Review: Outrun the Moon

Author: Stacey Lee
Series: No
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Page Length: 400 Pages
Publication Date: May 24th, 2016
Publisher: Putnam/Penguin
Source: ARC via Stacey + Penguin
Goodreads | Amazon

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, an historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Mercy can't sit by while they wait for the Army to bring help. Fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, yet Mercy still has the 'bossy' cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenaged girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

Meet the Newbies: Kathryrn Purdie

Meet the Newbies is a blog event dedicated to introducing you to the “newbie” published debut authors. In this event, expect to learn more about the authors, their books, and silly fun facts! Check out the full Meet the Newbies lineup here.

Kathryn's debut, Burning Glass, was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year. I read it back in August, and it definitely lived up to my expectations! I love Kathryn's writing, the Russian culture, the subplots, the characters, and the searing romance. And so I present to you... Kathryn Purdie!

Author Most Likely To Get Trapped in Her Seatbelt in the High School Parking Lot (True Story)

Nickname: Firestarter

First Day of School: March 1, 2016

Homeroom: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins

Grade: YA fantasy

Extracurricular Activities: Dream Interpretation, Wild Horse Training (and some serious ones: acting, guitar, singing, art)

Favorite Class:  Sensing Assassins 101

Favorite Quote/Motto: “I’m not a mirror. And I don’t break like glass.” ~Sonya from BURNING GLASS

Double Review: The Crown's Game + The Unexpected Everything

Author: Evelyn Skye
Series: Yes
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 416 Pages
Publication Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: ARC 
Goodreads | Amazon

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

#ThisIsWhoIAmNow: The Square Root of Summer Blog Tour

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood is a book that has gained lots of attention in the bookish industry and had a huge bidding war at auction. I love the idea of mixing time travel and physics. For these reasons I instantly grew an interest in this book.

Today as part of the blog tour, I was asked to answer a series of questions in late February and answer them again in early May to see the difference in my responses and how I've grown in that time.

Meet the Newbies: Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Meet the Newbies is a blog event dedicated to introducing you to the “newbie” published debut authors. In this event, expect to learn more about the authors, their books, and silly fun facts! Check out the full Meet the Newbies lineup here.

Harriet's debut The Square Root of Summer instantly caught my attention because time travel always fascinates me. And there's physics in this book! Without further ado, I present Harriet Reuter Hapgood!

Author Most Likely To Talk To You Earnestly About Dawson's Creek

Nickname: baggylettuce

First Day of School: May 3, 2016

Homeroom: Roaring Brook Press

Grade: Contemporary

Extracurricular Activities: Kitchen disco, applying eyeliner on the bus, Instagramming cats, felt-tip pen illustrations of unicorns, time travel

Favorite Class: I study at the school of Goop.com every Thursday ;)

Favorite Quote/Motto: "I am going to make the largest wizard staff in the world. I was also going to summon something wonderful but you are already here." from Leigh Stein's Birthday by Lauren Ireland

April Wrap-Up

Can you believe that we are a third of the way through 2016??

April Reads: