Rewind & Review #67

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~I watched as much of the Olympics as I could before I left. The rest of the recordings will be waiting for me when I return at Thanksgiving. And not gonna lie, I teared up a lot during the gymnastics events and when Katie Ledecky won her events. I was just so proud of girls doing awesome things.

~I moved back into the dorm. That was stressful.

~First week of classes happened, along with all the stress and busyness that come with that. My Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays are gonna be super low-key (just lots of homework since all but one of my classes are on Tuesdays/Thursdays).

~My work schedule is a mess at the moment, and I really hope it gets worked out because I need to be earning money.

~I had my first new viable book idea in two years. Pray that good things come from this, that I can produce the right story and I don't feel blocked at all, especially since I can submit bits of it for my intermediate fiction writing class.

Books I Received for Review

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson (from HarperTeen via Edelweiss)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

The July Novl Box, including Belles by Jen Calonita, Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom, Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker, The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone, A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger, and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

Books I Bought

Tumbling by Caela Carter

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae

Books I Read

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner (4 stars)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (4 stars)

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee (3 stars)

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu (reread)

The Possibility of Somewhere by Julia Day (2 stars)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (2 stars)

Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn (4 stars)

The Natural History of Us by Rachel Harris (3 stars)

Wanderlost by Jen Malone (4 stars)

Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas (3 stars)

Tumbling by Caela Carter (4 stars)

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

   (from 8/8-8/13)

• Professor Emma Teaches How to Kill Your Readers
• Top Ten Tuesday: Rewind Week
• Round Four of Secret Sister Wrap-Up
• So You Like... #31
• Review: Vicarious by Paula Stokes (3 stars)
• The Odyssey Article - Guys Can Read "Girly" Books

   (from 8/14-8/20)

• The Captain America Book Tag
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set in the South
• A Raven Cycle Adventure
• Random Friday: Fall 2016 Reads
• Review: The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg (3 stars)
• The Odyssey Article - Why You Won't Regret Taking a Literature Elective

Review: The Great Shelby Holmes

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg
Grade: B-
Release date: September 6, 2016
An e-galley was provided by the publisher in exchange for review consideration.
Summary: Meet spunky sleuth Shelby and her sports-loving sidekick Watson as they take on a dog-napper in this fresh twist on Sherlock Holmes.
Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader. She’s nine years old, barely four feet tall, and the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen—always using logic and a bit of pluck (which yes, some might call “bossiness”) to solve the toughest crimes. 

When eleven-year-old John Watson moves downstairs, Shelby finds something that’s eluded her up till now: a friend. Easy-going John isn’t sure of what to make of Shelby, but he soon finds himself her most-trusted (read: only) partner in a dog-napping case that'll take both their talents to crack. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Sherlock is big in YA these days, and now middle grade is no exception. It was refreshing to read a middle grade Sherlock remixing, mostly because most YA adaptations end up being just so dark and heavy. Of course, not everything is light in The Great Shelby Holmes, but overall, it was a fun romp that I could see many middle grade readers loving.
I especially liked Watson. He was just so great and normal, and I thought his voice was strong. Shelby grated on my nerves just a little, but not Watson. I enjoyed the references to other Sherlock things. Overall, though, there was just that lack of connection that I need to love a book. The writing does read pretty young, which was a little disappointing.
As far as mysteries go, this one was pretty simple and for some reason, I assumed there would be multiple dog-nappings which I think I would've preferred to the actual plot line. That would've made the book a lot longer, though, and perhaps too complicated for a middle grade book, but I don't know if I could say that for certain.
The Great Shelby Holmes was very clean across the board.

The Verdict: It was good. I'm just not the target audience, so I didn't love it as much as I would've liked to.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Hmm...probably not.

Random Friday: Fall 2016 Reads

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.

Time to talk about the fall 2016 releases I'm most anticipating!

1. As I Descended by Robin Talley

2. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

3. Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

4. Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

5. Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

6. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

7. Interference by Kay Honeyman


8. Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin

What are you hoping to read this fall, and what releases are you anticipating?

A Raven Cycle Adventure

It's not often you get to visit places that inspired book settings (besides your own books, of course). After I read Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle books (only the first three, since The Raven King wasn't out yet), I started dreaming up this adventure to northern Virginia, where fictional Henrietta is based. Maggie made this even easier when someone sent her an ask on Tumblr about where they should go if they wanted to get the feeling of the Raven Cycle books. And then, over my birthday weekend, we went up to the Shenandoah Valley. Saturday was spent in Staunton, which was a little too big to remind me of Henrietta (to be honest, I sometimes feel like the town where my university is could be Henrietta, were it a teensy bit bigger and not in a different state). But we took the Skyline Drive for a while and then we visited the campus of an all boys' school that Maggie recommended in place of the fictional Aglionby. Ready for some pictures?

