Tag: books

• That One Time I Binged on Kinsella…

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

  

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

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

  

  

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

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

  *exaggeration, I promise

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

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

  **I don’t even know

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

  xxx

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

• Advance Excitement at a Glance XXII

  Posted at 1:18 pm by Laura, on February 29, 2016

  

  A monthly meme to keep up with the latest publications, featuring advance copy reviews to look forward to reading.

  March is jam-packed and full of new releases. I already reviewed two (Into the Dim on March 1 and The Forbidden Orchid on March 8), but there are some more titles I’d love to feature and promote!

  

  Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham
  (Sourcebooks Landmark, March 1)

  In 1864 Washington, one has to be careful with talk of secession. Better to speak only when in the company of the trustworthy, like Mrs. Surratt. A widow who runs a small boarding house, Mary Surratt isn’t half as committed to the cause as her son, Johnny. If he’s not escorting veiled spies, he’s inviting home men like John Wilkes Booth, the actor who is even more charming in person than he is on the stage. But when President Lincoln is killed, the question of what Mary knew becomes more important than anything else.

  Hanging Mary is based on the true history of Mary Surratt. For those of us interested in historical fiction and obsessing over Mercy Street…you’re welcome.

  

  The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
  (HarperTeen, March 8)

  A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

  If you like your fairytales a bit more Grimm-based, this retelling of “The Singing Bone” just might be what you’re looking for.

  What are you looking forward to in March?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books | 3 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, books

• Book Review: “Blackhearts” by Nicole Castroman

  Posted at 4:45 am by Laura, on February 25, 2016

  Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Published: February 9
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, romance
  ISBN: 9781481432696
  Rating: ★★★

  Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

  Edward “Teach” Drummond, son of one of Bristol’s richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There’s just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

  Following her parents’ deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she’s stuck in England?

  From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

  Before he was Blackbeard the pirate, Edward “Teach” Drummond was a young sailor whose father, a wealthy Bristol merchant, wanted nothing more than a claim to the aristocracy. Teach is determined to defy his father and set sail again, but a run-in with a maid in the house, Anne, compels him to stay. When it becomes apparent she would love nothing more than to sail away from England as well, their circumstances become even more complicated.

  As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but feel this was a mash-up of BBC’s Poldark and Amma Asante’s Belle. Good things to compare it to, I promise. Teach’s temperament is very much like Poldark’s (plus, sailor. And tricorn hats. Swoon), and Anne’s complex social hierarchy, with her race and her inheritance, mirrors Dido’s. Toss in the Blackbeard element — that this is an origin story, as very little is known about Blackbeard’s life prior to his final years at sea — and you’re in for a PBS special in book form: slow-burning, rich, and complex.

  I want to gush about my favorite part of the book, but I can’t because it’s the ending. It’s satisfyingly unsatisfying; it leaves the reader hanging on such a pivotal movement that you can’t help but wonder what happens between that scene and Blackbeard’s appearance in historical documentation.

  And while this story is very much about Teach, it’s also an interesting story about Anne. Everything she represents. Historically, women do not have a voice. We know nothing about them, except the daily activities the educated women mentioned in their journals or letters (if they’re surviving). That’s such a slim margin of women in history, too. Toss in the fact Anne is mixed race in a time when everyone who was non-white was considered beyond inferior (I know we’re still struggling with race today, but bear with me), that anyone bearing a resemblance to Anne was typically a slave — and we’re really beginning to touch upon the lost voices in history. Anne represents those lost voices, and Anne represents mixed races and cultures today.

  This book is for the historical romance reader. While it’s not particularly covering a momentous time in history, the heart of the story lies in the everyday trials of a young man struggling for independence, and a young woman seeking a sense of belonging, and how these two individuals found each other.

  (And, of course, PIRATES.)

  This fulfills book 2 of 10 library books in 2016. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “The Forbidden Orchid” by Sharon Biggs Waller (ARC)

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on February 22, 2016

  The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller

  Publisher: Viking Children’s
  Publishing Date: March 8
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780451474117
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Staid, responsible Elodie Buchanan is the eldest of ten sisters living in a small English market town in 1861. The girls’ father is a plant hunter, usually off adventuring through the jungles of China.

