Sunday Post #8

• It's been a pretty good week (not in blogging or reading--still sucking it up there). A couple days ago, I got offered an opportunity to spend my spring break in Atlanta doing service work for the homeless community. It's a really great chance, and I'm really excited about it. 
• Oh, and I died my hair. It's a really pretty deep red color and I love it. 

Reviews: 
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen


Memes:
Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Will Always Fangirl Over

Emily at Forever Literary posted about four bloggers who inspire her. I love this because it's promoting positivity in our community, plus it gave me a few more awesome blogs to check out! 

Lillie at Little Lillie Reads started a feature called Tuning the Tale in which she provides a playlist of her making for a book, then lists some of the song lyrics to explain  why she picked the songs she did. I just adore features like this! Not only do I suck at matching songs to books, but I love finding new music to check out! 

What has your week in books and blogging looked like? 

Lefty's Lowdown: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Published: 1817
Source: I rented this from the bookstore for class.

Summary from Goodreads: 
"Northanger Abbey" tells the story of a young girl, Catherine Morland who leaves her sheltered, rural home to enter the busy, sophisticated world of Bath in the late 1790s. Austen observes with insight and humour the interaction between Catherine and the various characters whom she meets there, and tracks her growing understanding of the world about her.

In this, her first full-length novel, Austen also fixes her sharp, ironic gaze on other kinds of contemporary novel, especially the Gothic school made famous by Ann Radcliffe. Catherine's reading becomes intertwined with her social and romantic adventures, adding to the uncertainties and embarrassments she must undergo before finding happiness.

Coming from an English major, this might be a blasphemous statement, but the truth is that I don't actually like a whole lot of classic literature. Jane Austen is one of the few authors before my century that I enjoy reading. That being said, I don't exactly have experience reviewing classic books, so this isn't going to be my typical review.

Readability: This book is not really hard to understand, though I did have to read slowly and occasionally re-read passages. It required a bit of work, but I still enjoyed it! 

Style: Austen is a satirist, so this novel was full of wit, humor, and frequent digs at society. This was the first novel she ever wrote, but it is still surprisingly modern. Austen is so freaking clever and funny.

Characters: I don't know about anyone else, but characters are always my favorite part of any Jane Austen novel, and this one is no exception. Catherine is a really interesting protagonist. She starts off as a very naive, inexperienced, passive character. She has a hard time distinguishing reality from a Gothic romance, and she assumes the best intentions in everyone. But, considering Northanger Abbey is essentially a coming-of-age story, Catherine experiences a significant amount of growth. 

And then there is Mr. Tilney. *swoons* I personally think Henry Tilney is entirely too underrated. He is everything we love in a modern love interest. He's extremely intelligent and he likes to mock the strict expectations of society, yet he is still a gentleman. He can tease Catherine and his sister, but he is never mean. He cares about art and other people's feelings. He's perfect. Everyone else can have Mr. Darcy...I'll take Mr. Tilney. 

The other characters in the novel are very interesting to read about. I don't want to say too much about them, because one of the joys of this novel is uncovering the characters' true intentions. In my lit class, we discussed how, in that time period, there were not exactly a whole lot of opportunities two people to be alone and get to know each other (especially a male and a female), so Austen has to rely on subtle details to reveal the true nature of her characters, which helps us to be more observant, sharper readers. I just think this is so fun! 

My biggest complaint about this book is that the ending is very rushed. The whole resolution to the novel is very glossed over and it took me a few tries to realize exactly what was happening because so little light is shed on the events.

Classics are weird, because even though I loved this book, it's not the type of thing I can just shove into everyone's hands. If you're a classics fan or an Austen fan, though this is one of her lesser-known works, it is still one of her greats. If you're not too big on classic works of literature, I still recommend giving this one a shot, because I'm not either, but it was still immensely fun and interesting.

Lefty's Lowdown: Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
(standalone)
Published: February 9, 2016 by Simon Pulse
Source: I received an eARC for review from the publisher, but that hasn't influenced my opinion of the book in any way at all!

