Tag: books

• Book Review: “The Reluctant Queen” by Sarah Beth Durst

  Posted at 8:55 am by Laura, on June 24, 2019

  The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst

  Publisher: Harper Voyager
  Published: July 2017
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062413352
  Rating: ★★★.75

  Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people.

  Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that’s all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin’s ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife’s ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves.

  But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he’s certain he’s done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen’s power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything.

  The new, young queen is dying, and Renthia is on the brink of war with neighboring queendoms and from within: if the spirits of Renthia are not harnessed and controlled by a healthy, strong queen, they will attack the citizens within. Ven heads out once more to find the right person for the job, and it just so happens to come in the form of a mother, reluctant to leave her family and reluctant to use her power. Naelin just wants to have a quiet and simple life, but the needs of the country are much larger than she could ever know.

  I loved The Queen of Blood for having a world in which nature was literally violent against humans. Nature was the enemy. Every element had a spirit (think Celtic fairies) with a thirst for human blood; they are controlled and maintained by a human queen whose powers weaken over time and a new young woman would compete to take over. With the queen, the spirits are docile and live in harmony with humans. This continues that premise, but now instead of a young woman who was trained and schooled in the arts, we have a very reluctant woman who is also a mother. She has no interest in controlling spirits—she just wants them to leave her and her family in peace. But the kingdom needs her, for the queen is dying.

  It was so refreshing to read of a hero(ine) who wants nothing to do with the role. Truly, nothing. Naelin’s reluctance and feet-digging was expressed throughout in a very natural and understanding way. She felt so authentic to motherhood, to common life, that when she’s thrust into this new lifestyle and pushed into the role, I felt I could relate to her 100%. Meanwhile, the mystery regarding the queen’s illness, and the subsequent impending battle with the country to the north, fell a little short for me. The battle seemed rushed, the excuse weak, and the mystery not so mysterious, but this book also read like a stepping stone for The Queen of Sorrow. I’m especially intrigued by where this book ended, and I’m hoping the next installment is prepared for the big showdown!

  This qualifies as book 4 in my TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2019, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review, rock my TBR

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 7:53 am by Laura, on June 3, 2019

  The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

  Publisher: Park Row
  Published: January 2019
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Grace Healey is rebuilding her life after losing her husband during the war. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station. She learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a ring of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

  Mini Review: I adored Grace and Eleanor’s characters, and I felt Marie was…lacking. This also wasn’t at all what I was expecting, which was great––but on the other hand, all of that suspense and build-up to what really happened fell flat for me. Though the end is tied neatly together, I would’ve given higher stars if all those questions and the tension didn’t build up to what ended up happening. If you love WWII hist fic, definitely read this. It’s exciting, it’s a neat little puzzle, but in many ways the true action of the story was kept hidden from the reader, all behind-the-scenes, which was meant to build tension I’m sure but left it feeling loose and frustrating. I’d recommend other WWII female agent or French Resistance stories above this one, but still good to add to the general collection.

  This qualifies as book 5 of 10 in my library books challenge.

  In Another Time by Jillian Cantor

  Publisher: Harper Perennial
  Published: March 2019
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★★
  Summary: 1931, Germany. Bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna Ginsberg, a budding concert violinist, and immediately he feels a powerful chemistry between them. It isn’t long before they fall in love and begin making plans for the future. As their love affair unfolds over the next five years, the climate drastically changes in Germany as Hitler comes to power. Their love is tested with the new landscape and the realities of war, not the least of which is that Hanna is Jewish and Max is not. But unbeknownst to Hanna is the fact that Max has a secret, which causes him to leave for months at a time—a secret that Max is convinced will help him save Hanna if Germany becomes too dangerous for her because of her religion.

  In 1946, Hanna Ginsberg awakens in a field outside of Berlin. Disoriented and afraid, she has no memory of the past ten years and no idea what has happened to Max. With no information as to Max’s whereabouts—or if he is even still alive—she decides to move to London to live with her sister while she gets her bearings. Even without an orchestra to play in, she throws herself completely into her music to keep alive her lifelong dream of becoming a concert violinist. But the music also serves as a balm to heal her deeply wounded heart and she eventually gets the opening she long hoped for. Even so, as the days, months, and years pass, taking her from London to Paris to Vienna to America, she continues to be haunted by her forgotten past, and the fate of the only man she has ever loved and cannot forget.

