Tag: books

• Book Review: “Miss Buncle’s Book” by DE Stevenson

  Posted at 8:00 am by Laura, on January 22, 2015

  Miss Buncle’s Book by DE Stevenson

  Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (org. Farrar & Rinehart)
  Published: 2012 (org. 1934)
  Genre: fiction
  ISBN: 9781402270826
  Goodreads: 4.03
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Barbara Buncle is in a bind. Times are harsh, and Barbara’s bank account has seen better days. Maybe she could sell a novel … if she knew any stories. Stumped for ideas, Barbara draws inspiration from her fellow residents of Silverstream, the little English village she knows inside and out.

  To her surprise, the novel is a smash. It’s a good thing she wrote under a pseudonym, because the folks of Silverstream are in an uproar. But what really turns Miss Buncle’s world around is this: what happens to the characters in her book starts happening to their real-life counterparts. Does life really imitate art?

  Mr. Abbott doesn’t know what to make of this “John Smith” and “his” book Disturber of the Peace. Is “he” an idiot or a prodigy? Is “he” incredibly simple or full of wit and satire? When Miss Barbara Buncle fesses up to being “John Smith” and writing what she knows — literally — Mr. Abbott is beside himself and can’t wait to publish her book. But Silverstream, Miss Buncle’s quaint English village, is not quite ready to read about their town, exposed so nakedly to the public eye. Soon enough, the events in Miss Buncle’s book — the portion she actually used some imagination for — begin to unfold in real life, and fiction and reality start to blur.

  What a charming read! At first I found the writing a bit jarring. The narrative jumps between characters within the chapters. But once I got into the flow, I found I couldn’t put this book down. It’s very much a product of its time in terms of style and execution, but you can find remnants of good old English storytelling in today’s BBC shows. I couldn’t help but think of Doc Martin when reading this.

  My favorite thing about this book — apart from it being a book about a book — was how everyone responded to Miss Buncle’s book and scurried around her, gossiping in front of her, scheming within earshot about discovering the author’s true name. Some cute romances blossomed from this as well, whether or not they were inspired or nudged by the book. Seeing this little town fall down a rabbit hole of a tizzy was very entertaining. It makes me wonder how many people swear up and down they’re a character in an author’s book. (And it must have happened often enough to warrant the disclaimer at the beginning of every fictional work!)

  A delightful read, perfect for an afternoon tea when BBC television just can’t cut it for the day!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: historical fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Girl Online” by Zoe Sugg

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on January 18, 2015

  Girl Online by Zoe Sugg 

  Publisher: Keywords Press/Atria
  Published: November 25, 2014
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance 
  ISBN: 9781476797458
  Goodreads: 3.81
  Rating: ★★★

  Penny has a secret.

  Under the alias GirlOnline, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her quirky family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse at school, her parents accept an opportunity to whisk the family away for Christmas at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. There, she meets Noah, a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love—and capturing every moment she spends with “Brooklyn Boy” on her blog.

  But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover—and her closest friendship—forever.

  Penny has a lot of thoughts, and she’s encouraged to write them down to keep them from bouncing all around her head. So she starts a blog. It’s a very successful blog, with wide readership and encouraging, loving comments. Penny can connect to these people — but not so much in real life. She’s a klutz, she gets panic attacks, she’s awkward around toxic people in her life. Her only friend is her gay next door neighbor, another outsider who goes to a different school. When Penny’s mother is given a special job in NYC for Christmas, her whole life turns around completely: she meets Noah, a boy who seems to understand her without her explanations. But there are things she doesn’t know about Noah, and discovering these secrets could turn her world — and his — upside down.

  I watch Zoella’s videos off and on — my brother and I especially love the ones she and her brother do together — and when I saw she wrote a book, I couldn’t wait to read it! There’s been debates out there about a ghost writer doing most of the writing, and whether or not that’s true, I can say without a doubt that this book is entirely in her voice. Reading it felt like listening to her in her videos. And because of that, I fell in love with Penny.

  Penny is awkward and panicky yet adorable and intelligent. She knows how to connect with people — even if it is through her online portal and anonymity. This is what makes her so sweet and relatable for today’s audience. Her best friend Elliot is wonderful too — and his flawed moments are so genuine and real that their friendship felt modern as well. Best friends are never perfect. Best friends share secret jealousies as well. And best friends always come back together over a good milkshake!

