Reading on a Theme: Study Abroad

To celebrate the long-awaited release of Isla and the Happily Ever After (hooray!), today we are featuring books with characters who study abroad. As a former study-abroad student, I love to read about the adventures of students in foreign countries.

 
School of America in Paris:
Anna Oliphant's father sends her to the School of America in Paris for her senior year of high school, and she is not happy about it. She does not want to leave her friends, her mother and brother, and her life in Atlanta. But who couldn't be won over by Paris, especially when there is a perfect boy there? Anna and the French Kiss is so utterly charming. I loved Anna. She is so normal. I would like to be her friend. And I loved St. Clair. And did I mention Paris? The chemistry between Anna and St. Clair is perfect. Their banter is fun, flirty, and witty. Stephanie Perkins writes of friends, friendship, love, and courage. It's a book that I wanted to reread the moment I finished it. 

Senior Year in London:
The Name of the Star was one of my favorite post-Halloween 2013 ghost stories. When her professor parents take a position in Bristol, Louisiana-native Rory Deveaux starts her senior year at Wexford, a boarding school in London. London is being terrorized by a Jack-the-Ripper copycat. Rory becomes the single eyewitness and one of the few to know about London's secret ghost police. I really enjoyed this book, in part, because Rory is really funny. I actually laughed out loud several times as I was listening to this book. (The reader does a nice job with the many different accents, by the way.) Stories like this can get really serious, but Maureen Johnson balances the action, the horror, the intensity, and the everyday perfectly. 

Spring Break in London:
The London setting in Lauren Morrill's Meant to Be was a huge bonus because I also did London study abroad. Julia is a straight-lace, rule-abiding athlete. As a rule-abiding, over-achieving, athlete, I definitely could relate to her. Jason is the class clown whose antics make everyone laugh, but he has unseen depths. Julia can't stand him. While I liked Julia and Jason, and I liked them together, I wished that Julia wasn't always the one to bend. The rules these kids break! My rule-abiding self cringes. While it's true that Julia needs to loosen up, Jason needs to straighten up a bit. Why can't Jason see the wonder of the National Gallery, just as Julia opens her mind to the merits of street art? 

College in Leningrad:   
In Natalie Standiford's novel, it's 1982 and college student Laura Reid goes to Leningrad with a study abroad program. She meets Alexei there. As Laura gets more and more involved with Alexei the stakes get higher, and although Laura loves Alexei she's not sure his motives are pure. I didn't think I would get this engrossed in a Cold War novel, but I found myself reading it in the wee hours of the morning, oscillating, along with Laura, between trust and mistrust of Alexei. The Boy on the Bridge is definitely not your typical fairytale romance. It's clear that Laura always feels like the foreigner, the outsider, and, thus, the reader does too. The professor/ type-A student in me cringes at how seemingly uninvested Laura is in her studies, but I can shove that aside for the sake of the book.


School of America in Paris II: 
Isla and the Happily Ever After follows two of the characters from Anna and the French Kiss, Isla and Josh, who attend the School of America in Paris. Shy Isla has had a crush on Josh for years when she runs into him over summer break in New York. She thinks maybe it's fate, but when they return to school in Paris in the fall things are awkward as always. Until they aren't. It was a treat to be back in Paris where I first fell in love with Stephanie Perkins's characters. Josh and Isla fall hard for each other, and I fell hard for them. Both Isla and Josh have depths that most people don't see, but they see each other. Isla and the Happily Ever After is a heady, romantic read with characters who make mistakes and get second chances.

Reading on a Theme: Princes of Fantasy

This week's Reading on a Theme is a companion post to our Reading on a Theme: Princesses of Fantasy post from a couple of weeks ago. It is full of fabulous fantasies and daring princes.

Never Meant to be King:
Prince Yarvi of Gettland was born with a shriveled hand and was never meant for the throne. His path changes when his father and brother are killed. Suddenly, Yarvi is thrust into the Black Chair where he makes an oath to avenge his father and brother's deaths. Half a King is amazingly good. Unlike most fantasies that I've read, there is very little magic. The world of the Shattered Sea has a neo-Viking feel, with tough warriors, many gods, and lots of watery transportation. I didn't think that I was in the mood to read another fantasy, but I soon found myself carried away by Joe Abercrombie's prose. Plus, there are several twists that I just did not see coming. Half a King is out July 15th, 2014. Review copy from NetGalley.

The Plot:
Sage is taken from his orphanage one day by a wealthy man named Connor. Along with three other boys, Sage is trained to act as the king's long lost son. In The False Prince, Jennifer A. Nielsen has created a world on the brink of war, both civil and with neighboring countries. The story is told from Sage's perspective, and he is a rich and interesting character. I listened to the audiobook version and Charlie McWade perfectly captured Sage's character. The book is full of diverse characters. The other boys and Connor's right hand man being particularly interesting. I am eager to read the sequels.

Exceptional Talents:
Kristin Cashore writes some of my favorite fantasies. Graceling involves a land and a time where a few people have developed super-human gifts called Graces. The two main characters of this book are Katsa, whose lethal Grace has made her a pawn of her uncle, the king, for most of her life, and Po, Prince of Lienid, who is Graced with combat skills. Katsa is incredibly unhappy at the beginning of the book, and it's nice to see her become comfortable with herself and others. I also love Po. Cashore's physical descriptions of this intriguing character with gold and silver eyes are superb. What I really admire, is that Po doesn't just aid in Katsa's growth, he also faces challenges that force him to change as well.

