Book Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Wintersong: A Novel by S. Jae-Jones, St. Martin's Griffin 2017

One of my goals for 2018 is to get back into a regular reading habit, and one of the ways I hope to do that is by keeping up with recommendations from you guys and from the other members of the Creating and Co. Book Club. The December club choice was author S. Jae-Jones' debut Wintersong. From reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure it was something I'd be into - goblins? - but I got an e-mail invitation from Netgalley and decided to take it as a sign. After reading the first chapter, I got sucked into the novel's dark magical world, and would recommend it - with some reservations.

Wintersong's main character, Liesl, lives in Bulgaria with her family. There's her alcoholic father, who was a famous violinist in Salzburg. Her hardworking mother, who runs the family's inn while Liesl looks after her siblings. In fact, she's so selfless that she is happy when her beautiful sister Käthe becomes engaged to the boy she liked, and when her musically gifted brother gets an opportunity that may take him far from home. Liesl shares the family gift for music, her talent lying in composing rather than performance, but will never be able to achieve fame for it because she is a girl. There's also her superstitious grandmother, who warns the children about the Goblin King, Der Erlkönig, and though Liesl is too old for such nonsense she has fond, vague memories of a childhood spent playing with a strange little boy in the wooded area she and her siblings called the "Goblin Grove." 

Though Wintersong is a fantasy, references to real musicians like Mozart place the storyline in the 1790s or early 1800s. With this setting, it was easy to forget that Jae-Jones based the novel on the 1980's Jim Henson movie Labyrinth, but both stories share a common initiating event: a sibling stolen by the Goblin King. When Käthe goes mising, Liesl must travel into the underworld to free her from the beautiful, frightening ruler - and in doing so, finds her own power. Jae-Jones is a self-professed English literature nerd, and there are shades of Jane Eyre in Wintersong - along with moments that reminded me of Beauty and the Beast and the story of Hades and Persephone. Her prose style perfectly suits the dark fairytale flavor of the novel, though she does have a few overused words and phrases - I got tired of the King being called "austere," Liesl's "décolletage," and the underworld's many "objets d'art." I did love that Wintersong's Der Erlkönig has different-colored eyes, a subtle shoutout to David Bowie and Labyrinth's King Jareth.

Remember this guy?

School Library Journal recommends Wintersong for grades 9 and up, and it's marketed as YA, but I would not feel comfortable putting it in a ninth grade classroom library due to several romance scenes that, while not as graphic as an adult romance novel, leave little to the imagination. I also feel that narratives about relationships like Liesl's with the Goblin King - in which the lonely girl "fixes" a cruel, controlling man with her love - can be downright dangerous to some young women readers. For me, this book belongs in the New Adult section, and maybe that makes me an old prude. That said, this old prude will be seeking out the sequel, Shadowsong, to find out what happens next for Liesl and Der Erlkönig.

my march favorites.

Here's what I've been loving this month...

1. American Shakespeare Center - Did you know that the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's indoor theatre, the Blackfriars' Playhouse, is in Staunton, Virginia? I went with friends to see a production of the parody The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) in college, but hadn't been since. My co-teacher's parents got tickets for our whole English team for Christmas, and we had a wonderful day driving up to see The Merchant of Venice and eat dinner at the Mill Street Grill.

2. The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima - Several of my male students had recommended this fantasy series to me, so I was surprised when I finally got around to checking out The Demon King from the library, with its super-masculine cover art, and finding out that one of the main characters is a feisty princess! The other MC is a streetlord who's basically a combination of Aladdin and Han Solo. These are definitely time-consuming books to read (each one weighs in at over 500 pages), but I really enjoyed getting lost in the unique fantasy world Chima has built, which includes a matrilineal society that feels medieval, an indigenous culture based on eastern Native American societies, and a magical college.

