10 Things I Loved About The Agency Series by Y. S. Lee

Mary Quinn was only twelve years old when she was sentenced to death. Turning to thievery after the death of her parents, she managed to scrape out an existence on the streets of Victorian London, but after being rescued from the gallows and given a home in a school for girls, her life took a turn for the better. Now she's seventeen and learns that the school is more than it seems. She's given the chance to train as a spy in an agency of women who take advantage of the way girls and women are overlooked and taken for granted. As she faces a variety of mysteries, villains, challenges, and a chance at romance, Mary has to deal not only with the dangers of her work but also with the weight of her past and her heritage. Can she come to grips with who she is or will she lose everything she's worked to gain?

I received the second book of the series - The Body at the Tower - at BookExpo America several years ago. I couldn't read them out of order, of course, so I tracked down the first book. After reading the first two I had to read the third and fourth as well!
This review contains some mild spoilers for the series, since I'm looking at it as a whole, but I'll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible.
So here we go - 10 things I loved about Y. S. Lee's Agency series

1. Mary - I liked how resourceful and determined she was. Yet she really struggled with how to survive in a world where she was considered a second class citizen on several different levels. She has to learn how to be comfortable with who she is and with the choices she's made.
2. James - The banter between Mary and James was probably my favorite part of the books (and there was far too little of it in the fourth one!). I liked how he developed as a character. It was nice that he had his own family and other things to deal with, even though the series was focused on Mary.
3. Their relationship - minor spoilers - I really appreciated that Mary and James went their separate ways at the end of the first book. And I liked the way Lee brought them believably back together again. The development of their relationship happened at a good pace, I thought.
4. Spies! - I really enjoyed the way Lee played with the cultural mores in Victorian England. And even if there wasn't a female agency like this, I know there had to be women who would have excelled at that kind of subterfuge. Because women were often overlooked and would have been able to gain information as servants, governesses, etc.
5. The setting - Lee did a good job of evoking Victorian England through the little details - the clothes, the food, the descriptions of setting woven in through the mystery.
6. The ethnic issues - minor spoiler - Mary is half Chinese and I really appreciated the way Lee dug into the prejudices and challenges of Asian people in London at the time. It's not something I've ever really heard about before and she wove it into the narrative in such an interesting way.
7. The mysteries - I liked the way that each book had its own distinct mystery which was wrapped up by the book's end. There were larger threads that carried through the series and call backs to earlier events and people, but it was kind of nice having a sense of closure at the end of each book. Also, each mystery was different and had its own challenges and approaches to solving it.
8. The layers - There was the larger mystery, but there were also plenty of other things going on to flesh out the stories and the characters - conflict in the Agency, Mary's conflicted feelings for James, trying to figure out who she is apart from the Agency, dealing with her past, James dealing with his brother and familial obligations - it just made for a much more interesting larger story. And I thought Lee did a good job of balancing all those different layers.
9. A complete story - I'm kind of glad I didn't get around to reading this until now, because I was able to read all four books one right after the other and get the whole story. I thought Lee did a good job of keeping you reading and wanting to know what happens in the next book and then by wrapping it up well in the fourth book. There's a real sense of closure but also a recognition that there are still a lot of possibilities left for Mary (and James).
10. The ending - Spoilers! - I liked the way the fourth book tied back to the first book and wrapped up the loose ends from the first mystery. I especially liked the way Lee wrapped up Mary's family story as well. It just completed the larger story pieces really nicely.

Amy Snow by Tracy Rees

Winner of the UK's Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition, this page-turning debut novel follows an orphan whose late, beloved best friend bequeaths her a treasure hunt that leads her all over Victorian England and finally to the one secret her friend never shared.  

It is 1831 when eight-year-old Aurelia Vennaway finds a naked baby girl abandoned in the snow on the grounds of her aristocratic family's magnificent mansion. Her parents are horrified that she has brought a bastard foundling into the house, but Aurelia convinces them to keep the baby, whom she names Amy Snow. Amy is brought up as a second-class citizen, despised by Vennaways, but she and Aurelia are as close as sisters. When Aurelia dies at the age of twenty-three, she leaves Amy ten pounds, and the Vennaways immediately banish Amy from their home.  

