June in Review
Books Mentioned:
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
Review
Review
THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson
Currently reading!
GODS & KINGS by Lynn Austin
Couldn't love the characters. I'll try this again sometime!
SEARCHING FOR SKY by Jillian Cantor
Review posting on 7/2/14
TIGER LILY by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Review posting on 7/9/14
JACKABY by William Ritter
Bloggers Mentioned:
I need your help choosing one of these to read to kick off July!
Choice 1: LADY THIEF by A.C. Gaughen
Choice 2: WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN by Kristin Rae
Choice 3: WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller
Whichever book has the most votes Monday night is the one I start!
So help a girl out, yeah?
Review: Jackaby
Title: Jackaby
Author: William Ritter
Pub Deets: September 2014, Algonquin Young Readers
Series/Stand Alone: REALLY hoping for a series!
Source: BEA courtesy of Gaby courtesy of Algonquin Young Readers
(views are my own)
Adventure hungry Abigail Rook is reluctantly hired by the quirky paranormal detective Jackaby to help solve a series of murders in 1892 New England being committed by something quite assuredly not human.
I know most of you will be sold by the blurb comparing Jackaby to Doctor Who meets Sherlock.
And I know that I love most of you because it is SPOT ON.
Jackaby is eccentric but caring, brilliant yet lacking most social graces, and quite wrapped up in his own brain most of the time. He mostly reminds me of Ten (hello bursting of the ovaries) with a dash of Eleven thrown in and a big ol' spoonful of Sherlock. If this book ever gets made into a movie, I have no doubt that he will be the cause for many, many swoons.
In the book, however, he is not our romantic lead and romance isn't really on his mind either. Abigail is hired to help him keep the details of the case organized while he does his thing. Lucky for him, and for us, Abigail is organized, witty, and absurdly understanding with his eccentricities. She is the one that narrates this tale for us and does a bang up job, really.
JACKABY feels a bit Middle Grade at times in the best way possible. Instead of stereotypical YA angst and brooding, it's refreshingly funny and quick-witted. You love Abigail and Jackaby (and the extended cast of characters which I will not spoil for you) because they feel so legit.
I can't sing this book's praises loud enough. BUT I WILL DO MY VERY BEST.
JACKABY was the perfect mysterious, funny, quirky, a little dark and a lot fun book I was looking for. It doesn't take itself too seriously but is still really well done and has some great characters.
So nothing. Nothing needs to be fixed.
Unless this is a stand alone because I'd really, REALLY, like more please and thank you.
I can't pick just one.
Deal with it.
"Jackaby, I was rapidly discovering, had a way of opening that corner of my brain. It was a quiet little corner in which I had lived when I was younger. It was a corner in which anything was possible, where magic was not an improbable daydream, but an obvious fact - if still only just out of reach" (82)
"She has saved this town and its people from countless monsters countless times. That the battles are usually in her head does not lessen the bravery of it. The hardest battles always are." (104)
"'Oh, that,' said Jackaby. 'Yes well, that wasn't withholding so much as borrowing, or possibly safekeeping.'" (178)
Happy Anniversary!
Today, my husband and I celebrate 9 years of marriage.
NINE.
I know. It is amazing.
So happy anniversary to the man who makes me happier than a pack of air bisons,
who makes me laugh harder than Amy Poehler,
who rivals Coach Taylor in his epic fatherdom,
and who tolerates and encourages my epic obsessions better than anyone else in the whole wide world.
I LOVE YOU, ANDREW.
And also this is our song since our wedding day in 2005 so I'm just gonna leave this right here.
Top Ten Tuesday: Book Cover Lover
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fly honeys at The Broke and The Bookish.
This week they ask us to take a look at cover trends we like or dislike - or both!
Obviously I went with both.
Obviously obviously.
First, the things I love about book covers.
The font heavy ones:
The subtle ones:
Anything 8-bit (I mean COME ON!):
The dark and mysterious ones:
The ones that are unabashedly nerdalicious and don't give any effs about it:
And how about the things I'm not so crazy about with the book covers?
The cover model that doesn't match the character.
NO WAY Auden was in a pink dress on a bike ever, ever ever.
The cut off heads.
The girl in a dress with a boy by her side:
The girl walking away from the book with her hair blowing around all cray:
Copycat covers
Same couple. Same idea.
Also the almost kiss on the cover is a big NO.
Do we see eye to eye with any of our cover lovers or cover haters?
Let me know!
It's a book haul, y'all! [1]
I try the video thing again.
I am much less spazzed out this time, but I do go on a tangent about lighting and a hobbit door.
So there's that.
Planners (!!!)
(you have to watch to see what themed books I got! Mwahaha!)
Etsy Shop: Ruskerville
THANK YOU, LOU!