  While Noah was amazing as well — so very kind and considerate with Penny — I focused so much more on the pacing of the novel. I was relieved to see that the “whisking the family to NYC” bit was about 100 pages in rather than right away. This allowed for a solid understanding of who Penny is, the dynamics with her family, with Elliot, with Elliot and the family, and between Penny and her school friends. We get a proper peek into her life before it’s turned around completely on the family trip. Even when Penny comes home from the magical NYC holiday vacation, nothing feels rushed.

  Finally, I loved how Sugg handled online criticism in the book. Penny loves her blog, and more so because her readers love her. But when she comes home from NYC and secrets leak, she’s the victim of a lot of online hate. And it really messes with her. Anyone in the digital age can relate — and who more so that a YouTube sensation vlogger-turned-author? Thank you, Sugg, for sharing another version of bullying. I especially loved this part of Penny’s blog:

  Every time you post something online you have a choice.

  You can either make it something that adds to the happiness levels
  in the world — or you can make it something that takes away.

  …Next time you go to post a comment or an update or share a link,
  ask yourself: is this going to add to the happiness in the world?

  There were a few small, quirky Britishisms and Americanisms scattered around. The voice was fun and sweet, and very young teenager. This is perfect for someone just getting into YA fiction — and if you’re in for a holiday read! Give this to another digital-type friend — they’ll probably really relate to this too!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: holiday, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “I Was Here” by Gayle Forman (ARC)

  Posted at 7:45 am by Laura, on January 15, 2015

  I Was Here by Gayle Forman

  Publisher: Viking Juvenile
  Publishing Date: January 27
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, new adult
  ISBN: 9780451471475
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

  Cody’s sick of the memorial services and candlelight vigils. These people didn’t know Meg, not like she did. They were two peas in a pod, unstoppable together. And now Meg’s gone — Meg, the sparkling girl full of life and energy, the girl who went and drank poison in a hotel room and planned every last detail of her death. Cody agrees to pack up Meg’s stuff at college, and discovers that Meg was hiding more than her death wish. Angry at the secrets and torn up with grief, Cody decides to sift through Meg’s email and internet history, hoping it can clue her in on her best friend’s final months. What she finds is more than she bargained for.

  This is not a YA book about suicide. This isn’t even a YA book about healing and forging beautiful friendships. It is a YA (what really needs to be the proper NA) book entirely about grief and coming to terms with difficult situations. Cody does form unlikely friendships and she does, in a way, heal, but she takes you on her journey through grief and all the distraught emotions that come with it.

  Cody and Meg’s bond is very clearly a strong one, filled with love and respect and trust. A small, unspoken rift occurred shortly after Meg left for college near Seattle and Cody stayed in their tiny “hick” town. But Cody’s absolutely sure it wouldn’t take a rift in their friendship to force Meg over the edge — she was too full of life. Meg had timed a good-bye email to be sent to her parents and to Cody shortly after she committed suicide, and Cody hopes she can find answers there. Snooping on Meg’s computer started off innocently enough, but when Cody finds a gap in Meg’s sent mail, she knows something was up. Privacy is a luxury not afforded for the dead, and the people Cody meets along the way that help her on her quest teeter between respecting a deceased friend’s privacy and appeasing their desire for relief.

  Like If I Stay, I was neither here nor there with the love story. It was something of a third or fourth interwoven plot line, one that still felt genuine but was not the drive. Cody’s determined to understand her friend’s death, struggling to keep a distance from Meg’s housemates and failing, and trying to figure out where she fits into Meg’s family now that their daughter is gone. While the love story bloomed naturally, with the expected difficulties and divided emotions, it’s definitely more of a side-plot. This novel is, first and foremost, about friendship.

  Forman managed to tackle yet another tough issue in modern young adult lives with taste and authenticity. Every character the reader happens upon is a genuine human, equally talented and flawed, loving and hateful. Grief is a very powerful emotional process, especially when someone so bright dies so very young. Well done, Forman.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: new adult, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Geek Girl” by Holly Smale (ARC)

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on January 12, 2015

  Geek Girl by Holly Smale 

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Publishing Date: January 27 (originally published in UK, Feb 2013)
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780062333575
  Goodreads: 3.86
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Harriet Manners is tired of being labeled a geek. So when she’s discovered by a modeling agent, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. There’s only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Does she have what it takes to transform from geek to chic?

  Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious new trilogy. It was also the #1 bestselling YA debut of 2013 in the UK, where it was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Best Book for Teens. With all the humor and fabulous shenanigans of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Geek Girl is about to become an international superstar.

  Harriet Manners is definitely the girl to take on trivia nights — she watches documentaries, researches random events, figures, and cultural concepts for fun, and stores it all away in that big brain of hers. Unfortunately, she’s a “polar bear in a jungle,” a misfit in her class, and bullied every day for being a geek. She only has one friend, Nat, and Holly promised Nat she’d go to Birmingham with her for a fashion event. It’s Nat’s dream to be involved in the industry, so when Holly is discovered by a modeling agent, it causes quite the rift between the girls. Not to mention Holly’s confusion over her sudden fame in the fashion world. How is she supposed to transform from a geek to a model when she’s attacked by every loved one?

  Harriet is incredibly charming, witty, and funny. Strange things happen around her each day at every turn, and watching her stumble through the social etiquette made me both laugh and wince. This girl is intelligent, but her social fumbles really place her as an outcast. For example, before she’s whisked away to Russia for a fashion shoot, she stays up all night researching the history of fashion, and ends up spouting trivia to other models that are completely unrelated to current fashion trends, like the origin of cufflinks.

  Everything about Geek Girl is a comedic whirlwind of snappy dialogue, fast action, and exaggerated caricatures. A quick read, and despite the humor and wit, it truly does speak volumes about bullied young adults with unbridled enthusiasm and curiosity. It takes time — as it does for everyone in life — to realize she doesn’t need to blend in to be spectacular, to conform with others and lower her intelligence to be liked and popular. She’s perfect the way she is, “polar bear in a jungle” and all.

  I’m very excited for this to be published in the US! Stacey gave great reviews for the trilogy, so brilliant that I was upset to find it was a UK publication. This will be a major hit in the US, and I can’t wait to read more on Harriet Manners!

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

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

• Book Review: “The Magician’s Lie” by Greer Macallister (ARC)

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on January 8, 2015

  The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister 

  Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
  Publishing Date: January 13
  Genre: historical fiction, mystery
  ISBN: 9781402298684
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★

  The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear. But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

  Young, infamous female magician Arden has one night to convince a police officer that she did not kill her husband on stage during one of her most notorious tricks: The Halved Man. While he wants her to begin her story with that particular night, she decides to tell him her life story, the story of how she became a magician. How else can he best understand any of her motives? From the pampered rooms in the city, to barns in the farmlands, from stage dances to railcar shows, Arden reveals herself little by little to the police officer. But is she lying? And if she is, is she lying about the murder — or herself?

  This really is a mixture of Night Circus — the elaborate lifestyle, traveling by train for a show a night, the magic of it all — meets Water for Elephants — the darker elements of abuse and psychological distraught. Arden’s life is governed by the desire to flee a boy who wasn’t right in the mind, a truly dangerous and terrifying character that left me just as much on edge as he left Arden. Arden’s desire to become a dancer is what lead her to the magic show, and her diligence, determination, and strict practice turned her into the success she is at the scene of the crime.

  The twist — the lie, and what kind of lie and where in the story and why — is what really kept me moving. The breaks between Arden’s story and her open discussions with the police gave the reader some insight as to where she might potentially be lying, but I’ll admit I almost skipped those passages simply because it was an interruption in Arden’s story. My advice? Don’t skip those passages. Search for the lie not only in the tale she spins to the police officer — to you — but also in those interruptions. The tiniest lines can give you the clues. And you’ll be guessing all the way to the end.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for sharing this book from Sourcebooks for review!

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

• Advance Excitement at a Glance X

  Posted at 10:15 am by Laura, on January 3, 2015

  

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

  January is a huge month for new publications, and I can’t wait to share all the reviews coming this month! But I’ll only tease you with two right now: one YA that was hugely successful in the UK, and one adult historical fiction publishers are calling the next Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus.

  

  Geek Girl by Holly Smale
  (HarperTeen, January 27)

  Geek + runway = a hilarious runaway hit! This bestselling UK debut is full of humor and high-fashion hijinks—and now it’s coming to America. With all the humor and fabulous shenanigans of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Geek Girl is about to become an international superstar.

