Loving Richard Feynman by Penny Tangey

I just love it when quirky little books find their way to me.

Loving Richard Feynman first popped up on my radar after Mandi (@thebookishmanicurist) spotlighted it on one of her amazing Insta posts. Being married to an engineer who is an avid devotee of Richard Feynman (they even share a birthday!), I was immediately intrigued about the concept of a teenage girl writing letters to dead Nobel-winning physicist. I'm not exactly one who reads science-y books, but I've actually read the book Catherine rations out reading, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, which serves as a perfect device to help explore her ever-changing feelings for the physicist and life in general. It was actually a treat to see many of my same observations of that book echoed by Catherine in such an intelligent and pragmatic manner. I too think Catherine is a 'box of nerdish delight."

I thoroughly enjoyed Catherine's odd-duck observations on the mysteries of teen-dom. When done well, epistolary novels are often my favorite type to read and Catherine's struggles to deal with ridicule and overtures of friendship from her classmates are presented with careful honesty in this format. I found myself utterly swept up in her clear prose. I couldn't recommend this book enough and I'm so glad I took the trouble to track a copy down.

One new moment of Feynman's life I discovered thanks to this fabulous little story was a love letter Feynman wrote to his deceased wife two years after she passed. Read it without tears, I dare you.

Y'ALLWEST 2017

April was like a month-long feast for book festivals! The weekend after the LA Times Festival of Books, I went down to Santa Monica for Y'ALLWEST. It's an all-things YA festival and tons of fun. 

Joined by some fellow book nerds, we headed down to the Friday night preview -- which was basically just an extended book signing. If I had known that, we might not have gone, but it was still fun. My daughter is a huge fan of Shannon & Dean Hale's Princess in Black series and so I was excited to get signed copies for her. When I told the Hales they were signing for my daughter Nora, Shannon told me that she named Princess Magnolia after her own daughter, Magnolia...who originally was to be named Nora! 

No lie, there were so many panels/signings/giveaways that I wanted to attend Saturday that I wound up creating an hour by hour spreadsheet so I wouldn't miss anything. My husband totally made fun of my OCD but I'm well aware of my nerd status. But! It was immensely satisfying to see other proud booknerds carrying around their own (color-coded!) spreadsheets the day of.

I was able to snag a ticket to go to a special Leigh Bardugo signing of Wonder Woman: Warbringer! I was so excited to meet the creator of Kaz and Inej and Nina and Matthais... Leigh was so nice and I can't wait to read her latest.


At LATFoB I spent most of my time attending panels, but at Y'ALLWEST it was all about the signings and giveaways. I did go to a few panels, including this one with Ally Condie, Lilliam Rivera, Jennifer Niven, Benjamin Alire Saenz, and Angie Thomas. While they were all interesting and well-spoken, we all know I was only there to see the fabulous Angie Thomas and I was happy to have her sign copies of The Hate You Give afterwards.
Highlights of the panel include Benjamin Alire Saenz serenading the crowd with "Summertime" when asked what song they would pick for karaoke and it came as no surprise that Angie Thomas picked a combo of Beyoncé and Tupac for her favorite famous persons ("Can't you see me at a signing with a wind machine?").

And then there was the BIG reason I went down to Y'ALLWEST: Megan Whalen Turner!! Well since it's been SEVEN years since we last had a new MWT, you know I was not going to miss out on that opportunity! 

I met up with my friend, the fabulous Maggie of @treatyoshelf and we enjoyed her panel with Alex London, Cassandra Clare, Danielle Paige, Daniel José Older, and Zoraida Cordova
During the panel, we both agreed that Daniel José Older needs to start doing audio book narrations or something, because hot dog! I could listen to him allll day! 

 I came home with sooo many books and swag! Most of these I'm super excited to start reading (Hello, Words in Deep Blue and Jane, Unlimited! Although boo for waiting in line for the newest Stephanie Perkins only to find out it was only a teaser!). It turned out to be an exceptional day, full of good books and meeting lots of super nice book enthusiasts. I'm so glad I went and can't wait to attend next year too.

