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Dance to the Beat of Your Own Drum

Jan 16, 2014

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

 Release Date: September 2013
Publisher: Macmillan | Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 288 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Kindle e-book
Amazon | Goodreads

 Summary (from Goodreads)
Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski's strong suit. All throughout her life, she's been the butt of every joke and the outside in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Thoughts on This Song Will Save Your Life
I bought This Song Will Save Your Life on the same day that I purchased Past Perfect - deciding to jump right on the Leila Sales bandwagon. The buzz had been building for this recent release, but I couldn't stop myself from snagging the other book, too, because of it was set in a historical reenactment village. I read Past Perfect first, and I absolutely fell in love the book and characters. It was funny, charming and just my kind of read.

Despite seeing a million review for This Song Will Save Your Life around the blogosphere, I had read very little about this book. So, I went into expecting something along the lines of Past Perfect. Imagine my surprise when it opened with a (sort of) suicide attempt in the very first chapter. Elise Dembowski doesn't fit in, and she's basically friendless. The one thing Elise is good at? Throwing herself into a project with a fevered intensity and learning a new skill in the process. She decides to spend the summer learning how to be popular, but reading magazines and buying new clothes will only get you so far.

It made my stomach psychically hurt to read about Elise being rejected by her classmates. She has such low self-esteem, and it's painful to be inside her head at times. I found Elise's voice so interesting for its complete nonchalance in describing her social ostracism. And then something changes. Elise discovers a secret, underground nightclub called START, and her whole world opens up. No one knows her here. She can be someone different - or at the very least break out of the role that she's been stuck in at school.

I found so much to enjoy about Elise's time at START. It starts with her discovering DJing. She's always loved music, but she realizes for the first time that she can use that passion for something that brings joy to others. She watches Char, START's Thursday night DJ, command a crowd and immediately wants to throw herself into learning how to DJ. One small taste of that power has Elise hooked. I really loved this aspect of Elise's personality because my blog name comes from the fact that I'll randomly get so obsessed with something that I want to do, make, buy, learn, etc. Like Elise, I can't stop myself from pursuing a project that catches my fancy.

With DJing, Elise's passion actually brings her closer to people. She's always been so alienated, but START introduces to new friends and a possible love interest. Elise will do anything to keep this world a secret from the people who know her in "real life" - to protect it from outsiders who won't understand this new side of her. But I loved reading about what happens when Elise's fears finally come true...

I like music, but it's not my passion. Honestly, it's not what drew me to this book or helped me connect to it. In many ways, I connected more to Past Perfect than this book. However, I still really appreciated Elise's growth as a character and struggle with her insecurity. This Song Will Save Your Life was a lot darker than I expected, but it had a charming, authentic heroine in search of her identity.

There's bullying, rejection and all the pain that's associated... but there's also such passion and joy in Elise discovering her passion and place in her world. In the process, she's able to strengthen her relationship with her parents and make new friends who are cheering her on and rooting for her to succeed. In the end, I loved Past Perfect just a bit more, but I'm definitely a huge fan of Leila Sales now!

So Quotable
"Music wasn't history class; I didn't need to memorize a thousand dates and names. I just cared a lot about music. You'd think this might make me cool, since music is supposedly cool, but it doesn't work like that. It turns out that caring a lot about anything is, by definition, uncool, and it doesn't matter if that thing is music or Star Wars or oil refineries."
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2014 Prequel & Sequel Challenge

Jan 15, 2014

Hosted by Novel Heartbeat & Writer Grrl Reads
If you've read my blog before, you may have heard me talk about how much fun I had last year participating in the Summer Series Challenge. I'm a self-confessed series addict, and I love discussing the different levels of my obsession. When I heard about the 2014 Sequel & Prequel Challenge, I knew I had to sign up. The challenge goal is: "To read as many prequels and sequels as you can. You set your goal at whatever numbers works for you." Click here for the complete challenge guidelines, and don't hesitate to join in!

I would love to reach ADVANCED: 51-75 POINTS, but I'm not actually making it a set goal for this challenge. While I think I could easily go higher with some extra effort, I want to just enjoy reading series and see what happens! I did create a Goodreads shelf to keep track of books I read that count towards this challenge.

You don't have to continue reading past this point, but I did make a reference list for myself to brainstorm what series I could read this year. I'm certainly not committing to these (nor do I own them all), but I thought it would be good to at least give myself some ideas of what I can accomplish this year!

Series I Want To Finish:
Series I Want To Start & Finish:
Series I Want To Re-Read:
  • Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery (#1 Emily of New Moon, #2 Emily Climbs, #3 Emily's Quest)
  • Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers (#1 A Voice in the Wind, #2 An Echo in the Darkness, #3 As Sure as the Dawn)
  • Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (#1 Little House in the Big Woods, #2 Little House on the Prairie, #3 Farmer Boy, #4 On the Banks of Plum Creek, #5 By the Shores of Silver Lake, #6 The Long Winter, #7 Little Town on the Prairie, #8 These Happy Golden Years, #9 The First Four Years)
Unfinished Series To Catch Up On:
  • Scarlet series by A.C. Gaughen (#1 Scarlet, #2 Lady Thief)
  • Heroines Behind the Lines series by Jocelyn Green (#1 Wedded to War, #2 Widow of Gettysburg, #3 Yankee in Atlanta)
  • Starbound series by Amy Kaufman and Megan Spooner (#1 These Broken Stars, #2 This Shattered World)
  • Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (#0.1 The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, #0.2 The Assassin and the Desert, #0.3 The Assassin and the Underworld, #0.4 The Assassin and the Empire, #0.5 The Assassin and the Healer)
  • Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead (#5 Silver Shadows)
  • Age of X series by Richelle Mead (#1 Gameboard of the gods, #2 The Immortal Crown)
  • The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (#0.5 Glitches, #1.5 The Queen's Army)
  • The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (#2 The Dream Thieves) 
  • Fairyland series by Catherynne Valente (#1 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, #2 The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, #3 The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two)
  • Christiansen Family series by Susan May Warren (#2 It Had to Be You, #3 When I Fall In Love)
That's a whole lot of series!
Where should I begin?
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Coming Soon To A Bookstore Near You

Jan 14, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Top Ten 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For

Most of the books that I'm excited for in 2014 are by authors I've read previously. However, there are some books that have gotten on my radar for various reasons, and I'm eagerly anticipating their publication. For each book, I've just listed the words or phrase that has me interested in the book in question!
1. Revolutionary by Alex Myers - Revolutionary War. Real-life heroine. Woman fighting in a war.
2. Girl on the Golden Coin by Marci Jefferson - Royalty. Real historical figures. Love or war.
3. The Crimson Ribbon by Katherine Clements - English Civil War. Real historical figures. THAT COVER.
4. The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon - Mysterious disappearance. Gangsters. 1930s.
5. I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe - Civil War. Female soldiers. Inspired by real women.
6. Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick - Russia. The Romanovs. Magical Faberge egg.
7. Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - 1930s Germany. Forbidden love. Suspense.
8. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord - Country superstar. Music tour. Fame and friendship.
9. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton - Magical realism. Generational saga.
10. A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller - Edwardian period. Women's rights. Art.
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The Cutthroat World of Candy

Jan 13, 2014

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

 Release Date: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 400 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

 Summary (from Goodreads)
Lucy Kendall always assumed she'd help her father in his candy-making business, creating recipes and aiding him in their shared passion. But after a year traveling in Europe, Lucy returns to 1910 St. Louis to find her father unwell and her mother planning to sell the struggling candy company. Determined to help, Lucy vows to create a candy that will reverse their fortunes.

St. Louis newcomer Charlie Clarke is determined to help his father dominate the nation's candy industry. Compromise is not an option when the prize is a father's approval, and falling in love with a business rival is a recipe for disaster when only one company can win. Will these two star-crossed lovers let a competition that turns less than friendly sour their dreams?

Thoughts on Unrivaled
I really like reading Christian historical fiction, and I've enjoyed the five other books that I've read by Siri Mitchell so far. She typically writes really well-researched, engaging stories. Unfortunately, something was just off in this book and didn't seem to match what I've come to expect from her.

This book alternates between Lucy Kendall and Charlie Clarke's point of view. I had no trouble distinguishing between the two voices, so that was a positive. They work for rival candy companies (owned by each of their fathers), and they'd like nothing more than to put each other out of business.

Charlie's father originally worked for Lucy's dad, but Mr. Clarke eventually bought Mr. Kendall out of the business. The circumstances of the sale were a bit questionable, and Lucy's resented the elder Mr. Clarke ever since. Mr. Kendall went on to create a new candy company, but it's close to going out of business after he suffers from a heart attack while Lucy is out touring Europe. Lucy will do whatever it takes to save her dad's company, and Charlie's determined to prove his worth to his long-lost father by doing the same for him.

Here are three short reasons this book just didn't work for me:

1. The Characters.
I don't mind unlikeable characters when they've got depth and seem realistic. Unfortunately, that wasn't how I felt about Lucy. She was selfish, thoughtless, immature and mean. I liked that she wanted to go into business, not just get married, but I didn't care at all about her future. I became less invested in her character as the book went on. Charlie wasn't bad, but he still seemed flat and one-dimensional. I had a hard time rooting for people who just go around hurting the people in their lives - and each other - for the sake of competition and candy.

2. The Romance.
This ties into my problems with the characters, but I really didn't care for the romance in this book. Unfortunately, it suffers from a major case of instalove. The characters have barely spoken before they're only able to think of each other... when they're not trying to ruin each other's business, that is. There is almost no relationship development between the two, so it made the predictable ending less than satisfying. I don't mind a predictable ending (since this type of book is typically a guaranteed happily ever after), but it does bother me when there's nothing about the romance that makes me root for the couple to finally overcome their issues.

