Search Results for: sophie kinsella

• Book Review: “My Not So Perfect Life” by Sophie Kinsella (ARC)

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on January 24, 2017

  My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

  Publisher: Dial
  Publishing Date: February 7
  Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary, chick lit
  ISBN: 9780812998269
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie’s life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle—from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she’s trying to negotiate. The final, demeaning straw comes when Demeter makes Katie dye her roots in the office. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she’s desperate to make her dad proud.

  Then, just as she’s finding her feet—not to mention a possible new romance—the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away—until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie’s future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.

  Katie wants nothing more than to be successful just like her boss Demeter. She wants that perfect life: career, friends, flat, dinners and parties, clothes. Demeter seems to have it all, and Katie both admires and resents her boss. She needs an opportunity to prove to Demeter she can do more for the branding company than plugging in survey responses. But when Katie’s suddenly let go, she heads back to her father’s farm, and tries to piece together a new life. Little does she know, London comes calling in the summer when Demeter and her family decide to vacation in her father’s new glamping resort. After several muddy fiascos and revealed disguises, Katie and Demeter piece together vendettas within the London company, and do their very best to make things right again.

  I went through a massive Kinsella binge early last year (here, here, and here) and was thrilled to read an advance copy of her latest novel. Even if I hadn’t read Kinsella before, this book caught my attention immediately.

  Katie (or Cat, as she wants to be called for her London Persona) is instantly likeable. I wanted to be her friend and commiserate with her in her tiny bedroom with a hammock for a closet, or with her at work beside her tiny desk plugging in survey after survey into spreadsheets. I wanted to go on adventures with her around London and do our very best to not spend a single pound, because money is precious and we have very little of it. Heck, I’d even dig in the trash to get the wrapped sandwich back (THAT SCENE!).

  She tries so hard to fit into the ideal London image that she forgets who she really is and where she comes from. Her transformation back in Somerset with her father’s glamping business isn’t a drastic one, but certainly eye-opening for her. She finds her talent in branding blossoming, her customer service skills flourishing, and her ability to run the business smoothly is something of a gift. Is this where she truly belongs?

  The entire novel focuses on perception, both in real life and online. Take the settings, for example. Katie perceives London to be this glamorous place, the ideal city in which to live and work — but her father thinks London is scary and dirty and cruel. Katie also finds comfort in the country, and is more than aware of farm life hardships — but the glampers, such as Demeter, idealize it to be rustic and quaint and “back to the roots” of civilization. Now, take the people! Katie perceives Demeter to have an absolutely perfect life, but Demeter’s life is falling to pieces. Katie also works hard to maintain an Instagram account of her false London life with images of nice cafes and expensive restaurants, gorgeous clothes and party venues. It’s all a lie, but it convinces her friends that everything is bright and cheerful. Not everything is as it seems, and it takes some investigation and proper observation to find the truth.

  There is so much more I want to talk about — Katie’s coworkers, Dad and Biddy (BIDDY!!), Alex the Love Interest, Coco and Hal, the glampers — but if I say anything more, I may spoil the book!

  Part office dramedy, part love story, I could not put down this witty new novel. The little romance is second (even third!) to the primary plot of Katie’s life and growth, navigating adulthood with as much professionalism and gumption as she can muster. Toss in the hilarious scenes with Demeter in the office and on the glamping farm, and you’re in for a treat!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Dial for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review

• Book Review: “Can You Keep a Secret?” by Sophie Kinsella

  Posted at 5:30 am by Laura, on February 19, 2016

  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

  Publisher: Dial Press
  Published: 2008 (reprint) 2004 (original)
  Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary, chick lit
  ISBN: 9780385338080
  Rating: ★★★★

  Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:

  Secrets from her boyfriend:I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.
  Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur.
  Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

  Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her…

  Emma Corrigan is on the path to success! Almost an entire year in one company (finally! Prove cousin Kerry she can have a career!), a handsome and kind boyfriend, and a supportive BFF/flat mate. But after Emma botches a meeting in Glasgow and flies back to London, she can’t help but feel like a complete wreck. When the plane experiences extreme turbulence, Emma word-vomits all her secrets to the businessman sitting next to her. Totally fine, right? She’ll never see him again. Except she will. And he’s her boss.