3. Old Navy Clover Necklace - I picked this dainty necklace up around St. Patrick's Day, but it's also perfect as a 4-H necklace for me :)

4. REN Evercalm Rescue Mask from Sephora - When I got back from my business trip to Indiana last month, my skin was a mess from staying in a hotel and air travel - I had acne on my cheeks, which is really unusual for me. I had a little sample bottle of this mask from Sephora, which is a little thicker than a normal day moisturizer. I used it morning (under makeup) and night (after washing my face) for about a week and it made a huge difference. The full-size version is a pricey product but I feel like it'll be worth it if used sparingly for skin emergencies!

5. Indoor Rock Climbing - The Bible study I've joined tries to have a fun activity in the community each month, and this month we visited a rock climbing gym in Roanoke. I hadn't done any climbing since I worked as a 4-H camp counselor in college and was surprised by how easy it was to pick back up. I didn't realize how much my upper body strength had improved since I've become a yoga junkie! It doesn't hurt the fun factor that the River Rock gym shares a building with Wasena Tap Room!

lately in entertainment.

lately in entertainment - april/may 2016

movies.

Captain America: Civil War - Though it often feels like yet another Avengers ensemble film (only Hulk and Thor are absent from the lineup), the storyline of Civil War is driven by Steve Rogers' priorities coming into conflict with Tony Stark's values. Already under a microscope after the disaster in Sokovia (the end of Age of Ultron), the Avengers are basically grounded by the U.N. after Scarlet Witch accidentally sends an explosion into an occupied building. Just as he had to face the consequences of being an arms dealer in the first Iron Man movie, Tony Stark is confronted with the human collateral damage caused by the Avengers, and supports international oversight for the superhero team. Captain America doesn't trust the plan - as he puts it, "the safest hands are still our own." Where I thought I was going to clearly side with Steve going in to the movie, the film actually forces viewers to consider and understand both points of view - and to see the blind spots in each hero's vision. 

Steve's blind spot, of course, is his best friend turned supersoldier, Bucky Barnes, who is on the run from authorities after being framed for a bombing attack, and who the Internet has convinced me is a precious cinnamon roll. In pursuit of the real bomber, Steve teams up with Sam Wilson, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Scott Lang (Ant-Man), who is just thrilled to meet big-name superheroes, with sneaky help from Agent 13 (Sharon Carter). Tony teams up with Rhodey, Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther, and his ringer, Spiderman, who's freaking out even more than Scott. The resulting fight is the most comic book thing I've ever seen on screen, complete with a Spider-Man who is finally an actual teenager narrating his experiences the whole time. Obviously, someone's going to get hurt with that much muscle and power facing off, and the characters end up learning a lot of things they never wanted to know. I'd be fine with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely writing and Anthony and Joe Russo directing everything Marvel from now on - every character had clear, often conflicted, motivations that seemed completely believable.

The Huntsman: Winter's War - Since Thor isn't in Civil War, we also had to show our love for Chris Hemsworth by seeing his current film with "war" in the title. I was surprised by how much I actually loved Snow White and the Huntsman, but was a little skeptical about this prequel until I read a newspaper review that described it as the kind of movie that's so bad, it's good, and classed it with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Far from the gruff, silent Huntsman of the original film, Chris Hemsworth chews up the scenery and seems to love every minute of it. At the beginning of the movie, we learn that even though Snow White's kingdom is at peace, the mirror is driving her mad. She orders the mirror to be taken to Sanctuary so that the kingdom will be safe from its dark magic - but it is stolen along the way. Her husband, King William (hello there, Sam Claflin), and dispatches Eric, the Huntsman, to find the mirror, along with a couple of dwarves who insist on accompanying him (Nick Frost reprises his role from the first movie). This storyline allows the filmmakers to include Snow White in the form of a disheveled Kristen Stewart stand-on shown only from the back, then move the plot away from her kingdom so it's less strange that she isn't in the film. The threat to the mirror turns out to be Freya, Queen Ravenna's younger sister who basically turned into an evil version of Elsa from Frozen when she was betrayed by her lover. She's the one who kidnapped Eric when he was young and turned him and an army of other children into her elite Huntsmen, and the one responsible for the apparent death of his wife, Sara (if you've seen the commercials, you've surely worked out that Sara is alive). Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain all seem to have a great time playing badass women in this movie, and there are even female dwarves this time around.


books.

Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard - The American Revolution isn't a period of history I've done much reading about, but I got sucked in to this historical fiction novel. The main character, Eliza Boylston, is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and lives a charmed life in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While it's completely normal to her to visit homes staffed with stableboys, coachmen, footmen, maids, butlers, and cooks - all slaves - Eliza's one real quirk is that she feels most comfortable in the kitchen, and her family's cook Cassie is her one real friend. For Eliza, there has never been any doubt that Cassie and other slaves are human, but she has never had to question their standing in her privileged society. As the Revolution comes close to home, Eliza's parents can no longer pretend that concessions like wearing homespun fabrics instead of imported gowns are mere inconveniences, nor can they ignore their son Jeb's participation in the rebellion when he marries Elizabeth Lee and moves to Braintree, home of John and Abigail Adams and "the despicable Quincys." Eliza takes for granted her family's beautiful home and wealth until personal tragedies devastate her and Cassie, forever turning her against her family's idea of "society." In 1775, the Boylstons have to leave Cambridge to seek refuge with an uncle in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she falls in love with a slave named John Watkins and makes a choice that will change her family forever. Though the synopsis I read led me to believe Our Own Country would be a romance novel, I would classify it as a bildungsroman - Eliza's coming of age and transition from naïveté to independence.  Though the Boylstons are fictional, Daynard obviously conducted intense research to write this novel, and it made me want to learn more about the Adamses, the Quincys, and their pastoral home.

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - I'm going to try to keep up with Emma Watson's Our Shared Shelf book club picks, and luckily my local library has British journalist and feminist Caitlin Moran's book available in ebook format! As Moran's wry personal essays (with titles like "I Become Furry!" and "I Need a Bra!") make clear, becoming a woman is very confusing and happens, whether we want it to or not, without a manual. Moran's writing is reflective of her working-class British roots (the very first page had me Googling to find out what a Yob was), pop culture literacy, and intelligence. Raised in cramped public housing with five younger siblings by parents who were the only hippies in town, Moran's pubescent milestones were common knowledge. Her focus as a feminist, and the lens through which she presents the instances in her life when being a woman was most perplexing, is not "on the big stuff like pay inequality," but on "all those littler, stupider, more obvious day-to-day problems with being a woman," or, in other words, "All the Patriarchal Bullshit." Her response is to "look it in the eye, squarely, for a minute, and then start laughing at it."

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima - Finally got around to reading the second book in this series recommended to me by several of my students and I liked it even more than the first because the two main characters' storylines finally came together for good - at a magical school! Is there a better setting for YA literature? As the book begins, former streetlord Han Alister and his best friend Fire Dancer are headed to Oden's Ford, the campus that is home to Mystwerk House. Princess Raisa is masquerading as a cadet at Wein House, the military school, to escape themarriage her mother tried to force on her. Their mutual enemy, wealthy and powerful Micah Bayar, and his twin sister are also bound for Mystwerk House, meaning that Han and Raisa both have to keep their guard up. At Oden's Ford, finally surrounded by people from all walks of life, Raisa learns that she will need to understand much more than politics to be a good queen, and Han finds out that the Bayars aren't the only ones after his secrets. Chima combines effortlessly lovely prose with witty dialogue and action-packed suspense.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital ARC of Our Own Country free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

lately in entertainment.

lately in entertainment - february/march 2016

concerts.

