Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary
Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo's spare ticket offer online, she's convinced it's the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.

When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he'll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they've created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track?

Me and Jen at a YALLFest past. I honestly don't remember which year....

Flo's Review
I adore Jennifer E. Smith. (Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see my reviews of her other books.) I know that if I am looking to read a cute, fun, and fast contemporary YA love story, Jennifer E. Smith is my gal. So over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, I was in the mood for just that. Luckily, I had a copy of this waiting for me.

(Random side note: I was lucky enough to pick up an ARC at YALLFest. I don't think the Underlined team was expecting me to fangirl so hard over getting a Jennifer E. Smith ARC. I rambled on to the girl for like 5 minutes straight about how much I adored every single one of Jennifer's other books.)

Luckily, this one did not disappoint. I was impressed with how well Jennifer got Hugo and his Briticisms down. He remained consistent throughout. I was happy that I really enjoyed both Hugo and Mae. Jennifer E. Smith is the queen of capturing all the excitement, fear, anxiety, and anticipation of high school seniors about to head off to college. Field Notes on Love is no exception. 

I always love travel stories. I think you can learn so much about yourself by taking yourself outside of your normal environment. For Hugo, this was especially true. Additionally, I just love seeing new places with new eyes -- I really enjoy seeing characters' reactions to places I have seen and wish to see.

Field Notes on Love comes out March 5, 2019 and if you want a shot of adorable, then I'd suggest you scoop this one up!


Read my other raving reviews of Jennifer E. Smith books:

Book Summary
Take two American teen chefs, add one heaping cup of Paris, toss in a pinch of romance, and stir. . . .

Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes.

Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away.

Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.

Perfect for lovers of Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship, as well as anyone who dreams of a romantic trip to France, Love la Mode follows Rosie and Henry as they fall in love with food, with Paris, and ultimately, with each other.

Flo's Review
Adorable. This book, you guys. Adorable. 

I first heard about it because I attended the Foodie Funactics event at YALLFEST this year and Stephanie was the one who put it together and moderated it. As soon as she described this book, my two friends and I were like, "Ooohhh....!" I knew it was going to be a must-read.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, and the best thing about it is that the author reads it! She does such a great job, too. Everybody sounds really distinct. This was no easy feat, either, because the students are from all around the world. Stephanie does a great job with the accents, I must say.

You can tell this story was written by a foodie, because the food is described just as lovingly, if not more so, than the romance. I really enjoyed it. Not knowing a lot about how to cook or bake myself, it was fun to see these characters' relationships to food and how they were in the kitchen. Stephanie did a great job with characters. By the end of the book I felt I really knew everyone in Rosie and Henry's friend group well. They were all fully fleshed out individuals, not side characters with minimal characteristics there to comment on the main story line. My favorite, and I already told Stephanie, was Henry's rooomate Hampus. Hampus is everything, you guys. From his morning workouts, to him foraging for food, to Swedish TV show marathon all-nighters with Henry -- Hampus is everything. 

Rosie and Henry were both awkward and realistic teens, and I was rooting for them the whole time. The only qualm I had with this book was the lack of Paris. It was sold as this fantastic love story in the city of love...and I felt like I rarely saw Paris. Like, this story could have taken place in Liberty, Ohio, without much alteration. That's a shame. Paris has so much potential for first love scenes.

But that's it! Other than that, I simply adored this one. Also, I randomly baked a cake about a week or so ago, while I was listening to this audiobook. Coincidence? I didn't do it intentionally, but all the food in this book is so amazing, and maybe I was inspired? 

So, go read this book. In the meantime, I will contact the author again and try to convince her to write a sequel revolving around Hampus. 

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info.

Book Summary

Victor Benucci and Madeline Falco have a story to tell.
It begins with the death of Vic’s father.
It ends with the murder of Mad’s uncle.
The Hackensack Police Department would very much like to hear it.
But in order to tell their story, Vic and Mad must focus on all the chapters in between.

This is a story about:

1. A coded mission to scatter ashes across New Jersey.
2. The momentous nature of the Palisades in winter.
3. One dormant submarine.
4. Two songs about flowers.
5. Being cool in the traditional sense.
6. Sunsets & ice cream & orchards & graveyards.
7. Simultaneous extreme opposites.
8. A narrow escape from a war-torn country.
9. A story collector.
10. How to listen to someone who does not talk.
11. Falling in love with a painting.
12. Falling in love with a song.
13. Falling in love. 