But Aurelia left her much more. Amy soon receives a packet that contains a rich inheritance and a letter from Aurelia revealing she had kept secrets from Amy, secrets that she wants Amy to know. From the grave she sends Amy on a treasure hunt from one end of England to the other: a treasure hunt that only Amy can follow. Ultimately, a life-changing discovery awaits...if only Amy can unlock the secret. In the end, Amy escapes the Vennaways, finds true love, and learns her dearest friend's secret, a secret that she will protect for the rest of her life.  

An abandoned baby, a treasure hunt, a secret. As Amy sets forth on her quest, readers will be swept away by this engrossing gem of a novel the wonderful debut by newcomer Tracy Rees. -indiebound.org

It's easy to understand how Amy Snow by Tracy Rees won a contest to search for a bestseller. This was a great story that blended elements of romance, mystery and historical fiction.  I loved the upstairs/downstairs friendship between Amy and Aurelia.  It was a good patch for the hole the end of Downton Abbey left me with.  I loved the unraveling and guessing of Aurelia's secrets along with Amy. I suspected her secret before Amy did but the journey was fun nonetheless.  This was a great read, definitely check it out.  You can find Amy Snow at your favorite bookseller today!

If you visit the publisher's website, you'll find a book club guide and a Q&A with the author.

****/5

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Little Lit: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Summary:
Anna is seven years old and has lived in a world of languages and friends when her professor father leaves her with a friend and never comes back. It's 1939 in Poland and Anna finds herself alone in an unfriendly world until a tall, thin man sees her. He calls down birds to cheer her up and then warns her not to be seen. Anna follows him out of Krakow and through the Polish countryside. As they wander together, avoiding the dangerous Bears and Wolves that would hunt them down, Anna has to learn the best ways to survive in a hostile world.

What I Liked:

• I liked the view of this time period from a very different perspective.
• I loved the poetry of the language.
• I liked the concept of someone being able to change languages by the day and the way that makes someone think about language and what people are saying or not saying through words.

What I Would Have Liked:

• An explanation - I fully expected there to be some author's note at the end to clarify some of the very vague references that are made (especially near the end). I feel like I missed something even though I'm pretty sure I didn't. It started to feel like it was based on a true story of someone, but without an explanation, these very specific (yet vague) details left me confused and a little frustrated.
• A better sense of time - Part of this is just the way the book is, but I would have liked a better sense of how much time had passed. Because I felt it was important to know Anna's age to better grasp her reactions to some of the events.
• There was one scene near the end of the book that just felt gratuitously unnecessary. It didn't really add to the book or to the story. I understand bad things happen, but this particular scene (I don't want to be more specific because spoilers) didn't seem to serve a real purpose.

Verdict:

• Overall I thought this was a beautifully written book. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but the use of language made me glad that I read it.
• Anyone interested in history, World War II, stories of growing up, or poetically written prose will enjoy this book.

I received this book as an advance reader copy at BookExpo America.

Down Unders: Uprooted

Book Details:

• Written by Lynne Reid Banks
• Cover Illustration - I couldn't find this information, though I looked all over the place, which made me sad because I absolutely adore this cover. It's so perfect for the story.
• Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (first published in 2015 in Great Britain)
• This is geared toward a solid middle grade audience. Lindy is 10 and her cousin is a little older.

Summary:

• Ten year old Lindy along with her mother and cousin Cameron flee England as war begins to encroach on their home. Settling in Saskatoon, Canada with a kind couple who welcomes them in, the three struggle to adapt to their new situation in a new country. Lindy has to find ways to deal with her feelings of loss and displacement and the uncertainty of what is happening to the family she left behind on top of the every day trials of growing up, going to school, and making and losing friends.

Important Things To Know:

•  This book does deal with issues of war and some domestic issues, but everything is handled in an age appropriate way.
• Although this is a fictional story, it is based on Banks' own life story, which is really cool and makes this story even more interesting, in my opinion!
• This is a standalone novel, but Lynne Reid Banks has written many books, including the classic The Indian in the Cupboard. You can check out more of her books and more about the author on her website.
• I got an Advance Reader Copy of this book at Book Expo America this year

Why I Enjoyed This Book:

• I really liked the way that the different levels of the story came together. Even though there were really big, intense troubles going on from the war to the troubles they had with their sponsor family, there were also the more intimate problems a ten year old would face like settling into a new school with a "funny" accent, losing friends, and worries over her parents being apart for so long.
• I loved Lindy's voice and the way the book is told sort of as a flashback (without being too cheesy or belaboring that aspect). It makes even more sense knowing this was based on Banks' own childhood memories.
• I liked the way Lindy interacted with her cousin Cameron. They felt very real in the way they got along, fought, and found each other confusing at times.

