Review: The Princess Spy

The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson
Grade: B+
This book was provided by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha---one of the few who speaks his language---understands the wild story. Margaretha finds herself unable to pass Colin's message along to her father, the duke, and convinces herself 'Lord Colin' is just an addled stranger. Then Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well, and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy---not only is she unable to keep anything secret, she's sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. Though when Margaretha overhears Claybrook one day, she discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. It is up to her to save her father and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook's wicked plot.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: This was the fifth in Melanie's historical fiction fairytale retelling series, and it's good to see everything finally come full-circle. For those of you who have read The Merchant's Daughter, which I highly recommend, you'll get some fun surprises. Also, it ties up some loose ends since that book was the only one not connected to the other three in some way.
Margaretha is a fun character. I loved her chattering ways, and I liked her more than Gisela or Sophie and as much as Rose and Annabel. Colin was a great love interest. Additionally, there are Christian elements but, overall, The Princess Spy felt less preachy than some of the past books. The characters' faith is more a part of their lives than a sermon.
However, I'm not sure this was the best fairytale to retell. I didn't feel like there were too many elements of The Frog Prince in it. Also, Melanie's writing felt a bit too stiff and formal at times.
The romance, though, was very nice. There's no love triangle because Margaretha never had real feelings for Lord Claybrook. Also, I think she and Colin had some very swoony moments (although nothing compares to Rose and Wilhelm or Annabel and Ranulf, in my opinion).
It's a pretty clean book; violence is the worst, but it's not terribly graphic.

The Verdict: A fun read, especially if you've read Melanie's previous fairytale retellings.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

The Paris Dream

Ah, Paris. The City of Lights. The City of Love.

I really want to go to Paris (and France in general) some day. But that got me thinking. How many YA books are set in Paris? Or in how many YA novels do the characters travel to Paris? It's a remarkable number. I was able to come up with ten on my own, and I'm sure there are dozens more.

There are Anna and the French Kiss and Isla and the Happily Ever After, two books from the same series which are mostly set in Paris.

In Time After Time, The Geography of You and Me, and Going Rogue, the characters visit the City of Lights.

The City of Love has a prominent part to play in Just One Day, Scarlet (by Marissa Meyer), and Belle Epoque.

What other books can you name that are set in Paris, at least for a chapter or two?

Books Everywhere: a Dorm Room Adventure

I'm a bookworm. I have a book-lover for a roommate. We both knew we'd have to get creative when it came to book storage. We did - but there are still books everywhere. Ready to see where we're keeping our collections?

Up first is my small bookshelf over my desk.

As you can see, on top are Percy Jackson and the Olympians and my Throne of Glass collection (which Heir of Fire and hopefully a hardcover of Throne of Glass will be added to soon). On the bottom, I have four stacks of books. On the left in the back, are The Lunar Chronicles and Don't Touch. On the right in the back are three books I want to read imminently. Fire & Flood is there as an ARC because I haven't read it yet, but I won't be reviewing it, since Hannah already did that. The front left tack are some of my favorites that I want to display.

I use two storage cubes to contain more of my books. The top one holds all of the ARCs I have here at school plus a few extra favorites. The bottom cube is almost full with two stacks of random books. I have no organizational system here, which stresses me out sometimes.

Then I have two storage bins that are pretty full. I still have some room in the bottom one, thank goodness (especially since I'll be bringing books back with me after Thanksgiving and Christmas). Just like with my second storage cube, there's really no rhyme or reason to how I organized these. However, the second bin has my classics and nonfiction books, along with some extras.

Now for Elise's bookcase!

As you can see, she practiced more restraint in the amount of books she brought with her. However, I think she's starting to run out of space. I think we're going to have find more room for Elise's books soon!

Okay, so if you're currently attending college or have since graduated, how did you store your books? Did you run out of room? Or what are you planning to do with your book collection when you go to college?

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters Who Need Their Own Books

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I had to think long and hard about this topic. There are a lot of secondary characters whose POVs would be intriguing, but I don't think they always need an entire book or even a novella.

