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With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

Writing
Consistent with the quality of the first book - I was thoroughly pleased with the efforts from the second book in the series.  I think comparisons to the intrigue and drama of Game of Thrones continue to be deserved and I appreciate the continued intermingling of politics and court life with action and magic.  I think the author does a great job of keeping her characters in order and blending characterization with plot in a way that keeps the story moving but also gives the reader an investment in more than just the story.

Entertainment Value
Lots to enjoy here if you're a fan of fantasy-based courtly intrigue.  I think those who enjoyed Game of Thrones will find a lot to enjoy here, especially those who are looking for a little bit more empowerment for female characters.

Overall
I highly recommend this to fans of YA fantasy with a bit more focus on courtly intrigue and politics.  It has more grit that some, so readers should be prepared for violence, including some sexual violence, and harsh language.  I'm looking forward to the conclusion to the trilogy!

Thanks to TLC and the publisher, Harper Collins, for providing me with copies of the trilogy to review.  Click here to see the other stops on the tour.

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Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom's haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea's forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea's nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen's Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen's vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen's Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as "the Fetch."

Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea's journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.

Writing
Very well done.  This is a series with lots of characters and lots of political intrigue, which can be hard to do well, but the author more than succeeds at keeping it all going.  I love a good fantasy with a focus on characterization but that also delivers on the action and this one has both.  I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment and appreciated how Johansen manages to keep the story moving while also introducing us to a variety of characters and building a foundation for the series.

Entertainment Value
First books in a series can be difficult, but, again, this book really succeeds in introducing characters quickly and keeping the action moving.  She lays the foundation for her world in a way that makes you want more but doesn't feel like a lot of exposition.  I'm so excited to be a part of the three book review tour for this one and can't wait to move on to the second book!

Overall
This is a great choice for fans of political intrigue with a dash of fantasy in the style of Game of Thrones but with maybe a bit more social awareness.  It's got some violence but less gore and definitely more of a respect for women.  It might be a difficult choice for younger teens, but it's a good book for older teens and adult fantasy readers.

Thanks to TLC and to Harper Collins for having me on the tour.  Click here for a link to the other stops on the tour!

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More than a decade after the New York Times bestselling anthology The Bitch in the House spoke up loud and clear for a generation of young women, nine of the original contributors are back—along with sixteen captivating new voices—sharing their ruminations from an older, stronger, and wiser perspective about love, sex, work, family, independence, body-image, health, and aging: the critical flash points of women’s lives today...

Having aged into their forties, fifties, and sixties, these "bitches"�bestselling authors, renowned journalists, and critically acclaimed novelists—are back . . . and better than ever. In The Bitch Is Back, Cathi Hanauer, Kate Christensen, Sarah Crichton, Debora Spar, Ann Hood, Veronica Chambers, and nineteen other women offer unique views on womanhood and feminism today. Some of the "original bitches" (OBs) revisit their earlier essays to reflect on their previous selves. All reveal how their lives have changed in the intervening years—whether they stayed coupled, left marriages, or had affairs; developed cancer or other physical challenges; coped with partners who strayed, died, or remained faithful; became full-time wage earners or homemakers; opened up their marriages; remained childless or became parents; or experienced other meaningful life transitions. 

Writing
The writing here is fantastic, as you would expect from some of the most highly acclaimed feminist writers of our time.  Obviously, I connected with some essays more so than others, and I'm significantly younger than many of the authors (I'll have to make The Bitch in the House a priority on my TBR) but I found a lot to enjoy here.

Entertainment Value
Again, the audience here is older.  Fortunately, that also means, in many cases, wiser.  I'm embarking on my own major life changes and this was a great place to turn for some advice on doing so with grace and dignity (or in some cases the pitfalls to avoid to maintain my grace and dignity).  I think there's a lot of value here for all readers, regardless of age and life situation.

Overall
Highly recommend for those interested in feminism and women's issues, particularly those surrounding marriage, careers, children, and independence.  There's a lot of humor to be found here, but also a lot of great advice and motivation.

A major thank you to TLC for having me on the tour and to Harper Collins for sending a copy of the book.  Click here for a list of other stops and links to reviews.

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Yoga, Meet Life.

Sometimes an hour-long yoga class is the only chance we get to connect meaningfully with our bodies and our minds during a week otherwise full of work, family, and the daily grind. Have you ever wondered how would it feel to bring that experience of awareness and calm out of the yoga studio and into your everyday life? After all, we know that practicing yoga can give us a leaner body and more sculpted limbs, but isn't its most important benefit the way it makes us feel?

