Author Archives: Laura

• Book Review: “Windfall” by Jennifer E. Smith (ARC)

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on May 12, 2017

  Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

  Publisher: Delacorte
  Published: May 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780399559372
  Rating: ★★★.75

  Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

  At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

  As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined…and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

  Alice, Teddy, and Leo are attached to one another, united by hardships and varying perceptions of luck. When Alice, who has crushed on Teddy for ages, purchases a lottery ticket for Teddy’s birthday, and Teddy wins, she immediately worries about all that would change in the dynamics of their group. Teddy’s newfound wealth touches everyone in ways Alice didn’t think was possible, and soon she and Leo are grappling to bring Teddy back to reality.

  It’s been some time since I enjoyed a Smith book, and it’s clear she poured her heart and soul into this one. The writing is beautiful, and Alice’s internal monologues are deeply felt. She lost both of her parents before she was ten, moved in with her cousin Leo, and has tried to live up to the image she believes her parents would be proud of: giving back to others, doing good in the community, making the world a better place. But is she doing this for the idea of them, for herself, or for others?

  Toss in the struggles every teenager faces in high school — college applications, choosing the right school, seeking approval from your peers, experiencing first love and heartbreak — and Alice has a full plate. Teddy has always been the athlete, utilizing the use-them-and-drop-them method with girlfriends, not the best in school but not terrible, just an all-around gregarious sort of guy. Alice lets his behavior slide (before, during, and after the lottery win) because she knows a lot of it stems from his father leaving the family and wracking up debt.

  But this doesn’t excuse the romance. I was not pleased with it whatsoever, and I’m not sure if it’s because I felt a personal connection to it and know that in hindsight this is terrible for Alice, or if I’m an adult reader and can see 20/20. I’ll come out and say it: it was frustrating and agonizing to watch. The ending for these two upset me, as I felt Alice could really grow (and grow apart) and be given wings separate from Teddy.

  The message of this novel was poignant and clear and something I could root for. What would you do if you won the lottery? What would you do if you won millions and millions of dollars overnight? Some people know exactly what they’d do with money, others freeze at the thought. There’s no right or wrong way about it. It’s a lot of responsibility, and can come as a burden, too. I especially enjoyed how Alice grappled with change — good and bad, pertaining to the lottery or just to choosing a college — struggling to make decisions best for her rather than what others thought. She had a lot of internal wrestling going on, and working that out with her was a pleasure. Smith executed this really well.

  Though the romance thread wasn’t for me, the writing, heart, concept, and execution of this novel blew me away. The importance of family and growing up — and growing into one’s identity — was beautiful. What a unique and compelling read!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Delacorte for review. 

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

• Book Review: “The Secret Life of Violet Grant” by Beatriz Williams

  Posted at 4:45 am by Laura, on May 10, 2017

  The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams

  Publisher: Berkley
  Published: May 2014
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780425274842
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Fresh from college, irrepressible Vivian Schuyler defies her wealthy Fifth Avenue family to work at cutthroat Metropolitan magazine. But this is 1964, and the editor dismisses her…until a parcel lands on Vivian’s Greenwich Village doorstep that starts a journey into the life of an aunt she never knew, who might give her just the story she’s been waiting for.

  In 1912, Violet Schuyler Grant moved to Europe to study physics, and made a disastrous marriage to a philandering fellow scientist. As the continent edges closer to the brink of war, a charismatic British army captain enters her life, drawing her into an audacious gamble that could lead to happiness…or disaster.

  Fifty years later, Violet’s ultimate fate remains shrouded in mystery. But the more obsessively Vivian investigates her disappearing aunt, the more she realizes all they have in common—and that Violet’s secret life is about to collide with hers.

  1964: It all begins with a suitcase sent to Vivian Schuyler’s new (new to her, at least) apartment. Originally addressed to a Violet Schuyler, Vivian is determined to figure out who the owner of the suitcase is, what happened to her, and why she seems to be erased from the family tree. Thankfully the Schuylers are littered across the society pages, which Vivian as full access to at her Metropolitan job. 1912: Violet Schuyler, analytical and clever, arrives in England to study physics at university. A charming, older professor agrees to take her on as a student. All seems to be well till it leads to a disastrous marriage and a quick move to Berlin. As Europe draws closer to war, a British army captain enters Violet’s life, and makes her question everything.

  Williams is a new-to-me author and I have a feeling I’ll be reading more of her work soon. Especially if she has some snappy, quick-witted characters like Vivian, and startlingly contrasting characters like Violet.

  Vivian made me laugh out loud, and I enjoyed her spunk, her forwardness, her jokes, and even her tender-hearted moments with work friend Margaux. The back-and-forth soap opera drama with Dr. Paul, though wild and spinning, was enjoyable to read as well. You can really see her beginning to let down her walls. Violet, on the other hand, was such a studious, unemotional sort of character, experiencing her own coming-of-age in a rather cruel way thanks to the men in her life. It was wonderful to watch her blossom. Toss in Lionel, the British army captain (…or is he?), and you’re in for an awakening.

