Hello, humans! I bring wonderful news. It could’ve been a surprise without the title, but guess what’s coming this November?
Sure, Thanksgiving, too, but you have one more thing to be grateful for, which is. . .drumroll, please ðĨ. . .Saraina Whiteney’s The Goose Girl fairytale retelling! This story will be a part of the SUMMER novellas for the Cornerstone Series, which include Books 5 – 8. Aside from Miss Saraina Whitney, you’ll see the works of authors Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, and Madisyn Carlin.
And what do I have to do with this? Again, my uncreative title gives that away, but to clarify, I’m aiding in the cover unveiling of the wonderful Saraina’s novella. Without further ado, behold the details!
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What happens when duty and love tear you in two opposite directions?
Full blurb coming soon.
A Noble Princess is an NA Christian fantasy Goose Girl retelling.
Book #5 in the Cornerstone Series
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Release Date: November 5, 2024
Genre: nonmagical Christian fantasy fairytale retelling
Book Length: Novella
Publisher: Bellator de Lux Publishing
Cover designer: Mountain Peak Edits & Design
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About the Author
A devoted Christian storyspinner, Saraina Whitneyâs one weakness is poignant stories threaded with hope. That and the color olive green. Her passion is sharing stories of hope finding broken hearts, pointing back to the Greatest Love Story of all. Known as the quietest of her family of fourteen (…except when sheâs singing), sheâs a homeschool grad and lives in the windy Illinois countryside, blessed with a magical view of sunsets and stars. When not volleying around obscure inside jokes with siblings, she spends her free moments authoring, falling down research rabbit holes, reveling in the musical perfection of her favorite songs, and daydreaming about a wardrobe that could transport her to her charactersâ worlds.
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ABOUT THE SERIES
16 Christian fantasy fairy tale retellings filled with faith, clean romance, danger, and courage from authors Laurie Lucking, Kirsten Fichter, E. G. Bella, Jewel Windall, Saraina Whitney, Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, Madisyn Carlin, Lucy Peterson, Anna Augustine, Olivia Godfrey, Kendall Hoxsey, K. R. Mattson, C. K. Heartwing, Kendra E. Ardnek, and Katja H. LabontÃĐ.
I’m surprised I didn’t do that sooner. If you’ve been here a while, you know I worked on a fairytale-ish retelling of my own, so I can understand a teeny fraction of the diligence you’d need. I have much respect for the author. ð
Stay on your toes for the upcoming blurb, and let me know what you think! I’ll catch you on the flip side. *salutes and does an Aladdin off the balcony*
A continuation of the post previously published & a major update on my novel. Taking a break isn’t giving up, is it?
(I’m complaining again, so turn back now. Or stay to chat; whatever works.)
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5/5 stars, but I’m bitter. The emotional turmoil this put me though is inexcusable. Elizabeth Lim is a force of nature.
I am so mad at Six Crimson Cranes‘s sequel.
This book. This flipping book.
Pretend Simba is the book for me.
The journey started off well. I’d laughed. I’d squealed. I’d even shed a few tears. But in the end, I was appalled. I sat aghast before the seemingly innocent, colorful cover of The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim.
Here’s a replica of the expression I’d made.
About 50% in, I was beyond sure that this. This would no doubt land in my top 5 favorite pieces of literature. As I’d said in my Goodreads review for Six Crimson Cranes, around 70-80% in, I wished the remaining pages would be a lovely conclusion, tying loose ends in a neat blue bow. I got uneasy when our beloved characters traversed the most dangerous and anticipated territory they’d set foot on andâ*peeks at the pages*âsupposedly second-to-the-last location, but it wasn’t too dire. I was sure they’d find a way, right? Right?
Oh, ha, never mind. Shiori SPOILER [turns into this moon dweller instead. She meets Imurinya, the moon goddess, and they go all buddy-buddy, along with Kiki.] SPOILER
But actually, SPOILER [When Elizabeth Lim described the final thread of Shiori’s life barely holding on, I’d already conceded. All right, fine, Mrs. Lim, you win! Our main character will die; I’d accepted the fact. Considering the book was in Shiori’s POV, Chapter 45 was just me wondering how it would end. And then the deal happened, and Seryuâthat guy I thought would die, whoopsieâsaves her life because duh. He disappeared, so he’s got to come back. Cue the realization: The Dragon’s Promise indeed. Boom, I blew your mind.] SPOILER
Rating
I hated this book.
And yet.
And yet.
I loved it. âââââ/5. Takkan is a sweetheart. (We readers could’ve done without him and Shiori being all lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy nearing the end, but it’s our one defense against the soul-crushing angst, aside from the SPOILER [sister-in-law & family fluff, and come to think of it, what happened to Qinnia and her tummy?! I need to know!] SPOILER, so we’re fine.)
I finished this in basically 2 1/4 days.
