Books Featuring Plagues and Pandemics

Maybe this is not the time to make this post, but, on the other hand, I can't stop thinking about all the many, many books I've read that feature plagues and pandemics. So maybe it's the perfect time to post this. For reasons that I don't entirely understand books featuring a rampant illness are totally my type of thing. A plague works so well in every type of genre from historical fiction to science fiction. Here are some of my favorites grouped by genre. Now if only we could get this pandemic to stay where it belongs: in a book.

Nonfiction:

Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright
Each chapter in this book discusses a different devastating plague from history from the bubonic plague to polio. This is the book that made me realize I had a thing for pandemics in literature. As I read it I realized I had read books about so many of these diseases along with dozens of books featuring plagues in speculative fiction. 

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
Johnson tells the story of the London cholera epidemic of 1854 and how two men, Reverent Henry Whitehead and Dr. John Snow, solved the mystery of how cholera spreads. What I loved most about this book is how it lays out for the readers the connections between what could be mistaken as unrelated facets of history.

Terrible Typhoid Mary by Susan Campbell Bartoletti 
Mary Mallon was an Irish immigrant who worked as a cook in New York City in the early 1900s. She was also a healthy typhoid carrier. Bartoletti takes the reader beyond the tabloid headlines and sheds light on the beginnings of a public health system in the United States. (featured here)

Historical Fiction:  

As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner
This book is set in Philadelphia during the 1918 flu pandemic (a hot topic now if ever there was one).
The Bright family is new in town, and the father is training to take over his great-uncle's funeral home business. It's quite the set-up: Philadelphia, WWI, Spanish Influenza, in a funeral home.  (featured here)

A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
This book follows 17-year-old Cleo Berry as her life is completely turned upside down when the Spanish Influenza hits Portland. Cleo has never really known what she wants to do with her life, but the influenza suddenly gives her a sense of purpose when she volunteers with the Red Cross. (featured here)

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Time-traveling historian, Kivrin, is the first historian to ever travel to the Middle Ages, and it's a rough journey. This book features two epidemics: the bubonic plague of the 1300s and an epidemic in Kivrin's present day. I love Connie Willis's Oxford Time Travel Series and absolutely devoured this book. 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Anna lives in a little town in Northern England. In 1665 a bolt of cloth infested with plague-carrying fleas is delivered to the village from London. The town members commit to self-imposed quarantine so that the disease will not spread. In less than a year more than half of the village has succumbed to the plague. 

The Plague by Albert Camus
Technically this one should probably be categorized as contemporary fiction, as it was contemporary when it was written. In the 1940s the plague ravages a coastal town in Northern Africa. I read this book in college and absolutely loved it. That should have been my first clue that I'm all in for books about plagues and epidemics.

Fantasy:

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis
Nedra Brysstain has been awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Yugen Academy where she plans to study medicinal alchemy. Nedra's studies are frantic; a deadly disease is sweeping across her island home, and her only hope is to find a cure. This fantasy is deliciously creepy, and things really take a turn toward the dark side about halfway through. (featured here)

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce
This newest book in Pierce's Tortall universe follows the training of the young Arram Draper whom we first met in the Immortals series as Numair. Arram is the youngest student to ever enter the Imperial University of Carthak. Much of the book follows Arram's day-to-day life: going to school, hanging out with his two best friends, Ozorne and Varice, dealing with unexpected magical occurrences, navigating the demands of Carthak society, and working to quell a deadly plague. (featured here)

Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce
Tempest and Slaughter is the second book by Pierce to feature a deadly plague. In the fourth (and unsurprisingly my favorite) of the Circle of Magic series the crew is up against a deadly, new plague. Briar and Rosethorn discover this plague and are trapped in quarantine for a time. Everyone has to pitch to help find a cure. Basically the story goes from one harrowing situation to the next. 

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon
In an alternate nineteenth-century Britain, known as Arthurise, a deadly illness that only strikes down women is devastating the nation. The main character, Jonathan, is a medical student who serves as an apprentice to his father, the country's second-best surgeon. This book is a steampunk, parallel reality tale with a little bit of horror thrown into the mix. It's creepy, fascinating, and other-worldly but not without innocence and hope, as well. (featured here)

Science Fiction:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This book is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the majority of the population has died off from a virulent flu. The narration moves between post-pandemic and pre-pandemic, and it takes awhile to understand how the two sides of the story fit together. What I really loved about this book is the way that art is so essential to human existence even when individuals are fighting just to survive. (featured here)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
This book is a sci-fi retelling of Cinderella set in a post World War IV world that is threatened by both a terrible pandemic and the Lunar Queen. Cinder is an orphan and a cyborg and a bit of an outcast, but she is also a famous mechanic which brings her to the attention of Prince Kai (he doesn't know about the cyborg part). Cinder finds herself unwillingly involved in interspatial politics. I love this whole series. (featured here)

Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca
Fifteen-year-old Lilianna has lived through a traumatic event, and she is struggling with some paranoia as she attempts to rebuild her life. Then, while her parents are away on business, a deadly influenza sweeps up the east coast of the United States. Lil is alone and her worst fears have come true. Of all the books on this list, this one is probably the most realistic. (featured here)

Zombie Plagues:

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The year is 2575 and Kady and Ezra's planet has just been invaded by a rival corporation. The harrowing escape to the evacuation ships is just the beginning. Soon one of the ships is suffering from a deadly plague, and the AI that runs the ship is damaged and possibly deranged. This is a harrowing and fantastic ride. I highly recommend the whole series. (featured here) 

Contagion by Erin Bowman
A small crew travels to a sparsely populated mining colony on a nearby planet after receiving a distress call. It appears everyone on the planet has died from a strange and distressing plague. This book is a sci-fi/ horror mash-up, and I always love a good genre-bender. (featured here)

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Jane McKeene lives in a world where a zombie plague ended the Civil War. Slavery is outlawed, but a new strict caste system places blacks and indigenous peoples on the front lines as zombie hunters while white folks get to pretend that everything is fine. This book is both incredibly thought-provoking and entertaining, which is, I think, exactly what you want from an alternate history scenario. (featured here)

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Melanie is a bright and eager student. She is also living in a world where a dreadful disease has turned most of the population into zombies. While perhaps not all zombie books belong on this list, this one definitely does because there is a great deal of time spent on investigating the causes of the infection and working towards a cure.

Favorite YA (+ one Adult) Debut Novels of 2016

We are in the midst of my favorite season to be a book blogger: the season when all the favorite lists and book awards come out.

I read 25 debut novels this year, which is exactly one more than I read last year. It's fun to discover new authors just as their books are coming out and to be part of the excitement that comes from that first publication. We also love participating in That Artsy Reader Girl's Debut Author Challenge. A big congratulations to all the first-time authors we were able to feature on Intellectual Recreation this year! Here are some of my (JoLee's) favorites.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro:
Charlotte Holmes and James Watson are the great-great-grandson and the great-great-granddaughter of the famous detective duo. I loved this gender-swapped homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I can't wait to read the sequel! (featured here)

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly:
Lilac Girls is my (not-so) sneaky adult fiction addition to this mostly YA list. I couldn't leave it off because it's one of the best World War II novels I've ever read. I am amazed that this is Martha Hall Kelly's debut.

Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup:
I read this gorgeous debut all in one day. It's set in Baltimore, which is close to home, and I was able to meet Karen Hattrup and tell her how much I loved her book at her launch party. (featured here)

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock:
Set in 1970's Alaska and revolving around the tough lives of four teenagers, this book has a simple elegance that only comes with superb writing. (featured here)

Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly:
I'm cheating a bit on this one because it was actually published in November 2015, but, because that is so close to the end of the year, I couldn't get it in before the calendar switched over. This book deserves to be on a favorite debut list, so I'm putting it on this one! (featured here)

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland:
This debut is so compulsively readable despite the fact that it is not an action-heavy plot. I think I finished it in two sittings. The overarching themes deal with friendship and romance and trying to figure out which is which when the line gets blurry. (featured here)

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner:
What a surprise this stunning debut turned out to be. Wonderfully evocative of place, this book took me through the entire gamut of emotions. I laughed out loud and cried while reading this book.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye:
I really enjoyed the mix of magic, competition, and old Russia in this book. It reminded me a bit of The Night Circus, which, in my book, is always a very good thing.
 
Wait for Me by Caroline Leech:
Okay, so I'm cheating bit with this book too because it doesn't come out until January of 2017. But, I loved Caroline Leech's Scottish WWII novel so much that I just couldn't bare to leave it off the list. (featured here)

Young Adult Books Inspired by Shakespeare

2016 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. The year has been full of celebrations, performances, and special events to commemorate The Bard. (Check out Shakepeare400, Shakespeare400Chicago, and Shakespeare 2016.) Because we really are all about commemorations over here at Intellectual Recreation we wanted to get in on the action before the year was up. So we did what we do best and gathered a group of Young Adult Books inspired by Shakespeare's plays.

As I Descended by Robin Talley:
Robin Talley's new book is an LGBTQ retelling of Macbeth set in a Southern boarding school. It's spooky and perfect if you are in the mood for a ghostly tale.