You Can Find This Book At:

• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• Chapters
• An Indie Bookstore Near You

10 Things I Loved About The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Christopher is actually pretty happy with his life. He's the apprentice to an intelligent and kind apothecary, has the opportunity to study and learn many different things, and his best friend is always up for trying to blow something up. Everything is good, that is, except the mysterious and deadly cult that seems to be targeting apothecaries. When everything in Christopher's life turns upside down, he will have to use every lesson Master Blackthorn taught him to solve the mystery and escape the doom that is starting to close in on him and everyone he knows.

You can learn more about Kevin Sands and his books on his website, Facebook, or Twitter!

And now, the 10 things I loved about The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands:

1. The genre: It's a historical mystery! I love well-written middle grade novels set in the past. And well done mysteries. So, to find them both in an adventurous, crazy, fun book was so wonderful.
2. The details: Somehow Sands weaves in so much historical detail that the period just oozes through. I felt completely immersed in the world, but it never felt didactic. overdone, and never a single info dump that I can remember.
3. The sense of time: This is kind of connected to the previous point, but I really appreciated the acknowledgment of how pervasive religious belief was in the 17th century.
4. Christopher: He seemed so real, not only just as a boy, but also as a boy of the period. It felt authentic. Sometimes authors can tend to assign too many modern sensibilities to children set in a historical period, but Sands does a great job of avoiding this, but still making Christopher completely believable.
5. The concoctions: I loved all the bits of scientific details and how Christopher uses his knowledge to mix up things to help him get out of (and sometimes into) trouble.
6. The friendship: I absolutely adored Christopher and Martin's friendship. They were everything best friends should be: similar, yet different - complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses, and loyal.
7. Martin's sisters: They were adorable and strong and intelligent and I wanted so much more of them!
8. The twists and turns: What good is a mystery without a ton of crazy twists and turns? The mystery spins you around, revealing things at just the right rate to keep you intrigued but not frustrated.
9. The secret passage: I love a good secret passage. How much fun would it be to find a secret room in real life? I'll take experiencing it second hand in a good book if I can't experience it for real.
10. Bridget: Every boy needs a pigeon sidekick. Adored Bridget.

So there you have it! What are you waiting for, go out and grab a copy for yourself!

I received this advance reader copy via BookExpo America

10 Things I Loved About All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Julie Berry has become one of those authors whose books I wait impatiently for. When I saw this one I literally danced in the aisles of my bookstore and took it home and devoured it. If you want to know more about Julie Berry or her other books you can check out her website, blog, or her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter.
Now - here are my top 10 things I loved about her book All the Truth That's in Me.

1. This is the closest I've ever found to a young adult novel written in 2nd person and it fascinated me. Even though it's technically a 1st person narrative, so much of it is directed at Lucas that it feels as though it's written in 2nd person. I loved it. It's so hard to do, but Berry does it brilliantly and with purpose.
2. The narrative style is so unique as well. In some very tiny ways it reminded me of Juliet from Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series or Fia from Kiersten White's Mind Games duology. Judith's mental state is so clearly reflected in her narration. At the beginning of the book the narrative is almost stream of consciousness and at times nearly incomprehensible as she jumps from thought to thought and shies away from very specific topics due to the things that happened to her. However, as the story progresses and her character develops, the narrative slowly shifts and evens out and becomes more coherent and cohesive.
3. The book is set in the American colonial period (at least from what I could tell). I have found few books that can tell a really good young adult story in that period. And this one does.
4. Judith. I loved the way her character developed and the ways she learned to cope with the horrors she had endured. The way her humanity has endured even as she is marginalized and grotesquified by those around her.
5. Lucas. I know we're seeing him through Judith's very rose colored glasses, but you come to care for him as you see the way he treats Judith.
6. Darrel. I never thought he would be one of the things I liked about the book, but his character fills its role well.
7. Maria. Another character who was developed so effectively through the course of the story. I loved that she was never what you expected her to be.
8. Berry does not shy away from difficult topics but handles them in an effective and believable way. From the experiences Judith has gone through being abducted and mutilated, to her best friend's disappearance and murder, to the things going on with the school teacher and the reaction of the entire town (and Judith's mother) to Judith, Berry weaves a narrative that feels true to the time, yet completely timely for our modern lives.
9. The set up of the  book itself. I like the cover art and I absolutely love the pages that divide the sections of the novel. The numerated sections break up the narrative well, especially toward the beginning, helping to move you through what could be a confusing narrative as you adapt to Judith's voice.
10. The unraveling of the mystery. I was pretty sure I knew what had happened, but as the story progressed I became more and more unsure until all my expectations were turned on their head and I loved the book even more.