In Do Your Om Thing, master yoga teacher and creator of the popular blog OmGal.com Rebecca Pacheco shows us that the true practice of yoga is about much more than achieving the perfect headstand or withstanding an hour-long class in a room heated to 100 degrees. "Yoga is not about performance," she tells us, "it's about practice, on your mat and in your life. If you want to get better at anything what should you do? Practice. Confidence, compassion, awareness, joy—if you want more of these—and who doesn't?—yoga offers the skills to practice them."

Writing
I fell in love with Pacheco's writing from the first paragraph - she's intensely relatable and down-to-earth.  You can tell she's got a background in blogging from how personable her writing style is.  It feels like having a conversation with a friend, which is exactly the right tone for this kind of book. Pacheco's entire point in writing the book is to take a more relaxed and personal look at yoga and her tone reflects that perfectly throughout the book.

Entertainment Value
This is exactly what I was looking for and it came at exactly the time I was looking for it.  I've been needing a book that teaches the basics of the philosophy of yoga in a way that isn't dictatorial.  I'm never going to be the yoga practitioner who takes it all super seriously.  I'm very science minded and practical and a lot of the stuff that goes along with the typical yoga practice isn't going to be for me, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know what the philosophies behind yoga are.  This is the perfect book for anyone who isn't ready for whatever reason to jump onto the stereotypical yoga bandwagon but still wants to know about the practice and what it means.

Overall
I highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in or passion for yoga but who hasn't quite bought into the culture surrounding yoga for whatever reason.  It's a very open minded and easy-going look at what's happening in the world of yoga now and in its history that doesn't pressure the reader to adopt any of the beliefs personally.

Thanks to TLC for providing a copy and hosting the tour.  Click here to see the other stops on the tour!

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On a quiet summer morning seventeen-year-old American exchange student Quinn Perkins stumbles out of the woods near the small French town of St. Roch, barefoot, bloodied, and unable to say what has happened to her.

Quinn's appearance creates a stir, especially since her host family, the Blavettes, has mysteriously disappeared. Now the media, and everyone in the idyllic village, are wondering if the American girl has anything to do with the missing family.

A Boston reporter named Molly Swift travels to St. Roch, prepared to do anything to learn the truth and score the ultimate scoop. After Quinn is arrested and a trial by media ensues, she finds an unlikely ally in the young journalist. Molly unravels the disturbing secrets of the town's past in an effort to clear Quinn's name, but even she is forced to admit that the American girl makes a compelling suspect.

Is Quinn truly an innocent abroad, or is she a cunning, diabolical killer intent on getting away with murder?

Writing
Another entry in the "thrillers with the word 'girl' in the title" and I think that pretty much sums up the writing.  Another entry.  It's nothing bad, but nothing stands out about it as exceptional either.  It reads quickly, and it's entertaining, but it doesn't bring anything new or outstanding to the genre.  The ending wasn't particularly shocking or thrilling and I wasn't kept guessing up until the end.  I also wasn't captivated by the characters or drawn to any aspect of the story line in a way that stands out from the herd.

Entertainment Value
Again, it was a great diversion.  I went through it quickly, it kept my attention, I wasn't bored.  I also wasn't blown away and I doubt that it'll be one that I can recall the plot for a year or two down the road.  It's a fine book and I don't have anything negative to say about it as far as the reading experience is concerned, but I also don't have many raves for it either.  It's another entry in the generic thrillers about girls who may or may not be telling the truth category and it does a fine job of being what it is.

Overall
If this is your genre, I think it's a fine title to grab.  I'm enjoying all of the Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, etc, etc, etc spin offs, and this one isn't an exception.  I'm not sure it lives up to the high standard of those titles, but it's a fine diversion for an afternoon.  If you're not just super into the genre, I'd say maybe skip it and pick one of the more well known iterations that's getting all the buzz.  Sometimes the hype is there for a reason.

Thanks to TLC for having me on the tour and providing me with a copy of this one to review.  Click here for a link to the other stops on the tour!

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Oh dear.  We're quickly approaching the end of July and I am so seriously behind on my reviews that I just don't know how to catch up other than writing a whole bunch of seriously short mini-reviews in a desperate attempt to get there.  I'm gonna just jump right on in with the memoirs:

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Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake.