Illyria by Elizabeth Hand:
First cousins and first loves are cast as opposites in their school's production of Twelfth Night where all their secrets come to a head.

The Taming of the Drew by Stephanie Kate Strohm:
Headstrong Cass McKay is cast as Kate in her summer Shakespeare theater's production of The Taming of the Shrew. In a role reversal, Cass decides it's her castmate, Drew, who needs taming.

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth:
As assistant stage manager, Emma Allen, attempts to save the drama club's production of Hamlet she ends up back in 1601 at the Globe Theater! How will Emma juggle two productions of Hamlet--one in the past and one in the present?

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz:
Hamilton Prince's father is murdered. With an overabundance of suspects, high school sleuth, Horatio Wilkes, is going to have to pull out all the stops if he wants to solve the case in this modern twist on Hamlet set in Denmark, Tennessee.

Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein:
Lisa Klein imagines the story behind one of Shakespeare's most tragic side characters in this retelling of Hamlet. How did Ophelia become involved with Hamlet and what drives her to her demise?

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray:
This modern-day retelling of Hamlet brings together Shakespeare and the challenges of dating a famous prince. What happens to the story of Hamlet when the paparazzi gets involved?

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay:
In Verona all those years ago, Romeo killed Juliet in order to gain eternal life. In the hundreds of years that followed, Romeo and Juliet have been fighting one another, returning to earth again and again to either destroy true love or protect it. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon:
A Romeo and Juliet tale where the Juliet character has a rare disease, and Romeo is the forbidden boy from next door who could kill her just by being in her presence. 

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond:
Wirewalker Jules Maroni and trapeze-artist Remy Garcia seek to uncover the mysteries of the past, discover why their families are enemies and who wants the past to repeat itself in this Romeo and Juliet tale set in the circus. 

Shame the Stars by Guadalupe Garcia McCall:
Set along the Texas-Mexico border of 1915, Joaquin and Dulcea are involved in a forbidden romance. Shame the Stars recasts Romeo and Juliet amidst the racial and political tensions of Texas history.

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge:
This dark fantasy retelling is set in a world with blood magic, forbidden necromancers, and zombies. A truly creepy Romeo and Juliet tale where Paris and Rosaline are stars and Juliet is a trained killer.

Ronit and Jamil by Pamela L. Laskin:
This novel in verse sets Romeo and Juliet amidst the modern-day Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Can Ronit and Jamil's love prevail over centuries of distrust and hate? Out February 21, 2017. 

How to  Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington:
Aurora is saving her first kiss for someone special, so when she's cast as Beatrice opposite her obnoxious neighbor in her school's production of Much Ado About Nothing and the role requires locked lips, Aurora determines to do everything in her power to make sure that kiss never happens.

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill:
This loose retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream involves a high school drum major trying to win a talent competition and save her band aboard the cruise ship Destiny where misunderstandings and complications abound.

Young Adult Retellings of Peter Pan

I'm so excited about this post because it's been a long time in the making. Sometimes time is what you need to do things right. We noticed late last year that a lot of YA Peter Pan retellings were coming out, and, since we love retellings over here at Intellectual Recreation, we knew we wanted to do a feature on them. At first we thought we would do a Reading on a Theme, but, as we began to look ahead to 2016, we learned that even more Peter Pan retellings were on their way. (Seven of the ten books featured here were published between September of 2015 and June of 2016!) So, after many months, we have gathered and read ten Peter Pan retellings and are ready to share them with you.

We stuck with YA retellings of Peter Pan, but after that any and all variations were welcome. In this post we have fantasy, horror, realism, historical fiction, and alternate history. We have stories told from the point of view of a secondary character. We have books published by big publishing houses, and books published by several smaller publishers as well.

In short, we have a Peter Pan retelling for everyone. Have you read any of these or any other Peter Pan retellings? Tell us in the comments! Now that we've read so many we'd love to chat about all things Peter Pan.

Everland by Wendy Spinale:
Gwen Darling is doing her best to protect her younger siblings in the bomb-out, disease-invested city of World War II London when she meets Pete and Bella who take her to the lost boys. I loved how Wendy Spinale spun this retelling. The references to Peter Pan are clever and spot-on--with Hook as a German Officer and Tinkerbell sporting mechanical wings. This book really worked for me. Everland's alternate history, apocalyptic, steampunk world is a doozy of a setting. I loved the mix of genres, and I truly felt like Wendy Spinale brought something new to the Peter Pan tale. (Published May 2016 by Scholastic. Review copy from Edelweiss.)