Flo's Review
I finished Kids of Appetite and immediately wanted to read everything else David Arnold has ever written. I picked this one up because I'm meeting the author at YALLFEST next month, and I'm so glad I did! I even had the KOA wristband that I will 100% be wearing at the time. (Stay tuned to our social media accounts for pictures and details!) 

David Arnold's writing is absolutely beautiful. He doesn't just tell you a story straight. He looks at every aspect of the situation from various angles and then again through different lenses. This leads to a story that is deep and layered. On the surface, you might be able to summarize it in a sentence or a paragraph. But then you can just keep going deeper and deeper and bringing more up from it. Social issues, society, justice, family issues -- I could go on. So many things are faced directly, with open eyes, and addressed. And it's through these characters who have all seen and lived so much and so differently coming together to create their own unique unit.  So many of passages had me thinking, "Wow..." 

I cannot praise this book highly enough. 5 out of 5 stars from me. I can't wait to read anything else from David Arnold. In the meantime, if you can read Kids of Appetite -- do it.

Book Summary
What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.

There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.

Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.

Flo's Review
This was one of those books I've had sitting on my shelves for years. The author's appearance at the upcoming YALLFEST inspired me to push it up my TBR. I am so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoying seeing the last days of Aberdeen through Keeley's eyes.

Keeley is a unique main character. She is not the popular girl, but she has friends. She is sassy, but she doesn't get all the boys. In fact, she lags behind her two best friends in that area. She is fiercely loyal to her family and friends, though she screws up things a lot. Her way of dealing with deep things is to make a joke or try to have fun. This helps get her and her loved ones through hard times, but also closes her off in a way. Ultimately, it causes estrangement in her relationship with her best friend Morgan and has her falling for and doing things for the wrong boy, Jesse Ford. Morgan has a great line about Jesse and Keeley. I can't find it, exactly, but she says something along the lines of: "I used to think you two were perfect for each other, but you're just broken in the same ways." 

The characters in this story and their relationships were so interesting to witness. Along with Keeley and Morgan, there's also an interesting dynamic with their third best friend Elise. And along with Keeley and Jesse, there's Keeley and Levi Hamrick. I won't get into them in this review, but they are all so nuanced, layered, and fun to read. The storyline, of course, was unique as well. How do you say goodbye to your hometown, and not in a, "I'm off, but will be back for the holidays," kind of way? In a Forever way. This story as inspired by true events and I am curious to learn more about what actually happened. 

The Last Boy and Girl in the World was such an enjoyable surprise. If you have the opportunity to read it or listen to the audiobook, I would recommend it.

Book Summary
Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers first watched the couple fall in love. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition. 

With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday magic of New York City in December. 

Told in alternating chapters, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily reunites two beloved characters and is bound to be a Christmas favorite, season after season.

Flo's Review
Totes adorbs. While Dash and Lily's Book of Dares was a light, fun read, this sequel took it a little bit deeper. Not that it wasn't light and fun, but Dash and Lily's relationship has evolved. They have been together for almost a year now. This is the story of going from mutual like and infatuation to falling deeply and fully in love. That can be a vulnerable, messy, and emotional journey for any couple, and Dash and Lily are no exception. I loved that Dash never gave up on Lily. I loved seeing more of Lily's family, and looking into Dash's family and how he saw himself based on them. And, like the first book, this one also had its good portion of random people and events that brought a smile to my face.

Speaking of bringing a smile to my face, there were two scenes that tied for my favorite. One involved a water gun duel and was just super fun, especially since I'm so obsessed with Hamilton. The second involved my main obsession -- New Kids on the Block! Yes! And not only New Kids, but my favorite New Kid in particular -- Joey McIntyre! I was SO excited! I was lucky enough to meet Rachel and David at YALLFEST (I read the book on my plane ride to and from Charleston), so I got to thank them both for the Joey McIntrye reference in person.

I read #TwelveDaysOfDashandLily on the plane, so it was great to tell @rachelcohn all about it. #yallfest2016 pic.twitter.com/bExs17Fsbx

— FK (@FloeticFlo) November 13, 2016

Me and Jen E. Smith at YALLFEST last November

So lots of Jen E. Smith has been happening in my life simultaneously! It started when I downloaded her new novella Happy Again to my Kindle, because I was heading on a trip and knew I'd need it for plane reading. I loved this novella so much! I wrote my super short, super sweet review on Goodreads, which I'll link to at the end of this post. Happy Again is a companion to the book This Is What Happy Looks Like, which I'll be talking about again in a minute.