I have the usual two pieces of news, one of which is exciting, and one of which is boring. I think I'll start with boring! I had an unusually large amount of free time today, which I spent making covers for my Spotify playlists! I'm an avid listener, and I usually categorize my songs either by artist (Halsey, Kacey, and Taylor have been on repeat for me recently), or by mood (what I'm listening to on a particular day. These I'm likely to keep on repeat for a few days or weeks). Something new for me is falling asleep to my "Sleep" playlist, which is 10 soft piano songs. I like how calm it is at night! If you want to give me a follow, I always welcome new musical friends!
Now for exciting!!! Yesterday I was thrilled to receive an email from Owlcrate with the link to purchase their Call Down the Hawk book box, which I ordered and am so eager to receive! I've heard the box is filled with magical goodies, including matching pillowcases??? WHAT?? I love The Raven Cycle and am so excited to dive back into Stiefvater's writing, especially with the beautiful items I am sure are in the box. Once it arrives, I'll share an unboxing on my Instagram and also here! Are you planning to read Call Down the Hawk? Have you also ordered the Owlcrate box? Let me know below!
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I'm here today as part of the blog tour for She's the Worst by Lauren Spieller, author of Your Destination is on the Left. Today's post includes a review, as well as my favorite quotes from the novel. Click here to follow along with the tour!
The Book and its Author
Sisters April and Jenn haven’t been close in years. Jenn’s too busy with school, the family antique shop, and her boyfriend, and April would rather play soccer and hang out with the boy next door.
But when April notices her older sister is sad about staying home for college, she decides to do something about it. The girls set off to revive a pact they made as kids: spend an epic day exploring the greatest hits of their childhood and all that Los Angeles has to offer. Then April learns that Jenn has been keeping a secret that could rip their family—and their feuding parents—apart. With only one day to set things right, the sisters must decide if their relationship is worth saving, or if the truth will tear them apart for good.
Lauren Spieller is an author and literary agent who lives in New York with her husband. When she isn’t writing, she can be found drinking lattes, pining for every dog she sees, or visiting her native California. She is the author of Your Destination is on the Left and She’s the Worst. Follow her on Twitter @laurenspieller and Instagram @laurenspieller. You can also visit her website at www.laurenspieller.com
Photo Cred: Dave Cross Photography Review
Thank you to Simon Teen and The Fantastic Flying Book Club for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Sisters! Growing! Closer! I'm an only child, but I absolutely thrive on this plotline. I adore stories featuring siblings who haven't been close in a long time learning about each others' interests and being supportive. She's the Worst gave me the best of those feelings, in a gorgeous pink package. This lighthearted summer story featured such complex emotions alongside sisterly bonding. April and Jenn had grown apart, but I loved April’s plan to explore LA with her sister as a way to spend time together before Jenn goes to college. She’s the Worst was a pretty quick and fun read, and it felt like a cute summer movie. I would love for it to be adapted someday—it’s definitely movie material. April and Jenn are such realistic teenagers. I could totally see this story unfolding with a pair of siblings in the real world. Spieller did a great job writing complex and sympathetic characters—the tension and frustration in the story was always totally warranted and I just! wanted! them! to! talk! I loved how each sister felt like the other had a better relationship with their parents and confidence in their life, but that changed as they began to get to know each other. In addition to the sisters reconnecting, She’s the Worst also features a friends-to-lovers romantic subplot, which was also SUPER CUTE! I am absolutely a sucker for well-done romantic subplots, and I loved reading about this one. The feelings were subtle but apparent, and I just loved everything about this. I’m also glad that She’s the Worst explored the effect of parents’ fighting on siblings. April and Jenn’s parents fought a lot. That was one reason that the sisters grew apart, and I’m glad they began to grow closer instead of being driven apart permanently. However, I think the ending wrapped up a bit too easily. I don’t think one talk could fix all the years of fighting, but this is a minor issue in the scheme of things. She’s the Worst is a sweet summer read, and I hope that you all will put it on your shelves! 