Summary from Goodreads: 
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything. This is their story.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

I'll tell you right away, this novel was not what I expected. I knew going into it that it was not meant to be a pirate story.  Nicole Castroman has stated several times it is important to remember this is a pre-pirate novel. She wanted to explore what Blackbeard's younger days were like and what led him to his swashbuckling lifestyle. So, I thought this was going to detail his dark descent into corrupt morals. That's not what this was, not really, and in some ways I'm disappointed about that, but I also adore this book for exactly what it is. The more I think about it the more I love it. 

Blackhearts is told from two different points of view: Anne, the miserable maid from the West Indies who works in the Drummond household, and Edward "Teach" Drummond, a teenage guy suffering under the pressure of his father's expectations. Both of our main characters are extremely interesting and well-developed. I enjoyed reading both of their stories a lot and I became very emotionally invested in both of them, but I was probably a bit more partial to Teach's narration (I tend to like male narrators better). BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT TEACH! Holy frick on a stick, I fell head over heels in love with him over the course of this novel. Honestly, I was definitely picturing Hook from Once Upon a Time while I was reading this, and I'll most likely picture any pirate I ever read about as Hook. But anyway. Teach. When we're first introduced to him, we do not get a good impression, but he definitely grows and changes throughout the story. He obviously loved Anne so very much and it was adorable! I also liked how fierce Anne was. She was not going to take crap from anybody, even though she was a maid, a woman, and a person of color. She respected herself far too much to let anyone treat her poorly, and I loved it! I'm not sure it's very accurate, but accuracy doesn't matter all that much to me. 

For some reason I'm having a hard time figuring out what to write for this review (it's difficult to describe why this book is so great), so I'm just gonna drop a list of all the other things I loved about this book. 

Ship ship ship - And I mean the romantic ship, not the pirate ship (lol I'm the funniest). Anyway, I ship Teach and Anne so hard. I read that some people were worried about insta-love, but trust me, that will not be a problem. Blackhearts has a slow-burning, intense romance that grows and grows until you want to push their heads together and make them kiss like Barbie dolls. They actually hate each other at first, but they soon realize they complement each other well, they bring out the best in each other, and they help each other realize what's really in their hearts. GUYS JUST TRUST ME WHEN I SAY IT WAS GOOD.

The arranged marriage aspect - I don't know why, but I always enjoy reading about arranged marriages. It adds so much drama  and tension! Teach is betrothed to Miss Patience, a baron's daughter, and for many years, he is content with that. But then he sets sail for a year and when he comes back he realizes he wants more than a pretty face and a title, but neither of their fathers are willing to break the engagement because it is beneficial for both of them. 

A social hierarchy - Again, I;m not sure why, but I find social stratification so freaking interesting to read about. Characters on the quest for money and titles, or characters seeking to escape the pressures of money and titles. 

The ending - Okay, I didn't like the ending, but I enjoyed it because I'm a masochist and I like pain. Because the ending hurt like hell. It wasn't unexpected. I spent the whole novel knowing that something along these lines would happen, but hoping they wouldn't. What's worse is that the novel does not even end on a dark note. It ends with a hopeful tone, but that makes it even more sad because if you know anything about Blackbeard, you know that it will never work out in these characters' favor. This was the kind of ending that sat heavy on my heart at first, and I couldn't stop thinking about it, and the more I thought about it, the more sad it made me. 

I don't know if this is even a comprehensible review. I honestly feel like it's all over the place, but that's because my feelings are all over the place (in a good way). There is just some sort of indescribable quality in this book that made me fall in love. This book and these characters will always live in my heart, and I have a feeling I'll revisit them in the future. I'm not typically a historical fiction person, but Nicole Castroman creates a story anyone will love. 

Here are some of my favorite moments: 

"You shouldn't say such things," she said, placing the book on the bedside table.

"Why not?" Teach asked.

"Because I am not a princess." She picked up the supper tray, preparing to leave.

He grinned, unabashed, clutching his hand to his chest. "Oh, forgive me. You're quite right. You're not a princess."

Anne shook her head at him, trying to suppress a smile.

"You're a queen. From now on I shall refer to you as Queen Anne." (location 962)

"Well?" Teach asked.

She could only shake her head and cast a quick glance at him, noting the satisfaction in his features. "I don't know what to say," she said at last.

