Review: Girl in the Blue Coat

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Grade: B-
Release date: April 5, 2016
An e-galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
Summary: Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.

On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person--a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Girl in a Blue Coat was definitely a book that I thought would be up my alley. It didn't quite meet all my expectations, but it's a solid historical fiction read.
Hanneke, the protagonist, could've done with a little more character development. She made choices that didn't always line up with what her parents wanted, or what her new friends wanted to do, but she still felt a little too two-dimensional to me, beyond her black market smuggling and her love for Bas, her boyfriend who died. (It's in the book flap synopsis, people. It's not a spoiler.) I could feel Ollie's and Mina's passion for the resistance, but I couldn't feel Hanneke's.
I loved the twists and turns in the main plot. The author left me as clueless as Hanneke, and I even made a couple wrong guesses.
The plotline with Ollie, though... It felt kind of shoehorned in. Like, it was a convenient excuse for him to not get together with Hanneke. Don't get me wrong; I was glad they didn't have a romance, but I thought the author's choice for why he wasn't interested in her just didn't feel authentic, nor was it given enough lead-up.
There was next to no foul language. The book was a little violent in a couple places, but it wasn't gruesome.

The Verdict: Pretty good, but the emotional depth I was looking for wasn't quite there.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library: Probably.

Making Time for Reading

A few weeks ago, on World Book Day, I tweeted a few thoughts of mine about reading. It started off as my daily PSA that people should read. I'm going to quote my tweets below.

It's #WorldBookDay so here's your daily reminder to read books - as many and as often as you can.

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) March 3, 2016

I wish every single person could read a book a day, but that's just not possible. We have busy lives and books are long and some people read more slowly than others. That last reason in particular isn't a problem at all. I am blessed to be able to read fast, but as long as you're reading, I don't care if it takes you a week to finish a book.

Most people are like, "I wish I had as much time to read as you do." Fun fact: I MAKE time to read. I squeeze it in whenever I can.

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) March 3, 2016

So many people in my own major (creative writing, which should be full of book lovers) say, "I wish I had as much time to read as you do." It's really hard to not laugh when they say that. As I said in my tweet above, I make time to read. I have as busy of a schedule as most college students, but I find little moments to read whenever I can.

I read a book instead of going on Tumblr or watching TV. I read when I get to class early or when I'm traveling.

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) March 3, 2016

So it's possible to have a busy life and still have time to read. I'm also very fortunate to have a job where I can read while I'm at work.

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) March 3, 2016

I watch a lot of Netflix these days, y'all, which distracts me from reading. But I am trying to be better about reading a book if I've already watched an episode of something that day, and I'm trying to police my Internet use more.
I get my stuff ready the night before for classes so I'm ready to go early. Then I read in my dorm or head onto campus early and read while I wait for class. I'll read in the car even if it's a 5-minute drive (as long as I'm not driving), and I'll read for at least 5 minutes before bed. And, like I said in the second tweet, I can read while I'm at work since I have a receptionist-type job. So I do a lot of reading during my 9+ hours a week at work.

Ladies and gents, to sum up my final tweet from that thought process on Twitter, if you truly love books, you will make time to read. You'll spend less time on Tumblr or Pinterest or whatever social media site you favor. You'll give up TV a few nights a week, or you'll only watch one episode instead of three. If it's a series with 45-minute episodes, you'll have a whole extra hour and a half of reading time! You'll learn to prioritize what really matters. And sometimes you'd rather watch something mindless instead of reading, which is okay. If you get in a habit of reading, you can take breaks occasionally.

So, in conclusion, I don't "find time to read." I make time.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love But Haven't Talked About Recently

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I rave about my favorite books a lot, but there are some I haven't mentioned recently on the blog. Here are twelve.

1. Rules for 50/50 Chances by Kate McGovern

2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

3. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

4. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

5. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

6. 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen

7. Maid of Deception by Jennifer McGowan

8. When by Victoria Laurie

9. All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

10. One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

11. The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor

12. Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

So which books have you loved but haven't shoved at people/talked about/etc. recently?

Review: What You Always Wanted

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae
Grade: A-
Release date: March 29, 2016
An e-galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
Summary: If Only . . . he was the boy she's been dreaming of. The If Only line continues in this fun high school theater-themed romance!

