Tag: genre: contemporary

• Mini Reviews V

  Posted at 8:35 am by Laura, on April 13, 2016

  Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

  Publisher: Viking Children’s
  Published: March 2016
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  Rating: ★★.5
  Summary: Destined to wind up “wed or dead,” Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she’d gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan’s army, with a fugitive who’s wanted for treason. And she’d never have predicted she’d fall in love with him, or that he’d help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

  Mini Review: Everything that didn’t work for me could very well be the Golden Words another reader seeks in a book. I adored the Middle Eastern-inspired aspect of this fantasy (the Buraqi, the landscape, the history), but did not care for the gun-slinging Old West vibe (which I wasn’t keen on in the first place). I liked how badass Amani was, yet at the same time I felt as if I didn’t know her well enough to feel a deep connection to her character, one that singles her out among the other YA fantasy female protagonists. I liked how intricately plotted this was, but on the other hand I felt this was more plot-driven than character-driven (and I’m very much a character-driven reader).

  

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  This qualifies as book 3 of 5 of the “Flights of Fantasy” Challenge, hosted by Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books and Rachel @ Hello, Chelly.

  This book also qualifies as book 3 of 10 library books in 2016. 

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  Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

  Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
  Published: May 2015 (ppbk)
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  Rating: ★★★★
  Summary: Before Sloane, Emily didn’t go to parties, she barely talked to guys, and she didn’t do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—someone who yanks you out of your shell. But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. There’s just a random to-do list with thirteen bizarre tasks that Emily would never try. But what if they can lead her to Sloane? Getting through Sloane’s list will mean a lot of firsts, and with a whole summer ahead of her—and with the unexpected help of the handsome Frank Porter—who knows what she’ll find.

  Mini Review: Morgan Matson is another auto-buy/auto-read author for me. Her books tend to be summer-themed with strong friendships at the heart of the story. Though this friendship felt more one-sided to me throughout most of the book, it was still a friendship that propelled Emily’s character growth in a natural way. Without Sloane’s list, Emily would’ve sat at home, bored to tears. This list kicked her butt into gear and created a whirlwind, adventurous summer! What was great about the list (I’m a huge fan of lists) is that even though it’s definitely meant to bring Emily out of her shell and explore, it doesn’t seem outrageous or forced. The cute romance on the side was unassuming, too, and blossomed naturally. Check out my full review (and ice cream and playlist!) over on Lindsey’s blog, Bring My Books!

  

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  This book qualifies as book 3 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 8 Comments | Tagged books, flights of fantasy, genre: contemporary, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, mini review, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “When We Collided” by Emery Lord (ARC)

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on April 5, 2016

  When We Collided by Emery Lord

  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Publishing Date: April 5
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781619638457
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Vivi and Jonah couldn’t be more different. Vivi craves anything joyful or beautiful that life can offer. Jonah has been burdened by responsibility for his family ever since his father died. As summer begins, Jonah resigns himself to another season of getting by. Then Vivi arrives, and suddenly life seems brighter and better. Jonah is the perfect project for Vivi, and things finally feel right for Jonah. Their love is the answer to everything. But soon Vivi’s zest for life falters, as her adventurousness becomes true danger-seeking. Jonah tries to keep her safe, but there’s something important Vivi hasn’t told him.

  Meet Vivi: bubbly, energetic, artistic. Meet Jonah: reserved, responsible, quite the talent in the kitchen. When Vivi and her mother move to quaint Verona Cove for the summer, she wants nothing more than to feel free and impulsive, her true self. It’s a chance meeting at the pottery shop that brings her to Jonah, a boy overburdened with adult responsibilities due to his father’s death and mother’s shut-in mourning habits. They cling to one another — Vivi to Jonah because he’s good, kind, relaxed, and easy-going; Jonah to Vivi because she shows him how to feel free and find beauty in the small things — but by the end of the summer, Vivi’s zest for life almost becomes too much.

  The book is told in dual POV, and that alone makes Vivi and Jonah’s personalities that much more interesting and contrasting. Vivi is free-spirited and artistic, so naturally her narrative tends to be a wordy, head-in-the-clouds, stream-of-consciousness thought process. Jonah’s dealing with grief and responsibility, burdens on his shoulders he’s too young to carry, and while it weighs him down he still finds reasons to carry on each day. But if you were to look at their narratives separately — all the Vivi chapters together, all the Jonah chapters together — the growth and development is astounding. You can see, bit by bit, Vivi’s mania going into overdrive. You can see Jonah begin to crack and grieve properly, allowing him to move on. And at the turning point, when everything collides, then stabilizes…it leaves you breathless.

