book quotes,

Favorite Book Quotes // Part 1

9:53 AM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

This post is the first in a series where I'll be sharing my favorite book quotes. I've found myself thinking about several of these quotes more and more lately, and I hope someone else can find or be inspired by one of these!
What is your favorite book quote?
         * * * * *

"And how shall I think of you?' He considered a moment and then laughed. 'Think of me with my nose in a book!"
-Susanna Clarke, "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell"

 "There is only one page left to write on. I will fill it with words of only one syllable. I love. I have loved. I will love."
-Audrey Niffenegger, "The Time Traveler's Wife"

 "Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia."
-C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"

 "Rule Three of beekeeping: never cease to feel wonder."
-Laurie R. King, "Beekeeping for Beginners"

 "Look, this is a loan. I don't know if love is something I will run out of one day. I don't know if I should be giving it all to you guys or not. Today, I feel like maybe I should have kept some for myself for days when no one else loves me."
-A.S. King, "Ask the Passengers"

 "I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who lives to see such times. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
-J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"

 "The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release."
-Sabaa Tahir, "An Ember in the Ashes" 

 "Sometimes I can feel my bones straining against the weight of all the lives I'm not living."
-Jonathan Safran Foer, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

 "It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."
-Anne Frank, "The Diary of a Young Girl"

 "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."
-J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Hobbit"

 “I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race—that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.
None of those things, however, came out of my mouth.
All I was able to do was turn to Liesel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book thief and I say it now to you.
I am haunted by humans.” 
-Markus Zusack, "The Book Thief" 

 "To define is to limit."
-Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" 

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book playlist,

"Six of Crows" Inspired Playlist

7:04 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments



ART BY KEVIN WADA



One of my all-time favorite books, "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo, is an absolutely stunning duology about six young adults who attempt to pull off a magical heist of epic proportions. The six characters are a diverse and eccentric cast: a powerful outcast, a witty gunslinger, a girl nicknamed "the Wraith", to name a few, and when these characters collide, the result is a brilliant story that had me reading late into the night.
So of course I had to make a playlist inspired by this story!
I've seen a couple playlists around and three of these songs were added from those lists, and a couple are recommendations from friends. There are also songs by some of my favorite artists, like The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons. At some point I'm going to make a followup playlist based on the second book, "Crooked Kingdom" but for now, enjoy the music!
Let me know if there are any songs you think would fit the books or characters! :)

30 Million Kruge
A "Six of Crows" inspired playlist

 "Hopeless Opus" by Imagine Dragons
"My Blood" by Ellie Goulding
"I'll Be Good" by Jaymes Young
"M.I.A. by Paper Planes"
"Genghis Khan" by Miike Snow
"Control" by Halsey
"Gun Song" by The Lumineers
"Monster" by Mumford and Sons
"Power" by Bastille
"Mother and Father" by Broods
"Bravado" by Lorde
"Gone" by JR JR
"Don't Save Me" HAIM
"Weight in Gold" by Gallant
"Lately" by Ed Sheeran and Devlin
"Concrete Heart" by Great Lake Swimmers
"Runaway" by Ed Sheeran
"Goddess" by BANKS
"Could I Be" by Sylvan Esso
"Various Storms and Saints" by Florence + The Machine

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amy and rogers epic detour,

Top 5 Wednesday: Books To Get You Out Of A Reading Slump

12:12 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

As many of you know, Top 5 Wednesday is a Goodreads group created by GingerReadsLainey on Youtube; it's a group where each Wednesday, bloggers and vloggers and whatnot all put out their Top 5 of a certain subject. It's a great way to find new book suggestions and meet new bookworms- you can check out the group here if you're interested!

So as I looked over my list here, I realized all of these are books that I have rated 5 stars on Goodreads. They are here for a reason- all of them are dynamic in their own right, and have a very distinct feel to them! All of them are books that have impacted me, and I hope if you're ever in a reading slump you can find a way out with one of these gems.

1) "Through the Woods" by Emily Carroll
Graphic novels are almost always my go-to when I'm not feeling meh about other reading choices. "Through the Woods" is a collection of five short horror stories drawn in rich selection of colors that range from the jewel tones of the story "A Lady's Cold Hands" to the muted woodland colors of "The Nesting Place" (which is one of my favorites stories within this book!). Seriously, the artwork alone is worth checking this out. The writing kind of reminds me of RL Stine's writing combined with the Brothers Grimm. These are unsettling and atmospheric tales that will certain hold your attention, and probably creep into your mind and settle in for a stay...