3. The Action.
I felt like this book took me forever to read, and I hate when that happens. There isn't really a lot happening with the plot, and what does happen feels very repetitive. Lucy and/or Charlie tries some scheme to get their company ahead, something happens as a result, and then they do it all over again. The repetitiveness of the plot created a larger pacing issue, which I think is part of the reason why it seems like this book moves so slowly. To be honest, I likely wouldn't have finished this book if I'd gotten it from the library because I wasn't invested in the plot at all.

While I didn't enjoy Unrivaled, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the other Siri Mitchell books I've read. This one was a miss for me, but I have enjoyed Mitchell's other books.

So Quotable
"Your past is not as important as your future. Did you know that? Can't change anything about what you've been, but you can change who you'll become."
*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.
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Stories Are My Refuge

Jan 9, 2014

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

 Release Date: January 21, 2014
Publisher: Random House | Ballantine
Pages: 496 pages
Source & Format: NetGalley; e-ARC
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Amazon)
At the age of thirty-five, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne has left her philandering husband in San Francisco to set sail for Belgium - with her three children and nanny in tow - to study art. It is a chance for this adventurous woman to start over, to make a better life for all of them, and to pursue her own desires. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her children repair to a quiet artists' colony in France where she can recuperate. Emerging from a deep sorrow, she meets a lively Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who falls instantly in love with the earthy, independent, and opinionated "belle Americaine."

Fanny does not immediately take to the slender young lawyer who longs to devote his life to writing - and who would eventually pen such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson's charms, and the two begin a fierce love affair - marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness - that spans the decades and the globe. The shared life of these two strong-willed individuals unfolds into an adventure as impassioned and unpredictable as any of Stevenson's own unforgettable tales.

Thoughts on Under the Wide and Starry Sky
This cover caught my eye the minute I saw it on NetGalley, and then I fell in love with the poetic title. Finding out it was fiction based on Robert Louis Stevenson? SOLD. I've talked about it before on my blog, but I'm a total sucker for historical fiction based on the lives of real people. They almost always leave me dying to research more about the book's subject! I was hoping Under the Wide and Starry Sky would be the same kind of read.

Stevenson is most widely known as the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. While I haven't read either novel, I know him more from his verses and poems for children. But even with that small bit of knowledge of his work, I knew almost nothing about his life. So, I was really excited to begin reading this story.

Similarly to The Paris Wife, Under a Wide and Starry Sky book focuses on the perspective of an important woman in his life - Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. The book opens with Fanny traveling to Belgium with her three children and their nanny. She wants time and space away from her philandering husband. Believing it's a chance to start over, Fanny is devastated by a series of tragedies that happen while she's abroad. She decides to hide away in a quiet artists' colony, which is where she meets Robert Louis Stevenson. He's ten years her senior, and she's definitely not instantly smitten with him. It's an unlikely love story, but so begins one that will last the rest of their lives.

There are so many obstacles in their path. Stevenson is an invalid and struggling to be a published writer. Fanny is married and has young children during a time where divorce isn't the proper thing to do. And yet, they find that they must be together. Their story ultimately takes them all around the world in a search for somewhere that Stevenson will finally be well - where he can live and write in peace and good health.

I thoroughly enjoyed so many aspects of Under the Wide and Starry Sky. The complicated characters and their loving yet difficult relationship, the numerous places they visit, and the sacrifices they make for each other. The book covers a very long period of time, and I really enjoyed being able to see the ebb and flow of their love for one another over so many years. They faced many difficulties in their lives, and I liked seeing how that played out in their marriage. Their relationship seemed so realistic, and the main characters had so much depth. They weren't flat or boring, and I really enjoyed seeing them come to life.

The level of research that went into this book was also evident on every page. I love when I'm reading fiction but learning at the same time. Conversations and motivations were certainly fictionalized, but there was still so many I learned about Stevenson's life and travels that I never knew before.

I did feel, however, that the book had a few pacing issues. It would really grab my interest and then lose steam just a few chapters later. I found it particularly difficult to fall in love with the end of the book because it seemed like the heart of the story got lost in too many details. It's a long book, which isn't a bad thing. But I did feel like it lasted a long time when I was reading - and that's not how I typically feel when I'm totally engaged with the story (no matter the length of the book).

The writing itself and the characters were really interesting, but I wasn't completely invested in every aspect of this book. The few pacing issues and need to be more selective in what was covered in their story kept me from falling head over heels for Under a Wide and Starry Sky, but I would still absolutely recommend it to fans of historical fiction. It's a sad, slow book about a difficult yet beautiful love story. And I'm so glad I read it!

So Quotable
"When I suffer in mind, stories are my refuge; I take them like opium. Anyone who entertains me with a great story is a doctor of the spirit."

"In the end, what really matters? Only kindness. Only making somebody a little happier for your presence."
*I received a copy of this book from Ballantine in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.
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