My rating: ⭐⭐
From the cover:
"“I made the wrong choice.”
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.
But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more."
I waited a long time for this book, and I really wanted to love it. I mean, teenage girl loses her mother to cancer and goes to Italy to spend the summer with the father she never knew existed...yes, please!
As it turns out, this was more of a "meh.Take it or leave it."
I get that Lina was grieving, but she wasn't very likable. She was pretty selfish, kind of bratty, and made some questionable decisions. Not my favorite protagonist. She was shitty to a lot of people, most notably Howard and the poor, forgettable British dude she liked because he was hot and then suddenly didn't like but still led on, until he conveniently ended up being a total dick after seeming perfectly fine for 95% of the book. While we're on the topic of things suddenly changing very suddenly...
Someone please do Jenna Evans Welch a favor and teach her how to use the thesaurus feature in her word processor. Things happened "suddenly" so many times that it started to give me a twitch. There were occasions where something suddenly happened and then suddenly something else happened in back to back sentences. There are so many words! Pick a different word! Also, while I can appreciate that she was trying to be creative, soooooooooo many weird metaphors. I'm all for clever descriptions, but when your descriptive comparisons start to pull the reader out of the story, that's not great.
Finally, let's talk about Mimi and Ren. So many questions. Did he just like her because she was hot? If so, gross. That doesn't endear him to me. Was she nice to other people, or did she treat everyone the way she treated Lina? Why is it that in love triangle situations the non-protagonist in the triangle is always a douchebag? Sometimes people aren't right for each other. What's wrong with showing that in literature? Why does the reason for main character 1 choosing main character 2 always have to be "well, their other option was a total jerk, so..." Guh. Maybe if books did a better job of showing that sometimes you try to date someone and the two of you simply don't jive real people would be better at navigating relationships.
Anyway...yeah. Not my favorite read. It could have been worse, but it also could have been way better.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Champion - Marie Lu
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."
From the cover:
"He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."
Talk about a roller coaster conclusion to this trilogy. The number of times that I yelled, "what the fuck?!" while in my car listening to this was ridiculous. Good god, what an end for this trilogy. I think by now I've made pretty clear that the action in these books is nonstop and awesome...still true. What's more, the ending was, dare I say it...perfect? The closer I got to the last few chapters, the more worried I got that it was going to wrap up in an overly simple way, something either crazy sad and predictable or too happy-ending predictably. But the ending......I didn't see it coming, and I loved everything about it. Beautiful end for an incredible trilogy.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Orleans - Sherri L. Smith
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.
Sherri L. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page."
From the cover:
"After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.
Sherri L. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page."
What happens when you replace racial differences with differences in blood? Blood type becomes just another thing that drives people apart. This book is something else. From the first page, it's intense and heart-wrenching. A lot of dystopia is set in places I'm familiar with, but most of the time those places have become unrecognizable. In this case, there was something about the ways Orleans had stayed the same that made the post-fever world feel like it was really happening. Reading descriptions of places like the Superdome especially got me. It made everything seem so chillingly realistic. What's more, in the current political climate, it really hit hard that the tribes were basically waging war with each other because of something as trivial and out of people's control as blood type. I wish that idea felt more farfetched than it does, but it truly drives home that any difference can be used as a wedge to separate people and spur them to hatred.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Prodigy - Marie Lu
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?"
June and Day have escaped Los Angeles, but Day is severely injured and the pair need help. They've put their trust in the Patriots, but something about the group's operation doesn't sit right with June. Was she right to trade their assistance in the Patriots' latest plot against the Republic for a surgery that would save Day's leg? Or will the two ultimately find themselves in more trouble than they would have been without the Patriots' help? Just like Legend, this book is action-packed. It pulls you in immediately and keeps you hooked through the last page.
From the cover:
"Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?"
June and Day have escaped Los Angeles, but Day is severely injured and the pair need help. They've put their trust in the Patriots, but something about the group's operation doesn't sit right with June. Was she right to trade their assistance in the Patriots' latest plot against the Republic for a surgery that would save Day's leg? Or will the two ultimately find themselves in more trouble than they would have been without the Patriots' help? Just like Legend, this book is action-packed. It pulls you in immediately and keeps you hooked through the last page.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be."