  Um, LOVE. I was hooked the moment I read Stacey @ PrettyBooks‘s review (feels like ages ago!). So excited to see it was coming to America — and you should be, too!

  

  The Magician’s Lie by Greeg Macallister
  (Sourcebooks Landmark, January 13)
  

  Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician’s Lie, a debut novel in which the country’s most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband’s murder –and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.

  What an intriguing premise. Not only will the policeman have to guess if she’s telling the truth, but so will the reader! Suspenseful, quiet yet dramatic, and a train show. Yes yes yes.

  Remember, on January 6th, Jennifer Niven’s debut All the Bright Places will hit stores! Be sure to nab yourself a copy, especially if you love The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park! Completely worth it. Several other amazing books come out in January, including Megan Shepherd’s A Cold Legacy and Patricia Bracewell’s The Price of Blood.

  Which books are you looking forward to in January?

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

• Bookish Resolutions

  Posted at 8:30 am by Laura, on January 1, 2015

  

  Book Expo America

  I’ve wanted to attend for several years now. While I lived closer just a few months ago, the draw to BEA is stronger than ever now that I’ve moved inland. Attending as a book blogger and bookseller and literary agent feels like the trifecta of incentive, so I’m hoping I can scrap enough together to make it back out east and experience the bibliophile chaos. Back-up: attend YALLfest or YALLwest.

  Reading 10 Library Books

  This was a resolution last year, and it was not upheld whatsoever. I’ve gone to the library, but I haven’t checked out books. I work in a bookstore that has a hardcover-exclusive library system for the booksellers, but I only took advantage of it once and didn’t even read the book. Lame. I need to do that right now, especially if I’m in the habit of buying hardcovers lately. Plus, there are so many books available in libraries that are on my TBR list. I should take advantage of this!

  Buy 1 for Every 5 Read

  I tried this last year, and it worked for a while. I was cranking out ARC reviews, occasionally read a book from my shelf, and then immediately purchased a book. But once my birthday hit (gift cards! Free books!), and then employee appreciation weeks (heavily discounted books!), and then the beginning of lit agenting (more gift cards!), I lost track of how many books I read to warrant how many I could buy. For shame. I have 175+ books I own but haven’t read, and I really need to start working on that.

  The Re-Read Challenge of 2015

  Having said that, I do want to reread some of my favorites. Belle of Literati and So Obsessed With are hosting a Re-Read Challenge, a break from TBR piles and re-experiencing our favorite books. (Thanks Lindsey for pointing this out!) It’d be nice to not feel the pressure of reading for the sake of reviewing, or reading before publication. Read more about the challenge the and books I chose here!

  Read 50 Books

  10 library books + 10 favorites = 20 already in line. The next 30 will be a mixture of ARCs, books I’ve purchased but haven’t read yet, and any new ones coming out in 2015. When you think about it, this really narrows down my selection. While I’ve surpassed my goal of 50 Books in 2014, I’m also not counting the endless number of manuscripts I read as an agent for potential representation, the hours of editing the acquired manuscripts, etc. So…in a way…50 books might be a bit difficult to reach this year.

  What are your 2015 bookish resolutions?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 6 Comments | Tagged books, personal, reread2015, resolutions

• End of Year Book Survey

  Posted at 8:00 am by Laura, on December 30, 2014

  

  This is the first year I’m participating in The Perpetual Page-Turner‘s End of Year Book Survey. Jamie is something of a goddess in the blogging world (I remember the first time I saw her I just stared in awkward silence. Guys, bloggers are real people! Who knew?!), and what started off as a fun recap on her blog has turned into an excellent way for other bloggers to catch up with each other and what happened to them/the blog that year.

  So without further ado, here are some of my reflections on my 2014 book life! Note: This includes all books read in 2014 – it doesn’t have to be published in 2014. 

  

  Number Of Books You Read: 67
  Number of Re-Reads: 0
  Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary YA & Fantasy

  

  1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

  This is way too hard. Thank goodness I made a Top Five Books of 2014 post! What pops into my head is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, but you could ask me this same question in an hour and I’d say something else. So many great discoveries this year!

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

  I was excited about Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, as well as The Secret Place by Tana French. I thought I’d love Lola as much as Anna but that wasn’t the case; and Secret as much as The Likeness. Though I didn’t love them like I thought I would, I still very much enjoyed the books!

