Tag: books

• Book Review: “A School for Unusual Girls” by Kathleen Baldwin

  Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on June 10, 2015

  A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

  Publisher: Tor Teen
  Published: May 2015
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction, romance
  ISBN: 9780765376008
  Goodreads: 3.69
  Rating: ★★★

  It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don’t fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.

  After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts…

  Georgiana knew her parents were upset and humiliated to have an odd daughter, one who’d burn down the stables or attempt flying off the top of the manor. So when they left her at Stranje House after witnessing several of the finishing school girls in medieval torture devices, she’s stunned and devastated. But things are not as they seem at Stranje House, and her scientific curiosities to create an invisible ink to end Napoleon once and for all are encouraged. With the help of her friends and Lord Sebastian Wyatt, Georgie is propelled in an adventure like no other, a mission that could save several thousand men, and would surely shock her parents beyond belief.

  I knew going into this book that I would enjoy the spies-and-espionage aspect of the story. Toss in a finishing school that’s not as it seems and I was sure this would be a favorite. While it’s not on my favorites list, it’s definitely a book I’m glad I read. It was like an action-packed version of Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty, only without the magic. Science drives the mission, and ultimately alters the Napoleonic history.

  What knocked my rating down from an automatic 5 to 3 stars was the pacing, more specifically the pacing of the romance and the reveal of the mysterious Stranje House. Georgie and Sebastian are thrust together to create this invisible ink, and within six days they’re practically pawing each other and drowning in kisses. I’m not saying that can’t happen, but at this point they’d only been in the other’s presence maybe three times, and each interaction is filled with directionless bickering-written-as-banter (one of my least favorite romance tropes). Secondly, I knew going into the book that Stranje House was not a finishing school but training grounds for young female spies. While it wasn’t as straightforward as Lee’s A Spy in the House, I almost wished it would be. About halfway through the book a character finally spills the beans to Georgie (who is, apparently, incredibly intelligent, so why did they have to spell it out to her? All the clues were there) and explains what the torture devices were for and what their classes are meant to instill.

  While I do appear to be groaning about the faults, I can honestly say that I did enjoy this read. It was a blend of Bray and Lee’s books, and I was absolutely fascinated by the chemistry sessions in creating the ink. As a non-science person, scenes like those are always intriguing (my concoctions always exploded in class). It was quick, fun, filled with swoony moments (if that’s your style!), and I’m interested to see what the next book brings. They really do alter Napoleonic history, so it’ll be neat to see what Baldwin does next.

  Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book from Tor Teen for (a belated) review! 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: sci-fi, genre: young adult, review

• #ReRead2015 Book 3: Anna and the French Kiss

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on June 8, 2015

  

  Hannah @ So Obsessed With and Kelly @ Belle of the Literati are hosting a new, fun challenge for bloggers in 2015: The Re-Read Challenge! Not much of a “challenge,” per se, because why wouldn’t you want to re-read and re-experience some of your favorites? Sign up and start re-reading!

  Book #3 of 2015:
  Anna and the French Kiss

  

  

  WHEN I First Read

  July 2014! I started it on the plane to Denver, where I was going to spend a girls’ weekend with my surrogate sisters. I blazed through about half of it on the flight, and then stayed up late into the night/early morning finishing the rest.

  WHAT I Remember

  What sticks out to me the most in my memory of reading this book was the fluttery, giggly feelings I had while reading it. I loved that first love confusion, the study abroad experience, that Étienne wasn’t your standard, hulking male lead (come on, he’s three inches shorter than Anna! Most girls stop interest if a guy’s shorter!), and that there’s a scene when he calls Anna out on her need for cleanliness.

  HOW I Felt After Re-Reading

  As you can see from my updates, I rediscovered a lot about this book. Nearly every chapter had a comment on Anna’s part regarding the cleanliness of a place — the water in a park pool, the way objects rest on shelves, the sheets in another’s room — and it was stated early on that her ex Matt disliked her Atlanta crush Toph. I paid more attention to what was going on with Étienne this time around. While I dislike the fact he took so long to end things with Ellie (and essentially cheated on her constantly with Anna, even if it wasn’t physical), I completely understood where he was coming from. His life really was in turmoil, and he tried so hard to keep things the same, yet wanted so badly to change things for the better. I’m still giggly and fluttery, although I think I’d rate this book 4.5 instead of 5 (Isla is my favorite!) in hindsight.