I can’t say the first half was better than the second because both had their own good parts.
Maybe it’s because I’d just finished Twin Crowns, which meant my expectations were on the ground. Or perhaps it’s because Elizabeth Lim’s style grew on me. (I gotta get Spin the Dawn, too, someday. Argh, I saw it at the bookstore; why didn’t I grab it?!) That means when I reread parts of Six Crimson Cranes, I saw its true beauty and enjoyed it for what it was. But . . . should I say it?
I loved the sequel better than the first.
Sure, I wasnât that huge a fan of the romance coming front and center near the end, but the writing? Exquisite.
Also, a side note: Shiori is an upstanding protagonist. People say her character regressed, but I believe all her decisions were necessary. I was holding on to every word she said and thought she thought like it was my lifeline.
The End
Okay. The moral lesson of the story: don’t expect a happily ever after after the stakes are dealt with. Relish in every good moment, especially if it’s Elizabeth Lim.
I can still be sad and acknowledge its artfulness. ðŠ
Price my therapy sessions to the author’s bank account. Please, and thank you.
Thank you for reading!
This whole post was uncalled for, but forgive me, I haven’t been so enthusiastic about something in so long. There’s something dangerous about Gindara, the kingdom Shiori’s family rules over. Actually, the entire world. You get so intoxicated with the magic, enchantments, and sheer glory that you might forget where you are. Who you are.
The promised follow-up to my assumptions about “Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter.
I traversed YA Romance territory.
Dun-dun-duuuun!
And I returned unscathed! Then, I updated each of my WIPs to avoid any blogging commitments I’d made. But you know what they say: your procrastination will find you out.
Consider this part two of this post. I’m following up on my assumptions. Did they live up to my expectations? Read on!
~Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Yes, it still bothers me.
Assumption #1: “I’m very much going to enjoy the author’s writing style.“
Indeed I did! The first POV and conversationalist style fit well with the gist of the story. They were very YA (said the girl who’s read three of the genre in her life). I will admit that the Gen Z slang sprinkled around felt off by a smidge. Since Lynn Painter is not a Gen Z-er, this is the closest replication she could render, and I’m satisfied enough.
Assumption #2: “I won’t understand why Liz would go to such great lengths for a guy she doesn’t plan to settle down with.“
I said that?!
Note to self: Mellow down with whatever that was. What is going on with the inner workings of your brain, miss?
It-It has truth in it, in its own extremist way. But did Liz plan on settling down with him in the future? She didn’t touch on that, so I’m not sure. She did, however, call Michaelâthe dreamboatâher “endgame” somewhere if memory serves me right.
Unlike most things, however, this is about me, so what did I think?
It didn’t stick out to me. I’ve had friends with crushes and said friends tend to be…how to say this…enthusiastic about them.
I disagree with my assumption.
Assumption #3: “…this novel will succeed where not many romances doâpresenting a likable female main character.”
Correct! As shown by the title.
I like Liz. I really do. She’s eccentric, girly, relatable, and extroverted. It was a gust of fresh air when many of the female protagonists I encountered were quiet, moody, emo, great at miscommunication, and, for some reason, painted (Hah! Painted. Painter.) as if they had to possess such qualities to be likable.
Common Sense Media gave BTTM a low score in diversity since all the characters are assumed to be white, but I felt represented by Liz’s personality and thought process. Isn’t that the kind of diversity we should be vouching for? Or should a story be measured by its including black, Asian, Hispanic characters, and/or other race minorities? Just some food for thought.
Certain Goodreads reviewers hated “Lying Liz,” as they called her, but I understood the build-up. She didn’t plan to weave a mess of rumors and then get tangled up in them. Is it okay? No. Is it plausible? Sure.
But, actually, the fake dating aspect of the book wasn’t what I expected. The trope wasn’t trope-ing. But Wes, he…ðĪ You know what, I’ve said too much.
I’ll even say I like her better than Wes. She stood out more. However, the sequel is coming out in Fall 2024, and Lynn promises Dual POV, so perhaps he’ll redeem himself with his inner monologues. Perhaps.
Assumption #4: “He’ll fall first.“
Final Notes
There was a lot of swearing. And there was kissing. And there were jokes and innuendo. So, despite this book being enjoyable, I wouldn’t recommend it out of conviction. Sure, you may have heard about it from me, but you also know about the questionable things that come with it from me.
Keeping that in mind, lynnpainter.com has scenes rewritten from Wes’s POV, and the Simon & Schuster official website for teens has a free ebook in Wes’s POV of the prom and succeeding chapters, plus an epilogue. This stuff isn’t too clean, and language abounds, so use discernment.
This book was marked 13+; CSM put it at 14+. I place it at 15-16+, for conscience’s sake.
And the good parts:
The movie line inserts and references were gold, even for someone so uncultured in romcoms as me.
