Rewind & Review #41

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

If you read a couple of my posts from the last few weeks, you'll know I'm officially in Virginia! We almost thought we weren't going to be getting the house because of some issues with the sellers, but that's still going through. We aren't moving in until after the closing on July 20, so we're currently living at my BFF's house. Her family has been very gracious to put up with house guests for three weeks. It's been interesting, settling in. We've had to go out and look at furniture a lot, and there have been a lot of people who I don't really remember (but my parents do). I'm starting to get a feel for where roads around here go, so I'm hoping my parents will let me drive more soon (I drove us home from church last Sunday but that's been it so far). My summer class is finally over, so I hope to do a lot of writing in the next few weeks until we unpack...and then I have to pack up again for my second year at college.

Books I Won/Traded for/was Gifted

17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen (via trade)

Books I Bought

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Books I Read

Nearly Found by Elle Cosimano (3 stars)
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (reread)
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (reread)
The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen (4 stars)
Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens (4 stars)
Don't Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche (4 stars)
Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond (4 stars)
Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (reread)
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway (4 stars)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (reread)
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (reread)
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (reread)
Ophelia by Lisa Klein (3 stars)
The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (reread)
The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine (3 stars)
The Jazzman's Trumpet by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (3 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 6/29-7/4)

• Review: Ana of California by Andi Teran (3 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Best Reads in 2015 So Far
• Goodbye, Illinois
• Review: A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery (4 stars)
• So You Like... #15

   (From 7/5-7/11)

• Review: Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson (4 stars)
• Taylor Swift Book Tag
• Hello, Virginia
• Review: Deceptive by Emily Lloyd-Jones (5 stars)
• Random Friday: Fun Facts About Me
• Are You Reading Diverse Books?

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

• Review: Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Acquired
• Don't Go Breaking My Heart
• Review: Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond
• Awkwordly Emma's Fourth Blogoversary
• Sunday Street Team: Shanna Swendson Guest Post
• You Can Never Have Too Many Notebooks
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Diverse Characters
• Title Trends
• Random Friday: More Hairstyles
• From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen: Chai Sugar Cookies

Are You Reading Diverse Books?

As the need for diverse books continues to be a hot topic, I realized I could do my part by talking about them more. So, for starters, I've got a poll for y'all. If you could fill this out and spread the word, that would be wonderful! I'll probably leave it open for a couple weeks.

Random Friday: Fun Facts About Me

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.

*crosses fingers that several of you will do this post because I want to learn more about my blog followers*

1. My due date was July 10th, but I wasn't born until nearly a week later because, as my mom puts it, "I was quite comfortable and didn't feel like changing things." Story of my life.

2. I want to collect French editions of several of my favorite YA books.

3. I often forget how short I am unless I'm talking to someone very tall or I look at pictures of myself with average-sized or tall people.

4. I hate bugs and therefore do not participate in many outdoor activities or go outside unless I have to.

5. I spend a surprising amount of time trying to convince my friends they should come to Asbury (and not just to visit me).

6. I work at my university's athletic center, even though I'm not athletic in the slightest.

7. I wish I could draw. And sing. And dance.

8. When I'm a published author and (hopefully) going on tour, I will try to convince my publisher to let me make stops in Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois.

9. There are a lot of hyped books I dislike.

10. Whenever my friends say, "I was so tan!" or "I'm so tan!" I like to respond with, "I'm so pale!"

11. While I love most of the songs from 1989, my recent fave that I can't stop listening to is "Out Of The Woods."

12. I have vague loyalty to the Chicago Cubs only because my father would disown me if I didn't.

13. I want to dress up as Kestrel from The Winner's Curse for Halloween some year.

14. I never eat my cereal with milk.

15. I want to get married in winter, solely so I can wear a cloak.

16. Thanks to my art history prof, I never want to see another Renaissance painting as long as I live.

So that's 16 very random (and hopefully) fun facts about me. Share some facts about you in a blog post or in the comments below, please!

Review: Deceptive

Deceptive by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Grade: A-
Release date: July 14, 2015
An e-galley was provided by Little, Brown for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: You don’t belong with us. These are the words that echo through the minds of all immune Americans—those suffering the so-called adverse effects of an experimental vaccine, including perfect recall, body manipulation, telepathy, precognition, levitation, mind-control, and the ability to change one’s appearance at will.

