Category: books

• Book Review: “The Scribe of Siena” by Melodie Winawer

  Posted at 5:35 am by Laura, on August 31, 2017

  The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer

  Publisher: Touchstone
  Published: May 2017
  Genre: adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781501152252
  Rating: ★★★

  Accomplished neurosurgeon Beatrice Trovato knows that her deep empathy for her patients is starting to impede her work. So when her beloved brother passes away, she welcomes the unexpected trip to the Tuscan city of Siena to resolve his estate, even as she wrestles with grief. But as she delves deeper into her brother’s affairs, she discovers intrigue she never imagined—a 700-year-old conspiracy to decimate the city.

  After uncovering the journal and paintings of Gabriele Accorsi, the fourteenth-century artist at the heart of the plot, Beatrice finds a startling image of her own face and is suddenly transported to the year 1347. She awakens in a Siena unfamiliar to her, one that will soon be hit by the Plague.

  Yet when Beatrice meets Accorsi, something unexpected happens: she falls in love—not only with Gabriele, but also with the beauty and cadence of medieval life. As the Plague and the ruthless hands behind its trajectory threaten not only her survival but also Siena’s very existence, Beatrice must decide in which century she belongs.

  A neurosurgeon finishing her brother’s research is transported back to a handful of months just before the Plague hits medieval Siena, Italy. While there, research and life collide when Beatrice is sheltered by and works alongside artist Gabriele Accorsi, a painter whose journal was in her possession while finishing her brother’s manuscript. Why was the Plague so devastating to Siena compared to the rest of Italy (and Europe as a whole)? What can Beatrice discover while there that her brother couldn’t find in documents today? Furthermore, is she now accidentally at the center of the plot that decimated Siena?

  Color me intrigued.

  This book contains a lot of art history, and the level of detail in the setting was exquisite. I felt like I was there in medieval Siena. There’s a romance with an artist, but I wasn’t feeling it. Some romances make you swoon right along with the protagonist, some romances you fall in love with the couple and how they handle their relationship and life’s events, and then there are some romances that seem to be there just to further the plot. That was this one. It wasn’t terrible — just didn’t seem necessary to move it from platonic to romantic.

  You can’t have a fictional account of historic Italy without the Medici family wrecking havoc. They, like England’s Tudors, shaped Italian history, so of course there’s no avoiding it, but a part of me was a little bit bummed that the family played such a huge role in the plot of the book. I wanted more from Beatrice rather than the other perspectives. Because Beatrice was so funny. She’s a strong, sarcastic, steady and stable sort of character, and her quips, observations, and one-liners throughout the story really kept the pace moving. Sometimes all you can do when thrown into ridiculous situations is try to find the humor in it!

  If you’re looking for something to sink into and bask in the beauty, without thinking too deeply about the plot (and all the timey-whimey open-ended questions), this would be the book to try! Truly, it is a breathtaking read simply for the art and history. Setting was certainly a character of this novel all on its own.

  This qualifies as book 11 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• The Intimidating TBR Tag

  Posted at 6:10 am by Laura, on August 29, 2017

  Life has been busy, to say the least. Though I’ve been reading, I haven’t reviewed as much lately. To keep the blog from being perpetually silent until I’ve managed to write reviews for the books I’ve read, why don’t we check out this tag. Thanks, Morgan @ The Bookish Beagle, for sharing!

  The Intimidating TBR Tag

  

  

  

  What book on your TBR have you been unable to finish? || I’ve started quite a few, but Miss You, The Wild Girl, and Bellman & Black are the three that have bookmarks still in them. I even recall without having to open them what was going on when I stopped. So…that’s something?

  

  

  

  What book on your TBR haven’t you read because . . .

  . . . you haven’t had the time? || Around this time last year I decided that this year I would try to read a Gabaldon or Marillier book a month. They’re big books (in number of pages and in concept), and surely a month would be enough time. As you can tell from my seasonal posts…I haven’t been very good with this challenge! So let’s start with The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon!