  Mini Review: I picked up this book because it was a pre- and post-WWII novel about a bookseller and a violinist, both professions tapping into my biggest life passions. But something about the premise initially kept me at a distance—dissociative memory loss, or amnesia, as a plot device. One of my least favorite. But fairly early on we learn it’s not quite that—it’s wormholes. Time travel. At first I wished I’d known about that up front. But then perhaps I wouldn’t have picked this book up. I fell in love with Hanna’s story, felt deeply her passion for music, for playing, for always being attached to her violin. Cantor is an excellent writer—I felt immersed in Europe, lost in time, along with Hanna and Max. I enjoyed this book, and I was eager to see how they found each other again, if ever. Moving and impactful, even with the time-travel-as-science element.

  This qualifies as book 6 of 10 in my library books challenge.

  The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

  Publisher: Sourcebooks
  Published: June 2013
  Genre: historical and contemporary fiction
  Rating: ★★★★ 
  Summary: Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object’s history and knows that it was named after the Firebird—the mythical creature from an old Russian fable. Compelled to know more, Nicola follows a young girl named Anna into the past who leads her on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts, unearthing a tale of love, courage, and redemption.

  Mini Review: I highly recommend listening to this on audio. The narrator does an excellent job not only when men and women are speaking, but also English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Russian accents. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to this! As to the book itself, it’s a long and quiet book, meant to be savored. The narrative storytelling is incredibly immersive, drawing you in with each of Nicola’s ESP experiences. Nicola wars between wanting to master her gift like her friend Rob, who utilizes his abilities to read minds and see the ghosts/spirits of history in his daily life, and keeping it suppressed like her grandfather wishes her to do. It’s an excellent commentary on what’s considered “normal” and what’s considered “a gift,” and drawing upon those strengths to navigate through life. I especially enjoyed Anna’s narrative too — she had to learn at a very young age how to distinguish between honest and distrustful people during a very turbulent time in European history. The combination of these two narratives with the help of Nicola’s ESP abilities made for a magical read (or listen)!

  This qualifies as book 7 of 10 in my library books challenge.

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

• Book Review: “The Flatshare” by Beth O’Leary (ARC)

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on May 30, 2019

  The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

  Publisher: Flatiron
  Published: May 2019
  Genre: women’s fiction
  ISBN: 9781250295637
  Rating: ★★★★★

  After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

  Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

  Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

  But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.

  Tiffy needs to move into a cheap flat fast. Leon needs a little extra cash to pay his rent. Their arrangement is perfect for their needs — Tiffy works during the day and will sleep at the flat at night and on weekends; Leon works overnight and will sleep at the flat during the day and spend weekends with his girlfriend. Though they’ve never met, they begin to learn one another’s habits, get to know the triumphs and woes through culinary experiments and leftovers, and soon the post-it notes of quick information decorate the flat with full out conversations. As the weeks pass and feelings deepen, Tiffy and Leon must decide if falling for your flatmate is the right step for them.

  The premise for the novel is a standard, run-of-the-mill, surface-level romcom of meet cutes and bizarre situations. But this surprised me in the best way: the depth, the level of care, and the attention to Tiffy’s gaslighting ex-boyfriend was phenomenal. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who has been emotionally abused, or someone who is friends with a person recovering from gaslighting, or someone who loves a person who was emotionally abused or gaslit. Every situation experienced, or Leon witnessed, is exactly the kind of scenario a person experiences when recovering from abusive situations. O’Leary did an absolutely fantastic job portraying this from all perspectives — from Tiffy’s waffling (abused) to Leon’s instinctual need to care or defend (lover), and Gerty’s aggressive tough love (angry friend) to Mo’s patience and understanding (therapist friend).

  That’s not to say this isn’t a lighthearted book, because it absolutely is! I laughed out loud so many times. I really loved Leon’s dry humor and big heart, and Tiffy’s quirky job as an editor at a niche hobby publisher. Some of the best moments between Tiffy and Leon are in their post-it note exchanges — with Tiffy’s long stories and Leon’s short and to-the-point commentary. His calm and relaxed demeanor compliments Tiffy’s outgoing and fun personality. Plus the secondary characters felt just as fully-developed and genuine as Tiffy and Leon. In many ways I think I’m a Gerty striving to be a Mo!

