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  • Tag: genre: holiday

    • Book Review: “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street” by Karina Yan Glaser

      Posted at 6:35 am by Laura, on January 9, 2018

      The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

      Publisher: HMH BFYR
      Published: October 2017
      Genre: middle grade, contemporary
      ISBN: 9780544876392
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5

      The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It’s practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.

      The five Vanderbeeker siblings adore their home in Harlem. It’s close to their parents’ work, it’s close to school, their best friends live nearby, all the coolest people (the mailman, the baker, their elderly neighbors next door) greet them each day — what’s not to love? Well, The Beiderman — Mr. Beiderman, as Dad keeps reminding them — is not too great. He’s not letting the Vanderbeekers renew their lease, and he’s kicking them out of the building before Christmas!

      This book is, in many ways, a love letter to Harlem, to neighborhood camaraderie, to homes that are more than a space to live in with a roof over your head. It’s a great story about family and perseverance, silly antics, imaginative and creative children, friendship, and neighborly love. Even though it’s set during the Christmas season, it’s perfect for any time of year.

      The siblings believe The Beiderman is a crochety old man because he has never known joy in his life. So what he needs this Christmas is some good ol’ cheering up — and that’ll make him renew their parents’ lease. They come up with all sorts of clever, funny, and silly ideas, from bringing up tea to delivering scheming notes a la noir crime, to delivering a kitten in a box to playing a violin with such passion and determination it makes the man cry.

      The Beiderman’s history comes about in pieces, fitting together like a puzzle till the very end with the violin music, and — like most Grinch/Scrooge tales — a change of heart and understanding of character. It’s a good, heartwarming story, bound to be a favorite for middle grade readers. There’s a character for everyone in here!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: holiday, genre: middle grade, review, rock my TBR
    • Book Review: “Girl Online” by Zoe Sugg

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

      22510983Girl 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: “Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares” by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

      Posted at 7:51 pm by Laura, on October 19, 2014

      Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 9780375859557_p0_v2_s260x420

      Publisher: Ember
      Published: October 2011
      Genre: young adult, romance, holiday
      ISBN: 9780375859557
      Goodreads: 3.88
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      “I’ve left some clues for you.
      If you want them, turn the page.
      If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

      Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a cosmic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

      Dash, a snarly word buff who’s done with the whole concept of Christmas, stumbles across a red notebook next to his favorite books at The Strand. The directions inside send him all over the store to solve a riddle and answer a dare. Intrigued, he follows through, and waits his next turn. Lily, the instigator and lover of all things festive, continues with the red notebook dares, thrilled to have something to look forward to while her immediate family is away for Christmas. Soon enough, the daily interactions between Dash and Lily across NYC leave them wondering: do they want to meet in person, or would that destroy their notebook persona?

      This is a teen rom-com if I ever read one. There are moments in this book that are outrageously hilarious and entirely implausible, and yet it’s so perfect for who Dash is and for who Lily is that it simply works. It’s like online dating, only a bit more fun, organic, and mysterious. Dash and Lily don’t know one another, yet their interactions through the notebook reveal their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and dreams, successes and failures. They’re their true selves — albeit somewhat edited (because, heck, sometimes writing/speaking to a perfect stranger is easier than face-to-face confrontations) — are in that notebook. Their fear of shattering it and desire to genuinely meet war within, and it’s exciting!

      A short holiday read, perfect with cookies and cocoa. It made me wish to visit NYC again in the winter, and that’s saying something!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 8 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: holiday, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review
    • Book Review: “Let It Snow” by Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle

      Posted at 2:43 pm by Laura, on November 16, 2012

      Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, & Lauren Myracle

      Published: October 2008
      Publisher: Speak
      Goodreads: 3.96
      Rating:
      ★★★

      Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

      This will be divided into three different parts, as it is a collection of short stories!

      The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson: 5 stars

      Jubilee — or Julie, as she tells other people instead — has been dating the perfect guy for over a year and is getting ready to head to his parents’ holiday party Christmas Eve when she finds out her parents have been arrested at a blow-out collectors’ sale. She is sent on a train to visit her grandparents in Florida, but the train is unable to get through the massive snowstorm. This is when she meets Stuart, a charming, dorky, loveable guy who takes her under his wing and to his mother’s home for comfort.

