Review: The Long Game

I loved this book so much.... GO READ IT!

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Kendricks help make the problems of the Washington elite disappear…but some secrets won’t stay buried.

For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington, D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate’s campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets.

Meanwhile, Tess’s guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can—and cannot—be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover firsthand that power always comes with a price.

I just finished this wonderful, soul gutting book... and I am a mess. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW! Everybody has to start this series. If you like smart, thrilling reads definitely pick up The Fixer books. The Long Game was an amazing sequel; Barnes developed and built on her amazing characters and intensified the plot to perfection. 

Tess, our main character, is smart, determined, meddlesome, and amazing. She gets herself into many wild schemes and plots that had me on the edge of my seat. Our other characters, Ivy, Henry, Asher, Vivvie, Emilia, Bodie, and Adam, are all interesting, unique, and lovable in their own way (sometimes). The relationship between Ivy and Tess is so wonderful and tough and emotionally hard to read about. 

I was enjoying the ride (A LOT) for the first half of the novel. BUT then the ending came and it killed me. I'm dead. So many twists... So many political games and intense scenes. My heart couldn't handle it all. 

The Long Game is dark, sometimes funny, smart as a whip, twisty, and overall brilliant.. Read this book. Also, I really really really want book #3. So tell all your friends about this series! PLEASE for my sake and well being.

5/5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday #40

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

This Week I am IMPATIENTLY WAITING ON...

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she’ll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit—and with a liar by her side in land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.


I LOVE the Shatter Me series. Juliet's character development is A+ and the writing is soooooo beautiful! Now I am excited for Mafi's newest work and have high expectations (eeeeep!) The cover is very busy but I think I like it, plus I am excited to see how Mafi handles middle grade. 

-Emily Anne 

(While you are here go check out my review for The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Yeah? Maybe? No? Okay.) 

Review: Truest

TRUEST by Jackie Lea Sommers

Silas Hart has seriously shaken up Westlin Beck's small-town life. Brand new to town, Silas is different than the guys in Green Lake. He's curious, poetic, philosophical, maddening-- and really, really cute. But Silas has a sister-- and she has a secret. And West has a boyfriend. And life in Green Lake is about to change forever.

Truest is a stunning, addictive debut. Romantic, fun, tender, and satisfying, it asks as many questions as it answers.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes and Noble





Wow, it is going to be hard to do Truest justice in this review! When a friend on twitter sent this to me, I was excited but had no real expectations. I knew I loved the cover, but had not heard a lot of buzz about the novel. However, Truest definitely made my top books of 2015!!!

Firstly, this charming debut has such a cute setting. Green lake features a quirky cast, and cool scenery. Still, with such a small town, it is easy to understand why West, the protagonist, finds her home frustrating at times.

Along with the delightful setting, the novel came along with multi-dimentional lovable main characters. I was rooting for West and Silas the entire time. I loved their stint detailing cars, their banter, and Silas's love of poetry. The side characters were amazing as well. Silas's sister gives the book a darker edge and ventures into the subject of mental illness, which Sommer wrote about with impressive insight. Gordon, an elderly blind friend of West's, was wise and a great quirky grandfather figure. There were also family dynamics and conflicts brought up that touched me. 

The romance was amazing. The ending was amazing. Overall, I am recommending this book to everybody. It is addicting, well-written, and a beautiful, fun, quirky tale!

5 out of 5 stars!!! I can't stop thinking about this book :)

Blog Tour: Underwater + Giveaway!

Underwater
by Marisa Reichardt
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Release Date: January 12th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Psychology, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness
Rate: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then, herself.

But Morgan can’t move on. She can’t even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she’s underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school. 

When it seems Morgan can’t hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside. 

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.

This book is published on my birthday!!! 

Underwater is a compelling, beautiful read that deals with tough subject matters. This was a great contemporary to start 2016 off with, and I'm excited to see what this debut author writes next. 

From the beginning of the novel, the story and beautiful writing pulled me in. I was curious about why Morgan wouldn't leave her apartment, I wanted to know what traumatic event had happened in the past. I also felt like Morgan's character was fleshed out and I could feel her fear and shame, along with other emotions, in the writing. 

While the connection between Evan and Morgan is sweet, I also enjoyed the fact the novel focused on other character dynamics, such as sister-brother, daughter-father, therapist-client, etc. The novel definitely has a focus on family problems. 

While a lot happens in Underwater, I particularly like the fact that the story ultimately is the aftermath of a tragedy, and shows how a broken person can find the strength to recover from a horrible, life-shattering event. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Underwater. It took me a bit to get into it, but after I got through the first few chapters, I began to really appreciate the story. The characters and emotions are spot on, along with the prose. I would recommend Underwater to fans of Jandy Nelson or A.S. King

Follow the Underwater by Marissa Reichardt Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I'm a SoCal native and high school writing instructor. I currently live in Los Angeles and can usually be found huddled over my laptop in coffeehouses or swimming in the ocean. 

My debut YA contemporary novel, UNDERWATER, will be out 1/12/16 from Macmillan/FSG and 4/7/16 Macmillan Children's UK.

I love all books and all genres. While I do keep track of all the books I've read here, I generally don't do ratings or reviews

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Review: The Clockwork Scarab

The CLOCKWORK SCARAB
by Colleen Gleason

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes and Noble
*Recieved for free in exchange for an honest review*

Are you a fan of Sherlock, British mysteries, or paranormal reads? Well, you have hit the jackpot with the new Stoker and Holmes series. I absolutely adored this novel! The Clockwork Scarab has amazing characters, an awesome plot, hints of romance, paranormal aspects, danger, and humor.