  Lord is known for her friendship stories. There would always be a romance involved, but it was the friendship that made her work stand out. While this new book is primarily a romance, friendship continues to pervade the pages. Vivi befriends everyone in town, and falls in sync with Jonah’s family. Jonah relies on his friends and practically-family in the restaurant. The support network for these two, separate and together, is beautiful and authentic and so true to life. You could know someone inside and out and still not know them. The deepest, darkest secrets.

  Another thing I loved about this book is how Lord handles feminism and mental illness. She’s a huge advocate online for both, and for that I think of her as one of the strongest women in our generation. She’s forward and upfront about everything, no ounce of “airing dirty laundry.” This book sounds like her, and it’s a comfort to see how she manages to weave everything together. It’s a progressive book, a book for men and women, adults and teens, friends witnessing friends with mental illness, individuals suffering from mental illness themselves, girls of all kinds expressing themselves in all ways without shame, boys doing the same and respecting girls as human beings. It’s all so beautiful.

  Can I please just have lunch with Emery Lord now? Please?

  Thank you, Lindsey, for providing this book received from Bloomsbury for review! 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016 | 4 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Lady Renegades” by Rachel Hawkins (ARC)

  Posted at 4:45 am by Laura, on March 19, 2016

  Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins

  Publisher: Putnam
  Publishing Date: April 5
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780399256950
  Rating: ★★★

  Read my reviews for Rebel Belle (book 1) and Miss Mayhem (book 2) before continuing with this review!

  Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenaged girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from.  Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town, which means her life is on the line yet again.

  Now, it’s a desperate race for Harper to find and rescue David before she backslides from superhero to your garden-variety type-A belle.

  After several weeks of what proves to be a boring, average summer, Harper and Bee begin to wonder just how immediate and threatening David’s powers actually are. They don’t need to wonder for long, because Paladins begin attacking Harper one after another, all claiming David sent them to kill her. Harper and Bee need Blythe’s help to find David before his powers get out of control and Harper’s dwindle away.

  The comedic elements in the trilogy were a bit lost in this final installment (bummer!) and replaced with a quest (road trip) and more magic (thanks, Blythe). Harper’s so caught up in her anxiety — losing her powers, losing David — that a lot of her more humorous one-liners and observations took a backseat. Secondary characters took on the funny lines, so it’s not all doom-and-gloom suddenly in this energetic, Buffy-esque trilogy.

  I’m not quite sure what I expected from Lady Renegades, except that it wasn’t this…and yet it was. I could guess the ending off the bat, but I’m here for the journey. The journey part is what deviated from my expectations. Getting from A to B took some random pit-stops in bizarre places with strange people, with surprises here and there to the plot and general story arc. And while it was odd…it worked. For that, I’m pleased. What is absolutely guaranteed, in this book and the others, is Ladies Kicking Butt. *applause*

  These three girls pile into a car for two weeks and travel across the south to little podunk towns, bars, flee-markets, and motels in their quest to find David. Each stop reveals more clues, which all point in the direction Harper hopes it wouldn’t. Time is ticking before the start of senior year — if Harper actually gets to experience senior year with rogue David on the loose — and Harper’s not sure what the future has in store for her or Pine Grove.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from GP Putnam’s Sons BFYR for review!

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  This qualifies as book 2 of 5 of the “Flights of Fantasy” Challenge, hosted by Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books and Rachel @ Hello, Chelly.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2016 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, flights of fantasy, genre: contemporary, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review

• That One Time I Binged on Kinsella…

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

  

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

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

  

  

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

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

  *exaggeration, I promise

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

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

  **I don’t even know

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

  xxx

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

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

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

  Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Book Review: “Future Perfect” by Jen Larsen

  Posted at 5:30 am by Laura, on January 25, 2016

  Future Perfect by Jen Larsen

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Published: October 2015
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780062321237
  Goodreads: 3.19
  Rating: ★★

  Every year on her birthday, Ashley Perkins gets a card from her grandmother: lose enough weight, and I will buy your happiness.

  Ashley doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the way she looks. She knows exactly how she fits into her life, wide hips and all. But no amount of arguing can persuade her grandmother that “fat” isn’t a dirty word—that Ashley is happy with her life, and her body, as it is.

  But Ashley wasn’t counting on having her dreams served up on a silver platter at her latest birthday party. She falters when Grandmother offers the one thing she’s always wanted: tuition to attend Harvard University. Ashley wants it—she can’t deny it. But their annual negotiation has upped its stakes—Grandmother wants her to get weight-loss surgery in return for the money.

