So You Like... #87

Recommending books is so much fun. I've probably said that a lot before. It gets a little harder when doing posts like this, as opposed to just one-off recommendations, but it's still fun. The idea for this post started brewing after I talked to someone who had been at the same Ruta Sepetys event as me. We mentioned how great it was that she told these little-known stories in history, and that got me thinking about perhaps some of the other parts of history we don't see as much in historical fiction. So this post is all about if you like...


RUTA SEPETYS'S BOOKS


You should read...


anything by Stacey Lee:

(My personal favorite is Outrun the Moon but all three of her YA historical fiction stories are excellent)




(Always here for lady lawyers solving crimes.)




(For anyone who didn't know England wasn't and isn't a super white country. Plus plenty of middle grade Agatha Christie-esque fun.)




(pre-WWII Germany)




(If you'd prefer bite-sized historical fiction tales.)




(For a pioneer story that isn't the Wild West.)



Have you read Ruta Sepetys's books? I'm super excited for her new one, The Fountains of Silence, that pubs in just a couple weeks. :)

Rewind & Review #143

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~The Epic Reads tour came to Richmond, and it was so much fun. I got to see Sara Raasch again and meet Kendare Blake, Rena Barron, and Shelby Mahurin. Kendare Blake is especially fun with a ridiculously dry sense of humor.
I've been stocking up on books and Netflix/Hulu options for my surgery recovery week. Here's hoping I'll actually feel up to reading.

Books I Received for Review

Chirp by Kate Messner (from Bloomsbury)
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (from Wednesday Books via NetGalley)
Anna K. by Jenny Lee
Every Reason We Shouldn't by Sara Fujimara
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood (from various Macmillan imprints via Edelweiss)

Books I Bought

Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Books I Read

Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry (3 stars)
A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens (4.5 stars)
Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas (reread)
Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver (3 stars)
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (4 stars)

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

   (from 9/2-9/7)

• Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books Outside My Comfort Zone
• Random Friday: Travel Bucket List - North America
• Review: A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth (3 stars)

   (from 9/8-9/14)

• Thoughts on Lover
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Avoiding Reading
• Review: It's a Whole Spiel by various authors (3.5 stars)
• DNF Review: Suggested Reading by David Connis

DNF Review: Suggested Reading

Suggested Reading by David Connis
Grade: DNF
Release date: September 17, 2019
An e-galley was provided by HarperCollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren’t allowed anywhere on the school’s premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.

Many of these stories have changed Clara’s life, so she’s not going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power. She’s going to strike back.

So Clara starts an underground library in her locker, doing a shady trade in titles like Speak and The Chocolate War. But when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy she never saw coming, Clara’s forced to face her role in it.

Will she be able to make peace with her conflicting feelings, or is fighting for this noble cause too tough for her to bear? 

When did I stop reading?: 21% into my e-galley.
Why did I stop reading?: This read like a female-narrated book written by a guy. Seriously. The premise was great, but the author should've written a male protagonist instead. Also the short choppy chapters were annoying, and I was 20% into the book and feeling bored.

The Verdict: Could've been better.

Review: It's a Whole Spiel

It's a Whole Spiel by various authors, edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman
Grade: B-
Release day: September 17, 2019
An e-galley was provided by Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: A Jewish boy falls in love with a fellow counselor at summer camp. A group of Jewish friends take the trip of a lifetime. A girl meets her new boyfriend's family over Shabbat dinner. Two best friends put their friendship to the test over the course of a Friday night. A Jewish girl feels pressure to date the only Jewish boy in her grade. Hilarious pranks and disaster ensue at a crush's Hanukkah party. 

From stories of confronting their relationships with Judaism to rom-coms with a side of bagels and lox, It's a Whole Spielfeatures one story after another that says yes, we are Jewish, but we are also queer, and disabled, and creative, and political, and adventurous, and anything we want to be. You will fall in love with this insightful, funny, and romantic Jewish anthology from a collection of diverse Jewish authors.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Usually when I do an anthology review, I cover each story. This time, though I'm just going to talk about my very favorites. That's not to say ALL the others are awful, but I really wanted to focus on the positive in this review.

"Two Truths and an Oy" by Dahlia Adler - 5 stars

I loved it. It was about awkward teens trying to navigate college experiences, and that is so relatable, no matter if you're Jewish or Gentile.

"Aftershocks" by Rachel Lynn Solomon - 5 stars

I died from the cuteness. The main characters were awkward and sweet, and I appreciated them exploring the differences in their faith, and also, I am here for teen nerds.

"Jewbaca" by Lance Rubin - 4 stars

I loved that it was about Hanukkah (yay for cute holiday stories), and that Matthew wasn't such a villain after all. This story explored the themes I expected from the anthology.

"Some Days You're the Sidekick; Some Days You're the Superhero" by Katherine Locke - 4 stars

This one was cute and shippy and cool. I loved the You've Got Mail-esque element.

"He Who Revives the Dead" by Elie Lichtschein - 3.5 stars

The themes of this were good for an anthology, and it was a good length. Good detail too. I just didn't connect with it very much, but I'm sure other readers will.

"Be Brave and All" by Laura Silverman - 5 stars

Most of those stars for the anxiety-ridden protagonist, her adorable awkwardness, her strong beliefs, and a cute love interest.

"Neilah" by Hannah Moskowitz - 3.5 stars

I liked that the author used faith and religion to wrestle with an eating disorder.

Content warnings: foul language, some sexual content, anti-Semitism, underage drinking

The Verdict: A fairly good anthology with a good unifying theme.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Avoiding Reading

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I have such a long TBR that you'd think I'd anything I could to chop away at it. But sometimes there are books I want to read and know I should read, but I keep finding excuses not to read them...

1. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I'm sorry, Jane.

2. Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

I keep putting this one on hold at the various e-libraries and then I just...don't read it. 😬

3. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

I think Hafsah is such a cool person, and so many people have loved her book, so I'm terrified it won't live up to the hype. Or I won't like it as much as everyone else has.

4. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

It sounds like something I'd like, and yet it doesn't? So I'm kind of nervous to try it.

5. When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry

I don't usually do sci-fi, but I really liked Emily's last book.

6. Middlemarch by George Eliot

It's so loooonnnnnggggg.

7. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

I added a bunch of adult historical fic to my TBR last fall, and now I'm avoiding reading most of them lol.

8. Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway
I tried for so long to get a copy of this book, and I finally traded for an ARC, and now I just...don't want to read it? I think I'm scared it won't have been worth the effort.


9. The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord
Will it live up to The Start of Me and You and The Names They Gave Us??


10. Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn Nguyen
I love a good fake dating book, but this one has so-so reviews, and every time I read the first few chapters at Barnes & Noble, I'm not feeling it.


Which books are YOU avoiding reading?

Thoughts on Lover

It's been two weeks since Taylor Swift's latest studio album released, and I wouldn't be a proper Swiftie if I didn't share my brief, but, all-encompassing thoughts on the album.

Lover by Taylor Swift

Grade: A-

Some brief thoughts: Was honestly surprised at how many tracks were under 3 minutes, and how many were under 3.5 minutes. A few of them definitely show their length, but a couple don't. (Namely, "Cruel Summer" actually seems complete, despite being only 2:58 long.) I am SO glad there were no Max Martin/Shellback tracks; they've helped her write some good ones ("Wildest Dreams," "Style," "Delicate," "King of My Heart"), but overall, I think they overproduce songs, don't focus on good lyrics as much, and are just meant to create radio earworms. Jack Antonoff isn't perfect, but he's helped create some of my favorite Taylor tracks on the last two albums before Lover. It's also fun to see Taylor work with some new producers and songwriters, though I'm still holding out for her to work with more female songwriters/producers. Imogen Heap helped create "Clean," which is such a strong song, and the whole fanbase owes a lot to Liz Rose, who helped write some of Taylor's most iconic early tracks. Perhaps we'll get that for TS8...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Fave tracks: "Cruel Summer," "Lover," "I Think He Knows," "Cornelia Street," "The Archer," "Daylight," "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince," and "Afterglow."

Least favorite tracks: The lead singles, as well as "False God" and "I Forgot That You Existed."

Favorite lyrics: 

"I don't wanna keep secrets/just to keep you." ~ "Cruel Summer"

"And there's a dazzling haze/a mysterious way about you, dear." ~ "Lover"

All of "The Archer." (But especially the second and third pre-choruses.)

"Boys will be boys then/where are the wise men?" ~ "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince"

"Now I've read all the books beside your bed." ~ "Paper Rings" (I am a bookworm to my core!!)

"I hate accidents/except when we went from friends to this." ~ "Paper Rings"

"We were a fresh page on the desk filling in the blanks as we go/As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead leading us home." ~ "Cornelia Street"

"And baby I get mystified by how this city screams your name." ~ "Cornelia Street"

"We bless the rains on Cornelia Street" (We see you with your "Africa" reference, Taylor.)

"If the story's over/why am I still writing pages?" ~ "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

"I lived like an island/Punished you with silence." ~ "Afterglow"

All of "Daylight." Especially the bridge, though.

My ranking (as compared to Taylor's other albums): 

Red

Speak Now

Lover

1989

reputation

Fearless

Taylor Swift


I love the concept of Taylor including diary entries, though I wish they had only been combined in, like, two longer deluxe editions. And I really miss actual deluxe edition tracks, which we haven't gotten since 1989. I know Lover is already long, but Red had 19 tracks, counting deluxe, and 22, if you count the demo and acoustic editions included. Also, I wish the CDs that came with the deluxe edition still came in a jewel case, or even the little paper case that she did for the reputation deluxe editions because I don't want to cart around one of the notebook-size editions every time I want to listen to Lover in the car.