Elton John at John Paul Jones Arena - I think one of the greatest privileges of being an adult is being able to do wonderful things for my mom, since she has basically devoted half of her life to me. I've been on a quest for the past couple of years to make sure that my mom gets to see every single artist and band on her concert "bucket list." When my mom was my age she worked in a bank and she and her best work friend had Elton John posters on the inside of their office, so it was a no-brainer that I had to get tickets when I heard Elton and his band were coming to Roanoke. I knew I wanted to include my cousin who's like a sister to me, too, since she and I had so much fun at the Fleetwood Mac concert we went to last year. Unfortunately I forgot that tickets went on sale until about halfway through my planning period on the day they were released, and Roanoke had sold out really, really fast. Google to the rescue - I knew the next show would probably be close, and it was - it's hard to beat JPJ as a concert venue, and this way we got to have a little family girls' trip! It turned out that Sir Elton had the flu, and he explained when he welcomed the audience that we "might hear some strange notes," but that he didn't want to cancel the show. Despite the fact that there was probably less interaction with the audience than there would have been had he felt better, Elton and the band put on an amazing show. They played all of our favorites: Leslie's = "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," mine = "Bennie and the Jets," "Tiny Dancer," and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and Mom's = "I'm Still Standing" and "Daniel," as well as some new songs ("Looking Up" and "A Good Heart" are both great).

books.

Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - After Throne of Glass, I had to have more Calaena Sardothien in my life. Crown of Midnight builds on the dark intrigue of the first book - now that Calaena is Champion to an evil king, she has to keep up the premise that she is assassinating his enemies while actually investigating the conspiracy surrounding him. When she is asked to target a former ally, she puts everyone she loves and the happiness she has found in danger as she delays completing her assignment. Meanwhile, Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, tries to protect Celaena by not sharing information that would hurt her. Both of their choices have devastating consequences. In Heir of Fire, Celaena travels away from the glass castle and her friends to seek answers about her past. The focus in point of view shifts much more frequently, and Maas introduces a new main character, Manon, a ruthless witch. I read a lot of the third book out of sequence because I would get caught up in one thread of the story - Celaena's training with a brooding Fae warrior, Dorian falling in love with the castle apothecary, or Manon training a wyvern to be her new mount for flying. Whereas Throne of Glass was mainly historical-flavored adventure with a whisper of magic, Heir of Fire is full-blown high fantasy. I'm looking forward to reading Queen of Shadows soon.


A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber - All I knew about Debbie Macomber before reading this book, which I received from NetGalley, was that several of her books have been made into Hallmark movies. A Girl's Guide to Moving On follows two "girls" as they take back their lives. Leanne and her daughter-in-law, Nichole, seemed to have picture perfect, country-club lives in Portland - except for the fact that Leanne's husband, Sean, has been unfaithful to her for years and her son Jake followed suit. When Nichole files for divorce, Leanne finds the courage to do the same, and they find apartments in the same building. Serving as each others' support system, they make a list of survival strategies that include getting involved in their community, cultivating new friendships, and letting go in order to receive. They forge such a close and true mother-daughter relationship that I couldn't help being reminded of Naomi and Ruth. Both find themselves opening their hearts again, much to the chagrin of their ex-husbands - Nichole to a down-to-earth tow-truck driver Jake views with contempt, and Leanne with a charming baker from the ESL class she teaches, which of course makes Sean's blood boil. I was rooting for each of these women to find freedom and happiness.



Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan - I originally fell in love with Sarah Rees Brennan through her Livejournal years ago (I'm showing my age here), and enjoyed reading her Demon's Lexicon series (back then there was this weird sense of hipster "I liked this author before she was cool" pride when authors you followed on LJ finally got published). Tell the Wind and Fire is a standalone, rather than a series. Tell the Wind and Fire was inspired by A Tale of Two Cities (which I'll admit I haven't read, #Englishmajorfail), and this book's two cities are divided by the light and dark sides of the magic which powers their world. The main character, Lucie, is a folk hero raised in the Dark who "made the decision long ago: better to be safe than good." After her mother's terrible death in the dark city, she and her father were able to find a home with friends in the Light, and Lucie fell in love with a boy who happens to be a son from the most powerful Light family in the city. Her boyfriend, Ethan, has a dark secret of his own, and his family is all too happy to use his connection to Lucie to boost their reputation in the public eye. When her decision to trust a stranger from the Dark puts Ethan's life in danger, Lucie has to rely on her wits to save him, and as revolution takes hold in the Light city, Lucie has to decide where she stands. This was a quick, addicting read filled with beautiful prose, but I'd recommending starting with The Demon's Lexicon if you want a real taste of what Sarah Rees Brennan is capable of writing.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received ARCs of A Girl's Guide to Moving on and Tell The Wind and Fire free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

literary junkies - march 2016.