Planning an Uprising:
I love a lot of fantasy series, but I think there is something extra special about Sherry Thomas's The Elemental Trilogy. It stars Prince Titus VII,  who seeks to rid the magical world of the Bane and release the people from the shackles of New Atlantis, and elemental mage Iolanthe Seaborne. Book two, The Perilous Sea, is action packed. It alternates between Iolanthe and Prince Titus lost and missing memories in the Sahara desert and their time, weeks prior, at Eton. As the series progresses, I love the characters more and more.Thomas's world-building continues to impress, and she really keeps her readers on their toes with lots of twists and unexpected revelations. I'll definitely be reading the third in the trilogy the moment it is released. The Perilous Sea is out September 16th, 2014. Review copy from Edelweiss.

The Lost Prince:
Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian Sir Topher are exiles. Ten years ago their home Lumatere was cursed and the royal family was slaughtered. Now rumors are circulating that Prince Balthazar is alive. To find him the pair must team up with the mysterious Evanjalin. Finnikin of the Rock is masterfully done and rich with atmosphere. The book started out kind of slow for me, but Melina Marchetta won me over with her excellent writing. The book has a journey element to the story, but it is not the driving force of the book, nor is it one of those fantasy books where the journey comprises of one misfortune after another. Finnikin of the Rock is a dark book with a lot of hardship and sorrow, but there is also much healing.  

Pair It With: One Plus One and The Bean Trees

We've got two books today about road trips and unconventional families.

One Plus One is only the second Jojo Moyes book that I've read. I started with The Girl You Left Behind but it fell a little flat for me, so I was a little wary going into One Plus One, but it turns out I didn't need to be. One Plus One worked so much better for me.

Jess is a single mom. Her husband is living with his mother so that he can deal with his depression. Her stepson is a little different and keeps getting beat up by the rough kids in the neighborhood. Her daughter is a brilliant mathematician who has been offered a scholarship to a private school, but Jess can't afford to cover the remaining 10% even though she works all the time.

Ed is a software engineer who is attempting to escape some problems of his own by hiding at his beach house, which Jess just happens to clean. Somehow Ed finds himself driving Jess and her crew to Scotland so that Tanzie can participate in the Math Olympiad and win that missing 10%.

The emotional connection that I felt was missing in The Girl You Left Behind was definitely there in One Plus One. I loved these quirky characters. If you enjoy stories about unconventional families, put this one on your list.

One Plus One was out in July. Review copy from NetGalley.

Taylor Greer grew up in rural Kentucky where it was a feat that she graduated high school without getting pregnant. Taylor, ready to leave her old life behind, takes off in a barely functioning car. Then in Oklahoma she acquires a three-year-old Cherokee girl called Turtle. When her car breaks down in Tucson, Taylor knows it's the end of the road.

The Bean Trees, like One Plus One, is about an unconventional family. Taylor and Turtle become part of a community that is much more than just a bunch of neighbors. Taylor, like Jess, is an optimist even in the midst of difficulties that would cause many to sink with despair. Taylor has a good heart and a free spirit. She is accepting and open-minded. She loves her unusual child, just as Jess declares she's got lucky with her two kids.

Barbara Kingsolver's book  also has a lot of regional flavor. It is kind of a love letter to the Southwest.

Pair It With: The Mark of the Dragonfly and Plain Kate

Plain Kate and The Mark of the Dragonfly remind me of one another because they both feature orphaned girls who have a talent to make or fix things, a talent is more than just skill. In each story, the girls join up with a band of misfit travelers.

Piper is an orphan and a talented machinist. She can fix anything mechanical device that comes her way, and sometimes machines will only work for her. Piper lives in a world where meteors crash to the earth bringing artifacts from another world. During one of these meteor showers Piper finds a girl with a dragonfly tattoo, a mark that indicates that she's protected by the king. The girl awakes once they have returned back to Piper's home, and, although she can't remember much from her past, she does remember that she is terrified of the man who comes to claim her. Piper and the girl escape and jump the 401, a beautiful train run by a fascinating cast of characters.

The Mark of the Dragonfly is kind of steampunk for kids. It has lots of cool technology and a little bit of magic. Jaleigh Johnson's world is really interesting. Because this is a book for children, the world is not not quite as fully formed as they typically are in adult books, but I would love to know more about it. Piper is a pretty fun character, and the connection between her and the girl she rescues is quite strong. I especially loved the workers on the 401. Each one has a talent of his or her own.

Also, isn't that cover enchanting?

Review copy from NetGalley.

Plain Kate is an orphan. Her father died from the witch fever that has hit many. Along, Kate attempts to eek out an existence living in her market stand. Kate is an exceptional wood carver, a skill that could serve her well if she didn't live in a world where people are wary of her talent. Some even say she's a witch, but Kate is not a witch. She's met a real witch who has stolen her shadow. Forced from the town, Kate joins up with a band of Roamers.

Kate is a clever and resourceful character. Erin Bow's novel is dark and gritty. Kate's troubles seem to never end. There are torturings, witch burnings, dark magic, blood sacrifice, hunger, and loneliness. The very best part of the novel is Kate's talking cat, Taggle. Who has a great name and a dry wit. The love between the two is a bright spot in a world full of sorrows.

I love Erin Bow's writing. The language in Plain Kate is beautiful, and the writing adds so much to the story. I love a story with a rich atmosphere, and Plain Kate certainly has one. The Old World, gypsy feel adds much to this story.