  WOULD I Re-Read Again

  Oh yes, though I don’t think I would go to this two summers in a row. Maybe next summer I’ll read Lola!

  ~

  What books have you re-read recently?

  Posted in books, ReRead2015, Reviews 2015 | 7 Comments | Tagged books, reread2015

• First Book Expo America Experience

  Posted at 5:30 am by Laura, on June 6, 2015

  

  Part of me wants to dedicate this post to Jenny Han, because her launch party for PS I Love You the night before BEA really kicked off the whole experience in a good place.

  Over the years, I’ve watched the BEA phenomenon from all facets of the industry — from publishers on twitter, bloggers chatting online, to grad school friends coming back from NYC with dents in their shoulders. BEA was the Con of Cons for book nerds, and I’ve heard all sorts of stories, good and bad, that prepped me for my first trip last week.

  To see how my experience went, feel free to browse #LCsurvivesNYC

  

  Lines. Galleys everywhere. Crowded. Crazy awesome. Crazy overwhelming. Impossible to find food and water. Grabby hands. Biting mouths. Pushing. You’re-screwed-without-a-plan mentality. Sore feet. Aching back. Confusing layout. Amazing authors. Highly anticipated books. Big announcements. Night parties. Lots of time with others. What happens at BEA stays at BEA.

  In short, it sounded intense and wild, almost like sensory overload for this introvert. It’s not hard to be excited about books, especially when everyone else surrounding you is just as thrilled, but I wasn’t sure if I could handle that kind of rush for three days in a row in a city that’s never appealed to me in the first place.

  So what did I do?

  I made a plan! 

  • First thing’s first: food. I cannot travel anywhere without having a billion snacks on hand. I brought four quart-sized bags (one for each day + emergency pack) of goodies that included to-go applesauce, to-go peanut butter cups, chewy bars, and gummy bears.
  • Feet. I work in retail part time, so my feet know what it’s like to work nearly 40 hours a week constantly moving and standing. This wasn’t a huge concern for me, but I did want to wear something that could withstand BEA as well as the NYC sidewalks and subway.
  • Galleys. To prevent a billion galleys shoved my way that wouldn’t be read, I created a spreadsheet of books to look for (based on pub dates, information from imprints about author signings, BEA announcements about galley drops, etc). The sheet was then color-coded by level of importance (MUST HAVE to GRAB IF SEEN to MEH YOU CAN PASS) and arranged by booth number, with notes about signings and drop dates. Pretty soon I had it nearly memorized. Clearly five of those books were super important to me if I was able to memorize them.
  • Learning the subway. Unlike many of the people I knew who were going, I was going to travel back and forth from the hotel to Javits to publishers’ offices and back again each day. My time was going to be spent under Manhattan, really. So I downloaded the NYC metro app and Google Maps (both free!) to navigate the city.

  

  Intense lines only on Day 3. Galleys everywhere on the hour, and gone quickly. Crowded on Day 3 but Days 1 and 2 were spacious enough. Crazy awesome. Crazy overwhelming. Easy to find food and water. Polite conversations. Go-with-the-flow mentality. Sore legs. Easy layout. Amazing authors. Highly anticipated books and unique surprises. Little time with others. Night parties. Sharing BEA with others.

  It was everything and nothing like I expected. I went to BEA as a literary agent, spending about half of my time outside of Javits in meetings with editors and my agency. But the second I was in Javits, though my nametag said Literary Agent, I felt like I donned my blogger hat (for the galleys and hugs) or bookseller hat (browsing the catalogues and future publications).

  Toss the plan!