2) "Amy and Roger's Epic Detour" by Morgan Matson
This one's for anyone who needs a contemporary, whimsical, and yes, epic read. I see this on a lot of 'Summer Reads' lists due to the highway-blazing road trip duo of Amy and Roger, and the relationship that develops between them (no spoilers, but I will say this: NO INSTALOVE! YAH! ). This novel deals has themes of grief, family, romance, and finding oneself, all woven together as Amy and Roger trek across North America. This includes bear lockers, diners, Elvis, and a solid cast of supporting characters. There are also playlists and little photos included throughout which make for an awesomely immersive reading experience. Reading this just amplified my wanderlust and made me crave more Morgan Matson books!

3) "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline
This book could go on so many lists of mine- I recommend it quite a bit to people, especially if someone wants a sharp and adventurous read. It's very nerdy (lots of 80s pop culture and gaming references) but if you're not a gaming person, don't worry! One of the blurbs on the book says "Ready Player One" is like Willy Wonka meets The Matrix and that's super accurate: this is a great read that throws the reader right into the action and intrigue, so there's no waiting around for the fun stuff to start! This is a plot-driven novel where virtual reality gamers in the OASIS are all competing to find clues to where the OASIS creator hid his fortune. Despite being heavily plot-driven, the cast of characters in here are phenomenal and full of surprises, too! And the ending...dude. It's one of the best book climaxes ever.

 4) "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chobsky
I'll be honest- I didn't read this book in high school like most people. Sure, I had seen the movie (because Emma Watson) but I read it for the first time last year and was emotionally gutted afterwards. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is an epistolary novel that tells the story of Charlie, a teenage boy who is very quiet and introverted and dealing with the loss of his best friend who recently committed suicide. Charlie is one of the best parts of this book- he is a fleshed out, hopeful, and relatable character, and I just wanted to become friends with him as I read his story. Besides Charlie, this books has lovely writing, a raw narrative on friendship and sexuality, and characters who leap off the pages with life.
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

5) "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote
First of all, this is a good pick for a reading slump because it's super short. Like under 100 pages short. I didn't know this the first time I read it, but when I finished all I could do was wish it was longer! Truman Capote has a delightful, limpid voice that crafts a story as sparkling as a Tiffany diamond. It's sad. Sweet. Melting. Brief. Feminine. It's not fully like the film adaptation either, so don't think just of Hepburn and Peppard when you see this book. This has a voice all its own! Due to the time this was written there are some parts that are a bit racist, so just be warned. However, there are some lovely quotes in here, including one of my favorites:

"If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky." 

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art,

DIY: Clothespin Picture Frame

1:43 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

The finished DIY!
For the longest time I had an old, intricate picture frame laying around my attic, something my family had picked up but never really used. At one point I tried to find something to actually fit in the frame, but I couldn't find a print that I thought fit well with any of my decor and didn't take away from the lovely little edges of the frame. 
This is what the frame originally looked like- it had clearly been painted over several times:

There's been hot pink, black, and cream colored
 paint on this frame at different times. 

The inspiration for doing this came from a square frame seen at Michael's Craft Store. It was an incredibly easy DIY! If you have any loose photos, ticket stubs, postcards, or other little paraphernalia laying around and need a cute way to display it, this would be perfect!
Here's what you need:

  • a frame (obviously). Like I said, I had one laying around, but it you need one, try checking a home decor store (such as Home Goods or Lowes) or a flea market! 
  • spray paint
  • jute twine, yarn, or other similar material for the lines
  • hot glue gun
  • scissors
  • clothespins (I got miniature ones from Michael's, and they worked great! They sell them in a large variety of colors)
I cleaned off the frame by dusting it first- there were a lot of little crevices on this frame that needed cleaning. Then I just scrubbed it over with a damp washcloth and put it in the sun to dry.
The weather outside was unseasonably nice (65 in February??) so I took advantage of that and did all the spray painting in my yard. I set the frame up on two buckets and went over it in three layers. The black on the frame was a little tricky to cover up, but after that third layer it all disappeared. The spray paint I used was Krylon ColorMaster Paint+Primer in the color Ballet Slipper (satin finish).