  . . . it’s a sequel? || Winner’s Kiss. I was so pumped for the final book of the trilogy, bought it the day of publication, and now it’s been sitting on my shelf for what feels like ages! Gah. It’s like, if I don’t read it, the trilogy won’t end, right?

  . . . it’s brand new? || The Reluctant Queen. It’s the most brand new of this TBR tag, at least — just a month or so — but I want to be able to sink into this one properly. I loved the world-building and characters in The Queen of Blood, so I want do this one justice in my read.

  . . . you didn’t enjoy the author’s first book? || The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, because you guys, I didn’t like All the Truth that’s in Me (though the review I gave looks pretty generous, in hindsight it frustrated me to no end). I’ve heard several times this book is very different (audience, topic, writing style, sense of humor), but I’m still nervous nonetheless.

  

  

  

  . . . you haven’t been in the mood? || The Price of Blood by Patricia Bracewell. This trilogy (or is it just duology? GR says trilogy but the third book’s taking some time to come out to the world if that’s the case) is everything I could ever want. Emma of Normandy, in England during the Viking takeover prior to William the Conqueror. YAAAAS. But I need to be in the right mood for this depth of historical fiction. Bracewell’s writing is just so exquisitely beautiful, I need to treasure the read!

  . . . it’s humongous? || I like big books and I cannot lie, but there’s something about the weight of Morgan Matson’s The Unexpected Everything that I find intimidating for a contemporary YA! I mean…does it really need to be that long? Really?

  . . . it was a cover buy and it ended up receiving poor reviews? || Oh, see, I don’t have too many of those. I open cover love books and read a couple pages to see if I’d personally enjoy it before buying it on impulse, and I won’t seek out reviews for it. I do the same for overly-hyped books, regardless of cover adoration (read a few pages before considering purchasing). Maybe the closest one would be The Crown’s Game. It didn’t receive poor reviews, but I guess it doesn’t live up to the hype? Maybe? I’ve no idea. Let’s go with that one, though I do still intend to read it.

  What is the most intimidating book on your tbr? || Hild or The Name of the Wind, though I’m not sure why. I know I want to read them, I know I’ll enjoy them, and I like big books so it’s not that either. I’ve probably just put them on this massive pedestal and I’m worried they won’t live up to it?

  

  

  

  ~

  This was one giant psychological mess of a post! The Intimidating TBR Tag is deceiving — you think you’re just answering a handful of simple questions, but it really makes you think about your answers and why.

  What’s on your TBR? I tag anyone who is willing to tackle this! 

  Posted in book tag, books | 4 Comments | Tagged book tag, books

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 7:05 am by Laura, on August 17, 2017

  Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

  Publisher: Viking
  Published: June 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants. 
  

  Mini Review: I enjoyed Dessen’s latest, but it also left something to be desired. The characters were good (well-rounded, depth, teen voice), the story was good (growth, development, plot), I enjoyed the Easter eggs (classic Dessen!), and it somewhat reminded me of my favorite Dessen novel (The Truth About Forever)…which may be why it was only good. It felt a little recycled, and the stakes, especially the romance, seemed more like afterthoughts. This landed right in the middle of my Dessen rankings: plain ol’ good. She’s a staple in contemporary YA literature, a modern classic, but I do think this could’ve been better.

  This qualifies as book 9 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

  Publisher: Salaam Reads
  Published: June 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: There are three kinds of people in my world:
  1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose.
  2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama’s-Boy-Muhammad. Also, there’s Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don’t go together. Same planet, different worlds. But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right?
  3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O’Connor’s stories. Like the monster at my mosque. People think he’s holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask. Except me.