  Everyone, meet Emma, my new book-BFF. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s incredibly caring (almost to a fault), and she’s desperately trying to get a promotion at work. This is her third career change since college (mind you, that was 3 years ago!), and though she doesn’t quite understand what all the marketing execs are saying (like “multi-logistical” and “strategic competencies”), she’s eager to prove to her parents, to her suffocatingly, obnoxiously successful cousin Kerry, and to herself that she can Be An Adult. Her successes and failures are funny and oh-so-relatable. I can’t help but feel this connection to her as another mid-20s millennial proving to the world she can Succeed In Her Career. And Life. And Everything Else.

  Jack Harper, the man on the plane and the man running the corporation, is not your standard love interest or corporate businessman in literature. He’s not sleazy, he’s not snobbish, and he’s not out to coerce young women in the company to sleep with him. He’s a breath of fresh air in modern romance (probably because he’s been around longer than Christian Grey?), and you can’t help but like him too. Although, even during his low points, I still sided with Emma. Girlfriend knows how to take care of herself!

  The general atmosphere of this book is light, and I couldn’t stop myself from loving the friendship between Emma and Lissy, her BFF since pre-school and flatmate. They’re supportive of one another, and help each other through thick and thin. I looked forward to the scenes with Emma coming home from work and having girl time with Lissy — the girl-power and togetherness made me feel nostalgic for my college roomies!

  This book is filled with obstacles and hilarity. What does happen when your boss knows every single secret of yours? And that’s only within the first 50 pages. Join the ride. It’s fun.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 14 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review

• Book Review: “Finding Audrey” by Sophie Kinsella

  Posted at 7:00 am by Laura, on June 19, 2015

  Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

  Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
  Published: June 2015
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780553536515
  Goodreads: 3.89
  Rating: ★★★★ 

  An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

  Audrey has a host of anxiety issues, and her mother’s helicopter nagging the entire family isn’t helping. Audrey wears sunglasses all day and watches QVC in a dark room, avoiding all aspects of The Incident that triggered her mental state. When Dr. Sarah gives her an assignment to film her life like a fly on the wall, Audrey watches the life around her through a lens and slowly ventures out to the Starbucks around the corner. With her brother Frank taking a hit with Mum’s fanatics, Audrey is able to branch out and rediscover the world on her own.

  “[Bloody] is in the Harry Potter films, OK? Harry Potter. How can it be swearing?”
  “What?” Mum sounds wrong-footed.
  “Harry Potter. I rest my case.”

  The publisher synopsis annoyingly makes it sound like Linus swoops in and saves the day and erases Audrey’s multitude of serious, severe anxiety issues. That’s not the case. He certainly helps her deal with it, come to terms with it, and tackle it. He doesn’t treat her like a science experiment or an animal in the zoo — her constant use of sunglasses and tendency to dash out of a room mid-sentence only to cower in a closet corner can make normal conversation difficult — and Audrey recognizes this and finds a way to speak to him about her issues.

  “So you’re allergic to eye contact.”
  “I’m allergic to everything contact.”
  “No you’re not,” he says at once. “You’re not allergic to brain contact. I mean you write notes. You talk. You still want to talk to people, you just can’t. So your body needs to catch up with your brain.”
  I’m silent for a while. No-one’s put it like that before.

  That being said, Linus and her family help her take steps back into the world as well as accidentally pushing her back to invisibility. She grows so much through this book on her own terms, fighting against her “lizard brain” that’s constantly on high alert, doing things that feel daring to her and normal to others. She watches Mum grow paranoid about computer games and their effects on her older brother Frank. She cuddles younger brother Felix and works on eye contact through his innocent gaze. She observes her dad grow more and more tired as the months wear on. All of this is recorded on her camera that she shares with Dr. Sarah, so she can get a better idea of Audrey’s environment, home life, and progress.

  We sip our drinks and smile at each other. Thoughts are racing through my head, crazy thoughts like I’ve made it! I’m in Starbucks! Go me! But there are other, weird, random thoughts popping up, like Everyone’s looking at me and I hate myself. And then suddenly I wish I was home right now, which is just weird. I do not wish I was at home. I’m out with Linus! In Starbucks!