Drama girl Maddie Brooks has always had high standards for guys. But she has yet to find one who can live up to the romantic, classic Hollywood heartthrobs, especially the dreamy song-and-dance man Gene Kelly. When Maddie begins to carpool with Jesse Morales, her new neighbor and star pitcher of the baseball team, she's struck by his wit, good looks, and love for his family--but a guy so into sports is definitely not her style. Then Maddie discovers that Jesse was raised as a dancer and still practices in the community theater dance studio to keep in shape. Perhaps her perfect dream guy exists after all! But when it becomes clear that baseball--not dance--is Jessie's passion, can Maddie find a way to let her dream guy go and appreciate the charms of the amazing guy in front of her?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Gah, I just love cute, swoonworthy contemporary YA. I love characters with substance and friendships and genuinely nice love interests. And let me tell you - Kristin Rae writes great love interests. Darren from Wish You Were Italian is so adorable, and I loved that Jesse was just as fleshed-out as Maddie. I also enjoyed that Maddie wasn't as snobby as I expected - Angela and Tiffany, her first two friends, aren't drama geeks; in addition, they don't end up being her only two friends. Maddie befriends one of the nice girls in the drama program, Sarah. I appreciated that Ms. Rae didn't only give Maddie two friends AND that it wasn't like Maddie, as the new girl, joined the friend group. Instead, she made her own. Still on the subject of Maddie, one of the things that kept me from completely loving What You Always Wanted and giving it 5 stars was that I wanted to see a little more character growth for her. She's a bit opinionated and she was rude to her parents and I wanted to see her grow and become more mature. However, she acted like a teenager in a lot of ways, which I did appreciate since so many YA protagonists seem way older than they actually are.
I liked how not everything went the way Maddie wanted it to, and she had to work for things. I would've liked to see the build-up to and her audition for the musical, though. 
As for the romance, I appreciated that the problems weren't based on communication issues, as so many YA romances are. It was such a relief that there was no love triangle. And Jesse was definitely swoonworthy, y'all. He's an athlete and he dances and he's interested in Maddie. He makes an effort with her and even though he doesn't like old movies, he likes that she does and she's so passionate about her interests.
Language was mild - if there was any because I don't remember much. Kissing and making out were as far as it went.

The Verdict: So, so, so cute and sweet. If contemporary romance is your thing, then I'd be surprised if you didn't like What You Always Wanted.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Yes!

More "Girly" Books for Manly Guys

Two years ago, I posted for the first time about "girly" books for manly guys, and it's something I wish I had more opportunities to bring up on my blog. I am hugely frustrated by the idea that most YA books are seen as "girly" and boys shouldn't read them. It irritates me that some parents and authority figures in boys' lives encourage them towards male writers and not female writers, too, especially because so many YA books are written by women.

This post is all about me recommending more "girly" books that guys should give a try. As I made the list, it got longer and longer so I'm not sure I'm going to be able to list them all today, and I'm definitely going to create a Goodreads shelf soon with all of the books I've recommended in this post series.

Top 5 Recommendations

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

I can't recommend Heidi's debut enough. Adventures, intrigue, and tough choices. Nyx is relatable and will appeal to all readers.

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley
If y'all want a kick-butt protagonist and a high-stakes plot, Rites of Passage delivers - with a bit of romance.


Fallout by Gwenda Bond
If you love superheroes, this is one of the best books for fans of Superman (or even Captain America, Agent Carter, and Supergirl). I loved seeing teenage Lois.


My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
If you're looking for a more introspective, literary option, than Jasmine's debut is the book for you. It deals with depression and suicide in such a wonderful way.

This Side of Home by Renee Watson
If you're interested in the Black Lives Matter movement, This Side of Home addresses racial issues in such a great way. It's more introspective than some books, but I loved its tone.

Other options:
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis - historical fiction, some feminism, mental illness, murder mystery
Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson - historical fiction, Gold Rush, girl has to pretend to be a boy
The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - intrigue, twisty, humor, strong cast of characters
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows - high fantasy, a terrible cliffhanger (but the sequel will be out very soon, and there are four e-novellas!), a strong female lead
Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed - a book that could be taught in classrooms, eye-opening, heartbreaking
17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen - female friendships, addresses slutshaming
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu - introspective, wonderful, deals with a Quiverful-like movement
The Archived by Victoria Schwab - adventure, mystery, secrets, WES
All Fall Down by Ally Carter - basically like Ally's other series except set on Embassy Row in a fictional country
Dissonance by Erica O'Rourke - music, parallel universes, twists and turns
Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson - theater, OCD, friendships, oh-so-quiet-and-wonderful
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones - super powers, crime, futuristic
Free to Fall by Lauren Miller - set slightly in the future, technology, secrets
Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer - strong smart girls, friendship, some romance, mostly girl power
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater - will make you feel all the feels, friendship, aesthetically-pleasing setting (there's also a lot of fan art and fanfic for this series if you're into that)
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken - time travel, adventure, romance
Don't Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche - family relationships, road trip, perfect for fans of John Green

Ok, I managed to list all of them. Ten points to Slytherin. (Yeah I just gave points to my own Hogwarts house. You got a problem with that?)