Sleep-deprived me in front of the Lover display at my local Target. (Can you see those bags under my eyes? They're all Taylor's fault!!)


So what do YOU think of Taylor's latest album?

Review: A Treason of Thorns

A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth
Grade: C+
Release date: September 10, 2019
An e-galley was provided by HarperCollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic kept both the countryside and Violet happy.

That is, until her father’s treason destroyed everything.

Now she’s been given a chance to return home. But Burleigh isn’t what she remembered. Wild with grief, Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain. As its tormented magic ravages the countryside, Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm not quite sure what I expected from A Treason of Thorns, but I don't think it helped that the last thorny book I read (Sorcery of Thorns) was one of my favorites of the year. It's hard to live up to predecessors even if the concepts aren't all that similar.
Weymouth's sophomore novel is set in a fantastical version of historical England and revolves around a world where there are magical houses that provide magic to the land and can sustain or ruin the counties they're situated in. It's an interesting concept, but the book is settled at a point in the houses' history where things feel a bit more dire. 
Unfortunately, I could never connect with Violet's voice. I really liked Philippa and Evelyn in TLBW, and Violet didn't quite live up to them. I also found myself annoyed with several of AToT's characters on several occasions, including Wyn and Violet's father. The crown princess was cool, and her friend was a good character too, but we didn't get nearly enough of them. 

Content warnings (per the author's website): anxiety, emotional and physical abuse (non-graphic), gaslighting, and mild body horror

The Verdict: Not quite what I wanted.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: Well, I've preordered it.

Random Friday: Travel Bucket List - North America

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

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my blog.
• Blog about this week's topic (or a variant of it).
• Add the link to your Random Friday post at the bottom of this one.

There are so many places I want to travel! So I'm breaking them down over two weeks of Random Friday posts. Today, I'm covering just the places in the U.S. and Canada that I want to visit. (And if you want to include Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, feel free to! I personally haven't added any of those countries to my bucket list yet, but I'm sure I will soon.)

The U.S.

San Francisco
Partly because two of my good friends are from there, also because it just seems like a better jumping off point to visit California than L.A. I also pinned a blog post about a Northern California road trip, and I wouldn't say no to wine country.


Charleston, South Carolina
I love Southern architecture and food. But this is definitely a spring or fall trip, NOT for the dead of summer. (Even Virginia is unbearable in the summer.)


New York City

Yes, I know. I lived there for a year. BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH I DIDN'T GET TO DO. Like speakeasies, the Hamilton house, so many restaurants, the tenement museum, see more of Queens, and finish my pie adventure.


Vermont
New England in fall, of course. And also it doesn't hurt that it's super close to Quebec...


Santa Fe, New Mexico
This is a recent addition to the list, so I definitely need to find more posts to pin, but I have one that's a good start. :)


Canada

Quebec

Once again, this is another destination where we didn't do everything we wanted to. Also, I kind of just want to live in Quebec City soooo.


Prince Edward Island
I wouldn't be a good bibliophile if I didn't want to go to Anne of Green Gables Land.


Vancouver
Cause I definitely needed another West Coast destination, and a Swiftie friend is from there, and she's always hyping it up.


So where do YOU want to travel in North America? And do you have any recommendations for me - either at the places I listed, or for places I didn't list? I'm definitely up for any recs!!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books Outside My Comfort Zone

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I tend to stick firmly within my comfort zone but sometimes I venture outside it, and occasionally that pays off. Most of my picks are based on genre (I don't usually like magical realism or fablism, horror novels, novels in verse, epistolary novels, or adult fic).

1. The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

2. A Million Junes by Emily Henry

3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

4. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

5. From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

6. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

7. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

8. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

9. Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno

What have been your favorite books outside your comfort zone?

Rewind & Review #142

Created by Shae Has Left the Room.

~I've been in a haze since Lover released.

Books I Received for Review

Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell (from Simon & Schuster)

Books I Bought

A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens

Books I Read

It's a Whole Spiel by various authors

The Not-Quite States of America by Doug Mack (3 stars)

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Suggested Reading by David Connis (DNF)

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson (4 stars)

Better Than the Best Plan by Lauren Morrill (3 stars)

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

   (from 8/19-8/24)

• Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Tropes
• Review: More to the Story by Hena Khan (3.5 stars)
• Random Friday: Fall 2019 Reads

   (from 8/25-8/31)

• DNF Review: Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Need to Add to My Personal Library
• DNF Review: She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller
• Most Anticipated September 2019 Releases