Lisa is Busy Nerding: February 2014

Review: Where She Went

image from Paper Riot

Epic Recs is a feature hosted by Judith at Paper Riot and Amber at Books of Amber in which two bookish peeps are paired together to recommend books to one another. It's pretty great.

As you surely know, Gaby is my Epic Rec partner and we are on FIRE, y'all!

In case you missed it, here's the post where Gaby explained why I needed to read WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman.

And for the final disclaimer. This review will be a little different from my standard format because of the Epic Rec feel. Onward!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

It's been three years since Mia woke up from the accident that killed her family. It's also been three years since Adam, the boy who loved Mia and begged her to stay in IF I STAY, was unceremoniously kicked out of her life. He's still struggling with why Mia let him go without a word of explanation. A chance meeting brings the two artists together again and finally, FINALLY, we learn where she went. (See what I did there?)

Oh dudes. If anyone knows how to bring the swoons it is Gayle Forman! Mia and Adam obviously have lingering chemistry and it's just a matter of will they reignite that flame or let it burn out and search new fires. Since the book is from Adam's perspective, we get a lot of his musings and personal swoons over Mia and it is quite adorable in a very mature way. Not like XXX mature but things like he admires her strength, her dedication to her music, etc. C'mon you guys.

New York City! Adam lives in LA, but is stuck in NY for the night because the band he made super duper famous is going on a crazy world wide tour the next morning and he likes to fly out separately because of drama. SO - imagine his inner turmoil when he sees a poster with Mia, HIS MIA, announcing her cello performance that night in NY. Thank you, universe!

This is probably the one thing that I would critique about the book. I didn't feel like there were any significant plot twists or turns and pretty much guessed how it would turn out. However - HOW we got to the end was absolutely enjoyable and wonderful and heartfelt and emotionally rich so I'm not hating the lack of twists and turns. Again, I wasn't totally surprised about why Mia left Adam, but hearing it come from her in her voice was SO. REAL. Like, It honestly felt like I was listening to a conversation happen in real life, not a book. So good.

I think the reason I didn't pick up WHERE SHE WENT was because I could predict what would happen. But thankfully Gaby forced it upon me because not only was it an addictive read that I hammered out in 2 days, but I was reminded at how beautiful Gayle Forman's writing was, how the characters were so real and authentic and yes I DID care about them, and how even though this is from Adam's book, this is still Mia's story (she is on the cover, you know!) and I was super curious to know where her life had gone from IF I STAY.

If you were Mia, would you have stayed with Adam, thereby making Where She Went an irrelevant book or would you have done the same thing she did? I want to say that I'd pull a Mia because of WHY Mia did it. Which I will not spoil. I could also see myself clinging to Adam as a way to make me stronger instead of finding it in myself - especially at her young age! Is that an answer?

This isn't a question, but I just kind of need you to ramble about your Adam feels real quick. And go. OH GIRL. The boy wrote a triple platinum album from his break up angst over Mia. THAT IS SOME SERIOUS ANGST. And can I just say how we know Adam is hot, but there isn't a lot of time spent talking about it - rather we learn about his personality and his dedication to Mia and his love of music that he's struggling with and oh my gossshhhhh my ovaries.

What kind of future do you envision for Adam and Mia? This is such a tough one. I mean, without spoiling anything for those who haven't read the book yet, I feel very comfortable, confident and fist-pumpy about their futures.

Out of all the NYC adventures that Adam and Mia went on, which was your favorite? Oh goodness. That's another tough one! Because my gut reaction is the Bowling Alley because it's just fun and light-hearted and a nice shoutout to their roots. But that greasy spoon diner sounds DELICIOUS THOUGH.

I admit it. Gaby knew what was good for me and I adored WHERE SHE WENT even though I didn't want to read it and even though I knew what would happen because the story and the characters and the writing are just THAT AWESOME.

So Gaby is 2 for 2 for Truly Epic Recs for me. Be sure to peep on over to her blog to see if INSIGNIA was a Truly Epic Rec for her!

Review: Fire & Flood

Title: Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1)
Author: Victoria Scott
Pub Deets: February 25th, 2014, Scholastic
Series/Stand Alone: Series
Source: ARC via Netgalley

Goodreads | Amazon | Author Blog | Author Twitter

In a sentence or so: They told Tella they moved to the middle of nowhere so her brother could get better. What they didn't tell her there was that there was something she could do about it...even if that meant risking her life.