Each layer of paint dried in about 8 minutes, but then I let it sit outside in the sun for awhile longer to try and let some of the paint smell fade away. After that, it was time to attach the lines.
And no, I didn't bother painting the back of the frame! :D
Luckily, the back of this frame had small holes in the back where it looked like mounting screws had been to hold a picture in place, and I didn't have to measure to mark where to attach the jute twine.
I cut out three lengths of the twine, leaving a little extra on each end just for wiggle room. Using a good-sized drop of hot glue, I set the twine down on one end, and then put another drop of glue on top of that.
For once, I didn't burn myself with the glue gun, either!
TIP: I would highly recommend waiting until one end of the twine is completely glued down before starting on the other end. You will want to pull firmly on the second end and hold it in place while the glue dries on it to ensure that the twine stays taut! If you don't, when you hang things on the twine it will droop dramatically. You don't want the twine to sag at all during this.

Finally, trim off any excess twine that wasn't glued down.

And- TA DA! That's basically it! All that's left now is hanging the frame up and decorating it!



I'm really happy with the way this turned out- it's pretty, eye-catching, and doesn't take away from all the little intricacies of the frame itself. It's also very easy to change out whatever is inside the frame so I'm not limited to how I can decorate it! During the holidays, I think I may wrap a lightweight bunch of twinkle lights around the frame, too.

If anyone tries this, let me know! I'd love to see the results! :) 

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amandla stenberg,

"Everything, Everything" Movie Trailer Thoughts

7:30 AM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Bless this book and Nicola Yoon, and may she have a long and prosperous writing career. 
"Everything, Everything" was one of my top 10 favorite books in 2015, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I received an ARC of it during the summer and only read it because I thought it looked short and would be a quick fluffy read. It thoroughly and utterly surprised me with a fresh voice and absorbing plot, and I ended up flying through it and wanting more. 
Needless to say, I was thrilled when it got picked up for a film adaption by Warner Bros. Pictures. The trailer for "Everything, Everything" dropped this week, so here are my thoughts on it. If you wanna watch this trailer, here's the link.

The set of Maddy's house looks exactly how I imagined it!
(PC: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Okay, so first of all, the trailer music is an excellent pick and sets a solid tone for the film. The song is "Runnin' (Lose It All)" by Naughty Boy, with Arrow Benjamin and Beyonce. A lyric sample:

Runnin', runnin', runnin'
Ain't runnin' from myself no more
I'm ready to face it all
If I lose myself, I lose it all

I thought at first this was a song written for the film but apparently it released back in 2015. Oops...anyway, again it's a great choice, and I'm hoping the rest of the movie soundtrack will be that good! This one just really ties into the film so well.

Back when casting was happening and Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson were announced for the leads, I lost it- these two are perfect for the roles of Maddy and Olly. They seem to have great chemistry with one another in the trailer. I thought Stenberg was a shining star in "The Hunger Games", so I'm really eager to see her on screen again. Honestly, I was nervous about Maddy's casting, because in the books her mother is black and her father was Japanese American, so her look is very distinct. Stenberg definitely looks like Maddy IMO, and I have faith in her with this role!
 I wasn't a Robinson fan when I saw him in "Jurassic World" and was underwhelmed with his bland acting. But here, he really seems to be capturing what I see to be a potentially great Olly. 