First up, Captain Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles. I know he got a short story in the back of the Target edition of Cress. BUT I'd really like to have a novella or book about a random adventure of his, perhaps after the events of the series and everything has calmed down.

2. Nehemia

You know, the princess from the Throne of Glass series? She's still such a mystery, and I'm dying to know about her and her past.

3. Sloane

Since You've Been Gone is easily one of my favorite books of 2014. But it was entirely Emily's side of the story. I'd like to delve into her BFF Sloane's head.

4. Trinity

In The Art of Lainey, I can say, without a doubt, Micah's little sister is my favorite character. I loved that we got to know her a little better in Micah's novella, Infinite Repeat. Still, I could easily read a whole book about her.

5 and 6. Bex and Liz

Why? Because I want more Gallagher Girls, but I have this feeling Cammie's story is over. But I totally want to read more adventures starring Bex and Liz.

7. Finnick Odair

I know we learned more about his history, but I'd really like to hear about his first Hunger Games from him and anything before that and why Annie became so important to him. *tries not to cry*

8. May Singer

May is that adorable, lovable younger sister from The Selection trilogy. Since we're getting an e-novella from Marlee's POV, there definitely needs to be one about May.

9. Eleanor of Aquitaine

Ok, I know she's an historical figure and all, but she is such a cool and important character in Lady Thief. A.C. Gaughen totally needs to write a book about a young Eleanor. 

10. Isaac

What happens after The Fault in Our Stars? Like with Cammie, I think Hazel's part of the story is over. But I'd like to see life from Isaac's eyes now (pun intended).

So what about you? What characters do you think need their own books?

Rewind & Review #25

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

There are now less than three weeks until I get to go home for Thanksgiving, and I'm just so excited. I've missed my parents, and my dog, and my home, and my friends. I'm going to be able to sleep in my own bed and eat good, home-cooked food. I'll be able to visit my favorite bookstore and see family and hopefully Kate. But for now I'm making it through all my classes. I've reached that point where I'm just feeling pretty meh about all of them, but I know I need to make the effort to go each day. After all, my parents are paying a lot for me to be here and I need to keep my GPA up so I can keep my academic scholarship.

Book-wise, these last two weeks have been much nicer than last time, although I didn't get any books from the 26th through the 31st. I've also done a TON of rereading.

Books I Received

For Real by Alison Cherry (via NetGalley/Delacorte)
Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers (via NetGalley/Bloomsbury)
When by Victoria Laurie
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga (the last three via Read Between the Lynes)
The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz (via Nicole through the YA Book Exchange)

Books I Bought

Two of Us by Elizabeth Eulberg (free e-book)

Books I Read

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (reread)
Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt (reread)
Two of Us by Elizabeth Eulberg (4.5 stars)
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas (reread)
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton (reread)
For Real by Alison Cherry
When by Victoria Laurie
Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz (3.5 stars)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (reread)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 10/27-11/1)

• So You Like... #7
• Review: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (5 stars)
• Review: Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle (3 stars)
• A YA Costume Party

   (From 11/2-11/8)

• 1989 ~ Thoughts on Taylor's New Album
• The Sweet Scent of Books
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Never Want to Reread
• A Bookish Swiftie's Recommendations Part 2
• Random Friday: Favorite Season

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

• Top Ten Tuesday: Characters Who Need Their Own Books
• Books Everywhere: a Dorm Room Adventure
• The Paris Dream
• Review: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson
• So You Like... #8
• Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
• Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I Need
• Review: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
• Random Friday: Books That Disappointed
• Because It's All We Know
• Surviving Fantasy Worlds
• Top Ten Tuesday: Winter TBR List
• What I'm Thankful For 2014
• Why Do I Buy a Book?
• Review: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Random Friday: Favorite Season

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.

Today's post was such a fun one to do, because I had three different people besides me contribute to it. As you can see, the topic is your favorite season, so I found three people whose favorite seasons are all different. Now you're about to find out why they're our favorites. :)

Emily ~ Winter

Winter is my favorite season because I feel like everyone is more positive and joyful around that time. You get to see family, friends, and everyone tends to be in a good mood. I also live in Florida, so that good mood may have to do with the fact that winter is the only time it's slightly cooler outside. 