  • Be kind. I didn’t witness shoving and biting, though I did see a very young blogger cry over not getting a book (again, Day 3. Day 3 was more along the lines of what I expected all of BEA to be).
  • Network! I mingled with educators, librarians, publicists, editors on the floor and at their offices, and ran into and hugged many bloggers (Jamie, Jess, Lauren, Sarah, Ellie, Brittany, and Alexa in particular) and met new-to-me ones as well (Alyssa, Gillian, Michelle, Andi, Allison, Mandy, and Nikki).
  • Not everyone experiences BEA the same way, so it’s good to share galleys. Ashley, Lindsey, and I searched for books for bloggers who couldn’t grab a drop (Kelly) or couldn’t be at BEA (Morgan).
  • The food is easy to find. There’s nothing I can say about the food — in terms of quality or expense — but I can say that it’s everywhere and very tempting.
    • Searching for a meal outside Javits? I can highly recommend Serafina for breakfast, Macbar for lunch, and Hallo Berlin or Tír Na Nóg for dinner!
  • Keep calm. The people who came in with plans for the books to grab seemed more flustered than those of us making networking connections or waiting for our top five to arrive to the floor. Yes, it’s important to know who is signing what where, and when what is dropping where. But what’s more important? Also, have you breathed yet?
  • And as for all those other galleys people were passing out — if I didn’t want it, I didn’t grab it. It’s perfectly fine to do that. Someone else is on the hunt for that copy you don’t plan to read, so leave it for them.

  BEA is not a competition over how many books you can grab. It’s a place to reunite with or make new friends, hold business meetings over the future of the industry, discuss the art of writing, and make connections with marketing and publicity. It’s a professional setting, and I’m happy to report that my experience in and out of Javits maintained that atmosphere (that is, until Day 3). Maybe it was the people I experienced it with or maybe it’s because I expected something horrifying. Either way, Year One of BEA was a success.

  (And I didn’t get lost on the subway! #LCsurvivedNYC)

  

  BEA will be in Chicago for 2016, which is just a couple hours away. It would be crazy to not attend next year. My primary purpose to attend BEA is to get in touch with folks in NYC — otherwise, I’ve a feeling I would not be a regular attendee. Being an agent requires keeping up with the business and the business is in New York year-round, not just BEA May. The galleys are great and the people are great, but this little introvert who loves grass and trees and open skies would much prefer to meet others (the bloggers and readers) in a smaller, more intimate gathering than a convention. I do not regret it one bit, but despite planning and tossing said planning, it was still an awesome (the true meaning of the word!) experience.

  And now, for the part you’re most curious about…

  

  

  Days 1 & 2: Books I Actively Searched For

  Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy || My Secret to Tell by Natalie Richards
  Curiosity House by Oliver & Chester || Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales
  The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon || Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham
  The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands || Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart

  

  Days 1 & 2: Gifted Books

  Love Always (sample chapters) from Swoon Reads || Awake by Natasha Preston
  Auggie & Me by RJ Palacio || The Song of Hartgrove Hall by Natasha Solomons

  

  Days 1 & 2: Books I Waited in Line to Get Signed for Others

  Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly || City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

  

  Day 3: Book Drops and Sneaky “Got Any More of Those”

  Beastly Bones by William Ritter || Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins
  None of the Above by IW Gregorio || Symphony for the City of the Dead by MT Anderson

  

  Day 3: Signed Books for Me

  Never Never by Brianna Shrum || Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall
  This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

  

  Days 1-3: Perks of Being a Literary Agent (receiving books not on the BEA floor)

  Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit || Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
  Velvet Undercover by Tori Brown || Blood Song by Anthony Ryan

   Have you been to BEA before? What was your experience like? Are you planning to go to BEA in the future? Have you received any of these ARCs/know anything about them? Have you met other bloggers? Share your thoughts!

  Posted in books, Update Post | 15 Comments | Tagged bea, book expo america, books, personal

• Mini Reviews II

  Posted at 7:05 am by Laura, on June 4, 2015

  Mini Reviews

  Quick, bite-sized reviews of fast, enjoyable reads!
  A penny for thoughts, a snappy two-cent reflection! 

  Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

  Publisher: Pantheon
  Published: April 7
  Genre: adult fiction, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780804197953
  Rating: ★★.5
  Summary: The summer after she graduates from university, Emma Woodhouse returns to Highbury, where she will live with her health-conscious father until she launches her interior-design business. In the meantime, she will offer guidance to those less wise than she is in the ways of the world. This summer brings new faces into the sphere of Emma’s not always perfectly felicitous council: Harriet Smith, a naïve assistant at the ESL school; Frank Churchill, the stepson of Emma’s former governess; and, of course, the perfect Jane Fairfax.

  Mini Review: While I own one of the Austen Project novels, I’d yet to read one. I also haven’t read Smith before, so my only comparison is to the original Austen (also, not my favorite Austen novel). When I read this contemporary retelling, I found it entertaining — certainly had that Austen voice — but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Contemporary is meant to not only be set in our time, but also have today’s mannerisms and culture and dialogue. I was expecting an English version of Clueless or Emma Approved. Smith did such a great job writing like Austen that I actually had a hard time believing this was set in the modern day (again, not sure if this is Smith’s normal writing style or if this is part of the Austen Project guidelines). This is also a very condensed version of the original, with only the major events stringing together nicely across a summer. The downside: less George. I wanted more George and Emma interaction! All that aside, I felt the characters’ backgrounds fitting for modern day — Emma as an interior designer, for one — and the satire amusing. If I loved the Austen novel more, I may have enjoyed this one more, as well.

  This qualifies as book #3 in my resolution to read 10 library books in 2015. 

  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

  Publisher: Random House Audio
  Published: November 2011
  Genre: memoir
  ISBN: 9780307939814
  Rating: ★★★
  Summary: Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

  Mini Review: I listened to this in the car on the way back from BEA, and I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed it. Mindy is nothing like her characters on television. She’s funny, insightful, and intelligent. Every story she told felt honest and true, and she managed to make me laugh without using vulgarity or racism. Her memoir managed to make me believe we were best friends.

  This qualifies as book #4 in my resolution to read 10 library books in 2015. 

   The Girl with the Glass Bird by Esme Kerr

  Publisher: Chicken House
  Published: March 2015
  Genre: middle grade, mystery
  ISBN: 9780545699846
  Rating: ★★
  Summary: Orphan Edie’s been sent to Knight’s Haddon, a private boarding school, by her uncle to investigate the disappearance of a precious crystal bird that belongs to his client’s daughter. Anastasia, a Russian royal, has a fragile disposition and a melodramatic bent — or so the headmistress and all the other girls say. Edie’s assignment is to find the missing glass bird, befriend the troubled blueblood, and keep a watchful eye on her. When the two girls uncover a dangerous plot, how can they stop it and who can they trust?

  Mini Review: I was expecting something a bit more adventurous and mysterious. While I really enjoyed Edie’s character — she certainly doesn’t do well as a spy, but it was fun to watch her attempt to sneak around — I found myself drawn to the adults in the story. With every turn of phrase, with every tiny scene alone in their minds, I was drawn to that aspect of the mystery more than what the girls were up to. This book also contains a lot of fears over mental illness as well, paranoia and the like, and I wasn’t sure if it worked. I’d recommend this book to light mystery readers in need of a boarding school setting.

  This qualifies as book #5 in my resolution to read 10 library books in 2015. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: contemporary, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, genre: nonfiction, mini review, review

• Book Review: “The Royal We” by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

  Posted at 6:00 am by Laura, on June 1, 2015

  The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

  Publisher: Grand Central
  Published: April 2015
  Genre: fiction
  ISBN: 9781455557103
  Goodreads: 3.91
  Rating: ★★★★★

  American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it’s Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain’s future king. And when Bex can’t resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

  Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick’s sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he’s fated to become.

  Which is how she gets into trouble.

  Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she’s sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.

  Rebecca would’ve thought twice about making a syphilis joke in front of Prince Nicholas if she had known Prince Nicholas was the one opening the door to her Pembroke home at Oxford University. But she didn’t meet Nicholas — she met Nick. Nick, an insomniac who pigs out on Twinkies; who runs before dawn just to find a quiet, outdoorsy place to work on crossword puzzles; the young man obsessed with Devour, a strange American TV show that blends humans, witches, vampires, and leopards in a small town. One night on the town, Nick solidifies his place in Bex’s heart, and the two can’t look back. But loving Nick also means loving Prince Nicholas and all that entails: media, family secrets, tight social circles, and keeping up appearances. On the night before their wedding, Bex wonders if giving up who she was almost a decade ago is really all worth it.