"'Thank you'? Or 'I shall endeavor to trust you in the future'?"

A grin tugged at her lips. "I would not go so far as that." (location 1434)

"Will you please join us for supper this evening?" Teach asked. "I cannot endure another meal along with Miss Patience."

"And if I choose not to?"

Teach snorted. "I'll come to your room and drag you to supper myself."

"You wouldn't dare make a scene to that extent."

"When it comes to you, Anne, I would dare a lot of things." (location 2415)

My rating:

 5/5

Top Ten Series I Will Always Fangirl Over

Hello lovelies! This week's TTT topic was a freebie, and because I hate mentally exerting myself I went for an easy topic: series I will always fangirl over. As I was deciding what series to include, I realized A) as of the past couple of years, I've not read (or completed reading) that many book series, and B) the series I have read have been pretty good but thinking back on them doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. That being said, most of the series I picked are series I read back in middle school but still love with all my heart.

The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld - This was one of the first book series I ever fell in love with! I was in, like, 6th grade the first time I read this, and I still think it's just as brilliant as I did then.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead - I have said (exclaimed) this so so so many times, but I will honestly never stop. This series is my #1, my ride-or-die, my all-time favorite. The characters, the worldbuilding, the writing. Everything about it owns my heart.

The Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry - Katie's books are just amazing in every single way and I think everyone should experience these beauties.

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - Despite what the movie and TV show make it seem like, these books are actually amazing. The world is engrossing and the characters are addicting.

The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi  - Between the unique writing and the wonderful romantic tension, this series had no problem winning my fangirl squees.

The If I Stay series by Gayle Forman - I'm not sure if this really counts as a series, but there are two books, so I say it does. Anyway, these books are emotional and adorable and absolutely captivating.

The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - There are 4 novels in this series, all of which are pretty thick. It seems like a hefty journey to embark on, but it's so worth it. The lush southern gothic setting and the cast of characters we get to know throughout the series make it all worth it.

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare - What can I say? Clare knows how to write 'em.

The Delirium series by Lauren Oliver - Beautiful and heartbreaking and poignant and unique. I recommend this series to literally all my friends.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins - I mean...it's The Hunger Games....

Are any of these series on your list of favorites? What are some other series you want to gush about all day? 

Sunday Post #7

• I feel like this has been SUCH a long week. But it has been good! I did barely any reading outside of classwork, but I'm not surprised. I'm taking 17 hours, so my homework plate is pretty full. Buttttt, I did get a new tattoo this week. 

It's supposed to be the New York skyline, but not everyone sees that, apparently. 

• I also started bullet journaling this week. So far, I'm digging it. It's actually really relaxing to sit down every morning and figure out my day, drink my coffee. If you don't know what bullet journaling is, I suggest you google it!

Reviews: 
Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Memes: 
Top Ten Books I've Recently Added to my TBR

Wow, looking at it now, I realized how much I sucked it up in blogging this week, too. Yikes. 

Reviews: 
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

Memes:
Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie week (I still haven't decided what my topic will be)
Sunday Post #8

Features/misc: 
Discussion: Romance in Reading (this was supposed to happen last week, but...)

Nada. Oh well! 

Gaby at Latte Night Reviews wrote a book/movie comparison for If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I love to read other people's thoughts on movies that have been adapted from books. Gaby made some really good points and brought up some issues that I agree with completely. 

Cristina at Girl in the Pages discussed her experience meeting Alexandra Bracken and Susan Dennard. I really enjoyed reading this because it gave a little insight into how much work both authors put into the research for their novels, which I think is cool! 

In light of some of the recent drama that has occurred, Geraldine at Corralling Books wrote a wonderful post about how all book reviews are biased. I believe that a lot of what she said is really important for bloggers and review readers. And I think it is something that a lot of review writers will be able to relate to. 

What has your week in books and blogging looked like? 

Lefty's Lowdown: Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell
(standalone)
Published: February 2, 2016 by Simon Pulse
Source: I received an eARC for review from the publisher via Edelweiss, but that hasn't influenced my opinion even a little bit.