Tella and her family move to middle of nowhere Montana so her brother can get better. Only he's not getting better. Nothing is making him better. In the midst of her moping without friends and mourning the loss of shopping sprees, Tella receives a small package with a big message. One that will drive her to do everything she can to save her brother at the risk of abandoning her own family and risking it all.

Let's just get this out of the way right off the bat. Is FIRE & FLOOD kinda like THE HUNGER GAMES? Yeah, it is. But it doesn't try to hide that fact or completely copy and paste THG either - which I respect a ton.

Tella enters a race that will take place over 4 different types of terrain called the Brimstone Bleed. She also gets a companion that comes IN AN EGG that has some sort of special ability that will help her along the way.

Fire & Flood takes places in the jungle and dessert portions of the Brimstone Bleed. Tella fights for a cure for her brother, which they promise the winner, but she also starts to fight for herself. Tella becomes stronger. She becomes independent. Most importantly, Tella becomes confident.

I adore Tella's voice in the midst of what could be a super heavy read. Unlike THG (in which I HATED Katniss), Tella is snarky, quirky, misses being clean and frequently analyzes situations in a way that totally resonates with me. In short, she felt LEGIT. And I like her a lot. Like, we could be besties maybe.

The cover of FIRE & FLOOD looks a bit more Middle Grade to me, but it really isn't. The characters are all teenagers, the subject matter is heavy, and people die. Victoria Scott finds a refreshing balance of the heaviness of the plot with the lightness and likeability of Tella that make FIRE & FLOOD a fun and enjoyable read.

Fix er up: While this book wasn't MG, it didn't SCREAM Young Adult either. It's one of those inbetweeny books and I have a hard time knowing how to recommend this out to people because of that. Regardless, I enjoyed it!

Fave Quote: "There are moments in the jungle where I can't help but laugh at how my life has changed in these last four days. Drinking form a stream, in the belly of a cave, is one of those moments. Yesterday, if this had happened, I would have daydreamed about my leopardprint house slippers and my grandmother's crocheted blanket that I've kept at the end of my bed since forever."

Oh yeah, it's my birthday.

I kinda forgot I was turning 30. Now, lest you think I'm a complete idiot, I remembered my BIRTHDAY was coming...just not that it was my 30th birthday.

I'll admit it. I had a minor freakout.

But then the glorious Ginger and Liza talked me down. Ginger told me she is loving being in her 30s (and if I can be half as wonderful as Ginger then I have really accomplished something with my life) and Liza referred to them as the Dirty Thirties. So that helped a bit. Thanks, ladies!

Anyway, enough about my absurdity. Let's get to the meat of the post! To celebrate my 30th birthday, I'm clearing 30 books off of my shelves and giving them away to YOU, dear readers!

There will be two separate giveaways. A flash giveaway for today (ending at midnight) and another that goes through the end of the month.

What are the books, you ask? Since I'm not totally sure what lies ahead for me, you don't get to know what lies ahead for you! Oh yes. I went there. Okay fine if you must know it's mostly YA with a dash of Adult/MG in there. Some are ARCs and some are finished copies. Some are paperback and some hardcover. Most of the titles you'll know. Mwahaha!

SO if you win the first giveaway - I'll send you an email with the complete list of titles and you can pick 5. The end of the month giveaway will include the rest of the titles.

Deal? Deal. Enter the giveaway right here! FYI these will be US only. Bless those who can afford international giveaways, but it is not I!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for helping make my birthday awesome, y'all! Good luck to you!

Excuse me while I hyperventilate.

I've been getting burned lately by Edelweiss. It's fine. Really, it is. I have plenty of books to read and I get that publishers have limited amounts of ARCs and whatever.

So when I received the Edelweiss email from Joe on the 17th, I archived it immediately. I was afraid to get my hopes up.

And wouldn't you know it, I missed something HUGE. Like, ABSURDLY HUGE.

Thankfully I have lovelies like Gaby and Shae in my life to keep me in the loop because OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS MY HEART CAN SCARCELY CONTAIN THIS A MOMENT LONGER.

MORTAL HEART by Robin LaFevers!
The cover! It is LOVELY.

I KNOW.

I FREAKING KNOW YOU GUYS.