I've been meaning to read this forever, and now I finally have. Worth the wait! Such a beautiful book, and as an added bonus, the audiobook is read by Lin Manuel Miranda, who is incredible. Loved every minute of it. I don't know if such a thing actually exists, but if it does...this might be the perfect book. The last sentence legitimately gives me chills every time I read it.
From the cover:
"Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be."
I've been meaning to read this forever, and now I finally have. Worth the wait! Such a beautiful book, and as an added bonus, the audiobook is read by Lin Manuel Miranda, who is incredible. Loved every minute of it. I don't know if such a thing actually exists, but if it does...this might be the perfect book. The last sentence legitimately gives me chills every time I read it.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
By Your Side - Kasie West
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?"
From the cover:
"When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?"
Librarian note: What the hell kind of library has no phones and no snacks?! If two teenagers got locked in my library for the weekend (speaking of...how crazy that I read this book the week before MLK weekend?), there would be so much food for them to eat. There are like four giant bags of candy just at my desk alone. That being said...on to what actually matters.
I have now read three Kasie West books, loved two of them, and been driven crazy by the third. I'm trying to decide if it's a coincidence that the two I enjoyed I listened to on audio and the one I didn't I read in book form...I think it's just a coincidence, but if you're an audiobook fan, you should definitely check Kasie's out. Her audiobooks are great. Is that the most times the word audiobook has been use in one paragraph? Perhaps. I'm ok with that.
This book is a great one to recommend to reluctant readers. The characters are likable and easy to relate to, it's an engaging read, and in a shocking twist, Autumn's friends are pretty awesome. From the beginning, the story pulled me in. Two teenagers ending up locked in the library together over a holiday weekend? I have a few teens who have begged me to help them hide at the end of the night so they could spend the night in the library, so I have a feeling that's a plot line that would capture their attention. I was nervous about what would happen after they got out, and the closer I got to the end of the book, the more nervous I got waiting for one of her friends to do something shitty, but they were supportive, kind, and understanding...a rarity in a lot of books, and an example of friendship that a lot of people could benefit from reading about. Finally, huge shout out to a book whose main character struggles with an anxiety disorder. I have struggled with anxiety for a long time, and until very recently I felt like I was overreacting or being a baby when I spiraled or had an anxiety attack. It's amazing to read a book about someone who has shared that struggle and see that not only is it something that should be taken seriously, it's something others deal with too. Hooray for books that open a dialogue about mental health!
I have now read three Kasie West books, loved two of them, and been driven crazy by the third. I'm trying to decide if it's a coincidence that the two I enjoyed I listened to on audio and the one I didn't I read in book form...I think it's just a coincidence, but if you're an audiobook fan, you should definitely check Kasie's out. Her audiobooks are great. Is that the most times the word audiobook has been use in one paragraph? Perhaps. I'm ok with that.
This book is a great one to recommend to reluctant readers. The characters are likable and easy to relate to, it's an engaging read, and in a shocking twist, Autumn's friends are pretty awesome. From the beginning, the story pulled me in. Two teenagers ending up locked in the library together over a holiday weekend? I have a few teens who have begged me to help them hide at the end of the night so they could spend the night in the library, so I have a feeling that's a plot line that would capture their attention. I was nervous about what would happen after they got out, and the closer I got to the end of the book, the more nervous I got waiting for one of her friends to do something shitty, but they were supportive, kind, and understanding...a rarity in a lot of books, and an example of friendship that a lot of people could benefit from reading about. Finally, huge shout out to a book whose main character struggles with an anxiety disorder. I have struggled with anxiety for a long time, and until very recently I felt like I was overreacting or being a baby when I spiraled or had an anxiety attack. It's amazing to read a book about someone who has shared that struggle and see that not only is it something that should be taken seriously, it's something others deal with too. Hooray for books that open a dialogue about mental health!
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Lucky in Love - Kasie West
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"Can’t buy me love…
Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—
She wins!
In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.
Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?"
Ok...I'm about to thrown down some serious venting, so before I do I'm going to say this: My issues with this book aside, I don't think it's necessarily a bad read. It's quick, it's fluffy and cute, and ultimately I enjoyed it for what it was--a total dessert book. This would be a great "dip your toe" title for teens who aren't big fans of reading. If that's the kind of read you're looking for, maybe skip the rest of this and grab a copy. If you aren't sold and want to know why I rated it three stars instead of five, keep reading...but you've been warned.