  One of my favorite things (in an “ah, interesting!” way) about this novel is the way sex and sexuality was viewed 50 years apart. On the one hand, it was excellent fodder for juicy gossip, but most would never discuss what was happening behind closed doors. By the 1960s, people were forward in admitting their experience, taking safety precautions with birth control, etc. Imagine how Vivian and Violet would have turned out if they lived in the other’s time frame.

  Though there are some ick moments (I won’t even begin to discuss Violet’s husband), the novel propels forward with such momentum, you don’t even realize time has passed. I am sporting a rather alarming sunburn thanks to this novel! Williams captured my attention and held it tight from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to begin another of her books!

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  This qualifies as book 7 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review, rock my TBR

• 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.

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  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

• Book Review: “A Window Opens” by Elisabeth Egan

  Posted at 4:00 am by Laura, on March 30, 2017

  A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Published: August 2015
  Genre: adult fiction, women’s fiction
  ISBN: 9781501105432
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Alice Pearse plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.

  Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up and her work takes an unexpected turn. Readers will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she―Alice Pearse―really want?

  When her husband decides to make a radical career change, Alice Pearse takes the reins and lands a job at Scroll, a young start-up that promises to be the future of reading in the digital age. She is going to be a full-time working mother, happy in her career and her personal life. But as her father’s health declines, her marriage flounders, and her work takes an unexpected turn, Alice begins to wonder if the question isn’t is possible to have it all, but does she know what she really wants?

  It’s amazing how a book seems to fall into your lap at just the right time in your life for you to fully appreciate it. When fiction quasi-parallels life, or when several passages state exactly what you’re feeling in that moment of your life so distinctly, you know it’s a case of the book finding you. For me, it was the health issues Alice’s father faced. His lung cancer, death process, and the grieving process post-death mirrored so much of my grandfather’s last few months. He passed away just as I started reading this book, too. It affected me more than I ever could have expected.

  Scroll, Alice’s new job, is an Amazon-meets-Apple-meets-Google set up. Alice works at the NYC headquarters for MainStreet, a futuristic mostly-online retailer, and she’s in the thick of the planning for all these Scroll store openings across the country. MainStreet has a hand in several areas of business, and the bookstore was their next unconquered landscape. But it’s very demanding, and Alice becomes one of those working moms: constantly attached to her phone, speaking in business lingo, losing touch with her children, and completely unaware of life passing by.

  More than anything, this is a journey in Alice’s life we’re glimpsing, and it was a thinker. What do you want in life? How would you handle the situations she’s thrown into? Would you have made the same decisions? I will say for sure I was very pleased with how Egan handled the marriage struggles. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows — but it’s also not all doom and gloom.

  A simple story well told, this book is a perfect read in our social-media-obsessed age. Mothers and working women would identify with Alice and her honest humor as she navigates a new job, experiences the next stage of a marriage, and watches the declining health of her father. Validating, entertaining, and true to life, Egan delivers a fantastic story and cast of characters.

  This qualifies as book 5 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, review

• Book Review: “Son of the Shadows” by Juliet Marillier

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on March 27, 2017

  Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

  Publisher: Tor
  Published: 2002 (first published in 2000)
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780765343260
  Rating: ★★★★

  It is from her sacrifice that her brothers were brought home to Sevenwaters and her life has known much joy. But not all the brothers were able to escape the spell that transformed them into swans, and those who did were all more–and less–than they were before the change.

  It is left to Sorcha’s daughter Liadan who will take up the tale that the Sevenwaters clan is destined to fulfill. Beloved child, dutiful daughter, she embarks on a journey that opens her eyes to the wonders of the world around her…and shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life.

  Liadan will need all of her courage to help save her family, for there are forces far darker than anyone chould have guessed and ancient powers conspiring to destroy this family’s peace–and their world. And she will need the strength to stand up to those she loves best, for in the finding of her own true love, Liadan’s course may doom them all…or be their salvation.

  Liadan is the beautiful younger daughter of Sorcha and Red, legends in their own fairytale story of the Sevenwaters clan. She loves to assist her mother with herbs and healing, speaks telepathically with her twin brother Sean, and attempts to rein in her older sister Niamh’s wild ways. But turbulent times crash into the family just when all seems to be well, and Liadan is trapped in the middle of an ancient prophecy. She is determined to make the right choices for her family, but with every step she takes her course appears to bring them further into darkness.

  SPOILER ALERT
  Events pertaining to Daughter of the Forest are within this review.
  SPOILER ALERT

  The second book in the Sevenwaters series is just as breathtaking, beautiful, and magical as the first, featuring another strong female protagonist who draws upon strength of the mind and spirit rather than physical qualities to combat her enemies.