The general holiday spirit is so fantastic. Gift-giving, family fun, and, if you're a Christian like myself (or if you are religious in any way), it is a great time for celebration. Even if you're not religious, the holidays are still fun. 

I particularly love to sit down and read in the winter. Hot tea and a great book are really all I need in winter time. Breaks from school + cold weather + holidays + books = happiness. 

Emma ~ Spring

Spring is definitely the season that makes me the happiest. I love that the weather is warming up (usually; Illinois is a fickle state), and that I can finally wear super cute clothes again, and that all the trees and flowers are blooming again. Warmer weather means I can go outside without a heavy coat and boots. It means I can go to Starbucks and order a passion tea lemonade instead of hot cocoa or apple cider. It means I can sit outside with my schoolwork or a book. And I really can't wait to experience my first spring in Kentucky. I visited my school in April 2013, and everything was so pretty then. I can only imagine spending every day here, surrounded by God's magnificent creation. Spring is just the season that makes me happiest.

Chris ~ Summer
Of all the times in the year, there are none quite like summer. Summer is a thousand different feelings and memories that transcend the three month space to which they were confined in my formative years, and goes far beyond the parameters of the calendar. It is simply more, everything from the brisk sunrise to the sleepy twilight and all the moments in-between that seem to last a lifetime. Summer is bare feet and scraped knees, running further and faster than you would at any other time. It is fireworks and long nights lying in the grass, sharing laughter and wondering which one is the little dipper. It is walks in the park under the shade of the weeping willow, with thoughts spoken like secrets in the late afternoon. It is dreams in all that they can be, dreams that are so much greater because the world is full and the world is alive when it is summer. It is love that is iridescent and beautiful in all the ways that it is one thing and another and always changing. It is smiles and hands and moments and life beyond all the words that would try to wrestle it down and preserve it on a piece of paper. It is a respite of stillness in a symphony of chaos, when creation slows down for everyone to see it, and understand why “alive” is such an incredible word.

Sarah ~ Fall

I love all seasons, more or less, but fall is probably my favorite. It's one of the prettiest times of year, with the leaves turning to bright red and yellow as if wanting to die in a blaze of glory. But the main reason I love it has nothing to do with nature. No, I love fall because it, more than any other season, is when things happen. It starts with fall fests through October, though my family doesn't go to nearly as many of those as we used to. Then there's Halloween, though my family doesn't do trick-or-treating. Instead, we go to Chuck-e-Cheese with a few other families, costumes optional. 

And once Halloween's over, it's November, the most exciting month of the year for me. It's NaNoWriMo, which keeps me busy (almost) every spare moment with weaving plot twists and character arcs for whatever novel I'm working on. My birthday's in November, and that almost always means my grandpa will come down to visit. And, of course, there's Thanksgiving- usually celebrated with a potluck with our Bible Study- and the day after Thanksgiving, the Christmas tree goes up and preparations for that holiday begin. With all that going on, is it any wonder fall is my favorite time of year?

A Bookish Swiftie's Recommendations Part 2

Two of my favorite things in the world are Taylor Swift (and her music) and books. I got the bright idea that I should recommend YA books, based on certain Taylor Swift songs. I've already done one post with this topic, but let's be honest: there's no way I could fit all the books and songs in just one post. So I'm gladly doing another!

"Enchanted" ~ meet-cutes

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

"Tied Together With a Smile" ~ books about giving up

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

"Dear John" ~ abusive (emotionally and physically) relationships

The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor (boyfriend-girlfriend)

Something Real by Heather Demetrios (mother-daughter)

"The Lucky One" ~ books about fame

Starstruck by Rachel Shukert

Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

"Fifteen" ~ books about starting high school or college

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

"Long Live" ~ books featuring prom or graduation

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

United We Spy by Ally Carter

One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

"Sweeter Than Fiction" ~ bookish or hopeless romantic characters

  

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

"The Best Day" ~ books with strong family relationships

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

I hope to do another of these soon! What did you think of my recommendations this time?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Never Want to Reread

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I'm changing things up for this week's topic. I'm always rereading books, so I felt I wouldn't be able to list just ten books accurately. Therefore, I'm going to talk about books I never want to reread.