Hopefully Robinson's car skills have improved since "Jurassic World" :D
(PC: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The thing that is definitely my favorite part about this film right now is the color palette combined with the mise en scene. The screen is filled with lush green plants; the crisp whiteness of Maddy's clothes and surroundings; royal, inky blues tones of oceans and lighting; warm, chestnut shades of brown. This palette gives the whole trailer an contemporary feel combined with a slightly rugged sense of adventures to come (see: all the ocean/island/tropical scenes).
Seeing this just makes me even more thrilled for the actual film, because it shows an obvious attention to detail. In the book, it it clearly defined how Maddy's surroundings are mostly white, and she herself wears white until later when she selects certain colors to wear. Clearly, costuming is a key part in film making: it shows character and conveys tone, and it looks like someone did their research for this movie. 
This still captures the colors/look of the trailer so well!
(PC: Warner Bros. Pictures)
(PD: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Alright, now here's the thing that I really didn't like about this trailer:
it shows waaaaaay too much. 
I'm someone who likes to know the basic premise of a movie I'm about to watch, but I don't want to know details or really anything that happens after the first half of the film.
But in this trailer, anyone watching it, even if they haven't read the book, can easily piece together the main chain of events. Yes, there are still a couple little things that happen, and definitely one major event, but the rest of it is all here. Literally everything, everything is shown in the trailer (pun intended). 
Sure, a trailer with all these gorgeous island scenes and Maddy clearly going outside creates anticipation, but those two events right there are now no longer a surprise like they were in the book. Maddy and Olly going to the tropics together was a BIG thing!! Putting such climactic scenes in the trailer usually makes the finished movie a teeny bit less of a thrill to watch. 
Um, thanks trailer for spoiling this moment for viewers... :/
(PC: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Overall, I'm still excited for the film, but mostly because I loved the book so much. The trailer on it's own is visually lovely and looks charming. However, it gave quite a bit away, and I wish it had been more vague about what happens to Maddy and how she does go outside. 

 I'll certainly be seeing it in May when it releases- I hope it's everything (everything) I want! :)
I ship it.
(PC: Warner Bros. Pictures)


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books,

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Non-Written Novels

11:25 AM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Here's the prompt for the Feb. 15 T5W: "This is all about books that are not 'written' novels! So graphic novels, comics, manga, audiobooks, etc. Shed some light on books in other forms."
I'm pumped for this one! Although I don't really use audiobooks too much, I love all kinds of graphic novels and comics, and equally love getting recommendations from others. Can't wait to check out other videos and posts this week!

So, in no particular order, here are my favorite non-written novels:

#1: "Hyperbole and a Half" by Allie Brosh

 Drawn in a computer paint program with rounded out stick figures, "Hyperbole and a Half" is Brosh's
credit to Allie Brosh
part memoir-part guide to dealing with depression. I read this book a couple years ago, and I remember it as being the first book I had laughed with while reading for a looooong time. I had needed that book. Some parts of this book are hilarious stories (like a young Brosh attempting to steal and eat an entire birthday cake) and other are accounts of how Brosh handles life when life seems too much. The chapter where she talks about 'the dead goldfish' situation was incredibly helpful to me personally.
(hey, even Bill Gates liked this one! READ THIS BOOK)

#2: "Giant Days" by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, & Whitney Cogar

I kept seeing this on my Goodreads dashboard, so I picked up the first volume of it from my library. Then I immediatley went back two days later to find the second volume because this series is fantastic. "Giant Days" follows three university students, Susan, Esther, and Daisy, three very different women, as they handle college life. This includes wayward romances, sexist websites, a rampant flu, and academia among others. It's a story about being a twentysomething young woman trying to handle whatever life throws at you while not completely losing it. Plus, the female friendships in here are so so SO well done, and these three girls are one of my favorite fictional groups to read about. I'm also a big fan of the artwork- it's vibrant and distinctive, and the facial expressions are spot on.

#3: "Supermutant Magic Academy" by Jillian Tamaki



 To be perfectly honest, this right here is probably my favorite standalone graphic novel of all time. I bought this at my local comic shop after hearing Ariel Bissett rave about it in one of her videos. At the shop, I flipped through it a little hesitantly, because the art style seemed a little bland. But, I almost always like Ariel's recommendations so I went for it- and it was excellent. "Supermutant Magic Academy" is a bit nonlinear: almost every couple pages flips back and forth between different student sho have crazy abilities or qualities. The plot? Life. School. Crushes. Existential crises. Magic powers. It's beautifully subtle, humorous, and surprisingly relatable.

 #4: "Death Note" by Tsugumi Ohba

I've slowly been expanding my manga reading over the past couple years, and have a couple series that I not only read but also buy to add to my personal collection. Among those are "Bakuman", "Tokyo Ghoul", "Princess Jellyfish"- and "DEATH NOTE". Boy, lemme tell you- this is not a series I expected to enjoy as much as I do now. The basic premise is that a young man finds a notebook called a Death Note that a shinigami (Japanese god of death) purposely dropped into the human world. The shinigami was bored and wanted to see what would happen. I'm not going to say more on the plot but I will say that this 12-book series is darkly humorous, edgy, and full of the pushing of morals that had me reading these non-stop. I'm currently on Volume 8, so I don't have an opinion on the series ending yet, but at this point, it's going to take a lot for me to became disappointed by "Death Note".