  Though we never find out exactly what triggered Audrey’s severe anxiety, we do get a good idea of what happened. (I also have a theory Mum was a huge contributing factor because WOW I wanted to box her ears and shut her up on a lot of issues. This is when I’d pull out my nonexistent pom-poms and cheer on Frank’s responses to everything she said and did.) And this book is so damn funny. Her situation isn’t funny, but the events happening around her, outside of her inner world, are so hilarious I couldn’t stop laughing. It made her moments with Dr. Sarah even more meaningful. I’m so relieved to finally see a mental illness story with a therapist that’s not a stereotype or unhelpful, with a protagonist that wants to make progress.

  I’ve never read Kinsella’s adult books, but if they’re anything like her YA debut, I’m definitely going to give her a read!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• That One Time I Binged on Kinsella… II

  Posted at 5:55 am by Laura, on April 25, 2016

  

  Welcome back to the second edition of That One Time I Binged on Kinsella! Last time we discussed I’ve Got Your Number and The Undomestic Goddess, as well as what inspired my Kinsella binge in the first place: Can You Keep a Secret? Now we’re here to discuss two more non-Shopaholic Kinsella books.

  

  

  Twenties Girl (★★★.5) surprised me in many ways. At first I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as everyone said — a ghost great-aunt? really? — but I absolutely sank into it! Lara’s romantic storyline hit a little too close to home for me, so I found it difficult in the beginning. Sadie, Lara’s great-aunt/ghost, could be annoying and conceited, but that changed as the story developed more and we could explore her character. There’s a surprising thread in the story that deals with art and art history, which was fun and really amped up the pace. When Lara’s Trump-like uncle gets involved with the art deal — and the overall family history — Lara comes to terms with many aspects of her life and takes control.

  And it’s that “taking control of your life” thread that made Twenties Girl enjoyable. The Lara at the beginning of the book is clinging to a rather poor and directionless job, lacks strong familial relationships, feels isolated from friends, and is quite obsessive with a dead relationship. Sadie tries to snap her out of it, simultaneously teaching her (in her nagging, Sadie way) to live each day fully and to know when to fully invest in something worthwhile. By the end of the novel, Lara has sorted her priorities and knows what she wants in life.

  Remember Me? (★★★) has an intriguing premise: what if you lost your memory from the last three years, and found your life is completely different? New appearance, new job, new set of friends, a marriage? Now if that happened to me, I’d have a full-blown panic attack. But in typical Kinsella fashion, Lexi uses these positive changes (she’s gorgeous! She’s the boss! She has a hot, rich husband!) to her advantage and attempts to put the pieces of the puzzle together in a humorous way. How did she go from poor and struggling to a success? There are two accidents in the novel, and I had such a great theory going from about page 50 that was completely debunked in the last three chapters. Prepare for the twist!

  Though it’s mostly discussed through Lexi’s romantic entanglements — her husband versus Jon, the successful but laid-back architect her husband employs — Kinsella touches upon glossy exteriors and their hidden flaws. On the surface, it looks like Lexi woke up to the perfect life. But those perfections do not make up Lexi, a quirky, fun, kind, flawed individual. She has a beautiful, state-of-the-art, magazine-spread home, but there’s nothing in there that feels personal, homey, or lived in. She’s the head of a department in a big company, but her employees see her as a cutthroat snake, something Lexi most certainly is not. She’s married to a gorgeous businessman, who fits everything on a dream checklist, but that checklist does not equal a dream relationship. It seems perfect and wonderful and safe, but flaws make life enjoyable. And in the case of Lexi’s relationship with Jon, they are far more equal to each other, and that’s a healthy lifestyle.

  ~

  I read Kinsella at just the right time in my life. As I alluded to a few weeks ago, the beginning of 2016…well, sucked. Kinsella brought smiles and humor. And in each of the novels I read, I found a little something to relate to that also lifted me up. Can You Keep a Secret? spoke to me on a billion levels, most especially in the career fumbles and trying to prove oneself. I’ve Got Your Number shared the same fluctuating confidence and self-doubt I experience daily, and The Undomestic Goddess reminded me that it’s possible to try new things and still remain exactly who you are. Twenties Girl taught me to be bold, and Remember Me? encouraged me to look beyond the glossy exterior and into the heart of things.