4/5 stars. Favorite QuotesGiveaway!Thank you to Random House BFYR and Netgalley for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown. Two girls vying for the prince's heart. This is the story of the American royals. When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American. And their country was born of rebellion. As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart. Like The Thousandth Floor, McGee’s first series, American Royals thrives on a character-driven plot, with lots of gossip and drama that has the reader choosing sides immediately. I knew who I would be rooting for from the very first chapter, but as the perspectives deepened I found myself sympathizing with all of the characters. This is a fantastic historical re-imagining that takes readers on a whirlwind journey through the minds (and hearts) of the fictitious American royal family. I love Beatrice. McGee did an excellent job portraying the struggles of growing up with a crown in her future, and how Beatrice both loved and felt trapped by her job. Obviously there are no American princesses in the present day, but I could easily imagine how celebrities might feel the same way as Beatrice did—she was controlled by her image, which is hard for a young person, who of course has their own interests and must balance that with a duty to their fanbase or, in Beatrice’s case, her citizens. If you’ve ever wondered how movie stars really feel, I think American Royals gets a lot of it right. Of course, I’m not famous in any way, shape, or form, so take my advice with a grain of salt and read this book for fun anyways! Beatrice’s romantic storyline also hooked me. I don’t want to spoil anything here, but I will note that there is a love triangle of sorts and that I love the internal tension that caused. It’s a lot easier for me to read than drama of the gossip and blackmail sort, so I was very invested in the outcome of Beatrice’s love life. I also enjoyed reading about Beatrice’s relationship with her younger twins. Beatrice is the heir, and Samantha and Jeff won’t rule in all likelihood, so of course there were some interesting emotions there, especially between the sisters. American Royals had a fair few moments of sibling rivalry, but there were also some sweet moments that I loved. Nina, Samantha’s best friend, was such a sweetheart, and I loved reading about both her friendship with Samantha and her relationship with Jeff. I’m always a sucker for friendships that get a lot of page time, as well as friends-to-lovers romance storylines, and I liked Nina’s perspective throughout the novel because I got a fresh dose of both! Nina herself is amazing, and I’m very happy with the choices she made throughout the novel. She isn’t royalty, so it was interesting to see a “commoner’s” perspective on the madness of the royal lives. Lastly, that ending? I just CAN'T. I'm so glad American Royals is the start of a series, because I need to know more. That being said, I expected there to be more resolution at the end of the book. I felt like the story would continue for another fifty pages or so, because new questions were still being introduced when the plot should have been wrapped up. The novel now becomes reliant on its sequel for the full context of the story. Overall, I’m giving American Royals 4/5 stars for a neat concept and sympathetic-yet-scheming characters! Pick it up! Readers, I am swamped! I have just started classes, and I'm trying to keep up with all of my real-life work as well as my regular post schedule. I've already taken on three thousand extra commitments, so this will be a challenging year. Nevertheless, I am determined to make it through.
My goal is to post once a week, every week. Optimistically, this will consist truly of two posts: this Tuesday journal feature and one bookish post per week. I think this is a reasonable pace, considering how many bloggers are on the same twice-weekly schedule. I'm not superhuman. I wish I had a time turner! I am asking you to please forgive me if I drop the ball! To err is human, after all. More importantly, this blog is my passion. I don't want to stop. One would have to pry my notebook from my cold, clawed hands to get me to stop posting. (If those cold hands are caused by exams... well... that's another matter that I'll address in December). In reading news: if you haven't read my review of The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta, please scroll down and do so! And if you haven't seen my post on The Uncommon Quest, scroll further! They are both amazing--The Lost Coast as a book to read and The Uncommon Quest as an organization to support. I am currently reading Going Off Script by Jen Wilde, one of my favorite authors (my review of The Brightsiders here), and Shadow Frost by Coco Ma (my Blog Tour post will be up on 9/30 with The Fantastic Flying Book Club). Happy Tuesday, everyone! |
The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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