Never Ever by Sara Saedi:
On Wylie's seventeenth birthday, she and her brothers find themselves on the magical Minor Island, run by the charismatic Phinn. Seduced by the island's promise to keep them from growing up, the Dalton siblings decide to stay only to find it may be more than they bargained for. Never Ever is a modern take on the classic tale and Sara Saedi reimagined it beautifully. I liked that I easily understood the counterparts of the original story and was still surprised by how they fit together. (Published June 2016 by Viking Books for Young Readers.)

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson:
This is the story of the girls of Neverland prior to Wendy's arrival. Tinker Bell is a fairy wholly devoted to observing the fierce and wild Tiger Lily. From the little fairy, we learn how Tiger Lily met Peter and how the two began a doomed romance. Of all the Peter Pan tales I read, I think I was most satisfied with the conception of Neverland in this one. Jodi Lynn Anderson writes beautifully, and I loved the new characters she introduced to the beloved original. So many things about Tiger Lily are achingly sad but also exquisitely rendered. (Published July 2012 by HarperTeen)

Tigerheart by Peter David:
Paul Dear is fascinated by The Anyplace and The Boy. When his baby sister dies, he believes the only way to assuage his mother's sorrow is to find a new baby sister in The Anyplace. Tigerheart is an inventive and magical retelling of Peter Pan. In it the elements of the original story are tweaked just slightly making Peter David's tale feel both familiar and new. I especially liked the eerie and uncanny atmosphere of this Peter Pan tale. (Published June 2008 by Del Ray)

Wendy Darling: Stars by Colleen Oakes:
The Darlings are anxious to make the perfect society match for their daughter, but Wendy's heart is set on the book seller's son. Things don't turn out how any of them planned when Wendy meets Peter Pan. In Wendy Darling: Stars, Colleen Oakes really fleshes out the character of Wendy. Her background, family life, and hopes for the future are well defined and made Wendy a more full and interesting character. (Published October 2015 by SparkPress.)

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell:
Gwendolyn McAllistair has spent her life on the move because her mother believes if they stay in one place too long the monsters will find them. Gwen always believed her mother suffered from delusions until she and her best friend Olivia are captured by shadowy creatures and taken to Neverland. Lisa Maxwell's retelling is a decidedly sinister one. Neverland is super creepy and its residents are not easily defined. (Published February 2016 by Simon Pulse. Review copy from Edelweiss.)

Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum:
James, a child who wants nothing more than to grow up, meets Peter in the park one night. Intrigued by Peter, James follows him to Neverland, only to find he can never leave. In Never Never, Brianna R. Shrum tells Hook's origin story, which was a unique angle for the story. I particularly liked Ms. Shrum's concept that a person in Neverland chooses whether they grow up or stay young.(Published September 2015 by Spencer Hill Press.)

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel:
After John and Michael go missing, Wendy goes on a quest to find the waters they may be surfing and meets Pete, Belle, and their gang at Kensington Beach. The question remains: are they real or figments of Wendy's imagination born from her grief? Second Star is haunting. Despite the sadness of the book, I was drawn to it and found it hard to put down. I enjoyed the re-imagining of many of the characters and felt it was true to the original, if only emotionally. (Published May 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux) (Also featured here)

Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor: 
Set after World War II, Nora & Kettle is the most realistic retelling of Peter Pan on this list. Nora, the Wendy character, has an abusive and powerful lawyer for a father. Kettle, the Peter character, is an orphaned boy recently released from a Japanese internment camp. This book is powerful and sad with serious and heavy themes. I was impressed by the way that Ms Taylor wove elements of history and hardship into the story of Peter Pan. (Published March 2016 by Clean Teen Publishing. Review copy from NetGalley.)

The Neverland Wars by Audrey Greathouse:
This retelling has an intriguing premise. When Gwen's little sister, Rosemary, leaves her window open and goes missing, Gwen learns that magic is real and that her father works in the magic business. Adults keep magic a secret from the children who would squander it. I especially liked how this retelling confronted the theme of growing up. Gwen is a teenager who misses childhood and is reluctant to become an adult. She should be too old to get to Neverland, but somehow she does. (Published May 2016 by Clean Teen Publishing. Review copy from NetGalley.)


Everland, Tiger Lily, Tigerheart, Unhooked, Nora & Kettle, and The Neverland Wars reviewed by JoLee.

Never Ever, Wendy Darling, Never Never, and Second Star reviewed by Paige.

P.S. More fairy tale retellings here.

P.P.S. More alternate versions of World War II here. 

ARC August Recap

I joined the lovely folks at Read.Sleep.Repeat for ARC August.

August is over! And that means ARC August has come to an end and it's time for a reckoning. I traveled quite a bit in August, but still managed to read a few ARCs. I ended up reading six of the books on my original list. I read a couple of extras and didn't get to three of the books I said I would read.