  Then disaster strikes: Mr. Buchanan fails to collect an extremely rare and valuable orchid, meaning that he will be thrown into debtors’ prison and the girls will be sent to the orphanage or the poorhouse. Elodie’s father has one last chance to return to China, find the orchid, and save the family—and this time, thanks to an unforeseen twist of fate, Elodie is going with him. Elodie has never before left her village, but what starts as fear turns to wonder as she adapts to seafaring life aboard the tea clipper The Osprey, and later to the new sights, dangers, and romance of China.

  But even if she can find the orchid, how can she find herself now that staid, responsible Elodie has seen how much the world has to offer?

  Elodie Buchanan’s father is a plant hunter, which means she only sees him once a year, and nine months later yet another sister is born. While some of the sisters are resentful of Papa — leaving their mother behind with yet another baby to care for in their small English village, one wrapped around a power-hungry deacon’s finger — Elodie can’t help but admire him and all he represents: adventure, beauty, and freedom. But when he does not return home from China and holes up in a tiny flat in Kew, Elodie takes matters into her own hands. If her father does not venture to China once more to gather a rare and valuable orchid before another threatening plant hunter does, the Buchanan women will be sent to the workhouses. It’s up to Elodie to stow away on a clipper ship, witness the aftermath of the China Wars, experience a culture wholly unlike England, and find the orchid before it’s too late.

  I’ll admit I had a few concerns before reading Waller’s sophomore novel. First, I adored A Mad, Wicked Folly, and sometimes it’s hard to beat out your own debut. Second, everything that China represented in the 1860s (poverty, opium, just how utterly terrible the English left them) felt unappealing. It’s just not something I want to read about, even though I know about the terrible history. Plus, ugh, another opium story / another girl-dresses-as-a-boy story? Third, as someone who doesn’t know much about plants or gardening, I thought I would find that aspect of it to be a bore.

  Let me be the first to tell you that every last scene, sentence, and word was worth it. All the hopes and joys, devastation and heartbreak, beautiful and terrible — all of it was worth it.

  Elodie is such a fascinating character. Every visit home her father would bring her books. He believed girls should have proper education just like boys. One Christmas, he brings home Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, and the way Elodie makes sense of it with her faith is encouraging and astounding. One does not negate the other. In fact, she’s able to make science and religion walk hand-in-hand — and the scene with her standing up to her deacon’s ignorance cracked me up. So yes, plants are discussed extensively in here, but it’s just as beautiful to read as it was to read about Vicky and her art. (Plus, also, I had no idea there was such a job as plant hunting. Of course there would be such a job, but that it could be so dangerous, and like a race! Fascinating.) Elodie is frustrated by the freedom a man’s life holds, but she also feels duty-bound to her mother and sisters. That torn feeling is understandably on her mind constantly, but not once did it feel like Waller was projecting 21st-century feminism into a 19th-century mind. I love it when a character stays true to the time!

  China is also not romantisized whatsoever, which was a relief. The beauty of the land untouched by war is, of course, observed and appreciated. Elodie learns a lot about Chinese culture through Ching Lan, a girl who joins the expedition to assist with translation and medicinal purposes. The subtle differences between Western and Eastern culture are exposed in such exquisite ways — the concept of honoring one’s family and yet still wanting to be independent and making one’s own choices, the ritual of tea, the way you treat another human to raise their station. But of course, the opium is a huge topic in the book as well. Not a moment of randomly dropping in opium dens just because — there’s a purpose. China was destroyed and the English made these poor people addicted to the drug. It’s prevalent, and it circles back around several times on Elodie’s journey. The meaning behind it only increased the story further.

  Finally, the girl-dressed-as-boy bit doesn’t last long. It didn’t feel unnecessary, but that, plus the marriage Elodie had to commit to, didn’t feel forced either. Every second of her situation is a plan gone wrong and her figuring out how to be strong and overcoming it. Her circumstances are less than ideal, but not hopeless. Especially with Alex by her side. He’s always there, but she’s the one doing the thinking, the reacting, the burden of the work. This YA was (blessedly) a Plot A Save the Family, Plot B Self-Discovery & Empowerment, and Plot C Romance. Budding and off to the side, just as Elodie was sorting out her priorities as well.