  Mini Review: Janna is angry and hurt, and wants everyone to know that the scumbag who assaulted her is their beloved star boy at the mosque. This is a great exploration of the mind of an assaulted woman, how many of us respond when violated in some way, especially those of us who have difficulty expressing what happened, convincing others of what happened, or trying to move on from what happened but can’t. The novel is character-driven to the core (the plot is entirely about exposing the truth), showing all sorts of dynamics within a family, a community, and among friends. Be forewarned, this may contain some triggers. Root for Janna; be on the side of justice.

  This qualifies as book 10 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, mini review, review

• Book Review: “The Map That Leads to You” by JP Monninger

  Posted at 4:36 am by Laura, on July 13, 2017

  The Map That Leads to You by JP Monninger

  Publisher: St Martin’s Press
  Published: June 2017
  Genre: contemporary, romance
  ISBN: 9781250060761
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Heather Mulgrew’s world is already mapped out: she is going to travel abroad with her friends after college, come back to a great career in September, and head into a life where not much is left to chance. But that was before an encounter on an overnight train introduces her to Jack, a passionate adventurer who changes the course of her journey and her life.

  Throwing Heather’s careful itinerary to the wind, they follow Jack’s grandfather’s journal through post-World War II era Europe: Vienna, Budapest, Turkey–exotic places that serve only to heighten their feelings. As September looms, Jack urges Heather to stay with him, to keep traveling, to give in to the romance of their experience; Heather convinces him to return to the United States.

  Jack has a secret that could change everything. And Heather’s world is about to be shaken to the core.

  Heather and her friends have their summer trip across Europe, and their lives, completely mapped out after graduation. She will be moving to NYC in September in a dream job position just as soon as she completes all the paperwork. While on an overnight train to Amsterdam, a stranger from Vermont named Jack pegs her for exactly who she is, and it makes her question how she’s approached everything, including the fun and carefree moments, in her life. Heather tosses her careful plans aside and joins Jack on his adventure through Europe, following in the footsteps of his grandfather’s journal written at the end of WWII. But what makes them rattle most is what happens after: after this trip, what’s next for them and their relationship? Jack’s not telling Heather something, and it’s big enough to shake all of her carefully laid plans.

  Everything I love and feel about travel is packed into this book. Surprising moments of philosophy (the kind of discussions I thoroughly enjoy, especially when traveling) and pondering on life. And then the ultimate travel fantasy: finding that person to love and cherish, who sees you at your best and worst and knows you better than anyone else because of all that travel brings out of you…wow. I don’t have much to say about this book except that I dog-eared several pages with great quotes. I’ll present a few of them here in lieu of a review.

  ~

  On Family

  “He was from a dairy farm in Vermont. That’s the puzzle. I have a hard time imagining him here in Europe, just poking around. He had a big soul, Grandma always said. ‘He breathed through both nostrils’ was her phrase for it.”

  On Life and Love

  “What’s the opposite of a romantic? I’ve always wondered.”
  “An accountant, I guess. A person who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

  “Dad, I don’t know for sure what it all means with Jack. I love him. I know that. And I think he loves me. I know some of the timing may be a little awkward, but there’s always a glitch, right? Isn’t that what you say? Life is one long fight against glitches? Well, I’m starting this new job, and I will give it everything. I promise you that. But Jack counts for something, too. We could postpone everything, tell ourselves what we experienced here doesn’t count, but you didn’t raise me like that. You didn’t. Life doesn’t happen someplace in the future. You said that. You said life happens here and now, and it’s a fool’s bargain to let something good go now in the hope of something better at a later date.”

  On Faith

  “She is a young woman who has been asked to hold in her womb and arms the divine. What I admire about this statue is the ambivalence. You can see she is charmed by the child. See him? He is playing with a brooch on her cloak and not looking at her exactly, and her hip is out. I love women’s hips, especially when they’re poked out. See? Poked out to hold her child, who is the salvation of the world, and it all rests on a woman’s hip. But inside all that majesty is this small, timid woman and her beloved child. That’s why this statue kills me. I’ve read about it over and over, and now to see it…you know, there have been many transformations here in front of Our Lady. People have been converted in a single instant by one glance at her. I know, I know, I don’t believe much of it myself, but, Heather, I believe in the human need to believe, and this is the embodiment of that.”