Look at how badass Annith is!

I cannot wait.

In the meantime, let's fangirl and flail and bite our collective nails until November, okay? Okay.

BUT WAIT. THERE IS MORE.
Shall I sweeten the pot for you?

How about a GIVEAWAY, Y'ALL!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okay this is the for real end of this post. ENTER TO WIN.

In which I get kinda feels heavy.

The lovelies at The Broke and The Bookish have asked a super interesting question this week!

What are the Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Reader?

Excuse me while I try to contain my feels.

I have the time, space, and energy to use my imagination.

I enter a world created entirely by someone else and get totally and utterly absorbed by it.

I become emotionally invested in characters.

I form ridiculous hypothesis's about what will happen next and why.

Books teach us about ourselves and help us relate to others by providing perspective.

The community.

The variety of books and interests and ideas that come up out of conversations.

The constant disbelief that people CARE about what I have to say about books and things.

The freedom to express my opinions, thoughts, and ideas.

Being silly is embraced and encouraged.

(well, readers of this blog are down with being silly. and I like that about you.)

What about you? What do you love about being a reader or blogger?
Do we share any of these in common?

Of course I could list 1.6 billion reasons for each but I tried to condense it for you.

(you're welcome)

Review: Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pub Deets: February 2014, HarperCollins
Series/Stand Alone: Series
Source: Purchased

Amazon | Goodreads | Tahereh's Twitter | Tahereh Blog

Previously: Shatter Me & Unravel Me

In a sentence or so: The conclusion to the Shatter Me series finally has Juliette become the person she has always wanted to be - strong, confident, powerful. Who will stand with her until the end? Will she be able to take down the Reestablishment after what happened at Omega Point?

IGNITE ME had some great parts, some meh parts, and some ??? parts. I have somewhat creatively broken down my thoughts on this book into What Shattered Me (where I was disappointed), What Unraveled Me (where I become overwhelmed with feels), and What Ignited Me (where I fist pumped so hard it hurt).

The ultimate resolution with the overarching plot. I read this on my Kindle so I can tell you that quite literally the bulk of the plot resolution with the Reestablishment happens in the last 15 minutes of the book. There were more than a handful of gaping plot holes and ultimately it felt rushed. I was quite disappointed, considering how much time we spent in UNRAVEL ME at Omega Point learning how to fight the Reestablishment. They spent their whole lives figuring out how to correct society's wrongs, so for Juliette and co to have some sort of plan executed in a matter of weeks/months felt insincere.

So you may be wondering what happened the other 2 hours and 30 minutes of the book? FEELS. Lots of drama. Sexytimes. Hurtful words being flung back and forth. Juliette and Kenji's friendship is developed and awesome. We learn who is still around and what they're up to.

While I was pissed that the plot suffered, I absolutely adored how lyrical, poetic, and powerful Tahereh Mafi writing is. Even though she was basically writing teenage soap opera drama, it was so incredibly poignant and beautiful that I was captivated from start to finish. How you do that, Tahereh?!

JULIETTE. THERE YOU ARE. It's about damn time you find yourself and own it! She stands up for herself! She has plans and purpose and makes her own decisions! She values relationships! Oh man, after the whiny unpleasantness in UNRAVEL ME, this was such an awesome surprise.

<START SPOILER> My team won. If you know me AT ALL, you know what team I'm on and so I very smugly read all of the sexytimes and feels and relationship building. It made me SO HAPPY YOU GUYS. <END SPOILER>

If you've read the Shatter Me series up to this point, I don't have to tell you to read this. You already have, I'm sure.

But if you haven't read this series yet, know these things. Tahereh Mafi's writing is among the most quotable you will ever read. She captures emotions in a way that is simultaneously heart wrenching and inspiring. The core of this story are the characters, their relationships and Juliette finding herself. If you're looking for sweeping social statements, look elsewhere. BUT if you're looking for characters that you will get ridiculously attached to and writing that sweeps you into a whole new world of emotions, for the love of everything pure and holy read this series.