I adored how the setting was used. Give me a location from the book, and I can automatically picture a scene. (Now, this is something I’d love to incorporate into my writing.)
I’m hoping, begging, wishing I wasn’t the only one who saw the spark between [name of Liz’s best friend] and [Wes’s friend]. Mrs. Painter, please add a side story about it! I’m a sucker for the best friend subplots.
Thanks for reading!
I can see myself rereading BTTM in one to two years. I manually censored the swear words during the first half but gave up in the second. Seeing so much cussing discouraged me, but not emphasizing it allowed other parts of the book to shine.
But I willgo back and cross them off for future reading. Soon. Right before I reread it. Which is later.
Later rather than sooner, am I right?
The Caraval follow-up is coming soon! Sorry for the delay. Life got hectic.
Were you convinced to get the book? Have you heard of it before? Did you already read it? Is there anything better than an Enemies-to-Lovers, fake dating mash-up? What do you think about YA?
The writer discusses the significance of a Filipino-Chinese writer publishing a YA novel under Penguin Random House, expressing excitement about the promised cultural exposure. After purchasing the novel titled “Chloe and the Kaishao Boys”, the narrator details a shopping trip for birthday celebrations and school supplies, where they also find some books from their to-be-read list. In anticipation of a busy day, the narrator plans to start reading during the weekend.
~generated by AI
Do you know how big of a deal a Filipinoâhalf Pinoy, half Chinese, no lessâresiding in the Philippines publishing a YA novel under Penguin Random House, the most wide-reaching publishing house in the world, is?
A ginormous deal.
The synopsis seems promising, and judging from the excerpt I viewed, I will drink up the writing style. It will be delicious. (Hm. Sounds oddly predatory, doesn’t it? No matter.)
Readers can also expect to learn about the protagonist’s colorful culture, with expressions in the author’s native languagesâTagalog & Phokkien, which are mine, too! Which means I’ll probably be incredibly biased. Look out for that when I review this because, as expected, I must get the book.
I write this with a full tummy after a birthday meal with the fam. Don’t give out greetings yet. The birthday isn’t mine; it’s my dad’s.
My older sis needed school stationery, so we went shopping. With the memory of my TBR still fresh, I gravitated toward the book aisle. It was subconscious. Not even a year into bookishness, and here we are. Be proud of me!
The titles were mostly unfamiliar, but Love, Theoreti– *wretches* Love, Theoretically was there, an unmistakable smooching on the cover.
Disappointment. A book entitled Tall Story intrigued me, and the price was reasonable, so I held on to it.
It was fine. (It was not.) I had my pens and those sample papers National Bookstore always has, anyway.
Graffiti-looking, isn’t it? My doodles are the Korean phrasesâDuolingo’s been pestering me after neglecting my lessons for nearly two years ðĨīâand the solution to a math equation I found previously scribbled.
To my chagrin, my answer had the wrong sign. I confused myself to the point where I forgot that positive 3 minus 2 equals positive 1. In other words, 3 – 2 = 1. UGH. ðĪĶðŧââïļ
I’ve gotten rusty.
(corrected)
There! Much better.
Of course, someone may come across the answer and get befuddled. *sigh* We can’t have it all, can we?
I picked out some green pens and markers because you can never have too many of your favorite color. I also convinced myself I needed a pink dual-sided felt-tip pen with a thick and thin end since the ink flowed so well, and I hadn’t gotten a new one, fancy or not, since I was 8 or 9. What consolation I didn’t find in buying a novel I found in my new pens. Yay!
I revisited the book aisle in case a book decided to spontaneously materialize.
Apparently, I was roaming around the Wattpad and adult romance books. (I didn’t see the names. Please believe me. And why are there books from that site, anyway? Anvil Publishing, I expected better! ðĨē) I’d missed the teen section, whereâOh, my holy frittatas.
TWO books from my TBR were there! No idea why Six Crimson Cranes was under Teen Sci-Fi. GASP. Unless it plans to surprise me. You won’t hear any complaints from me if it does.
By the way, during this part of the collaboration with The Texas Lass , I said I’d pick fantasy over sci-fi. It was foolish of me. I love both and still do, but now a fraction more than the other.
Book Haul! Or…not?
Then it struck me: Chloe and the Kaishao Boys. Chloe. And. The kaishao boys.
Long story short. They did, and finally, my most anticipated book of the year is in my possession!
*ð angelic musicð*
Sorry, Six Crimson Cranes, but two full-length novels in one shopping spree isn’t prudent on my part. Some other day.
Ice Cream Celebration! ðĻ
Bubblegum!
This is the life. But obviously, I can’t begin my book yet because tomorrow will be incredibly hectic, and school and time forbid me to finish it in one day, so I won’t be able to relish it properly.
Farewell, beautiful book. When the weekend comes hither, we shall meet again!
So long!
