Book Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) 
By Jenny Han
****

“Do you know what it’s like to like someone so much you can’t stand it and know that they’ll never feel the same way?” 
― Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Laura Jean Song Covey, who is about to begin her junior year in high school. The three Song girls - Margot, Laura Jean, and Kitty - have been extraordinarily tight since their mother died years ago. Margo, the eldest, is about to leave for her freshman year of college at Saint Andrews in Scotland, leaving Laura Jean to take over the big sister role. 

The year starts off with a bang for Laura Jean. Over the years she wrote love letters/goodbye letters to the boys she's loved to provide herself with closure. Once she wrote the letters to the boys, she seals them up, addresses them, then sticks them in a hat box in her closet. They were never supposed to be seen. But on the first day of school, Laura Jean finds out that her former crushes have received their letters.

I had some trouble with this book initially - I really don't handle embarrassing situations well (be they fictional, real life, or my own), and boy howdy does this story start off with a doozy. But after getting over that hump, the story was touching and sweet and funny. I really enjoyed the characters and their growth. 

Laura Jean discovers a lot about herself, as well as a few of the boys, and I liked how much she grew. I know some people have been a bit shocked by the ending (no spoilers here!), but I liked where it left off. Also, it doesn't hurt knowing there's a sequel. I can't wait to see these characters again and find out what happens next!

Except for one: 

Audio Book Review: My True Love Gave to Me

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories 
Edited by Stephanie Perkins
****

Stories Include:
· “Midnights,” by Rainbow Rowell.  Read by Rebecca Lowman. 
·  “The Lady and the Fox,” by Kelly Link.  Read by Fiona Hardingham.
·  “Angels in the Snow,” by Matt de la Peña.  Read by Henry Leyva.
· “Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me,” by Jenny Han.  Read by Kim Mai Guest.
· “It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown,” by Stephanie Perkins.  Read by Samantha Quan.
· “Your Temporary Santa,” by David Levithan.  Read by Dustin Rubin.
· “Krampuslauf,” by Holly Black.  Read by Julia Whelan.
· “What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?” by Gayle Foreman.  Read by Abby Craden.
· “Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus,” by Myra McEntire.  Read by Lincoln Hoppe.
· “Welcome to Christmas, CA,” by Kiersten White.  Read by Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez.
· “Star of Bethlehem,” by Ally Carter.  Read by Shannon McManus. 
· “The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer,” by Laini Taylor.  Read by Ann Marie Lee.

“He says presents aren't important, but I think they are - not because of how much they cost, but for the opportunity they provide to say I understand you.” 
― David Levithan, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Such a great collection of YA holiday romance stories from some of the best YA authors! Even the grumpiest Scrooge should find at least *one* title to tickle their fancy. There were a few hit and miss stories for me, but on the whole, it was a great way to get in the holiday mood.

A few thoughts on the stories:

Best title: Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus, by Myra McEntire
Most Swoon-worthy: It's a Yule-tide Miracle, Charlie Brown, by Stephanie Perkins
Most Real: Angels in the Snow, by Matt De La Pena
Most Magical: The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer, by Laini Taylor
Most Abrupt Ending: Polaris is Where You'll Find Me, by Jenny Han
Best Narration: The Lady and the Fox, by Kelly Link, read by Fiona Hardingham
Easiest Story to Match to the Author (aka I could have named the author without knowing who wrote it ahead of time): Midnights, by Rainbow Rowell
Best Chemistry: Welcome to Christmas, CA, by Kiersten White

Of all the stories, I think my favorites would have to be Laini Taylor's and Kiersten White's. But I loved something about all of them and may have to make this compilation a yearly read.

Book Review - In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)  
By Kristan Higgins
*** 1/2

"Nothing kicked off Emmaline Neal's weekend like using a Taser." --In Your Dreams, Kristan Higgins

Emmaline is a small town cop who needs a date to her ex's wedding. Jack, scion of a wine dynasty, is known for being happy to help women who have need of dates for various life events - just a good guy doing a nice thing, no strings, no romance. In the process, they find they like each other more than a little, but complications back home make getting together difficult, if not impossible.