  I’m sure plenty of readers felt the same way about her novels, for any of the protagonists in any of their situations. Kinsella’s books are semi-predictable, they’re quick reads, and you can guarantee some laughter. But I think that’s what makes them so enjoyable: her voice is accessible and relatable to so many women. You can’t help but love the characters and wince over their hilariously embarrassing situations. You’re glad this isn’t your life, and at the same time, this is your life. And it brings such comfort.

  Have you read Kinsella? What are some of your favorite books?

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 6 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, mini review, review

• That One Time I Binged on Kinsella…

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on March 11, 2016

  

  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been itching for romcoms — not movies, but books. Something light and fun that also doesn’t make me want to gouge my eyes out over the lack of character depth or completely ludicrous and implausible situations. Even in my darkest days I still want to read something with quality! But what would I read? I wanted to read adult fiction, but I tend to gravitate to fantasy, historical, and a bit darker (aka “sadder”) contemporary on my adult fiction TBR bookcase. I looked at my Read shelves and thought “Hmmm…is there something similar to The Royal We that I could binge-read?” And Sophie Kinsella immediately popped into my head!

  Because I enjoyed Finding Audrey so much, and I like all the concepts behind Kinsella’s non-Shopaholic books, I decided to dive in and try reading her adult fiction. She grabbed my attention with Emma Corrigan in Can You Keep a Secret? and now I can’t get enough! Though her books follow something of a formula (young twenty-something career woman experiences painfully, hysterically embarrassing situations and comes to her own, all with a light little romance on the side), it’s the narrator’s anxious, driven, silly brain that feels so akin to my own that draws me in! I am that young twenty-something career-focused woman stumbling through Adulthood and trying to Prove Herself. Give me your silly, scattered heroines, Kinsella. I’m ready.

  

  

  I’ve Got Your Number (★★★.5) was an excellent second choice after reading and loving Can You Keep a Secret? Poppy’s character and inner monologue speaks to me on such a deep level. Reading her fluctuating confidence/responsibility and self-doubt/insecurity makes me want to shove this book into people’s hands to better understand me, in a way. This was also an incredibly millennial book too. The digital elements to this — our society’s need to be in touch with everything and everyone and all times — was all too relatable. I’d die* without my phone, as I need it for work and personal life and social media and games and notes and reminders, and it’s not like I even use all those smart phone apps in the first place. Just your basic smart phone stuff! But wouldn’t it be nice to not have it for a while? How peaceful does that sound? Anyway, Poppy’s digital part of story was funny and surprisingly crucial to the plot.

  As for the romantic elements in this book, I have a note in my scribbled-on-scrap-paper review: “obvs disliked Magnus because wtf who is this guy.” I don’t think anything more needs to be said on that. I wanted more from Sam’s character, as it felt like all we really saw was the business side of him, but he certainly wasn’t dislikable. The ending was very much a cheesy romcom movie ending, a bit unbelievable, but certainly cute for this kind of novel, and I’m okay with that!

  *exaggeration, I promise

  The Undomestic Goddess (★★★) had a bit of a slow start for me, but quickly turned into laugh-out-loud entertainment during all of Samantha’s kitchen and laundry mishaps. I especially related to her with her cooking inexperience. As someone who can set a boiling pot of water on fire** I understood her anxiety during her first cooking lesson with the gardener’s mother. The juxtaposition of Sam’s character in the law firm in London — stressed, frazzled, tired, overworked, unaware of her unhealthy eating habits — and the domestic job in the Cotswolds — easy-going once she learned how to operate the oven and washer, peaceful, open — was brilliantly done. Though the locations and her situation changed, she stayed true to herself.

  And again, as for the romantic elements? Swoon. Nathaniel was great, and I couldn’t help but picture Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd from the moment he entered the kitchen and witnessed Sam’s string of mishaps. While Sam’s employers were absolutely ridiculous (if they were real people, I would’ve snapped at some point) and the premise was quite cheesy, it was all around enjoyable good fun.