Here are this month's questions:

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.

I just finished reading Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, which was a new addition to our school library's nonfiction section. I can't stop telling people about it because I learned so much! Joseph's tribe is a minority group in Kenya, where most people live what we would consider modern lives (like my college roommate, Njeri!). The Maasai are nomadic and adhere to traditional gender roles in which the women build houses and take care of children and the men care for livestock, hunt, and train as warriors. When Joseph was six, the Kenyan government passed a law that each Maasai family had to send at least one child to school - Joseph's family couldn't spare their older sons, who were needed to care for the cattle, but he wanted to go to school so badly that he convinced the school officials he was eight, the minimum age. He took to school quickly and found his passion in playing soccer. Being challenged to win a game by the President of Kenya turned out to be the gateway to a college education in America. All the while, Joseph straddled being a child of two worlds - flying to New York on airplanes which confounded his parents and participating in tribal manhood rituals his teachers and classmates didn't understand. Today, he works as a teacher in northern Virginia and works to help preserve tribal traditions in Kenya while improving the quality of life and education for children there.

2. If you could visit any book setting, which would you choose and why?

Could I give any answer but Hogwarts here? It is, after all, my literary second home. I'd love to see the cozy Hufflepuff common room, stroll through the greenhouses, visit the library, and eat a feast in the Great Hall! 

Realistically, I've wanted to take a literary trip to London since college! Not only is it full of Harry Potter locations, I want to visit Notting Hill, tour places associated with Jane Austen's life and books, see a play in Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and pay my respects to Geoffery Chaucer at Westminster Abbey.

3. If you could sit down with any book character, who would it by and what would you ask them?

I'd want to sit down with Alba, Henry and Clare's daughter from The Time Traveler's Wife, and ask her about her experiences in the past and present and how she controls what destinations she'll end up in. Time travel has always been the most fascinating fictional power/ability to me.

4. If you wrote a memoir and it was turned into a movie, what actor or actress would play you?

Since I'm not 100% white it's really hard to see myself in Hollywood actresses. She's older than me, but as a kid people were constantly telling me I looked like Winnie from The Wonder Years (Danica McKellar). The only other actress who I think I look remotely like is Ginnifer Goodwin. She is closer to 30 and would also be awesome, and I'm pretty sure she could sound like me since she's from Tennessee - plus, she's got a built-in younger version, Bailee Madison, who plays young Snow White on Once Upon a Time.


5. What have you recently added to your to-be-read list that you are completely excited to pick up next??

I just picked up Patrick Ness' The Rest of Us Just Live Here from the library - I've heard it's delightful. It's about people like Xander in Buffy - all of the sidekicks and best friends in worlds where magic and superpowers are part of everyday life. The blurb on Goodreads says, "What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again." It's a very clever premise, and I already know Ness is an awesome writer, so I hope it'll live up to my expectations.

What have you been reading lately? Come link up with us at 

Pink Heels Pink Truck and Lattes, Life, and Luggage!

#5FandomFriday - Make-Up Friday - Geeky Clothing and Accessories I Need

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. This week, our prompt is "favorite stores to get geeky wears/wares." My answers to that question were very boring... um, Barnes and Noble? Campus bookstores? Instead, I'm revisiting an early prompt I missed - Geeky Clothing Items I Need Want In My Life.

1. Uhura's earrings - In the new Star Trek movies, Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) accessorizes her Starfleet uniform with Alexis Bittar earrings that look suitably futuristic. I've been obsessed with these for a while now - such a subtle bit of geekery!

2. Sunnydale tee - Another subtle way to participate in fandom - anyone who's a Buffy fan would instantly recognize and appreciate this Sunnydale tee from Redbubble, anyone else will just think it's a high school they've never heard of.

3. Marauder's Map shoes - I'm not sure if I've ever shopped at Hot Topic, and I totally missed the point when it shifted from being a Goth kid store to a haven for geeks! These Harry Potter Marauder's Map sneakers are amazing.

4. Empire Strikes Back tank - Junk Food has a great collection of Star Wars tees, and this tank is so retro and cool. I would wear it to the gym, around town, and probably even try wearing it with a cardigan to school.

5. Raven Boys tee - Emgrav is a Society6 designer who creates quirky art based on Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle books, and this tee is my favorite - each of the sketches represents something significant from the story, and it somehow manages to be creepy and cute at the same time (just like Blue Sargent's life).

What geeky items are on your wish list? What are the

geekiest things in your closet or jewelry box right now?

spring reading challenge ideas and recommendations

I've read fifteen books so far in 2016 and feel like my love of reading for pleasure has been re-ignited by reading a wide variety books. Reading challenges really help me mix it up and avoid falling into a reading rut or getting series fatigue! Here are a few books that are on my to-be-read list this spring, and a few spring break reading recommendations for you (titles link to Goodreads), inspired by my favorite challenges.

From The Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2016 Reading Challenge: A book you should have read in school

 

• My pick: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - As an English major, I often felt like I was the only one who hadn't read this novel in high school; it seems to be part of so many readers' lists of favorites.
• My recommendation: Antigone by Sophocles - We read this play in tenth grade English and it was A Moment for me. I love that waaaaay back in Ancient Greece, Sophocles was writing about a strong, powerful woman, but the character who really mattered to me in high school was Ismene, Antigone's meek sister who must decide whether to follow tradition, follow her sisters' lead, or forge her own path.

From Popsugar's 2016 Ultimate Reading Challenge: A book set in Europe

• My pick: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - This book set during World War II was on all the must-reads last year, was a NYT best seller, and won the Pulitzer Prize. The plot, about a WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE blind French girl and an orphaned German boy working for the Nazis, sounds intriguing. 
• My recommendation: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - It amazes me that I've studied World War II for years now and there are always stories and aspects of that span of time that I realize I know almost nothing about; this YA historical fiction novel is about a Lithuanian family sent to a work camp in Siberia under Stalin's orders. It is a heartbreaking book and a favorite among librarians, teachers, and students at my school.

From Stxrybooks' 2016 Reading Challenge: A book with a character that is similar to you

• My pick: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly - I put out a call for books featuring characters like me on Facebook and my friend Marci, a librarian I've known since sixth grade, said Calpurnia's a lot like me when I was younger - a girl who loves nature, learning, and her family. I'm really looking forward to this one.
• My recommendation: The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - I think the reason I'm so addicted to this mystery series is because Stephanie Plum is such a real woman - she'd rather have Twinkies than a salad, her family drives her crazy, she's comfiest in jeans and a t-shirt, and she knows her attraction to bad boys is no good for her. It's so much fun to read about a lady who's kick-ass in her own way, not because she's a superspy but because she trusts her gut.

From Worthington Ave.'s 2016 Reading List: A book that's becoming a movie this year

• My pick: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - The trailer for the film based on this book makes it look heartwrenching and amazing.
• My recommendation: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - We added this novel to our eighth grade curriculum after one of my colleagues fell in love with it and realized it would fill a big "magical realism" gap in our collection. Conor's mother has cancer, he's being mercilessly bullied at school, his father is basically absent from his life, and he's been sent to live with his overbearing grandmother. When the yew tree in his backyard comes to life on a nightly basis, Conor doesn't know whether to be terrified or vindicated. Liam Neeson is going to be the voice of the monster in the movie, and I can't wait!

What are you looking forward to reading this spring? You can see 

my first list of reading ideas and recommendations for 2016 here.

valentine's book tag.

Book tags are by far one of my favorite solutions to blogger writing block. When Ashlee from Her Geekery posted her answers to this tag, I knew I had to get on board, even though we're a little past V-Day now.