 #5: "Hark! A Vagrant!" by Kate Beaton

This book is a collection of comic strips that offer up a slightly (sometimes very) skewed yet hilarious look at notable historical and pop culture figures and events. There's Batman, Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Nancy Drew, Gatsby, and others. No event is safe from Beaton's witty hand as she calls out Canadians, or pens a bromance between Poe and Jules Verne (those are some of my favoriteeee). I will admit, a handful of the historical references went over my head, but I was laughing my butt off for 95% of this book. Like, tears in my eyes, side hurting laughter. It's that good! I would recommend this to any history or literature buff, but I'm sure anyone can get a chuckle out of this book.
credit to Kate Beaton
In case anyone wants to check out future T5W topics, here's the link to to Goodreads group!


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book recommendation,

Valentine's Day Cookies & My Fave Fictional Romances

4:32 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Just a short little blurb about cookies and fictional couples <3 Enjoy!

One of my honest-to-God favorite things about Valentine's Day is the fact that there is always so much pink everywhere. Seeing so many people walking around with little hints of pink popping off their clothes or even all the pastel flowers in the stores just makes me grin. I love pink.
So when I decided to make some VDay treats for my family and coworkers, I had to make sure they were a certain shade. ;D

I went to Pinterest (the Holy Grail of holiday cooking ideas) and just typed in "pink Valentines dessert" and there they were! The recipe I used is from a hilariously named site: meatloafandmelodrama.com. Click here for the recipe link, but I will preface that by saying that they are super easy to make, and only recipe 4 ingredients (5 if you use spinkles). I'm definitley going to be trying variations on this recipe because the texture of the cookies was excellent.



And of course, since today is the day of love, I thought I'd share some of my favorite book romances (aka the fictional couples I fangirl over and have probably cried about). 

1) Nina & Matthias from "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

I loved these two together from the first moment they were in a room together! At first two very opposite characters with different intentions and beliefs, they way they come to understand and eventually love each other is sharply written and wonderful. Their entire relationship feels genuine and realistically developed. The scenes with Nina and Matthias were some of my favorite in the books! And everything that happened with them in "Crooked Kingdom" just shattered me, a million times over! If you haven't read this duology then I highly recommend you do so. 

2) Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell from "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" by Laurie R. King
Doyle purists are gonna hate this, but Holmes & Russ are meant to be. I will fight you on this. 
I have the entire opening scene of this book memorized because I've read the book so much. What starts out as a teacher/apprentice relationship becomes so much more and absolutely brilliant in King's hands. It develops through trust, learning, adventures, and respect and admiration for one another. One of my favorite things about reading these two is that the romantic part of their relationship isn't all from and center. Honestly, I think having a lot of written, surface romance would ruin this series a bit- I adore the way King tucks their moments together in subtle way in the book.

3) Wesley and Buttercup from "The Princes Bride" by William Goldman

Yeah, I said "book" characters, but when I talk about these two, just know that I am picturing and
(photo credit to Simon & Schuster)
thinking of the movie characters. Not only is this my favorite movie, but just may be my favorite fictional romance of all time, too. The fairytale-ness of their relationship; their quest to find each other; their banter and wit- I am always enchanted each time I read/watch Wesley and Buttercup together. The feels are real <3

4) Addie and Rhys from "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine

This was, undoubtedly, the first book I can ever remember where I was completely obsessed with seeing two characters together. I must have been about 11 years old when I first read this book, and it became a staple on my fantasy reading shelf. Levine is such a masterful storyteller- I looked up to her characters immensely growing up, but Addie and Rhys were always my Levine OTP.

