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

Title: The Geography of You and Me

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Publisher: Poppy

Release date: April 15th 2014

Summary: Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

REVIEW

If you were to draw a map of the two of them, of where they started out and where they would both end up, the lines would be shooting away from each other like magnets spun around on their poles. And it occurred to Owen that there were something deeply flawed about this, that there should be circles or angles or turns, anything that might make it possible for the two lines to meet again. Instead, they were both headed in the exact opposite directions. The map was as good as a door swinging shut. And the geography of the thing-the geography of them- was completely and hopelessly wrong.

I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight a few months ago, and I didn't love it. I had to try twice before really getting into the story, but in the end, the romance was cute. I had this one and This is what happy looks like in my TBR pile and I randomly put this in my luggage before I left for my holidays in the south of France. I wasn't even sure I would read it this week, but I did and won't regret it.

I first picked this book because the main character's name is Lucy, and mine is Lucie. Same name, different languages. I always look forward to read a book with a character that has the same name than me: A Tale of Two Cities (Lucie Manette) or the Chronicles of Narnia (Lucy Pevensie).

This book started with our two main characters, Lucy and Owen, stuck in the same lift because of a power cut in New York. They start to talk to each other, but their journey together doesn't stop there. They spend the rest of the day together, and they fall in love, like two average teenagers (even if they don't know that yet). But, their story is getting complicated, because they both have to move: Lucy in England, Owen somewhere else in the States. From that point, they'll try to stay in touch, through postcards or sometimes emails, but it gets difficult to stay in touch, because it is the way of life. From the moment I saw these characters together, I was hooked.

I read this book in almost one setting, I cried and laughed with these characters. I spent little time with them, but they grew close to my heart, and they'll stay in it for some time. I liked to read the postcards, like the one with the deepness of Loch Ness and Tahoe Lake, because it brought them together, no matter how far away they were from each other. I also liked how the author chose to deal with this situation: at some point both of them try to have someone, but it doesn't really work out.

"You know what made me less sad?"

"What?"

"Seeing you happy," he told him. "And for a little while there, it seemed like those postcards were the only thing that did the trick."

The traveling aspect of this book was so refreshing - from San Francisco to Prague, with glimpses of Paris, Seattle, Edinburgh, and so many other cities. No matter how far away, the characters thought about each other, and that was beautiful. This book doesn't want us to believe that being in love with someone abroad is easy, but that you can do it, no matter the distance. For me, it was done beautifully, and I cried the moment Lucy told Owen she was moving in London. It was cute, heartwarming and genuine at the same time. This book made me feel so many things and it's always something I appreciate.

Lucy, however, lingered on the stoop for another minute, her eyes still damp, wondering which one was true. Maybe she was homesick for New York, or maybe it was Edinburgh. Possibly it was even both. Or maybe-maybe-it wasn't a place at all.

Personally, I was touched by this book because my boyfriend is going in Germany for six months starting in September, and I could so easily relate to the characters because if that, I think I'll probably reread this book at that time. However, I think this book is underrated, so please read it!

What did you think about this book? Are you interested in it?

The Creeping & The Accident Season | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases. Personally, I always speak of books released on the next Tuesday, but that's not everyone's case.

Title: The Creeping

Author: Alexandra Sirowy

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release date: August 18th 2015

Goodreads summary: Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she's over it. She's the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it's her small town's ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She's got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them.

MY THOUGHTS

I always like to discover new authors, which explains I'm a debut enthusiast. I haven't heard a lot about this book for now, but Rachel's early review convinced me I needed to check this book out when it's published. I'm not really familiar with this mystery/thriller genre, but I'm looking forward to dive into it. I know I really like to be surprised by books, though, so mystery should be for me. This cover is really creeping me out (oh the joke!), I might keep this one for the end of October because of the atmosphere.

