Tag: books

• Book Review: “The Light Over London” by Julia Kelly

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on March 18, 2019

  The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

  Publisher: Gallery
  Published: January 2019
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781501196416
  Rating: ★★★★

  It’s always been easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than confront the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara digs into this soldier’s life, but soon realizes she may not have been ready for the stark reality of wartime London she finds within the pages.

  In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until her wealthy suitor returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.

  Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other Gunner Girls relish in their duties to be exact in their calculations, and quick in their identification of enemy planes during air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.

  While searching through a client’s estate for antiques to bring back to the shop, Cara stumbles across an old tin filled with trinkets and a diary. The diary belongs to a young Cornish woman in 1941, experiencing her first romance and making a name for herself as a Gunner Girl. Cara has experienced recent turmoil in her life and solving the mystery of the owner of the diary rejuvenates her. She is determined to identify the owner of the diary and return it to her, especially because it may lead to answers in Cara’s own family’s past. The Gunner Girl, Louise, breaks free from her mother’s oppressive control by enlisting in the ATS, and then becoming one of the first women in Ack-Ack Command, shooting down German planes bombing London and other large cities—but she also finds herself caught in a whirlwind romance that does more harm than good.

  I was listening to this book on audio, two hours away from finishing, when I had to return it to the library—so I ran to the bookstore and bought it to finish! I love the WWII fiction that’s coming out lately, focusing on the brilliant efforts women made during the war, the unsung heroes and lesser-known stories, the powerful female friendships taking center stage over the wartime romances. Don’t get me wrong, romance is fine, but the accounts of these brave women are far more inspiring, empowering, and interesting to me. (Plus I love a good modern-day heroine who is a curator, archivist, librarian, etc…)

  What touched me most about this novel was Louise’s story. She’s swept up into a love affair as epic as the movies, full of urgency due to the war. She’s desperate to leave her mother’s grasp and defiant in anything her mother believed, but also wants to find herself in the midst of turmoil. Her search for an identity, to know herself and her strengths and weaknesses, and subsequently finding the thrill of independence among other like-minded women, was such a joy to read, even during her naivete in love. I want more of this. More female empowerment, more female friendships, and less focus on finding The One in order to make oneself “whole.” The Light Over London is all about second chances, starting over, reinvention, independence, and strength amidst chaos.

  This book is perfect for fans of Guernsey Literary and The Alice Network (likely also Lilac Girls and The Nightingale, though I’ve yet to read those!). Next on my TBR is The Huntress so expect lots of feminist history reviews!

  This qualifies as book 2 of 10 in my library books challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2019 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• 2019 Bookish Resolutions and Reading Challenges

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on December 31, 2018

  

  To be perfectly honest, there were only a handful of standout books I read in 2018. I see my progress on Goodreads and looking back on the year doesn’t bring me much satisfaction or joy. With precious little time to spend reading for pleasure, I hope my goals in 2019 will help curate a great reading list on which to reflect and be proud.

  Major Goals

  READ 45 BOOKS || I’ve had to come to terms within the last year that challenging myself to fifty books really is, um, quite the challenge. Which is both good and bad. It means I’m spending more time dedicated to reading great manuscripts, but it also means finding the time to read for fun is getting limited. A friend suggested not setting a Goodreads goal, or feeling obligated to stick to it, and the mentality of it would change. Even still, I’ll shoot for forty-five great books this year! (I’ve already accepted there may be lots of DNFing.)

  READ 10 LIBRARY BOOKS || That won’t be hard, to be honest. I’ve been reading more and more from the library recently — I have a feeling I may surpass ten library books!

  READ MARILLIER AND GABALDON || Like I said last year (and failed) and the year before (and also failed), I want to read more Marillier and Gabaldon. It’s almost necessary now for Gabaldon, since Outlander season five will be out in 2019, and I haven’t finished that book yet! And for Marillier, I own so many of her books and left them unread, and really need to get through that pile.

  Bonus Goals

  READ MORE FROM TBR || Last year my goal was to read more from my TBR and less from ARCs. And I think overall an aspect of that went really well — I did read fewer ARCs! But I haven’t been very good with my TBR. Just take a look at my bookshelves, shaming me here in the living room as I type this…

  READ MORE GENRE FICTION || Part of my job at the library is to expand my readers advisory knowledge, and one genre I’m lacking in is mystery. I think I can dive into the genre with something more familiar to me — like historical fiction. There are a few historical mysteries on my TBR so I’ll start with those and go from there!

  What are your reading goals in 2019?

