Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Grade: B
Release date: September 22, 2015
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Wow. Rae Carson continues to take me by surprise. I was worried she wouldn't be able to switch genres, but I had no reason to be concerned. One thing I can say about Ms. Carson's books is that they continue to break the mold. Sure, she follows a few tropes but they aren't done in a bad way and I wasn't expecting anything of where the story would go, which was great. I love when books surprise me and I don't know what will happen, even if the story isn't a thriller. Leah/Lee was great. She was strong, determined, and didn't take any guff. I love how, while she was mostly a fully-developed character (unlike Carson's Elisa in Girl of Fire and Thorns), she still had decisions to make about who she was and what she wanted.
While I did really enjoy Walk on Earth a Stranger, I don't have mad love for it. I don't think Rae can write super strong first books. The Girl of Fire and Thorns isn't the strongest book in its trilogy. However, I have high hopes for the sequels and I'm pretty sure they'll be on the same level as The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom.
I loved the historical feel and accuracy. Rae does not preserve characters just for our benefit. There are real stakes and problems. She didn't shy away from the nitty-gritty of heading West in the mid-1800s.
Walk on Earth is technically historical fantasy (I still just call it historical fiction), and the magic element is interesting. It's obvious from the synopsis what Lee can do, and it certainly causes a lot of problems for her, which was nice. I don't like when protagonists float through everything and encounter no real obstacles. Let me tell you, the odds are stacked against Lee in a lot of ways.
So, there's some violence and gore, mild language, and mild sexual content.

The Verdict: Really good, and I think this book is the start to a great trilogy.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Quiet YA Picks

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

It's a freebie week! Which means I got to pick whatever I want, and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to push under the radar YA titles on y'all. These are ones that didn't get a ton of hype outside of the blogger world and they're all ones I definitely recommend. Quiet YA started as a Twitter hashtag (I think? Correct me if I'm wrong), and it has a Tumblr and a Goodreads list. So here are ten of my top quiet YA recs, plus a few bonus picks.

1. Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

Recent release. It's historical fiction and very fun!

2. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

One of the first books I read when I started reading YA fic, and it's remained one of my favorites. I'm actually surprised more people haven't read this one.

3. Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

I can't push this one on people enough. It's so good, guys, and I love the protagonist, Rachel.

4. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

More historical fic! If you like Downton Abbey, this book is meant for you.

5. Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

I actually had only seen this book once, right around its release. Then I promptly forgot about it until I saw it on the shelf at The Fountain. It sounded interesting, so I borrowed it from the library and actually really enjoyed it! The protagonist is a Taylor Swift fan.

6. My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten

So much fun! There's a bit of a love triangle, but I didn't really care because seeing a Renaissance Faire through Rowena's eyes was great.

7. The Archived by Victoria Schwab

This is a favorite in the blogger community, so I hesitated to put it on this list. But hardly anyone outside of the publishing world seems to know about it, so on the list it goes.

8. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

This has one of my favorite romance tropes: fake relationships. Because we all know how it'll end. Plus Micah is pretty cool, and I love Lainey's character growth.

9. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

If you love fairytale retellings, than this title is for you! Just be forewarned: a Disney movie it is not.

10. Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

More historical fiction! (Because I can't resist recommending it.) This first book in the series was a little slow and I wasn't in love with it, but then I read the sequel which cemented my love for the series.

Bonus picks (because I want y'all to read all the books):

Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt (Fairytale retelling! Crime families!)

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (I learned so much from this book. It was fascinating, heartbreaking, and beautiful, and why was it only 277 pages???)

Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards (If you love the mystery/thriller genre, this one is for you.)

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman (You can't make me stop recommending historical fiction.)

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas (Cute, fluffy fun. And once you've read this one, Liz has another YA title you should try - Top Ten Clues You're Clueless.)

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Sort of a Parent Trap story. Figure skating and hockey!)

