Random Friday: Where Is Home?

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If you're a college student who lives on campus/away from home, this post is for you. 

You live in two places - your dorm room and your parents' house. You never have everything you need because your dorm room can't fit everything but you also can't bring all of your belongings home for each break.

You constantly have to have things mailed to you...or if you're lucky to live close enough, you go home for a weekend to do laundry and pick up something essential.

Most of all, you don't know where you belong, especially if you're a senior who is about to graduate and leave to find another new home.

And it doesn't help either, if your parents moved while you were in school. Illinois no longer feels like home to me (it did freshman year), Kentucky has never felt quite like where I belong, and Virginia is great, but I only have one friend here and I don't know the area super well. Most of my friends are in Kentucky, but they're about to be scattered to the wind. One of my best friends is still back in Illinois, but the last two times I've visited, my hometown didn't feel like my hometown anymore.

So where is my home? Is it with each of my friends individually? Is it in books? Is it a place I'm still searching for?

Review: Starry Eyes

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Grade: C
Release date: April 3, 2018
An e-galley was provided by Simon Pulse via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: After Jenn's YA retelling of You've Got Mail, I was psyched for her next book. Star-crossed lovers and camping made for an intriguing mix.
I think the plot with Zorie's family worked well, and I loved her relationship with her stepmom. That being said, the friendship relationships needed a little more work. Of course every book doesn't need to focus strongly on every relationship in a character's life, but I don't know, I just feel like friendship should be more important if an author is going to give a character friends. 
Camping doesn't happen in YA books, so I appreciated Jenn Bennett giving it such a strong focus (even though I would never, ever enjoy camping). Everything felt relatively realistic there.
At times, the drama felt too contrived though with how Lennon and Zorie fell apart and how her dad acted. Also one of the injuries on the trip just felt so unnecessary, like?
Way more sex and foul language than I'm comfortable with, especially in YA fiction.

The Verdict: Not my favorite of Jenn's books. Still, it was a semi-enjoyable read.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this to my library?: Hmm...probably not. I didn't like it as well as Jenn's previous YA books.

The Beloved Wild Blog Tour: Q&A with Melissa Ostrom

The Book

Goodreads  Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Pride and Prejudice meets Cold Mountain in this debut YA American epic/adventure.

Harriet Winter is the eldest daughter in a farming family in New Hampshire, 1807. Her neighbor is Daniel Long, who runs his family's farm on his own after the death of his parents. Harriet's mother sees Daniel as a good match, but Harriet isn't so sure she wants someone else to choose her path—in love and in life. 

When her brother decides to strike out for the Genesee Valley in Western New York, Harriet decides to go with him—disguised as a boy. Their journey includes sickness, uninvited guests, and difficult emotional terrain as Harriet comes of age, realizes what she wants, and accepts who she's loved all along.

The Author

website  twitter

Melissa Ostrom teaches English literature at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Her short fiction has been published in literary magazines, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The Beloved Wild is her YA debut. She lives in Batavia, New York, with her family.

The Q&A

Emma: One of my favorite things about historical fiction novels is hearing about the research authors have done. What's the coolest or weirdest fact you learned while researching for THE BELOVED WILD?

Melissa: Oh, my gosh, did I ever encounter a weird piece of information! I came across it when I was reading Arad Thomas’s 1871 collection of early pioneer reminiscences. 

The strange tidbit appears in the firsthand account of Lansing Bailey, who pioneered to the Genesee Valley in 1811: “The bear seized the dog, and my brother reached in his hand and pulled the dog out badly hurt. The bear presented her head at the hole, and I killed her with the ax. On searching the log, we found a cub, which we took home with us…. Mrs. Adams, who had recently lost a babe, took it and nursed it, until it got to be quite a bear, and rather harsh in its manners.”

Isn’t that bizarre? I found the passage so startling that after I read it, I had to go back and reread it, just to make sure I was understanding it correctly.

E: What parts of history do you enjoy reading about most?

M: I’m much more interested in the daily minutia of a long-ago era than I am in battles, treaties, government policies, and so on. I like reading about what people wore, how they danced, the food they prepared, the songs they sang, their means of travel, the clothing they spun, their childrearing practices, and the seasonal labors, like making cider, boiling maple syrup, and dipping candles. Such details make me feel closer to the past—help me visualize it in an intimate way.

E: Which character do you feel is the most similar to you?