  On Books

  “A book is a companion, though. You can read it in a special place, like on a train to Amsterdam, then you carry it home and you chuck it on a shelf, and then years later you remember that feeling you had on the train when you were young. It’s like a little island in time.”

  “Have you ever heard someone say that books are places we visit and that when we run into people who have read the books we have read, it’s the same as if we had traveled to the same locations? We know something about them because they have lived in the same worlds we have lived. We know what they live for.”

  ~

  A beautiful novel on love, friendship, and the places that shape the course of our lives.

  .

  This qualifies as book 11 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: travel, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “Like a River Glorious” by Rae Carson

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on July 10, 2017

  Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

  Publisher: Greenwillow
  Published: September 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780062242945
  Rating: ★★★

  Lee Westfall survived the dangerous journey to California. She found a new family in the other outcasts of their wagon train, and Jefferson, her best friend, is beginning to woo her shamelessly. Now they have a real home—one rich in gold, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense the precious metal in the world around her.

  But Lee’s Uncle Hiram has survived his own journey west. He’s already murdered her parents, and he will do anything to have Lee and her talents under his control. No one is safe. When he kidnaps her, she sees firsthand the depths of his depravity.

  Lee’s magic is changing, though. It is growing. The gold no longer simply sings to her—it listens. It obeys her call. Will that alone be enough to destroy her uncle?

  Lee, Jefferson, and their wagon train settle down in Glory, California, staking their claim in this territory and protecting their land from other squatters and hell-raisers. The group knows of her ability to sense gold, and they do their best to hide their good fortune from outsiders. But Uncle Hiram hears of Lee’s rising fortune, and will stop at nothing to take her hostage and make her work for his mine. Her magic is growing into something more, and Lee attempts to find a way to save herself and the workers, and destroy Hiram and his mine with her new abilities.

  There may be spoilers contained in this review if you have not read the first in this trilogy, Walk on Earth a Stranger. 

  I finally finished the second book in the Good Seer trilogy. It took a while to get through, partly because everything felt hunky-dory perfect in the first third, and partly because it was difficult to see all the hardship, racism, sexism, cruelty, and misogyny. But I’m still interested and invested in this historical Gold Rush fantasy, and I’m looking forward to Into the Bright Unknown in a few months! (Plus, come on, look at these covers.)

  The first third of the novel, the wagon train decides to settle together on a large plot of land they divvy up among themselves. It’s neat to see how they interact with one another, creating their own miniature town with each person pulling their part of the work. It’s not all perfect — weather, attacks, accidents all happen — but the decisions they made together was almost too quick and conveniently agreed upon. No one seemed to have qualms with anything. However, I did like that they took Lee’s secret in stride, and really rally around her when Hiram’s thugs show up and create mayhem.

  The mine is a totally different story. This shed light on another rarely touched upon aspect of American history. I wanted to look away, but I knew I couldn’t. It’s important. We have to know how people were wrongly treated. Indians, blacks, Chinese laborers, everything they went through is true and very cruel. But it happened. I don’t know how Lee was able to hold back her anger — I was bursting with hatred (and a lot of ick-factor chills from Hiram — ughhhh). Lee handled it all so well, and the heist with the secret group in the miners was incredibly epic.

  There is still a bit of a romance plot in here, and still quite minor. But even still, the love between Lee and Jefferson felt natural, and I really like how they came to their decision at the end of this book. It felt perfect and authentic for them, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes in the next book.

  I’m expecting some more on the romance line, an interesting turn of events with California becoming a state, something happening with Hiram thwarting plans in very dangerous ways, fantastic magical growth and skill for Lee, and positive directions for each member of the wagon train. Let’s see what’s in store in a couple months…

  .