  England is the motherland, and I am their loyal [American] subject! So when The Royal We came out (perfect timing for HRH Princess Charlotte’s birth), it was an automatic buy and immediate read. This is a fictionalized — although recognizable in many respects — Will-and-Kate story. All the best characters are there, from the gorgeous sister Lacey constantly making the papers to the younger, more charming brother Prince Freddie. Prince Richard, Nick and Freddie’s father, is a distinguished figure though not loved by many, and Queen Eleanor is quite regal and humorous to boot. But what really makes The Royal We stand out are the secondary characters. I haven’t seen secondary characters this fleshed out in adult fiction in quite some time. I fell in love with Cilla and Gaz, with Bea’s posh-ness and Marj’s strict code, and even with Clive to some extent. Nick and Bex rely on their close Oxford circle, and the way they bring Bex into the fold from the very beginning is endearing and wonderful and made me miss college.

  Bex’s family is remarkable. While I was invested in the Nick-and-Bex story, I found her interactions with her family deeply compelling. She’s away from them for most of the novel, but they influence her decisions every day. Bex is close with her father, and he has a way of bringing her mind down from the clouds. Lacey, her twin sister, is competitive in every aspect of their lives without it feeling like a competition, and yet her selfish personality made her downfall somewhat inevitable. Despite all of this, she and Bex are incredibly close, and they go through their ups and downs as any adult sisters would.

  The same could be said with Nick and Freddie. The Heir and the Spare. Freddie is fun and playful, trying to make it into the papers the further Nick’s immersed in the family politics and responsibilities — something to distract the public from what’s going on underneath. He was obnoxious and fun, and soon he cracked and gave a glimpse of his character on the inside. I couldn’t help but feel deeply for him! The whole family, really. From the Queen Mum cracking jokes and whacking people with her cane, to drunken aunts and snobby cousins, to the cold father and mysterious mother. This family is full of secrets, and it was thrilling to discover each one as Bex moved deeper into the circle.

  Nick and Bex grew as characters as time moved on. Like life, I didn’t notice how much they had grown up independently and together till I re-read the first couple chapters again. It was amazing how Cocks and Morgan could immerse the reader into this story and show the progression of Nick and Bex’s relationship from college students to adults, secret to public, private to daily media, and broke to royal. Though the story may seem familiar, The Royal We can definitely stand on its own. It’s a dream come true smashing headline into the reality of modern celebrity, and it was a phenomenal ride!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 7 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: romance, review

• Advance Excitement at a Glance XV

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on May 25, 2015

  

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

  Last week I talked about my summer reading plans (instigating a book-buying ban, being more selective about the ARCs I read, tackling my TBR shelves). So it seems a little odd to keep up with the AE@aG posts — didn’t I just say I wasn’t going to read that many ARCs?

  Yes, I did. I severely cut down the list. While I’m looking forward to the success and reception of Hotel Moscow (June 2), The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly (June 9), Every Last Word (June 16), and Between the Notes (June 16), I’m a bit more excited about the following books in particular (and maybe I’ll read a third or fourth — it all depends!).

  
  The Tide Watchers by Lisa Chaplin
  (William Morrow, June 9)

  In the tradition of Jennifer Robson, comes this compelling debut that weaves the fascinating story of a young woman who must risk her life as a spy to help stop Napoleon’s invasion of Great Britain in the winter of 1803.

  Believe me, there’s a much longer blurb about this, and it just sounds so good! I’m not as familiar with this part of history, so I’m looking forward to the characters, plot, and setting with this one.

  

  Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
  (HarperTeen, June 23)

  Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

  This book is getting a lot of buzz — has for months — but before I even realized it was a buzz book I knew I had to get my hands on it. Kidnapped? Time lapse? Perfect for Sarah Dessen fans? Give it to me, already.

