Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary
Fiercely independent and smart, Zora Emerson wants to change the world. She's excited to be attending a prestigious summer program, even if she feels out of place among her privileged, mostly white classmates. So she's definitely not expecting to feel a connection to Owen, who's an actual prince of an island off the coast of England. But Owen is funny, charming...and undeniably cute. Zora can't ignore the chemistry between them. When Owen invites Zora to be his date at his big brother's big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends. Everyone is talking about her, in real life and online, and while Owen is used to the scrutiny, Zora's not sure it's something she can live with. Can she maintain her sense of self while moving between two very different worlds? And can her feelings for Owen survive and thrive in the midst of the crazy? Find out in this charming romantic comedy that's like The Princess Diaries for a new generation. 

Flo's Review
Happy book birthday to Truly Madly Royally! I knew I wanted in on this book as soon as I heard about it. I was lucky enough to meet the author and snag an ARC at BookCon, and it's the first book I got from that event that I've read. 

"I love me some Owen!" I told the author on Instagram, and it's so true. He is formal, and it's totally adorable. He's also sincere. Best of all, the banter between him and Zora is so natural and easy. They really are great together. There was an incident that made Zora mad at him, and I totally agreed! It was such a dilemma because I'm like, "I totally understand why Zora is mad! She'd better not just forgive him because he's a prince!" At the same time I'm like, "But I want them together!" Lol. Apparently Zora was not the only one to have a full range of emotions over this man.

This kind of felt like multiple books to me? Let me try to explain. It's a good thing to have other characters with their own stories -- that is realistic, because supporting characters' whole existence isn't just conversing with protagonists. But it almost felt .... extraneous here? I'm not talking about the Walk Me Home storyline -- that's integral to Zora. But the details of her family members lives. I understand going into her parents' divorce, but, I don't know, I felt we didn't need her brother's and best friend's relationship. I think because usually when I see another relationship in a story like this, it's acting like a foil for the main relationship. But this one wasn't. It was just .... there? Okay. Good for Skye?

The second part of the book also felt like it could have been it's own story. Zora and her mom's time in Landerel felt a little rushed. Just a little. Actually, it read fine. It just could have been so much more. It would have been amazing to really dive deep and explore the country. Then the tension between Zora and Owen's mom could have been played out a little more, again with more time. That whole part of the story really felt to me like it should be expanded and turned into a separate story.

On the flip side, I enjoyed this story because it was an easy, quick read. I think that's part of the charm for a story like this. So if you're harboring fantasies of meeting and falling in love with a real life prince, this one's for you.

Book Con 2015

Book Summary
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Flo's Review
I am pretty sure that if you haven't read this book yet, then you've heard about it. And if you haven't heard about it -- well, let me tell you! I cannot even put into words how impressed I am with the level of detail in this story. Not only is it in a completely different world, but it also involves a scheme with so many moving parts. I am seriously in awe of Leigh Bardugo. 

There was so much to love about this book. My favorite part was definitely that the characters were real. They didn't become insta-friends or completely trust each other  just because they were working together. They all had things they were telling the others; they all had personal agendas. They all had flaws. They all had pasts. But the way they came together for this task was completely honest and satisfying. Not only did each one of the characters grow individually, but together they grew as well. There was a progression there from looking out for numero uno to looking out for the other five. I don't want to give too much away from the story, but I really loved Inej's journey especially.

I was pretty much holding my breath for this entire story! I lost count of how many times I said to myself things like, "Nooooo!" or "What?!?!" or "OMG!!!" I am positive that there are things that I missed with this first read -- I am definitely going to try to read it again before Book #2 comes out.

Book Summary
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Flo's Review
What I loved about this book? Everything, Everything. Let's start with the cover. Look at the pretty up there!! I was lucky enough to get this ARC at BookCon, where I also had the chance to meet author Nicola Yoon. It was quick, but I told her that my friend insisted I get her book because she thought it was really good. Nicola was really sweet and grateful. 
Everything, Everything was just a fun book to read. The pictures, IMs, and short chapters made it easy to just breeze through in no time. I finished this book in a day. I have been coming off of a few books that just haven't hit home with me, so reading Everything, Everything to me was like what being Outside felt like to Maddy. (So many thoughts, stimuli, emotions!)

Maddy is smart -- she does very well in her classes and is very well read. What a coincidence that we just gave away a copy of The Little Prince on the blog because it's such a great story, and it ended up being a big part of this one. The way Nicola integrated the spoiler alerts for books that perfectly fit along with what was going on in Maddy's life at each point was so great. The lessons in the story about really living your life and what that means, about taking risks, and more, were conveyed in a simple, inspirational fashion. They were mentioned and acted upon, but they weren't pounded on the reader like, "This is the Very Important Lesson of this story." Like I said, I closed the book with a smile on my face because it was fun to read. And it's a book about all of these deep things, but not put forward in just a heavy fashion. And the reader can still see and reflect on these things. 

Most of all, I loved the love. I loved the way Maddy loved. She loved her Mom. She loved Carla. She loved Olly. And that is Everything, Everything. 

Thanks Penguin Random House!

Awesome lanyard, amirite?!

I was super sad that I couldn't go to BEA this year because of work, but I was excited to see that BookCon was going to be 2 days this year. All day Saturday and all day Sunday? I could do that! I hopped the first flight out Saturday morning and made it to the Javits Center in New York City around 11:30 a.m., about an hour and a half after the Con began.

I went to the exhibit hall first, where the publishers started strong -- books, t-shirts, and all types of swag were being handed out! There were a LOT of people at BookCon and the lines were crazy long, but everyone was really nice. One of my favorite parts about book conventions is actually meeting new people in line. It's just so much fun to talk about your favorite books and book characters with people you GET YOU, you know?!

Saturday was a fun day, but it took me awhile to get into my groove. I missed out on some books and some signings that I was hoping to catch, but that's just part of it. I definitely still got some great books and signings. I was wandering around the exhibit hall when I saw Leigh Bardugo in the Macmillan booth! She wasn't signing books yet, but I was able to get the cutest picture ever: