Your Destination Is on the Left by Lauren Spieller Grade: B- An e-galley was provided by HarperCollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Summary: Dessa Rhodes is a modern day nomad. Her family travels in an RV, their lives defined by state lines, exit signs, and the small communal caravan they call home. Among them is Cyrus, her best friend and long-time crush, whom she knows she can never be with. When your families are perpetually linked, it’s too dangerous to take a risk on romance. Instead, Dessa looks to the future. She wants to be a real artist and going to art school is her ticket to success and a new life. There’s just one problem: she hasn’t been accepted…anywhere. Suddenly her future is wide open, and it looks like she’s going to be stuck traveling forever.
Then an unexpected opportunity presents itself: an internship working with a local artist in Santa Fe. Dessa struggles to prove to her boss—and herself—that she belongs there, but just as she finally hits her stride, her family suffers an unexpected blow. Faced with losing everything that she has worked for, Dessa has a difficult decision to make. Will she say goodbye to her nomadic lifestyle and the boy she loves? Or will she choose to never stop moving? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: It's been over a week since I finished Your Destination Is on the Left, and I'm left unsure how to write this review. Lauren Spieller's debut was definitely one of my most anticipated books of 2018, but I feel kind of...let down. YDIotL was not a terrible book by any means. I didn't feel myself dragging my heels to finish it, and the story was interesting. But I didn't love it. I thought the romance with Cyrus was one of the weakest parts, and I never really got the chemistry between them. Yeah, I was told Dessa liked him and he liked her, but it just never got me squeeing like other YA couples do. I got annoyed every time her parents expected Dessa to drop everything, including her internship, for them, especially when they were just taking a short trip to the Grand Canyon. The family dynamics were interesting, though, because of the whole nomadic lifestyle. I really wanted more of her grandmother, though! I loved every bit about art and Dessa's internship. I appreciated how her boss didn't come across as the overly tough stereotype. She encouraged and taught Dessa in good ways. Content warning: Some foul language and underage drinking. The Verdict: A bit disappointing, but still worth the read.
Not all of these are terrible series; some are just ones I've lost interest in or didn't love the first book enough to continue on. A couple, though? I really didn't like the first book. #sorrynotsorry
1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard I really don't get the hype surrounding this series.
Since I'm trying to do a lot with my time in New York (in case this summer is all I have for a while), I thought I'd do monthly blog posts to keep y'all informed on what I've been up to.
Work
1. So much Sarah J. Maas. I read over the collector's edition of Throne of Glass twice. 2. Making friends with my fellow interns. One's from my hometown, and we had no idea until I offhandedly mentioned it in a conversation with another intern! 3. I slugged a lot of books. (Slugged means looking over pass pages and making sure no production errors were made and then also marking for any other errors I see.) I mostly looked over chapter book and middle grade titles, ranging from Unicorn Princesses 8: Feather's Flight to Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill.
Food
1. I was fortunate enough to be near a pop-up food stall market while I was in the Airbnb (and then it was only a few blocks away from my dorm). It was kind of pricey (most NYC food is, though), but fun and reminded me a little of Taste of Chicago. This was on a much smaller scale, of course. I tried a slider and fries and fried cookie dough balls, and then rolled ice cream on another visit.
2. Wafels and Dinges - So messy but so good. 3. Petit Poulet in NoMad is my new fave French place. (Although I'm still attached to Le Grainne Cafe in Chelsea.) 4. Hill Company Chicken in the Flatiron neighborhood has amazing chicken and waffles. 5. Cafe Lalo - Where they filmed one of the iconic scenes in You've Got Mail. Service wasn't great, but my quiche was amazing. 6. Levain (a bakery famous for their massive cookies) - I don't like nuts, so Kelly and I shared the dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie. It was insanely rich and good. So glad I ordered milk too, lol.
7. Amorino (a gelato place) - Pretty good taste, but I went mostly for the aesthetic. If you order a cone, they'll make it look like a flower, and you can get a mini macaron put on top, too.