  I’m hoping to also read Between Us and the Moon for that light summer romance craving we all love and adore, and The Book of Speculation because I’m deeply curious to see how Night Circus fans (and book fanatics) will receive it.

  See how this could’ve turned into another April Hot Mess? This would’ve been a June Hot Mess. It’ll already be hot enough this summer — no need to boil me alive.

  What books are you looking forward to in June?

  Posted in Advance Excitement, books | 2 Comments | Tagged advance excitement at a glance, advance reading copy, books

• Stepping Back for the Summer

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on May 23, 2015

  As my career as an agent has taken off, I’ve found it’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the growing pile of TBR published books and ARCs. My priority reading belongs to my authors and potential clients. ARC reviewing is less fun when there are too many to read mixed with incredibly close deadlines (April, anyone?). When I look at the pile due for review the next month, my stomach fills with dread.

  This summer, I’m making a change. I’m going to focus the majority of my time and energy (outside of agenting) on the books I’ve purchased across the years and haven’t read yet.

  ARCs won’t be entirely off the radar, though. I’ll read one or two each month. These ARCs are ones I’m genuinely excited about and can’t imagine not reviewing.

  EDIT 5/23 @ 8:50pm: Writers, I am not closed to queries.

  But how do I choose what to read?

  Hannah @ So Obsessed With recently wrote a post on cutting back ARCs. The ARCs you choose to read are the ones you think you’ll really enjoy and be more than happy to review. When I started blogging, I wanted to read ARCs so that I could keep up with the industry and make this blog more accessible to others.

  But now, with two feet in three doors — agenting, bookselling, and blogging — it’s just too much. There’s no point in buying books published years ago if I never read them, just like there’s no point in requesting ARCs for books getting a lot of hype/sounds vaguely interesting if I never read them or end up DNFing anyway.

  I’m choosing to read books that, if they were on the shelves right now, I’d pick up out of personal interest. This can be based on the author, the plot, the connection I have to that particular imprint or editor — not the hype or the cover or vague, generic, maybe-it’ll-be-good, meh feeling.

  It’s time to step back and remember how to enjoy reading, before blogging ever happened. I’m going to be selective about the ARCs I read, stash away my wallet for this book-buying ban, and browse my TBR shelves for the next good read.

  What are my reading goals this summer?

  • A book a week. Though I read much faster than a book a week, I think 8-12 sounds about right for pacing purposes. I don’t want to feel rushed (like when reading ARCs), plus I’ve my livelihood — reading manuscripts — that I need to keep up with. It’s summer. It’s the time to be a little slow and laid back, right?
  • #ReRead2015. I’ve got to read at least two books from my #reread2015 list. It was like being sucked into a blissful vortex of rehashing memories this winter, and I’m sad haven’t been back since. I liked that vortex. That’s a nice vortex.
  • YA historical. Um, hello, I bought all these great books and haven’t read them yet! What is wrong with me?
  • YA contemporary. There’s a handful of summery, romancey, contemporary books that have been out for a while. I’ve definitely missed the bandwagon on them, but I’m happy to trot along far behind the tracks.
  • Adult historical. Talk about a mountain of adult fiction books! So many reviews, so many recommendations, to the point where it feels like I’ve read them already — but I haven’t! I want to cry and fall in love and learn (my favorite part of historical fiction). Let’s get started.

  Share your reading habits!

  Have you had similar reading lulls or pressures? How are you managing your book reviewing time? Do ARCs take first priority? Have you gone on a book-buying ban? What are you planning to read this summer? Share your thoughts and ideas!

  Posted in books, Update Post | 4 Comments | Tagged books, personal

• Book Review: “Letters to the Lost” by Iona Grey (ARC)

  Posted at 7:00 am by Laura, on May 21, 2015

  Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey

  Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
  Publishing Date: May 26
  Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9781250066770
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Late on a frozen February evening, a young woman is running through the streets of London. Having fled from her abusive boyfriend and with nowhere to go, Jess stumbles onto a forgotten lane where a small, clearly unlived in old house offers her best chance of shelter for the night. The next morning, a mysterious letter arrives and when she can’t help but open it, she finds herself drawn inexorably into the story of two lovers from another time.