When immune individuals begin to disappear—in great numbers, but seemingly at random—fear and tension mount, and unrest begins to brew across the country. Through separate channels, super-powered teenagers Ciere, Daniel, and Devon find themselves on the case; super criminals and government agents working side-by-side. It’s an effort that will ultimately define them all—for better or for worse.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: It is a truth universally acknowledged that I love superheroes. Tell me a YA book involves superheroes/superpowers and chances are good that I'll read it. And Emily Lloyd-Jones has expertly woven one of the better YA superpower books out there. Both Illusive and Deceptive made my most-anticipated release lists for their respective years, and I'm here to say that they didn't disappoint. Albeit, I didn't remember most of Illusive when I read Deceptive but Lloyd-Jones does a nice job of reminding her readers of details without making them feel like idiots. She even lists all the abilities and their names again (very useful). And speaking of those abilities, Lloyd-Jones chose some good ones. She limited the choices so readers aren't overwhelmed and she expanded and used each one nicely. They all have their weaknesses and strengths. Additionally, Ciere, the lead protagonist, learned how to develop and train her ability as an illusionist, which was trippy and cool. 
One change from the first book to this one is the addition of Devon as the third narrator. I never got confused because all of the chapters are third-person, and Devon was away from Ciere for a lot of Deceptive so knowing what he was up to and how he was playing a part in the bigger plot was important. The plot worked pretty well, although at times, it just...I don't know, it felt weird to me. Everything fit together nicely but it wasn't always exactly what I wanted. There's also still a lack of female leads which is kind of sad. Although Sia, who works with Devon, is pretty darn cool.
Some foul language (f-words and s-words), but not too much that it distracted me. Very little romantic content. There's violence, of course.

The Verdict: Really good, but I'm not satisfied with that ending. Will there be a third book?

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

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

Hello, Virginia

Dear Virginia,

Hello!

It's been a long time since I last saw you. It was 2010 and only for a week. And I haven't been a resident since I was almost four. I hope you'll welcome me back with open arms...and less heat and humidity. And maybe to sweeten the deal, you could get a few more author events, preferably during the summer when I'll be home?

You're a beautiful state with your mountains, and hills, and forests. You even have a beach! (Albeit, it's on a very cold ocean, but it's still a beach.) You're also home to my very best friend in the world. While I'll miss my friends in Illinois very much, I'm glad to be close to Kelly again. 

I'll only be residing in you about four months out of the year, but I think we'll get along nicely.

Sincerely,
Emma

Taylor Swift Book Tag

I've seen this tag floating around the blogger world, and when Emily at Forever Literary tagged whoever wanted to participate, I jumped at the chance. I'm also doing a lot of the categories Willa did in her post when she tagged Emily.

WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER 

(a book/series you were pretty sure you loved but then wanted to break up with)

This was such a fun series, but it went downhill with its drama and repetitiveness.

THE BEST DAY

(a book that makes you feel nostalgic)

One of the first YA titles I read, and I always get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I reread it.

LOVE STORY

(a book with forbidden love)

One of the few forbidden love stories I enjoy!

I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE

(a book with a villain you couldn't help but love)

Couldn't stand this book but I actually kind of liked the Duchess of the Lake.

EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED

(a book with a character who goes through extensive development)

I loved Sam and she grows so much through the course of Every Last Word.

WONDERLAND

(my favorite fictional world)

Sara's worldbuilding is epic, and I can't wait to learn more about the different kingdoms in Ice Like Fire.

TODAY WAS A FAIRYTALE

(my favorite retelling)

INNOCENT

(a book someone ruined the ending for)

I'm pretty good at avoiding spoilers, but when I tweeted that I was reading Divergent, someone who didn't even follow me replied to my tweet and told me everyone who died at the end.

YOU BELONG WITH ME

(my most anticipated book release)

I thought long and hard about this one. There are so many books releasing in the next few months that I'm dying for, but I would kill a bear for the final book in The Naturals trilogy. (Side note: why does it have to be the last book???)
Edit: A couple days ago, I found out there will be a fourth book in the series. Yay!

FOREVER AND ALWAYS
(my favorite book couple)


I love, love, love Paige and Max.

BEGIN AGAIN
(a book that deserves a second chance)

 
I don't think I was really in the mood for Crimson Bound when I read it so I'd like to pick it up again.
And Sekret was interesting, but I kept getting bored so it deserves a second chance, too.

LAST KISS
(a series you're not ready to let go of, even though it's ended)


Whyyyyy did the At Somerton trilogy have to end? (And with only an ebook for the last book, too.)

CLEAN
(a series you're glad is over)


This series wasn't nearly as good as Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It lost Percy's humor, it grew too dark, there were too many random gods and goddesses, and there were too many narrators.

ENCHANTED
(a book you found by chance that you ended up loving)

I wasn't entirely sure how to define this category, so I went with a book that I read early on in my life as a blogger. I didn't find it in any publisher's category or see any hype for it or have a friend or fellow blogger tell me I had to read it.

COME BACK... BE HERE
(a book I will never lend out)


This 562-page beauty is signed and personalized so no way am I letting it out of my sight for long. The only way I'll loan it out is if it's going to my roommate or a friend who will only read it in my room/house.

TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR
(a book that made me cry a lot)

I actually cried harder rereading this one than the first time around.

SHAKE IT OFF
(a book I love so much that I just shake off the haters)


I think this may be Jennifer's lowest-rated book, but I love it, so...

BLANK SPACE
(my favorite autographed book)

Oh, man, I love all my autographed books, but I'm gonna have to go with...


All because of Jasmine's personalization. She's possibly one of the best authors I've ever met.