  Waller has convinced me, with this book, that I can read a dark period of history (China Wars) and come out not only knowing so much more (plants, opium, just how tied up women were) but also enjoying the experience of something I was once wary about (adventuring through China for a plant). It’s a cultural, historical journey with a compelling story, a fascinating protagonist, and a complex situation. It was such a joy to read a text so rich and full of life!

  Thank you, Sharon, for sending me a galley for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

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

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

  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Book Review: “Into the Dim” by Janet B. Taylor (ARC)

  Posted at 6:00 am by Laura, on February 16, 2016

  Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

  Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
  Publishing Date: March 1
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, historical
  ISBN: 9780544602007
  Rating: ★★★★★

  When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.

  When Hope sees footage from the earthquake destruction responsible for her mother’s death, she begins to question her sanity and her eidetic memory. She accepts her aunt’s offer to stay with her in Scotland, and immediately understands why her mother was secretive and an amazing historical scholar: she comes from a secret society of time travelers. Hope is sent back in time to Eleanor of Aquitaine’s court to retrieve her mother, lost in time and decidedly not dead in the twenty-first century. But time travel comes with a price to pay, and Hope’s loyalty is torn when the bigger picture of her journey and its consequences come to light.

  When they said this was going to be Outlander for the YA market, they weren’t kidding. Heck, Gabaldon even blurbed it! While Outlander relies on chance and Celtic magic, Into the Dim‘s time travel is more scientific than supernatural. Similar to Stiefvater’s books’ obsession with ley lines, Taylor incorporates ley lines and Tesla into the history behind time travel, and all the technology (both high-tech modern and low-tech ancient) that comes with it. It’s an amazing journey, one that I could read repeatedly. It felt real. Like one could actually go back in time!

  Hope reminded me of Hermione, without the bossy attitude. She is a know-it-all, but mostly because of her eidetic (photographic) memory. She knows facts, she knows dates, she has images and maps imprinted in her brain. But for all her knowledge, she still needs to use common sense and wit, and she grows so much throughout the course of the book. There’s knowing something by rote and recall, and knowing something through experience and instinct. Her intellect allows the narrative to give the reader the backstory and history lessons throughout in such a way it doesn’t feel like info-dumping. It shows the reader more about Hope’s character and talent while also informing the reader of the era.

  There are moments in the book when it feels like her relationships with some of the male leads will go down the love triangle trap. There’s potential for one to exist, but Hope is not the kind of character to think about that sort of thing, or dwell on the “what ifs” when bringing her mother home is far more important. In fact, a potential love triangle is only apparent to the reader, just like a third party observer. Hope clearly likes one guy, you’re not sure if he likes her or is luring her in to a trap, and there’s another guy Hope needs to work alongside to get the job done but he’s either of the protective nature or harboring feelings as well. Who knows. I’m just thrilled the “love interest” storyline takes a back seat in this thrilling, action-packed, fascinating book.

  Science, history, intrigue, and packed with an awesome punch of a twist at the end — all these things will keep you on the edge of your seat at work and buried under the covers with a flashlight at night. I could not put this down!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HMH BFYR for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: historical fiction, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Arsenic for Tea” by Robin Stevens

  Posted at 5:05 am by Laura, on February 10, 2016

  Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens
  Poison is Not Polite (US)

  Publisher: Corgi Children’s (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US)
  Published: January 2015 (UK) / April 26, 2016 (US)
  Genre: middle grade, mystery, historical
  ISBN: 9780552570732 (UK) / 9781481422154 (US)
  Rating: ★★★★

  Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy’s home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy’s glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy’s birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn’t really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

  Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill—and everything points to poison.

  With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem—and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth… no matter the consequences.