One of the interesting things about this story is the long looks at what went on in Jack and Emmaline's pasts prior to the current action. We get to see both of their past relationships in great detail. This added a lot of depth to the story and fleshed out what made Jack and Emmaline the people they are today, but I couldn't help wanting to get back to their presents rather than spending so much time in their pasts. This is the main reason I didn't rate this book higher; I was much more engaged in their *now* than I was in their *then.*

There's a lot of great humor (though I could do with out all many the embarrassing moments - I don't know, I may have too much empathy or something, but I *hate* reading/watching/seeing/doing humiliating things), and while you have to suspend reality to believe in the adorable small town atmosphere, the situations were believable. Mixed in with the flirting and cute relationship stuff were some fairly intense situations, including the aftermath of a horrible car accident and subsequent PTSD, family drama, and bullying. This book may look like a light-hearted romp at first glance, but there are parts that give the story weight, as well.

In Your Dreams is the 4th book in the Blue Heron series. I wasn't aware of that prior to reading (I hate coming into a series late), but it didn't affect the story - it can very much be read as a standalone. I never felt like I was missing any important details; rather, knowing that the supporting characters likely get more page-time in other books made me more interested in reading the rest.

Kristan Higgins is incredibly popular at my library, and I have no doubt that this book will please those fans, as well as lovers of contemporary romance and stories of relationships and character growth.

*FYI - the cover art is wintery, but this is not a holiday title.

**I received In Your Dreams as an Advanced eGalley from Net Galley**

Book Review: Timeless

Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5)
Gail Carriger
(20 stars out of 5)

I'm a little sad. I love this series, and alas, it is over. Alexia has completed her journey (though her daughter's journey will be beginning in a new series coming out sometime in the nearish future SQUEE!).

Ok, so those of you who aren't familiar with the series (OHMYGOSHWHATISWRONGWITHYOUGOREADITRIGHTNOW!!!) Alexia lives in a world of vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. The common theory is that people with an excess of soul are able to be turned into a vamp or a wolfie, and if they aren't turned in life, they may stick around as a ghost. Alexia is an even rarer creature - she's a spinster without a soul. When a Soulless touches one of the vampires or werewolves, they revert to their mortal form: vamps can see the sun and lose their fangs, werewolves in wolf form are instantly changed back to (naked) humanity. And if a Soulless were to touch the dead body that used to house the ghost, the ghost is no more.

The world Gail Carriger created is set in Victorian England and is a lovely mix of Steampunk and Paranormal (with a bit of Romance thrown in). Alexia is the straight (wo)man surrounded by a colorful cast of characters: her love interest and head of BUR (a sort of supernatural affairs division of the government) and werewolf pack leader, Conall Maccon, who growls a lot and doesn't seem to mind that Alexia is too old (she's in her mid-to-late twenties while he's over 200 years old), that she's part-Italian, or that she has more curves than is considered popular (he really doesn't mind that bit). Her vampire friend, Akeldama, who is a rove (or loner) vampire, dresses with 18th century flair, and has a house full of pretty young men who act as his household staff and gossip collectors (called drones). There's also Lyall, Conall's second in command; Ivy Hisselpenny, Alexia's friend and wearer of atrocious hats; Biffy, Akeldama's head drone; two awful half-sisters and a flighty mother; and the ever present and effective butler, Floote.

Timeless neatly ties up all the loose ends in this five book series. I enjoyed every chapter, every page, and every word of each of these books. I can't wait for her new YA series, which begins with Espionage and Etiquette, and will be coming out in February.

Anyone who can turn a parasol into a multi-layered weapon, whose heroine believes that anything can be made better with liberal application of tea, and can slip in a "llama, llama, duck" reference into a book taking place in Victorian England, will always have me as a loyal reader!