  A refreshing read wherein I felt so seen. A million thank yous to O’Leary for writing this. It’s gold.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2019 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, review

• Book Review: “His Majesty’s Dragon” by Naomi Novik

  Posted at 10:15 am by Laura, on April 29, 2019

  His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik

  Publisher: Del Rey
  Published: March 2006
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780345481283
  Rating: ★★★★

  Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

  Laurence is a Captain in the Navy when his crew defeats a French ship. To everyone’s surprise, they find and capture a dragon egg on board. When the dragon hatches, his first words are to Laurence, automatically making Laurence his handler and requiring him to transfer to the dragon aerial corps and become a combat aerialist. But nothing is as simple as that — Temeraire is a rare and unique dragon breed, making him both an asset and a target for the British corps. Laurence and Temeraire must work together with their new crew to defeat the French, or risk worse fate.

  My first Novik experience was with Uprooted. A few years trickled by and I devoured Spinning Silver. Now as we wait for another similar fantasy from her, I turned to her first books: the Temeraire series, about dragons and the British aerial corps during the Napoleonic Wars. At first glance this doesn’t seem up my alley at all. I like witches and magic more than dragons in general. Especially talking dragons. Especially military fantasy. Plus I’d heard that those of us who read her standalone Eastern European fantasies first may be dismayed with her dragon series. But I took a chance—I pretended this was a wholly different Naomi Novik, with the expectations it would be nothing like Uprooted. I’m so glad I did, because I loved this!

  Temeraire is funny, unique, and intelligent; Laurence a gentleman and good officer. The adventures are fun and well-paced, and the training was interspersed with moments of adorable joy (the dragons running across the beach to splash in the ocean) and sadness (mistreatment and neglect). It was so well-written, the humor subtle but fantastic, and featuring a thoroughly explored world that I wished dragons were real and this was true historical fiction.

  I enjoyed this book and I have the next ready to go—and I highly suggest you give it a shot too if you were like me and read Novik’s latest work before her backlist. She’s an amazing storyteller. (Plus, gotta love the bromance!)

  Posted in books, Reviews 2019 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review

• Book Review: “The Familiars” by Stacey Halls

  Posted at 7:45 am by Laura, on March 21, 2019

  The Familiars by Stacey Halls

  Publisher: MIRA
  Published: February 2019
  Genre: historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780778369189
  Rating: ★★★★

  Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

  Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

  Fleetwood Shuttleworth is a young noblewoman living near Pendle Hill in 1612 and approaching her fourth pregnancy with trepidation. Her other pregnancies have failed and she’s terrified this one will be the death of her. She requires the midwifery services of Alice Grey, who is later accused of witchcraft along with a dozen other women in the Lancaster area. Desperate to prove her innocence, Fleetwood defies the men in her life and tries to piece together the puzzle of Alice’s unfortunate situation.

  This solidly historical novel, with writing and atmosphere that feels like there’s a touch of magic, recounts the Pendle Witch Trials in northern England, taken from transcripts, letters, and notes of the time. Halls does an incredible job of making the reader question if Alice really was a witch––the eerie coincidences, Fleetwood’s moments of fear, and the misunderstandings of the townspeople are full of the uncanny and unsettling. Hundreds of years later our society is fascinated by witch trials and witch hunts––what really happened, what caused them, and why don’t we believe it now––and let’s just say Halls really nails it with this novel.

  Poor, illiterate women were the scapegoats for any instances of misunderstanding or coincidences. These women were also relied upon (“wise women”) to serve their villages and towns with their knowledge of herbal medicines and remedies––far more than any doctor at the time, and far more successful. Whether people (particularly men) were offended or threatened by them for their poverty and illiteracy, or for their expertise in something one was not familiar with, or for the plain fact they were female and it offended one’s masculinity, these “wise women” were sought out and accused of witchcraft. In the case of the Pendle witches, they were poor, possible mentally abused and traumatized, and neighbors as well––perhaps there was a long familial rivalry and things just snapped––and immediately were the ones blamed for all bad luck in the Lancaster area.

  In a way, Hall makes us examine just how much we’ve “grown” from these trials. We still have prejudices against the poor, mentally ill, and boundary-pushing women, all who are still at risk of being pushed down, silenced, and minimized. They’re not witches anymore, but they’re still “unwanted” members of society.

  Politics aside, I was enamored with the writing, the power behind the story, and all that women were still able to do (in very roundabout ways) in order to stand with each other on the right side of justice. Excellent, atmospheric novel!

  This qualifies as book 3 of 10 in my library books challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2019 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: historical fiction, review

• 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 | 1 Comment | 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

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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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