Random Friday: Bookmarks

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

I don't know about y'all, but I love bookmarks. I refuse to dog-ear pages; in fact, if that's what you do, don't even tell me.

Anyways, I'm super picky about my bookmarks, though. I usually prefer the magnetic ones since they don't slip out easily but they've been known to rip my books' pages if I pull it or the book the wrong way. I have some classic long, tasseled bookmarks that I like too.

I'm in love with Happy Hello Art's magnetic bookmarks, designed to look like some of my favorite YA book characters. However, they sell out outrageously fast. (I should know; as of writing this post, I just bought the last Cath/Levi set and an Anna/St. Clair set.)

She also has a Nancy Drew bookmark, a Six of Crows set, two Throne of Glass sets, and two Lunar Chronicles sets.

(I'd provide a link, but Jacin and Winter will probably be sold out before this post goes up.)

But my favorite magnetic bookmarks are probably these:

My mom bought them for me ages ago, and they're a little worn out now, but I still love them. I actually lost the little beret-wearing dog in Chicago back in 2013, so that tells you how long I've had them. My Secret Sister, Veronica, gave me the London set for Christmas and I love them, too.

So what type of bookmarks do you use? Do you have any favorites?

Why I Love The Start of Me and You

Now that one of my favorite books is out in paperback and we're nearing its one year anniversary of being published, I thought it was time to talk about why I love The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord so much.

(The Start of Me and You starter pack. It's only missing a paper airplane and a lavender planner.)

1. The characters

Paige Hancock is so relatable and very much a kindred spirit. Max Watson is everyone's dream boyfriend...

"Yes, hello, I'd like to place an order for one Max Watson, please." How my call to the Book Boyfriend Store would go.

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) September 16, 2014

And both he and Ryan are two of the kindest guys in YA literature. They are genuinely friendly and caring, and really, not at all like any high school boys I knew, but I don't care. And then there's Paige's friends. Three wonderful girls - Tessa, Kayleigh, and Morgan - who are all fleshed out and not just there to support Paige. She supports them, too, as one should in friendship. 

2. The pop culture references
Max is a nerd, and he loves Firefly. Both he and Paige love Do-si-dos. (And yeah, Girl Scout cookies aren't entirely pop culture, but do I care? No.) When a character kisses Paige, she says, "Thanks," and then she references Rory Gilmore in her inner monologue. Paige has read tons of books, including Pride and Prejudice and Looking for Alaska. She watches TV shows like I Love Lucy and Friends.

3. The romance
Every time I think about Max Watson, I swoon.
Okay, that's not really true. But he's still fantastic. He's sweet, funny, and caring. He pushes Paige out of her comfort zone.
I love how slow burn the romance was. It takes an entire school year for them to act on their feelings (sorry if that's a spoiler). But the entire time, as they grow from friends to something more, I wasn't terribly antsy for them to kiss. I mean, I was, but part of The Start of Me and You's appeal is the journey. Which brings me to...

4. The way it makes me feel
I read The Start of Me and You for the first time right before I had a rough patch in my life. For a lot of people, that would mean negative associations. For me, it's a positive one. I remember writing my review of TSOMAY and how that got me through some of the rougher moments. Every time I reread TSOMAY, I get this warm feeling in my gut that I only get with a few other books (Since You've Been Gone, Don't Touch, and Heist Society, to provide a few examples). 

5. The quotes

"'Do you know why I loved these so much when we were little? They made me feel invincible. Like, what terrible things could happen to you when you're wearing a crown of flowers?'"

"'Like you had been drowning and the book was air.'
I was quiet, caught in the surreal moment of having my feelings described so exactly. That was how it felt to me, to live in other worlds - books or TV - like breathing became second nature again within their safety."

"Knowing what happens is different from knowing how it happens. And the getting there is the best part."

"'Okay,' he said, leaning closer to me. 'I have a proposition for you.'
Dear God, let it be marriage, I thought."

"Ryan Chase was my eighth-grade collage, aspirational and wide-eyed. But Max was the first bite of grilled cheese on a snowy day, the easy fit of my favorite jeans, that one old song that made it onto every playlist. Peanut-butter Girl Scout cookies instead of an ornate cake. Not glamorous or idealized or complicated. Just me."

