quotes Elisquared likes


"Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself."— John Green

12.24.2015

Release Day Blitz for THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure (+Giveaway)


I am happy to be a part of the release for THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by author Estelle Laure, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book and a bottle of nail polish that matches the cover courtesy of Estelle, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.


About The Book



Title: THIS RAGING LIGHT
Author: Estelle Laure
Release Date: December 22, 2015
Pages: 288
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks


"A funny, poetic, big-hearted reminder that life can—and will—take us all by
surprise.” —Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.


Exclusive Excerpt

When Wrenny and I roll up the hill to Eden’s house in Mom’s ancient Corolla, Digby and his dad, John, are outside playing basketball, and I want to get in the house as fast as possible, because otherwise I might be trapped here all day, staring. I get a little twinge of something seeing a dad and his kid playing ball like dads and kids are supposed to. That’s a real thing, and my hand wants to cover Wren’s face so she can’t see all that she is missing.

Which reminds me. “Wren.”

“Yeah?” She’s wiping at her shirt, reading a book on her lap, and she’s a little bit filthy, her hair greasy and knotty in spite of my efforts this morning. At some point the braids came out, and she’s reverted to wild.

“You know how Mom hasn’t been around lately?”

She stops. Tightens. “Yeah,” she says.

“Well, we don’t want anyone to know about that, okay?

Even Janie and Eden and Digby and John.”

“But Mom’s on vacation. She’s getting her head together. She’s coming back.”

“Okay, yes,” I say, “but still. We don’t want to tell anyone, because they might not understand that. They might get the wrong idea.”

“Like that she left us permanently?” There is so much more going on inside that Wrenny-head than I can ever know.

“Maybe, or at least for longer than she was supposed to.” I reach for the handle to the door because I can’t look at her. “Someone might think that.”

“She didn’t, though,” she says. “She’s Mom.”

“Of course she didn’t.” Lie.

“So who cares what anyone thinks?”

“Wren, just don’t, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Some things are private.” I open the door, then lean back across and wipe uselessly at her shirt with my thumb. “Like Mom being on vacation. So, okay?”

“I said okay, okay?” She gets out and waits, stares at me like I’m the most aggravating person on earth. “Hey, Lu?”

“Yeah?” I say, bracing myself for what’s next.

“Your mama’s so fat, she left the house in high heels and came back in flip-flops.”

I would tell her that I hate her new obsession with fat jokes, but I’m not in the mood for any dawdling, so I half laugh and get moving. I want to get inside and quick because there’s also the other thing. And by “other” I mean what makes me sweat just standing here. And by “thing” I mean Digby, who I have known since I was seven but who lately makes a fumbling moronic moron out of me, a full-on halfwit. Ask me my name when I’m in his presence and I’m not likely to be able to tell you. I’d probably just say, “Lllll . . . lllllllu . . .” and you’d have to catch the drool running down my chin.

I know. It’s not at all attractive.

But really. Tall, sweaty, and not wearing a shirt, so the muscles are all right there for the watching. He doesn’t exactly glisten, on account of the fact that he’s whiter than white, that he tans by getting freckles so he’s covered in them now after a whole summer outside. But seeing his hair all plastered to his forehead, his body so long and lean, looping around his dad to get the ball into the hoop, I want to fall out of the car and onto my knees in the driveway, say Lord have mercy, hallelujah, write sonnets and paint him, and worship that one little curve where his neck meets his shoulder that is just so, so perfect.

He is beautiful.

Which is why when he says hi as I pass him, I barely raise a pinky in response. There are two main problems here, aside from the fact that he is Eden’s twin and that’s all kinds of weird.

One, he’s had the same girlfriend since the dawn of time. They’re pinned, she wears his jacket, their marriage certificate is practically already signed. Angels bless their freakin’ union. And two, if I ever did get a chance with him, like if he ever kissed me or something, I would die of implosion. I know I sound like a twelve-year-old mooning over some celebrity, and not the extremely self-possessed woman-tobe that I actually am, but something about him makes me lose my mind. Something about the way he moves, about his himness — it shatters me all the way down. So I hope he never does kiss me. That would be nothing but a disaster. No one needs to see me fall apart like that. Least of all him.