Writing
Just to be clear, in case you couldn't tell from the cover, the ancient species, long dormant, is giant flesh eating spiders.  In a book about giant flesh eating spiders does the writing even matter?  My answer is no.  I do not care how cheesey you want to go in a horror novel about spiders.  Please.  Take this to every extreme you possibly can.  I am more than willing to go there with you.  That said, I really do think Boone does this as well as you possibly can do a horror novel about spiders.  The dialogue is largely believable, the characters feel at least somewhat real, people act in ways that people could possibly actually act in reality...it wasn't badly done at all.  I've read a lot of monster horror and this is some of the best in terms of writing.  I mean it's got it's cliche lines ("If we aren't overreacting then God help us all" is one of my favorites), but I'd be disappointed if that kind of line weren't in there.

Entertainment Value
I just can't emphasize enough how much I love a good monster story and one about spiders?  Please.  It's like it was written with me in mind.  I loved everything about it and absolutely devoured it.  It's got everything I look for in a monster story - compelling characters with intriguing back stories, but not too much back story and a real focus on the monster and the havoc it wreaks.

Overall
If you love a good monster story or if you love spiders (or if you hate spiders and like being deliciously creeped out) this is a great summer read.  It's the perfect blend of thriller and horror novel and the pace just doesn't let up throughout.  I had a blast reading it and immediately passed it on to friends.  And I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for all of Boone's future novels.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy to review!

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When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860s Oxford react to Alice’s disappearance?

In this brilliant work of fiction, Gregory Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds, undergrounds, underpinnings—and understandings old and new, offering an inventive spin on Carroll’s enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice’s mentioned briefly in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend, but arrives a moment too late—and tumbles down the rabbit-hole herself.

Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. If Eurydice can ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or Lazarus can be raised from the tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life. Either way, everything that happens next is “After Alice.”

Writing
I have to be honest, I was less than impressed with the quality of some of the writing here.  While Maguire had his clever moments, I felt like he also had quite a few moments of reaching for a cleverness that he couldn't quite grasp.  There were a lot of moments where I felt like the writing became obtrusive - instead of thinking about the story or enjoying the word play, I was very conscious of what the author was trying to do.

This could equally be considered an issue with entertainment value, but I felt like a second critique with the writing was the lack of a reason for the existence of the story to begin with.  There's a vague plot - Ada has to find Alice and return her to the real world, where her sister searches for her in a parallel plot.  But when the end of the story is reached, nothing new has been added to the Alice story.  There's nothing here to make the story richer or more interesting or valuable and the writing doesn't provide enough to justify its existence on its own.

Entertainment Value
There are some redemptive aspects here.  I enjoyed the reappearance of familiar Wonderland faces and the author's creation of new Wonderland characters.  For large portions of the book I was entertained and the pages turned quickly.  But there were also portions that moved slowly.  And as I mentioned above, I found myself wondering what the point was when I finished.  Why did the author write it and what did this story add to the original?  I'm going to be honest and say I'm just not really sure.

Overall
This one just wasn't a hit for me.  It had its good moments, but overall I didn't find it to be especially compelling or particularly well written.  And when I finished I was disappointed in the overall plot and what it added (or didn't add) to the story as a whole.  I would recommend it to fans of the author or maybe to those who just have to read anything related to the original tale, but not to many outside of those circles.

Thank you to TLC for having me on the tour!  Click here to see a list of the other stops on the tour!

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Kim Addonizio is used to being exposed. As a writer of provocative poems and stories, she has encountered success along with snark: one critic dismissed her as “Charles Bukowski in a sundress.” (“Why not Walt Whitman in a sparkly tutu?” she muses.) Now, in this utterly original memoir in essays, she opens up to chronicle the joys and indignities in the life of a writer wandering through middle age.
              
Addonizio vividly captures moments of inspiration at the writing desk (or bed) and adventures on the road—from a champagne-and-vodka-fueled one-night stand at a writing conference to sparsely attended readings at remote Midwestern colleges. Her crackling, unfiltered wit brings colorful life to pieces like “What Writers Do All Day,” “How to Fall for a Younger Man,” and “Necrophilia” (that is, sexual attraction to men who are dead inside). And she turns a tender yet still comic eye to her family: her father, who sparked her love of poetry; her mother, a former tennis champion who struggled through Parkinson’s at the end of her life; and her daughter, who at a young age chanced upon some erotica she had written for Penthouse.