  This qualifies as book 10 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “What to Say Next” by Julie Buxbaum (ARC)

  Posted at 5:25 am by Laura, on July 5, 2017

  What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

  Publisher: Delacorte
  Publishing Date: July 11
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780553535686
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

  KIT:I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

  DAVID:In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

  When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

  Kit’s father recently died in a car accident and she’s not ready to handle everyday life just yet. She knows David will be quiet and give her space and peace, so she sits down at his lunch table. David knows Kit’s dad just died, but he doesn’t quite understand why she of all people sat down at his lunch table of all places. The two form an unlikely friendship, with his very literal and honest view of the world and her need for straightforward conversation and understanding. When Kit asks David to help her solve the unsolvable (the hows of the accident), in a semi-rhetorical question for assistance, David will stop at nothing to find the answer. But will their friendship survive the truth?

  I laughed, I cried, I hugged my ereader. There are no words to describe the emotional rollercoaster this put me through. Kit’s situation could’ve easily dived into woe-is-me territory, but her grief was handled so well. Meanwhile David, the one who put me through the rollercoaster, is just trying to understand life and not let his autism get in the way.

  This has so much in it that’s so good and crucial for people to read. The switched perspectives — the “normal” one in grief and finding solace in another, the autistic one learning how to be a friend and finding joy in social interactions — really lent itself to the story. You see the social hierarchy in schools and how easily one can rise and fall. You see teenagers from different families putting loved ones on pedestals and watching parents or siblings not live up to that image, realizing we’re all human. You see the extent of bullying someone for being different, and on the flip-side you see the love and devotion to someone for their unique abilities and brilliant mind.

  I’m in awe. I could go on for ages about how much I wanted to work with autistic children back when I studied psychology (I believe autistic people are brilliant and wonderful and see the world in such beautiful, unique ways), but I’ll not do that. I’ll instead insist that you read this book when it comes out. It’s important that you do. You, too, will be speechless.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Flipping Through the Pages: Spring Rewind 2017

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on July 3, 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

  

  

  

  One of my friends had a very lovely, private wedding (or engagement party? She’s having a big to-do this time next year, so it was quasi-engagement party, quasi-wedding because she and her husband signed papers), and the cupcakes were too pretty and delicious not to take a picture! Rossetti has been joining me for a lot of my reading this spring, and I love her company. Finally, The Alice Network was my first 5-star read of the year and I was absolutely blown away by the writing, the story, the characters, the plot…

  Life Highlights

  The biggest news is that I was recently promoted to Associate Literary Agent!

  I talked a little bit about Book Expo in an If We Were Having Coffee post, but I also recently went to ALA! The morning was spent attending as many panels as possible for the library, and the afternoon was spent wandering the exhibit floor and documenting Jared Reck’s first public appearance and galley signing. Big day for this agent/librarian.

  Finally, the Beau and I went on a mini trip to see his friends for a pub crawl. Two couples in the friend group are moving out of state within a few weeks of each other, so we all got together and went on a massive bar crawl. It started off with 7 people, and somewhere in the night we had 25+ total. So much fun — and a mandatory brunch the next day was just what the doctor ordered. It’s so hard when you/your friends move away. They’re going to neat places in the country, so hopefully this means more travel opportunities.

  Tunes on Repeat

  Maybe I should eliminate this bit of the feature, because it’s just not happening for me. I’m not into what’s on the radio (and I’m already missing out on John Mayer’s latest, Ed Sheeran, and the 1D solo boys’ music), I’m listening to audio books for the library in the car, and (to be completely honest) what I have listened to is mostly choral music that most of you aren’t all that interested in. Unless you want to hear something? Let me know. Feast your ears on this, in the meantime.