  In London 1942, Stella meets Dan, a US airman, quite by accident, but there is no denying the impossible, unstoppable love that draws them together. Dan is a B-17 pilot flying his bomber into Europe from a British airbase; his odds of survival at one in five. The odds are stacked against the pair; the one thing they hold onto is the letters they write to each other. Fate is unkind and they are separated by decades and continents. In the present, Jess becomes determined to find out what happened to them. Her hope—inspired by a love so powerful it spans a lifetime—will lead her to find a startling redemption in her own life.

  A young woman on the run from an abusive boyfriend and a terrible situation breaks into a small English home and comes across a shoebox full of WWII letters. The letters are written by the same man who recently sent a desperate plea to a Mrs. Thorne to get back in touch with him — a letter dropped through the slot that Jess opens out of curiosity. The letters transport Jess back in time, to London 1942, to US airman Dan and sheltered vicar’s wife Stella. They stumble across one another in a bombed-out church, searching for Stella’s bracelet. As time progresses, their friendship-through-letters turns into something much more, and Stella struggles to find a way out of her destructive sham of a marriage.

  At first this book had a lot going for it — nearing five stars for this WWII fanatic — and for a while I was convinced that, as a Kate Morton fan, I would adore this. Dual timelines are hard, historical fiction is hard, and getting the reader to fall in love with the parallel stories is even harder. And that’s where my love for it dwindled away: I didn’t care one bit about Jess. Her story — on the run from a bad situation and seeking solace in a quiet place before getting back on her feet — was compelling at the beginning, but then she latched on too quickly to the next man to come into her life (Will, and he’s another (boring) story) and became dependent on a male once more. I didn’t believe it, I didn’t enjoy it, and I felt her story could have been so much stronger if it went in a different direction.

  But Dan? Dan and Stella totally made up for it. Stella was a poor orphan who, once she was of age, became the housekeeper at Charles Thorne’s vicarage. She didn’t know what love was, so when Charles proposed — and this meant having her own home and building a family, things she didn’t have growing up — Stella’s overjoyed. She quickly learns there’s something off about their marriage, and begins to wonder if it’s her fault. (Oh no, honey, it’s definitely not you!) Enter Dan: charming in a quiet and chivalrous way, not at all cheeky or boisterous like the other Americans roaming London. He helps her find jewelry she’d lost, and they decide to have lunch together. Lunch turns into an exchange of letters, which turns into “when are you on leave next?” and “let’s go on a weekend trip together” and “how can we get you out of this marriage and start over?”

  I know that sounds predictable for a WWII romance, especially when the characters not only have a war to deal with but also an entire body of water if the war ever ends and they’re both still alive. But it’s really not that predictable. I had no idea if their plans would work, I didn’t know why Dan was reaching out to her in modern day (did things not work out, and why?). They’re full of love and fire and logic that everything seems possible and yet hopeless. The modern time portion of the narrative gives us a trail of clues to follow, and that was enjoyable up to a point (cue Jess and Will rants).

  Lindsey @ Bring My Books and I had a long conversation about this. We love Dan just like we love Jamie and Red, and we really felt something for Stella. Their story was beautiful and heartbreaking and we wanted more. We also wanted to shove Jess in a broom closet till she examined her life and looked at her choices, and we wanted to kill off Will (not even going to bother more comments on him) so that no reader would ever need to read his passages. If you want to know the definition of “weak,” I’d point you to this storyline.

  That being said, I’m definitely going to watch out for Iona Grey’s next books. Stella and Dan won me over, and if Grey’s publications follow that line I’m on board!

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Thomas Dunne Books for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, goodreads, review

• Top Ten Tuesday: YA Historical Fiction TBR

  Posted at 6:35 am by Laura, on May 19, 2015

  Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten FREEBIE. So what did I choose? Top Ten YA Historical Fiction on my TBR, mostly because I’ve recently acquired quite a lot of YA historical fiction.

  

  

  

  

  

  Take a journey to . . . Tudor England.