So there you have it - 10 things I loved. Did I miss anything you loved about it?

October Book Club: Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

As the Averley's return from Lord Averley's appointment in India, Somerton is in an uproar. Not only do they have to prepare for the family, but at the last minute the servants also discover that Lord Averley is bringing home a new wife and her children along with his own daughters. Rose, a house maid who grew up with Lady Ada and Lady Georgiana, the Lord's daughters, suddenly finds herself promoted to lady's maid and thrust into the intrigue and challenges of the upstairs world. Lady Ada misses India, but her dreams of attending Oxford and maybe meeting the charming Ravi again, the young man from India she met by chance on the trip home and with whom she shares a daring secret, keep her going. As the newly formed family tries to settle in and figure out how to live together, marriage proposals, scandals, and secrets swirl around them, threatening to cause everything to fall apart. With the sweeping, intricate feel of Downton Abbey, a touch of the Cinderella story, and the salacious tone of Kate Brian's Private series, this first installment of Rasheed's At Somerton series pulls you into the two worlds of the early 20th century and holds onto you until the last page.

Want to own it?
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Chapters
Search for an Indie bookstore near you!

What we thought:


Rebecca T: I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but somehow they all weave together and it wasn't as hard to follow as I thought from looking at the family tree on the inside cover. I had pretty much guessed the big reveal, but I don't think it was supposed to be a secret for the reader so much as something we were supposed to watch each of the character's slowly discover. I liked how there were so many different story lines developing and the way they wove together throughout the course of the book. An entertaining read that left me wondering what will happen next.


Grammy T: I thought it was a good book. As soon as I finished it I wanted to know if the second one had come out yet, because I need to know what happens! I think that watching Downton Abbey helped me get a better picture of the way the house was run and how the upstairs and downstairs worlds worked. There were a lot of characters and I found it hard to keep track of them sometimes, but I was still able to follow the story. Overall I really enjoyed it.

Eileen: In spite of this book being rather predictable and overly dramatic at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting in opulent but turbulent pre WWI England is well described. I will definitely be reading the next book in the hopes of seeing things more from Rose's perspective. And hopefully we will not have heard the last of Ravi and the story of Indian independence either.

Melanie: Cinders & Sapphires is a wonderful tale that combines our love for drama with our love of history. I love a book that is not only entertaining but reminds us of those who came before us and the struggles they faces not only socially but also politically. The story weaves in and out of the romantic and dramatic lives of its characters faster than a motorcyclist in traffic, and as I was reading, I couldn't help but be reminded of the play La Ronde by Arthure Schnitzler. That being said, I would argue that there were one too many characters to keep track of. The author might think to put a list of characters at the beginning of the book [to supplement the family tree inside the front cover] so we as readers don't forget who is who. Otherwise, this is a delightful novel that anyone would enjoy and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.


Jenn N: I loved the premise of Cinders & Sapphires. I loved the similarities to Downton twisted with YA melodrama. I also appreciated the fact that the problems with Ava and Ravi's forbidden relationship were caused by not just money but by clashing political views as well. I suspected the secret of Rose's heritage from the beginning; I would've liked it if the author did a better job of keeping that under wraps, and at times it was hard to keep all the characters straight. However, Cinders & Sapphires was a fun and interesting period piece, and the ending sets up for what should be one awesome sequel. I will definitely be picking up the next installment.