Alright. So Maddie's dad got laid off a few years ago, and if she wants to go to college she has to get a scholarship to pay for it (unheard of, apparently.). As a result, she is hyper-focused on school, scheduling regular study sessions with her friends and basically spending every second making sure she's as prepared as she can be. She gets amazing grades, volunteers, and works part-time at the zoo. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it if it means she can get into and pay for University of Southern California and study to be a vet. Or something like that. Because she loves animals, we're told (never shown. Only told. That was a big issue I had with this book).
Then, on Maddie's 18th birthday, her friends mysteriously bail on her with no notice, even though they've been established to be fairly reliable, so she makes a bummed-out visit to the gas station for candy (because she's super poor, so obviously she buys all her candy at the gas station, where it's more expensive than basically anywhere else...but that's neither here nor there. Just an irritating detail to someone who was also a very poor teenager and would never have been able to afford to regularly buy tiny bags of gas station candy). On a whim, she buys a lottery ticket, and....gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasp! SHE WINS! 50 million dollars.
Suddenly everyone wants to be her friend, needs money from her, is treating her differently. Maddie is incredibly book smart but apparently has zero experience interacting with other human beings or in any way standing up for herself, because holy hell, this book becomes ridiculously foolish decision after ridiculously foolish decision. Bypassing the fact that someone as seemingly meticulous and logical as Maddie doesn't strike me as the type to make these spur-of-the-moment decisions on spending ludicrous amounts of money, even if she is suddenly super rich, where the hell were her parents?! The book introduces pretty early on that her parents are going through a pretty rough patch, but what kind of parent is like "wow, cool, you just turned 18 and are a multi-millionaire. Good luck with that." They do tell her when she wins that she should get a financial adviser, but then nothing else is said of it. Instead, they sit by while she rents a yacht, buys an almost $100,000 sports car, gets swindled out of half a million dollars by some super extended family member, etc etc etc. Who does that?
With all the craziness in her life, at least Maddie has Seth, her super cool and definitely Asian coworker at the zoo. He's funny, confident, friendly...and also, please don't forget that he's Asian. Because he is, remember? You can tell by his last name and the fact that people regularly say obnoxious and racist things to him. It would have been cool to learn about Seth's heritage through subtle descriptions or details about the character, but this book isn't big on showing. I'll try to let that go. Maddie's relationship with Seth was sweet, but like in a candy corn way. There's not really any subtlety or flavor to it, but if you need a sugar fix it'll get you there. He was a good friend, it was nice that he was always there for her, I just wish he...and most of the characters, for that matter...hadn't been so one-dimensional.
There were so many opportunities for greatness in this book, but everything ended up over-simplified and a little flat. Not Kasie West's best book. Like I said, it's an ok read, and it has its uses. However, if the whole "financially struggling newly 18-year-old wins the lottery" storyline was what pulled you in, might I point you to Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith? Similar plot, but I enjoyed the execution more.
From the cover:
"Can’t buy me love…
Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—
She wins!
In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.
Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?"
Ok...I'm about to thrown down some serious venting, so before I do I'm going to say this: My issues with this book aside, I don't think it's necessarily a bad read. It's quick, it's fluffy and cute, and ultimately I enjoyed it for what it was--a total dessert book. This would be a great "dip your toe" title for teens who aren't big fans of reading. If that's the kind of read you're looking for, maybe skip the rest of this and grab a copy. If you aren't sold and want to know why I rated it three stars instead of five, keep reading...but you've been warned.
Alright. So Maddie's dad got laid off a few years ago, and if she wants to go to college she has to get a scholarship to pay for it (unheard of, apparently.). As a result, she is hyper-focused on school, scheduling regular study sessions with her friends and basically spending every second making sure she's as prepared as she can be. She gets amazing grades, volunteers, and works part-time at the zoo. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it if it means she can get into and pay for University of Southern California and study to be a vet. Or something like that. Because she loves animals, we're told (never shown. Only told. That was a big issue I had with this book).
Then, on Maddie's 18th birthday, her friends mysteriously bail on her with no notice, even though they've been established to be fairly reliable, so she makes a bummed-out visit to the gas station for candy (because she's super poor, so obviously she buys all her candy at the gas station, where it's more expensive than basically anywhere else...but that's neither here nor there. Just an irritating detail to someone who was also a very poor teenager and would never have been able to afford to regularly buy tiny bags of gas station candy). On a whim, she buys a lottery ticket, and....gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasp! SHE WINS! 50 million dollars.