And if you decide to transport me into your pages to whisk away and immortalize me, be my guest!
Any time now.
A-Any time.
*waits*
ð
ð
Anyway, I arrived home, so here are some clear pictures.
Gorgeous. Simply exquisite. *chefâs kiss*
It’s so close. I can feel it!
Still waiting. ð
But while I do, can you believe how Filipino authors in the Philippines releasing books like this could pave the way for future native writers comfortable in their current location? And if God wills it, I may be one of them! This is so thrilling. *claps hands*
Also, the reviews on BTTM and Caraval are coming in hot! Keep your eyes peeled. ð
Sure, I might’ve reached out, but her replying and agreeing is the same. Thank you, Diamond!!
As the title indicates, we’ll be answering This or That questions related to all things books because, really, is there anything better in life? (Open-ended question, you guys. Do not answer.)
The first five are my own, and the rest are Diamond’s. We’ll answer both on our respective blogs. Check out this link to see her post!
Narrower or broader books?
I curated this question, but it could be easily mistaken for something else, so it probably needs further clarification. Whoops!
Narrow as in brochure width and broad like if you placed it on your lap while sitting criss-cross applesauce, the front and back covers would poke out of your legs to each side. Does that make sense? Most likely not.
I associate the first with classics and the second with five-year-old-and-below nephews and nieces, both of which I’m fond ofâone more than the other. (Take a guess. ð)
I’ll say narrower books. Following a sentence is less overwhelming. Plus, it’s easier for this grandma’s eyes. But a healthy, bookish dose of both is a wise choice. Indeed. â
Smaller or larger print?
Larger.
To a minimum.
But it’s better than smaller print any day.
Making me suffer doesn’t mean I’ll want it to. And I’m near-sighted. ðĪ
Illustrations or fancy page embellishments?
I miss illustrations. Sadly, most authors don’t think an actual plot and pictures are coherent, at least from experience. But I suppose I am at the point where my imagination can supply images without additional help (sigh), and fancy page embellishments never hurt anyone.
The second one.
Decorative covers or chapter openers?
Striking covers attract you to a book, but creative chapter openers are always a delightful surprise. Of course, you can open Pinterest and get ideas on decorating within the pages yourself, unless that’s too much and/or you wish to enjoy the book as it is. Either or.
Decorative covers for me.
A narrator with a sense of humor or a hilarious character you can’t get enough of?
I’d rather have the hilarious character. The plot won’t need sprucing up if said character’s already carrying the entire thing on his/her shoulders. Am I right, or am I right? ð
eBooks or audiobooks?
I’ve never tried either. Yet. Hmm.
I’ll say eBooks since that’s probably what I’ll try first from the two.
A pretty cover but boring story, or an ugly cover and amazing story?
Oosh, this one’s tricky. I could always display the book with the pretty cover on a shelf or convert its pages to bookmakers or other origami projects. But I do love stories done well…
Putting my resourcefulness aside, one ugly cover and an excellent story to go, please.
Paperback or hardcover?
DIAMOND. How-
Why? Why this torture? Are you angry at me and take pleasure in seeing me suffer?!
What bewilders me is that you slipped this in without me batting an eye. Goodness gracious.
*weighs floppy paperback in one hand and solid hardcover in another*
Paperbacks are convenient for travel, but hardcovers are personally more effortless to read with.
Hmm. Hmmm.
HMMMMM. But hardcovers cost moolah, and that I do not have.
Then paperbacks. *screeches in agony*
Would you rather read your least favorite trope done well or your favorite trope done poorly?
So, I have fallen prey to the first. Love triangles used to be a looming “absolutely not” for me, but I’ve seen authors execute them exceptionally, making me realize at the end, “Hey, I didn’t hurl!” Not that I’m on board with that bandwagon yet, though. I ain’t sold.
Yeah…no.
Then again, I’m stuck up, so I might just go for the last one. I could learn from another person’s mistakes and tell myself not to imitate them. Writer stuff, right?
Oh, darn it. I’m selfish and wish to be graced with an enjoyable book. Or perfect, if possible. Tiny things bug me. I pick my least favorite trope done well. It might just surprise me.
Would you rather have a TV show adaptation or a movie adaptation?
Movie adaptation because I’m impatient in nature.
Which leads me to inquire: Little Women the movie or Little Women the series? ð§
Thank you for reading!
And a huge thank you to Diamond, too!
My fellow love lover and swiftie with out-of-this-world blogging skillz and amazing book recs that have me searching Goodreads for titles more often than what’s healthy. ðŦķ
Also, this is the first book I tracked my progress with on Goodreads, and believe me, I felt like a granny, clicking and pressingâ”Why did the button turn yellow?”âas I was. If some member clicked on my profile and saw how weird my reading activity looked for that book…I wouldn’t know either way, so it doesn’t matter.