1. Starry Night by Isabel Gillies

2. There's No Place Like Home by Jen Calonita

3. Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore

4. Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel

5. Bumped by Megan McCafferty

6. The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

7. Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

8. Panic by Lauren Oliver

9. Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

10. Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

11. The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

12. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

13. Jane by April Lindner

I'm noticing how many of those books have pretty covers, and ugh, why do bad books get pretty covers? 

The Sweet Scent of Books

Have you ever thought about what scented candles themed after your favorite books would smell like? I got to thinking about that awhile back and realized it would make a great blog post. Now, I'm not saying all these candles would smell great, but I definitely think they hint at major things in the books.

The Lunar Chronicles Collection

So what would candles for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress smell like? How about motor oil, antipasto (or tomatoes), and desert sand?

The Percy Jackson Collection

If Percy knew about this, he'd think I was pretty crazy. But can't you imagine PJO candles that smell like the sea, pine trees, and blue raspberry?

The Throne of Glass Collection

I could see Celaena Sardothien appreciating candles that are chocolate cake-scented, book-scented, and death-scented.

The Selection Collection

(yes, I'm laughing about that rhyme)

This one was a bit harder to do, but I came up with two The Selection trilogy scented candles. How about strawberry tart and pennies?

The Princess Academy Collection

So if you've read Princess Academy, what would you expect these candles to smell like? Well I thought of stone, goats, and miri flowers. I expect that the first two wouldn't sell well.

The Art of Lainey Collection

Ah, Lainey. I'm sure she'd want some girly-scented candles, but I decided on...a pancakes-scented candle, a coffee-scented candle, and a soccer-scented candle (it would likely smell like grass and sweat).

And last but not least...

The Being Sloane Jacobs Collection

This one was perhaps the hardest, but I think an ice-scented candle would definitely be reminiscent of Being Sloane Jacobs and I also think a poutine-scented candle would be awesome. (Not really. Please realize that most of these ideas are purely ironic.)

So that's it for my book-themed scented candle collections! Thoughts? What other book series would you want to see scented candles for?

1989 ~ Thoughts on Taylor's New Album

So I knew I wanted to talk about Taylor's latest album. It's been out for a week now (well, when this post goes up, it will have been), and I have so many thoughts. And I'm going to treat this a bit like one of my book reviews.

1989 produced by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback, written by Taylor Swift and numerous co-writers, and performed by Taylor Swift

Grade: A

Release date: October 27, 2014

This album was provided by me. I preordered it from iTunes and went out and bought the deluxe edition at Target.

Summary: Taylor Swift's fifth album, her first album that is completely pop (before, her sound was country-pop with a bit of rock and dubstep thrown in at times). Less about love and more about her life now. There are still songs about a particular ex, but they're more nostalgic and bittersweet rather than finger-pointing and angry. Plus, check out my favorite lyrics from each song. ;)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: So, like with my review of My True Love Gave to Me, which went story-by-story, I'm going to go song-by-song.

"Welcome To New York"
I liked "Out Of The Woods" better, but it was a good intro song for the album, and I love the bridge. 3.5/5
"Like any great love/It keeps you guessing/Like any real love/It’s ever changing/Like any true love/It drives you crazy."

"Blank Space"
The SASS. I love when Taylor pokes fun at herself and her image. I'm not the biggest fan of the beat and flow of this song, but it's still a lot of fun. 4/5
"'Cause darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream"

"Style"
I had heard "Style" described as having a serious Miami Vice vibe. While I've never seen that show, I could really feel where that reference would come from. This is a cool, fun song that I love jamming to. Plus, it's perfect for my dance parties. Easily in my top faves. 5/5
"You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/And I got that red lip classic thing that you like"

"Out Of The Woods"
So, so, so amazing. I love that the verses are slower, like when you're reminiscing, and the choruses are faster and more chaotic like in the moment of the relationship. And just this song makes me so happy. 5/5
The whole dang song. I can't quote just one lyric.