Suddenly everyone wants to be her friend, needs money from her, is treating her differently. Maddie is incredibly book smart but apparently has zero experience interacting with other human beings or in any way standing up for herself, because holy hell, this book becomes ridiculously foolish decision after ridiculously foolish decision. Bypassing the fact that someone as seemingly meticulous and logical as Maddie doesn't strike me as the type to make these spur-of-the-moment decisions on spending ludicrous amounts of money, even if she is suddenly super rich, where the hell were her parents?! The book introduces pretty early on that her parents are going through a pretty rough patch, but what kind of parent is like "wow, cool, you just turned 18 and are a multi-millionaire. Good luck with that." They do tell her when she wins that she should get a financial adviser, but then nothing else is said of it. Instead, they sit by while she rents a yacht, buys an almost $100,000 sports car, gets swindled out of half a million dollars by some super extended family member, etc etc etc. Who does that?
With all the craziness in her life, at least Maddie has Seth, her super cool and definitely Asian coworker at the zoo. He's funny, confident, friendly...and also, please don't forget that he's Asian. Because he is, remember? You can tell by his last name and the fact that people regularly say obnoxious and racist things to him. It would have been cool to learn about Seth's heritage through subtle descriptions or details about the character, but this book isn't big on showing. I'll try to let that go. Maddie's relationship with Seth was sweet, but like in a candy corn way. There's not really any subtlety or flavor to it, but if you need a sugar fix it'll get you there. He was a good friend, it was nice that he was always there for her, I just wish he...and most of the characters, for that matter...hadn't been so one-dimensional.
There were so many opportunities for greatness in this book, but everything ended up over-simplified and a little flat. Not Kasie West's best book. Like I said, it's an ok read, and it has its uses. However, if the whole "financially struggling newly 18-year-old wins the lottery" storyline was what pulled you in, might I point you to Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith? Similar plot, but I enjoyed the execution more.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Caraval - Stephanie Garber
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"Remember, it’s only a game…
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away."
I went back and forth about what to rate this...parts of it I really liked, but through no fault of its own I had a really hard time getting into the book. Scarlett kind of annoyed me. I felt like she was meant to be a strong female character, but she just seemed to constantly wail and panic and second-guess herself. Every time she started to redeem herself, the cycle would start all over...she wasn't my favorite character. That being said, the story itself wasn't bad. Caraval was like a blend of a carnival and a real-life, several days long escape room...very intriguing. And I enjoyed Julian and Tella's characters. I guess I'm more drawn to mouthy, headstrong characters. I'm interested to see how I feel about Legendary when that comes out, since it follows Tella instead of Scarlett.
From the cover:
"Remember, it’s only a game…
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away."
I went back and forth about what to rate this...parts of it I really liked, but through no fault of its own I had a really hard time getting into the book. Scarlett kind of annoyed me. I felt like she was meant to be a strong female character, but she just seemed to constantly wail and panic and second-guess herself. Every time she started to redeem herself, the cycle would start all over...she wasn't my favorite character. That being said, the story itself wasn't bad. Caraval was like a blend of a carnival and a real-life, several days long escape room...very intriguing. And I enjoyed Julian and Tella's characters. I guess I'm more drawn to mouthy, headstrong characters. I'm interested to see how I feel about Legendary when that comes out, since it follows Tella instead of Scarlett.
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries - Kory Stamper
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the cover:
"Do you have strong feelings about the word "irregardless"? Have you ever tried to define the word "is"? This account of how dictionaries are made is for you word mavens.
Many of us take dictionaries for granted, and few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries is, in fact, as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what to define and how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises--for example, the fact that "OMG" was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.
Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate."
From the cover:
"Do you have strong feelings about the word "irregardless"? Have you ever tried to define the word "is"? This account of how dictionaries are made is for you word mavens.
Many of us take dictionaries for granted, and few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries is, in fact, as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what to define and how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises--for example, the fact that "OMG" was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.
Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate."
Look...I know I'm a super nerd, so I don't expect everyone to love a book about dictionaries as much as I did. But seriously. It was educational, entertaining, and funny. If you have any interest in words at all, please, do yourself a favor. Read this book.
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