The question mark in the title is because I’m not settled on if I’ll make a review, so wait and see, my patient readers. Wait and see.
Shoo! Off you go.
Wes and his You Belong With Me vibes. âð (“So what if it’s popular? It matches!” -me explaining to my diehard swiftie friend, who thinks only liking Taylorâs well-known songs makes you fAkE ((but Iâm one to talkâI got the Fearless lyrics wrong after claiming it was my favorite song, so ÂŊ\_(ã)_/ÂŊ)))
Scratch that, I’m dipping my toe in mainstream books in general. Join me on another episode of, “Is what everyone’s saying legit, or has the world’s population been brainwashed, and I was left out?” Plus, I haven’t gotten to reading them yet, so this is me making guesses about what to expect.
written: 9/19/2023
Finished: 9/21/2023
(Okay, so perhaps bloggers don’t quite plan their burn-outs, so when their energy is drained, there’s none left to work up an announcement that they can’t badger their readers for a while. Expect this to happen more often. But I’ll be back to my regular schedule by the following week…probably. Unless life throws some curveballs.)
Romance.
Is.
Scary.
But it wasn’t enough to stop me from giving it a chance. Wait, wait, wait! I haven’t read one yet. I couldn’t think of doing so without informing you. Me? Never!
O-kay. Sure, but why?
Well, first of all, remember that retelling I posted about? Something about Swans in Lakes? (It’s this one.) Yeah. I forgot about it, too.
Then a friend reminded me of it, and I gathered the courage to show it to her, and guess what? She wasn’t utterly disgusted or horrified, and neither was I! You see, it had been months since I last updated my doc, which is enough for my goldfish memory to recall its existence yet not the contents.
And you know what they sayâyou’ve got to read it to write it!
No one says that? Then we improvise. I said it, and therefore, you shall. We’ll make it a thing. Take the world by metaphorical storm.
Second, I am desperate to get my hands on a new book. A thrift book even, though I don’t go out and therefore cannot gauge if secondhand book shops are nearby. However, I am taking my sweet time with A Christmas Carol, which is so much a masterpiece I couldn’t wait for Christmas, but I do desire, nopeâcrave, noâneed a contemporary romance. One. Just one. But if there’s more, don’t mind if I do!
Lastly, I have a confessionâbut don’t tell anyone! You take it TO THE GRAVE, you hear?
*whisper* I’m a sucker for rom-coms. You’ve Got Mail, The American President, and uhm, Breanna Can’t Think of Anything Else at the Moment, But Rest Assured She Know Others. Etcetera. (And any explicit content was forwarded; don’t you worry. It seems Hollywood wasn’t made for kids. Who would’ve thought?)
Anyway, two books I’ve awaitedâBetter Than the Movies by Lyn Painter and Caraval by Stephanie Garberâare nearly in my possession. The first has been flooding my (mom’s) Instagram FYP, and the second was a recommendation from a close friend, who I’m hoping has stupendous book taste. Fingers crossed.
I’d initially planned on getting them as ebooks, but plans are rarely followed through, so that’s not happening anymore. However, I did prepare myself by reading their Google previews, which is where this post comes in.
Here, I shall list at least 3 assumptions about how much I’ll like both and what each will include. Starting with…
No poop, Sherlock. But actually, (*DING DING DING* HOLIER-THAN-THOU ATTITUDE ALERT) I was slightly put off by that fact alone. What? Lip-y stuff is for married couples, thanks very much.
Personal conviction.
Then again, book characters aren’t real. You know what? I don’t know anymore, but for the living, breathing, you-have-a-life-outside-someone’s-imagination, you know where I stand.
I am happy to state I correctly guessed one couple on the cover. That mean girl from Mean Girls who’s also in the Doctor Strange movies and Ryan Gosling from The Notebook, right? Don’t answer; I already know. (I watched the movie and don’t remember there being a notebook. Forgive me.)
Hey, no fair! Those two in the top left corner whose heads are cropped out are Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in La La Land. He gets two, and you don’t even include a Tom Hanks?!
Kidding! I think.
Assumption #1
I’m very much going to enjoy the author’s writing style. I’d merely read a few pages, reminding myself that my cheapness would always override my desire for some book.
Well. It didn’t last long.
Where are my manners? You’re probably in the dark and wondering what in the world I’m blabbing about. Here’s the synopsis:
In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.
Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that heâs back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar – and maybe snag him as a prom date – even befriend Wes Bennet.
The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Lizâs butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Lizâs in.
But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, sheâs shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love – and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.
Lynn Painter (Goodreads), published May 4, 2021
There will be Meg Ryan references; I’m nearly 93.33% sure. But I’m 100% certain of the Taylor Swift ones, which will make my heart plump and full of joy after recognizing more than three songs. (Even after a friend accused me of being a fake swiftie. The gall. Cornelia Street forever. )
âĻLoVeRrRâĻ
Assumption #2
I don’t want to be all sunshine and rainbows, expecting all that’s good to erupt from this novel, so let me take a jab at it: As with most stories, no matter how the author tries to justify it, I won’t understand why Liz would go to such great lengths for a guy she doesn’t plan to settle down with.