LA Times Festival of Books

I've never had the chance to go to the LA Times Festival of Books and this year, I finally made it! My hubby was a little concerned that I was going by myself, but I just told him, these are my people :)

After wandering the booths for a bit, I decided to escape the heat and enjoy the fantastic panels. I went to The Science of Humans, mainly so I could listen to Mary Roach, who was hilarious as expected and all the authors were extremely fascinating.

Next up was the amazing Science Fiction and Fantasy from All Angles panel with Sarah Kuhn, Becky Chambers, Ellen Klages, and Seanan McGuire. That's right. An all female panel of speculative fiction!! I mainly came for Seanan McGuire and she was as weirdly endearing as I hoped she'd be but I came out of there with a huge list of books to read from the other authors.

One conversation I was seriously excited for was Roxane Gay. Who was absolutely unapologetically brilliant. That woman is amazing and to make it even better, I ran into Maggie from @treatyoshelf!

I also got to meet Liza Palmer after her Exceptions and Expectations panel. She is basically the nicest person ever -- signing all 6 books I had with me, including her latest The F Word (which I've already devoured and loved. Of course.).

Hurrying across the gorgeous USC campus, I managed to catch the tail end of the Pieces of Me panel with Angie Thomas, Nicola Yoon, Nina LaCour, and Jennifer Niven. They were all incredibly articulate and engaging and I especially enjoyed all the Harry Potter fangirling.

So. Much. Fun.
I met so many interesting people while waiting in signing lines and scored some fantastic bookish swag. I can't wait to return next year.

Best of 2016

2016 shall forever be remembered as the redheaded stepchild that no one wants to acknowledge. I've had this Best Of post rattling around in my head for a few weeks now and felt like on this inauguration day, a day that has me filled with concern and doubt for the next four years, I wanted to take a moment to call attention to those little pockets of extraordinary from 2016. Because sometimes you just need to focus on things that make you happy. And all of these books make me happy. This past year I read 198 books: 89 print, 92 ebooks, and 13 audio. These numbers are staggering and when it came down to pick my favorites, I had so much trouble pairing it down. 

Best Fantasy series


A Darker Shade of Magic & A Gathering of Shadows by Victoria Schwab

This series is killing me in all the best possible ways. Inventive magical worlds, characters I dream about, and razor sharp dialogue that has me rooting for Lila and Kell like nobody's business. I was already fangirling pretty hard after reading these two but meeting the author this summer clinched my eternal love for her writing. Book 3 is coming next month and I am tense.

Best Bookish (Keeper) Romance

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
I can't even tell you how many times I've reread this charming book already, which is incredibly unusual for me. 3? 4? Lucy and Josh with their mutual love of strawberries have cemented their place on my keeper shelf. Surprising and witty, I can't wait to see what Ms. Thorne creates next.







Best West End Romance

Act Like It by Lucy Parker
This unexpectedly delightful romp of a romance between two London actors pretending to be in a relationship left me smiling for days. Gorgeous writing peppered with quick banter (and the occasional Harry Potter reference) easily made this a standout.







Best Fantasy/Mythological/Action Romance

A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
After hearing the promising buzz, I purposefully went into this compelling read completely blind and couldn't have been more impressed with the fantastic world building and intricate story. Cat is such a slippery character. Her snark and caginess are endlessly endearing and I inhaled it all in one sitting.







Best Graphic Novels series...okay, it's a tie


Giant Days and Lumberjanes
I'm a newbie to the bright and colorful world of graphic novels but have gotten some wonderful recommendations from friends Chachic and Maggie on what to start. Both of these series are intricately gorgeous and utterly hilarious. Which I wasn't totally expecting but am totally on board with. Giant Days reminds me so much of my own college dorm experiences and Lumberjanes is just a universally engaging story. It's always a struggle between my son and I over who gets to read the latest edition first.

