles on Netflix and LOVED IT (of course). Plus, the last castle of the season was one I visited on the same day they finished filming the episode: Arundel! I saw Dan Jones at the pub in town, but didn’t believe it was actually him so I didn’t say hello. Curses. Anyway, watch that show if you love castles and history!
  
  On Film: I saw Hidden Figures and it is everything and more. If you haven’t seen it yet, go immediately. Or just plain buy the DVD/Blu-ray. It is worth every penny. The Beau also took me to see Beauty and the Beast and OH MY HEART I JUST OH GOSH YES YES YES OH MY WORD YES BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
  
  In the Shopping Bag: There honestly wasn’t a whole lot of shopping-related items this winter. I booked all the travel places for April through June. So it was more like massive spending for work instead of play. Wah wah.
  
  Miscellaneous: The disaster that is the Cheeto in Chief has made going onto social media mentally and emotionally exhausting. It’s hard to take in all that news within the echo chamber, and I grew tired of trying to figure out what news report people were referring to (and where they got that information). So I signed up for Skimm, a great newsletter that recaps the previous day’s news for you with links to the original/credible source, a nutshell overview, and ways you can take action if interested. It also includes pop culture items as well, like great book reviews, movies to see, the latest award shows, etc. But it’s mostly political news for the weary. Try it out!
  
  Looking Towards the Future
  
  April will be something of a breathing month for me, because once May and June hit, I’ll be traveling like crazy. Book Expo and ALA, here I come! I’m also looking forward to the little things, like sitting outside to read (though not looking forward to humidity), driving with the windows down, walking around barefoot… You gotta take the little things in life, right? Hello, spring!
  
  What have you been up to this season / this month? Any new obsessions or good reads or great music? Share some of your favorites here, and let me know if I should check out any great blog posts!
  Posted in books, This Season's Rewind | 6 Comments | Tagged books, personal, recap, rewind, this season's rewind
- 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 travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
- Search the Blog
  
  Search for:
- Currently Reading
- Book Review Rating Key
  
  ★★★ — It’s good
  ★★★★ — It’s great
  ★★★★★ — OMG LOVE!!!
- Recent Posts