Book Review: The Black Hawk

The Black Hawk (*****)
(The Spymaster's Lady #4 or #5 - there's some confusion in the numbering system)
by Joanna Bourne

The Black Hawk is one book in a series that takes place during the French Revolution and Napoleonic War. The series features characters who are spies for both the British and the French. There are a few characters that carry throughout the series, but for the most part, you can read these as stand alones. This book features Adrian, master spy, one-time thief, and now head of the British Service. When he was a boy (though old beyond his years), he meets Justine (code name Owl, also old beyond her years), who is a girl of about his age and a spy for France. Though enemies, they create a bond then that carries through the years. When the The Black Hawk opens, Justine is in grave danger and goes to Adrian, the only person she can trust. The book then flashes back through the years to times when Justine and Adrian interacted, filling in life events while providing clues the current cause of danger.

Ok, so a few things about this book. Seriously, don't judge it by it's cover. Never does Adrian stand open-shirted in front of an English manor, nor does he wear a cape. The typical romance-y cover makes you think that this is a typical romance-y book, not that there's anything wrong with that. The thing is, Joanna Bourne's books are so much more. The stories in this series are a deep look into a historical period, with political intrigue, gritty spy drama, and a side of romance. The focus is more on the complex relationship between spies of opposing sides who care about each other, and the problems that creates. It's an incredibly well written and engaging read, with smart and savvy characters and a glimpse into an era of history that doesn't get as much focus in romance novels. I highly recommend this series. And if you're turned off by the cover, well, that's what e-readers are for!

Book Review: Just Like Heaven

Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1), Julia Quinn (*****)

I love Julia Quinn. I love light, funny books with a bit of romance, and that's what she gives every time. In this series, we get a glimpse into the lives of the Smythe-Smith musicians, first introduced in the Bridgerton series. Honoria and Marcus have known each other since they were children and come to see each other differently as adults.

This was a lovely story, but I could have done without the grody medical emergency bit. It was both awkward and...well, grody. Still, it was a fun read and I'm sure I'll be picking up the next book in the series.

Book Review: The Trouble with Harry

The Trouble with Harry  (*****)
by Katie MacAlister

A couple of weeks ago I read and wrote a not-so-glowing review of a Katie MacAlister novel. I didn't hate it, but there was enough to annoy me that I had a hard time enjoying the story. I say this here because I'm now reviewing another of her books, The Trouble with Harry. Why would I read another of her books if I wasn't fond of the last one? Well, I had to - I guess that's what happens when you're in a book group :)

Ok, confession time. I like romances. Not for the dirty, but because they're so much more fun than literary fiction, even other genres. So I go for the romance, whether it's the inspirational titles I devoured in my teens; historicals, contemporaries, or paranormals; or the YA that I've taken up a few years after I left that target audience. My favorite authors write with a sense of humor, their characters are loveable, and the plots are entertaining. When I watch TV, movies, or read a book, I'm looking to be entertained; I have no desire to read or watch anything that's going to bum me out. So yeah, I read romances.

Back to the book. I liked this one a lot better than MacAlister's A Girl's Guide to Vampires. Here you have a 45-year-old man with five little hellions in need of a mother and a 40-year-old woman who really wants a family, but has been kept from having one due to a scandal in her youth. I liked the fact that MacAlister broke away from the norm - a 40-year-old heroine in a Regency? So much better than a 17-year-old. Seriously. This book really could have stood alone on the hero's (Harry) and heroine's (Plum) time getting to know each other and Plum's attempt to get to know and love the little "diablitos," but we end up with two other conflicts - one for each of them. For Harry, his baddy-plot carried throughout the story, but the reader never even meets the baddy until the end of the story, followed quickly by a resolution. Plum's baddy-plot had a bit more umph, and I enjoyed Plum's reaction to and solution to said plot. Her solutions were a little ridiculous, but funny, so I can get on board with that. I also appreciated Plum's mother-bear reactions - no one was going to threaten her family; she wasn't going to sit by and wimper to her man to fix the problem whilst she clutched her handkerchief in fear.