  Posted in books | 6 Comments | Tagged books, personal, resolutions

• End of Year Book Survey V

  Posted at 7:10 am by Laura, on December 29, 2018

  

  This is the fifth year I’m participating in Jamie’s (@ The Perpetual Page-Turner) End of Year Book Survey. In 2015 I shared my bookish life in Hermione gifs, 2016 in Pevensie gifs, 2017 in Gilmore Girls gifs, and this year I’ll share it in Nadiya from Great British Bake Off gifs! I’m looking forward to reading your 2018 book survey too.

  Note: This includes all books read in 2018 – they do not have to be published in 2018.

  

  

  Number of Books You Read: 47
  Number of Re-reads: 0
  Genre You Read the Most From: historical & fantasy

  

  1. Best Book You Read in 2018

  I actually answer this question last after filling out the survey, and I think based on what has stuck with me all these months and what has filled up the most categories, I have to say City of Brass (with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine a very close second)!

  2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

  From Twinkle With Love, which admittedly was mostly disappointing because I may have expected something else from it. I set the bar super high, and I really was most excited for this book last year. Ah well. I’m still looking forward to There’s Something About Sweetie!

  3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read in 2018?

  Spinning Silver — again, I was expecting something more along the lines of Uprooted. I’m quite glad it wasn’t, though! The book went a totally different direction than I expected, with narrators I wasn’t prepared for, and this surprise was definitely a good one!

  

  

  

  4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (and they did) in 2018?

  Uh, well, I push my clients’ work more than anything, so Empire of Sand takes the ticket! I pushed this book hardcore on Twitter and Facebook, to my friends on coffee dates and catching up sessions — everywhere. Seriously, get this book. It’s a gorgeous Mughal-Indian fantasy and it has received four starred reviews (out of four trade reviews!! Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journal all love it!).

  5. Best Series You Started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

  Series: Kings of the Wyld — Can’t wait to start Bloody Rose!
  Sequel: China Rich Girlfriend — Looking forward to reading the final book!
  Ender: none! Lots of first and seconds of series read this year.

  6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2018?

  I’ve read two Kevin Kwan novels this year, and definitely plan on picking up the third book early in 2019 to round out the trilogy. His writing is fun, witty, and over-the-top, and I devoured every word!

  7. Best Book from a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/was Out of Your Comfort Zone?

  I really don’t enjoy reading nonfiction, but I was fascinated with A Long Way Home. Memory is both a strength and a weakness — how much of this journey does Saroo actually remember versus what he was told or imagined as a child? — but whatever the circumstances, I still found it incredibly moving he survived Calcutta and managed to find his little village via Google Earth.

  8. Most Action-packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?

  The City of Brass was definitely the most thrilling and action-packed novel I read this year, hands down! When I had to set the book aside (for work, errands, adulthood responsibilities) it was all I could think about. I finished it in January and I’m still thinking about it. It was one of the most complex novels I’ve read in a long time, and I’m very much looking forward to Kingdom of Copper.

  9. Book You Read in 2018 That You are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

  Honestly, re-reads don’t happen for me much anymore. But if I could re-read a book in 2019 that I read in 2018, it would be The Clockmaker’s Daughter or Once Upon a River. They’re my favorite authors, and there was so much packed in the narrative — interweaving story lines, little details that appear later. Exquisite.

  

  

  

  

  10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2018?

  The Girl in the Tower is so pretty and wintry. It utilizes the reds and purples in a cool way, rather than a warm one. I could burrow in those colors. The covers for all three of the books in the Winternight Trilogy are great — they look like a sunrise!

  11. Most Memorable Character of 2018?

  A tie between Nahri and Dara, both in City of Brass. Oh, my heart.

  12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2018?

  The Bird and the Blade is just…wow. WOW. It was such an affecting read, even more so that I know the music score to the opera it was inspired by. Like the music, it swelled and soared and ugh what a beautiful ride.

  

  13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2018?

  Since this book made me go down a research rabbit hole, The Romanov Empress takes the cake for most thought-provoking! I was fascinated with the family, the web across Europe, and overall history of Russia as it unfolded, year by year, through Maria’s eyes. There are dozens of parallels from the Romanov dynasty and the country it is today; it’s unsettling as well as heartbreaking.

  14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2018 to Finally Read?

  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Massive thank you to Hannah for saying just the right words to capture my attention and make me read this book. It was nothing like I expected and yet everything I could ever want it to be, and I just want to hug Eleanor and set her next to all of my Jane Eyre copies. Jane, Eleanor, and I are besties now.

  15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2018?