I read these ARCs this month: 

• Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter
• Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith
• Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
• Unrivaled by Alyson Noel
• Jillian Spectre and the Dream Weaver
• In a World Just Right by Jen Brooks
• Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Everland by Wendy Spinale
• March of the Suffragettes by Zachary Michael Jack
• Love From Boy: Roald Dahl's Letters to his Mother edited by Donald Sturrock 

All of these books will be featured on Intellectual Recreation in the next few weeks/ months. Stay tuned.

 

In the meantime, here are the ARCs that we read in previous months and featured this August:

Featured in YA Characters in Crime Families:

• Thieving Weasels by Billy Taylor

Featured in YA Historical Fiction Inspired by Real Historical Figures:

• And I Darken by Kiersten White 
• Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
• Da Vinci's Tiger by L.M. Elliott

Featured in Pair It With: Conjoined Twins:

• Gemini by Sonya Mukherjee

Featured in Young Adult Books for Fans of Meg Ryan Movies:

• P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
• Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
• Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins
• The Distance from A to Z by Natalie Blitt
• The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno

Young Adult Books for Fans of Meg Ryan Movies

Paige and I both adore Kasie West's books. We've read them all, loved them all, and were very excited for the release of P.S. I Like You on July 26th. We both read the book in one day. (Thanks to Scholastic for providing a copy.)

P.S. I Like You is about Lily Abbott, a girl who is very bored in Chemistry class. Daydreaming in class, she writes a line from her favorite song on her desk. The next day someone has written the next line. Soon Lily and her mysterious pen pal are exchanging notes daily.

P.S. I Like You reminded us of one of our favorite movies, You've Got Mail, and that got us thinking about all of Meg Ryan's other movies. The result is this blog post. So, if you love Meg Ryan movies and you love YA, we've got you covered. Now I'm off to watch my favorites.

If you love You've Got Mail try P.S. I Like You by Kasie West:

Mix together secret admirers and main characters who hate each other and you've got You've Got Mail and P.S. I Like You. As always, Kasie West writes a charming tale. We loved how Lily is an aspiring song writer and the banter between the two main characters took us back to You've Got Mail. Also, we love Lily's large family. Her parents are hilarious. Her siblings are great.

If you love When Harry Met Sally try Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg:

Navigating a male/ female friendship is at the center of this movie and book pair. Macallan and Levi are best friends. They are goofy, finish-each-others'-sentences, have-tons-of-inside-jokes best friends, but a boy/girl best friendship is a complicated thing. Each chapter in this cute YA romance is told by one of the two characters, and then, at the end of the chapter, the two provide commentary on what was just said. It's darling and funny and really helps the reader get to the know the two of them as a pair. (Also featured here.)

If you love Kate & Leopold try Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins:

Kate and Cassandra fall in love with someone from the past in Kate & Leopold and Until We Meet Again. Cassandra meets Lawrence on the beach by her house one night and, after a great deal of confusion, the two realize that they are from different centuries.The only place where the timelines overlap is on the beach, and after Cassandra and Lawrence begin spending all their time there Cassandra starts to notice disconcerting changes in the timeline. (Also featured here.)

If you love French Kiss try The Distance from A to Z by Natalie Blitt:

Love France and a loathing-becomes-love relationship? Abby Berman is enrolled in an advanced French class at Huntington University in hopes of attending a high school in Paris her senior year. Everything is going her way until she's paired with Zeke Martin who she can't stand. Hopefully she can keep her head, and heart, focused on her goal.

If you love Sleepless in Seattle try The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno:

Do you love the magical realism of Sleepless in Seattle? The Lost & Found has the same mystical feel and also features people who fall in love without meeting. Frannie and Louis met in an online support group for people who have experienced trauma. They became fast friends, and their connection grew when they discovered they both tend to have things vanish on them. They decide to meet in Austin, Texas as they search for answers behind their losses.

If you love City of Angels try Halo by Alexandra Ardonetta:

In this pairing we have angels who fall in love with mortals. Bethany is sent with two other angels to earth to serve and protect humankind while remaining anonymous. Then Bethany meets and falls in love with Xavier Woods. The other angels attempt to keep the pair apart. What will happen when an immortal angel forsakes her mission to be with a human boy?

If you love I.Q. try P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han:

In the sequel to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Lara Jean is reeling over what happened with Peter and the results of all those letters she never intended to send. I put P.S. I Still Love You and I.Q. together because in each a group of old folks attempts to set up a young couple. I loved all the scenes that took place at the retirement center, and I just love John Ambrose McClaren a whole bunch.


P.S. Our reviews of Kasie West's other books here, here, here, here, and here.