  Bookmarked in the Community

  1. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro @ Belle of the Literati — For Kelly’s 30th birthday, this adventurer went on her own and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro! Her experience was incredible. Read about it here!
  2. The Intimidating TBR Tag @ The Bookish Beagle — Morgan’s TBR post was both intense and awesome. I fully plan to do this tag at some point (…just like I fully plan to read all those books on the TBR pile at some point…*ducks*)
  3. On My Nightstand @ What Sarah Read — In a similar vein, Sarah started a new feature called On My Nightstand to showcase some books she’s interested in reading immediately.
  4. When the Movie is Better Than the Book @ Writer of Wrongs — Gillian went there. She went there and admitted what we all know to be true: sometimes, the movie is better than the book. *gasp*
  5. Library Dreamin’ @ Alexa Loves Books — What does your dream library look like? I gotta say, my dream library looks a lot like Alexa’s IRL library…

  Popular Posts on Scribbles

  1. Book Review: Hunted by Meagan Spooner (ARC) — I LOVE this book, and it makes me ridiculously happy to see this was such a popular post!
  2. Book Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (ARC) — IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK YOU MUST REMEDY THAT NOW.
  3. If We Were Having Coffee… — This post is always so popular. For random updates, feel free to read my unedited, walls down, conversational post. In this one, I talk about Band of Brothers, Book Expo, Forge of Empires, and my never-ending war with chips and queso.

  Cherished Reads

  

  

  

  

  Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee ★★★★★

  The Alice Network by Kate Quinn ★★★★★

  The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams ★★★★.5

  What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum ★★★★.5 (review to come!)

  Cherished Quotes

  “Why don’t you sit with the others?” I ask her.
  “I find the company of a book much more interesting.”
  — Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

  Emma suffered daily for friends and neighbors. [The Allies] were doing it for strangers, throwing themselves on that beach, slaughtered tillt he sea ran dark, and another wave came, and was slaughtered, and another, whole cities of men. They have never met Emma, she would never meet them, and still another wave.
  It was so humbling, Emma clung to the tree and did not think she could continue to breathe. The weight of their sacrifice might crush her. Here they had died, and up the beach they were still dying, in flocks and willingly for the idea that she, Emma herself, and her friends and family and neighbors, ought to live in freedom. Who on earth deserved such a gift?
  — The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan

  My hands are flapping again. Tears are running down my face. I am losing control.
  Slipping into a vertiginous vortex. I used to think loneliness was being stuck
  with only the one voice in your head. I was wrong.*

  Here’s the thing about making a friend that I didn’t understand before I started talking to Kit: They grow your world. Allow for previously inconceivable possibilities.*
  — *the following quotes taken from uncorrected proof of What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

  Progress Update on Reading Challenges

  Required Library Books: 10 / 22

  The Light Between Oceans || The Husband’s Secret || W is for Wasted
  The Miniaturist || The Astronaut Wives Club || The Burning Room
  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet || The President’s Shadow
  Orphan Train || Still Life

  Fun Library Books: 8 / 5 // Complete!

  Heart’s Blood || The Bear and the Nightingale || The Silver Gate
  Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies || A Window Opens
  Alex, Approximately || The Baker’s Secret || Troubled Waters

  Flights of Fantasy / Marillier & Gabaldon Challenge: 2 / 9

  Heart’s Blood || Son of the Shadows

  Classics & ReRead: 0 / 2

  Rock My TBR: 10 / 12

  Caraval || You and Me, Always || The Miniaturist
  Son of the Shadows || The Sun is Also a Star || Outrun the Moon
  The Secret Life of Violet Grant || This Adventure Ends || The Alice Network 
  Like a River Glorious

  Impulse Buys: 5 / 5

  You and Me, Always || Flight of Dreams || Wait for Me
  The Hate U Give || The Map That Leads to You

  Overall Challenge: 32 / 50

  Random Obsessions

  On TV: Grantchester is back!

  

  I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF SIDNEY CHAMBERS. He’s making poor life choices so far this season (go AWAY, AMANDA.), but I love him all just the same.