   3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read in 2014? 

  Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch surprised me in a good way. Sometimes high fantasy YA can be just as cumbersome as high fantasy adult — and with loads of hype surrounding it, I was wary. I can be pretty picky about the fantasy I read. And sometimes those physically and mentally and emotionally strong female protagonists all blend together and become way too Mary Sue. But Meira stood out for me in this magical world. I can’t wait for the next book! Such a wonderful concept.

  I was also surprised by my disinterest in the first half of Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. Come on, more Jamie and Claire, right? I should love it! But I didn’t. Stupid, stupid France. The rest of the book was great, though!

   4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (and they did) in 2014?

  Recently, Anna and the French Kiss. Earlier this year (and pretty much always) it was Between Shades of Gray and Fangirl. Between wasn’t read in 2014, though. It’s just the book I’m always recommending to YA readers. Same with Night Circus — always recommending, even though I didn’t read in 2014. There was also Letters From Skye that I would recommend to historical fiction/war fiction readers, and they always buy it, but I wouldn’t say I pushed it on them. It was more of an excited suggestion!

   5. Best Series You Started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
  

  Best series started: Outlander, hands down.
  Best sequel: Possibly The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan.
  Best series ender: This is TOO HARD. The Caller by Juliet Marillier? Deliverance by CJ Redwine? Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins? The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness? Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor?

  2014, the year all of Laura’s favorite series ended.

   6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2014?

  ACK another hard one. Right now, let’s go with Gayle Forman.

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

  I read mostly within the genres I enjoy. Though I typically don’t read books with much (explicit) sex in it, Outlander was tipping the borderline. That’ll just have to be my answer.

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

  Action-packed: Geek Girl by Holly Smale (ARC), in a strange, non-action way. Every chapter ended with a witty cliffhanger, making me turn the pages fast. Review to come in January! 
  Thrilling: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman. So fascinating!
  Unputdownable: Anna and the French Kiss. I just…I couldn’t. I also read the book while on a mini-vacation with friends, and only got three hours of sleep that night because I simply couldn’t stop reading!

  Note: This is the only time I’ll ever use the non-word “unputdownable.” *shudders*

   9. Book You Read in 2014 That You are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

  So glad this was asked! One of my resolutions for 2015 is to participate in a 2015 re-read challenge. Anna and Fangirl are definitely on the re-read list.

  10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2014?

  The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston, hands down.

  11. Most Memorable Character of 2014?
  

  The men of the books! James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (Outlander). Matt Finch (Open Road Summer by Emery Lord). Etiénne St. Clair (Anna). Willem (Just One Day by Gayle Forman). Levi (Fangirl). I know that was more than one, but seriously, how can I narrow these down?

   12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2014?

  Oooooh. That’s hard. Maybe…Blythewood by Carol Goodman.

  13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2014?

  If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I really don’t know what I would’ve chosen if I were in Mia’s situation.

   14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2014 to Finally Read? 

  Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Seriously, why did I wait?

   15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2014?

  To belong to someone – I didn’t know it, but now that I think about it, it seems like it’s all I’ve ever wanted. To really be somebody’s, and to have them be mine. —To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han

  16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2014?

  Longest: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
  Shortest: One of the children’s picture books, most likely Edgar Gets Ready for Bed by Jennifer Adams

   17. Book That Shocked You the Most
  

  Oh, that’s hard! Possibly Dreams of Gods and Monsters, only because I had no idea what direction Taylor was going.

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

  JAMIE AND CLAIRE.

  19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

  The friendship and sisterhood between Lara Jean and her sisters in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. It’s so nice (and refreshing) to see realistic, friendly, companionable relationships between girls in YA books.

  20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 from an Author You’ve Read Previously

  This was a year of series completions and new author discoveries. Because of that, I wouldn’t say this book was a favorite, but it fits with “author you’ve read previously.” The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness would have to be the book.

  21. Best Book You Read in 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

  Jackaby by William Ritter (thanks, Hannah!).

  22. Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2014?

  Matt Finch (Open Road Summer) and Jamie Fraser. Actually, everyone mentioned in #11 fits here, too.

  23. Best 2014 Debut You Read?

  I really enjoyed A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. So unique! I’m feeling all the warm fuzzies just thinking about it right now.