Actually, maybe least of all me.


Quotes





About Estelle

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.



Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive a hardcover of THIS RAGING LIGHT and a bottle of Essie Nail Polish
that matched the book cover. 


US Only.

Ends on December 31st at Midnight EST!



12.21.2015

My 2016 Reading Challenges

If you've been following my blog for a little while, then you'll know that 2015 was an awful year for my personal reading with 2014 not being too much better.  I've been getting into slump after slump and it's been awful.

So to kick start 2016 and my reading again, I've since joined a book club and I'm going to be attempting the following reading challenges:



First up is the Backlist Books Reading Challenge, hosted by Pretty Deadly Reviews.  I have a lot of books (which I'm sure a lot of you do as well) that I haven't read yet, but were published years ago.  It's a problem that I thought this challenge would help me fix.

The details from Pretty Deadly Reviews:
  • This is a 2016 challenge, running from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2016
  • For these purposes, I’m counting backlist books as anything published a year or more before the day you read it. So if it’s January 1st, 2016, the book you’re reading must have been published in 2014 or earlier
  • Books must be read and reviewed. You do not need a blog to enter, but a tumblr, a Goodreads account, just some place to put a little blurb after you’re done reading. A review can be a traditional review, a booktube video, a few sentences on GR. It’s up to you
  • I’m not going to have any levels or anything like that. Read as much or as little as you want!




Next up is another one from Pretty Deadly Reviews, the LGBTQIA 2016 Reading Challenge.  LGBTQ+ literature is one of my favorite genres and an area where we desperately need more books!  I love readings books published that incorporate a LGBTQ+ character, so I'm really excited about this one!  The level I'm doing is highlighted below.

The details from Pretty Deadly Reviews:
  • This challenge will run from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2016.
  • The book must contain an LGBTQIA main character.
  • Books must be read and reviewed. The review can be any kind of review you want, traditional, a few sentences, a vlog review. Anything goes.
  • Backlist books also count as part of this challenge.
  • There are going to be different levels that correspond to the colors of the rainbow:
  • Red = 5 books
  • Orange = 6-12 books
  • Yellow = 13-20 books
  • Green = 21- 30 books
  • Blue = 31- 40 books
  • Purple = 41- 50 books
  • The Giveaway will be for one LGBTQIA book. International is okay, but you MUST be signed up for the challenge. The giveaway will be held at the end of the year.





Finally there is the Full House Reading Challenge, hosted by Book Date.  The point of this one is to fill up the bingo card she has on her site, completing a "full house".  There are different challenges within each square, like "Read a book with a setting starting with B".  So this one, while having a motivating force is a little more fun-centered than the other two.  Also this one allows books read for other challenges which is helpful.

The details from Book Date:
  • Challenge will run from Jan 1st to December 31st 2016
  • Write and publish a post stating your intention to participate. In the post please include the Challenge graphic and a link back to this post. Then link your intention post at the bottom of this post.  Make sure it is the actual post and not just a generic link to your blog.
  • Add your reviews back here on the link in this post. At the end of every three months there will be a U.S. $12 prize with a book of your choice from the Book Depository or U.S. Amazon voucher, for the entries. There will be a new linky then for the next quarter and so on to the end of December.
  • Reviews are not mandatory and if you prefer to keep a list of the books read and the category they cross off the card, then you can still enter for the completion of a Full House by linking to that list on the final linky or in a comment.
  • Jan - March Link Up
  • April - June Link Up
  • July - September Link Up
  • October - December Link Up
  • Each review can only be linked up once in the year. However it doesn't matter when you read the book in 2016 - which month, just link as you remember or have time. So if you read it in January you may not get around to linking it until say... May. That is fine.
  • Books may cross over from other challenges that you are doing. 
  • There will be a final post to link in a summary post for the challenge for those who have completed a full house. This will close on the 2nd January 2017  and a winner will be chosen using random.org for a U.S. $30 prize which again can be used to buy books at the Book Depository or be received as an Amazon voucher.



12.16.2015

Waiting On Wednesday (92)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming/recent releases that we seriously can’t wait to read

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait to read:



Away We Go
Publication Date: February 2, 2016


With an innovative format that includes interstitial documents, such as flyers, postcards, and handwritten notes, Away We Go is a funny, honest look at first love and tragic heartbreak.