There. But I’ll be happy to be proven wrong.
Assumption #3
Since we were still in Liz’s POV by chapter two, it’s safe to suppose this novel will succeed where not many romances doâpresenting a likable female main character.
More often than not, male leads overshadow their counterparts, which is understandable. Those slaving behind a laptop are usually ladies with a draw toward men who can both annoy and endear with a mask of I-told-you-so that melts away because of raw concern toward the girl they loved all along.
This is a childhood-enemies-to-lovers, fake dating one, you guys. Brace yourselves.
Assumption #4
He’ll fall first.
I think my searching skills should be monitored. I’m just that good. Somehow, I discovered it from somewhere, and though the source slipped my mind, what happened didn’t. How rude.
I’ll have known either way, but I’m irked about it. Hmph.
Final Notes
I saw from a review stating another review that someone thought Wes was bland and like every other YA love interest. It was countered, but I don’t remember how, so my mood was soured.
Also, help me. A pdf doc exposed the ending, and I couldn’t stop myself when I’d started. I’m angry at my lack of self-control, but oh, well.
Our solution: the middle plot should blow me away.
I’m listening to my daily dose of Tayluh while I write this. I’m not sure why I told you that, but you’re not my friend until I shove music recommendations down your throat and passive-aggressively force you to like them.
Anyway.
~Caraval
Young Adult, 13+
High Fantasy
Romance (subplots, including Enemies-to-Lovers, from what I’ve heard)
Adventure & Mystery
Magic
CW: I’m too lazy to search.
*angelic music in the background because of the high-quality picture*
So, it’s not contemporary, contradicting what I said in the opening. But it’s fine. Being fantasy, this is better practice than Better Than the Movies for my Swan Lake thingymajig, anyway.
I know less about Caraval than the first. I’m traversing unknown territory here, people. Which is good! Suspense and all.
This one isn’t an underrated bookâSome say it’s overrated!âso, discovering snippets of it and finding fans raving here and there was unavoidable.
“A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlettâs father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caravalâthe faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the showâare over.
But this year, Scarlettâs long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caravalâs mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this seasonâs Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.“
Stephanie Garber (Goodreads), published September 29, 2016 (A bit of an old one, I see.)
Assumption #1
There will be a guy named Jack with floofy hair. I’m taking my shot and saying he’s the enemy-turned-lover. It’s loaded, but I have no explanation.
Assumption #2
I won’t like Scarlett that much. I didn’t finish the preview, but I saw enough to conclude she’s the goody-two-shoes who has a better reputation than her sister yet lacks stable morals when validation from higher-upsâin this case, her fatherâis stripped from her. Also loaded. My explanation? Middle child gut feelz.
If this is wrong, it’ll be embarrassing on my part, but whatever.
Assumption #3
The author set the set-up up to make Julian, the guy Tella manipulates into aiding her and her sister to escape ðthe islandð, seem like a fleeting characterâat least, for me, it felt like thatâbut I’m not that gullible.
Shh, let me believe my lies.
But nice try, author.
He’ll probably stay forâuhâlonger than we’ll think he’s stay, which is not vague. Yup.
Final Notes
Like I said, I’m crossing a bridge, and I don’t know what awaits, which is both nerve-racking and thrilling, so EEEE. (read: girlish squeal)
Thanks for reading!
Fun fact: this was supposed to be a very light post. Something to welcome you back to my blog. Then, my perfectionist took over, and here we are.
How are you all? And how many colons did you count from the entire post?
Alternative titles: “Bookish Rant: Children’s Books”; “Bookish Rant: Comparing and Contrasting The Name of This Book Is Secret and The Land of Stories: The Wishing Well”
The first was too vague, and the second was too lengthy, so you have this instead.
Reading Time:
5 minutes
courtesy: me
Book Haul!
Last Sunday, I acquired a copy of The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. (I had to consciously type each word for “spell” since I initially misread it as “well” when I picked it up. Ugh, that’s the first of two times this week! My eyes are failing me!)
I was rather giddy with my buy. It had been a while since I bought a book, and though I’d said I was getting back into reading, that’s about how far I’d come to doing it. But in my hands was a tangible book with a story inside, eagerly waiting to draw me in.
Added to that was that I’d seen it on Amazon prior and wished for it to be something I could get one day. I don’t recall why exactly; it came as a recommendation from this other book I was fantasizing about, and the cover was pretty. But since Amazon is Amazon and I’m an overseas child with no income, I expected it to be no more than a dream.
