Book Review | The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

I've been a huge fan of Ann Brashares since I read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series while I was growing up. I recently had the opportunity to meet her at a Barnes & Noble signing along with three other authors. It was a fantastic experience! I was able to get her latest release signed, and I read it a couple weeks back in one sitting.

The Here and Now is a young adult novel that combines the contemporary and science fiction genres. Our main character is Prenna, and the story is told from her point of view. Prenna is an immigrant, but she is an immigrant from the future. She immigrated to the present-day United States with her family and other members of her community in order to help prevent the blood plagues of her time.

Prenna must follow a number of rules to survive. We follow her as she tries to fit in at her local high school, while still keeping distance from the other students. Prenna is soon faced with the opportunity to join forces with her friend Ethan, as they try to stop a murder from happening. The Here and Now follows this young couple as they discover the truth about time travel.

While The Here and Now has received mixed reviews, I really loved the story. It is extremely fast-paced, a bit mysterious, and, of course, it tugs on the heart strings as well. Brashares' writing style is one of my all-time favorites. She has the ability to let the reader figure out part of the story, but not the big picture. I actually gasped out loud at one point during a twist I didn't see coming. My one criticism with this book is that it is too short. I feel like the book was condensed into its 242 pages, when it could be much longer. That would have left more breathing room for much of the action, and I would have more of this storyline to enjoy.

Overall, I am rating The Here and Now a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you like time travel books, I highly recommend this one. It made me call to action everything I knew about time travel from popular culture, even though this definitely plays by its own rules. You can purchase There Here and Now on Amazon HERE. I look forward to reading more of Brashares' books in the future! (Pun not intended.)

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Book Review | The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

I'm really loving young adult, contemporary books this summer, and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith is no exception. I picked up this book at a signing at Barnes & Noble Union Square, and when I sat down to read it I couldn't put it down.

The story begins with our main characters Lucy and Owen as they become trapped in their apartment building's elevator when the power goes out in New York City. They are rescued from the elevator, and spend the rest of the blackout together. While they both live in the same building, they come from very different worlds. Lucy's family is quite affluent, and Owen's is struggling. His mother recently passed away, and his father is the building's superintendent. Nonetheless, the two teens wait out the blackout by getting to know one another.

Once the power comes back on, Lucy and Owen go their separate ways – literally. Lucy moves to Europe when her father is transferred, and Owen and his father go on a road trip to the Western US to find a new job after Owen's dad is fired. The two attempt to stay in contact, but never get the chance to really build a friendship due to their geographical situations. The Geography of You and Me chronicles both Lucy and Owen's journeys as they spend time apart wishing they had they had gotten to know one another better when they had the chance.

I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written, and I especially loved Part III. I was glued to the story from the moment it began, and I really appreciated how real the characters are. Unlike many contemporaries, there is no "instalove" in this story, but real character development and relationship building. If you're looking for a great romance that isn't sickeningly sweet, The Geography of You and Me is a perfect choice.

I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be checking out more of Smith's works. Not only was the story great, but I appreciated the beautiful cover and the typography as well. Unsurprisingly, I gave  The Geography of You and Me a full five star rating on Goodreads. You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE. Please let me know in the comments what Jennifer E. Smith book I should pick up next!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | The First Husband by Laura Dave

I found a copy of The First Husband by Laura Dave at the Strand for $1.00 and couldn't help but pick it up based on the cover alone. It looked like a fun book, so I decided to take it with me on my recent trip to Los Angeles and read it on the plane. I'm very glad I did!

The First Husband begins with our main character Annie being dumped by her long-time boyfriend, Nick. Annie is heartbroken and lost, and finds herself at a local bar late one night. There she meets Griffin, a chef with whom she falls in love instantly. Annie and Griffin hit it off, and begin a relationship, but before Annie can find comfort in her new life, Nick comes back seeking forgiveness. The First Husband follows Annie as she travels across the country, and subsequently across the Atlantic, to decide where, and with whom, she belongs.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a light, adult contemporary that does have some serious scenes, but is otherwise a great beach read. Annie is a very relatable character, and it was easy for me as a reader to connect with her and share her emotions, whatever they may be. Similarly, I liked that readers get to know about Annie's career as a journalist in addition to just her love life. It really provides some depth to her character, and makes the book more believable.