Title: The Accident Season

Author: Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Release date: August 18th 2015

Goodreads summary: It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

MY THOUGHTS

I wanna read this for the same reasons than The Creeping. I read this blog tour post on Kristen's blog and what really convinced me is the fact that you can read it as a coincidence or magical realism. It's something that appeals to me, because the reader is free to interpret the book the way he wants. The early reviews are good, so I'll read it in the future!

Are you excited for these books? Have you heard of other books released next week? 

Let me know ;)

Top Ten Authors I've Read The Most Books From | Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's feature is pretty easy to write, thanks to Goodreads and its 'most read authors' button. There will probably be authors you don't know, because there are authors of my childhood, and they are French. 

1. MEG CABOT (28 books)

When I was in middle-grade, I was reading books by this author all the time! The Princess Diaries is her most popular series out there, the 11th was published in June. I read it and loved it, but I don't think I'll read other books by her now that I'm older.

2. RICK RIORDAN (19 books)

I think this is my brother's favourite author. Funny story, I saw the first Percy Jackson movie before I even read the book. Guys, I read the book because of the movie, which is rather shocking. I like how Riordan plays with mythology in his books, and it's really interesting for children, because they can kinda learn mythology this way. I'm really excited for The Sword of Summer, first book in a Norse mythology series, which will come out in October. 

3. RICHELLE MEAD (16 books)

The number of books I read about this author can be explained by Vampire Academy. I marathoned this book series a while ago, then I read Bloodlines, and I loved it even more than the main series. I was a sucker (ultimate joke) for this books and I'm looking forward to read more books by this author, like the upcoming Soundless. However, I'm not that interested by her past works, but no one is perfect. ;)

4. CASSANDRA CLARE (16 books)

I have a special love for The Shadowhunter's Chronicles. I agree that the author is probably writing more books for the money, but it doesn't matter, because these books are good. I've been excited for Lady Midnight (coming in 2016) for years now, I wanted this book more than City of Heavenly Fire, to be honest. The Infernal Devices is one of my favourite series of all times, I started to read in English because I wanted to know what happened in Clockwork Prince. Now, I only read in English, so thank you, Cassandra Clare!

5. LEMONY SNICKET (13 books)

A Series of Unfortunate Events is 13 books long, in fact. It is one of my favourite childhook series, I'm really excited for the Netflix adaptation, because I was so upset about the movie adaptation (the actors were great, especially Jim Carey, but the plot...). I know the depressing tone of this narrator prevented some people to read these books, but really, they are worth it!

6. SOPHIE AUDOUIN-MAMIKONIAN (13 books)

In France, this author was like our J.K. Rowling. Her book series, Tara Duncan, was about a young girl who discovers she has powers of her own and is the heir to the Empire of Omois, biggest land in Autremonde. This is a 12 book series with another serie starting this year. I didn't even finish it, because Tara was annoying, but Cal, a thief, was one of my favourite characters. Still, when I was in middle-grade, I was waiting every year for the next book to come out. Random fact; This author is a princess.

7. PIERRE BOTTERO (13 books)

Another French author, I read all the books he wrote on his own. His series are pretty popular, they are fantasy one. It is a loved author in my generation in France, because he was killed in 2009 in a moto accident. He had just started a new series who was a crossover between all his past series, starting with Les Ames Croisées. It was my favourite book he had written, because it was high fantasy. I love this writer because he evolved with his audience. In his first books, Ewilan, the heroine was 12, then with L'Autre, the characters were 16, then with Les Ames Croisées, they were 18. It's something I loved about him, because his readers grew up with his characters, the same way it was with Harry Potter. 

8. SARA SHEPARD (12 books)

Back when Pretty Little Liars was my favourite TV show of all times, I decided to read the book series. I read the first eight books (which was supposed to be the end!) and I liked them, but I gave up when I saw she was planning to write eight others... I also read The Lying Game and I really liked it, but I haven't finish it yet, because my best friend lends them to me, but she didn't buy them all. I was pretty disappointed when this TV show was cancelled though. 