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

  Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch, of course, for world-building. Most vivid setting belongs to Outlander. Gabaldon just goes to town describing the landscape.

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

  A Little Something Different and Geek Girl take the cake on this! Both made me smile and laugh out loud.

  26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2014?

  The Major’s Daughter by JP Francis made me cry, and as well as If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson.

  27. Hidden Gem of The Year?

  Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston, a picture book with vivid artwork and stunning writing.

  28. Book that Crushed Your Soul?

  Possibly Just One Day by Gayle Forman. How is it one can have such a wonderful, rebellious day in Paris, and wake up the next morning in a confused panic and not know what happened? The whole journey Allyson went through made my heart ache.

  29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2014?

  If not A Little Something Different, then Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohen, only because the concept is so fun. Texts From Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg is a great parody, as well.

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

  Panic by Lauren Oliver because it didn’t seem at all like any of her other books. It didn’t sound like her. The concept wasn’t what I was expecting. I was disappointed — and frowned a lot while I was reading.

  

  1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2014? 

  Lindsey’s Bring My Books and Morgan’s co-blog Gone With the Words, but I’m probably biased because we text each other every single day now.

  2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014? 

  Maybe one that’s not published yet, like I Was Here by Gayle Forman because of all the meaty content, or Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins because it was so fun. Usually when I write reviews they follow the same standard format and I do my best to stick to them. When I really enjoy the book, the format blurs, and the review may come across as sloppy — but it’s my fangirling showing through.

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

  The guest blog post with Lindsey for our Jane Eyre appreciation! Check out her post here, and my post there!

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

   Meeting Victoria Schwab (and other authors) at Children’s Book World in Haverford, PA! Second would be #TBTBSanta. That book swap was so much fun!

  5. Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2014?

  Becoming a literary agent! What a silly question 😉

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

  According to the stats, my most popular post of 2014 was “Plowing Through the Piles,” with the most views. Not surprised. It has pictures of my bookshelf, features a TBR jar, and exposes my insane Excel spreadsheet, haha. “Nonfiction Selections for the Bookish Fan” was also big, thanks to Ortberg’s retweet.

  8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?

  I was expecting more love on my Outlander review, only because I posted it in the middle of the first half of the TV show season.

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

  Not so much a discovery as an achieved goal — I visited Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, CO!

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

  I sure did! I set a goal to read 50 books again this year, and I surpassed that. I also unexpectedly read more ARCs than ever this year and set up a monthly update “Advance Excitement at a Glance” that I was able to keep up with as well.

  

  1. One Book You Didn’t Get To in 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

  Dream Boy by Mary Crockett and Madelyn Rosenberg and White Space by Ilsa Bick only because I’d purchased them with a friend with the intention we’d read those books together. Obviously we haven’t gotten around to it!

  2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2015 (non-debut)?

  Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman. Gotta know what happens to Gretchen and Daniel in their flight from Hitler!

  3. 2015 Debut You are Most Anticipating?

  Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, mostly out of curiosity. I mean, look at that cover!

   4. Series Ending/A Sequel You are Most Anticipating in 2015?

  There are so many, but what pops to my head right now is Maureen Johnson’s The Shadow Cabinet!

  5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2015?

  Reading: Find the nice balance between reading manuscripts, reading ARCs, and reading published books. I’ve stumbled around this fall and I think the new year will give me a chance at solid footing.
  Blogging: Re-reading more and sticking to my resolutions. I gotta stick to those resolutions!

  6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

  It’s already released in the UK, but I highly recommend Geek Girl by Holly Smale. It’ll be a debut here in the US and I’m beyond excited for it. Fully plan to push it into people’s hands.

   ~

  That was exhaustive and fun! What books were highlighted in your End of Year survey?

   

  Posted in books, Update Post | 10 Comments | Tagged books, End of Year Book Survey, personal

• Bookish Tidings from Bookish Friends

  Posted at 10:44 am by Laura, on December 27, 2014

  Earlier this month I dedicated a post to the bookish friends in my life. They each received books and little goodies for Christmas. Now’s the perfect opportunity to share what I received from them — and to tell you what exactly they received from me!