M: I think there’s a little of me in several of the characters. I share Harriet’s indignation with injustice and admire Daniel’s work ethic. I love to sing, like Rachel does. I’ve got a silly streak like Phineas’s and a practical side like Marian’s. And of course, in other ways, these characters don’t resemble me at all. They accomplish many wonderful things that I wish I were bold enough and talented enough to do.   

E: What is your writing process? Would you consider yourself as more of a plotter or a pantser?

M: I’m a pantser, for the most part, though I’ll thoroughly research my topic ahead of time and also develop a good sense of who my protagonist is. What does my main character want more than anything? Why does she long for this person, place, state of being, thing, etc.? Who and what impede her? These questions and their answers guide my writing. 

E: Do you listen to music while you write; if so, what? Or have you created a playlist that fits with THE BELOVED WILD?

M: Honestly, I don’t listen to music while I write. I prefer perfect quiet. This is one reason why I write very early in the morning, hours before the rest of my family rises. In order to concentrate and get into a good writing zone, I need a silent stretch of time. I love music…just not while I’m writing.

E: What's been the best part of your debut author experience?

M: I’m very happy that this novel celebrates the Genesee Valley because that’s where I live—where my husband and I are raising our kids and where I’ve taught secondary and college English for several years. I wasn’t born in this Lake Ontario fruit country, but I settled here when I began teaching at Kendall High School, and I’ve grown to love the area’s big sky, sweeping orchards, and old cobblestone houses—and its warm, down-to-earth people. 

The best part of my debut author experience is the feeling that, in celebrating my area’s pioneer history, I’m honoring this place and giving something back to the community that has given me so much.

E: What other historical fiction novels would you recommend?

M: I would highly recommend Jane Austen’s novels, especially Pride and Prejudice, and the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. I also love many of the Regency romances by Georgette Heyer. 

E: Cake or pie, and what kind?

M: Oh, gosh, Emma, you’re going to make me choose? This is tough. I suppose I would go with French silk pie, as long as the crust is homemade, the chocolate filling truly is as smooth and sumptuous as silk, and a dollop of whipped cream tops my slice.    

Review: Now a Major Motion Picture

Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy
Grade: C
Release date: April 3, 2018
An e-galley was provided by Sourcebooks Fire via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Unlike the rest of the world, Iris doesn't care about the famous high-fantasy Elementia books written by M. E. Thorne. So it's just a little annoying that M. E. Thorne is her grandmother—and that Iris has to deal with the trilogy's crazy fans.

When Iris gets dropped in Ireland for the movie adaptation, she sees her opportunity: if she can shut down production, the Elementia craze won't grow any bigger, and she can finally have a normal life. Not even the rascally-cute actor Eamon O'Brien can get in her way.

But the crew's passion is contagious, and as Iris begins to find herself in the very world she has avoided her whole life, she realizes that this movie might just be amazing…

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: What a fun, nerdy story. There were so many references to franchises such as Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass. 
I really liked how McCarthy handled the Elementia books and movies and the many tropes in high fantasy. I liked Eamon and Iris together. Character-wise, Iris was okay. Ryder got on my nerves, and none of the others really stuck with me. The relationship dynamics with Iris's dad really got on my nerves. That man was just too annoying in all the most cliche ways.
I skimmed a lot of the end as I started to lose interest. There just wasn't that element of magic in the storytelling that gets me to love a book.
A bit of foul language and drinking.

The Verdict: Could've been really good, but it wasn't what I wanted.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Nah.

Rewind & Review #106

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~Spring break wasn't too bad (besides the unneeded snowfall). I saw A Wrinkle in Time and Black Panther (for a second time) and baked my first loaf of non-quick bread.

~It is much too cold for March (and the first day of spring). I MOVED SOUTH SO I COULD ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE SPRING. Darn Kentucky.

~Went to junior-senior! It was actually pretty fun, and I loved my dress.

~Asbury had their first ever children's lit conference. There were a few hiccups, but all in all, I think it went well.

Books I Received for Review

Mirage by Somaiya Daud (from Flatiron Books via NetGalley)

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young (from Wednesday Books via NetGalley)

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo (from FSG BFYR via NetGalley)

Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton (from Blink via Edelweiss)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

The Radical Element by various authors (traded with Raisa)

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

The Heartbeats of Wing Jones by Katherine Webber (traded with Alex)

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (traded with Corina)

Books I Read

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (4 stars)

Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu

The Truth About Happily Ever After by Karole Cozzo (3 stars)

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2 stars)

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (3 stars)

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Windwitch by Susan Dennard (4 stars)

Sightwitch by Susan Dennard (3 stars)

The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George

Blog Posts You Might've Missed in the Last Few Weeks

   (from 3/12-3/17)

• Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Surprised Me
• NoVa Teen Book Fest 2018
• Oh, the Places I'll Go
• Review: Local Flavor by Jean Iversen (4 stars)

   (from 3/18-3/24)

• Great Food Places in Québec
• Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2018 TBR List
• Review: The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom (3.5 stars)
• DNF Review: In Her Skin by Kim Savage

DNF Review: In Her Skin

In Her Skin by Kim Savage
Grade: DNF
Release date: March 27, 2018
An ARC was provided by Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine. 