  This is what I have always done, how I have always found myself when I’ve been lost. When I first went to music college, eighteen years old and paralyzingly shy, when ringing my parents from the pay phone in the corridor just made me miss them even more, I would feel the strength in the neck of my cello, flatten the prints of my fingers into the strings, and forget.

  […]

  I play and play; through thirst, past hunger, making tiredness just a dent in my soul. […] I play on until the world is flat again and the spaces between my heartbeats are as even as the rhythm on the stave in front of me.

  — Goodbye, Paris

  16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2018?

  According to Goodreads, the shortest book I read this year was Jan Brett’s newest picture book, The Snowy Nap, and the longest was The Queens of Innis Lear (not surprised!!).

  17. Book That Shocked You the Most

  The Glass Castle. I just can’t. Those parents. Jeannette herself. I just can’t.

  

  18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

  Royals is probably the only one I can place in this category, as most of the romance story-lines I read this year were tragic or hanging *side-eyes Chakraborty*. So. GO DAISY AND MILES!

  19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

  Clay and Gabe in Kings of the Wyld. I mean, come on. Only a bromance would survive all the crap they went through in the Wyld! Their deep friendship and understanding — with each other and with the rest of their band — was awesome to read and experience.

  20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 from an Author You’ve Read Previously

  The Clockmaker’s Daughter is now my favorite Kate Morton novel. Kate Morton is on my auto-buy list, and she just keeps getting better and better with her already great books.

  21. Best Book You Read in 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure

  Goodbye, Paris for sure. I had never heard of this book, and I didn’t see any of my friends reading it either, but a librarian recommended it to me “because [you] loved Eleanor Oliphant” and she nailed it.

  22. Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2018?

  Dara in City of Brass, goddammit Chakraborty. *sobs*

  

  

  

  23. Best 2018 Debut You Read?

  Dear Mrs. Bird to add some variety here — I read a lot of great 2018 debuts! Dear Mrs. Bird fits right into my wheelhouse, with its historical WWII fiction, slice-of-life story line, empathetic-to-the-point-of-destruction protagonist. I was so engrossed in the audiobook (seriously, listen to the audio if you can!!) that I missed streets and exits when driving because it was so well-read and well-written!

  24. Best World-building/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

  City of Brass takes the prize again! Cairo and Daevabad were both brilliantly described. I felt I was actually there among Nahri and the people and djinn, could see and smell and taste and touch everything. And not once did it feel like I was being bogged down with descriptions too much

  25. Book that Put a Smile on Your Face/was the Most FUN to Read?

  It’s a tie! Kings of the Wyld and Royals both put ridiculously huge smiles on my face while I read, and I enjoyed every second of them!!

  26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2018?

  Dear Mrs. Bird — the scenes with London bombings, the fights with best friends, all of it was so gut-wrenching and drawn out and agonizing.

  27. Hidden Gem of The Year?

  Goodbye, Paris was unexpectedly wonderful and perfect. I wish more people knew about it. It’s basically Eleanor Oliphant but with music, which speaks to me on such a deep level.

  28. Book that Crushed Your Soul?

  Sweetbitter, and not in a good way. I wish I could scrub that book from my memory.

  

  29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2018?

  Saga, mostly because I don’t read graphic novels. The librarians have their own internal book club (Genre Study, to help with readers’ advisory-related questions and suggestions from/for patrons) and one particular month’s book was to read Saga plus another graphic novel. I can definitely see the appeal of graphic novels, and they’re good for visual readers, reluctant readers, and readers who want vivid storytelling in a new form. Not for me, but it was definitely a unique experience!

  30. Book that Made You the Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

  Small Great Things, but I wasn’t mad at the book. I was mad at myself. I berated myself for the whole review, really.

  

  1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2018?

  I stumbled across more IG bookstagrams than I did blogs. Lately I’ve loved bookcooklook, somekindofalibrary, and idlewildreads. All three of them have, in my eyes, aesthetically pleasing accounts. No extra fuss for props and flashy objects — just books and tea and bakes! (I’m a huge fan of that sort of simplicity, and genuinely don’t understand the appeal of crowded shelves full of POPs, candles, and clingy bookmarks.) Plus they have great snippet reviews on their posts mixed with a bit of behind-the-reader glimpses and discussions, which I enjoy.

  2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2018?

  The Bird and the Blade is probably my favorite, if anything because I enjoyed the book so much.

  3. Best Discussion/Non-review Post You had on Your Blog?

  I didn’t write on the blog as often as I used to outside of book reviews and seasonal wrap ups, but I did post about my reading list prior to leaving for Greece! Sometimes it’s difficult to pick out your vacation reading…

  4. Best Event that You Participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

  I was lame (but mostly poor) this year and didn’t participate or attend any bookish events. I was, however, FaceTimed into Tasha Suri’s book launch in London for a few minutes! Does that count?