Rewind & Review #45

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

I have felt insanely busy these last few weeks. Being a sophomore is definitely very different than being a freshman. As you can see, I haven't read nearly as many books as I normally do.
But I also have some very exciting news to share. I'm going to be the assistant stage manager for my university's Sophomore Musical (which is the Big Thing for the sophomores). I'm super excited that I'm going to be involved behind the scenes in such an important way, and I can't wait to tell y'all about it as I go through rehearsals. This does mean I'm probably going to drop back on my number of posts per week, though. My homework load is so intense now, and I need to keep my job, and I really want to do well at being the assistant stage manager. I promise I won't completely drop off the face of the earth though!

Books Received for Review

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore (from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley)
Up to This Pointe by Jennifer Longo (from Random House BFYR via NetGalley)
Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith (from Roaring Brook Press via NetGalley)
Everything But the Truth by Mandy Hubbard (from Bloomsbury via NetGalley)

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

Jubilee Manor by Bethany Hagen (my Secret Sis gifted me an e-book copy!)

Books I Bought

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Books I Read

My Secret to Tell by Natalie D. Richards
Howards End by E.M. Forster (2.5 stars)
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)
Between Us and the Moon by Rebecca Maizel (3 stars)
Pretending to Be Erica by Michelle Painchaud (3 stars)
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore (4 stars)
A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 8/31-9/5)

• Elevator Reviews #2
• Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Didn't Click With
• Review: Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty (3.5 stars)
• Random Friday: Recipes
• The Final Sixteen 2016 Reads

   (From 9/6-9/12)

• Support Indie Bookstores
• Fall 2015 Classes
• Top Ten Tuesday: Finished Series I Haven't Finished
• So You Like... #18
• Review: Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales (3 stars)
• DNF Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Upcoming Blog Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• TTT: Favorite Quiet YA Picks
• Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
• Interview with Mackenzi Lee, Author of This Monstrous Thing
• Random Friday: Bookstores Part 2
• The Weight of Feathers Blog Tour
• SST: Brianna Shrum Guest Post
• Review: The Icing on the Cake by Deborah A. Levine and JillEllyn Riley
• TTT: Fall 2015 TBR List
• Review: What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
• Emma Recommends Diverse Books
• I'm Emma and I'm a Word Nerd

DNF Review: The Scorpion Rules

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
Grade: DNF
Release date: September 22, 2015
An e-galley was provided by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Prefectures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace — even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive. 

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages. 

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

When did I stop reading?: 20% into my e-galley
Why didn't I finish?: I was bored.

The Longer Review: This book has such a cool concept. But it just wasn't doing it for me. I was so bored. Nothing exciting enough was happening. There was too much and yet not enough world-building. I wasn't invested in any of the characters.

The Verdict: If you're willing to struggle through, maybe y'all will have better success with this one than I did. Otherwise, I'd pass on this one.

Review: Tonight the Streets Are Ours

Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales
Grade: C+
Release date: September 15, 2015
An ARC was provided by Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But she's tired of being loyal to people who don't appreciate her—including her needy best friend and her absent mom. 

Arden finds comfort in a blog she stumbles upon called "Tonight the Streets Are Ours," the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him.

During one crazy night out in NYC filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was, either.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The plot of Tonight the Streets Are Ours felt strong and interesting. It made me think. But the characters? Oh boy, did I have problems with them. Yet...I liked them. They were flawed and realistic, but they drove me crazy in a way that drove me over the edge. Arden makes idiotic choices and thinks ridiculous things. But she's a teenager. And teenagers often think really crazy things. Peter...Peter just made me mad. Like, I'm sure people like him exist? But he was not what I wanted him to be one bit. I ended up liking Bianca, and whoa, was I not expecting those mini plot twists. I really enjoyed the theme that one person's version isn't usually the whole (or even true) story. The plot with Arden's mom was pretty cliche. It helped with parts of the plot, but there are too many books where the mom (or dad) leaves because they're sick of family life. 
I really didn't like Lindsey. She took advantage of Arden so much and then freaked out at her supposed best friend for just caring about her. In addition, one of the really unrealistic moments was when she was calling around the different bookstores, looking for the one where Peter worked. I'm pretty sure those places of business wouldn't say whether or not he was working that night because it would be a security risk. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
There was a fair amount of foul language, plus drug use and underage drinking.

