Tag: books

• Book Review: “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 9, 2017

  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

  Publisher: Del Rey
  Published: January 10
  Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, fantasy
  ISBN: 9781101885932
  Rating: ★★★★

  At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

  After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

  And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

  As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

  Vasya is both treasured and scorned by her father, for her birth brought about her mother’s death. But her mother knew Vasya was meant for great things. When her father brings back a Moscow bride, fearful and deeply devout, the new stepmother disrupts the understood order of the household. The rituals, such a deep part of the village’s culture and way of life, are in place for a reason, and the arrival of an arrogant priest further drives the helpful beings away. A great evil looms in the forest in winter, and Vasya must summon the courage to defeat it before she, and her village, burns.

  A fairy tale within a fairy tale: I don’t know how else to describe The Bear and the Nightingale. It’s a perfect winter read — enchanting, atmospheric, enthralling, and magical. Set in 14th-century Russia, a time when Christianity took hold in the cities but paganism and lore was the stronghold in the surrounding villages, Arden was able to capture the spirit and culture of Russia before the tzars. I love the liberties she took as well as all the information she provided about the time period within the novel and her author’s note. Such a rich and beautiful read.

  I was not prepared at first for the writing style and voice. In the beginning chapters I found it to be a little jarring — I wasn’t expecting magical realism or the fairy tale atmosphere. I purposely avoided all the reviews because I wanted this to be special. (It most certainly was.) Once I was in, I was hooked.

  (If you want to read reviews, go here! Publishers Weekly, NPR, Kirkus, Book Page, Library Journal)

  One of the things that really grabbed me was the examination of organized religion disrupting cultural traditions. I was familiar with this from Celtic history courses I took in undergrad. The creatures of the hearth and home, the yard, the forest, the water, the barn — they all work together to keep their people safe, but only if the people provide offerings. While Vasya can see them and honors them appropriately, Anna sees them and is frightened of “demons.” With the priest’s arrival, havoc and chaos is wrecked upon the village. The more people disbelieve in the Old Ways, the more the little creatures fade away.

  I don’t know where I’m going with that, but I would love to discuss this more with others! I wonder if the modern equivalent would be living with science and religion, fact versus fiction/fairy tale. Thoughts?

  Anyway, this really is a fairy tale above everything else. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Russian history and culture, vampires (huge role in this book!), fierce heroines, and the cultural elements and inspiration for Uprooted.

  This qualifies as book 2 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, review

• Book Review: “Caraval” by Stephanie Garber (ARC)

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on February 6, 2017

  Caraval by Stephanie Garber

  Publisher: Flatiron Books
  Published: January 31
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9781250095251
  Rating: ★★★

  Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

  But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

  Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

  Scarlett and Tella have wanted to see Caraval, a once-a-year circus-like show with audience participation, ever since they were little girls. But their cruel father has viciously prevented them from ever leaving their home. When Scarlett is betrothed to a man she’s never met, she mysteriously receives three tickets to Caraval from the mastermind himself, Legend. The sisters attend the game, but Tella is kidnapped. Finding her means the participant won. Racing against the clock, Scarlett plays the mind-bending, elaborate game with other participants and actors, and everything that seems real is not. After all, nothing at Caraval is as it seems.

  This was such a tough read! I wanted to love this book. I heard wonderful things from the editor (I adore her to pieces) and I’ve been looking forward to it since BEA last May. While I do ultimately believe this is a good book and certainly one worth reading, I also have some personal qualms with it.

  Let’s do some compare and contrast. The atmosphere was divine! While the writing was hard to get into in the opening chapters, it ultimately helped develop the surreal and magical elements of the game Caraval itself. Somewhere between Oz and Narnia, with some twisted elements like in the Harry Potter maze, Caraval is a place I’d love to participate for fun (and not forced into like the sisters. Whoooooo boy). I can see why this was pitched as the YA version of Night Circus, as it seems there are no rules that govern the game and the twists and turns really kept me on my toes.

  That said, the lack of rules started to get to me. This was very much an anything-goes world, full of lies and trickery and bizarre, mind-boggling situations. Unlike the Night Circus (which does have grounding rules in the magical elements and capabilities), Caraval lacked any sense of reality. Yes, I know it’s part of the game, but when the “rules” are contradictory, and the “reality” is twisted constantly, it makes it hard to follow the plot and sympathize or trust the characters.