5) Katniss and Peeta from "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins 

I know. Whenever this couple is brought up, it seems to spark a debate about Katniss/Gale, Katniss/Peeta, and Katniss/no one. But the fact of the matter is, Katniss and Peeta are together and I
love that. I love them. They are two very different, dynamic, and memorable characters, and seeing them interact and grow with each other is such an interesting part of this book series. I believe it's in "Mockingjay" when someone tells Katniss she is fire and so it Gale, and Katniss doesn't need anymore fire in her life. Peeta is the calming water (as cliche as it may sound) and he balances with Katniss. Also, the two of them are one of the major reasons I liked the ending of the series. ;)

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book rant,

Top 5 Wednesday: Book Trends You're Tired Of

8:21 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Top 5 Wednesday (T5W) is a collaborative group started by Lainey (gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and every Wednesday, bloggers and video makers all share their Top 5 of a topic announced the month before. I shared the link to the group and topics at the bottom of my list in case anyone wants to take a look.
(Also, I know I'm posting this one day late- let's pretend I'm not)
Here we go!

Trend #1: Author names being bigger than book title

Okay, I know this one is  little weird and nitpicky, but it's T5W so I get to be a little picky. :) I noticed this trend with a lot of David Baldacci books (no shade at DB, just pointing out the book design)- the first thing you see when looking at the book is the author's name written in a HUGE font at the top of the book, towering over the actual title of the book.
And I do understand this- there are big name authors whose names are so well known that someone looking around a store will see the name and have a tendency to gravitate towards said name. 
But I personally think this makes the books look more like an ad or too "loud". I just don't think it flows as well visually!

Trend #2: "Major Motion Picture" labels

It's generally well known that many book lovers (especially those who collect books) don't like stickers on their book covers. To be honest, removable stickers don't both me too much. But what really gets under my skin is when publishers re-release a book right before/after a book has been
(photo from Penguin Teen)
adapted into a film with a GOSH DANG BUILT IN LABEL THAT CAN'T BE REMOVED. 
For example: I read JoJo Moyes "Me Before You" as a library book, and didn't buy a copy right away. I loved the book but decided I'd wait to buy it until I wanted to do a re-read. 
Aaaaaand then the movie was announced. Which, by the way, I also loved, but every single copy of the book after that had a label across the top that proclaimed the movie's impending release.
Again, like Trend #1, it's just a visual and marketing thing for me. I don't think it looks nice, and it feels like part of what I'm buying is an advertisement. 

Trend #3: YA Retellings

It just seems like every other YA book hitting the shelf nowadays is a retelling. And that's not to say that these retellings are bad; I've read a few and some are great (see: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer). But it's getting to the point where I think the YA section is just oversaturated with another Alice in Wonderland or Beauty & the Beast "revamped" story. If someone new to YA came browsing for a retelling, it's almost a little overwhelming at this point! Part of me feels like writers are jumping onto some sort of bangwagon of cheap writing instead of coming up with fresh ideas. Again, I'm sure a lot of these stories are great, but I'd much rather see some more original content.

Trend #4: "Dystopian Girl Is the CHOSEN ONE and Must Overthrow Evil Government"

@DystopianYA Twitter account is the BEST young adult
parody account ever! 
I mean, that basically says it all?
Dystopian books can be really fun, and I definitely have some on my favorites list. But time and time again, I'll crack open a new one to see that it follows this same basic formula without much deviation from the norm. Some people have argued that many fantasy books also do this by taking a Tolkien/CS Lewis plot and just moving things around. I won't argue that Tolkien and Lewis really laid some much-followed groundwork in their books. BUT I think overall, YA dystopian works, while they might introduce new dystopian settings and races, rarely offer a plot that doesn't involve a young protagonist ending up on a mission to Destroy Evil Leader.
And yes, I'm saying specifically YA dystopian here, because adult books seem to have a more broad selection (check out "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel).



Trend #5: Superimposed faces on book covers
"Delirium", ilu but this
cover is awful

I thought this trend died with the old covers of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series?? I guess not. This one is pretty self explanatory: it's aesthetically disturbing and usually feels like a lazy design choice to me. I also don't like seeing someone's idea of a character until after I've read about the character myself, because then I have the book model's face in mind the whole time. Some of these covers can be fairly close to how I picture the character- but usually, they're not!


nope nope and nope
So, there you have it! My top 5 book trend I'm tired of. :)

For anyone who wants more info about the T5W group, click HERE. You can post your T5W's in blog, video, or photo form, and the topics are always fun! Check it out! 

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adam silvera,

Boston Photo Blog & Meeting Adam Silvera!