Standalone Book I Love

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Maggie is my favorite YA fantasy author, and in The Scorpio Races she takes the Celtic myth of the water horse and creates a tiny, magical world: the island of Thisby, where brave and foolish men race the dangerous creatures each November. The main character, Puck, is a tomboy who dreams of racing and hopes to hold her family together.

Dystopian Book I Love

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - I fell in love with this series while I was still in college and I'm still amazed that it's not more popular. In the society where Tally lives, teenagers receive plastic surgery that makes them perfect and beautiful - but not everyone is on board with the procedure or the society's ideals. I loved that the series is really about Tally's relationships with her friends and how those ties are challenged as teenagers develop their own interests and passions and try to create an "image" for themselves in an world that is obsessed with appearances. I also enjoyed the standalone book Extras, which complements the series and serves as a commentary on our social media addicted society.

A Book That I Love But No One Else Talks About 

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - This YA science fiction series is romantic and creative - Aria, a girl from the most technologically advanced part of society, where life is lived basically in virtual reality and people are protected from the elements, must brave the wilderness to find her missing mother. She meets and falls in love with Peregrine, who lives in a tribal society "Dwellers" like Aria consider savage. The worldbuilding, and the romance between Aria and Perry, are so compelling, and this series deserves just as much acclaim and fame as The Hunger Games and Divergent.

My Favorite Book Couple

Jamie and Claire from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I don't think I'll ever get tired of gushing about the Outlander series or my darling Mr. and Mrs. Fraser. These two are completely protective of and devoted to each other, and they don't hesitate to put each other in their place when needed. 

They have an electric love that spans time and distance, from the Scottish highlands to the royal court of Paris, and a romance that is both tender and passionate. Diana Gabaldon is one of few authors that can get me to read 800+ pages at a time, and I keep coming back for more.

A Book That Other People Love But I Haven’t Gotten Around To Reading

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson - I added this book to my to-be-read list after listening to Kristin from My Life as a Teacup's review on her YouTube channel. Just based on the cover art alone, it looks awesome, and the fact that it's about a supervillain's sidekick is so creative and unique - as much as I love swords and sorcery, I always enjoy sarcastic takes on the genre. I suppose until I do finally get my hands on the book, I should check out the original webcomic by Noelle Stevenson.

A Book with Red on the Cover

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank - One of my all-time favorites, I discovered this bildungsroman, in the form of a collection of short stories, when I was in college, and the timing was perfect because I identified so much with a lot of what the main character, Jane, was going through. In the book, she deals with childhood friendships, changing relationships with her parents and brother, her first career in publishing, and several relationships. Bank's writing style is simple and funny, and Jane's voice came through as if the book was a memoir.

A Book with Pink on the Cover

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling - The book of essays that officially made me want to be Mindy Kaling's best friend. From her lack of athletic ability, to her move to New York, to "types of women in romantic comedies who are not real," to Irish exits, I laughed out loud so many times while reading this one The fact that I cannot currently call Mindy Kaling from my bathtub and share stories and giggles with her proves that we live in a fundamentally unjust world.

You Were Given A Box Of Chocolate, What Fictional Boyfriend Would Have Given Them To You?

Carswell Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer - Although the chocolates would probably be stolen and Captain Thorne would surely have some sort of ulterior motive in giving them to me, how can anyone resist a character who is basically a younger, sassier version of Malcolm Reynolds?

You Are In The Book Store, All Of A Sudden You Get Shot With An Arrow By Cupid. What New Release Will You Love? 

Nicole Burstein's Othergirl - this book came out in 2015 and sounds adorable. From Goodreads: "Louise and Erica have been best friends since forever. They're closer than sisters and depend on each other for almost everything. Just one problem: Erica has superpowers. When Erica isn't doing loop-the-loops in the sky or burning things with her heat pulse powers, she needs Louise to hold her non-super life together. After all, the girls still have homework, parents and boys to figure out. But being a superhero's BFF is not easy, especially as trouble has a way of seeking them out. Soon Louise discovers that Erica might be able to survive explosions and fly faster than a speeding bullet, but she can't win every fight by herself. Life isn't a comic book - it's even crazier than that."