Fave Quotes: "Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh." (Loc 1505)

"There's a strange kind of freedom int he dark; a terrifying vulnerability we allow ourselves at exactly the wrong moment, tricked by the darkness into thinking it will keep our secrets. We forget that the blackness is not a blanket; we forget that the son will soon rise. But in the moment, at least, we feel brave enough to say things we'd never say in the light." (loc 653)

"This isn't about Adam or Warner,' I tell him. 'This is about me and what I want. This is about me finally understanding where I want to be in ten years. Because I'm going to be alive, Kenji. I will be alive in ten years, and I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be strong. And I don't need anyone to tell me that anymore. I am enough, and I always will be.'" (Loc 2975) - FIST PUMP CITY.

Review: The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse (Winner's Trilogy #1)

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Pub Deets: March 2014, Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan)
Source: Borrowed from Heidi at YA Bibliophile
Series/Stand Alone: Series! (THANK GOODNESS)

Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter | Author's Blog

In a sentence or so: Kestrel, the general's daughter, buys a slave off of the auction block. Though they may have different agendas, Kestrel and Arin are joined together in their struggle to become more than they are.

Kestrel's father wants her to joint he military, like him. There aren't really a ton of options for a society lady like herself, so military wouldn't be all that bad in comparison to getting married off. Kestrel knows that she wouldn't be a great fit in the military, despite her razor sharp intellect and knack for strategy. She also knows that she doesn't want to just be someone's wife for the rest of her days.

Kestrel unexpectedly buys a slave off the auction block. This is totally out of character for her, and she knows it, but something about him just pulls her in. Kestrel's soft heart and quick wit allow her to get to know her slave, Arin, and even begin to think of him as a friend...maybe even more. She has no idea that Arin has secrets, and even an agenda, of his very own.

This is one of those reviews that is so hard for me to write because I just loved it SO MUCH and I just cannot find the words that express that intensity! Kestrel is kind, clever, thoughtful and brave. Arin is bold, determined, and challenging. Every single character in this book has depth and purpose. You are instantly drawn into the world that Rutkoski has created and you do not want to leave!

I don't want to give anything else from the plot or summary away from the book, because I feel like that would be a detriment to you as a reader. So come, join Kestrel and Arin and enter their world that is rich with the social struggles of a recently conquered territory. Come and experience life inside the palaces and the court intrigue and scandal. But mostly, come and feel all the feels because man, THE WINNER'S CURSE packs a serious emotional punch!

If you're looking for one of those lush historical books with deep characters, a plot that twists and turns, and a writing style that you do not want to put down - look no further than THE WINNER'S CURSE!

Update on my bookish life

I'm not huge on writing recap posts. Mainly because I feel like what I've been up to is zzzz. I mean, we can't all be queen of the recap like Jamie, am I right?!

But some really cool ish has gone down in the last week that is TOTALLY WORTHY of being shared. So share it, I am!

BOOKS! YES BOOKS! Special, super rad, gorgeous ARCs to be exact. Thanks to Gaby and her ALAMW ninja skills, I have a new little slew of ARCs to stare at and drool over and whatever you get it.

Here's why I'm excited for these different little friends.

Lady Thief by A. C. Gaughen. This one is obvious! It's the sequel to SCARLET which I adored!

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. I have PETER NIMBLE AND HIS FANTASTIC EYES which I liked but didn't love at the time. I am certain it was right book, wrong time, and now with this little companion to the story in my hot little hands, I'm ready to give it another go!

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. Jilted princes and assassins? Love and sacrifice? Princess on the run? Seriously!

Season of Wonder (The Remnants #1) by Lisa Bergren. I've heard nothing but praise for Bergren's writing and this futuristic dystopian sounds like it has enough science fiction in it to be a fresh take on the dystopian scene and I am all about that situation.

Death Sworn by Leah Cypress. Magic! Assassins! Tutors! Oh you guys. You know me well enough to know by now my heart is racing and my eyes are all O_O with this one.

I also won a copy of Also Known As by Robin Benway from The Page Sage, so that was pretty rad! I adored Audrey, Wait! way back when and I'm excited to get back into Benway's writing.

And now to the meat and potatoes. It's no secret of my adoration for The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. They are on pretty much every list I've ever made. I recommend them to everyone all the time. I just adore the writing and the story and just ALL OF IT, OKAY? Okay. (but seriously if you search "Chaos Walking" in my side bar, you will see my ~~obsession~~ ~~compulsion~~ dedication to the series)

So I saw Patrick Ness was going to be in Minneapolis on a tour for THE CRANE WIFE. I think my initial reaction was something like this.