Writing
This book is such a joy to read.  Addonizio is obviously a talented poet - her word choice and lyricism shine through even in essay format.  In addition to having a stunning sense of which word will sound the best where, she's funny and smart and just the right amount of self-deprecating.  She can laugh at herself without being self-pitying.  I'm not a huge reader of poetry (esssays are more my style) but I will be picking up one of her poetry collections because I was so impressed with how poetic (and yet accessible) her essays were.  If her poetry is anything like her essays, I think I'll be able to appreciate it in a way that I don't with much modern poetry.

Entertainment Value
There are two themes among the essays in this collection - Addonizio's personal life and experiences and her experiences and thoughts on the art of writing.  I definitely preferred the essays about her craft to the essays about her personal life.  While her thoughts on writing are universal, I found her personal life to be just completely beyond the realm of my experience and not something I could identify with,

Overall
I highly recommend this to fans of poetry, fans of the author herself, or those who are invested in writing in some fashion, especially if you're trying to get published.  I've got a list of several author-friends I plan on sending my copy to.

Thanks to the publisher (Viking/Penuin Random House) for providing me with a copy to review!

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In this and intimate memoir, an acclaimed journalist reflects on her childhood in the heartland, growing up in an increasingly isolated meditation community in the 1980s and ’90s—a fascinating, disturbing look at a fringe culture and its true believers.

When Claire Hoffman is five-years-old, her mother informs her and her seven-year-old brother Stacey, that they are going to heaven—Iowa—to live in Maharishi’s national headquarters for Heaven on Earth. For Claire’s mother, Transcendental Meditation—the Maharishi’s method of meditation and his approach to living the fullest possible life—was a salvo that promised world peace and enlightenment . 

At first this secluded utopia offers warmth and support, and makes these outsiders feel calm, secure, and connected to the world. Claire attends the Maharishi school, where her meditations were graded and she and her class learned Maharishi's principals for living. But as Claire and Stacey mature, their adolescent skepticism kicks in, drawing them away from the community and into delinquency and drugs. Eventually, Claire moves to California with her father and breaks from Maharishi completely. A decade later, after making a name for herself in journalism and starting a family, she begins to feel exhausted by cynicism and anxiety. She finds herself longing for the sparkle filled, belief fueled Utopian days in Iowa, meditating around the clock.  So she returns to her hometown in pursuit of TM’s highest form of meditation — levitation. This journey will transform ideas about her childhood, family, and spirituality.  

Greetings from Utopia Park takes us deep into this complex, unusual world, illuminating its joys and comforts, and its disturbing problems. While there is no utopia on earth, Hoffman reveals, there are noble goals worth striving for: believing in belief, inner peace, and a firm understanding that there is a larger fabric of the universe to which we all belong.

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Girls on Fire tells the story of Hannah and Lacey and their obsessive teenage female friendship so passionately violent it bloodies the very sunset its protagonists insist on riding into, together, at any cost. Opening with a suicide whose aftermath brings good girl Hannah together with the town's bad girl, Lacey, the two bring their combined wills to bear on the community in which they live; unconcerned by the mounting discomfort that their lust for chaos and rebellion causes the inhabitants of their parochial small town, they think they are invulnerable.

But Lacey has a secret, about life before her better half, and it's a secret that will change everything...

Writing
After a string of less than entertaining books and entertaining but poorly written books, I am so thrilled to have found this one!  The writing is just stunning - I don't usually highlight in fiction, but I've found myself marking several pages up because the writing is just so stunning.  It's super smart and much more literary than I expected, but doesn't sacrifice any entertainment.

Entertainment Value
Again, it was such a relief to find a book that combines literary talent with a super engrossing plot line.  Wasserman does a great job of creating characters who are both sympathetic and also gritty.  She's really captured adolescence and the desire to be adult and experienced while still being so young and immature.  In these girls, she also captures a striking balance between innocence and danger that I think is just the essence of the teenage experience.  In this case, of course, that danger is ramped up quite a bit, but that only added to my enjoyment of the story.

Overall
If you like Megan Abbott's work in The Fever and Dare Me, you're going to have to pick this one up.  It's not for the faint of heart - it's got plenty of underage exploits that can be difficult to read, but worth it if you can handle it.  I think it fits in well with the psychological page-turners, but does so with a literary bent that makes it stand out from many of the other Gone Girl read-alikes.

Thanks to TLC for having me on the tour.  Click here to see a list of the other tour stops.

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My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.

Dana Catrell is horrified to learn she was the last person to see her neighbor Celia alive. Suffering from a devastating mania, a result of her bipolar disorder, Dana finds that there are troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of Celia's death. As evidence starts to point in her direction, Dana struggles to clear her name before her own demons win out.

Is murder on her mind—or is it all in her head?

I've had this one on my list since it came out with the "reads like Gone Girl" billing that I always immediately lunge for.  When it showed up on Hoopla at about the same time as my road trip to Pennsylvania, I thought it would be the perfect time to binge it.  I did manage to listen to the whole thing and it did keep me occupied during the drive, but that's about all I can say for it.  I didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't care about the plot twists, and found the ending to just be silly.  There are a lot more choices out there that I think are much more entertaining if you want to read something thrilling and unexpected.

Newly single mom Beth has one constant, gnawing worry: that her dreamy eight-year-old daughter, Carmel, who has a tendency to wander off, will one day go missing.

And then one day, it happens: On a Saturday morning thick with fog, Beth takes Carmel to a local outdoor festival, they get separated in the crowd, and Carmel is gone.

Shattered, Beth sets herself on the grim and lonely mission to find her daughter, keeping on relentlessly even as the authorities tell her that Carmel may be gone for good.

Carmel, meanwhile, is on a strange and harrowing journey of her own—to a totally unexpected place that requires her to live by her wits, while trying desperately to keep in her head, at all times, a vision of her mother …

 I like the kidnapping trope and I enjoyed that this one takes it in a different direction than most books.  It's much more character-driven than plot-driven and focuses largely on Carmel's attempts to retain her sense of self, along with Beth's attempts to figure out who she is without her daughter.  There's an open-ended question of spirituality and whether or not Carmel has the healing gift that her kidnapper believes she possesses.  It's well written but I never really got into it. I didn't like Carmel much and didn't care about her rescue.  I cared a lot more for Beth, but I hated that we didn't really get to see her outcome.  It's received a lot of great reviews, but it was just ok for me.

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Why do we think, feel, and act in ways we wished we did not? For decades, New York Times bestselling author Dr. David A Kessler has studied this question with regard to tobacco, food, and drugs. Over the course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon—capture—is the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains commandeered by forces outside our control.

In Capture, Dr. Kessler considers some of the most profound questions we face as human beings: What are the origins of mental afflictions, from everyday unhappiness to addiction and depression—and how are they connected? Where does healing and transcendence fit into this realm of emotional experience?

Analyzing an array of insights from psychology, medicine, neuroscience, literature, philosophy, and theology, Dr. Kessler deconstructs centuries of thinking, examining the central role of capture in mental illness and questioning traditional labels that have obscured our understanding of it. With a new basis for understanding the phenomenon of capture, he explores the concept through the emotionally resonant stories of both well-known and un-known people caught in its throes.

The closer we can come to fully comprehending the nature of capture, Dr. Kessler argues, the better the chance to alleviate its deleterious effects and successfully change our thoughts and behavior Ultimately, Capture offers insight into how we form thoughts and emotions, manage trauma, and heal. For the first time, we can begin to understand the underpinnings of not only mental illness, but also our everyday worries and anxieties.Capture is an intimate and critical exploration of the most enduring human mystery of all: the mind.

I'm going to preface my review by just saying that I don't love this cover or the subtitle.  The cover is just generic and the subtitle doesn't do the book's topic justice.  I probably wouldn't have picked it up without having read the description, which is a shame because the book is actually right up my alley.

Writing
Yes, yes, yes!  Science and psychology writing exactly the way I like it - tons of examples and studies all backed up with excellent references and footnotes.  There are close to 300 pages of text and over 100 pages of footnotes and citations, which is just heaven.  I'm still making my way through the notes and making a list of further reading that I want to do.  Along with the meticulous research, the author also writes in a way that is easy for the casual reader - you won't need to be a scientist or psychologist to understand the concepts being presented.

Entertainment Value
Again, based on the subtitle I never would have guessed it, but this book completely hooked me by focusing on a topic that I've long been interested in but have never found explored the way I wanted.  The connection between genius and madness has been something that has fascinated me since college, but I struggled in finding a more psychological examination of the subject.  While this book isn't written to directly address the topic, by the end of the introduction I was hooked.  I'm thrilled to report that this answered a lot of my questions about the topic or at least addressed the ideas surrounding both genius and madness.

Overall
If you're a fan of science and/or psychology writing this is a great one to read.  I think it's also good for anyone who struggles with anxiety or depression or any other mental illness.  It's less of a "how to" and more of a "how your brain works", which I find extremely helpful.  It's not fiction and it's not a super fast read, but it's worth it.