(This is probably one of my favorite pictures I took. I felt like this path would lead to Cabeswater. But, no, the trees didn't speak Latin.

So have you ever been able to visit places that inspired the settings of your favorite books? Or what places would you like to visit?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set in the South

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I'm definitely a Southern girl at heart, so I decided it was high time I recommended books set entirely in the Southeastern United States. All but two are straight-up contemporary YA, so if that's not your scene, maybe you know of some historical fiction or some more paranormal novels set in the South! I tried to choose books where the setting was really felt and where they didn't just stop in the South for a short while.

1. 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen (Georgia)

2. First & Then by Emma Mills (Florida)

3. Magnolia by Kristi Cook (Mississippi)

4. The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes (Smoky Mountains)

5. Compulsion by Martina Boone (South Carolina)

6. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (Georgia)

7. Hundred Oaks series by Miranda Kenneally (Tennessee)

8. Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs (Kentucky)

9. Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson (Alabama)

10. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (Virginia)

What did you choose as your Top Ten Tuesday topic this week?

The Captain America Book Tag

I've said before that I don't do a lot of book tags; they just aren't my favorite type of post. But when Morgan from Gone With the Words Tweeted about making a Captain America one, I knew I'd be all over that. So here we go.

Created by Morgan @ Gone with the Words

1. Steve Rogers/Captain America

(A book with a big character transformation.)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Elisa changes so much through the series, but especially the first book. She grows into such a strong leader who believes in herself and loves who she is, and I think that's such a positive message for teens.

2. Peggy Carter

(A book with a strong female protagonist.)

Oh man, I could name oodles. I mean, I even did a post with twelve of my favorites for The Odyssey two months ago. But I'll say Mercy Wong from Outrun the Moon. She is determined and clever and knows how to be compassionate.

3. Bucky Barnes

(A book with your ultimate BROTP [like an OTP but friendship instead].)

Gallagher Girls series - Cammie and Co. are my faves. They have each other's backs and they're all talented in their own way.

4. Howling Commandos

(A book with squad goals.)

The Lunar Chronicles - Obviously the Rampion crew. Like, I want to be BFFs with all of them, but also their ability to slay is so intimidating.

5. Red Skull

(A book with a cliche plot.)

Red Queen - I'm sure a lot of people might be finding books they can be positive about with this category, but this was the first book that came to mind, and oh man, it's cliche in all the wrong ways. 

6. Natasha Romanoff

(A book with a snarky side character.)

The Fixer - Asher had me laughing from the moment he appeared on page and I remember highlighting so many of the things he said while reading my e-galley.

7. Sam Wilson

(A book with a friendship meet-cute.)

I really struggled with this category because I guess most of the books I read either involve characters who already have their friend groups established, or there's nothing particularly special about the first time they meet their new friends. Yeah, Tess and Asher's meeting in The Fixer is pretty good, but I didn't want to repeat an answer. But I think I'll have to say Kat and Hale in the Heist Society series. We don't really see how they met until Perfect Scoundrels, but it's hinted at in the previous books.

8. Winter Soldier

(A book with a great twist - plot twist, or retelling.)

All In - And that's all I'm saying. *zips lips*

9. I'm Just a Kid From Booklyn

(A book with a memorable setting or character backstory.)

Firebird trilogy - Both A Thousand Pieces of You and Ten Thousand Skies Above You were so vivid and creative. I loved visiting all of the parallel worlds.

10. Do You Two...Fondue?

(A book with a love triangle.)

Splintered trilogy - The only love triangle I really like, to be honest. (I like John Ambrose McClaren from P.S. I Still Love You but I don't like the love triangle.)

11. You've Been Asleep, Cap

(A book with a dual timeline or time travel.)

Once again, I could list several because parallel worlds and time travel are two of my favorite plot devices. But I'll say The Girl from Everywhere because that I can't push that book enough.

12. The End of the Line

(A book with the OTP to end all OTPs.)

The Start of Me and You - Max and Paige are GOALS. 

(Honorable mentions: Kat and Hale from Heist Society and Marguerite and Paul from A Thousand Pieces of You)

13. I Had a Date

(A book with a cliffhanger.)

See How They Run - *craughes* 

14. I Understood That Reference

(A book with a pop culture reference.)

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies - Harper name-drops Taylor Swift numerous times, and they're all positive references.

Do you know of other book tags you think I'd like? (I'm kind of getting hooked on them...) Or do you love Captain America, too? Feel free to do this book tag yourself! Just make sure to link back to Morgan's original post.

