Review: Roomies

Elizabeth opens an email with her room assignment for next year. She'll be living with Lauren, from San Francisco. Without thinking too much, she shoots Lauren off an email about packing, appliances, her father, and her excitement about Berkeley.

Lauren's response isn't very chatty. Elizabeth's trying to figure out if it's rude or just straightforward.

Lauren has a lot going on right now, but she feels the pressure to get a microwave as a peace offering for her emails. It's clear that Elizabeth wasn't thrilled with her response. Once she does, she writes back to Elizabeth - including a few details of her life - with a tiny explanation to the previous email.

That starts them emailing back and forth. Soon things in their lives are crumbling around them and they start relying on each other more and more. Will they be BFFs before college even starts?

My Thoughts: I read this book ages ago as I grabbed an ARC at book preview. I devoured it! I loved how LOand EB started off rocky, but grew to depend on each other for advice: family, friendship, and relationship. I love that it takes place during the summer before college. I love the email correspondence interspersed with the story. I felt bad for both girls and their family situations, but I like how it made them grow. A fantastic novel about moving on from high school and learning to embrace a new chapter in your life. 

Cover Thoughts: Love it!
Source: ARC from Little Brown

Little Brown Spring Preview 2014

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Spring Preview and boy are there some great upcoming books this Spring. Here's a few that I'm most excited about. For more info, check twitter under #lbyrpreview


This book looks fun for anyone!  I'm a dog person! Here's my dog as a puppy.
The pictures are fantastic and it's a time where stereotypes are welcome. It's time to choose a side.

A director wants to film an average Moose - but this moose and his friends are far from average. 

Lemony Snicket's new book come between books 2 and 3 in his series All the Wrong Questions. It has 13 short mysteries (roughly 4 pages). Solutions to the mysteries are at the back of the book.

Justina Chen has a new book and it talks about photography and a global romance.

I'm excited about the sequel to Boy Nobody! 

And of course for the new book by Jennifer E. Smith. We also heard that Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight might be made into a movie - deal is in the works.  

Wildflower is about a girl who gets thrust into the limelight of country music. The book will also feature sheet music. Great for fans of Taylor Swift or Nashville.

The author of this book wanted to make Lord of the Flies more real - where teens can work together. Everyone not going through puberty is killed. And Teens in NYC must learn how to survive. There's also a cameo by the NYPL.

Set in a Medieval World (but no fantasy) comes a political tale with Welsh background. Think Game of Thrones without the sex.

The Special Guest Star was Peter Brown who has a new book coming out  My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not) in July 2014. He signed a print where the student meets the teacher in the park and the teacher is reading a book. He was funny and sweet -just what you'd expect. 

Little Brown Preview: Spring 2013

On Monday I was lucky enough to attend the Little Brown Spring Book Preview. We learned about several upcoming teen and children's book that will be out next year. Of  course I had my favorites. Some I'm dying to read and some pictures books I want to read again and really absorb the text and the pictures. (I feel you're never too old for picture books and love reading them).

Here's a few that specifically caught my attention:

Picture Books:

The Dark -by Lemony Snicket and Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Simple and classic in both the illustrations and the text.

Crankenstein by Samantha Berger Illustrated by Dan Santat.
About a cranky kid who learns not to be so cranky (that time). Funny, cute, and grumpy. A really fun read.

Middle Grade:

Pi in the Sky by Wendy Mass.
Her books go out like hotcakes at Otis Library. Plus, I love how it's science based and how many scientists/mathematicians reviewed the book. Plus, a character is named Joss (for Joss Whedon!)

Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors and Illustrated by Dan Santat
Two tweens find a baby dragon. They end up taking it to a worm Vet in hopes that he can help it. However, they discover the Vet doesn't help normal animals and what looks like a run down building is actually a secret hospital for "imaginary" creatures. On the way out, they accidentally let the Sasquatch escape. Now, they have to track it down and capture the animal.

What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World by Henry Clark
This is a debut novel, that I probably would have passed up because I'm not crazy about the title and the cover doesn't jump out at me, HOWEVER, I met the author and he was highly amusing and entertaining. He convinced me to give it a try.

Teen:

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith.
I really like the cover, I think it works well, plus it ties really nicely into her first book, The Statistical Probability of Love at First sight, which I adored. You can read my review here. I started it on the train home and devoured it.

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green.
This looks great for fans of Pretty Little Liars and is the first in a trilogy. (Also aged older for content)

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Mathew Quick.
This is a dark book than those I normally read, but it sounds so intriguing. It takes place in one day - on the narrator's birthday. He decides that he's going to kill his former BFF and then himself but first he has to say goodbye to the four people who matter to him.

Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr.
Love the cover! It's about a girl who wonders about doing something you love even if you're not perfect, is it worth it?

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
Teen Assassin who can't feel anymore, until one job changes everything. He starts feelings and questioning his latest assignment. Could his awakening endanger his life? Word is Will Smith's movie production company bought the rights to this thriller for a potential movie for his son! Plus, the cover rocks!

You can check out the tweets of preview here