9. JOSEPH DELANEY (11 books)

Funny fact, this is the only author I've ever met. I went to a signing last november (in France, which is rare for an English author) for my boyfriend. I really like his Last Apprentice series, but I'm reading it in French, I read until the eleventh (because numbers twelve and thirteen aren't published yet). The movie was really bad, though. 

10. ANNE-MARIE DESPLAT-DUC (11 books)

When I was younger, I loved historical novels. Now that I'm a history student, I can't really read those when set in France, ot I get really angry at the writer. However, French authors tend to treat French history nicely. The 17th century is one of my favourite time periods, and this author wrote a lot about it, from Les Colombes du Roi Soleil to Marie-Anne, fille du roi. I loved the first series, which focused on the fate of one girl in a special school. One was a singer, the other went to Asia, this one to Germany, this one became a corsaire. It was such a good series, I really loved it and it will always have a special place in my heart.

What about you? Who are your most read authors?

Leave a comment down below to answer!

Review : The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Release date: March 4th 2014

Goodreads summary: Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. 

REVIEW

I have been avoiding this book for a long time, because of the hype. Sometimes, I dive into that kind of book, and I wonder if I read the same book than the rest of us. However, I'll gladly say that it wasn't the case for this book, because I was compelled by the story as soon as the first pages.

Our main character, Kestrel, is an aristocratic girl who is either meant to marry or enlist before her twentieth birthday. She's still seventeen and has time to choose, but there is a lot of pressure around her choice, because her father is the infamous general Trajan, the Valorian who was the main actor in the Herrani conquest ten years ago, a territory where they now live. One day, Kestrel is stuck in an auction and buys a slave - which wasn't exactly her plan, because she already has plenty of them. However, this choice leads to a rebellion who could shatter either her world or her heart.

In the acknowledgments, Marie Rutkoski mentions that she was inspired by the conquest of Greece by the Romans, and that's exactly the feeling I got while reading this book. It was both high fantasy and historical, indeed women who weds are always to walk with an escort (Roman style) whereas soldiers women are very independent (high fantasy), I really liked that aspect of the book.

This world was very rich, mostly about culture, but we didn't see the whole picture of the Valorian empire, because this book focused on Herran. However, it wasn't necessarily a flaw, even if I hope we'll see more of the world in the next books.

For the plot, this book is clearly divided into two parts: the first about Kestrel evolving through high society, whereas the second one was politically-driven. During that second part, I was kind of mind blown, it was so very clever, and I can't wait to read the next one.

Kestrel isn't one of this typical YA heroines we see these days, like Katniss or Rose or Tris. She was trained in combat, mostly because of who his father is, but that doesn't mean she's the best at it.

"A kestrel is a hunting hawk."

"Yes. The perfect name for a warrior girl."

"Well." His smile was slight, but it was there. "I suppose neither of us is the person we were believed we would become."

In fact, she lacks of fighting skills but makes up with her strategical mind. She's such a clever girl that her father listens to her ideas concerning the army, which shows her usefulness.

However, I wasn't a huge fan of Arin as a character. In the beginning, I really liked that he wasn't called by his name because Kestrel didn't know it, he was just referred to as 'the slave'. It really showed how he was just one, meaningless, among so many others. Nevertheless, the more the story went on, the less is character was understandable to me. From the first chapter, he was disobedient. Now I ask you: if you want a rebellion to succeed and that you are undercover, what do you do? You stick to your cover, of course. Here, I thought Arin was lacking of judgment: no matter how resentful he was against the Valorians, he was to act as a slave, at least for the sake of the rebellion. But he didn't, and drew attention to him all the time! Not very clever.

Still, I liked the romance between them, even though Kestrel acted stupidly sometimes because of him. The romance didn't overwhelm the story. I could feel that they were used to each other and even cared about each other, it was obvious that there would be romance between them because of the summary, but it wasn't overdone. It was really swoony and they felt right together, but it wasn't their priority. Their countries were. They'll try to make it right to be together, but the compromise will be the most important thing for them (I hope).

I loved to read this story and can't wait to see how it goes. There'll be more politics in the next one and I look forward to see that. Moreover, I want to see more of this world.