When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

When did I stop reading?: About 25% into the book.
Why didn't I finish this book?: I received this book as part of my Fierce Reads ARC box and wasn't sure I was going to read it originally, but I decided to give it a try. I've read impersonation stories before (the most recent one being Here Lies Daniel Tate), but this one didn't catch my interest like others have. I knew I was to expect more than what was on the surface, but there wasn't enough to keep me interested. Also, I really hated the narration style. In Her Skin is told in second-person POV, which just felt so awkward and stilted.

If this is your type of book, go ahead and try it. 

Review: The Beloved Wild

The Beloved Wild by Melissa Ostrom
Grade: B-
Release date: March 27, 2018
An ARC was provided by Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Pride and Prejudice meets Cold Mountain in this debut YA American epic/adventure.

Harriet Winter is the eldest daughter in a farming family in New Hampshire, 1807. Her neighbor is Daniel Long, who runs his family's farm on his own after the death of his parents. Harriet's mother sees Daniel as a good match, but Harriet isn't so sure she wants someone else to choose her path—in love and in life. 

When her brother decides to strike out for the Genesee Valley in Western New York, Harriet decides to go with him—disguised as a boy. Their journey includes sickness, uninvited guests, and difficult emotional terrain as Harriet comes of age, realizes what she wants, and accepts who she's loved all along.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Listen, I am always here for YA historical fiction. There needs to be more of it, in my opinion. So The Beloved Wild was definitely right up my alley.
In a lot of ways, it didn't fit into what I normally expect from YA historical fic. In other ways it did, especially when Harriet disguised herself as a boy. 
Harriet didn't feel that unique to me. She was just...there. I was more interested in Gideon and Rachel as characters. In fact, I really wanted more from Harriet and Rachel's developing friendship. I appreciated how Harriet protected Rachel at the end, but it didn't feel like quite enough. Also, I didn't feel the chemistry between Harriet and Daniel Long. I know I was supposed to, but I felt more like I was being told they had chemistry and I should think they were a good match. I did feel the chemistry between Rachel and Phineas, and I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Gideon's story took.
I did enjoy all the parts about life in rural New York. It was nice to see a pioneering historical fiction book set some place besides the West or the Plains states. It did take a little while for Gideon and Harriet to actually set off for Genesee Valley, which wasn't necessarily a problem...I just wish the book's synopsis hadn't made it sound like that was the main part of the book.
Finally, this is a bit nitpicky, but ages were vague, and if they were stated, they didn't quite fit the characters. Most of them seemed much older than their stated ages.
I don't remember any foul language or extreme violence. There's some sexual innuendos, and a character is abused off-page.

The Verdict: Pretty good. Worth the read, especially if you like historical fiction.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Possibly.

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2018 TBR List

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

There's some YA and MG books releasing this spring that sound so great, and I can't wait to read them. (Also, I featured eight more titles on my Random Friday post a few weeks ago, if you want to check that out as well.)

1. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

2. Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

3. Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt

4. Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

5. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

6. My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

7. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

8. Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez

9. Save the Date by Morgan Matson

10. The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse

11. The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen

What books made your Top Ten Tuesday list this week?

Great Food Places in Québec

It's been a while since I talked about my trip to Québec, but I want to use today's post to recommend some of the best restaurants we went to, in hopes that it'll entice y'all to visit too. Of course this is only a sampling of what both Montréal and Québec City have to offer, but if you're planning a trip there, you'd do well to start with these suggestions.


Montréal

While you'll see in the next section that Québec City had the best breakfast options, Montréal had the best dinners. I didn't have a bad dinner there. The first three recommendations are in Old Montréal and the fourth is out in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood.

The first and third nights, we ate at Creperie Chez Suzette. The first night, I had a crepe with Brie and apple slices but had no room for dessert crepes, so we had to go back. My mom and I shared a savory breakfast-type crepe and then all three of us shared two different dessert crepes: one was plain with chocolate sauce, and the other had apples and a sweet sauce.