"All You Had To Do Was Stay"
This isn't one of my favorites, but it's still pretty good, and it isn't one I'll skip if it comes up in my playlist. I'm not sure, though, how I feel about the high "Stay" in the chorus. However, the song has been growing on me. 4/5
"People like you always want back the love they gave away/And people like me wanna believe you when you say you've changed"

"Shake It Off"
When it first came out, I loved it of course. But then a few weeks later, I realized it was exactly what I needed in this season of my life. So, thank you, Taylor. 4.5/5
"Hey, hey, hey/Just think while you been getting down and out about the liars/And the dirty dirty cheats of the world/You could have been getting down to this sick beat."

"I Wish You Would"
Taylor has some things she references on every album. I'm not going to say which one this song has, but it's a Swiftie favorite. I felt some of the chaos of "Out Of The Woods" and enjoyed it. 4.5/5
"I wish you knew that I'll never forget you as long as I live"

"Bad Blood"
Slay, Taylor, slay. (Just for the record, if you didn't know, this is about a female artist who did some very awful things to Taylor, NOT an ex.) 5/5
"Band-aids don't fix bullet holes/You say sorry just for show/You live like that, you live with ghosts"

"Wildest Dreams"
Am I the only one who was reminded a bit of Lana del Ray with this track? This one is a bit more suggestive than some of Taylor's other songs, but it's not too provocative. 3.5/5
"Say you'll remember me/Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sun set babe/Red lips and rosy cheeks/Say you'll see me again even if it's just pretend"

"How You Get The Girl"
Several of the songs on 1989 are repetitive, but this one feels possibly the most repetitive. It's got a catchy melody, but it's perhaps my least favorite of the record. It's not as memorable or as catchy as "Out Of The Woods" and "Shake It Off." 2.5/5

"This Love"
This is the only track written solely by Taylor (although make no mistake - she was heavily involved in writing all the others). It also sounds the most country-like to me, and it's beautiful. It has a very "Sad Beautiful Tragic" or "Safe and Sound" vibe to me. 5/5
"When you’re young, you just run/But you come back to what you need"

"I Know Places"
"I Know Places" has a darkness reminiscent of "Haunted" (which is one of my favorite songs ever, fyi). And I. Love. It. Taylor is continuing to slay. 5/5
"Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out"

"Clean"
This is the only song I'm not sharing a lyric from because I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't heard it. It's one you need to hear for a full experience because it is beautiful. I keep using that word, I know. But I could feel Taylor's emotion and that was enough for me. If you don't get the deluxe version, this is the last track of the album and it's a magnificent closer. 5/5

"Wonderland"
I have mad love for the Cheshire Cat and Wonderland-related things, so imagine my excitement for this song. All the references to Wonderland worked well and weren't too cheesy or over-the-top. It almost doesn't sound like Taylor at times, which lessens my enjoyment just a little. 4.5/5
"You searched the world for something else to make you feel like what we had/
And in the end in Wonderland we both went mad"

"You Are In Love"
*sighs* Once again, beautiful. 5/5
"You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars/And why I've spent
my whole life try to put it in words"

"New Romantics"
It's got a fun dance beat. I had to give it a couple listens, but it grew on me. 4/5
"Heartbreak is the national anthem"

Voice Memos
This was a new, different look at three of Taylor's songs. It was very raw and interesting. The second two felt more abrupt, though, and I think honestly I would've rather had three more bonus songs. 3/5

The Verdict: The 17 scores average out to 4.3 stars. I'd say that's a success. 1989 has me completely wonderstruck. Taylor hasn't done a 180 (a lot of Red was more pop than country), but I love this new direction. She still writes amazing lyrics and she isn't doing traditional pop. Bravo, Taylor, bravo.