  The characters were vast and varied. I felt for them, to some extent, especially the sisters under their abusive father (TRIGGER WARNING for anyone who has experienced emotional or physical abuse). It’s hard to read abuse books, even though it’s true to life. That said, the father was almost too Disney-villain, not quite executed the way he should have been in order to frighten me. The sisterly bond, while admirable, lacked the intensity I was promised. The reader is told several times the girls are close, but it felt like a one-way street, with Scarlett ready to die for Tella and Tella just messing with Scarlett’s head. (I loathed that. I cannot stand when characters use one another like this, and it made it very hard for me to care what happened to Tella. (For a good sisterly bond story, read the Lara Jean series by Jenny Han.))

  Now, again, the main characters left something to be desired, but the secondary characters were shining in here! I still don’t know what to think of Julian or Dante (though I won’t go into my thoughts on their relationship with Scarlett), or even Aiko and Jo, but I do want to know more! And I would love to dive back into Caraval with a different set of characters — maybe ones who genuinely wanted to be there and play the game. How about the girl who was turned to stone outside the dress shop? Tell me more about her!

  I’m torn. The plot and setting was there, but the characters and last little bit of world-building needed a bit more development. With some tightening of the prose, this could’ve been something truly astounding. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the game, the premise, and I’ve no doubt this book will stay in my mind for months.

  Thank you, Flatiron Books, for providing this book at BEA for review. 

  .

  This qualifies as book 1 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 8 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir” by Jennifer Ryan (ARC)

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 1, 2017

  The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan

  Publisher: Crown
  Publishing Date: February 14
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781101906750
  Rating: ★★★★

  As England enters World War II’s dark early days, spirited music professor Primrose Trent, recently arrived to the village of Chilbury, emboldens the women of the town to defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to shutter the church’s choir in the absence of men and instead ‘carry on singing’. Resurrecting themselves as “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”, the women of this small village soon use their joint song to lift up themselves, and the community, as the war tears through their lives.

  Told through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir moves seamlessly from budding romances to village intrigues to heartbreaking matters of life and death. As we come to know the struggles of the charismatic members of this unforgettable outfit — a timid widow worried over her son at the front; the town beauty drawn to a rakish artist; her younger sister nursing an impossible crush and dabbling in politics she doesn’t understand; a young Jewish refugee hiding secrets about her family, and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past — we come to see how the strength each finds in the choir’s collective voice reverberates in her individual life.

  In turns funny, charming and heart-wrenching, this lovingly executed ensemble novel will charm and inspire, illuminating the true spirit of the women on the home front, in a village of indomitable spirit, at the dawn of a most terrible conflict.

  The women of Chilbury are saddened to hear their church choir’s been shut down by the Vicar, due to the lack of men. But when Primrose Trent, a music professor at the nearby university, comes to town, she forms the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and enlists them in a singing competition. Equally flustered and flattered, the women of Chilbury stand together as the war hits home, using music as a base and each other for comfort.

  But with a cautious smile, I realized that there are laws against singing, and I found my voice becoming louder, in defiance of this war.
  In defiance of my right to be heard.*

  Anyone who is a member of a church choir — or any organization that tends to involve just one sex with a variety of ages — would thoroughly enjoy this book. The dynamics of the choir mirrored so many of my own experiences with my church choir, I could not stop laughing. (One particular character, Mrs. B, is so contrary about everything, and then tells people she knew Y would happen because X, which she previously wholeheartedly disliked, was just so amazing.) The women support one another, encourage one another, and sometimes butt heads with one another, but it’s the music, and the emotion behind it, that brings them together every week. It empowers them. It gives them a voice — a voice in a time when women didn’t really have one.

  (Also, if you really love Doc Martin and village dynamics, you’ll find this to be a riot.)

  What makes this unique is the way the story is told, and how much time it covers. It’s a WWII novel set in England focusing on a group of women (like Guernsey Literary), but it’s primarily focused on a village outside of Dover during the spring and summer months of 1940 (history buffs, you know that’s when Dover was attacked and Nazis began bombing England). It’s epistolary, though not entirely through letters (like Letters from Skye). There are primarily five perspectives, with up to eight occasionally, with three journal writers and two letter writers. You experience the war through five very different women of varying ages, who are themselves experiencing the war five different ways.