  On Film: I mentioned watching Band of Brothers for the first time in my If We Were Having Coffee post, and weeks later I’m still blown away by the show. So let’s add Wonder Woman to the mix! OH MY GOD. When we left the theater, I said to The Beau, “This must be what it feels like to be a white man!” I FELT POWERFUL AND UNSTOPPABLE. More female superheroes, please!!!

  In the Shopping Bag: Shopping? What is shopping? All my money went to travel, conferences, and hotel fees. Wah wah.

  Miscellaneous: I mentioned it before and I’ll say it again: Forge of Empires. I’m seriously obsessed with this app. People have described it like Sim City, and I can’t tell you if it is or not but I’m enjoying every second of it. Have you played it?

  Looking Towards the Future

  Lots of traveling coming up this summer! In July I’m heading to Nashville for a writers conference. Hope to hear some great pitches while I’m there. In August I’m traveling with The Beau to Iowa to visit family and some of his high school friends. And then in September, Jared’s book publishes! HURRAY! Oh, and it’s wedding season for like…a bazillion people, and I’m really looking forward to dancing many nights away!

  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 | 3 Comments | Tagged books, personal, recap, rewind, this season's rewind

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 4:10 am by Laura, on June 28, 2017

  Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

  Publisher: Ace
  Published: October 2010 
  Genre: fantasy
  Rating: ★★★   
  Summary: Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king’s fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river. It’s there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood—and the secrets of the royal family—she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.
  

  Mini Review: So many people have praised Shinn’s writing, and I have to agree. She’s created a brilliant fantasy world, one that feels wholly unique and full and developed. The use of elemental magic isn’t all that original in magical worlds, but the way Shinn used elemental magic for specific individuals in certain families (primes), and others with the spirit of certain elements (like personality descriptors), was really neat. Though I found the court scenes in the second half of the book to be a little dull, I can’t blame Shinn on that — I’m generally not a fan of royal politics. I’m in love with the world enough that I fully plan to read the next book in this series!

  This qualifies as book 8 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

  Publisher: William Morrow
  Published: April 2013
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★.5
  Summary: Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from “aging out” of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie. Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As Molly helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

  Mini Review: I was far more invested in Vivian’s narrative than Molly’s, probably because the book’s historical focus was so fascinating. I’m not as familiar with this moment in American history. How often do we get to read about the Great Depression outside of the major cities? What’s going on in the Midwest, in the heart of the country, with ordinary people? Not only that, but I had no idea the orphan trains began as early as the 1850s. Watching the development of the American foster care system (and adoption system) and seeing how it hasn’t exactly changed too much — more paperwork and regulations does not necessarily mean a better experience — was certainly eye-opening. The story ties up nicely, but truly, I found the historically-set narrative far more engaging. Kline knows how to keep the pages turning!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, mini review, review

• Book Review: “The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on June 22, 2017

  The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

  Publisher: William Morrow
  Published: June 2017
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780062654199
  Rating: ★★★★★

  1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

  1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.

  Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth …no matter where it leads.

  Eve Gardiner’s stutter has held her back for ages. Everyone assumes she’s a half-wit — except for one man who can tell she’s sharp, cunning, and intelligent. She’s recruited to work as a spy in a restaurant run by a collaborator in France, and trained alongside Lili, who manages an entire network of secret agents. Thirty years later, Charlie St. Clair is on a mission to find her missing cousin, and runs away from her mother and their travel plans to get rid of her Little Problem in Switzerland. Recruiting Eve’s assistance, Eve and Charlie work together to find Charlie’s cousin, come to the truth of the disbanding of the Alice Network, and seek revenge on the man who brought these ladies together across the years.

  All the stars. All the awards. I haven’t read historical fiction like this in a long time. The voice, the plot, the structure, the characters…oh my goodness.