One of my favorite authors of ever was going to be within driving distance! Was 3 hours in the middle of winter a wise choice? Debatable. And debate I did. But thankfully my friends Heidi and Asheley, and my darling husband Andrew, helped me make my decision to go and see him on a Tuesday night when it was below zero. Thank goodness I did, too!

I will not go into the whole author signing and his discussion of THE CRANE WIFE and his answers to The Chaos Walking Trilogy and all the things, but know that Patrick Ness was everything I expected and then some. He is smart, funny, down to earth with a dash of silliness that is absolutely everything.

Of course, I took my books for him to sign and this is what he had to say!

For Lisa: Who had the last word! (because I asked the last question like a boss.)

For Lisa: Who took Davy personally. (I will not say more for fear of spoilers)

For Lisa: Nice to meet you in Minneapolis

Since I already had the rest of his works signed, I didn't bring those. I felt pretty full of myself at having a normal conversation with Patrick during the book signing and keeping my fangirl in check! Who knew I had such restraint? Surely not I.

My darling friend Eriks went with me to the signing and tried his best to get a picture of us and this was the result. I can't blame him though, because I'm pretty sure my feels caused some sort of atmospheric disturbance that impacted the lens on the camera phone due to their epic intensity.

Okay! Thanks for reading this! I hope you feel like this is a way for me to share the exciting news in my bookish life and not a way to flaunt my swag (please reference this Book Rock Betty post if you need more clarification on the difference).

I guess the tl;dr version of all of these things is I am blissfully overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the world sometimes.

Adventures Through Awkwardness: February

Challenge Details

February Link Up at Tripping Over Books!

Welcome back, you guys! Amy and I are blissfully moving forward with our Middle Grade Reading challenge and we hope you'll join us for this month's genre challenge: FANTASY!

Middle Grade is just LOADED with Fantasy, so this should be a really easy one for you. I mean, Harry Potter is king of this genre but there are lots of other options! In case you need a little help...

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen {Summary from Goodreads}

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee {Summary from Goodreads}

A modern-day fairy tale set in a mysterious museum that is perfect for readers of Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett.

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman {Summary from Goodreads}

Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

Gaiman has delivered a wonderfully chilling novel, subtle yet intense on many levels. The line between pleasant and horrible is often blurred until what's what becomes suddenly clear, and like Coraline, we resist leaving this strange world until we're hooked. Unnerving drawings also cast a dark shadow over the book's eerie atmosphere, which is only heightened by simple, hair-raising text. Coraline is otherworldly storytelling at its best.

OR you could join me and read the Percy Jackson series! I'm currently on book 4 - The Battle of the Labyrinth. I LOVE PERCY JACKSON!

Happy reading, y'all! And as always, keep it awkward.

Be sure to link up over at Amy's blog this month!

Epic Recs: February

graphic is from Judith at Paper Riot

Guess who's back?! OH YES. After the smashing success that was January's Epic Rec, Gaby and I are back for more! And we couldn't be more excited. Yes, I speak for both of us.

For Gaby, I recommended INSIGNIA by S.J. Kincaid. If you want to know WHY I recommended that, you'll have to head on over to dear Gaby's blog.

As for me, Gaby recommended WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman. Here's why!

I know Lisa's not a big contemporary reader but, first of all, I believe everyone should step out of their comfort zone every now and again. Second of all, WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is the most fantastically sad, brilliant, and wonderful book. There aren't even enough adjectives for me to express how much I loved this sequel and how much I want to share those feels with everyone in the world. And third of all, Yeah, I said sequel. Lisa's read IF I STAY but she hasn't read WHERE SHE WENT and to me that's entirely unacceptable.
So, yeah, I haven't given a ton of reasons why this book is specifically perfect for Lisa and, as such, I'm taking a risk with this one, but I feel I have to take the chance. And I also have to warn Lisa to have tissues nearby. Because, seriously, "sad, brilliant, and wonderful." (Yeah, I just quote myself, so sue me.)

Obviously, I am terrified because I just love SFF books and contemporary is so out of my comfort zone lately! I remember reading and loving IF I STAY so I don't know why I'm so anxious to read WHERE SHE WENT. Anyway, I have to get over it because Gaby said so!

What do you think? Do you think I'll love WHERE SHE WENT? Do you think I nailed it with INSIGNIA? Yay for Epic Recs!