  Two women in particular, Mrs Tilling and Venetia, had the most growth as characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed their stories. Mrs Tilling is a middle-aged woman whose husband died a few years previous and whose son heads off to war at the start of the novel. She feels voiceless, purposeless, and alone, even though she’s constantly providing medical aid as a nurse and midwife to the village and nearby city. Venetia is a spoiled aristocrat who just wants to have fun with men, and she can be quite a pill and very shallow at the beginning. But stick with her. She has quite the arc!

  An enjoyable, refreshing read on an “old hat” topic in historical fiction. I loved how the author was able to fictionalize a particular aspect of that war (outside of women societies and music): the encouragement of the government for people to write letters and write in journals to document their everyday lives. Sometimes these were published in the papers so there was more than the war news covering the pages!

  Sit back, relax, and laugh and cry and enjoy this good read.

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

  *quote taken from uncorrected proof

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

• Book Review: “Whenever I’m With You” by Lydia Sharp (ARC)

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on January 30, 2017

  Whenever I’m With You by Lydia Sharp

  Publisher: Scholastic Press
  Published: January 3
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781338047493
  Rating: ★★★

  After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He’s quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

  Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi’s frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can’t lose him to it.

  So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

  Gabi still feels so new to Alaskan lifestyle, even with boyfriend Kai by her side, explaining fun traditions the other teens do at the start of winter, how to fend for oneself during the winter months, and neat ways to banish the darkness. But Kai starts to act a bit odd, and disappears just before a large snowstorm hits Anchorage. With his concerned twin Hunter’s help, Gabi heads straight into the storm to find Kai, and survive the wildness of America’s last frontier.

  I was drawn to this contemporary YA based on the romantic relationship style (the two teens are already together, strong, and established) and the setting (ALASKAAAA). While I found some of the storytelling to be a bit underdeveloped, this is definitely a good, clean YA that reminded me a bit of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

  How easily your whole world can change with just
  two simple words, spoken from the heart:
  I’m sorry. *

  There’s also a lot of discussion on grief and the various forms it takes. Not everyone grieves the same way, either in a death or in a broken relationship. Gabi has many issues with her mother (valid ones, too), and is battling coming to terms with her parents’ divorce. Kai and Hunter grieve the loss of their father in different ways — denial and acceptance, in short — and that changes how they interact with their friends, family, and environment.

  Two sides to every story: another theme within the novel especially between the twin brothers. Each perspective is important and a major key to the puzzle of Kai’s disappearance. Family dynamics, friendship, and determination were some underlying themes of the book that really struck a chord with me.

  Whenever I’m With You is a plot-driven adventure of survival and love in the middle of an Alaskan snowstorm, completely disconnected from the comforts of modern technology and civilization. If you’re itching for a good, quick contemporary read on love and friendship, I’d suggest Sharp’s novel.

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

  *quote taken from uncorrected proof

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

• Mini Review

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

  The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman

  Publisher: Scribner
  Published: July 2012
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★★
  Summary: Tom Sherbourne takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast of Australia. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

  Mini Review: I adored this book, most especially for its moral complexity. As many people have already read and raved over it, and many more have seen the film, I’ll keep this brief. Even though I stand by “each woman is a little off her rocker,” it still doesn’t solve the moral, emotional, judicial, and psychological issue at hand. Is the baby better off with the mother it knows, or the mother who birthed her? Are the mothers well within her rights to claim the child as her own? Are they even in the right mental state? It is impossible to know, especially with the evidence presented in this book, what is “right” or “wrong,” and even with the issue resolved, Stedman leaves threads of the story hanging in just the right way to make you continue to wonder.

  Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier

  Publisher: Roc
  Published: October 2009
  Genre: fantasy
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Anluan has been crippled since childhood, part of a curse that has besieged his family and his home of Whistling Tor. But when the young scribe Caitrin is retained to sort through family documents, she brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows. But to truly free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life-and their love…

  Mini Review: This was going to be the most perfect read ever, just based on this formula alone: Marillier + Beauty and the Beast + ancient Ireland. But it didn’t quite live up to my own expectations. While I didn’t fall in love with it, Marillier continues to astound me with her storytelling and world-building abilities. She has a way of utilizing the bare bones of a familiar fairy tale and making it entirely her own. She doesn’t rely on all the aspects we’re familiar with — just the important ones. Her characters are singular and developed, and the setting and atmosphere enchanting.

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  This qualifies as book 1 of 9 in the Flights of Fantasy / Gabaldon-and-Marillier challenge.

  This qualifies as book 1 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged books, flights of fantasy, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, mini review, review

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

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

  My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Flipping Through the Pages: Autumn Rewind 2016

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on January 1, 2017

  

  Instead of participating in the Monthly Rewind meme, every three months I’ll update the world on my life from the previous season. Enjoy the Seasonal Rewind!

  Through the Lens

  

  

  

  In October, I held the responsibility of walking our mini schnauzer Greta, which meant seeing some beautiful autumn sunrises every morning. In November, my client Tara Sim’s Timekeeper was published, and it’s so shiny and wonderful and heart-poundly great! And in December, my best friend officially made me her Maid of Honor for her 2018 wedding (still plenty of time to plan).

  Life Highlights

  Not a positive one, but for most of October my mother was in the hospital (thus all the dog-walking). It really changed the dynamics of the household dramatically, and I am even more thankful for her strength and presence with each passing day. Positive highlights of course include the publication of Timekeeper and my best friend’s engagement, but also brunch with friends from Denver, preparing Christmas music for the holiday season, celebrating the Beau’s new job, and celebrating our first Christmas together too. Thanksgiving and Christmas were so wonderful with the family, and we’re very grateful to still have Grandpa with us. He’s been battling Stage 4 lung cancer the last year or so, and still miraculously has a lot of energy. Even the doctors are amazed he’s 86 and spritely, since he seems so much younger. All in all, a good holiday season!

  Tunes on Repeat

  Really, all of the Pentatonix holiday albums were on repeat, but this is my favorite favorite favorite of theirs (followed by “Little Drummer Boy”).

  This is a video pieced together from phone recordings over the summer tour to Germany. Not gonna lie…I think we sound pretty good, especially for a church choir. Around the 3-minute mark, our section leaders sing a piece that always teared me up.

  This piece the choir, as well as a little chamber ensemble I was in, practiced over and over because those jumps and intervals are so difficult for the voice. Yet stunning when done well.

  Bookmarked in the Community

  1. On “American” @ Laura Pittenger — Laura is one of my old college roommates and an amazing individual carving out a life in theater in NYC. She’s posted some great personal essays on her blog, and one of my favorites was this on being American, shortly after Election Day. She traces her family’s roots, finds a mixing bowl of nationalities, and shares her thoughts. Powerful.
  2. Low Reading Months @ BookmarkLit — Lauren shares her experience with recent low reading months and combats it with a plan of how to get out of the slump.
  3. If You Liked Gilmore Girls… @ The Book Addict’s Guide  — Brittany shares some YA recommendations for fans of Gilmore Girls and I agree with many of them!
  4. Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere: Packing a Purse or Personal Item @ Belle of the Literati — I LOVE this series Kelly is doing on her blog about traveling and the dos and don’ts of safe adventure. This particular post is a how-to and there were some tips and tricks she shared that had never occurred to me before!
  5. Dumbledore’s Army Readathon @ Read at Midnight — If you’re looking for a diverse readathon this month (January), this is the one for you!

  Popular Posts on Scribbles

  1. On Reading Epiphanies and Getting Back to Bookish Roots — A discussion on reading fatigue, lifestyle changes and how it altered reading habits, and what I plan to do to combat it.
  2. End of Year Book Survey III — Not surprised on this one at all, since it’s a great wrap-up of the year!
  3. If We Were Having Coffee… — The second one! Though this is a series I plan on continuing, as it’s fun to just let go for a brief post and write whatever’s on my mind.
  4. Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne — Not surprised by this one whatsoever either. This book seemed to take the blogging world by storm.

  Cherished Reads

  

  

  

  

  Leave Me by Gayle Forman ★★★★★

  The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst ★★★★

  My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella ★★★★★ (review to come!)

