I’m not much of a traveler so when I heard BEA was moving to Chicago I had no plans of going. But at the start of the year I had a change of heart and decided going to Chicago would be a bit of an adventure
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The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
I’m kind of on a science fiction fantasy YA kick now and The Scorpion Rules has to be one of the most unique speculative YA books I’ve read in a long time.
In a world where global warming is here and territory wars have run rampant, the UN turns to an artificial intelligence named Talis to create solution for peace. Going rouge, Talis starts incinerating cities of warring countries via satellite and makes new rules for humanity; each country’s leader must give one of their children to him and if that country wants to go war that child will be killed as a sacrifice.
400 years later, 17-year-old Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy (so, like Canada) is one of those children. She has spent a majority of her life in the isolated school with the rest of the hostages. Greta and her cohorts accept their fate as hostages with dignity and spend their days in intense study hoping they won’t be called on to die. That is until Elián Palnik, a hostage from the newly formed country shows up. He doesn’t play by the rules and makes Greta question everything she’d ever accepted.
So, it’s basically Dead Poets Society with a cyberpunk twist.
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Fresh Off The Boat by Eddie Huang
- Release Date: January 29, 2013
- Audiobook Hours: 7 hours and 55 minutes
- Genre: Memoir
- Publisher: Speigel & Grau (Random House)
I really wanted to start this review by saying something like ‘move over Anthony Bourdain, there’s a new bad boy chef on the market, but that doesn’t really fit what Huang is trying to do with this book. While Huang’s claim to fame is his restaurant, Baohaus, this book isn’t really a food memoir. It’s about Huang’s fraught relationship with his Asian identity while growing up around what he calls American Whiteness.
As he recounts growing up in suburban Orlando Huang dismantles the idea of the model minority. Fear of assimilation is a point of tension for him. There is a long history of America being the worst to Asian immigrants and then erasing them from history. His story is a story we don’t hear and I think Huang put together a biting and honest memoir that was also entertaining.
Most people are probably familiar with the ABC show based on this book and while I enjoy the show Iknew Huang publicly expresseda lot of dislike for it and after reading his memoir I get it. ABC bowdlerized the crap out of his story, but kept his family’s names are all over it. I think when Huang sold the rights for a show he wanted something like Aziz Ansaris’s show Master of None where they tackle issues of racism with more dark humor and edge that doesn’t care about offending the audience.
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2015 Year End Review & Books and Sensibility by the Numbers
As we get into the new year Jess and I like to take some time and review what we’ve been up to on the blog this year.
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16 Things We Want To Do in 2016
16 Books We Want To Read In 2016
Kat and I searched all over the bookternet for 2016 books we want to read in the next year. Today’s post features a mix of 16 books we want to review on Books and Sensibility and our sister site Romance and Sensibility.
1. Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins (January 26, 2016)
This brand new historical romance series from Beverly Jenkins features a hero who is passing as white in the American West. I want to read more romance by and about black women and I’ve heard nothing but good things about this author – Kat
2. Salt to Sea by Ruta Sepetys (February 2, 2016) This YA novel is based on the real life events of East Prussian refugees seeking safety during WWII. A story like this feels very topical now. – Kat
3. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (February 2, 2016)
I usually don’t like it when publishers bundle free novellas in a hardcover and I haven’t even started Winter but…. give it to me. – Kat
4. Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman (February 19, 2016)
This is a YA version of the Blackbeard story. I don’t know much about Blackbeard but . . . pirates. – Jess
5. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (April 26, 2016)
Funny story, this book was on our list for 2015 last year, however the book release got pushed back to 2016. I have an Audible credit just waiting for this. – Jess
6. The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Sky (May 17, 2016)
Two magicians. A magical competition ? This sounds a lot like The Night Circus so this one might be right up my alley. – Jess
7. Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers (May 3, 2016)
A deaf music prodigy is swept away on a world tour by the lead singer of a popular punk band. If you’ve read this blog you know I’m With the Band Now situations are my genre kryptonite.- Kat
8. Romancing the Fashionista by KM Jackson (May 10, 2016)
In this romance a tough fashionista and ex-jock tangle. Like I said earlier, I want to read more POC authors so bring it on. – Kat
9. Addicted by Elle Kennedy (June 28, 2016)
I’m really enjoying the first book in this post apocalyptic romance series. It’s so crazy sauce. I may try it on audio. – Kat
10. This Savage Song (June 2016)
I think Victoria Schwab is a great writer and this new series is about a town run by monsters, including ones that use music to steal people’s soul. – Kat
11. The Serpent King by Jennifer Zenter (March 8, 2016)
This book has a boy whose father is one of those Pentecostal ministers who handles poisonous snakes. I think it’s interesting to see more YA handling religion and this book seems interesting.
12. Enter Title Here (August 2, 2016)
This book reminds me of the book How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got A Life, which I loved in high school and only later learned of the plagiarism scandal. In this book a straightlaced Indian-American overachiever lands a book deal and realizes she has to have some classic teen experiences to make her book more interesting.
14. Into White by Randi Pink (September 13, 2016)
This book is about a black girl who wakes up white. This book sounds super bizarre, but it’s so crazy it just might work. I didn’t know what they were going to do for this cover, but this one really works!. – Kat
13. Of Fires and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (September 2016)
A princess with magical powers falls in love with her fiance’s sister. Can’t wait to see the cover for this one.(but I’m guessing it will have big serif text). – Kat
15. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (November 8, 2016)
*Grabby hands* – Kat
16. Flower by Shea Olsen and Elizabeth Craft (December 30, 2016)
A girl who has sworn off boys her entire teen years fall for a pop star. See above genre kryptonite. Also, by the time this book comes out it will be days away from 2017 ! – Kat
Okay, I have some review requests to write!