Westing is not your typical school. For starters, you have to have one very important quality in order to be admitted—you have to be dying. Every student at Westing has been diagnosed with PPV, or the Peter Pan Virus. No one is expected to live to graduation.

What do you do when you go to a school where no one has a future? Noah Falls, his girlfriend Alice, and his best friend Marty spend their time drinking, making out, and playing video games on awaywego.com. But when an older boy named Zach (who Noah may or may not be in love with) invites Noah and Marty to join his secret Polo Club, the lives of both boys change as they struggle to find meaning in their shortened existence.

(Summary from Goodreads)


First of all I like the inclusion of some of Peter Pan that is alluded to in the summary. I think this is just an intriguing idea, to stick all the kids with this virus in one place. It sounds like they get to do whatever they want, and this is less of a school and more of a cushy prison. I liked Emil Ostrovski's first book, The Paradox of Vertical Flight, so I think I'll enjoy this as well.

What book are you waiting for?

12.15.2015

Teaser Tuesday (74)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!
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The Casquette Girls
Alys Arden
November 15, 2015


      The familiar tunes made my desire to be home grow more and more intense.  I cranked the window handle, letting the humidity roll in, along with the unexplainable presence---the je ne ais quoi of the city.  The muggy air hit my face, making me smile with nervous anticipation as I watched the cypress trees go by.  They had once been tall enough to hide the swampy marshes, but now they were mostly snapped in half like twigs.  (pg. 13-14)





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I was lucky enough to win this book from Goodreads Firsts and it really intrigues me.  It's set right after the destruction of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding of the city.  But with the storm other things are awaken and descend upon the returning citizens of the once lively city.  Adele, the main character, is wrapped up in the mystery and I can't wait to find out what happens!  A very think book, but it seems pretty fast-paced so far.  If you've read it already, let me know what you thought in the comments!

12.13.2015

PARDON THE LOOK!


As you can see, there are some technical difficulties going on with my site.  So please pardon the mess; the look may be broken but the content is not!

Thanks! :)

12.09.2015

What We Left Behind by Robin Talley (Review)

Title: What We Left Behind
Author(s): Robin Talley
Edition: ARC, 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: October 27, 2015
Source: For review from publicist
Buy: Amazon Barnes & Noble - Book Depository
















The Summary


What happens when love isn't enough to conquer all?

Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. They've been together forever. They never fight. They're deeply, hopelessly in love. When they separate for their first year at college—Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU—they're sure they'll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, their relationship will surely thrive.

The reality of being apart, however, is a lot different than they expected. As Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, falls in with a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing, Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship.

While Toni worries that Gretchen, who is not trans, just won't understand what is going on, Gretchen begins to wonder where she fits in Toni's life. As distance and Toni's shifting gender identity begins to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide—have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?

My Opinion


Toni and Gretchen were the "It" couple in high school; everyone wanted a relationship like they had.  They had the future all figured out too, well at least college.  But, unfortunately, it isn't all sunshine and daisies when reality actually hits and they are both thrown into completely new experiences away from each other for the first time in a year and a half.

I know that sounds like a typical romance, and in some ways it is very typical.  Both Toni, who I am going to refer to as T from now on, and Gretchen are experiencing a brand new place and brand new people for the first time.  Neither of them have a group of friends that they are going to college with, and the one person that they could both always count on isn't right there for support.

But it is also atypical in the way that Robin Talley portrays T's and Gretchen's lives and the frank realizations about identity, gender, and sexuality.  The reason I refer to T as T is because T is trying to understand T's identity and how T presents.  So for parts of the book T does not use gendered pronouns to talk about anyone, in other parts T uses "they", and in other parts T tries out "ze" and "hir".  T also thinks through multiple different gender options: for much of the book, T identifies as genderqueer, but then that doesn't quite fit.  Maybe nonbinary or genderfluid works better. Or maybe it’s one of the multitude of other "labels" T tries out.  All T knows is that not one is a perfect fit.