  The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan ★★★★ (review to come!)

  Cherished Quotes

  “Were you Gchatting?” Todd asked, peering over her shoulder. “With your husband?”
  Maribeth closed the window.
  “You little hussy,” Todd said.
  —Leave Me by Gayle Forman

  You can’t help who you fall in love with. That kind of love just
  swoops in and grabs hold of you, even if you were to drop chemistry —
  or switch jobs, which god knows I should have done a long time ago —
  it’s still taken hold of your desire, and that’s a damn hard thing to free yourself of.
  —Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen

  Pretty much everyone in the world could use some therapy.
  —Leave Me by Gayle Forman

  If the bread wouldn’t fill his stomach, it might at least fill his mouth.
  The girl had finished half of hers before he took a second bite.
  “You shouldn’t rush,” he said. “There are no taste buds in your stomach.”
  She paused to consider his reasoning, then took
  another bite. “There’s no hunger in your tongue.”
  —A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

  Progress Update on Reading Challenges

  Library Books: 13 / 10 // complete!
  Future Perfect || Blackhearts || Rebel of the Sands
  The Buddha in the Attic || Wide Sargasso Sea || Re Jane
  The Elegance of the Hedgehog || The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
  The Gilded Cage || Leave Me || Nine Women, One Dress
  A Constellation of Vital Phenomena || The Queen of Blood

  #ReRead2016: 2 / 5
  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix || Emma

  Flights of Fantasy: 7 / 5 // complete!
  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix || Rebel of the Sands
  Lady Renegades || The Star-Touched Queen || Assassin’s Apprentice
  My Lady Jane || The Queen of Blood

  Classics Challenge: 1 / 5
  Emma

  Rock My TBR: 14 / 12 // complete!
  Walk on Earth a Stranger || Arsenic for Tea || Since You’ve Been Gone
  Picture Perfect || Twenties Girl || Remember Me? || Assassin’s Apprentice
  Eligible || The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow || 13 Little Blue Envelopes
  Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here || Me Before You || First & Then
  Mystery & Mayhem

  Impulse Buys: 5 / 5 // no more buying!
  Can You Keep a Secret? || I’ve Got Your Number || The Undomestic Goddess
  My Lady Jane || The Hating Game

  Overall Challenge: 53 / 50

  Random Obsessions

  On TV: I watched Poldark, even though he made me very angry and I’m not sure I’ll watch the third season. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was fun — I really enjoyed Lorelai and Emily’s stories, the quirkiness of Stars Hollow, and just being back in this world in general — but I had many issues with Rory and wasn’t too pleased with the last four words (yes, I know why they’re there, it still doesn’t make me happy though). What I’m very excited about is The Crown! Binged that show (finally) and I’m so pleased to see Netflix has six seasons planned!

  On Film: Arrival was STUNNING and I’m eager to see it again! I also watched The Man Who Knew Infinity from Redbox and it made me all teary (just like many scientists-face-difficulty-and-acceptance-in-their-time-and-era movies).

  In the Shopping Bag: All the Christmas presents! Including an early gift-to-self of a new iphone case that looks like a Hogwarts envelope. Thank you, Etsy!

  Miscellaneous: I’m in need of some nice, sturdy, wooden bookcases for fairly cheap. If you know of any or you’re a fan of a particular retailer, do share!

  Looking Towards the Future

  January and March are full of birthdays, so there will be lots of celebrations in the winter months. I’m also looking forward to going to the symphony with the Beau, and traveling to San Francisco with my best friend while she has a slight break from med school.

  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 | 8 Comments | Tagged books, personal, recap, rewind, this season's rewind

• Top Five Books of 2016

  Posted at 3:25 am by Laura, on December 30, 2016

  

  LEAVE ME by Gayle Forman || I fell in love with Forman’s writing all over again, and every step of Maribeth’s journey felt sure, raw, and honest. I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of all her decisions, and simultaneously relaxed, like I was leisurely catching up with an old friend.

  SALT TO THE SEA by Ruta Sepetys || I cannot stress enough how important it is to read Salt to the Sea, to read Between Shades of Gray, to reflect on your life and the lives lost after reading. Sepetys understands the nature of humanity on such a deep level. I trust her completely.

  ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes || Me Before You isn’t a full-blown romance. It’s about two individuals from very different worlds, experiencing life in very different ways, coming together and finding love in the most unlikely circumstances, and, belatedly, navigating the effects of that love and their diverging life plans. It’s not sudden and sweeping, but slow, heartbreaking, tense.

  TRAITOR ANGELS by Anne Blankman || I am astonished, and I want nothing more than to roam Oxford again and picnic by the river and revisit my studies on the English Civil War, with a copy of Milton by my side and Renaissance historians gushing about the Italian progress. When an author can make me miss academia at this level, I promise you the book they wrote is excellent. And Blankman’s is exactly that.

  THE LIE TREE by Frances Hardinge || First, this is proper gothic literature. The muffled, dark atmosphere — a never-ending sense of foreboding, a constant feeling that one is being watched, hair-raising, spine-chilling — is all you need to develop the urgency in Faith’s quest, to really paint the unstable time in history and fluctuating dynamics of the household. While there’s a death, a creepy plant, and some bumps in the night, this isn’t blood and gore. This is proper horror, proper suspense, proper uncanny, and thus creates proper gothic.

  Which books made your Top Five for the year?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 3 Comments | Tagged books, personal, top five books

• End of Year Book Survey III

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on December 28, 2016

  

  This is the third year I’m participating in Jamie’s (@ The Perpetual Page-Turner) End of Year Book Survey. Last year it was so much fun to share my bookish life through Hermione gifs, I decided to share it through Pevensie gifs! I am looking forward to reading your 2016 book survey, too.

  Note: This includes all books read in 2016 – they do not have to be published in 2016. 

  

  

  Number Of Books You Read: 52
  Number of Re-Reads: 1
  Genre You Read The Most From: contemporary

  

  

  1. Best Book You Read in 2016

  ARG! Goodness. The first that comes to mind is The Lie Tree. It had everything I could ever want from a novel: compelling, excellent voice, intelligent protagonist, unique circumstances, beautiful atmosphere. While it’s historical fiction with a touch of fantasy (magical realism?), it’s first and foremost a Gothic novel. And ya’ll know I love me some Gothic.

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

  It’s a tie between Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here and Summer Days and Summer Nights. Everyone raved about Epstein being the snarkier, more forward version of Fangirl and I was not into it whatsoever. And I so looked forward to Summer Days and Summer Nights and found I wasn’t interested in many of the short stories from some of my own favorite authors! Wah wah. (Also, yes, I realize in my review I typed “Claire” instead of “Clare” and that’s because I still think of her fanfic days and I can’t be arsed to correct it.)

  3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read in 2016?

  Re Jane definitely surprised me. I’m of the view no one should touch the precious Jane Eyre, but Patricia Park really knew how to modernize this classic and make it stand on its own. Toss in the beautiful way she incorporated Own Voices, and this was a treat and absolute pleasure to read.

  4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (and they did) in 2016?

  The Hating Game was pushed on me by my client Nina, and then I recommended it to Ginger, Lindsey, Morgan…next thing I know, it’s all over the place in the blogging community. I’m not saying Nina or I started it, but it was certainly a whirlwind!

  

  

  

  

  5. Best Series You Started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

  Series Started: The Queens of Renthia series with The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst OR Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
  Sequel: Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter
  Series Ender: Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins, though it was the only series ender I read this year

  6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2016?

  Emma Mills with her book First & Then captured my heart. I’m eager to dive into This Adventure Ends now.

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

  Fever at Dawn was out of my comfort zone because it’s a translation. Sometimes the heart and emotion in the story, in the voice, can be lost in translation. This novel though? So good. I really enjoyed it.

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

  Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman, but that’s not a surprise at all! Her novels always leave my heart pounding.

  9. Book You Read in 2016 That You are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

  Perhaps Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella because WHY NOT *heart eyes*

  10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2016?

  A tie between Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman and Traitor Angels. I love ships in bottles (both IRL and on covers), as they remind me of my grandfather, and the art department did a great job of making the bottle really stand out. As for Blankman’s book, please just look at that dripping-ink-that-looks-like-melted-chocolate. Balzer + Bray’s art department is fantastic.