The Gin Lovers by Jamie Brenner

It's 1925 and Charlotte Delacorte is content to be the socialite wife of William.  However, the arrival of her sister-in-law Mae soon rocks her world.  While trying to tame flapper Mae, Charlotte ends up falling for the lifestyle and bootlegger Jake.  Charlotte quickly yearns to break free of her old life and find herself but she soon discovers a shocking secret that threatens her entire family and her future.

"The Gin Lovers," was originally written as six part e-serial.  This soapy delight has now been bound up into one volume.  It's clear that Ms. Brenner did a lot of research for "The Gin Lovers."  The author's attention to detail is remarkable.  The vivid descriptions of the various speakeasies, high society homes, gorgeous clothes, and great jazz music pull you right into the Prohibition era New York City.  The wide cast of characters from conflicted Charlotte, to wild-child Mae, to the dastardly William, and the charming Jake are full of depth and feeling.  I also loved the mentions of real life celebrities (or soon to be celebrities) of the era such as Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter.  Who wouldn't want to risk arrest to drop into that speakeasy?!

If you'd like to learn more about Jamie Brenner and enter to win a copy of "The Gin Lovers," then head on over to my best-friends blog, Chicks Dig Books where she is hosting a Giveaway plus an interview with Ms. Brenner! Or, pick up "The Gin Lovers," at your local bookstore.

Please be advised that I received no financial compensation, or gin for this review.  I received a complimentary copy of "The Gin Lovers," from Ms. Brenner's signing at Book Expo America.

10 Things I Love About Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

I am grouping these together because I just reread Grave Mercy and went right into Dark Triumph and I know they are two different books, but they are part of a series and I am so excited about both of them that I didn't want to wait to share my thoughts on either of them :D

So the things are about both of them unless I signal a specific one.

1. The way LaFevers blends historical fiction and fantasy. It is brilliantly done. I know absolutely nothing about Brittany history and these books made me curious to learn more.
2. These girls are sired by the god of death and trained to be ASSASSINS. How cool is that?! I loved the mythos that was developed and the blending of religion and history and fantasy (did I mention that before?) and romance and war and politics that these books do so well! I think they literally have a little something for everyone.
3. Ismae and Sybella. Very different, very flawed, very passionate female leads. They are strong and feminine and intelligent and very well developed. I cannot wait to get into Annith's head in the third book.
4. Duval and Beast. Oh. My. Goodness. I do not normally crush on YA male leads. But I would like to order one Duval to go please. In all seriousness. I loved the way that LaFevers delicately and slowly built the relationship between the male and female leads. It is obvious that they are going to end up together, but you honestly aren't sure how it's going to happen.
5. Grave Mercy: The villain. Not only Count d'Albret (who I will get to in a moment), but the political intrigue that develops until you literally do not know who to trust and who is behind everything and it keeps you reading and biting your nails until it all comes out!
6. Dark Triumph: Count d'Albret. Though he is horrible in the first book you really get a good picture of the depravity of this man in the second one. Also, I thought it was interesting that the fact that the duchess refusing d'Albret's marriage proposal in public (which happens in the first book) actually happened and was one of the things that caught LaFever's curiosity. d'Albret's behavior is mostly fabricated, but I love the way you have someone to actually despise. Too many YA fantasy novels don't have really good villains. SMALL SPOILER ALERT AHEAD! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED JUMP TO #7 Also the fact that poor Sybella is trapped as his daughter (!?) is of course simply awful (side note - I also loved that LaFevers just casually inserted this fact in the first chapter by referencing one of the other characters as her brother. I actually shrieked at the book and then was like It all makes sense now!)
7. The way Mortain is portrayed. I can't say anything more without spoiling things, but LOVED IT.
8. The cast of secondary characters. They all live and breathe and make you care about them.
9. The humor! How lovely was it to have a serious, intense historically-based book that had characters with a sense of humor! Yeah!
10. The way the characters, both major and minor, grow and develop and change. They are dynamic characters, not static, and it makes a world of difference in pulling the story along and keeping me invested.

So there you have it. Have you read either book? What did you like about it? Please share in the comments!