  Hazel Wong is invited to Fallingford to spend the Easter holidays with Daisy Wells and her family. Daisy’s mother plans a birthday tea party for Daisy, but the girls know Lady Hastings is really throwing this tea for her “special guest” — one who seems to have upset the governess, Daisy’s brother’s friend, Lord Hastings, and Daisy’s favorite Uncle Felix. When the special guest quickly falls ill and dies, it’s up to Daisy and Hazel to solve the mystery before the police arrive in the middle of a wild storm, even if it means confronting nasty truths about the Wells family.

  I fell in love with the Wells & Wong Detective Agency / Murder Most Unladylike series last summer, and was thrilled to find the as-of-December-2015 completed series in Waterstones. Middle grade detective fiction is probably my favorite kind of mystery to read. They’re quick, fun, witty, and never bogged down with details. Toss in the very Conan Doyle/Christie feel to it, and you have an immediate reader in me!

  In the last book, I mentioned how well-rounded Hazel was as a character. It was easy to like her and understand her — her patience, thoughtfulness, insight. She’s governed by her emotions a bit more than Daisy is (you really can call her the Watson of the two, as Daisy herself calls Hazel Watson), but it’s her gut feelings that guide them down the right path. In this book, we see more of Daisy and understand her and all her quirks. From her silly father to her charming, intelligent uncle, her need to impress mixed with her desire to explore warring with one another when her mother enters and leaves a room, the reader (and Hazel) is able to see how Daisy became Daisy based on the people in her life.

  Not only this, but the murder happened in her house on her birthday. Which means one of the guests, likely a family member, committed the crime. Daisy is so wrapped up in the details of the case that when it finally hits her it could be a relative of hers, one she loves dearly, she cracks. Witnessing this “weakness” in her character brought me closer to these two girls. They may be little detectives solving cases like one would in a novel, but it’s all fun and games until it really hits home how dark, dangerous, and scary this can be.

  It’s hard to review a mystery book without accidentally spoiling the details of the plot! So I’ll leave you with this: Arsenic for Tea is a delightful, incredibly English detective mystery for the little Holmes or Marple in your life.

  

  This book qualifies as book 2 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys (ARC)

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 1, 2016

  Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

  Publisher: Philomel
  Publishing Date: February 2
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780399160301
  Rating: ★★★★★

  In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are  Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

  Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

  Four young adults’ journeys to escape East Prussia and survive the war intersect in January 1945. Three of them — Joana, Emilia, and Florian, all of different backgrounds with secrets of their own — seek asylum across the waters. The fourth, Alfred, is a Nazi sailor attempting to justify assisting the “lesser races” as they flee the Russians. But when they meet on the Wilhelm Gustloff, secrets are no longer safely hidden, and spilling the truth may be their only chance at surviving the destruction of the ship.

  Just as Between Shades of Gray, this book made me weep, reflect, weep, ponder, and weep some more. I’m once again left speechless, with slightly more coherent thoughts developing each day after finishing this book. Instead of trying to convince another reader with quotes, I’ll leave quick trails of thought.

  HISTORY. Sepetys captured yet another Eastern European horror rarely studied in school or discussed in WWII reflections. This book is full of the devastating facts of the war in Europe, and how caught in the middle Eastern Europeans were between Germany and Russia. Like with BSOG, she takes survivors’ true accounts, changes names and snippets of their situations, and provides an informative history book that will no doubt be used in classrooms. History is important. We cannot let atrocities like these continuously happen.

  WRITING. Sepetys is not a lush writer. There’s no need for exaggeration or embellishment. She provides the facts; the reader develops the emotions. She writes one line about an emaciated cow on the side of the road with burst, frozen utters — your gut clenches in this simple, painful horror. She writes one line about orphan children being passed from one group to the next so refugees can board the ship — you wonder at what point in your fight for survival you would exchange children like currency. She writes one line about a mother tossing her baby over the ship, aiming for a lifeboat, and the baby drowns in the waters — you sense the desperation, fear, and sorrow. She writes one line about Polish families refusing to leave their lands, with graves pre-dug in their gardens and a plan in place to lie in them and take their own lives when they hear of the Russians marching through — you’re a goner.