  Morgan, Lindsey, and Stina received . . . little vials with a slightly burnt scroll that said Expecto Patronum, to keep the darkness away. I ordered this from allthingsharry on Etsy. Morgan, Hannah, and Alyssa received . . . Between Shades of Gray, Jackaby, and Love Letters to the Dead, respectively. All purchased with eager enthusiasm at the bookstore. My #TBTBSanta recipient received . . . a sassy bookmark about how books don’t need batteries, cocoa mix and peppermint drops, Cinder, and a necklace from A Series of Unfortunate Events. The necklace was ordered from PaperHeartGallery on Etsy. The book and goodies were purchased at the bookstore.

  The first gift to arrive was from Lindsey, and Rossetti and I had a lovely time unwrapping each item and, in her case, climbing into one of the gifts: a tote bag.

  

  

  Mountains of chocolates and Starbucks-at-home packets, ribbon hair ties, a beautiful handmade ring, cleaning wipes for the obsessive cleaner (haha), socks, and books! I’ll admit I was a bit confused that I received the second book in a series, but figured I didn’t have to read it in order. It was far more exciting seeing how much thought Lindsey put into the gift!

  The second gift to arrive was from Morgan, the same day I received my #TBTBSanta gift. When I opened the box, I had to laugh. What catches your eye first?

  

  Was it Zayn? Cause that’s the first thing I saw. Haha!

  

  

  More chocolates, a wonderful candle, tea, gum, and two great books — one of them the first book in the series Lindsey sent me! They conspired with one another! Morgan also has really great book recommendations based on our many conversations. The thoughtfulness in her gift was incredibly touching as well.

  The book swap gifts with another Morgan, Hannah, and Alyssa were opened on Christmas day!

  

  What cracks me up is that the list we gave each other reflected our own reading preferences, and the books we picked from that list to buy and send off reflected even further our reading preferences. For example, I sent the three of them my list, which was mostly MG and YA or slightly dark in theme. Hannah chose to send me Pennyroyal Academy, which is light and fun and MG and a genre she wants to dive into. Morgan chose The Book of Lost Things, which is adult and dark and veering away from the genre she was most submerged in recently. Alyssa chose Made for You, a YA romantic thriller, something I think Alyssa loves without realizing it.

  

  My family purchased THE DIVINERS, my aunt and uncle UNDER THE WIDE AND STARRY SKY, and uncle THE MISTRESS OF ROSEMERE. All in all, a good Christmas!

   

  Yesterday was another great surprise, this time from Stina. She likes to send goodies year-round, and she puts so much thought into everything.

  

  She said to me, “What does one buy a Janeite who already has so many Austen copies?” Well, the graphic novel version, of course! I’m so happy she chose Marvel’s Sense & Sensibility, as Pride & Prejudice is not my go-to Austen novel despite owning multiple copies. The number of graphic novels I’ve read I can count on one hand, and Stina’s always introducing me to new media. So this is really exciting! There’s also the small Austen quote book — and Stina knows how much I love quotes.

  I’m thrilled with the gifts. Everyone put so much thought into it!

  What did you receive this holiday season?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 3 Comments | Tagged book swap, books, holiday, personal

• From My Secret Santa!

  Posted at 8:30 am by Laura, on December 20, 2014

  On a very bleak and busy Monday, three packages arrived from three amazing people, and one of those amazing people was Michelle @ Unraveling Books — my #TBTBSanta!

  

  

  Michelle sent a great, eye-catching box filled with goodies wrapped in One Direction paper. I had to laugh — Morgan, Lindsey, and I text each other daily and somehow, someway, the conversation turns to 1D. I thought maybe Michelle saw a Twitter conversation. Her response? “You like English things and I like 1D, I didn’t care what you thought!”

  

  

  The smaller goodies pertained to Harry Potter. Michelle mentioned in her card that she’s only ever seen the movies, and hoped I liked the Potter-themed goodies. Um, YES! A beautiful wooden bookmark and the best drink ever in candle form? Thank you!

  

  I gave her a list of 10 books to choose from — old and new, hardcover and paperback, YA and adult — and she picked a great one: Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern, the author who wrote PS I Love You. This looked cute and quirky, and it was recommended to me by Lindsey @ Bring My Books. A breezy version of David Nicholl’s One Day, one of my favorite books. Can’t wait to read it!

  What did YOU receive from your #TBTBSanta?

   

  Posted in books, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, holiday, TBTBSanta

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

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

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