      I’ve never read any of Johnson’s books, and this short story alone has convinced me to start! It was absolutely hilarious, heartfelt, and touching. The characters and all their quirks were so raw and honest, I wished they were real! I’m in love with this piece; so much so that I have to share my all-time favorite passage:

      Maybe you’ve never fallen into a frozen stream. Here’s what happens:
      1. It is cold. So cold that the Department of Temperature Acknowledgement and Regulation in your brain gets the readings and says, “I can’t deal with this. I’m out of here.” It puts up the OUT TO LUNCH sign and passes all responsibility to the…
      2. Department of Pain and the Processing Thereof, which gets all this gobbledygook from the temperature department that it can’t understand. “This is not our job,” it says. So it just starts hitting random buttons, filling you with strange and unpleasant sensations, and calls the…
      3. Office of Confusion and Panic, where there is always someone ready to hop on the phone the moment it rings. This office is at least willing to take some action. The Office of Confusion and Panic loves hitting buttons.

      Right then and there, Johnson convinced me to check out her other books.

      The Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green: 3 stars

      Tobin, JP, and the Duke (whose name is really Angie) are sitting around watching Bond movies late Christmas Eve when a friend calls in and demands they trudge through the snow and join him and his coworkers at the Waffle House. Turns out there’s a hoard of cheerleaders camped there due to the issues with the train, and this is a big deal. Tobin and JP take the bait and drag the Duke along for one tail-spinning (pun definitely intended) adventure Christmas morning!

      I’ve read a few of John Green’s books before, and am very familiar with his characters’ wit, one-liners, and outrageous antics. Unfortunately, the lengths the boys go (and later, JP, as Tobin begins to slow a bit toward the end) to reach the Waffle House for the sake of cheerleaders — to the point of risking near-death in every scenario — seemed a bit ridiculous and out-there. I loved the Duke’s commentary, and I think she was the one grounding bit about the story. For every adoring phrase about cheerleaders, she had something to counter it. She was the witty voice of reason. The fact that not once throughout the several hours did the boys give up made the piece a bit unbelievable — surely they’re cold and tired and thinking the cheerleaders aren’t worth the risk — but it was still a fun read.

      The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle: 1 star

      Addie is fresh out of a break-up and needs comfort from her friends. She hopes that by being assigned the task to pick up her friend’s teacup piglet from the pet shop during her break from work at Starbucks will ease her sorrows. What starts off as a simple task turns into a transportation and financial disaster!

      I’ve never read Myracle’s work, and I’m sorry to say this did not convince me to read any more. Addie was entirely unlikable, constantly bemoaning her break-up and nit-picking every single detail within the first several chapters. When she heads to work the day after Christmas, her coworkers even bring up how self-absorbed she is — Addie even admits it to herself! It truly made for a difficult read. The teacup piglet was adorable though, and Myracle had the difficult task of tying everything together at the end, admittedly rather clumsily.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: holiday, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Reviews: “The Nutcracker” and “The Night Before Christmas”

      Posted at 4:16 pm by Laura, on November 3, 2012

      Or, in other words, “Book Reviews: Children’s Picture Book Edition!” These are classic tales, so why would we need to review them? Because there are some twists and new illustrated editions out there, and what better way to promote them than review them?

      Image

      The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers

      Published: 2007
      Publisher: HarperCollins
      ISBN: 9780060743864
      Goodreads: 4.13
      Rating:
      ★★★★★

      New York Times bestselling artist Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker unlike any that has gone before, with a lovely spare text based on the ballet.

      This is the perfect gift to share with children before they see The Nutcracker. Everyone who has seen the ballet will cherish it–as will anyone who enjoys stories where love triumphs.

      Everyone knows the story of the Nutcracker. Either they’ve seen the ballet, heard the symphony, danced in the ballet, played the music, or read various books. This, however, is a unique book! Here, Susan Jeffers has combined the true Russian tale — both romantic and terrifying — with the ballet. The artwork reveals movement, the characters look like they are dancing. Play the music with each passing page and you’ve got a real experience in your hands for children to enjoy!

      Image

      The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, Charles Santore

      Published: 2011
      Publisher: Applesauce Press
      ISBN: 9781604332377
      Goodreads: 4.32
      Rating:
      ★★★★★

      Since it was first published anonymously in 1823, the poem “The Night Before Christmas” has enchanted children with the story of St. Nicholas climbing down the chimney and filling all the stockings before springing back to his sleigh. Many families read the poem every year, and now they have an edition to treasure. The poem, faithfully reproduced here, is accompanied by Charles Santore’s lavish illustrations.

      I love this edition! The one I grew up with, Jan Brett’s beautiful illustrations, was stunning enough. When I opened this book and gazed at Santore’s artwork, I was blown away. I especially enjoyed opening and unfolding several pages to reveal more of the poem and the accompanying artwork. One day I hope my children will be as enchanted.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: children, genre: classics, genre: holiday, goodreads, review
    • 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 knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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