The Verdict: Kind of good, but I didn't like this one as much as This Song Will Save Your Life.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: I'm not sure.

So You Like... #18

It's time for another TV show-themed So You Like...! I feel like all of these have been inspired by the shows I've started watching lately (Agent Carter and Veronica Mars), so it's fitting that this post's topic is...

GILMORE GIRLS!

(as always, the book cover will take you to the Goodreads page)

(For that small town feel.)

(Paige and Rory would totally be friends.)

(For the single mom thing. Plus the love interest is named Jesse which was as close to Jess as I could get.)

 

(For the mother-daughter relationship.)

(For the mother-daughter relationship and the snark.)

(Since the protagonist is working at a newspaper, and Rory has a strong interest in journalism.)

(Because Rory would fit right in with the group of friends.)

Have you seen Gilmore Girls? Do you think these were good picks? Are there any other books you'd recommend for fans of Gilmore Girls? Let's talk!

Top Ten Tuesday: Finished Series I Haven't Finished

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I was kind of hoping I'd struggle to come up with ten, but, well, it actually wasn't a problem. I went over my to-be-read list and there were exactly ten series I haven't finished. Yet they're all published. So it's all my fault. (And maybe the various libraries I get books from. Ya know, since they often don't have the books I want to read.)

1. Legend trilogy by Marie Lu

The good news is, I've read the first two books and this series can no longer make my "I meant to read this last year but didn't" list. The bad news? I still haven't read Champion. Soon! I promise!

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor

So.... I haven't even started this one actually. But Audris, my Secret Sister from last session, gifted me the first one as an e-book so I have motivation to get to it soon!

3. Secrets of the Eternal Rose trilogy by Fiona Paul

I technically read a bit of the first one (I own it), but it was right before finals week and I had a million other things to do so I put it down and vowed to read it this fall.

4. Project Paper Doll trilogy by Stacey Kade

This one is the library's fault. I want to own this series in paperback, so I can't buy this one. And then neither the library in Illinois or the library in Virginia had a copy.

5. The Arkwell Academy trilogy by Mindee Arnett

The final book, The Nightmare Charade, just released a month ago, so I think I deserve a little grace on this one. There's no doubt in my mind that reading this one soon is a priority.

6. The Murder Complex duology by Lindsey Cummings

I still need to read The Death Code. I liked The Murder Complex all right, but didn't love it so I think that's part of my reluctance to read its sequel.

7. Dissonance duology by Erica O'Rourke

I LOVED Dissonance, and I'm dying to read Resonance. So I blame this one on libraries and the fact that I'm broke and bookish. (And put this one on my Secret Sister wishlist, so I'm supposed to be good and not buy anything off of that list.)

8. Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

I've read Anne of Green Gables, and I even own Anne of Avonlea. I'll finish this series eventually, I promise.

9. Something Strange and Deadly trilogy by Susan Dennard

I just read the first book in this trilogy this summer, right before we moved. Alas, the library in Virginia did not have books two and three. Otherwise, I would've finished this series weeks ago.

10. The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken

Audris gifted me book one of this series, too. I read it, and I got book two from the library and read that one. I even checked book three out of the library, but it was right before I went back to school and I ran out of time. This is another one I promise I will read soon.

Fall 2015 Classes

I'm taking fifteen credits again this semester. I took a summer class, and I'm planning to CLEP out of a couple classes over winter break, hopefully, so I'm staying on track to graduate in four years. (I'm not allowed to be a fifth-year senior. My mother told me so.) Anyways, in case you were wondering what classes I have this fall...

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have...

Ethics

So this class has been okay so far. I think it'll be more interesting than Intro to Philosophy (I have to take one or the other as a gen ed). But my prof's voice kind of puts me to sleep.

French III

I actually didn't fail French II, so I got to move onto the next level. Same prof, same timeslot, several of the same classmates. I love Asbury. (That is not sarcasm.)