8. Penelope - The roomie and I went here for brunch, and I really liked it! We got the sweetest donut holes appetizer, and I loved my rosé mimosa and omelet.
Books
1. I got a New York Public Library card, mainly so I have access to their ginormous e-book collection. It's been a great success so far. 2. Made my first trip to Books of Wonder at the end of my first week, since I get off early on Fridays. It was a quick jaunt that included my first solo navigation of the subway. I walked away with just two books, although I could've easily bought a whole bookcase's worth. 3. Got all my Morgan Matson books signed. :D 4. Visited the Upper West Side Books of Wonder, too, and pretended it was The Shop Around the Corner. 5. Work perks - grabbed a couple books from the free book stack; got an ARC of The Girl King from Hali, the editor; and read the first pass of Kingdom of Ash. I'm bursting to talk about it, but y'all won't get anything out of me.
Events
1. Morgan Matson's launch party at McNally Jackson!!! This was absolutely the highlight of my week, maybe the month. 2. I saw Ocean's 8, which was ridiculously fun. 3. I saw Waitress on Broadway. It was such an experience, from the pies they sell at the bar to Katharine McPhee and Co.'s amazing voices to waiting at the stage door. Katharine didn't come out the night I was there, but almost everyone else did. Caitlin Houlahan, who played Dawn, was so kind. (Also she's my height!) And Erich Bergen - what a presence. He was born to be an actor. 4. I saw Incredibles 2, which was everything eight-year-old Emma hoped it would be.
Explorations 1. Bryant Park - It's near work, and I love it so much. It's so pretty and the perfect size. And it's right behind a branch of the NYPL. 2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art - I went at the end of my first week in New York. I got in early, thanks to my membership, and saw most of the Costume Institute exhibit. I also explored the Greek and Roman art, the European sculpture and decorative art gallery, and a short-term exhibition entitled "Public Parks, Private Gardens - From Paris to Provence," which I loved. I knew I had to see it again.
3. The Upper West Side - While Kelly was here, we spent the afternoon up there. We saw where the end scene of You've Got Mail was filmed, which was surreal.
4. Chelsea Market - Kelly and I went here on her first day with me, which was a rainy Sunday. I'd definitely like to go back on a weekday when it's nice outside so then it hopefully won't be so crowded. 5. Maman - Julia recommended this sweet little coffee shop that has a few locations downtown. I've gone there to write after work the last few Fridays (since I get off at 2), and it's been so wonderful. I love the vibe, and I've written so much.
So, yeah, that's the gist of my first month in New York! Any recommendations for places to explore/eat?
Like the tag I did a few months ago, I found this one just by googling book tags. I loved that it was all about gorgeous cover/book design. It was created by Book Syrup on YouTube; the original video can be found here. I loved doing this tag because it gave me an opportunity to take pictures of pretty books on my shelves. I also added a new category to the tag 'cause I had the perfect covers to fit it.
1. Best color combo on a cover
I love the beautiful ombre watercolor of Emery Lord's latest novel, The Names They Gave Us. 2. Best typography/font on a cover
Look at that color and those brushstrokes! They're vibrant, eye-catching, and perfect for Let's Talk About Love. 3. Best simple cover
The Hate U Give makes a statement, and its bareness is perfect for all the awards it has since received.
4. Best end pages
Every time I see Two Summers's end pages, I marvel over how French they feel. 5. Best map
Heidi Heilig's The Girl from Everywhere wins the best maps award by a long shot. 6. Best naked hardback I couldn't pick so...
As picked by my Instagram followers, this one goes to The Queen's Rising. 8. Best chapter headers
I love the clean lines and the whimsy of the chapter headers for The Hazel Wood. 9. Best illustrations This one was a no-brainer: Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee (with illustrations by
(featuring pictures of Margaret Cavendish, Isabella Stewart Gardner, and Maria Tallchief) 10. Best spine Dust jacket: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough Under the dust jacket: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
11. Best full spread I added this category because I had the absolutely perfect book (well, three) for it.
I read The Baby-Sitter's Club books, of course, but this series published while I was an avid reader. I loved how Martin created such a perfect small town feel.