  As Ashley grapples with the choice that little white card has given her, she feels pressured by her friends, her family, even administrators at school. What’s a girl to do when the reflection in her mirror seems to bother everyone but her?

  Ashley Perkins is valedictorian at an advanced high school, has a wonderful, artistic boyfriend, supportive friends, and a killer resume for college applications. But her grandmother doesn’t see that. All she sees is her granddaughter’s weight, and how it could influence her admission into Harvard. When Ashley receives the tempting note from her grandmother on her birthday — free tuition for four years at Harvard if she gets weight-loss surgery — she grapples with the price of her dreams and her priceless worth.

  Before diving into this, I was looking forward to reading another kind of body book and was curious about its premise. While Dumplin’ was very body positive, embracing all shapes and sizes and health, this one tackles another kind of issue: what if the protagonist does care what others think about her weight?

  I am the sum of my parts. Everything I’ve ever done and everything I’ve ever
  achieved and everything I have ever been. Fat and smart and afraid and
  fierce and angry and brave all together right here, and every piece of the
  puzzle fits the way it’s supposed to and I can’t pretend anymore.

  Ashley’s passionate and determined and hard-working, destined for greatness.I was on board with her anxiety before her birthday, the tension and build-up and pacing that would become Turning Point 1 in the novel. But after receiving the note (and everyone getting all up in her business with their opinions on what she should do with her own body and future), her ultimate decision in Turning Point 2 seemed a bit lackluster. I’m not sure the Ashley at the beginning of the book would’ve gone in the direction Ashley at the end of the book did, but is that the character growth? I don’t know. Nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do with your life, especially when you’re a teenager, but Ashley’s reasons for going to Harvard pre- and post-note almost seem unimportant. Surely someone with her resume could also receive scholarships, right?

  I guess I’m just unsure about the delivery of the ending. It could be inspirational; it could be a cop-out. I’m on the fence about it.

  What was completely unexpected was how integral her friends’ lives (and their own journeys they tackled) were in the book. Jolene, transgender, and Laura, a free-spirit artist, have a lot on their plates. I was interested in each of them, but to the same degree and intensity I was interested in Ashley. So whose story am I supposed to invest most of my time in? Is this book about finding your own direction in life, regardless of what people say? If so, I think it was halfway to meeting that goal. I really wanted to read about Ashley. Save Jolene’s powerful story and Laura’s interesting one for other books to let all these voices ring properly.

  Again, I’m unsure. There are good things in here, and moments of greatness (like that quote! YES!), but I think too much was attempted for one book. Body perception and health is quite the issue, and Ashley was a strong character. I wanted more.

  This fulfills book 1 of 10 library books in 2016. 

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

• Top Five Books of 2015

  Posted at 5:05 am by Laura, on December 20, 2015

  

  The most difficult post: selecting five fantastic books from the 66, as of December 20th, I read this year! Thankfully, the season rewind helped me narrow down my favorites from the year even further.

  

  

  

  A Madness So Discreet || Daughter of the Forest || Into the Dim

  A MADNESS SO DISCREET by Mindy McGinnis is, by far, the best YA book I read this year. Historically set, a close analyzation of mental illness and suffrage, and a thrilling mystery throughout. Also? No romance. YA can be successful without romance, folks.

  DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST by Juliet Marillier because I can’t get enough of Marillier and she needs to be on every top list ever ever ever.

  INTO THE DIM by Janet B Taylor is not available to the public yet (not till March!), nor have I posted a review for it yet (not till February!), but wow. This was the answer to a YA Outlander, with a more scientific/less-fantasy spin.

  

  

  Under a Painted Sky || The Royal We

  UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee grabbed me from the very first line. Simply written, an unusual (“unusual” in that it’s rarely written about) point in American history, with a variety of characters and backgrounds. An absolute joy to read — and I can’t wait to read Lee’s future work!

  THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan is purely my candy choice. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it was an immediate winner for this royal-phile. You could call it my guilty pleasure, if you want. I loved it.

  Honorable mentions: The Lake House by Kate Morton, The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.

  Which books made it to your Top Books of 2015 list?

  Posted in books, Update Post | 9 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, top five books

• Book Review: “Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon

  Posted at 2:17 pm by Laura, on December 16, 2015

  Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

  Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
  Published: September 2015
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780553496642
  Goodreads: 4.03
  Rating: ★★★.5

  My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

  But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

  Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

  Maddy is allergic to everything. She only interacts with her mother and Carla, her nurse. Everything other contact must go through a decontamination chamber for an hour and not be sick/have been around sick people, cannot touch Maddy, and cannot introduce new foods or clothes or fabrics to Maddy. No open windows or doors. Shaded spaces. Cleanliness. But then a family moves in next door, and Maddy’s interest in the world outside reawakens. Her curiosity over this noisy, rather abusive family is heightened when their son, Olly, manages to find a way to interact with Maddy. He clearly wants to find a way out of his own cage, and Maddy is the answer. For Maddy, Olly is her answer, too.