Summary from Goodreads: 
For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

 HECK YES. I have major, super duper heart eyes for this book. This is the YA pirate book I have been waiting for my entire life. There's adventure and smoochies and magic and pretty much anything you could ask for from a twisted up Peter Pan retelling. Admittedly, I'm not overly familiar with the tale of Peter Pan, but I know enough to see how Unhooked aligns with the original tale. Maxwell's version is dark and utterly engrossing.

Soooo there are so many awesome things happening in this book, I don't even know where to start. Full disclosure, the beginning was a bit slow, but of course it was necessary. We're introduced to our narrator, Gwendolyn, whose mother is dragging her to yet another town to live, claiming there are monsters, only this time is different because Gwen had started to feel really comfortable at their previous town. She'd settled in, and she even made a best friend--Olivia, who decided to tag along for a couple weeks to help them get settled at their new house in London. We see Gwen struggle to figure out what she wants, not what her mom wants for her life. And then she finds herself in Neverland, and that's when the pacing picks up and shit gets realllllll good.

Gwen turns out to be a kickass narrator. She's kinda damsel-y in the beginning, but not in a way that's weak, more in a way that she was just dropped into a strange land and has no idea where she is or what the ef is going on. Even still, we can see that Gwen is stubborn as hell, determined, and she's not going to take any of Captain's crap. SPEAKING OF CAPTAIN. Mm mm mmm. He's the villain, a roguish pirate in every sense of the word, or at least it seems. He's dangerous, ruthless, and he has a very strange effect on Gwen. Except, guys, noooooo. Captain is compassionate and caring, and he is very hard on himself. I love him, and I love him and Gwen together. Talk about chemistry!!! Every interaction between them is absolutely sizzling. Both of these characters are complex and well-developed and such. fantastic. characters. If I'm being honest, though, all the characters in this novel are wonderfully crafted. Pan, Olivia, Fiona...They come alive on the pages.

This whole book comes alive. The world that Maxwell has created is luscious and detailed and definitely a little creepy. This is not the Neverland you read about as a child, folks. And Lisa Maxwell's writing is absolutely beautiful. Whether you like it or not, you will, without a doubt, get sucked into this fairy tale.

I can't even tell y'all enough how much I loved this novel. It was the first novel I actually started this year, and I read the entire thing in one sitting. It was sexy and positively captivating. It's a little reminiscent of Once Upon A Time in Neverland, I will most likely fangirl about this book for the rest of my life because it is amazing and you need to read it.

My rating:

5/5 would read again

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Maxwell is the author of Sweet Unrest, Gathering Deep (Flux, Fall 2015) and Unhooked (Simon Pulse, Spring 2016). When she's not writing books, she's an English professor at a local college. She lives near DC with her very patient husband and two not-so patient boys.

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Top Ten Books I've Recently Added to My TBR

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - I just recently read and completely fell head over heels in love with Matson's Since You've Been Gone and I have vowed to read everything she has ever and will ever write.

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto - I just heard of this one today and instantly added it to my TBR because it sounds really freaking awesome. A western fantasy novel? Heck to the freaking yes.

Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry - I'm not sure why the hell it took me so long to figure this out, but I just recently discovered that Echo and Noah have a second book and I could not deal with my excitement. OTP OTP OTP

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler - I've heard tons of wonderful things about this book. and I know from personal experience how amazing Sarah Ockler is, so when I heard about her new novel, I immediately added it to my TBR. Bonus: The word "Mermaid" is in the title so of course I have to read it.

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell - After being blown away by Lisa Maxwell's Unhooked (coming in February) I immediately checked to see if she had written anything else and SHE HAD! I can't wait to read more by this author!

Level Up by Cathy Yardley - I'd never heard of this book before I read a review of it a few days ago, and I heard there were mentions of SuperWhoLock so of course I was sooooo in. I'm ready to geek out with this one.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - There were lots of fantastic, raving reviews of this one. Plus dragons.

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - IF YOU CAN'T TELL I'M OBSESSED WITH KATIE and I can't believe I hadn't heard about her new series until a couple months ago.

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn - I have seen a ton of great reviews for this, and when I read the summary, I knew I needed to read it.

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell - I loooove fairy tale retellings. And this one sounds like a good one. Also, look at that cover!!!!

What books have you recently added to your TBR?