First of all, Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker are an amazing team and each girl has their own distinct voice and talents. Sure, they many not be BFFs yet. At first, they didn't even necessarily like each other. However, I can tell they will grow to be close friends in future books...

Mina definitely proves herself worthy to call herself Sherlock's niece. Her observation skill and knowledge are most admirable. Evaline was equally as awesome. She is super strong, popular in London society, and over all kickbutt... although she does have a problem with blood. One of my favorite scenes is when she goes to a pub and establishes dominance over Pix in an arm wrestling match. Pix is an awesome character who I loved!!! Other great male characters included Inspector Grayling and a really sweet time traveler. Personally, I am rooting for Mina to end up with Grayling. Both guys are awesome but he is a much better match for her!

The plot was great too! There is a mysterious, scary villain, Egyptian goddesses, scarabs, time travel, and, of course, murder. And the mystery starts with a task set from no one other than Irene Addler! Although the plot was full of danger and life-or-death situations, the author still managed to incorporate witty lines that made me laugh!

Overall, The Clockwork Scarab is definitely a new favorite. I cannot wait for the next book!
4.5/5 Stars

Non YA Reviews: Bend Your Brain, The Thug Kitchen, and Hope in Ballet Shoe

Received for review from Blogging for Books. All opinions are honest and my own! Yeah, this is a strange one! However,  I wanted to try out this blogger's reviewing site and none of the fiction interested me :)                                  

I had a lot of fun flipping through the pages and testing my brain! There were five main sections, my favorites being Coordination and Visual Perception. As soon as I got it, I got to work solving... and I can imagine this book would be great for car rides and any time you're bored in public. Or, just challenge yourself to a few pages every night before bed.         

Also, Bend Your Brain was very witty and funny at times, and the problems were very clever. My dad and I had fun challenging each other. I wasn't so impressed with this book that I would consider buying more books like it, but I did enjoy stretching my brain and I feel very sophisticated having it on my shelf!

I bought this book... and I have no regrets. Thug Kitchen is hilarious with delicious looking recipes! I'm not even vegan, but I'm immensely loving this cookbook. My friend and I laughed so hard while flipping through the pages... Warning: there is profanity. 

I first saw Michaela DePrince in the documentary, First Position. Then, while in London, I came upon this book! The book was inspiring and had me rooting for Michaela the entire time. Her childhood was unimaginable... but she overcame the bad and became a dancer. I especially loved how one magazine cover started her dream!

Any dancers or fans of inspirational, true stories will love this novel to pieces.

I hope you enjoyed these Non-YA Reviews!

Top Ten Books To Read If You Love Throne of Glass

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish :)

What Throne of Glass Fans Should Read NEXT

1. Ettiquette and Espionage
Instead of just one Celeana... imagine a whole school flying airship of kickbutt girls! Plus, there are all sorts of magical creatures!

2. The False Prince
Sage is just as sassy and smart as Celeana. I would love to see them meet! Plus, there are many parallels between the novels (some I can't say) but both feature competitions for a royal job, etc.

3. Cruel Beauty 
A MUST read! The world is so interesting and ToG fans will lap the story up!

4. The Winner's Curse
For those who love the subtle complex, tough main characters who can fight with weapons and words.

5. The Wrath and the Dawn
Once again, a clever heroine with a wonderful romance!

6. Alanna
Sorry Celeana, but Alanna will always be my original kickbutt role model. Always.

7. Cinder
Both tales are loose (VERY loose for ToG) retellings of Cinderella with a delightful cast with funny and amazing characters!

8. Dragon Slippers
In the mood for a middle grade novel with dragons? (Who isn't?) Romance, magic, princes, adventure, and castles make this novel a perfect pairing for ToG!

9. Princess of the Midnight Ball
So I included two Jessica Day George books... sue me. They are amazing though! I can't help it.

10. A Court of Thorns and Roses

Of Course I include Maas's other work here! I might love ACOTAR even more than Throne of Glass. Read my review here! 

Link me up to your Top Ten Tuesdays! What a creative topic this week... I had fun. (Also read all the books above!)

Review: Legacy of Kings

LEGACY OF KINGS BY ELEANOR HERMAN

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series. 

AMAZON/GOODREADS/BARNES AND NOBLE 

Despite a rocky start, I really ended up enjoying this book! SO many POVs could have been a disaster, but I looked forward to each character's chapters. I am excited for the next book!

Honestly, my favorite characters were Zo and Alexander. Although the evil, darker characters such as Olympias were fascinating to read about as well because they were given backstories that didn't excuse their actions, but led me to understand their motives better. Also, I loved the friendship dynamic between Alex and Heph... I questioned how they could continue to be true friends with so many barriers and misunderstandings, but I am a sucker for bromances!

Also, even though I kind of guessed the twist, the surprise ending has me anxious for the second novel. On an unrelated note, the aristotle quotes before each section, the descriptions, and the history bits really showed the author did her research and made the book feel very 340 BC. I haven't read any books about Alexander the Great or this time period in Greece so I was drawn in by the newness of the story.

Sadly, I had a hard time getting sucked into the novel initially. My second complaint was that I wasn't quite feeling the Jacob/Katerina love drama. Still, it barely detracted from the novel. And, I loved that Kat focused on other things than Jacob, as she never quite sorted out her true feelings for him! She was a strong character all on her own.

I read this book at the perfect time, as we are learning about Ancient Greece in History. Also, I flew through the last half. I highly recommend this to lovers of stories with magic, mythology, royalty, and epic settings!

4/5 Stars

*Received through a giveaway. This did not affect my opinion in any way*