Source: Purchased from Ruskerville
The Grisha #3
Leigh Bardugo
Pub Deets: June 2014, Henry Holt and Co. (division of Macmillan)
Source: Pre-Ordered from Amazon
Throne of Glass #3
Sarah J. Mass
Pub Deets: September 2014, Bloomsbury USA
Source: WON from Estelle & Magan at Rather Be Reading
designed by Marc Andre
Pub Deets: 2014, Asterion Press
Source: Purchased
If you want to see more of my board game reviews: check it, yo.
Review: Second Star
Title: Second Star
Author: Alyssa B Sheinmel
Pub Deets: May, 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series/Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Source: Netgalley (Thank you!)
Wendy's twin brothers are missing. Most presume them dead, but she doesn't buy it. She sets off to find them by poking around a secluded surfing haunt and discovers a rag tag group living along the coast, which causes her to question just about everything she thinks she knows.
It's so hard for me to pinpoint my feels on this book. I was down with the writing, so that kept me going even when the plot felt meh. Sheinmel has a way with words and crafting sentences that just resonate with the reader.
This is a Peter Pan retelling (which I didn't know when I started but helped things to make a LOT more sense as it went on) and so the character names were familiar to me. There's kind of a love triangle but with all of it being instalove. Meh.
I like the non-traditional ending. I liked the twists that messed with my brain. It left me thinking and wondering and that was good stuff.
Some of the plot felt out of place and a little too wacky...but the ending kind of explains everything away, I guess? It felt like a convenient plot device to throw out there to allow for instalove and other such things. (I realize this is vague but I'm trying to stay spoiler free for you!)
Don't take this too seriously. Remember this is a fairy tale retelling. Embrace the mystery and let yourself love the characters and I think you'll enjoy this book!
Tiger Lily Read-a-long!
Sometimes the universe just lines up perfectly, you guys.
This is one of those times!
(image from EpicReads.com)
OH THAT IS RIGHT.
Tiger Lily, which just happens to be on my Summer TBR is the featured read-a-thon book by the lovely faces over at Epic Reads.
I'm so in on this action.
I hope you are too!
You can find the details here: BOOM
But basically you have from now until next Monday to read this little guy.
Track your progress on social media tagging @EpicReads and #TigerLilyReadAThon
And have your heart shredded, I understand.
So who's with me?
You don't want to disappoint Margo and Aubry, do you?
(screengrab from Tea Time 6/18/14)
I didn't think so.
Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Pub Deets: September, 2011 by Greenwillow (division of Harper)
Series/Stand Alone: Series!
Source: Bought with my cash money, yo.
Elisa has been chosen by God to do something special. She doesn't know what. She knows she's chosen because she has a Godstone in her belly button. Yeah, really. Whatever she's chosen for, you can bet it will probably be dangerous. Epic fantasy ensues.
Obviously I'm really into epic fantasy. It's kinda my jam. So I have no idea why I wanted SO LONG to read this series. I have no excuses. You were all right. It rules.
Elisa is on a journey to find her purpose. As a result, her character grows and changes and evolves and it is wonderful. There are swoony boys and heart pounding adventures and magic and castle intrigue and just everything that makes books worth reading, you know?
Also I had a hashtag for my tweets while reading but it looks like some of them are gone? Anyway, if you're curious, go check out #LisaandGoFat.
Elisa is overweight. Which is okay and I appreciate the diversity but man alive was that talked about A LOT to start the book. It fades away (mostly because Elisa loses weight along the way) but it was very distracting and annoying to start. I powered through though!
A hot cup of caffeinated tea to keep you up all night because you will NOT want to put this precious down. Also maybe some scones. Girl was talking about scones all the time and made me crave some!
Top Ten Summer TBR Books
hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
Today's question is: What are the top ten books on your summer TBR list?
Oh yes please.
by Sarah J. Mass. | Goodreads
OBVIOUSLYYYY.
by Morgan Matson | Goodreads
I meant to read this on the roadtrip we took this summer and I just didn't get to it!
by Trish Doller | Goodreads
I've wanted to read this since forever and I've had my own copy since Christmas thanks to Jamie!
by Mary E. Pearson | Goodreads
I had this on my TBR but just saw Anna listed it as one of her top reads so far! Bumped up the list.
by A. C. Gaughen. | Goodreads
WHAT ON EARTH am I waiting for?! I loved Scarlet!
by Morgan Matson | Goodreads
Oh come on. Everyone and their dog love this one. I need to see what it's all about!
by Jodi Lynn Anderson | Goodreads
Again, this has much hype. And it's a short little thing!
by Leigh Bardugo | Goodreads
THE EPIC CONCLUSION, Y'ALL.
by Kristin Rae | Goodreads
Because this sounds like the perfect summer read. Also, I meat Kristin and she is ADORBS.
She is my Epic Rec partner and hasn't steered me wrong, yet!
These are in no particular order, so YOU tell ME what I need to read first!
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