Rating: 4.5/5

Ten Fairytale Retellings I've Read/Want To Read | Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is about Fairytale retellings, I included both books I've read and want to read.

10. CRIMSON BOUND BY ROSAMUND HODGE

Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, this book is set in an alternate French history setting. The main character, Rachelle, is bloodbound, which means she was bitten by a forestborn and soon will become one, so become a slave of the Forest. She has to protect an illegitimate son of the king of Gevaudan and destroy the Devourer, or the sun and moon will disappear forever...

I didn't love it because of the French setting, but the plot was really good!

9. CRUEL BEAUTY BY ROSAMUND HODGE

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is mixed with mythology. It's about a girl who has to marry the demon who rules the land and makes bargains with common folks (but not without a price!). She has to kill him, but her heart is at doubt. Soon, she has to make a choice between saving her land or her heart...

It was interesting, but complicated and didn't particularly blew me away.

8. ANIMALE BY VICTOR DIXEN

This is a French book, so I understand if you've never heard of it. It is a retelling of Goldilocks and the three bears. Set in 19th century France, basically about the child of Goldilocks. I don't remember much about it, but I loved it!

7. NEVER NEVER BY BRIANNA SHRUM

Released September 22nd 2015
Set in Neverland, this book focuses on James Hook, his backstory, what happened before he was Captain Hook, why he hates Peter Pan, well you see. So excited about that!

6. THE ISLE OF THE LOST BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

This is the prequel of a Disney Channel Original Movie about the fate of the Disney villains. We know what happens for the heroes, they have their happy endings and stuff, but what about the villains? Their descendants? I'm really excited about this book and still have to read it.

5. THE LAND OF STORIES BY CHRIS COLFER

This is a middle-grade series about two kids that literally fell into their fairy tale book. In the Land of Stories, nothing is right. The fairy tale characters are supposed to have their happy endings, but it's not that easy since the Evil Queen has run away. If you want to know about Little Red Riding Hood, she built walls to protect her kingdom from the rest of the world. Shouldn't she be safe and sound now? That's what you'll discover in these books. I've read the first book and still have to marathon this series but I'm waiting until all the books are released!

4. UPROOTED BY NAOMI NOVAK

I really want to read this book, I don't really know if it's a retelling, but apparently, it has the same feeling to it than a Grimm fairy tale. I've heard a lot about it on Booktube, a lot of people own it, but I didn't see a lot of people read it yet. Still, it has rave reviews.

Goodreads summary: Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

3. THE WRATH AND THE DAWN BY RENEE AHDIEH

To me, this book came as a surprise, it is one of my favourite books of the year. It has rave reviews, but don't worry, it's worth the hype! This is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. It is about a boy king who takes a new wife every day and kills her at dawn. The main character wants to avenge the death of her best friend and volunteers to become his next wife. However, she survives the night, she discovers that this boy isn't really a monster. Soon, her heart doubts, even if she has to kill him…

2. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS

I loved the Throne of Glass series, so I was really excited when I heard Sarah J. Maas had a new book in progress. This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It follows Feyre, an huntress who kills a faerie by mistake, and has to live among faeries for the rest of her life to pay her debt to Tamlin, who was the lord of this faerie. But her land is threatened and she has to discover the secrets within the faerie world. 

1. THE LUNAR CHRONICLES BY MARISSA MEYER 

Pretty obvious, because it is one of my favourite series out there, and the fourth and final book, Winter, the retelling of Snow White, is my most anticipated release of this year. In the first book, Cinder, we follow a cyborg girl who has to fight against her evil stepmother (who wants to sell her), falls in love with the Prince of her country in the process, and discover who she really is. In the meantime, the Prince has to deal with the terrifying Queen Levana who rules Luna, because she's the only one who possess the cure to a plague running among the human race. It is a dystopian novel with this fairy tale feel, and I love it. The second book, Scarlet, is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hook, the third, Cress, a retelling a Rapunzel. 