8:16 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Because my friends and I are obsessive book nerds, we decided to make the drive from Maryland to Boston, Massachusetts recently to see Adam Silvera on his tour for "History Is All You Left Me" (for those of you not familiar with the East Coast, that's a 8+ hour drive).  It was somewhat of an impromptu decision, but it wasn't as if we hadn't done something similar before. Last year, we went to NYC a couple times for other book events, including an ungodly 1AM Megabus ride to get to meet Maggie Steifvater. But that's another story..
Anyway, the whole trip was a remarkable! We explored parts of Boston, visited three different bookstores and a comic shop, did some shopping, and of course, had front row seats to hearing authors Adam Silvera and Jaye Robin Brown speak about their books. 

the coolest neon welcome from Boston's Primark
yeah, we're all a little touristy ;)
We basically took pictures of everything that said "Boston". I had never been here before, so I was pretty excited!

Boston has some of the prettiest and eclectic buildings I've ever seen! 
Seriously! Turning a corner meant seeing a whole new street full of dark brick houses with elegant trim, or an edgy looking shop with huge glass windows and warm lighting. The architecture in this city was unreal.
hashtag OOTD
"BEHOLDER"
There are all kinds of little bits and pieces of street art through most cities, and Boston was no exception.

the rare book section of Brattle Books

It was definitely a bookish kind of day...
Brattle Books was the second bookstore we stopped at. There were two crammed levels of used books, with peeling covers and yellowed pages. Then there was a third equally crammed level where the rare books resided. It was like a little museum of gilded spines and weathered covers.

it was rainy on and off, but we didn't let that stop us

litte decorations inside Brookline Booksmith

this needs to find its way onto my bookshelf!

this little book painted alley was iconic!

NASTY WOMEN FTW
*click click click*

this meal at Trident Books was DELICIOUS! 10/10 would recommend 

Everyone smile! :) Here we are with authors Jaye Robbin Brown (second from left)
and Adam Silvera (second from right)
Ah yes! This is why we came! Adam Silvera is the author of "More Happy Than Not" and "History Is All You Left Me". Jaye Robin Brown has also written two books, "Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit" and "No Place To Fall".
The event was held at Trident Books & Cafe and was moderated by one of their lovely employees. They spoke about a variety of topics, from inspiration of their characters to diverse representation. Adam mentioned he was currently writing two books, one called "They Both Die At The End", scheduled for fall 2017 publication, and another sci-fi novel! Ah, I'm super pumped for that one! They both also took questions from the audience, and then took their time signing books and answering even more questions. 
When we walked up, Silvera recognized us from the tweets we had been sending him of our trip up to Boston. They were both immensely lovely people who were clearly passionate about their writing. Brown also told us about NOVA Teen Book Fest, a YA literature event that she would be attending later this year (we're already planning on going!) 
I gotta say: one of the coolest parts of this? Adam took the time to doodle a little sketch inside my copy of "History Is All You Left Me":
All hail the mighty #GayDragon!
It was a magnificent event! I'm looking forwards to reading more from these authors, and I already want to go back to Boston for some more exploring. 

And then Adam rewarded us House Points for trekking up to the event ;) BOOYAH! 

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2017,

Top 8 Anticipated YA Book Releases 2017

10:46 PM Deborah Embury 0 Comments

Alright, here we go! I know it's already a month into 2017, but most of my most anticipated YA books are still not out yet, so this post is still relevant! :D There are dozens and dozens of books coming out in 2017 that I'm pumped to read, and a good chunk of those are Young Adult reads. It's been quite awhile since there have been this many teen books I'm excited about. Really: usually there are a handful, typically fantasy, but this year just seems to be teeming with promising new stuff books (and only a couple are fantasy). Here are my Top 8 I can't wait for!
"A Tragic Kind of Wonderful" by Eric Lindstrom

Even though the rest of my list is in no particular order, I just felt like placing this one at the top because I have a particularly noticeable anticipation for it. In my last post, I mentioned how much I loved Lindstrom's debut novel, "Not If I See You First" and was beyond hyped to find out about his newest work!
This is a book about a young girl with bipolar disorder. I don't think I've ever read a YA book where the MC is bipolar, but I had also never read a teen book with a blind MC before Lindstrom's first book either. So I have real faith that this will prove to be an engaging read either way! YA literature seems to be steadily growing more and more diverse each year, and that's a really exciting thing to see! Mental illness and different disorders are greatly underrepresented in teen books, so I'm glad to see this change. (Um, also , I'm lovingggg this cover! <3 The weepy watercolors and pastel theme is so pretty!)