Revolutionary Europe

The first of six classes I'll be taking for my minor. They were originally offering History of the American South, which I was going to take but they changed it to this one. It's a 300-level course. I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest in the class, and it's actually kind of boring so far.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have...

Modern Novel

With the same prof I had for Lit and Culture last semester. She's really great, probably one of my favorite profs at Asbury, and it hasn't been bad so far. I'm just pretty sure I'm not going to love any of the books.

Intro to Creative Writing - Fiction

Finally! A creative writing course! I couldn't wait to take this one. Not sure how I feel about the prof so far really, but I have liked some of the writing exercises.

Support Indie Bookstores

Amazon is convenient. You can go and purchase multiple books (as well as other items), and they'll usually all be in stock. Plus, you get free shipping if you're a Prime member. Barnes & Noble has a fair amount of books, so you're likely to find popular titles and perhaps lesser-known ones. 

But neither has the customer service that an independent bookstore does. If you visit an indie repeatedly, the staff learns your name. They figure out your tastes. They love to recommend books. They're always willing to help you find what you're looking for - or order it if they don't have it in stock.

If you're a bookworm, an independent bookstore can feel like your second home. Read Between the Lynes was that place for me for nine years. Arlene, the owner, watched me go through middle school and high school and graduate and become a college student. She saw me graduate from primarily children's and middle grade to young adult fiction. I've watched as many of their booksellers have come and gone. I've met Mia and Nika, Arlene's lovable Saint Bernards. I worked at the bookstore during the Christmas season my senior year. When I started book blogging, Arlene offered me pick of the YA ARCs they receive. I would not be the reviewer I am today, were it not for Read Between the Lynes.

And now, the bookstore is moving. They're only going about a block down on the Woodstock Square, but this is a big change for them. They're currently running an INDIEGOGO campaign to raise funds. And of course, I'm supporting them. Here's the campaign.

I'd love it if you guys support my favorite bookstore, even though I can't go there anymore. To motivate y'all, I'm hosting a giveaway. Anyone can enter, but I'm making the options with the most entries have to do with the fundraiser.

Usual giveaway rules apply!

~This giveaway is limited to the U.S. only. Shipping is expensive, sorry.
There will be two winners.

~You must respond to my email within 48 hours.

~No cheating. I will check.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Final Sixteen 2016 Reads

Is anyone else finding it hard to believe that 2016 is just four months away? 2015 has flown by. As such, this will be the final sixteen 2016 reads post (as the title says) which means I'll be starting seventeen 2017 reads soon... *gulp* But anyways, my expectations for this last post are high. This is the last one! I've gotta make it epic! So these are the sixteen books I can't believe I didn't include until now.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Dear Morgan Matson, you are one of my favorites. Can I have your next title now, please?

Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira

This one has a cover (which is rare for the books on these lists)! And it's about a bookworm.

Chloe in India by Kate Darnton

I am all for books set in different countries.

The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller

All the historical fiction with all the pretty covers.

It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble

Tuck Everlasting + Veronica Mars=catnip for Emma

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae

I adored Kristin's debut, and I'm so excited she's writing another If Only title! *jazz hands*

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

Heist books are always so fun! 

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

IT'S SET IN KENTUCKY. Ahem. But it also sounds pretty darn cool. You know. Besides being set in one of my favorite states.

Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

A retelling of a folktale I've never heard of before! This is very exciting.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

This sounds so fun, and I'm sure this fanfic-writing is going to get Scarlett into big trouble, and I can't wait to read all about it.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I love historical fic that's about events few people know of. 

C.S. High by Sheryl Scarborough

It's like everyone knows I just binged Veronica Mars this spring and am now addicted to it.

Newsgirl by Beth Fantaskey

I normally limit these lists to YA titles, but this one sounds so fantastic, I couldn't resist.

Double Down by Gwenda Bond

Let me just tell you, when that cover was revealed, I was screaming so loudly (inside my head) that I'm surprised I didn't explode. 

Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

Break Me Like a Promise by Tiffany Schmidt

Tiffany is pretty snazzy, and putting her next book on my list gives me an excuse to use this gif...

Can't wait until 2016!