Truth be told, reading the blurb threw me off a bit. It seemedâoh, what’s the wordâclichÃĐd and dry, like an empty well. (I thought I was going somewhere with that, but it’s coming off as corny now. Spell not well. Spell notwell.)
I’m too tired to find the Amazon version, so here’s the synopsis from the back of my book.
ALEX AND CONNER BAILEY’S WORLD IS ABOUT TO CHANGE. When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.
Mmhm.
Perhaps that’s what convinced meâseeing the book prior. Don’t kill me, but I’ll admit I’m accustomed to entering a bookstore and leaving empty-handed due to fear of disappointment. There are so many smutty, unrealistic, sloppy books out there, and I am scared. What if I morph into the unholy-type children the media love to portray? What if I become a fist-banging, whining, demanding monster of a child who grows but never matures and turns into a twenty-year-old who falls in love with a vampire?!
(I’ve never read Twilight, by the way.)
“You’re overreacting, Breanna.” “You’re being dramatic, Breanna.” Nope. Nuh-uh. Mhm-mhm. Micro-influences like these are what make and break us.
What was I saying? Oh, yeah. So, I got the book and began devouring it in the car. The first chapter was intriguing. Fresh. I then gave up since reading in a moving vehicle is not my forte.
At home, I continued, even annotating it because I wanted to feel bookish. (Yes, I write in my books. Again, please don’t kill me!)
Here are my issues with it.
My, that was quick, wasn’t it?
1. The contemporary scenes at the start fall flat.
This is why I’d be a terrible book reviewer. It’s a gut feeling; it was missing something, yet I can’t figure out what.
The first one was exceptional but lacking. The rest? Worse.
Also, my current favorite genre is contemporary fiction, so maybe I’m especially critical of anything under its umbrella. Who knows?
2. The sympathy the author tried to induce in the readers wasn’t working.
I could get Snow White and even appreciated the new light shed on her and her situation, especially the “reality” she faced after her happily ever after. But *SPOILER* the Bailey’s dad dying? Not so. *SPOILER ENDED*
Or maybe I’m a heartless monster.
3. The less-than-acceptable morals were too much for a children’s book.
Let’s see: drinking, normalized half-nudity, manipulation, and trusting strangers are at least half of what I saw. I may be judging too hard or screwing my religious cap on too tight, but come on.
In its defense, the Little, Brown, and Company publishing house does tend to let these things slide, speaking from the six books I have from it. Five of six are part of The Secret Series, my favorite pentalogy, which was also aimed toward a younger audience but exceeded expectations. And you know what that series had that the Land of Stories didn’t? A lot of things, but one is an absurd, bonkers opening. The energy was relatively the same throughout the book. Though some parts were less thrilling than others, I was kept on my toes.
But the styles, message, and basic story contrast each other so intensely that it’s improper to compare them. Then again, starting The Land of Stories felt like rereading a book, and The Secret Series was so wacky you never know what came next. Ack, there I go again!
4. I couldn’t imagine it.
Wait for it. Wait for it.
“Sounds like a you problem.” There it is.
Now, this one has a definitive issue. The author was too caught up in technicalities. “So and so had dark hair.” “So and so had light hair.” “The forest had a lot of trees, and the peaks were really sharp.”
The descriptions of locations, people, and objects outbalanced how the features related to the main plot, conflict, and storyline. Is it just me who finds it difficult to process or care? My eyes skip over that and search for the integral details. When it gets too much, I get exhausted.
Thank you for reading!
This is actually an experiment. I like viewing other blogger’s reviews, but that’s with the knowledge I’ll probably never get what they’re reviewing. I’ll see how you guys take this.
What? I’m controlled by my hyperfixations. And in the book’s defense, I finished 300+ pages of it in one day.
Donât take this too seriously since Iâm not done with it yet. It has good pointsâ like easy-to-understand, straightforward writingâbut my reviews usually focus on the unflattering points. Iâm not sure why, but thatâs how I roll.
Recall a little while back that I said I’d post the subsequent scenes of my Prompt to Paper Tag today. Scrap that, which you may already have guessed from the title. I argued with myself since doing that would be unprofessional, but such things don’t produce 3 working scenes, let alone a polished draft for the characters I introduced. So, here we are.
I snurched this from The Texas Lass (you’ve probably seen her around), who snurched this from Kate, who got this from Laura Tisdall, who got the idea from Richard Mac Donnell. According to Kate. A snurching process in all its snurching glory.
I’ll answer honestly instead of the popular vote, so if you disagree, rant in the comments. It might just change my mind.
1. Reading the last page first
Starting off strong, I see. In-N-Out. It could change your perception of a book before you even start. A colossal spoiler could be revealed for a mystery/thriller book, but I don’t see a problem with a Laura Ingalls Wilder book. So it depends.