So now that I'm done, I tag whoever wants to do this book tag! Let me know if you do it because I'd love to see what your answers are.

Review: Rebel Mechanics

Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson
Grade: B
Release date: July 14, 2015
An e-galley was provided by FSG Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: A sixteen-year-old governess becomes a spy in this alternative U.S. history where the British control with magic and the colonists rebel by inventing.

It’s 1888, and sixteen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family—but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister—but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family’s life. She soon realizes she’s uniquely positioned to advance the cause—but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Alternate history is perhaps my favorite subgenre of historical fiction. And when it came to that part of the plot, Rebel Mechanics definitely didn't disappoint. In this book, the Americans lost the Revolutionary War because the British had magic. It's now 100 years later, and much of the upper class relies on magic. However, steampunk and the Industrial Revolution are starting to rise. I really enjoyed how Ms. Swendson played with history. She did this well. Verity was an interesting protagonist. She was a little too reactionary for my tastes (sometimes I felt like she was more a plot device than protagonist), but I did enjoy when she stood up for herself and what she believed in. I worried about a love triangle but there never was one. If there is a sequel (which I hope there will be because there were a few loose threads), I could see a romance blooming between Verity and one of the guys. But other than that almost love triangle, the romance was realistic and worked nicely. As for secondary characters, I really liked Olive. She was perhaps a bit mature for a six year old at times, but she had spunk and was funny and sweet. I liked the few times Verity interacted with the children's maternal aunt Elinor; if there's a sequel, I want more of her! And in the end, I really did enjoy Verity's employer, Lord Henry. Some of the mystery involving him was a bit too obvious from the start, but it was still fun wondering if Verity was right or not.

The Verdict: Fast-paced, enjoyable, and great for fans of historical fiction and steampunk. Would also recommend for fans of Prisoner of Night and Fog and The Falconer.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

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

So You Like... #15

It's time for another So You Like... post! This one doesn't have a genre theme or a "for fans of "insert book/TV show/movie" theme. Nope. Instead...

SO YOU LIKE...

BOOKS SET (mostly) IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY

(as always covers link to Goodreads pages)

(Set in South Korea)

 

(Set in Italy)

 

(Set in Germany)

(Set in futuristic China)

(Set in Ethiopia)

(Set in futuristic India)

(Set in Greece)

(Set in Pakistan)

(Set in France)

Do you like to read books set in a different country? What's your favorite? Or did you find anything new to read with this post? And as always, if you have a topic you want me to cover in So You Like..., just let me know!

Review: A Million Miles Away

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery
Grade: B-
Release date: July 7, 2015
This ARC was provided by Novl's Early Review Program in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.

As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I liked A Million Miles Away, I really did. But when I sat down to write my review, not even 24 hours later, I didn't quite know what to say. A lot of the details blurred together. I remember that Kelsey was a realistic character; she didn't make the best choices but she tried hard and meant well and was fully-developed. I remember that the way time moved and worked in the book felt a bit off at times. There were large time jumps that made it harder to believe Kelsey loved Peter, and I was sometimes confused how much later it was after the previous scene/chapter. The characterization of Peter was well-done, in my opinion. I enjoyed getting to know his friend, Sam. I would've liked a bit more depth for Kelsey's friends and more involvement from them in her life. They felt like stereotypical YA besties that are there but aren't actually the best friends. My one problem with the romance is that Kelsey had a boyfriend while she was pretending to be Michelle and falling for Peter. I could see how they weren't truly into each other anymore, but Kelsey needed to make better choices and at least end things with that guy sooner.
When everything hit the fan, it played out well. Nothing felt too dramatic. The issue didn't drop easily. I feel pretty good about the resolution.
Some foul language and underage drinking.

The Verdict: Good, yes, but not wowing.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Maybe

Goodbye, Illinois

Dear Illinois,
You aren't the best state out there (you're really not), but you've been home. I'm allowed to hate on your high taxes, your terrible roads, and your awful governors who always seem to end up in jail because I've been a resident of this fine state for fifteen years. If anyone who doesn't live in Illinois says something derogatory, I pretend you're the best state out there. Thankfully, I won't have to do that for much longer.

I won't lie, it was great living so close to Chicago. That meant trips to the American Girl Store when I was little, monthly trips to the Art Institute one year in school, and a lot of authors come here on tour (not as many as New York and the East Coast, but still more than Kentucky and Virginia get). I've loved my little town, with its Square and indie bookstore (yeah, Richmond has a few but they're no Read Between the Lynes) and Groundhog Day celebrations. I'll miss this little stone house even though my parents don't like it nearly as much as I do. (They don't have the whole upstairs to themselves. That's probably why.)

Thanks for the memories, Illinois. I'll be back, I'm sure. BEA is happening in Chicago next May, and I really want to go. My friends will still be here and I love them as much as I love Taylor Swift. (Speaking of her, why is Soldier Field so freaking far away from everything else in Chicago? Try walking all the way there and back to your hotel. Your feet will be sore and you will be crying.)

So long, Illinois.

Sincerely,
Emma