  Quinn’s novel is written in parallel narratives across two timelines and in two perspectives. That, I think, is what kept the pages turning and the investment in the characters so deep. There are several parallels between the two wars already, so writing Eve’s storyline in third person and Charlie’s in first person helped differentiate the stories. Eve was also such a firecracker, and Charlie was breaking out of her socialite shell and into who she really is. These women were ahead of their time, and all it took was support and confidence from another encouraging person to help them become their true selves.

  Eve is intelligent and cunning, and utilized her stutter in such a brilliant way as she spied on the German patrons of her creepy boss’s restaurant. The things she went through to pass on messages to Lili and Uncle Edward (the code names of her spy network’s superiors) is just…remarkable. And frightening. To know that so many women in history were spies and did these things and experienced this is just mind-boggling. I cried. Quite often.

  Charlie is a brilliant mathematician, but no one will take her seriously as a single woman. She’s constantly thwarted in her efforts without a husband by her side. After meeting Eve and working alongside her in her mission to find her beloved cousin, Charlie musters up the courage to forge her own path in life, consequences, leaps of faith, and all.

  What struck me most about this novel was the power of female bonds. So many fierce women are in here, and while they do not all get along with one another, they understand how difficult it is (especially in this time in history) to simply live life as a woman. The consequences of speaking one’s mind or standing up for oneself, dealing with abuse or torture or pregnancy, and being used or abandoned are some of the issues all women faced. Women, in history and now, understand this unspoken bond of sisterhood through adversity. It was powerful. This novel made it all the more moving.

  If you love WWI and WWII stories about fierce women facing all sorts of hardship and adversity and rising above it all, this is for you.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “This Adventure Ends” by Emma Mills

  Posted at 4:45 am by Laura, on June 19, 2017

  This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

  Publisher: Henry Holt BFYR
  Published: October 2016
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781627799355
  Rating: ★★★★

  Sloane isn’t expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that’s exactly what happens.

  Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera’s twin brother and the most serious person Sloane’s ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins’ late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins’ lives.

  Sloane was something of an outsider in New York, and she liked it just fine. But she attracts the attention of Vera, a smart and glamorous social media star, and her twin brother Gabe, a rather broody and sarcastic boy. Soon enough she’s enveloped into their friend group, one with code words and intimate social gatherings and intense loyalty to one another. When Sloane finds out about the twins’ mother’s death and the importance of her artwork, she takes it upon herself to find the most important painting of her collection and return it to the twins’ home.

  Emma Mills never fails to make me laugh with all the self-deprecating humor and sarcasm, and she never fails to make me think more deeply. Her characters are smart and well-written, and I thoroughly enjoyed this friendship story. The emotional drama in the story was valid in their appearance, development, and resolution, and the strong bonds of unconditional love and respect was deeply moving. It’s not all hunky-dory for this cast of characters, but it’s never too woe-is-me and never too happy-go-lucky. It’s just right.

  Though we’re by Sloane throughout the novel, I was invested in all of the characters. Vera’s energy is such a pull, a light in Sloane’s life as she adjusts to Florida life. Gabe may be serious and grouchy-looking most of the time, but he’s immensely loyal to his friends and will do anything for them and their happiness. Remy is an honest and heartfelt guy, deeply emotional and unwavering in his faith. Aubrey is standoffish at first, but she’s not in any way bitchy (which I greatly appreciated) — and you know exactly why she acts this way around Sloane. Even Sloane’s father, a Nicholas Sparks-type author of women’s romance, is hilarious and supportive and has the best — the best — obsession with a werewolf TV show and dives deep into the fandom and fanfiction world.

  If contemporary character-driven stories are your thing, Emma Mills is definitely the author to read and follow. And, if you haven’t already, you should read her Jane Austen-inspired debut First & Then as well! Friendship, loyalty, art, and weekend adventures abound in this novel, and I cannot wait to read more from Mills!

  .

  This qualifies as book 9 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to 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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