Thanks to TLC for having me on the book tour.  Click here to see the other stops on the tour!

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Bestselling author Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer pours her creativity into an irresistible book of bite-size lists of motivation for leading an adventurous, happy, and fulfilling life. Filled with light-hearted quick hits of inspiration to stir anyone looking for a jolt of "get out there and live" in their lives. Short entries—musings, things to do, and inspirational quotes—are paired with whimsical, colorful spot art. Presented as one continuous list, and broken up by occasional top ten lists and quotes, the text touches on many and varied themes such as: following your passions, staying curious, appreciating nature, traveling, trying new things, and living life with courage. 
 
Sprinkled throughout are service-oriented top ten lists, such as: 10 Places to Travel That Will Change your Life, 10 Spiciest Foods on the Planet, 10 Plants You Can Eat in the Forest, 10 Animals to See in Person before You Die, and more.

This book is just absolutely gorgeous and fun to look at, first of all.  Every page has the same florabunda style watercolor art work and hand-lettering, which makes it just a pleasure to look at.  It's basically just a list of life adventures ranging from the mundane ("Go to a local sporting event") to the more extreme ("Travel to another country by yourself").  You've got everything from the free, five minute options ("Make eye contact with everyone you meet") to the more expensive, time consuming adventures ("Trek the Himalayan foothills in Myanmar").  It's also go lists and quotes interspersed throughout.

It's super fun and can be read in any number of ways, but here's my recommendation:
Take it outside.  It's spring in my neck of the woods and the weather is gorgeous and I've enjoyed looking through this and highlighting my favorite ideas while laying in the grass on the bank of the river that runs through my back yard, listening to the birds and watching the rabbits.  It's paradise.  And this book makes it even more blissful.

Thanks to TLC for having me on the tour for this book.  Click here to see the other stops on the tour!

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I've been completely neglecting keeping up with reviews (and, honestly my reading as well).  I'm in a terrible reading slump that I just can't seem to break out of.  I sped through these YAs, not super impressed with the writing of any of them, but at least they finally caught my attention - enough so that I read them in one sitting each.

The Girl Who Fell by S.M. Parker
From Goodreads:

High school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense and volatile relationship—by the new boy in school. 

His obsession.
Her fall.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and … terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

Of the two abuse-themed books in this review, this is the one I had the highest hopes for.  I really appreciated throughout the first three quarters of the book that we saw Alec slowly begin his emotional abuse of Zephyr.  I've never been in an abusive relationship, but I saw several closely as a teen.  None of them were physically abusive, but all were damaging emotionally.  I had hoped to see that reflected in this book as opposed to a more violent and physical abuse.  It looked like things were headed that way, but the book winds up taking a more shocking (and unfortunately less believable) turn.  I still enjoyed the read, but I didn't find it as relevant as I had hoped to.

Would you risk your life to save your best friend? 

Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.

Another one that falls into the not-quite-believable category, but was still a delight to read.  This is one I didn't go into hoping for realism - I hoped for craziness and a fast pace.  And the book delivers on both parts.  The characters aren't necessarily memorable or deep, but the plot is a blast and I was kept guessing for a large portion of the book.  As a boredom/reading slump buster, it was perfect.
Tragedy Girl by Christine Hurley Deriso
From Goodreads:

Of course Anne would be drawn to Blake. He’s good looking, he’s friendly, and they both bring sob stories to the table: her parents died in a car wreck, his girlfriend, Cara, drowned. Of course Blake would understand what she’s gone through. And of course they can help each other work through the pain. It’s like it was meant to be.

But just as Anne starts to feel she’s finally found something good in all the tragedy, she can’t ignore signs that something’s off. Her friends rarely let her be alone with Blake. Even those closest to Blake seem uneasy around him. And then there are the rumors about the death of Cara, whose body was never recovered. Rumors that suggest Blake’s pain is hiding something darker than Anne can even begin to comprehend . . .

This was in some ways my favorite of the three and in some ways the worst of the three.  It is absolutely and completely outside the realm of possibility.  It's like an episode of One Tree Hill.  I mean that as both a critique and a compliment.  I love some One Tree Hill.  But this is very similar to a world in which teenage club promoters meet and date Fall Out Boy.  I spent the entirety of the book texting my friends and laughing, but also being completely intrigued.  It's not super long and reads very very quickly.  Honestly, it's one of the best books I read last month in terms of how much I enjoyed the experience.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with copies of these titles in exchange for review.

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