  I stumbled upon The Lacey Chronicles while browsing Book Outlet, and asked a couple historical fiction bloggers if they’ve read or heard of it. This trilogy came out a few years ago, all set during Elizabeth I’s reign, and each with intriguing heroines and good romances. Sounds about right for a Tudor court!

  Katherine Longshore was the reigning Tudor writer in my eyes, but I think that’s only because her books were more recently published. Of them all, I’m most interested in Brazen, set during Henry VIII’s reign and around the time of the marriage to Anne Boleyn.

  

  

  Take a journey to . . . France and Denmark.

  Belle Epoque is a repoussoir, a book about a girl who’s not just a companion but the person who stands by her mistress’s side in order for the mistress to appear more interesting and beautiful. A far more serious version of a DUFF, in a way, and a true trick used in history among the aristocracy.

  For all those Shakespeare lovers out there, Ophelia is a historical retelling of Hamlet, and it sounds epic. I’m all for Shakespeare retellings, and Ophelia’s character is quite possibly one of the most haunting of all.

  

  

  

  

  Take a journey to . . . the early- to mid-1900s.

  From a gilded age murder mystery to WWI spy networks, WWII codes and spies and torture to 1950s Southern mystery, I’m bound to sink my teeth into something with all the secrecy!

  Honorable mentions: The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller, Unsinkable Mercy Wong by Stacey Lee, Beastly Bones by William Ritter, A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

  Who says YA historical fiction doesn’t sell? Clearly these books are showing them who’s boss!

  What are some of your favorite YA historicals? What did you choose for your TTT this week?

  Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 12 Comments | Tagged books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, top ten tuesday

• Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Want to Meet

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on May 12, 2015

  Top Ten Tuesday, a concept started by The Broke and the Bookish, is a themed post that connects bloggers to bloggers, bloggers to readers, and readers to readers. Every Tuesday has a special topic, and this Tuesday is Top Ten Authors I Really Want to Meet.

  

  I’m assuming this meant authors who are still alive today. That is why Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen aren’t on this list. (That is the only reason why they are not on this list.) Those who are on the list are ones I’m dying to have a face-to-face conversation with. I want to take them out for coffee/tea/long islands and chat books, movies, music, history, travel, life. But I guess a short meet-and-greet in a signing line would be fine, too…

  Rainbow Rowell
  I’ve seen that you’ve been to my city so many times and yet, every single time, without a doubt, I’ve been working that day. Curses!

  Stacey Lee
  Thank you for writing Under a Painted Sky. Seriously.

  Anne Blankman
  And along that same vein of YA historical fiction: thank you for writing Prisoner of Night & Fog and Conspiracy of Blood & Smoke.

  Megan Shepherd
  Good thing I’m (hopefully) meeting you at BEA!

  Kate Morton
  Where in the world do you come up with these great stories?!

  Juliet Marillier
  Same to you – how do you do this? You make me fall in love with fantasy the way no author ever has.

  JK Rowling
  Because of reasons.

  Jenny Han
  I hear you’re fabulous. Good thing I’m (also hopefully) meeting you at BEA!

  Sarah Dessen
  Once again, you’re an author I narrowly missed meeting this month because of work. You are my go-to YA author, and it would be a pleasure to finally meet you.

  Patricia Bracewell
  I just want to pick your brain and chat English history with you. Can we do that? Please?

  Honorable mentions: Jodi Picoult, Erin Morgenstern, Sara Raasch, Charles Finch, and Tana French

  Which authors made it onto your Top Ten list?

  Posted in books, Top Ten Tuesday | 12 Comments | Tagged authors, books, top ten tuesday

• 

• 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!

• Search the Blog

  Search for:

• Currently Reading

  

• Book Review Rating Key

  ★★★ — It’s good
  ★★★★ — It’s great
  ★★★★★ — OMG LOVE!!!

• Recent Posts

  • MSWL for 2026
  • Favorite Reads of 2025
  • Deal Announcement: Nina Moreno, YA Romance
  • Deal Announcement: Sharon Choe, YA Fantasy
  • Deal Announcement: Hanna R. Neier, MG Historical/Contemporary