  I was drawn far more to Maddy’s experience of the world — seeing everything through her eyes and wondering how much of her life was a ticking clock — than the romance. The romance was a great way to propel her out of her house (talk about an even faster, heart-pounding ticking clock!), but I was not drawn to the romance mostly because I wasn’t drawn to Olly. It seemed real enough, sure, and they discuss whether she loves him because she genuinely loves him or because he’s the only one she’s interacted with — but even still, if it weren’t for the romance, for that enticing slice of the Outside, Maddy wouldn’t have left her home.

  Or discovered all the shocking things after leaving home. *dun dun dun*

  Not only was Maddy’s situation an interesting and unique one — absolutely fascinating, this “bubble baby” scenario — but this book is another good tool to discuss mental illness and the impact it has on everyone outside of the primary individual. YA is loaded with mental illness books through the eyes of the mentally ill, rather than the friend or family member witnessing it and experiencing it from another perspective. Maddy, Olly, Carla, and Maddy’s mother all express and experience love in different ways. It’s amazing how love can inspire or hinder us. Love is worth everything, and everything is worth love. It’s how we act upon it that define who we are in this world.

  Enhanced with the supplementary images, charts, tickets, and IM convos, this novel will send you for a spin across two extremes in environment: experiencing a pristine, glass world, and a world of chaos and vibrancy.

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

• Book Review: “The Lake House” by Kate Morton (ARC)

  Posted at 5:35 am by Laura, on October 7, 2015

  The Lake House by Kate Morton 

  Publisher: Atria Books
  Publishing Date: October 20
  Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, mystery
  ISBN: 9781451649321
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Living on her family’s gorgeous lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, clever, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented fourteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

  One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest son, Theo, has completely disappeared. Vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined, leaving their estate as empty as their sunken hearts.

  Nearly sixty years later, having enjoyed a long, successful career as an author, Alice is now eighty years old and living in London. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked and sets off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.

  Alice Edevane is a mystery writer in the making, plotting out stories and taking notes in a tiny journal she carries with her everywhere. But she could never conjure — let alone solve — the mystery that would plague her family for the rest of her life. The youngest Edevane, Theo, disappears in the middle of a massive Midsummer’s Eve party, never to be seen again. Generations later, Sadie Sparrow, a London detective on leave for overstepping boundaries in a child abandonment case, stumbles across the estate in Cornwall while visiting her grandfather. The mystery of the missing Edevane fills her mind, bringing her right to award-winning mystery writer A.C. Edevane’s doorstep.

  First off, all hail Kate Morton. Lindsey, Morgan, Jessie, Katie, and I had a wonderful readalong with this book. Feel free to browse #KMflails! Morton delivers a fantastic novel yet again, only more intricately plotted, more points of view, more timelines than ever before. While House at Riverton and The Secret Keeper are still my favorites, Morton would never disappoint me.

  The surprise narrator of the story was Eleanor, Alice’s mother. She was a surprise because, well, she’s not mentioned once in the publisher summary. Yet her part in the mystery is key, and she’s an incredibly intriguing character. Her own growth across the book was palpable, and my heart ached for her, the poor mother with the missing boy. What a fantastic storyline for her. Pay attention to Eleanor!

  Alice’s narrative, at least in her teen years, was rather irksome. She reminded me of Briony in Atonement — self-entitled author-in-the-making, devising up plots and stories behind every individual and muddling it within a crime scene. I nearly wanted to wring her neck when her young narrative popped up. But older Alice? Quietly hilarious and witty. She’s that sassy grandmother I’m sure everyone wants in life. I nearly envisioned her as a modern day Agatha Christie.

  Sadie’s narrative was frustrating at first — why is she on leave? why does she feel guilty? who are these people she keeps mentioning? what do they have to do with the case that got her into trouble? why does the Edevane story bother her so much? — but, as Morton always does, you’re brought around to understand all the hidden layers when Sadie feels its appropriate to expose them.

  I can’t say too much without exposing the mystery. But this is a classic Morton piece, where a family mystery tied to a beautiful home all come together in the end. It’s never picture-perfect, but it’s bound to break your heart. It’s such a joy to experience reading all these parallel narratives and how that interconnect up to the final conclusion. I’m looking forward to this hitting the shelves!

  Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book from Atria Books for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, goodreads, 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 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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