There was one other main part of the plot that I didn't care for. As I mentioned earlier, I don't read these books for the dirty, and frankly, this one had a bit too much. Part of Plum's problem (and this isn't a spoiler, it's revealed in the first few pages) is that she wrote a book that sounds a lot like the Kama Sutra. And a LOT of time was spent describing how Harry and Plum enacted certain scenes from her book. Serious overkill on the part of the author. I don't know if this is her M.O., since I've only read two of her books. Maybe she was trying to show that a hero and heroine in their 40s could make a hot couple (to which I say, duh) and overcompensated. Or maybe none of the above. I don't know; all I know is that she passed the squirmy, uncomfortable line by a couple of feet.

MacAlister hasn't made it onto my list of favorite authors, but I still found this book to be enjoyable, and a big improvement over the last book of her's that I read.

Review: A Girl's Guide to Vampires

A Girl's Guide to Vampires  (*****)
by Katie MacAlister

From Goodreads:
"On a visit to the Czech Republic, Joy Randall (a skeptic of all things paranormal), is suddenly thrown into the dark, dangerous world where vampires known as Dark Ones stalk the night. Armed with nothing more than a wicked sense of humor and a bag of rune stones, Joy does her best to untangle the threads involving a serial killer, vampires (both real and pretend), and the handsome, mysterious man who may or may not be what he appears." 

From me: 
I picked up this book with high expectations. My friends who recommended it told me how much they loved it and how they laughed out loud throughout. I don't know why, but the book just didn't do it for me. If it wasn't for the fact that my friends recommended it so highly, I probably wouldn't have finished it. That, and once I got far enough in, I really did want to know how the story ended - I'd gotten that far, I had to know what happened, dang it.

There certainly were some funny moments (something I've been looking for in my books lately), but I got so frustrated with Joy, who bordered on a heroine who's "Too Stupid To Live" (I have an issue with non-sleuthy characters trying to be sleuthy), that the humor couldn't save the story for me.

Book Review: Maybe This Time

Maybe This Time
by Jennifer Crusie
(*****)

From Goodreads:
Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiance and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything…

When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiance thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie’s dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that’s not the only haunting…

Then her ex-brother-in-law arrives with a duplicitous journalist and a self-doubting parapsychologist, closely followed by an annoyed medium, Andie’s tarot card–reading mother, her avenging ex-mother-in-law, and her jealous fiancé. Just when Andie’s sure things couldn’t get more complicated, North arrives to make her wonder if maybe this time things could just turn out differently….

From me:
It may seem strange to categorize this story as "Historical Fiction," but as you learn before the story starts, it takes place in 1992. "Because." In other words, no cell phones, no instant internet access - it's practically foreign territory nowadays! While this may be a ghost story, the real story is that of a woman trying to take care of, and then loving, two orphaned children. So maybe the fact that these kids are haunted by some disturbing ghosts mixes up this plot a bit, but it was the children that I found most compelling. And then there's the basic romantic element as our heroine Andie (short for Andromeda - her mom was either a hippie or just hippie like, I don't recall the particulars) has to contend with her fiance and the ex-husband she still has feelings for.

I often pick up Crusie titles, looking for a repeat of Agnes and the Hitman - one of my favorite books. This book contains Crusie's trade-mark humor, but it does seem to have a touch more seriousness than some of her other titles (and isn't quite as fantastic as Agnes). That may just be because children are involved in the dramatic bits, which makes it seem more serious. I don't know. But I loved it, all the same! Recommended.

Romantical Fantastical - two romance reviews for the price of one!

I am about to attempt the impossible – I’m going to review two very different books by two VERY different authors in two very different time periods. That’s not the hard part. The hard part will be showing a correlation between the two. Mission: Accepted.

Most people are probably familiar with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. Even if they’ve never read the books, they (at least the girls) are aware of the scene where Mr. Darcy (aka Colin Firth) takes a dip in the pond (I haven’t read P&P in a while, but I’m pretty darn sure that Jane didn’t write that).