ARC August

I'm joining up with the lovely folks at Read.Sleep.Repeat for ARC August. The idea is to devote a little extra time to reading the ARCs that have been sitting on our shelves during the month of August. 

Here are some of the ARCs at the top of my TBR:

• Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith
• Kids of Appetite by David Arnold
• Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter
• Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray
• Jillian Spectre and the Dream Weaver by Nic Tatano
• A Dangerous Game by John Wilson
• Everland by Wendy Spinale
• Poppy by Mary Hooper

Books for Fans of The Prince & Me

Do you remember the movie The Prince & Me? It came out in 2004, and it stars Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan, an American college student who unknowingly falls in love with a prince.

We took our cue for this post from The Prince & Me and gathered a collection of books that feature American girls who fall in love with real-life princes, have royal weddings, or learn they are noble themselves. Here's to all of us who enjoy a modern fairy tale romance.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan:
When American Rebecca Porter begins her year abroad at Oxford, the first person that she meets at her new school is Prince Nicolas, heir to the British throne. Falling in love is the easy part. What comes next--the royal obligations, the paparazzi, the royal family--is much more difficult. This book is snappy and just pure entertainment. I highly recommend the audio book.

The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright:
Evie Gray is attending Oxford, her deceased mother's Alma Mater. Prince Edmund, the younger of the two British princes, is also attending Oxford, and the two soon start dating. Encouraged by letters her mother wrote long ago, Evie is also investigating her family history. What she discovers will change everything.

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot:
The first adult installment in Cabot's ever popular Princess Diaries series, follows Princess Mia and her prince charming as they plan their royal wedding. Of course, there are a few bumps along the way. Pesky press, meddling grandmothers, and scheming politicos, to name a few. With all of the quirk and snap of the rest of the series, here's Princess Mia all grown up,

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase:
Hardworking Samantha Rousseau has her life turned upside down when she learns she's an heiress to a duchess. Alex D'Lynsal, crown prince of Lilaria, is tired of scandalous headlines and having all his relationships scrutinized by media. He goes to America to try and escape all of that. There he meets Samantha and realizes that maybe he's not so ready to swear off relationships. Sam must navigate this new world of politics, wealth, and her feelings for a prince.

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton:
Becca is not very enthusiastic about the family trip to Europe because no one in her family seems to have time for her. She's lonely and miserable until she meets the mysterious Nikolai. She begins spending every spare moment with him never knowing that he is the runaway prince of Mondovia. Love gets complicated when royalty is involved, especially when the royalty in question is lying about his identity.

The Runaway Princess by Hester Brown:
Amy Wilde's new boyfriend, Leo, is secretly a prince and heir to the throne of Nirona. Dating a royal has quite a few perks, but the downsides are pretty hefty as well. As Amy stresses about meeting Leo's parents, staying in a castle, and dealing with the press, she starts to wonder if falling for a prince means losing herself. Sweet and fun, The Runaway Princess, features charmingly relatable characters, even if they are royal.

Favorite Reads of 2016 (the halfway mark)

We are joining with the big The Broke and the Bookish crew and their Top Ten Tuesday this week. This week's topic? Top Ten Books of the Year So Far. The year is almost half over, and we have read so many great books already.

We didn't want to spill the beans too much on our Favorite End of the Year Reads, so Paige and I each picked five of our favorites. And let me tell you, sticking to just five was not easy.

JoLee's Top Five

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: This book is so much fun. YA is flooded with super serious books, and it was nice to read something so charmingly, self-consciously funny.


Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse: I bought this book on a whim from Audible, and I ended up loving it. It's about a group of teenagers working for the resistance in Amsterdam during WWII.


A Room with a View by E.M Forster: I've loved the movie for years but didn't read the book until recently. I found it just as charming. I love the fusty, early-20th-century British humor.


Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys: This book is powerful, beautifully written, and contains so much heart. It does what historical fiction must do it it's to be done well: it gives a face, a name, and real emotions to the individuals who experienced the events we read about in history books.


Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup: With its gorgeous prose and tight framework, this book is the quiet kind of book that I love best. It handles big issues like racism, class, and sexuality on a personal level.

Paige's Top Five

The Secret to Letting Go by Katherine Fleet: A story about two teens who believe they are responsible for the deaths of people they love. This book is full of secrets and mysteries, and I loved watching them unfold.


Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead: The concept behind this book--can three friends survive middle school--is deceptively simple and doesn't begin to convey the depth of detail and heart within its pages.


Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt: Beautiful, tender, heartbreaking. Gary Schmidt captures things so perfecting. Truly lovely.


Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I'm a little late to the Fangirl party, but I have to admit, you guys were right. It's just really great in every way.