  

  

  

  5. Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2018?

  *incoherent screaming about a client’s book and exciting news that isn’t public yet*

  That.

  7. Most Popular Post This Year on Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

  MSWL 2018, no surprise there. I’m glad it’s proven helpful to writers, and it has certainly made my inbox full of great stuff, so I’ve made an update post for 2019 already!

  8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?

  Weirdly, selfishly, my seasonal rewind post that included my engagement *ducks and hides*

  

  9. Best Bookish Discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

  Once more, I was over my head in work-related industry stuff and didn’t get to discover a whole lot. However, I’ve really enjoyed browsing IG bookish posts that don’t require a whole lot of props or coffee––simple slice of life posts that happen to have books are totally my aesthetic!

  10.  Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges or Goals that You had Set for Yourself at the Beginning of This Year? 

  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  Oh, I’m sorry — right, okay, the question…

  Well, I read more library books for fun than intended, but not enough off my own TBR shelves in my home library. I had to lower my goal of 50 books to 45 in order to be anywhere near finishing the challenge. And I read more historical and fantasy this year, but none for my Gabaldon / Marillier self-appointed challenge.

  You know what, though? I won’t feel guilty about that. I surpassed my agent goals in 2018, and that’s what really counted for me personally in the end. This career is about all those baby steps and I walked so many of them.

  

  1. One Book You Didn’t Get To in 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

  OH GOD SO MANY. The one that’s probably staring at me the most is The Poppy War, but I’m also terrified. The rest of the Queens of Renthia series. Basically all my WWII historical fiction books. Yeah…Poppy War may be one of the first…

  2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)?

  The Downstairs Girl, Her Royal Highness, The Huntress, The Witch’s Kind, I Owe You One, the list goes on and on… They’re all by authors I adore, all covering topics and themes I’m super excited to dive into. What’s not to love?

  

  

  

  

  3. 2019 Debut You are Most Anticipating?

  The Ruin of Kings sounds amazing, Spin the Dawn because duh, and this interesting novel I read about ages ago, The Western Wind, in an interview on Publishers Weekly simply because of the strange historical details the author had to twist in order to incorporate into the plot of the novel. So…why not?

  4. Series Ending/A Sequel You are Most Anticipating in 2019?

  Kingdom of Copper, it’s a given. I have the galley sitting right next to me!

  

  

  

  

  5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2019?

  ONE thing?! Oh jeez. Attend Book Expo, writers conferences, online contests…I’m also already scheduled for three writers conferences, Pitch Wars, and WisRWA’s Fab Five contest. But that’s work-related. Bookworm self, I would like to really and truly read the rest of my Marillier and Gabaldon collections, and not feel burdened by blogging a review for them (or any book, really). Blogging shouldn’t feel like a chore!

  I have all these high expectations, plus a wedding to plan and experience, for 2019 sooooooo cross fingers and wish me luck!

  6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone

  Bear No Malice by Clarissa Harwood and Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *pushes*

  

  ~

  What’s on your year-end review? Do we have any similar titles? Which books are you going to read, too? Good luck and have a great 2019 reading year!

  Posted in books, Update Post | 8 Comments | Tagged books, End of Year Book Survey, personal

• Book Review: “Goodbye, Paris” by Anstey Harris

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on December 27, 2018

  Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris

  Publisher: Touchstone
  Published: August 2018
  Genre: contemporary
  ISBN: 9781501196508
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Grace once had the beginnings of a promising musical career, but she hasn’t been able to play her cello publicly since a traumatic event at music college years ago. Since then, she’s built a quiet life for herself in her small English village, repairing instruments and nurturing her long- distance affair with David, the man who has helped her rebuild her life even as she puts her dreams of a family on hold until his children are old enough for him to leave his loveless marriage.

  But when David saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, his resulting fame shines a light onto the real state of the relationship(s) in his life. Shattered, Grace hits rock bottom and abandons everything that has been important to her, including her dream of entering and winning the world’s most important violin-making competition. Her closest friends–a charming elderly violinist with a secret love affair of his own, and her store clerk, a gifted but angst-ridden teenage girl–step in to help, but will their friendship be enough to help her pick up the pieces?