Slightly less-well-known is Jane’s last completed work, Persuasion. This is the story of Anne Elliot, a sensible young woman who was “persuaded” to let the love of her youth go, only to meet him again eight years later. Then she gets to watch as all the young girls flirt with him and all their married acquaintances guess which of the young girls he’s going to end up marrying.

This book, as many that were written in times past, may be a bit difficult to get started; the language and style are very different than what we’re used to today. And it doesn’t help that the first few pages seem dry. But the opening is actually an introduction to Jane’s snarkiness. Poor Anne isn’t just past her prime without the love of her life, she also has to deal with her ridiculous and vain father, a conceited older sister (both of whom think Anne isn’t worth their time or concern), and a hypochondriac younger sister. Jane brilliantly and scathingly writes these characters; they’re deliciously awful.

Snarkiness aside, this story (for me) can be summed up by a few lines toward the end of the story:

I believe you [men] equal to every important exertion, and to every domestic forbearance, so long as—if I may be allowed the expression, so long as you have an object. I mean, while the woman you love lives, and lives for you. All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one, you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.

In other words, Anne never stopped loving her Captain.

You do have to work more for this book than most fluffy romance novels, but it’s worth the effort. The only problem I had with it, and it’s a minor one, is Jane’s habit of naming multiple characters by the same first name. This may be true to the times, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out which Charles she’s referring to in a given scene.

Next up, a tale as old as time: Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy fears he will eat girl, so boy dumps girl. Girl mourns loss of boy. Girl befriends werewolf. Girl has to rescue boy (who happens to be a vampire). And they lived happily ever after (at least for a few weeks).

Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about Stephenie Meyer’s New Moon, the second book in the Twilight Saga (if it's a "saga," you know it's gonna be angsty) and recent blockbuster hit. The first book in this series has our two main characters, Edward and Bella, meeting and falling in love. In New Moon, Edward is afraid that he or his family will be overcome by Bella’s tasty scent and, alas, kill her. So, for her sake, he leaves (thus making this the least favorite book in the series for thousands of teens). Bella, deep in depression, finds that extreme activities and her good buddy Jacob are the only things that make her feel a little better. And then she finds out that Jacob turns into a giant wolf and is the archenemy of all vampires. Mayhem ensues.

So how in the world can I possibly compare Jane Austen’s sensible heroine and her sea captain with a high school girl and her vampire and werewolf? Why would a grown woman choose to read this Young Adult novel? I have a theory (This is my personal opinion. If you are an adult and you love these books, but not for my reasoning below then I’m sorry, but this is my blog; if you disagree, go write about it on your blog!):

What draws me to Meyer’s books is the all-encompassing angst. Sometimes, maybe when the weather is gloomy or you’ve had a bad day or week, you just want to read something where you can have a good mope. And there is no better book from this series than New Moon for excellent mope-age: the whole world revolves around you and getting dumped means the end of everything. Poor Bella is practically comatose for the first half of the book, all because the love of her (short) life is gone.

Confession: I do love these books. There’s just something about them, despite the stalkery aspects of our hero and all the drama, that draws me in. And I think it may have something to do with what I described above. An adult woman, with all of her job, family, school, and/or general life issues, doesn’t get to wallow in much of anything, and reading about a story so me-focused can give a thrill. It’s that young love that’s all fire and excitement. The rest of us, like Anne Elliot, have to pull on our big-girl panties and get on with things, but a vicarious mope can set you free.

Bella, like Anne, lost her love. They both have their happily ever afters, and in between, they have their angst. In Jane Austen’s world, so much can be said by a single look or gesture. In Stephenie Meyer’s world, the pain and joy is more visceral. But in both you can find a good love story. (Good being entirely subjective, of course.)

So if you’re looking for a good angsty book, I’d recommend both Persuasion and New Moon. Which one just depends on the kind of angst you’re in the mood for.

Title: Persuasion
Paperback: 150 pages
Price: $6.95
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 18, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440468397
ISBN-13: 978-1440468391

Title: New Moon
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 608 pages
Price: $7.47
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Paperback Edition edition (May 31, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316024961
ISBN-13: 978-0316024969