For my birthday dinner, we went to a little restaurant called Le Chat Noir. The typical Parisian bistro fare - steak and frites - were outstanding, and I loved the dipping sauce for the frites.

If you're looking for some non-French food in Montréal, my top recommendation is Stash Café which serves...Polish food. We got the cutest little pierogis as appetizers. (This trip was the first time we've really splurged on appetizers and desserts, which was so much fun but only really possible because my mom and I shared a lot of entrées; no way could I have eaten so much food otherwise.)

Finally, my last recommendation is a restaurant I actually didn't get to go to because they were closed on Sundays and Mondays, but I really wanted to try the food there! It's called Plein Sud, and they serve typical southern French fare. I think their menu changes with the season, which keeps it interesting.

Another food recommendation I have, particularly if you go to Montréal in late spring-early fall, is Marché Atwater. You can get fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, bread, and pastries and have a little picnic or snack. :) 

Québec City

One of the best breakfast places is Paillard on Rue St-Jean. They have lunch-type options, too, but what more do you need than pastries and chocolat chaud?

(I literally dream about Paillard and that brioche au chocolat daily. Also the fleur du sucre was lovely, too.)

But if you want a little more substance in your breakfast, Le Casse-Crepe Breton is the place to go. They have a lovely little restaurant overlooking Rue St-Jean, and you can either sit in front of an open window (if it's fair weather) or close to the kitchen where you can see them cooking your crepe. The service isn't exactly prompt, but they are French (Canadian).

(Look how stuffed it was!)

If you're going to Québec for the poutine, Snack Bar Saint-Jean outside the Old City is the best option. We tried poutine in both Montréal and QC, and I preferred this offering much more.

A favorite lunch option was Le Chic Shack, down by the Chateau Frontenac. Once again, their windows were wide open, and the breeze was beautiful. We had yummy burgers and fries with a great signature sauce, and my mom tried a pear soda, which she loved.

A dinner option we liked was decidedly un-French: Pub St. Patrick. At the corner of two streets, including Rue St-Jean, we sat outside on the patio (I really came to love dining el fresco on this vacation) and took in a summer evening in Old Québec. We loved the shepherd's pie, Dublin fried chicken, and salmon.

Have I made you hungry for Québecois food yet? I can say with utmost certainty that I'm dying to go back and eat at all of these places again...but I also have a few more restaurants to try in each city. We didn't really eat any seafood, and both cities are on the river, so that was a missed opportunity. Plus, we didn't get to eat at Plein Sud like I mentioned, and there was a cute lunch place in QC I wanted to check out. Guess I have to start planning my trip back... ;)

Review: Local Flavor

Local Flavor: Restaurants That Shaped Chicago's Neighborhoods by Jean Iversen
Grade: B
An e-galley was provided by Northwestern University Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: The neighborhoods that make up Chicago's rich cultural landscape have been defined by the restaurants that anchor them. In Local Flavor, the popular food writer Jean Iversen chronicles eight beloved local eateries, from Chinatown on the South Side to Rogers Park in the far North, tracing the story of how they became neighborhood institutions.

Iversen has meticulously gathered the tales, recipes, and cultural traditions that define Chicago's culinary past and present. Rich with firsthand accounts from local restaurateurs, their families, long-time customers, and staff, Local Flavor is a community-driven look at Chicago through a gastronomical lens.

Including recipes for popular dishes from each restaurant that readers can try at home, Local Flavor weaves together ethnography, family, and food history into a story that will enthrall both food and Chicago history lovers.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I lived in Illinois for 15 years, 9 of which were in a Chicago suburb. I've been downtown more times than I can count. To hear more about the cuisines that have shaped the city was wonderful, particularly since it reminded me about the diversity of Chicago. 
Iversen gives the history of a restaurant for each section - Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Jamaican, Polish, Indian, and Persian. I was most looking forward to the Polish section, just because the Polish history of Chicago fascinates me. That section was one of my favorites, but the section on Hema's Kitchen (Indian food) and Borinquen (Jamaican) surprised me with how much I enjoyed them. 
There are many stories of endurance in this short book, and I loved seeing how much the various restaurant owners invested in their communities through their businesses. I could've done with a little less history about neighborhoods, but perhaps people from those areas will appreciate it.
I do think it would've been nice to hear about a restaurant run by African-Americans, since (as of 2010) Chicago's population was 32% black. I know Iversen's book focused on immigrants but to leave out Chicago's largest minority seemed odd to me.