  STORY. A thief, a nurse, a Pole, and a sociopath. They represent so many of the lives lost in the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Though the book covers the month of January, it’s within the few days of boarding and setting sail that all the truths come to light. As panic rises, as their fate becomes inevitable, chaos outside and within explodes.

  Sepetys wrote another heart-wrenching nonfiction book masked as fiction. 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.

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

  HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILER: Joana is Lina’s cousin from BSOG!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 8 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

• Advance Excitement at a Glance XXI

  Posted at 6:35 am by Laura, on January 30, 2016

  

  A monthly meme to keep up with the latest publications, featuring advance copy reviews to look forward to reading.

  Once again, February this year proves to be another great month for new releases. CJ Redwine‘s new fantasy series begins with The Shadow Queen and some great adult fiction by A.A. McDonald and Julie Christine Johnson hit stores this month.

  This book in particular is what I’m most excited for…

  

  Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  (Philomel, February 2)

  I’m not going to give a quick synopsis, because her name carries so much weight all on its own. This is going to be brilliant. And huge. And even more gut-wrenching than Between Shades of Gray, which I didn’t even think was possible.

  Be prepared for a book hangover with this one.

  What books are you looking forward to in February?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books | 4 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, books

• Book Review: “Walk on Earth a Stranger” by Rae Carson

  Posted at 5:45 am by Laura, on January 28, 2016

  Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

  Publisher: Greenwillow Books
  Published: September 2015
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780062242914
  Goodreads: 3.91
  Rating: ★★★

  Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

  She also has a secret.

  Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

  When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

  Georgia was the place to be for gold miners before word got around that California was filled with the precious metal. Leah Westfall’s family were just fine in their town — until someone got a whiff of her secret and murdered her parents. To protect her secret and run from the one person her parents trusted, Leah disguises as a boy and sets off on the Oregon Trail to California. Passing for a boy comes fairly easily on the trail, what with Leah comfortable with hard labor and harsh conditions, but some secrets can be too burdensome to bear alone.

  This is most definitely more historical fiction than fantasy. Leah — Lee, as she’s called by friends and as a boy — may be able to sense gold, and that sense comes in handy a few times throughout her travels on the harsh trail, but even without her uncanny ability the story still stands. She’s a hardworking, strong, determined, no-nonsense kind of character, and that’s enough to help her get by on her frightening journey from Georgia to Missouri, to joining her friend and a company to travel with from Missouri to California.

  The evocative writing and developed characters kept me reading, despite the lack of magic in the story. Lee finds being a boy liberating and difficult all at once. People listen to what she says, they let her do what she wants — they trust her mind and body without question. But she doesn’t like to lie, she feels lonely by keeping such a big secret from the women in her company, and she’s not sure who she really is: Leah or Lee. Thankfully her good friend, Jefferson, is there to remind her she can be both, is both.

  Canadians, Germans, a preacher and his wife, the Joyners (a family that hired Lee from the beginning on a flatboat to Missouri — keep your eye on Mrs. Joyner), college students, herders, and veterans all make up the company Lee and Jefferson join in Missouri. They all have their reasons to go to California or Oregon, but they tend to work together for the sake of keeping each other (or even, selfishly, themselves) safe. Everything I remember seeing so early on in The Oregon Trail computer game cropped up, too: cholera, measles, wandering children, stampede of buffalo. You name it, it happened. It made me wonder if I could ever give up everything like those pioneers did for the sake of a new life. I’m not sure I’m made of such tough stuff.

  In the end, this felt like a solid standalone adventure novel. It’s a story about a journey, from start to finish. Every single day of it, from sunrise to sunset, all the joys and troubles, laughter and heartache. A part of me was bummed there was so little magic — I was promised historical fantasy, and this delivered historical. Nothing wrong with that; this is an excellent historical. But it is not historical fantasy. Upon realizing this is part of a trilogy, I’m looking forward to seeing how the remaining cast of characters, and Lee’s gold-sensing abilities, play out in the future books. (I’ve got my eye on you, Mrs. Joyner.) Maybe the fantasy elements amp up later on.

  

  This book qualifies as book 1 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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