  Grace and her boyfriend David are heading home from a wonderful concert in Paris when a woman in the metro faints and nearly dies on the tracks. David’s rescue spawns a media frenzy — who is this mysterious hero, and can we figure it out with CCTV recordings? Through a series of twists and turns we come to know Grace: her loneliness and seclusion, the silent trauma of her past, the humor, heart, and passion for music. Her violin shop, where she makes violins, violas, and cellos for musicians of all ages, is doing well enough that she can create a cello specifically for a world-wide competition for makers. When life spins out of control, she relies on the support and encouragement of her unlikely duet of friends, Nadia and Mr Williams, to set her back on her feet and take the spotlight.

  Closing out the year with a five-star read, my seventh for 2018! The librarians have a genre study book club and this holiday season we did a Secret Santa-style event: we expressed our favorite kinds of books and authors to someone whose taste is different from ours, and they recommended titles. An exercise in readers advisory techniques! And my Secret Santa nailed it: she recommended this book, and I was over-the-moon.

  Grace’s naivete felt so authentic to me, her emotional and mental abuse incredibly powerful and heartbreaking. As someone who has also suffered similar past traumas, I sat there reading, thinking oh no, Grace, you have no idea, oh no, what an awful way to learn. She’s such a strong and capable woman, and I adored Nadia — her anger, her passion, her need for validation and respect — and Mr Williams — his spunk, his intelligence, and overall gentlemanly demeanor — for their unwavering, unconditional support of Grace through all her trials and triumphs. What a powerful, moving little novel.

  I rarely find characters that feel like kindred spirits. I’ve been lucky enough to meet both Grace and Eleanor in one year. Grace’s talent and gift for music touched my soul. For anyone who has loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, for anyone whose heart broke over the moral complexities of Me Before You, for anyone who wants to read and experience the sweeping power of music through words — this is the book for you.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review

• Book Review: “Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult

  Posted at 6:35 am by Laura, on November 19, 2018

  Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

  Publisher: Ballantine
  Published: October 2016
  Genre: contemporary
  ISBN: 9780345544971
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

  Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family–especially her teenage son–as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others–and themselves–might be wrong.

  Jodi Picoult is one of my all-time favorite authors, but I was nervous to pick this one up. It was clearly going to be heavier than most of her novels, tackling race, prejudice, discrimination, and justice, all of which can make so many of us uncomfortable. I also knew I didn’t want to be in the head of a white supremacist, first and foremost.

  So this isn’t a review so much as a commentary on what I got from this book. I have to acknowledge that I may say something incorrectly in this post, and I’m sorry in advance if I’ve inadvertently offended readers.

  On a friend’s post about the diverse new Congress on FB, someone had left a comment saying, “My personal opinion….I think we should look at all the members of Congress as equal…. regardless of race, gender, creed, or disability. They should all work together to make all our lives better! I worked in several schools where this was the work environment, and I was so appreciative! Love one another.” Their heart was in the right place, and they mean well, but this sort of statement is what Picoult tackles in the novel: by not acknowledging someone’s difference, you are negating the strengths of that difference, the core of their identity, the success and hardship they faced because of that identity. You are, inexplicably, perpetuating discrimination. Turning a blind eye does not change the system.

  I was angry and ashamed and felt such a weight of guilt the entire time I read the novel. I may call myself an ally, an advocate, someone who isn’t racist, someone who wants equality for all, who seeks social justice for all. But there are things I’ve said and done, intending to be a good person, that actually continue the perpetuation of racism (ex: “I don’t see color,” or like that FB comment above). These are things I need to work on, do better, listen more. Compounding with that were several moments of eye-rolling and shock at the lawyer’s naivete whenever she went shopping with Ruth, looking up jurors with Howard, or listening to what children say to one another. Is this really the world “basic white people” live in? Are they really that ignorant? I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood and school district. So these cringe-worthy moments were horrendous, because to me it seems like common sense. But I had to actively remember Jodi Picoult’s audience: privileged white women who probably, genuinely, have no idea. This book is meant to make us uncomfortable. It’s supposed to raise these issues, and make us more aware of our own shortcomings.

  Which then raises the question: who has the right to tell a story like Ruth’s, a black woman or a white woman? Well, a black woman, because she can accurately portray this life and mindset, absolutely! But you also need to think about audience and wide reach — in the case of Picoult, how can you properly show white people (her general audience being white women) what it’s like to be a black woman without making them feel too discomforted? Racism can be discussed between two or more races, but more importantly it needs to discussed, addressed, and pointed out within races to start. Whites need to see their ugly side from a fellow white, and learn and grow. Picoult’s author’s note said exactly this, and she made a great disclaimer too. Roxanne Gay’s review of this book is fantastic as well. I cannot stress enough the importance of reading her review alongside reading this book.

  Like I said, this wasn’t so much a review of the book but a reflection of what I got from it. It shocked me (the basic white outlook of it), it made me uncomfortable, it made me feel guilty, it made me angry, it made me want to do more and be better.