"In friendship we are all debtors. We all owe each other for a thousand small kindnesses, for little moments of grace in the chaos."

I'll leave you with this moment from last summer (also bookstore links because I am not above shoving books at people).

Game of LIFE: I got married.
Me: "Can I name him?"
Jeffrey: "Who?"
Me: "The husband!"
(I named him Max Watson for the record. @emerylord)

— Emma (@AwkwordlyEmma) June 11, 2015

 
Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble  Amazon

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2016 Reads

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

ALL THE SPRING RELEASES. I could've done a whole post on May 3 releases alone, lol.

1. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

2. Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

3. Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

4. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

5. This Is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer

6. Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

7. The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

8. Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

9. Nil on Fire by Lynne Matson


10. Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Bonus picks: The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Break Me Like a Promise by Tiffany Schmidt

What spring releases are you looking forward to, or what do you hope to read this spring?

Hamilton Book Tag

Like I've said before, I rarely do book tags. I did three last year, which is the most I'm pretty sure I've ever done. Well when I saw Gillian of Writer of Wrongs do this one, I knew  I had to, too. I'm just a little obsessed with Hamilton (as evidenced by this post).

The Room Where It Happens

(Book world I would put myself in.)

My choice is The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. I'd love to visit Nix's world...as long as I could travel through time with her.

The Schuyler Sisters

(underrated female character)

The problem with picking a book for this category is that I struggle to notice when others overlook great female characters because I notice and love them so easily. So I'm going with the same character Gillian chose: Cress from, well, Cress by Marissa Meyer. So many people love Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter (and all rightly so), but Cress is also lovely and relatable.

My Shot

(a character that goes after what they want and doesn't let anything stop them)

Obviously I've gotta choose the main character of the Throne of Glass series, but particularly for her actions in Queen of Shadows.

Stay Alive

(a character I wish was still alive)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

If you haven't read Mockingjay, you should probably skip the rest of what I'm about to say. Sooooooo, I wish Finnick was still alive. He's the death I'm maddest at Suzanne Collins about. I cried during his death scene in the movie.

Burn

(the most heartbreaking ending to a relationship)

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE THRONE OF GLASS SERIES

Between Crown of Midnight and Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Maas horribly sunk my ship. I was totally Team Chaol, and there's no hope for him and Aelin now. There could've been, if Sarah hadn't completely changed Chaol's personality. *sigh*

You'll Be Back

(sassiest villain)

I actually have no answer for this one. I don't really read a lot of books with sassy villains, I guess.

The Reynolds Pamphlet

(a book with a twist I didn't see coming)

Oh totally Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch. I'm not saying what the twist is, but I'm pretty sure y'all will know what I'm talking about if/when you read the book.

Non-Stop

(a series I marathoned)

Okay, so I only read the first five books, but I knocked out almost all of the Gallagher Girls series in like two days? That was back in the good ole days when I had all the time in the world to read.

Satisfied

(favorite books with multiple POVs)

I've read a lot of books with multiple POVs, but I decided to go with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

(a book/series I feel will be remembered throughout history)

I don't know if I have a good answer for this one. There are a lot of books/series I hope will become classics, but I don't know which ones actually will. (Besides Harry Potter, but I don't want that to be my answer.)

Helpless

(a relationship I was pulling for from the start)

Obviously Max and Paige from The Start of Me and You. They are so OTP.

Ten Duel Commandments

(favorite fight scene)

So minor spoilers about to ensue.

I love the scene towards the end of Heir of Fire when Celaena is battling the generals and she sees her younger self. Which I know isn't really part of the actual fight scene, but still. It counts.

Say No to This

(guilty pleasure read)

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle and its sequel, Truly Madly Famously, were pretty ridiculous. They were like reality TV and definite guilty pleasure reads.

What Comes Next?

(a series I wish had more books)

My choice is the Illusive duology. I just naturally assumed it was going to be a trilogy and then, when I interviewed Emily in the fall, I found out Deceptive is the final book. :(

Right Hand Man

(favorite BROTP - a.k.a. the friendship equivalent of an OTP)

(Credit.)

Hmm, I have a few, but I'm gonna give Gigi, Neerja, and Bea a shout-out. They're one of the tightest-knit, most loyal groups of girls I've ever seen in fiction. Smart Girls Get What They Want is great, y'all.

What'd I Miss

(a book or series I was late to reading)

Oh, definitely The Raven Cycle. At least I'll be around for the release of The Raven King, but I know most bloggers have read the first three books by now.

So go forth and do the Hamilton tag, if you so desire!