2. Enemies to Lovers
In. At least I can pick sides for some things. My reading scope is so pathetically limited. That’s thanks to the tamed books I’m familiar with. Which is…good, but I can’t say I’ve ever read an Enemies to Lovers full-on novel. A story on the internet, maybe, but I can’t recall. If it’s anything like You’ve Got Mail, You’ve Got Me in on it. (Oh, goodness, thatâs cheesy.)
3. Dream Sequences
Out. Out the window and into the burning trash. I believe it shows a lack of creativity, and why must you mislead your readers like that? Unless vital information is communicated that couldn’t have been during waking hours, I don’t wike it.
4. Love Triangles
Out. These are complicated. And messy. And weird. I donât tolerate it, Iâm sorry.
5. Cracked Spines
Imagine asking someone in reality if they prefer their spines cracked or uncracked. It could induce some confusion. Out, but not entirely. It shows use and devotion to a book, but it’s terribly inconvenient.
6. Back to My Small Town
It sounds cute. But Out for now. It gets redundant.
7. Monsters Are Regular People
The idea is intriguing. Sure. In, but humans fit that role quite well already.
8. No Paragraph Breaks
Since when is that an option? Out, thank you. Thereâs a difference between a stylistic choice and being plain wrong.
9. Multi-Generational Sagas
If not forced into it, I wonât read it. I canât handle it. I can hardly differentiate the names Peter and Perry in a 30-chapter book. Out.
10. Rereading
The real question is, who doesnât? Not me. I am In entirely.
I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and anticipate embarking on its journey again soon. The heavy prose, message, and characters are unforgettable and doubtless, worth returning to.
And some lessons books have to offer are buried deep. You have to shovel a little more to get the real gold.
11. Artificial Intelligence
Sure, why not? In. They have a heart under all the wires and thingamabobs. Or, um, somewhere in their disembodied selves. I’m looking at you, Chat GPT.
12. Drop Caps
Ahh, yes. Ancient vibes, aesthetic purposes. Something else that starts with a. In, but on the condition itâs used only in classic or fantasy books, merely because of nostalgia.
13. Happy Endings
Ou– No, Iâm kidding. But letâs note that it has to make sense. Iâm sure youâll agree that itâs not very satisfying when everyone leaves happy and forgets about that one issue lurking in the corner. Averting your gaze will just make it disappear, right?
Itâs okay if the guy doesnât get the girl if the relationship was unwholesome anyway. Itâs okay if the MC (main character) never got what he wanted or has to let go of something he didn’t want to part with. It hurts, but itâs real. The conflicting emotions make the story more relatable.
In for this one.
14. Plot Points That Only Converge at the End
Oh, this one is so satisfying. In, please.
15. Detailed Magic Systems
You lost me at detailed. Out, for the same reason as the multi-generational sagas one.
16. Classic Fantasy Races
In. We need more of these.
17. Unreliable Narrators
In. Because.
18. Evil Protagonists
Better than morally grey, from a discerning reader’s perspective. But I’m not one (IT’S A JOKE), and I particularly enjoy reading from morally grey characters…to a limit. It can go overboard.
But evil? Maybe. I’m not sure. Make it clear. In-N-Out.
19. The Chosen One
In. I haven’t seen this particular one much, compared to most of the people who have an aversion to this. I’d like to see it more out of plain curiosity. (I’m sorry-)
20. When the Protagonist Dies
IN. I thought about it recently and how riveting it would be. I sound evil in saying that, but please. Not all protagonists are noble, self-sacrificing warriors. And sometimes they are. There are times when it’s better this way.
21. Really Long Chapters
In-N-Out because I like a mix of both. I read books at night and like finishing a chapter to claim to accomplish something before bidding the day goodbye, but it depends on my mood. And, apparently, the time of day.
22. French Flaps
Well, the name doesn’t give you much, does it?
*Google search* Oh, I see. I find those things incredibly irritating, but how come no one told me to remove them before reading? So much pain could’ve been avoided… :’)
In-N-Out because it looks pretty sometimes.
23. Deckled Edges
Annoying. No thanks. Out.
24. Signed Copies by the Author
The author already left his imprint through the words, and what would a book be without its beautifully strung words?
But sure. I certainly wouldn’t refuse one, but if it costs more, I’d have to turn it down. In-N-Out.
25. Dog-Earring Pages
“FBI, OPEN UP.”
Out. Completely and irrevocably.
26. Chapter Titles Instead of Numbers
Um, sure. The numbers are helpful, though, and very much appreciated. In-N-Out.
Thank you for reading! Oh, hold up, it was my 1st anniversary some time ago.
Happy birthday to this blog, then. And apologies to the people reading this. I’m still finding my footing as a blogger and writer in general but am very grateful to whoever shows support, even in this site’s underdeveloped state. Many thanks!
Congrats, you’ve reached the end.
What would you have answered differently? What book crimes have you committed? Do you agree that dog-earring is a crime?
A Christian Kid's Journal 