Review: Vicarious

Vicarious by Paula Stokes
Grade: C+
Release date: August 16, 2016
Summary: Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States. 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm going to say this upfront - Vicarious is probably my least favorite of Paula's books thus far. It's still a pretty good read, but I think I like her contemporary novels better.
I'd read the synopsis of Vicarious several times, so I mostly knew what to expect, going into the book. However, I just couldn't enjoy the plot or the characters. Something about Gideon didn't click for most of the story and I didn't connect with Winter's voice. Plus the big reveal was not at all what I wanted it to be, and the ending was a big nope for me.
I kept grasping for some detail to hold onto and love, but I couldn't find one. I wanted to like Winter and Jesse together, but I kept feeling like I ought to be suspicious of him, which kept me from shipping them. Since Rose was presumed dead in the present, I needed more back story with her to appreciate her relationships with Winter and Gideon.
Some foul language. Plenty of violence and making out. Underage drinking.

The Verdict: If you're a fan of mystery/thrillers, you'll probably love Vicarious. Unfortunately, I didn't love it like I wanted to.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Probably not.

So You Like... #31

This So You Like... is all about a book series. It's super popular, especially in the YA book blogger community, and the fifth book in the series releases in just a few weeks. So you like...

THRONE OF GLASS

(as always covers will link to the book's Goodreads page)

So if you like the Throne of Glass series, did you just find some new books for your TBR list? Or do you have some others to recommend?

Secret Sister Round Four Wrap-Up

Another round of Secret Sister has come and gone! It continues to be a wonderful experience, even if I'm not as active on the Twitter hashtag as I'd like to be.

I was Secret Sister for Anna (@lostbraincell). I really tried to do a lot of themed boxes this round, which was super fun. February was Gilmore Girls, March was fantasy, April was the Chicago Cubs (I timed it to arrive for the Cubs' home opener), and May was Harry Potter/magic. June and July were more random stuff, since her birthday was in June and July was kind of like the reveal box (see below for the July box). Anna never guessed who I was, which made my reveal all the more fun. She was so enthusiastic and all-around great, which made gifting stuff all the more fun.


(Photo credit: @lostbraincell.)

My Secret Sister was Emily (@WilowRedHouse)! For the first time ever, I managed to guess who my Secret Sister was before the round was over. In her April card, she gave a pretty big hint, which combined with some major stalking on the hashtag, helped me find her. She's sent cute socks, tons of books of course, lots of office-y stuff perfect for a writer and student, and other little treats. I've included my pictures of the February and June packages below.





The fifth round has already started, and I'm as excited as I was for the past rounds. I'm gonna try to be more active on the hashtag and I want to send lots of letters to my Secret Sisters because I love getting notes when I'm at school.

Have you done Secret Sister? What's been your favorite part?

Top Ten Tuesday: Rewind Week

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I love freebie/rewind weeks! I didn't start doing Top Ten Tuesday until 2013, so there are quite a few topics I never did or would love to do again. For this post, I chose YA books adults should read! I know there are a lot of adults who read YA, because that's most of the book blogger community I'm a part of, but there are also parents and other adults who should give YA a try - as long as they remember the genre isn't for them. It's for teens who need to find a safe place where they can learn and grow and be themselves.

1. A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Historical fiction/mystery/thriller. Set in an insane asylum, but it's not as creepy as it sounds, I promise. (I don't do super creepy books, so I wouldn't be recommending this one if it was the type to keep you awake at night.)

2. The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

Contemporary politics.

3. Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Historical fiction set before World War II with a bit of a mystery and high stakes.

4. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Historical fiction perfect for fans of Downton Abbey.

5. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Cute, snarky contemporary romance. ALL THE BANTER.

6. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Friendship, personal growth and recovery, and one of my favorite YA romances of all time.

7. Fallout by Gwenda Bond

For all of you superhero fans. Teenage Lois Lane is one of my favorite things, and I kind of feel like this duology needs to be a TV show.

8. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

The type of sci-fi I enjoy, since it's interwoven with fairytale retellings. Plus, it's no more sci-fi than The Avengers.

9. Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Historical fiction that's perfect for all those adults who played The Oregon Trail as kids/teens.

10. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Low fantasy, so if magic and fae aren't your thing, than this is a great trilogy for you. It's heavily inspired by Ancient Rome and Greece.

Bonus pick: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

There's a lot of YA/adult crossover appeal with this one. It's written in such a literary manner that, if I were a teacher or professor, I wouldn't hesitate to teach it.

What did you do for TTT this week? Leave the link to your post in the comments below, and I'll try to check it out! :)