  

  11. Most Memorable Character of 2016?

  Lou in Me Before You is one incredible young woman, inside and out.

  12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2016?

  The language, voice, and artistry of The Star-Touched Queen left me longing for more!

  13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2016?

  Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys should come to no surprise. Sepetys always makes me think and wonder, and her books do change my life.

  14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2016 to Finally Read?

  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ KINSELLA?!

  

  

  

  

  15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2016?

  “I saw a girl who races to help others but doesn’t help herself. And right now you need to help yourself. No one should walk up the aisle feeling inferior or in a different league or trying to be something they’re not.”
  –I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

  16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2016?

  Shortest: Buddha in the Attic
  Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

  17. Book That Shocked You the Most

  Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, only because I was happily surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I haven’t read any of her other books, and The Jane Austen Project has been pretty successful thus far. I was just genuinely shocked how much I adored it, and how much the reviews were right.

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

  I didn’t read a whole lot of shippy stuff this year! WHAT. So how about I go with a manuscript I read this year that I will go down with and you will all hear about in 2017? Matt and Tabby in Jared Reck’s The Short History of the Girl Next Door.

  19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

  Ven and Daleina in The Queen of Blood, possibly. I can see where people would root for them to get together, but he’s at least 15 years her senior and he’s her Champion (intructor and defender of sorts). But their platonic dynamics were perfect!

  

  20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 from an Author You’ve Read Previously

  The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller, hands down. I learned so much in that book, too!

  21. Best Book You Read in 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure

  Hands down, it was Walk on Earth a Stranger, and I’m glad I did. Everyone was raving over it, and over Carson’s previous books, plus there was the appeal of the Oregon Trail story, so of course I gave in. And loved it.

  22. Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2016?

  See, I didn’t read many shippy books! Maybe Jonah in When We Collided. He’s such a sweetheart.

  23. Best 2016 Debut You Read?

  The Star-Touched Queen, of course! Such a beautiful, stunning book!

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

  The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst, easily. All of the trees, the spirits, the structure of the government and culture — so vivid! Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice would make a close second. I think I would need to read the following books to really sink into the world for that one.

  

  

  

  

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

  My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella (will be published in February 2017, review to come!) and Arsenic for Tea (or Poison is Not Polite) by Robin Stevens. Kinsella because she always does, and Stevens because her mystery series is so well-crafted and charming!

  26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2016?

  A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Mara had me at near tears by the end. What a powerful read.

  27. Hidden Gem of The Year?

  Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale is the third in the Geek Girl series and it deserves all the attention in the US that it receives in the UK. I love this series! So fun and quirky and perfect chick lit for YA!

  28. Book that Crushed Your Soul?

  Me Before You probably. Tears for days.

  29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2016?

  Buddha in the Attic was told in collective perspective, rather than following one single person’s narrative. It followed countless Japanese women from Japan to America and the various lives they formed shortly before WWII. That form of storytelling is probably the most unique I’ve ever read.

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

  Rebel of the Sands, because I wanted to love it and I didn’t. Not at all. Far from it. I think I’m more disappointed in myself for not enjoying it than I am at the book.

  

  1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2016? 

  This year I didn’t “discover” new book blogs, but I did meet several bloggers I interact with all the time on Twitter. We would hang out at BEA and see movies and get breakfast and dinner together. Collectively, I was closer to the blogging community that way — but I didn’t discover a new blog. If anything, I became much closer to Kelly @ Belle of the Literati. She is such a remarkable and fun person. I want to travel with her!

  2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

  My entire Kinsella series was fun to review. That One Time I Binged on Kinsella was fun to write, and I was eager to do a Part II was well.

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

  If We Were Having Coffee is a good post series I plan to continue doing in 2017. It’s a great way for me to let my bookish guard down and just TALK to you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I love writing them!

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

  BEA! It was so much fun reuniting and meeting with so many people — editors, authors, bloggers — in a city near my home. While Book Expo is bound to be different in 2017 (and I’m curious to see how the changes work out), I look forward to this event because it feels like one massive reunion.

  5. Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2016?

