Girl in Translation

Author: Jean Kwok
Goodreads Rating: 3.94
Pages: 304
Format: Finished Copy Purchased

Introducing a fresh, exciting Chinese-American voice, an inspiring debut about an immigrant girl forced to choose between two worlds and two futures.
When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family’s future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition. Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.
Through Kimberly’s story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about. 
Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant-a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone

Author: Kat Rosenfield
Goodreads Rating: 3.47
Pages: 304
Format: ARC from Swap

An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent
Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town--and Becca--into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.
Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson's life are intercut with Becca's own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia's death.

Dollhouse Asylum

Author: Mary Gray
Goodreads Rating: 3.66
Pages: 296
Format: ARC from BEA13

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

ALA Recap

Oh my goodness my friends. I had the craziest two days I think that I have ever had. I was really nervous when it was the night before and I all I did was ask myself "What was I thinking!?" Two days? Not even two full days? At a Book Conference? In a city I had never been to before?

Needless to say, it was two of the best days I've ever had. We had a 6AM flight out of New York, and we landed shortly before 8AM in Chicago where I don't think I can even explain my excitement at being there. I love traveling be it road trips or really anything. I don't get to do it often, and more so now, having a big kid job, it makes traveling hard.

Everyone said that I was crazy for doing this. For dragging my poor, wonderful boyfriend to Chicago for a book convention. I didn't think we would get to do much sight seeing, and I'm sure we missed a ton of really cool things, but I got to see everything that I wanted to, eat what I wanted to, and even grab all the cool books that I wanted!

So excited I couldn't even talk.

So where was? 8AM we made it to Chicago, and we didn't make it to the convention center until like 8:30. I didn't realize that my hotel was attached to the convention center so I made the poor man drive to the center even though it was right there. I guess it was only fair as we drove in a circle (3 Times to the same Hotel) when I was jittery and wanted to get to ALA. I just wanted to be there already!

Right away we hooked up with Bailey and her mom Jamie, and they gave me the lowdown on what ALA was like as this was my first time there. They told me about how they have a post office in the hall, on the floor! (BEA Listen up!) I mostly wandered while Mike went to hold my spot in line for Sarah Dessen because I missed her at BEA, no way that was happening again...

The Bean!

Right away I got a ton of books, and when I went to meet Mike on line, he was shocked as I had to organize everything. (I also won't lie, I ditched the books with him so that I could free up my shoulders and walk around a little bit.) We wound up leaving a little early to check into the hotel which was actually a really awesome place. There was a fitness center and pool (Which I knew when I booked it, but by the time that it came time to go 6 months later, I left my bathing suit at home.) 

Amazing.

I think my favorite part of this trip was that I was able to not just do the conference, but also see some of Chicago. I didn't feel tied down to the Convention Center because I didn't have to be at a signing at least once an hour. I was able to get out and sight see and we got to see so many sights! We went to see the Bean, and we got to walk around Chicago. I never realized how artsy this city was.

I was terrified and I loved it.

Of course we went and tried some Deep Dish Pizza which was delicious and I was only able to eat while slice while Mike had 3. We had to walk the pizza off, and we decided to do that while visiting the Skytower. It was a really amazing experience, and I would love to repeat it! I think the biggest problem is that it was completely packed and you couldn't get a chance to do something fun because everyone wanted to push their way into the 4 little boxes that hovered over the city. It was terrifying sitting on that because while I understood I was in a safe little box, it did not feel like I was in a safe little box.

We spent most of the next day in the hall as well, wandering around, sadly, Bailey and her mom had to leave somewhat early, because they were flying out Sunday the same way we were. The remainder of our last day was spent wandering before we caught or flight back home. Which was a pain, but thats a story for another time. I cannot wait to go back and explore another new city!

All the great books!

PS. Sorry this took so long to get up, but better late than never, yeah?

Tormet (Fallen #2)

Author: Lauren Kate
Goodreads Rating: 3.92
Length: 9.7 Hours
Format: Audiobook from Library

Hell on earth.
That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.
What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?
The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.