  **I don’t even know

  Remember Me? and Twenties Girl are next on my list, and I’m super excited to dive into them. Stay tuned for another Kinsella post!

  xxx

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 10 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, mini review, review

• MSWL for 2019

  Posted at 5:15 pm by Laura, on January 1, 2019

  Also Known As
  What I’d Like to See in my Agent Inbox in 2019

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

  Please note: my inbox is flooded with YA and Adult fantasy. I don’t mind that one bit! But I’m already pretty particular about fantasy, and I do represent a variety of fantasy writers already. To really expand my list, I’d like to see more in these categories and genres…

  ~

  Adult 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). Admittedly, I’m most drawn to European (specifically English) history, but I’m open to reading anything as long as the premise is compelling and fresh.

  Adult 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.

  Adult Contemporary Women’s Fiction || Some of my favorite contemporary women’s fiction tends to be a bit on the morally ambiguous side of things, tackling taboo topics or shedding light on a hot-button issue in a new way. The queen of this, I think, is Jodi Picoult. I also 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 The Hating Game, Attachments, and You and Me, Always. Romance is not a primary draw for me, but it doesn’t turn me off to the story, either!

  Adult Historical Fantasy || I’m such a sucker for these, especially if there are elements of romance. The voice and the writing in historical fantasy is exactly what I love about the two genres separately. It’s accessible, even when it’s a world entirely different from our own. The characters’ voices are enticing, their daily life is familiar, as if I’ve always been a part of it, thanks to the historical aspects of the world. Some of my favorite books and series, such as Outlander, Daughter of the Forest, and The Winter Witch, are historical fantasies. Others, such as City of Brass, Uprooted, The Bear and the Nightingale, and The Queen of Blood, are inspired by history and folklore, though not necessarily part of actual historical pasts. I’d love to see more historical fantasies inspired by other cultures’ histories and folklore, much like my client Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand.

  Young Adult 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!), books that handle mental states with honesty like When We Collided and What to Say Next, 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, unique hobbies, and (as a past drum major) more marching band narratives! I tend to lean on the lighter side of things, with hope at the end of the tunnel, rather than something dark and gritty from the get go and very little humor to carry throughout. I do like tear-jerkers, but I want that spark of hope and inspiration at the end.

  Young Adult 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, 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), all nonfiction (poems, essays, memoirs, how-tos, everything nonfiction), 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 2019!

  Posted in agenting | 0 Comments | Tagged agenting, personal

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 6:50 am by Laura, on April 9, 2018

  Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

  Publisher: Dial
  Published: February 2018
  Genre: adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all. 

  Mini Review: I enjoyed this to an extent. I wasn’t as enamored as I usually am with Kinsella’s work (here, here, here, and here). It was full of the classic mishaps and hilarity, with a twist at the end, but I simply wasn’t as entertained as I usually am. I’m not sure if it’s because I couldn’t completely relate with the drama (I’m not married, but also…duh, when you marry, that means you intend to be with the person for decades, so clearly I wasn’t on board with the premise) or because I couldn’t relate with the age of the characters (which sounds so bogus, so I don’t think it was that), but this doesn’t rank high on my Kinsella list of recommendations. If you want a light and funny read, give it a shot!

  This qualifies as book 2 of 5 in my fun library books challenge.

  Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen

  Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
  Published: January 2018
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: After a train-wreck first encounter between Ammy and Noah, the Amtrak train suddenly breaks down due to a snowstorm. Desperate to make it to their destinations, Noah and Ammy have no other option but to travel together. What starts off as a minor detour turns into the whirlwind journey of a lifetime, and over the course of the night they fall in love. But come morning their adventure takes an unexpected turn for the worst. Can one night can really change how they feel about love…and the course of their lives forever? 

  Mini Review: If you’re looking for a book on overcoming broken relationships (familial or romantic) in a more healthy way, this would be a good book. I especially enjoy travel components in stories, because it forces the character — and the plot! — to move forward. With the train getting stuck, and all the mishaps that follow, you begin to wonder when these two can catch a break and finally make it to their destinations (worst nightmare!). However, I didn’t feel the drive in the plot the way I suppose I should have, and I thought it was a bit repetitious in the characters’ ruminations (this is a short book and it felt as if half of this was rumination). That said, these two really do resort to good and healthy ways of dealing with their heartbreak, stress, and sense of brokenness that I admire.

  Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

  Publisher: Delacorte
  Published: April 2009
  Genre: adult, mystery, historical
  Rating: ★★★★
  Summary: Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce is an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. It is the summer of 1950—and a dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father is seized and accused of murder. In a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story—of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower thirty years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: her father is innocent of murder—but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse….

  Mini Review: I listened to the audio of this novel and found the narrator’s voice painful to the ears, but the story itself absolutely delightful. Flavia is a precocious girl and incredibly imaginative. Combine these two things and you’re in the mind of a very clever, wild, eager person in the middle of a very serious case, right on the path to getting herself murdered as well if she’s not careful. Though this isn’t a heart-pounding, suspenseful mystery by any means (I could not care less about stamps — Grandpa would hate to hear me say that), the trail of clues and the roundabout way Flavia pieces everything together is a literary delight. Definitely plan on reading the next book of the series!

  This qualifies as book 3 of 5 in my fun library books challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, mini review, review

• Book Cake Tag: (belated-)Birthday Edition!

  Posted at 6:25 am by Laura, on March 9, 2018

  It’s my birthday (yay!) — or rather, it was on Sunday — so I thought I would do The Book Cake Tag, originally found on Morgan’s blog and inspired by GBBO! Because cake. (And also because Morgan tagged me almost a year ago and I still haven’t done this yet!)

  

  LOL OMG LOVE

  SELF-RISING FLOUR: A BOOK THAT IS SLOW TO START OFF BUT REALLY PICKED UP AS YOU WENT ALONG

  Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell I’m recalling starting off a bit slow but I absolutely loved as it gained momentum. Honestly, really great historical fiction can sometimes be like that. It takes a bit to immerse yourself — but once you’re in, you’re in.

  BUTTER OR MARGARINE: A BOOK WITH A RICH, GREAT PLOT

  The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty. I promise I’ll post my review of it soon! I PROMISE.

  EGGS: A BOOK YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE BAD BUT TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE ENJOYABLE

  It’s not that I thought it would be bad, but I was wary of First & Then by Emma Mills. I’m so glad I loved it, because she’s now an auto-buy/auto-read author for me!

  

  SUGAR: A SWEET BOOK

  Disclaimer: the whole book is not sugary sweet, but the sibling relationship portrayed in this book is possibly the sweetest, kindest, and yet most authentic sibling relationship I’ve seen for MG readers in ages! The Silver Gate by Kristin Bailey is a must-read.

  CHOCOLATE/FRUIT FILLING LAYER: A BOOK THAT SURPRISED YOU OR A CHARACTER WITH HIDDEN LAYERS

  The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton has all sorts of threads and layers, and when a book club member suggested a Fight Club-like scenario that completely blew me away, I can’t look at this book without wondering “what if…?” and assuming that theory is true. Because if it is…damn. Those are some intense layers.

  BAKING TIME: A SLOW-BURN ROMANCE

  Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (ha! Another tag to put this book in. I LOVE IT TO PIECES.)

  

  ICING: A BOOK THAT COVERS ALL THE ELEMENTS YOU ENJOY IN BOOKS

  Ohhhh this is difficult. The biggest thing for me in books is voice, followed by writing style, setting, and pacing. So with those in mind, regardless of genre, it’s probably The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

  SPRINKLES: A BOOK YOU CAN TURN TO FOR A PICK-ME-UP

  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. It makes me laugh and smile and really puts things into perspective!

  On the other hand, Harry Potter never fails. Sometimes you gotta go in for a bit of childhood nostalgia.

  CHERRY ON TOP: FAVORITE BOOK SO FAR THIS YEAR

  Definitely The City of Brass. I’m a bit behind on reading this year, but I’m super pumped about the books on my nightstand right now (Between Two Fires, Tess of the Road, Children of Blood and Bone, Blood Water Paint) so hopefully I’ll catch up soon!

  

  Posted in books | 2 Comments | Tagged book tag, books, personal

• MSWL for 2018

  Posted at 9:55 pm by Laura, on January 1, 2018

  Also known as
  What I’d Like to See in my Agent Inbox for 2018

  In general, my manuscript wish list stays the same no matter the season or year! But for 2018, I’m really hoping to see these kinds of projects in particular appear in my inbox.