The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater: Once again, I wrest a favorite away from JoLee. What a fabulous conclusion to one of our favorite series.

Recently Acquired Books from All Sources

We are joining the folks over at Tynga's Reviews for their Stacking the Shelves feature.

From the Library:

When We Collided by Emery Lord: I read Emery Lord's debut, Open Road Summer, before it was released, and it was such a great find. I've been following her newest publications ever since. When We Collided came out in April of 2016, and I recently picked it up from the library.

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain: I really am enjoying this trend of writing fiction based on the lives of extraordinary historical women. Circling the Sun is about Beryl Markham, airplane pilot, racehorse trainer, and African colonist. (Featured here)

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard: I read an early copy of Red Queen last year, and I just had to know what happens next. Glass Sword has some second-book problems, but I finished it wanting more, which is always a good sign.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan: The story of an American girl who falls in love with the heir to the British throne. I don't know a whole lot about this one, but I do know that Janssen over at Everyday Reading loved it.

From Audible:

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse: I picked this one up during an Audible sale, and I am so glad that I did. I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a group of young people who are part of the Nazi resistance in Amsterdam during World War II. I highly recommend the audio version.

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster: Here's proof that I sometimes read classics. A Room with a View was the book club pick for May, and I absolutely adored it. It's so funny in that fusty early-20th century British way.

For Review:

With Malice by Eileen Cook: A teenage girl wakes up in a hospital room and can't remember the last six weeks of her life, including the accident that killed her best friend. This sounds like a fast-paced thriller, and I recall that Eileen Cook's last book also involved memory loss. Interesting... (Out June 7, 2016)

The Graces by Laure Eve: The Grace sisters are captivating, wealthy, and glamorous. They are also said to be witches. This book sounds like a really fascinating mash-up of a couple of popular YA themes. I'm definitely eager to crack it open. (Out September 6, 2016)

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge: I've read all of Hodge's books to date. Her first, Cruel Beauty, is a retelling of Beauty the Beast and her second recasts Red Riding Hood. She excels at world-building, and I can't wait to see what she does with Romeo and Juliet. (Out September 27, 2016)

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter: This newest book in the Jackaby series is my most-anticipated book of the summer. This series is clever and spooky, and I so excited to find out what happens next. (Out August 23, 2016)

Blog Tour: Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel and other Girl Spies

Welcome to the next stop on the Lies I Live By blog tour! Callie, from Lies I Live By, is a psychic and a government spy. To celebrate the release of this fabulous espionage-filled book, we have gathered nine additional YA books that feature girl spies. We have girl spies in historical fiction, steampunk, fantasy, and contemporary. Truly something for everyone.

It felt like the sky was the limit with this topic, and I had a hard time narrowing down the list to just ten girl spies! So, if you have a favorite spy novel, please share it with us in the comments!

And, don't forget to enter the giveaway below. We are giving away THREE finished copies of Lies I Live By! Best of luck!

Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel

Publisher / Year: Katherine Tegen Books - May 31, 2016

Genre: YA Paranormal

Source: Review copy from the publisher

 
Callie Sinclair is literally out of her mind; as the government’s youngest psychic spy, she finds valuable information for top-secret missions. Her work keeps her headaches at bay, but it means she must lie to everyone she loves, including her longtime boyfriend, Charlie.

When a new psychic arrives at the office, Callie can’t help but flirt; Jasper already knows her in a way Charlie never will. But as her love life gets more complicated, so do her visions. People halfway around the world seem to be in danger...and people in her own backyard, too. If Callie can’t find a way to alter future events, she could lose the people she loves—and her mind. Literally.

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Callie from Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel:
Callie is the youngest psychic spy in the San Francisco office, but keeping her work a secret is especially challenging for a teenager living at home. I really liked how Callie was an official government agent, but that she is also not against bending the rules a bit when it comes to protecting her loved ones. The psychic powers are definitely a fun twist on the traditional spy novel.

Peggy from Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel:
Peggy poses as a lady in waiting to Princess Caroline in the court of George II of England where she becomes embroiled in court politics. I am always up for court intrigue, and Sarah Zettel's series is just a lot of fun. It's set during an interesting period of history, and it inspired me to do a bit of research into the Jacobites and the Hanoverian era.

Verity from Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson: 
In this alternate history, the British still rule the American colonies in 1888. Verity Newton uses her position as governess for a upper class family to spy for the rebels who hope to overthrow the magic-wielding British with steam-powered machines. I love a good alternate history, and I thought this one, with its great characters and interesting premise, was a lot of fun.