At just under 250 pages, The First Husband is the perfect book for traveling, as it's a quick read and can fit perfectly in your beach bag. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, as I even though I really liked it, I don't think there's anything that special about it, and I don't plan to pick it up again. I definitely recommend The First Husband if you love contemporary novels and are looking for a summer read. You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE.

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

One of the most hyped books of this summer is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I picked up a copy at a Barnes & Noble event that I attended back in May, and was able to meet the author and have her sign my book! I really enjoyed meeting her and hearing more about what went into writing We Were Liars. I knew that I needed to read it right away in order to avoid any spoilers, and I'm so very glad I did.

We Were Liars is a contemporary, young adult novel told from the point of view of our main character Cadence. Each summer, Cadence joins her wealthy family on their own private island off the coast of Massachusetts. The book chronicles Cadence's return to the island, and readers learn that two summers ago she suffered an accident that affected her memory. The remainder of the book follows Cadence as she tries to piece together what happened.

If you've heard about We Were Liars, then you'll probably know that there is a great deal of mystery surrounding the book. Despite its short length, the story packs a punch. There is a shocking ending that can't be talked about, so if you've not yet read this book, I highly recommend you pick it up right away.

We Were Liars had a huge impact on me. I'm writing this review over a month after reading the novel, and it is still burned into my memory. The book is truly life-altering. It's written absolutely beautifully, and I'm quite impressed with how carefully crafted it is. Lockhart did an amazing job with We Were Liars, and it's definitely encouraged me to look into her other books.

I apologize for such a vague review, but as I mentioned, it's best to read We Were Liars without much context. I definitely recommend this book, and suggest you pick it up before getting spoiled. It's definitely a summer read, but keep the tissues nearby. You can purchase We Were Liars on Amazon HERE. Of course, I gave the book a full 5 star rating on Goodreads.

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Bout of Books 10.0 | Day 5

Currently Reading: Learning to Breathe Fire by J.C. Herz [BUY]

Books Completed: 

1. The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson [BUY] [REVIEW]
2. Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D.[BUY]
3. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut [BUY]
4. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell  [BUY]

Pages Read Today: 312

Pages Read Total: 1107

My Thoughts on Today: Wow! Today was great! I began and finished Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It was a rainy day here in the city, so I took advantage of the bad weather and made today a lazy, reading day. I loved Attachments, and it was just what I needed – a fun, contemporary book. 

Goals for Tomorrow: I'll actually need to be productive tomorrow, so not as much reading and more work and running errands. Nonetheless, I hope to get at least 100 pages of my next read, Learning to Breathe Fire done, if not more. It's just over 300 pages total, and I'd love to finish it by the end of this readathon. 

Bout of Books 10.0 | Day 1

Happy Monday! This week I'm taking part in Bout of Books 10.0, a week-long readathon where a bunch of readers throughout the world make reading a priority and share their thoughts on bookish things across social media. You can find out all the details on the official Bout of Books website.

What I really like about this readathon is that it's very laid back. There are no challenges and no specific goals. All one has to do to participate is read more than she usually does in a week. As I've just wrapped on my second year of law school, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to jump back into reading before my summer internships get underway. I'll be posting little updates for you at the end of each day to share my progress, but feel free to follow me on Twitter and Goodreads for even more updates.

Day 1

Currently Reading: The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson [BUY]

Books Completed: None yet! 

Pages Read Today: 154

Pages Read Total: 154

My Thoughts on Today: I'm overall happy with my start to Bout of Books! While I definitely spent time doing other things when I could have been reading, I definitely read more than I usually do in one day! I'm really enjoying The Devil in the Marshalsea as well. It's creepy, and Hodgson's writing makes me feel like I'm watching the story unfold in movie form. Very cool!

Goals for Tomorrow: I would love to finish The Devil in the Marshalsea tomorrow and possibly move on to my next book. Stay tuned to find out what that book will be!