  Liadan is a fierce and stubborn chatterbox, and she will tell you what she thinks of your decisions and actions if she believes it will improve your character or the family. She’d be a good friend to have around — patient and loving, while still practical and headstrong. She’s a great blend of Red and Sorcha, and that makes her flawed. While Sorcha is still one of my favorite characters in literature (right up there with Jane Eyre!), she was almost too perfect. Liadan makes loads of mistakes, to the point where it really does seem like the family is doomed. She is observant, aware of her mistakes, aware of how people treat her and how she treats others, and how sometimes similar situations and others’ reactions to them can be hypocritical. Take this, the family’s reaction to Liadan’s pregnancy:

  I was aware, constantly, of how different this was from Niamh’s experience. For my sister there had been the cold disapproval, the harsh censure, the shutting out, the hasty, forced marriage. For me there was simply acceptance, as if my fatherless child were already part of the family at Sevenwaters.

  While Son of the Shadows was entertaining and fantastic, and Liadan was an excellent character on her own, I had a hard time getting into the romance. It felt more like a means to an end for me, and less epic and profound as I was led to believe. Much of Liadan’s motivation and decisions were stemmed from this love, so I was pretty miffed by how central of a role it played when I wasn’t convinced of it.

  The prophecy from the first book is becoming a reality in this one, and it leaves the reader hanging, ready to read book three to see what happens next. There was more about the curse and the characters that come into play (such as, ah-ha!, the son of the shadows), more strategizing and skirmishes, more storytelling and culture. Sorcha was on a quest, separated from her family; Liadan is in the thick of it, a key player in the prophecy and all it entails.

  This qualifies as book 2 of 9 in the Flights of Fantasy / Gabaldon-and-Marillier challenge.

  This qualifies as book 4 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, flights of fantasy, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: romance, review, rock my TBR

• Deal Announcement: Clarissa Harwood, Historical Fiction

  Posted at 9:14 am by Laura, on March 24, 2017

  

  Deal Announcements feature my most recent deal as an agent and the story behind it. Writers and readers should experience how an agent knows when they’ve struck gold and sign an author, the beginning of the journey to publication.

  I’m excited to announce the publication of Clarissa Harwood‘s Impossible Saints!

  Clarissa Harwood’s IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS, the story of an English suffragette torn between her political ambitions and her love for a young clergyman, to Katie McGuire at Pegasus, for publication in Winter 2018, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World English).

  Every author experiences a different publishing journey. Some sell work immediately, some take a year or two, and some take a few years and a couple manuscripts later. That’s just how publishing works! And when you have historical fiction, oooooh boy. It’s tough. But Clarissa persevered, and she’s been such a dream to work with! Let’s go back to the beginning…

  Once upon a time…

  One late September day at the beginning of my agenting career, I received a query from Clarissa. It was clean, professional, impressive, and so well-written, I had to read the manuscript. It was a retelling/expansion of two of my favorite classics, and she won me over. I offered representation!

  But that manuscript is not this deal.

  A year later, Clarissa sent me a fantastic Grantchester-like project to read and prepare for submission. We discussed the pitch, edited first through the synopsis then chapter by chapter, really tightening the story and making it powerful. We had a long discussion about the title, and put together a submission list…

  That manuscript is not this deal.

  Because a few months after I was initially sent the Grantchester-like manuscript, Clarissa sent me another. (What a prolific writer and historian — I’m so lucky!) She said this was the one she really wanted to put out there. I read the pitch, devoured the manuscript, edited the draft (I believe a minor plot-line AND a character died in this process — RIP Grace), created another submission list, and began the submission process. We were so fired up about suffragettes and had such great support from the Historical Novel Society community.

  Then an offer from Katie appeared in my inbox.

  And the rest…is history.

  Congratulations, Clarissa! You’re going to be a published author!

  Posted in deal announcement | 12 Comments | Tagged agenting, deal announcement

• Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

  Posted at 5:30 am by Laura, on March 14, 2017

  Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR.

  

  I’ve been doing my best to keep track of the books I’d like to read for my TBR. If I have some sense of a planned schedule (I’m finding more recently), I am more likely to meet my challenges for the year (more from my TBR bookcases in particular). Here are my January, February, and March TBR books on Instagram. This post will give a sneak peak into April, too!

  

  

  

  

  

  Son of the Shadows || Small Great Things || The Sun is Also a Star || Hunted || Miss You

  

  

  

  

  

  Like a River Glorious || The Fiery Cross || Outrun the Moon
  The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals || The Secret Life of Violet Grant

  BONUS ROUND

  A Window Opens || The Wrath and the Dawn || Three Dark Crowns
  The Hollywood Daughter || The Orphan’s Tale

  What are you reading this spring? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

  Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 16 Comments | Tagged books, top ten tuesday

• 

• 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!

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