The Verdict: How fun is that cover? Also, a great read for anyone who likes food, a variety of personal stories, and/or Chicago.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Hmm, I'll consider it.

Oh, the Places I'll Go

I've talked about my wanderlust in a lot of places - an Odyssey article, various blog posts about books that have incited it, Facebook...even my Tumblr devoted just to travel. There's something immensely scary about traveling - particularly outside the country and particularly for someone with anxiety like me. But there's also something alluring and enchanting about it at the same time. 

I think some of it comes with the territory of being a reader and a writer. The former means I want to explore new places and have new experiences. The latter means I need to have new experiences so I can write richer stories.

Plus there's just something fascinating about other cultures. My love for history draws me to those types of sites, and I can appreciate art and beauty as well.

I'm still very much a broke college student (about to graduate with a sizable amount of student loans), but I can't help but dream of all the places I will travel to in the (hopefully near) future.

Like France. Oh, how I long to go to France. I'm sure that comes as no surprise to anyone who's been a reader of my blog for even just a few months. I want to see Paris, but I also want to go to Annecy, and the Loire Valley, and Normandy, and Monet's garden and...I could go on forever.

(Beuvron-en-Auge, Normandy, France)

I want to visit Finland, particularly Helsinki and Turku. I'm part Finnish, so I think my heritage is calling me back home.

There's something about teeny little Belgium, as well, and Budapest and Bratislava. Just look at that cathedral.

(St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava, Slovakia)

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the British Isles. England...

(London)

Scotland...

(Edinburgh)

Wales...

(Aberystwyth)

Ireland...

(Trinity College, Dublin)

I'm coming for you soon. :)

I don't want to just travel internationally either. There's so much of the United States I haven't seen yet. I've been west of the Mississippi, but no further than Minnesota and Iowa. San Francisco is definitely on my bucket list, along with Charleston, S.C., Savannah, GA, and Boston. 

(Charleston)

And if I'm leaving the country but not the continent...I really want to go back to Montréal and Québec City as well as visit Prince Edward Island (admittedly because of Anne of Green Gables).

(Charlottetown, PEI)

Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg. I'll admit my Pinterest board is very Euro-centric right now. One of my best friends is hopefully traveling to Thailand in the near future, though, and I'm ready for her recommendations. I think Singapore could also be interesting, and with my recent history explorations, Morocco is definitely on my radar.

So, yeah, I've definitely caught wanderlust. Now I just need some traveling partners, a steady income, and a plan.

NoVa Teen Book Fest 2018

After planning to go to NoVa last year and then catching the flu two days before spring break...well, getting to go this year was definitely the culmination of a year of hopes. And it was made only better by winning VIP ticket status. Hear all about my time at NoVa 2018 in the video below!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Surprised Me

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

(All in a good way, I promise.)

1. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

2. One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

4. All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

5. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

6. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

7. Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

8. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

9. The Archived by Victoria Schwab

10. In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

What books surprised you (positively or negatively) and why?

Rewind & Review #105

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~How did February go by so fast??

~Internship applications are continuing, and I'm very nervous. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts!

~My last spring break as a student has begun. Honestly, it's not going to be that exciting. My parents have to work all day, so I'm pretty sure the only fun thing I'll be doing happened yesterday: NoVa Teen Book Fest. More about that in a post later this week.

Books I Received for Review

What You Left Me by Bridget Morrissey (from Sourcebooks Fire via Edelweiss)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia ARC (traded with Becca)

The Boyfriend Bracket by Kate Evangelista (traded with Christy)

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Hamilton and Peggy! by L.M. Elliott (from my parents)

Tradition by Brendan Kiely

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (in my VIP swag bag at NoVa)

Books I Bought

A Million Junes by Emily Henry

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee

NoVa haul:

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer

The Radical Element by various authors

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

Books I Read

Sounder by William H. Armstrong (4 stars)

In Her Skin by Kim Savage (DNF)

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (4 stars)

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (reread)

Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee (4 stars)

Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy

The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross (4 stars)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (reread)

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (4 stars)

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Impossible Love by Craig and Médine Keener (3.5 stars)

Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Blog Posts You Might've Missed in the Last Few Weeks

   (from 2/26-3/3)

• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Could Reread Forever
• Random Friday: Spring 2018 Reads
• Review: In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira (3 stars)
• The Odyssey Article - 13 Books To Read This Spring Break

   (from 3/4-3/10)

• Books I'd Play Hooky With
• Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Quotes from Books
• Review: The Radical Element by various authors (3.75 stars)
• So You Like... #66