What are your top ten fairytale retellings? Do you have any recommendations?

July 2015 - Wrap-up

I didn't see this month pass, because I was so busy! It always scares me how much holiday months are faster that school ones, but that's the game, sadly!

JULY READS

The Stars Never Rise and Ink and Bone were pleasant surprises, because I had never read any books by their authors. A Book of Spirits and Thieves and Dream a Little Dream were also great starts in new series, even if I wasn't surprised, because of Falling Kingdoms for the first and Ruby Red for the second. The Heart of Betrayal was a strong sequel, even better than the first book, and I loved to learn about Vendan culture. The rest of the books I read was fine, but nothing blew me away... However, I didn't manage to finish Saint Anything, who definitely wasn't for me.

POSTS

Book reviews: The Stars Never Rise | Frostfire | A Book of Spirits and Thieves | Dream a Little Dream | 

Saint Anything | The Conspiracy of Us | Cruel Beauty | I'll Give You the Sun | The Heart of Betrayal | Crimson Bound | Maybe Someday | Seraphina | Ink and Bone 

Tags: Chris Pratt Book Tag

IN MY LIFE

Since this month, I worked as an animator for three years old, they were very cute, but I was so tired... It was a great job, but non-stop from 8 am to 6:30 pm and I just wanted to sleep when I got home. I still managed to read a lot, but only on weekends.

On Monday, I'm going on vacation with my family in the south of France in Bormes-les-Mimosas (where my uncle has a boat) for a week, I'm really excited because the weather is rather cold in the north these days. I really hope I'll be able to rest enough though, because uni is back in one month and a half (oh no...).

What about you? How was your month?

Review : Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: NAL

Release date: July 7th 2015

Goodreads summary: In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn...

REVIEW

"You're clever, Jess, but Da's wrong about one thing: you don't just have ink in your blood. It's in your bones. Your skeleton's black with it. You go there, to them, and we'll lose you forever."

This book came to me as a wonderful surprise, and will probably be in my top books of the year. 

We meet Jess as he's a ten years old boy stealing books in order for his father to sell them illegally. Yes, that's the most important thing that we learn in the prologue: owning books is forbidden and you're punished for it.

Owning it carried a death penalty. When you steal a book, you steal from the world, the Library propaganda said, and Jess supposed it might be true. Especially for this book.

Behind this black market ran by Jess' family for London, there are ideas considered heresies by the Great Library. For example, Gutenberg, because he created a print who would have unsettled the Library and was destroyed for it. In the book, we see that other characters have these ideas, but their work is always destroyed. Of course, the Library controls every access to book. Everybody has a Codex who can reminds us of an e-reader, with access to books as long as the Library wants it. You also have Burner, like the French revolutionary Danton (one of the characters is related to him), who burns books in order to protect them from the Library.

To be part of the Library, you have to pass a test. At age sixteen, Jess successfully passes it and is sent to a marvelous setting with twenty-nine other teenagers, Alexandria. From that point starts a competition to win one of the six posts available in the Great Library, learning from a suspicious character, Scholar Christopher Wolfe (such an interesting character, with an amazing backstory). Soon, Jess and his fellow students learns that no one is safe, even when you're part of the Library.

This academic part of the plot was amazing, it's something I usually really like in a book. Despite that competition, the students forms friendships, as much as they can. There is romance in this book, but it wasn't too heavy and it was mostly at the end, if you're not a fan of romance as a big part in YA books, you can read this one, you won't be bothered by it this way.

The plot was beautifully done, it was a little slow paced, but not in the bad way, it was also because the chapters were rather long, compared to other books. There was tension during the whole book who made me want to turn pages and never stop, this story was really addictive.

Overall, this book was really entertaining and the idea around it was unique: I liked to read about the Great Library, where nothing and no one can be trusted (in the end, the postulants are even afraid to work there, because it's so dangerous). Moreover, this book is set in 2025, so close to us, which is even more terrifying, because everything could happened (like the war between Welsh and British people).

Rating: 5/5