This Year I Will Read What I Love

Item: Being Sloane Jacobs
Rating: 4
Author: Jana

Posted January 17, 2014 by Jana in About Me, Discussion / 41 Comments

You know… I’ve been thinking lately about what I read and WHY I read what I read. Maybe this comes with being a “seasoned” book blogger, or something, I don’t know. I think all of this thinking started when I was doing my year end survey a couple weeks ago. I realized that I read a lot of “meh” books in 2013. There were very few that made me scream from the rooftops, “THIS IS WHY I READ!!!” As I was trying to come up with answers to the various questions, I found myself wanting to answer with the same handful of books because those were the only ones I LOVED. I don’t want that for myself in 2014. I want to read books I love. I don’t want to force myself to finish a book if I’m just not feeling it. I don’t want to force myself to read a book if I’m not in the mood right then, and would rather read something else instead.

I read to fall in love. I read to travel. I read to visit friends. I read to escape. I don’t read to review. I don’t read to please other people. I don’t read for the publishers or the authors or the publicists or the blog tour hosts or even for my blog readers. I read for me! I review because I want to share my love of books. I don’t review because I have something to prove, or because I feel like I have to. I review for myself, and if my blog readers are interested in what I have to say, that’s awesome! I will love you! I love talking books with people! I love being exposed to books I never would have read otherwise. I blog because I love the friendship. See? I do what I do for selfish reasons. And that’s ok! I’m allowed to be selfish.

My goal for 2014 is to come away with a huge list of books I LOVE. I want a big long list of books I could not live without. I will not be afraid to decline a review request. I will not be afraid to DNF a book if I’m just not feeling it. I will not feel obligated to do this or that, and I will not feel obligated to NOT do this or that. I’m making 2014 about me. Yes, I am SO going to tackle my review books. I am going to improve my Netgalley review ratio like you would not believe, and I am going to blow up Edelweiss with my awesome reviews. I am going to read those ARCs like it’s nobody’s business. But I am going about it with a completely different mindset. I am going to do it for me. I will find my new favorite book this year, and I will sing and dream and talk and dance about it. And if I come across a book that I just don’t feel, I will move on. It’s like dating. I will say yes if a book asks me out. I will curl up with it and give it a chance. But if it hurts me or disappoints me or says things I don’t like or makes me cry for bad reasons, then I will dump it. I will not suffer through a terrible book date because that’s not good for the book, and it’s not good for me.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders! I feel like 2014 is going to be awesome! You should really try this. The moment being a book reviewer makes you feel like you’re going on a ton of mediocre dates and will never find your true love, dump those books and tell yourself you’re worth more than that. It’s what your mom would tell you to do.

Am I really late to this happy world of realizations? Does anyone else feel like I do?

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill | Book Review

Posted January 15, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 10 Comments

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers on January 7, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

I really loved Lauren Morrill’s first book, Meant to Be (my review), and was very excited to learn of her next book about a figure skater and a hockey player who switch places for the summer! I knew I was in for a very fun read. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. I feel like ice sports rarely show up in young adult books, which is sad. I’m not a hockey fan by any means, but I love figure skating. I even took lessons when I was little! I loved reading all about figure skating, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was even interested in hockey! Lauren did a great job bringing both sports to life for me.

2. I was very attracted to the Parent Trap-esque storyline. Sloane and Sloane bump into each other randomly and, each having their own baggage, decide it would be really nice to escape from their lives and try something new. The girls learn to be each other over a bunch of really expensive junk food one night, and then head off to each other’s summer camps. Sloane Emily, a figure skater, gets to try her hand at hockey while Sloane Devon learns how to fly through the air in a tiny, sparkly spandex leotard. I loved this unique idea, and smiled when The Parent Trap reference showed up in the story itself. I love that movie!

3. It was difficult at times to keep the Sloanes straight in my head, so I feel like I did not connect with either one of them as much as I could have. Sloane is already a pretty rare name, so to have two of them in the same book really messed with my mind! I eventually got used to it and was able to keep them somewhat straight by their middle names. To me, Emily is a more girly name… so Sloane Emily is the figure skater. BUT she’s playing hockey right now. Whoa. Devon seems more tomboyish to me, so Sloane Devon is the hockey player… but OH, she’s figure skating right now. See? It’s a bit confusing. You can’t read this when you’re sleepy or sick like I was when I read it!

4. Confusion aside, I really enjoyed reading about everything the Sloanes went through in their new lives. They were always exhausted, trying to learn their sport well enough to convince their peers that they were good at it already. Both girls went into things thinking they were going to be living an easier life than the one before. I like that they each got a dose of humble pie, and had to learn that they are not all that. I loved that they began to give each other (and their sport) more credit.

5. You have to suspend belief in order to enjoy this story. I seriously think that this could never happen. These Sloanes are not twins, and only kind of look alike. Why would people not recognize immediately that they were not who they said they were? Furthermore, both girls were considered to be very good at their prospective sports. Their reputations are well known. How can they switch lives and be convincing enough that nobody wonders what’s going on? Really, you have to just go with the flow and not question things.

6. I was hoping for a little romance in the beginning, but ended up enjoying the focus on the girls and their lives and how they get through their challenges. They both grew a lot through their experiences over the summer, and they do get a little romancy stuff going on, too.