  Read this book. Learn. Ask the difficult questions. Seek out information to further your racial education. (Everyone. Even those of you who say you’re not racist.) It gives me hope that as the industry continues to strive for diversity, we will finally see Ruth’s story through a black writer, and that book would sell just as many copies as, if not more than, Picoult’s.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review

• Book Review: “Dear Mrs. Bird” by AJ Pearce

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on November 1, 2018

  Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

  Publisher: Scribner
  Published: July 2018
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781501170065
  Rating: ★★★★★

  London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.

  Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles.

  Emmy wants nothing more than to be a war correspondent for a prominent London newspaper, and is over-the-moon to find an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle. But with her head in the clouds, she doesn’t realize that the job she has accepted is that of a typist for a grouchy, abrasive, particular woman who runs the advice column, “Henrietta Helps.” Unlike other advice columns, though, Mrs. Henrietta Bird wants nothing to do with women’s problems during the war and will only offer advice on housekeeping and other “appropriate” topics. Emmy can’t leave these poor women’s letters in the bin, and secretly writes back to them, hoping against hope that the little comfort she can provide will also assist her in her own troubles as bombs fall from the sky.

  Several friends read and raved over this little book, and I knew I had to get my hands on this story about friendship and hope in the midst of one of the worst wars in history. I listened to it on audio, and I highly recommend you do too — Anna Popplewell (of Narnia fame) was the narrator and she does such an excellent job! She really brings the characters to life and I enjoyed every second.

  Going in, all I knew about this novel was the premise, and it truly is just the first three or so chapters. But what happens after Emmy writes to the readers and defies her boss? This novel is a slice of life for one particular woman in war-torn London, and all the ups and downs each day brought. She has her full-time job at the magazine, her part-time evening job taking calls during raids to send out fire departments, her deep friendship with flatmate and childhood friend Bunty, and their trials and tribulations in love. I was so immersed in Emmy’s life, I felt like she was my friend. So while I, too, was invested in the readers and the consequences of Emmy’s actions, I found myself drawn to the everyday.

  I highly recommend this novel to readers of WWII historical fiction, and readers who want to root for a lighthearted, resourceful, silver-lining protagonist who does her very best in keeping spirits up a during a turbulent era.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “The Lost Queen” by Signe Pike

  Posted at 6:55 am by Laura, on October 29, 2018

  The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

  Publisher: Touchstone
  Published: September 2018
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781501191411
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Intelligent, passionate, rebellious, brave, and one of the most powerful early medieval queens in British history, Languoreth ruled at a time of enormous disruption and bloodshed, when the burgeoning forces of Christianity threatened to obliterate the ancient pagan beliefs and change her way of life forever.

  Together with her twin brother Lailoken, a warrior and druid known to history as Merlin, Languoreth is catapulted into a world of danger and violence. When a war brings Emrys Pendragon to their door, Languoreth collides with the handsome warrior Maelgwn. Their passionate connection is forged by enchantment, but Languoreth is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of the High King who is sympathetic to the followers of Christianity. As Rhydderch’s wife, Languoreth must assume her duty to fight for the preservation of the Old Way, her kingdom, and all she holds dear.

  Languoreth is a sixth-century queen of Scotland and twin to Lailoken, whom history later knows as Merlin. The two have a bond unlike any other, and while both have druid gifts, Languoreth uses hers for healing and political alliances while Lailoken uses his for strategy, battle, and preservation of the Old Way. But as Christianity comes to head in their land, sweeping across the country and stirring up violent trouble, Languoreth must navigate difficult waters and ensure the world remembers her brother for the warrior he truly is.

  This was one of the most interesting and potentially historically accurate pieces of fiction in the Merlin tale. We’ve all been led to believe the King Arthur lore originated in Wales, and historians and academics keep finding potential ties to true men in English and Welsh medieval history who may fit the bill. But this book, and the wealth of research behind it backing this up (I know Wiki is not a true source, but seriously, a simple search there only confirms Pike’s extensive research further!), will blow your mind. Searching for Arthur isn’t the answer––it’s searching for Merlin, or Myrddin (“mad man”), which was the obscured name for a man known as Lailoken. Lailoken had a twin sister, Languoreth, whose children also appear in Arthurian lore. And all those big historical Scottish battles also appear in Arthurian lore, and happened during the twins’ childhood, teen, and adult years. It all adds pretty well together.

  My mind was blown historically, and I’m eager to see Pike’s next book in the trilogy (I have some guesses as to which character in Arthurian legend she’ll tackle next). The language is appropriately medieval in tone, and at times the novel felt like it was dragging––but I kept reading, and I’m glad I did. This is Languoreth’s story, a forgotten strong queen in Scottish history, and it deserves a read. This is Camelot meets Outlander in terms of historical depth and mystical elements, and I would definitely encourage you to crack it open and sink into the mythology that is history!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 6:45 am by Laura, on October 4, 2018

  Save the Date by Morgan Matson

  Publisher: S&S BFYR
  Published: June 2018
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster. Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

  Mini Review: Don’t read this if you’re planning a wedding, because it is literally a book about ALL THE THINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG. All the things. All of them. No but really, that aside, this book covers the 76 hours of a wedding weekend and all the growing pains that come with a giant family in flux. Charlie doesn’t know where she wants to go to college in the fall, she wants to have the perfect weekend with her family and all her siblings back in town, and hidden dramas from the past and present all culminate with her mother’s interview on the final comic strip she’s drawn for the last twenty years. If you love big casts and loud, outspoken characters, and high drama, Matson’s latest checks everything off the list. It’s nothing like her previous work and yet it still has her voice: the wholly middle class teen American girl with her everyday problems of school, friends, family, and crushes.

  The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory (ARC) 

  Publisher: Gallery
  Publishing: October 9
  Genre: women’s fiction
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Princess Theodora Isabella Victoria of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent is so over this princess thing. After her fiancé jilted her on their wedding day, she’s finally back home after spending four months in exile—aka it’s back to press conferences, public appearances, and putting on a show for the Driedish nation as the perfect princess they expect her to be. But Thea’s sick of duty. After all, that’s what got her into this mess in the first place.

  So when she sneaks out of the palace and meets a sexy Scot named Nick in a local bar, she relishes the chance to be a normal woman for a change. But just as she thinks she’s found her Prince Charming for the night, he reveals his intentions are less than honorable: he’s the brother of her former fiancé, a British spy, and he’s not above blackmail. As Thea reluctantly joins forces with Nick to find out what happened the day her fiancé disappeared, together they discover a secret that could destroy a centuries-old monarchy and change life as they know it.

  Mini Review: The jacket summary is a little misleading. This implies the royal character has no interest in any of her duties and no desire in assisting her family. This implies she’s unhappy with everything about her life, and that it’s all a burden. That’s not the case, and I’m actually glad of it! The comparisons to The Royal We and Princess Diaries is enormously beneficial in this account because the characters from those novels are endearing and fun — like Thea is in this book, and unlike the jacket’s misleading snobbery.

  Rant on that aside, this novel was equal amounts entertaining and frustrating. I adored Thea in every scene that did not include the love interest, Nick (mostly because I had no interest in the love interest, and on top of that it seemed a little…rushed? forced?), because she was very much a go-get-’em woman, who knows herself and her mind and what she wants. She knows her duty to the crown, and wants breaks every once in a while from it, but it was so clear she adored her family and her country that she’d never turn her back on her role. I liked the chick-lit-meets-James-Bond chase plot, even though I was incredibly frustrated by everyone involved (in summation: “Trust me, don’t trust That Person, but I can’t tell you why I need you to trust me / why I want certain information from you, I just need you to!”). I loved the Driedish history and had to stop myself from Googling things (seriously, Emory made me believe this was was a real monarchy). A quick, fun read all around.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 2 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, mini review, review

• Book Review: “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton (ARC)

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on September 24, 2018

  The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

  Publisher: Atria Books
  Publishing: October 9
  Genre: historical, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781451649390
  Rating: ★★★★★

  “My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows.”

  In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

  Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

  Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

  It has taken me forever to write this review (at the time of writing this, I’ve since read ten novels), in large part because it’s now my favorite Morton (knocking The House at Riverton to second) and because I have difficulty putting favorite novels by long-standing favorite authors into reviewing words. Morton’s novels are like Rowling’s Harry Potter to me. Rowling was there for my childhood and teen years, and my love affair with the series continues on; Morton was there in my young and early adulthood, showing me that romantic Gothic fiction is still around and accessible and full of wonder, like being with an old friend and picking up where things left off. I adore Morton’s work.

  The Clockmaker’s Daughter is not about clocks, or about a daughter assisting her father making clocks, or anything that title and cover image may suggest. It is very much about time, family secrets, loss, and everything that can happen within one beautiful manor house. It’s classic Morton, and this time — thanks to the clockmaker’s daughter’s narrative voice — the Birchwood Manor is a character in itself. Birchwood links all of the narrative threads together, a touchstone within this gorgeous novel that you love to come back home to.