  My inbox typically floods with fantasy manuscripts across the age categories. I don’t mind that one bit! But I’m already pretty particular about fantasy, and I do represent a variety of fantasy writers already. To really expand my list, I’d like to see more in these categories and genres.

  ~

  Adult 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). My favorite historical fiction includes Shadow on the Crown (Emma of Normandy and early British history), Letters from Skye (WWI/WWII parallel narrative told entirely in epistolary format), The Alice Network (WWI/WWII parallel narrative shining light on female spy networks). I’m attracted to Between Two Fires (early Welsh history), The White Russian (because I find Russian history fascinating), and Hild (life of a nun). 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). Admittedly, I’m most drawn to European (specifically English) history, but I’m open to reading anything as long as the premise is compelling and fresh.

  Adult Contemporary Women’s Fiction || Some of my favorite contemporary women’s fiction tends to be a bit on the morally ambiguous side of things, tackling taboo topics or shedding light on a hot-button issue in a new way. The queen of this, I think, is Jodi Picoult. I also 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 A Window Opens, Leave Me, 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 The Hating Game, Attachments, and You and Me, Always. Romance is not a primary draw for me, but it doesn’t turn me off to the story, either!

  Adult Historical Fantasy || I’m such a sucker for these, especially if there are elements of romance. The voice and the writing in historical fantasy is exactly what I love about the two genres separately. It’s accessible, even when it’s a world entirely different from our own. The characters’ voices are enticing, their daily life is familiar, as if I’ve always been a part of it, thanks to the historical aspects of the world. Some of my favorite books and series, such as Outlander, Daughter of the Forest, and The Winter Witch, are historical fantasies. Others, such as City of Brass, Uprooted, and The Queen of Blood, are inspired by history and folklore, though not necessarily part of actual historical pasts. I’d love to see more historical fantasies inspired by other cultures’ histories and folklore.

  Young Adult Contemporary Fiction || It is all about the voice for me when it comes to YA contemporary. It needs to feel and sound authentic to the teen reader, as they are the target audience. When I read YA contemporary, I need to feel like I’m talking to my high school best friend. It’s not a matter of nostalgia, but a bit like living in my memory — every emotion, every action, how angry and elated I would feel after certain events transpired, how important specific things were for me and why. 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, you get them. Talk to any secondary education teacher or school or YA librarian, and they really understand them.

  That said, I am seeking fantastic rom-coms like When Dimple Met Rishi (technology camps!) and Anna and the French Kiss (study abroad programs!), badass heroines like Dumplin’ (fighting against stereotypes), books that handle mental states with honesty like When We Collided and What to Say Next, and great family and friendship dynamics like Emma Mills, Morgan Matson, and Jenny Han. I tend to lean on the lighter side of things, with hope at the end of the tunnel, rather than something dark and gritty from the get go and very little humor to carry throughout. I do like tear-jerkers, but I want that spark of hope and inspiration at the end.

  Young Adult 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. I love culturally-influenced or mythology-inspired stories, 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. Think Star-Touched Queen, Shadowfell, and Hunted. If you have a YA fantasy, send it my way, especially if they fit into any of the above criteria. I’m especially hunting down a Viking-inspired fantasy…

  Young Adult 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. But that usually limits it to WWII novels or fantasy. So what do I want that’s different from that? Simple. 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. 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.

  ~

  For a final once-over, feel free to follow my #mswl on Twitter and on #MSWL website, follow #MSWLaesthetic, read my Manuscript Wishlist post, follow submission guidelines, read up on Publishers Marketplace deals, 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. We each experience life differently because of 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 or anything — 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 in space, anything set in the future, thrillers and suspense (psychological, military, legal, political, or otherwise), all nonfiction projects (poems, essays, memoirs, how-tos, everything nonfiction), 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 look forward to reading and selling excellent manuscripts in 2018!

  Posted in agenting | 4 Comments | Tagged agenting, personal

• 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 librarian, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I have a passion for Victorian culture, Gothic lit, and music. 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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