If you feel a little confused just reading that sentence, then you get a sense of what not just T, but Gretchen, is going through.  While T is struggling to identify T's gender, and what that means, Gretchen is struggling to find her own place within T's journey.  I found the journey that T goes on to be very authentic in voice. Identity, any sort of identity, let alone an identity that is typically considered out of the heteronormative identity that general society conducts itself in, can be confusing to figure out.  And trying to fight certain stereotypes, which are even perpetuated within the LGBTQ+ community, can be difficult to overcome.

But that is where Robin Talley's beautiful writing comes into play.  She really crafts this journey well, so much so that I think even a straight cisgender identifying reader can relate.  It is ultimately about finding out who you are, and while T's struggle is based in gender, Gretchen acts as a counterpoint to that with a broader struggle of just who she really is as a person.  I find myself feeling as a part of the story, rooting for T and Gretchen; commiserating with them through the hard times and celebrating with them through the joyful times.  I would definitely be friends with both and I just really feel for the struggle that their relationship and they themselves are going through.

Not only is Robin Talley's characterization great, her prose is beautiful in it's simplicity and authenticity .  One of my favorite lines is found near the beginning of the book, "I never imagined that being one half of a whole could make you feel more whole all by yourself" (page 24).  I just love how simple that idea is, but it has such a profound effect.  There are other great lines, some heartbreaking, others uplifting, all throughout the book.  Intriguing characterization and solid writing are the two things I devour in books; luckily What We Left Behind has both in abundance.

I think this is an important book within the young adult book world.  Robin Talley opens the avenue for conversation about gender identity, LGBTQ+ rights, navigating college, first romances and first heartbreaks all within the confines of 416 pages.  I really encourage you to go out and read What We Left Behind for yourself; I think you'll really enjoy it.


Extras


If you liked the sound of that book, check out Robin's critically acclaimed (and hopefully, soon to be award winning) debut novel:
Lies We Tell Ourselves


Final Rating

Book Cover: 4/5

Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 8/10
Overall: 46/50: A-

12.02.2015

Waiting on Wednesday (91)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming/recent releases that we seriously can’t wait to read

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait to read:



The Last Boy and Girl in the World
Publication Date: April 26, 2016


From the critically acclaimed author of The List comes a stunning new novel about a girl who must say goodbye to everything she knows after a storm wreaks havoc on her hometown.


What if your town was sliding underwater and everyone was ordered to pack up and leave? How would you and your friends spend your last days together?

While the adults plan for the future, box up their possessions, and find new places to live, Keeley Hewitt and her friends decide to go out with a bang. There are parties in abandoned houses. Canoe races down Main Street. The goal is to make the most of every minute they still have together.

And for Keeley, that means taking one last shot at the boy she’s loved forever.

There’s a weird sort of bravery that comes from knowing there’s nothing left to lose. You might do things you normally wouldn’t. Or say things you shouldn’t. The reward almost always outweighs the risk.

Almost.

It’s the end of Aberdeen, but the beginning of Keeley’s first love story. It just might not turn out the way she thought. Because it’s not always clear what’s worth fighting for and what you should let become a memory.
(Summary from Goodreads)


I think that a natural disaster like a town slowly submerging underwater is a really interesting backdrop for a love story.  I think the juxtaposition that will happen, with Keeley losing her home, but fighting to find her love will be great.  I'm really excited to read this, and the cover is amazing.  I do judge a book on it's cover a lot, so I love when the cover is striking and graphic in the way this one is.  

What book are you waiting for?

12.01.2015

Teaser Tuesday (73)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!
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What We Left Behind
Robin Talley
October 27, 2015


      I was pretty sure I was hallucinating.
      Beautiful, blond straight girls you've never seen before don't just come up to you at your Homecoming dance and start disco dancing with you out of nowhere.  Not in normal life. 
(pg. 17)













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I got this book for review, and I am loving it so far.  I really love that there are more and more GLBTQ+ representation and lead characters within YA books.  It is important to reflect all teenagers within the books they read and to tell the stories with GLBTQ+ persons as the main protagonists; these heroes go a long way to helping both GLBTQ+ teens and straight teens see the world reflected back at them. 

I think that Robin Tulley tackles a difficult to portray subject in a very real way.  Transitioning, both in life and in self, is a difficult and confusing journey.  I think that she captures that journey for Toni and Gretchen magnificently.
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