  First there’s Elodie. She’s a quiet sort, intelligent, observant, a bit of a wallflower, and my kindred spirit. I fell for her instantly. She’s an archivist in London for a private art collection. When a package is discovered in a back room containing a leather satchel with a photograph of a beautiful woman and a sketchbook, Elodie sets out to link the two together and uncover the mystery of why the package was there, why it wasn’t archived, and how these were related to the man whose collection she works for.

  But this isn’t her story. It’s Birdie’s. It’s Juliet’s. It’s Edward’s. It’s Ada’s. It’s Leonard’s and Tip’s and Lucy’s. This is probably the most perspectives Morton’s had in a novel, and at first it’s a little jarring, I’ll admit — but hang on. Birdie and Birchwood Manor will bring you back, and soon you’ll be making the surprisingly and thrilling connections that all these people have with one another and with Birchwood Manor.

  Birchwood began as a magical summer home, later bequeathed to Edward and his friends. After a terrible accident and misunderstanding, it falls to ruin. Edward’s sister Lucy spruces up the manor and turns it into a girl’s school, where Ada attends and learns all about geology and archaeology and independence with Lucy. But war hits, and Birchwood is left once more. Leonard, seeking solace, finds it to be a place of refuge, and Juliet a lovely home for her children, including Tip, in the country.

  But most of all, it’s the way Birdie connects these people to this manor, and her tragedy. It broke my heart, gently, softly, the only way Morton can and does every time. I had Secret Garden and Little Princess vibes throughout the novel, and Tip’s curiosity reminded me so much of Uncle Desmond in “About Time.” I loved this book to pieces. I don’t know what I was expecting — definitely something more with clocks! — but this was infinitely better.

  The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a quietly vibrant novel about love, murder, mystery, loss, art, and the constant flowing river of time. Fans of Morton’s earlier work will not be disappointed.

  Thank you, Atria Books, for providing the galley on Edelweiss for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 6 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “The Bird and the Blade” by Megan Bannen

  Posted at 7:05 am by Laura, on September 19, 2018

  The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  Published: June 2018
  Genre: historical fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062674159
  Rating: ★★★★★

  As a slave in the Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom … until the kingdom is conquered by enemy forces and she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love.

  Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die.

  Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of … even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart.

  Jinghua, a Song slave in Kipchak Khanate, mourns the loss of her family and is haunted by their hungry spirits. A part of her would wish nothing more than for the Kipchaks to disappear, but Prince Khalaf was once so kind to her she cannot hate them all. When an unlikely and terrible opportunity arises for her to escape, she chooses to flee the Khanate with Prince Khalaf and his father, seeking assistance from neighboring kingdoms to take back their land and stand up to the Great Khan. But Khalaf does not seek warfare, and instead makes his father and Jinghua chase after him across the great Mongol Empire, in an attempt to stop him from answering the dangerous Turandokht’s riddles and face imminent death. Jinghua must find the balance between honoring her family and past, and protecting her heart.

  I thought my familiarity with the opera Turandot would numb me from the tragedy, but nope. Bannen still made me cry. This is my fifth 5-star read in 2018, and it deserves all of it and so much more. I absolutely loved it — from the inspiration for the story, to the language and descriptions, to the timeline jumps, and everything in between. This is an excellent crossover novel, and I’d love to see more books like this out in the world.

  The opera is based on a Persian-translated-into-French story about a Chinese princess and her fall into slavery, combined with a folktale about a princess who locked herself away in a palace on a mountain asking suitors riddles. The Bird and the Blade is the slave girl’s story. Because let’s be real, her story is infinitely better than Turandokht’s. Knowing the opera will not fully prepare you for this immensely emotional journey. Jinghua’s grief, anger, turmoil, fear, and love are so tangible, so authentic and so powerful, that I could not put this book down. Likewise Khalaf’s maturity, intelligence, patience, and kindness made my heart ache. When we get to the end of this tragedy, I was already weeping.

  Bannen makes a huge disclaimer in her notes about the historical and fantastical elements in this novel. Because it’s based on an opera, which in itself is based on a translated text on Mongolian culture and history, it can’t necessarily be taken as fact, nor can it be seen as complete folktale. These people, this story, really comes down to Ghengis Khan’s rule and the division of his descendants, and Bannen tried to stay as true as possible to elements of Mongolian Empire history, religion, and culture across Asia and Europe in that time. Needless to say, I was blown away. What a tremendous undertaking. This is every folklore historian’s dream in one book.

  What an overwhelmingly, wonderfully descriptive and gorgeous book, full of love and fear and guilt and honor. It’s a tremendous accomplishment.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent and 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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