"Always and Forever, Lara Jean" (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han

Despite the fact that I've only read the first book in this soon-to-be trilogy, I'm really excited about the prospect of a continuation of this series! I thought the first one was very cute and super well written, with a family aspect that is rare is YA books. Lara Jean is also one of my favorite contemporary protagonists (and also one of my top bookish fashion icons). To be honest, I got most excited about this book when I saw Jenny Han's tweets about the photo shoot for the book cover- it looked so cool!

"The Gatlon School for Vigilantes" by Marissa Meyer

Okay: we have Marissa Meyer, author of the amazingly epic Lunar Chronicles; we have two different schools for superheroes; we have a plot that seems to promise questioning of hero/villain, hero/sidekick norms. I'm pumped to see more than one YA superhero book releasing this year (Bardugo's is down below, too!) and can't WAIT to read this one. I'm picking up on some X-Men/Quantum Prophecy vibes from this book. Side note: The Quantum Prophecy books are severely underhyped? Ugh, I loved them as a teen! But yeah, I have very high hopes for this one! (also- super curious to see the final cover)


"Our Dark Duet" by Victoria Schwab 

"This Savage Song" was the second VE Schwab book I read ("Vicious" was the first FYI) and I enjoyed it immensely. Kate and August are both compelling characters to read about, and I liked both of their perspectives in TSS. I'm usually a fan of dual perspectives anyway, but I thought Schwab did a particularly good job of weaving together two distinct voices in a lovely manner. I don't know if Schwab is planning on keeping this as a duology or trilogy or even more, but I'm kinda hoping it's gonna just be two books. For some reason, I feel like the story can be finished in one more, and as much as I love series, two just seems right here. But anyways, series aside, this is one I'm buying as SOON as it releases!

"Wonder Woman: Warbringer" (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo


Not gonna lie: I saw talk about a Wonder Woman book last year, and was a little interested, but not too much. It wasn't until I read Leigh Bardugo's "Six of Crows" that I becameaddicted to her writing! My interest in this book went up 100x after the magnificence of the SoC duology. Bardugo's storytelling skills are sharp, witty, and elegant, and she brings such a brilliant and tangible life to her characters. Wonder Woman is a favorite superhero of mine, and I'm elated to see her in the hands of such a master storyteller.

 "All The Crooked Saints" by Maggie Stiefvater

I became a pretty hardcore Steifvater fan last year after starting The Raven Cycle at the recommendation of a friend. Her writing is atypical and lyrical, her characters lifelike and full of emotion. Although Steifvater has said she can't release much info about the plot, my love of her work on TRC and as a person is enough to make me super interested in reading it. I met her last year in NYC and she was so clearly passionate about her work that I truly believe this new book will be something to talk about.

"Meg & Linus" by Hanna Nowinski

I came across a mention of this book on Twitter when I was looking for diverse 2017 releases. The title sounded cute (I know it's just names, but still!) so I looked it up on Goodreads. Here's part of the summary:
"Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski, a fun friendship story about two quirky teens who must learn to get out of their comfort zones and take risks—even if that means joining the drama club, making new friends, and learning how to stand on your own."
This two sound like such nerdy, steadfast best friends that I just couldn't help but be intrigued! It sounds a little bit like "The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love" by Sarvenaz Tash, which I've read and enjoyed. And apparently there's also a heavy emphasis on the non-romantic friendship of the two main character's, which isn't terribly common in YA lit, so again, I'm interested in checking this out!

 "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

 Ahhh, I keep seeing reviewers and bloggers getting ARCs of this, and I just want one!! :O This is
another one I found out about while looking for diverse reads, and just like "Meg & Linus" there's a real geeky, sweet vibe around it that's calling my name! "When Dimple Met Rishi" focuses on two Indian-American teens whose parents have set them up to be married. From what I can tell, these two characters are attending the same web development summer camp, but are two vastly different people whose personalities clash. It looks geeky, romantic, and hilarious! I've heard some very positive early reviews on this one. Ah, it looks like such a cute read!! <3


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