7. The supporting characters added a lot to the story. I liked both love interests, Matt and Nando. My favorite character in the whole book, though, had to be Sloane Devon’s confidant and sassy figure skating guru, Alex (I think?). He was hilarious, and I loved his friendship with Sloane. I would love it if he got his own book.

Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a cute, shallow story. I like Meant to Be much better, but am very glad I had the opportunity to read Lauren’s sophomore novel. I loved the skating bits, and I really enjoyed watching the Sloanes grow and work through their challenges.

Top Ten 2014 Debuts I’m Excited to Read

Posted January 13, 2014 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I really, REALLY love supporting debut authors, and I get very excited for their books! The buzz around the book world proves that this year’s group of debut authors is going to be amazing!! My TBR of debuts is insanely long. It’s going to be very hard to narrow things down to just 10.

The Cute Contemporary Romances
Wish You Were Italian by Rae Kristin
The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Something Real by Heather Demetrios

The Amazing Retellings
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Wild by Alex Mallory

The Crazy Worlds
NIL by Lynne Matson
Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam

The Heart-Pounders
Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin

Which ones are you excited to read?

That Artsy Librarian | I Need Award Winning Children’s Book Recs!

Posted January 13, 2014 by Jana in That Artsy Librarian / 6 Comments

That Artsy Librarian is a feature all about my journey through graduate school as I work towards my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science.

Hello! Today is my first day of my second semester in the MLIS program. I was hoping so much to be able to finish highlighting my MLIS experience up to this point before jumping into current things, but I will have to interrupt my chronological storytelling to ask for some help! Desperate times call for desperate measures.

This semester, I am taking a class that focuses on children’s literature, and I will be reading a million children’s books. Each book I read must have won a prestigious award (like Newbery, for example). I’ve decided to compile a list of really good ones so that I have a pool to choose from when I need to start another title. My, what a busy semester this will be! Please tell me which award winning children’s books you have loved. I’ve hardly read any, myself!

Captivate by Vanessa Garden | Book Review

Posted January 10, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 9 Comments

Captivate by Vanessa Garden
Series: Submerged Sun #1
Published by Harlequin Teen on January 1, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...

For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.

Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.

Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

I was super excited when I read the blurb for Captivate, because I LOVE underwater worlds. They have always been my very favorite settings for books. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this world is super unique and gorgeous. I adored this book beyond words, and hope I can set aside the fangirling and present my thoughts in a coherent way! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. The book starts out with a major bang! First, the girls are taking a midnight swim and talking about life and all of a sudden Miranda is pulled under the water and disappears. I was captivated immediately.

2. I fell in love with the undersea world of Marin almost instantly. It is gorgeous and colorful and sparkling and so unique! At first I thought Captivate was a book about mermaids, but it’s not. These are humans living on the ocean floor in a huge city. The city has rivers and gondolas and a modern colosseum where people go to watch criminals get thrown to the sharks in a big aquarium-like tank. When the look up to the sky they see the ocean instead. Their world is lit and warmed by light crystals that sparkle, and oxygen is brought down to them through air shafts. There’s a garden and a park with real grass. I could go on and on. I’m in love with this place.

3. Miranda’s captor, Robbie, is one of my favorite characters. I’m so impressed that Vanessa was able to write a kidnapper that I ended up loving. Robbie was ordered by his best friend, Marko, King of Marin, to go to the surface and bring him a wife. Once Robbie brought her down to Marin, he was appointed her guard. As he gets to know her and her story, he begins to really care for her and her wellbeing. He has such a sweet and caring personality, and I completely fell for him.

4. There is some very interesting mermaid lore thrown in to the story, and I loved reading about it. I loved reading the history of Marin, as well as its hidden mysteries. I mentioned before that I love Marin, but it’s all because of the amazing worldbuilding in this story.

5. I really like Miranda, even though she is nothing really special. Maybe that’s why I like her! She is portrayed as a quiet little plain Jane, always in the shadow of her gorgeous sister. She was chosen at random and by accident, and brought down to a world where she is the center of attention. She is needed. She is extremely important to everyone there. She discovers that she is beautiful. I really loved watching her take to heart that she is so much more than the physical traits she wished she had. She no longer feels the need to hide herself, and even though she is captive, she acts more free the longer she stays.

6. Marko is really sexy. I did not care for him much in the beginning, but I grew to like him a lot. He has this interesting mixture of being really suave, yet completely inexperienced at the same time. I kind of loved watching him trip over himself and discover new emotions.

7. I was not totally sold on the romance, and am left a little confused as to whether or not there’s a love triangle. I think we’re supposed to be confused, though, because I think Miranda is.

8. There were some tense moments, some of which made me scared to continue on! I feel like I really latched on to some of these characters, and so when the danger set in I worried for their safety.

9. I love Vanessa’s writing. I finished this book last night, but I am still picturing Marin in my mind. I’m still picturing Miranda’s moments with Marko. I’m still picturing fearless Robbie. The words flow so effortlessly off the page that I could not quit reading!

Overall, Captivate is a new favorite of mine, and the start to what I’m sure will be an amazing trilogy! The world is one I know many readers will love visiting, and Vanessa’s writing will keep them wishing for more. I was truly captivated and thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience. I cannot wait for the next book!