  In my blogging life, I was thrilled to finally meet Stacey @ Pretty Books! I was in London for about a week in June and we went out for a delicious pizza dinner and shopping at Waterstones. I don’t know if she remembers this at all, but I first followed her on tumblr back when we were both finishing up university. She inspired me to create a book blog, and we’ve been following each other ever since! It was about time we met in person.

  In my bookish life, my best moment by far was Jared Reck’s deal announcement!

  

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

  Jared’s deal announcement and my first If We Were Having Coffee post received the most not-book-review views and comments, and Salt to the Sea continuously receives the most views throughout 2016.

  8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?

  On Reading Epiphanies was fun to write, and I would’ve loved to discuss it more with other readers! Are there reading habits you’ve lost or picked up since blogging? Since beginning a new job? Since beginning a job in the book industry?

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

  Personal book discovery, though completely old hat to Londoners: Daunt Books. OH MY GOD Daunt Books. What a gorgeous bookstore. This is what bookstores should look like always.

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

  *laughs hysterically* Oh, boy. I was supposed to read 5 classics this year, and I only read 1. I was supposed to reread 5 books, but I only reread 2. While those were failures, I read 8 of 5 fantasy books, 17 of 12 already-purchased-but-unread books, 20 of 10 library books, and fewer ARCs (only 9 this year). So yes, I over-completed some, and severely undercompleted  others, but I do think overall this was a good reading year!

  

  

  1. One Book You Didn’t Get To in 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

  So many series enders, like Winner’s Kiss, and second novels like Outrun the Moon or Like a River Glorious.

  2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2017 (non-debut)?

  Oh, there are so many! I think even my teen self would agree with my adult self: Sarah Dessen’s next book Once and For All.

  3. 2017 Debut You are Most Anticipating?

  The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, which I’ve already started reading. I’m quite looking forward to finishing it!

  

  

  

  

   4. Series Ending/A Sequel You are Most Anticipating in 2017?

  Series Ending: William Ritter’s final Jackaby book!
  Series Sequel: Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor

  5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2017?

  Announce more book deals!

  6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

  Jared Reck’s A Short History of the Girl Next Door, for obvious (agenting) reasons. As well as Tara Sim’s second in the Timekeeper trilogy (I can’t announce the title yet!). Then there’s Sophie Kinsella’s My Not So Perfect Life coming to stores in February I absolutely ADORED and had trouble maintaining a straight face while reading in public.

  

  ^ I love that scene

  Posted in books, Update Post | 11 Comments | Tagged books, End of Year Book Survey, personal

• 2017 Bookish Resolutions and Reading Challenges

  Posted at 9:15 am by Laura, on December 19, 2016

  

  Major Goals

  READ 50 BOOKS || To quote last year’s post, “easy peasy.” Though it has become a bit more of a challenge the last couple years , I’m looking forward to reading 50 published books.

  READ 5 LIBRARY BOOKS || I’ll automatically read 24 books this year with the library (12 for the book club I run, and 12 for the genre study book club I’m in), but I want to read (deeply, for fun and entertainment) books that aren’t assigned to me that I’ve been curious to read.

  READ MARILLIER & GABALDON || Flights of Fantasy by Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books || This harkens back to an epiphany post from a few weeks ago. I want to get back to my bookish roots, which involved a lot of binge-reading — of authors, of series, of genre. Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series, her new Blackthorn & Grim series, and finishing Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series (of what’s published, at least) are at the top of my reading list. This automatically qualifies for Alexa’s fantasy challenge, too!

  Bonus Goals

  READ CLASSICS & REREAD FAVORITES || I was woefully terrible at this last year, and I still aim to read more classics in general. I also didn’t reread many of my favorite novels. Instead of putting a number goal on there (and potentially disappointing myself at the end of 2017), I’m aiming to at least read one of each!

  READ MORE FROM TBR, LESS FROM ARCS || Rock My TBR by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler || I don’t have a general number for this one, but I do want to make more of an effort to read all those books I’ve purchased and was very excited for. This means being pickier about ARCs as well. While I didn’t read as many ARCs in 2016 (which was a goal), I did end up neglecting many ARCs I received.

  What are some of your goals for 2017?

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Rock My TBR | 7 Comments | Tagged books, flights of fantasy, personal, resolutions, rock my TBR

• 

• 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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