Laia from An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir:
After Laia's brother is taken by the Martials, Laia seeks the help of the rebels, but their price is steep: she must spy on the Commandant, the head of Blackcliff Military Academy, for them. And let me tell you, the Commandant is insanely scary and violent and basically a complete nightmare. This book is addictive, and the sequel comes out in August, so now's the perfect time to jump on this bandwagon. 

Samantha from Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown:
Near the beginning of the Great War, Samantha Donaldson is recruited by La Dame Blanche to infiltrate the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Her mission is to extricate another LDB agent. Among the many complications is the the fact that Samantha only knows the agent's code name: Velvet. WWI historical fiction definitely takes a back seat to WWII fiction, and I enjoyed reading about an earlier era.

Sophronia from Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger:
When Sophronia Temminnick's mother enrolls her daughter at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, she doesn't know that the school really exists to train young ladies for covert operations, and that Sophronia is their ideal recruit. Carriger's Finishing School series is the epitome of a riotously good time. With steampunk perfection, boarding school antics, and a cast of clever and humorous characters, this is a series for every spy-girl lover.

Wilhelmina from The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows: 
Wilhelmina Korte is an outlaw, but she should be a queen, and she has a plan to take back her kingdom. For the first step, Wil and her best friend Melanie infiltrate the palace posing as refugees from Liadia. There, as spies, they will gather the information they need to launch their attack. There's so much good stuff in this book: illegal magic, a deadly magical fog, a dying king, a stuck-up prince, a handsome guard, and the Black Knife, a vigilante who fights crime in the city of Skyvale.

Verity from Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein:
Set during World War II, Elizabeth Wein's tells the story of spy Verity and her best friend Kittyhawk. Trapped in Nazi territory on the wrong side of the English Channel, Verity, in order to buy time, draws out her interrogation by writing the story of their friendship in the guise of a confession. All the praise you've heard about this book is well deserved. The writing is superb. The action is harrowing and horrifying. The friendship is so real. This book is crazy good. 

Cammie from I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter:
The Gallagher Academy may look like a typical boarding school for upper-class families but, in reality, it is a spy-training school. The Gallagher Girls Series is six books strong, and it chronicles the education, adventures, and misadventures of Cammie Morgan and her friends from her sophomore year to her senior. The Gallagher Girl novels are fun and quick reads. They also get increasingly more sophisticated as the series progresses.

Persis from Across the Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund:
In a gender-swapped retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel set in a post-apocalyptic world, Persis Blake is the Wild Poppy, the greatest spy of her time, but no one would ever guess it due to her carefully constructed Persis Flake persona. This book is a true beauty. Peterfreund's worlds are so intricate, interesting, and well-described. Her characters are smart and incredibly complex. The whole thing comes together just beautifully.


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ABOUT LAUREN SABEL:

Website | Twitter | Facebook  

Originally from the Rocky Mountains, Lauren Sabel has returned to the cool mountain air of Boulder, Colorado after living in several wonderful cities that she will always love and continue to visit year after year.

Lauren loves her husband, her family, her friends, and stories that end happily. (Unfortunately, hers never do.) She also loves digging into her mind and revealing tiny gems she didn’t know were there. 

Lauren learned to mind dig while getting her MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa, a Buddhist college in Boulder, Colorado. Before Naropa, Lauren studied film in Rome, where she developed her love of crypts and other beautiful creepy things. She also worked in the film industry in New York and San Francisco, focusing mainly on film festivals, as she can never pass up a good party. In San Francisco she worked for Chronicle Books, where she was inducted into the fascinating world of book publishing. 

For the past eight years, Lauren has been teaching college students the joys of creative writing, whether they like it or not.

In 2008, Lauren was published in Undiscovered Voices, an anthology of the best new writers for children in the U.K., where she was living at the time. Then life got very exciting very quickly. She signed with Jodi Reamer Esq. at The Writer’s House Agency in New York, and they made magic happen, and that magic is named Katherine Tegen. (aka: Katherine Tegen Publishing, Harper Collins).

Lauren's first book, Vivian Divine is Dead was published June 3 2014. She's currently working on her next book, which she can't wait to tell you about (but has to wait just a little while anyway).

Lauren believes that being a teenager is an act of courage, and is proud of anyone who manages to stick through it, despite the pain. :)

Follow the Lies I Live By Blog Tour:

Week 1:

5/30: One Curvy Blogger - Review

5/31: Intellectual Recreation - Top 10 Female Spies

6/1: Avid Reader - Review

6/2: The Bookkeeper's Secrets - Graphic Design

6/3: Tina the Bookworm - Review

Week 2:

6/6: In Wonderland - Guest Post

6/7: Live to Read - Review

6/8: Take Me Away to a Great Read - Mood Board

6/9: Books & Cleverness - Review

6/10: The Irish Banana Review - Q&A