Best Sports/Slow Burn Romance

Kulti by Mariana Zapata
One of the few books that I actually took the time to write a full review of this year still remains one of my favorites. It's got girl power written all over it with the best slow burn romance I've encountered in a while. As a rising soccer star, Sal is the best kind of heroine. Tough yet considerate with a unquenchable drive to be the best. I love her. I love her family. ...and I love Kulti.





Best Lady Mystery
A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
The first in a new Lady Sherlock series, Sherry Thomas once again managed to surprise and enchant me. Gone is the socially inept male Sherlock; Thomas' creation is feminine and not without her struggles despite her excess of brains. Not only a stunning mystery, it also manages to delve deeply into the expectations and prejudices concerning women. I'm looking forward to more surprises from Ms. Thomas.





Best Nasty Woman in Training Book


Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar

"It's all Girl meets Boy, Girl steals from Boy, seduces Boy, ties Boy to a chair and burns Boy's stuff. Just your typical love story."

This tag is my favorite but deceptively lacking in conveying the rawness of this book. Yet another shattering offering from Australian Kirsty Eagar, its a biting story about women and their unapologetic sexuality in a college setting. I'm thrilled that an American edition is coming soon so that it can get the increased exposure it deserves.


Best Take You By Surprise Book

Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta
Maybe I should give this one the best creep up on you and then pummel you with all the feels book. I really should have known better, but I didn't not expect such depth and twisting of emotion when I began Marchetta's latest. Mystery, fantasy, YA...if Marchetta writes it, I'm going to love it.







Best I had no I idea I would love this book so much

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
Giving into peer pressure, I got a Book of the Month membership this year and this was one of the first titles I received. Pitched to me as 'Beauty and the Beast in meth-land,' you know I was gonna be all over that. Alternating POVs deliver an unflinching look at what it means to be a family and the insane road one girl in particular has to take to get there.







Best New Author Discovery

   
Penny Reid
A few months back I one-clicked a free copy of Neanderthal Seeks Human and thoroughly enjoyed the silliness contained. It didn't change my world, but it was an entertaining read and I decided then to watch out for more Penny Reid in the future. Flash forward to a love affair with Love Hacked and then a crash-course introduction to the Winston Brothers series (don't they have THE BEST covers?). I was lucky enough to meet the ever so charming Penny at a signing at The Ripped Bodice and I am a converted fan. Her stories are fresh with unexpectedly intelligent characters with humor to spare. Her books are the ultimate happy-making experience and I thoroughly recommend them all.


Not surprisingly, you'll notice an obvious trend towards female characters who couldn't care less about what people think they should or shouldn't do. Books about women who do things, who speak their mind, and who aren't afraid to rock the boat. Stories about people changing their world and I hope we see a whole lot more of that in 2017.

So what stories and characters did you discover this year? Please share your favorites too!

See Michelle Read's Best Of 2015 2014 2012 2011 2010

Christmas Book Haul

I will get around to my Best Of 2016 post here in a bit, but this Christmas was exceptional in its book-as-presents status. So many new friends made their way to my shelves this year that I just wanted to share.

This was actually a little pre-Christmas treat yo self I got from The Ripped Bodice when I went down for a Penny Reid signing. And if you're wondering -- I adore Penny! She is so warm-hearted and funny and her books just make me smile. Anyways, I saw this little beauty and just knew it had to be mine!
Side note, here is the stairwell leading to the used books section at The Ripped Bodice. I now want to do my entire house like this.

A romance tree! So very festive.

I belong to two different book clubs -- and my online one, The YAckers, does a Sekrit Santa every year and honestly, it's probably the entire reason I joined. Look at the beauties Sandy sent me!!

My other book club meets IRL, which means we we go out to eat and chat about books for a bit then end up laughing at our hilariousness for the rest of the night. Good times. This year we decided to do a book exchange and I gifted the ever enjoyable Trouble is a Friend of Mine and received The True Meaning of Smekday in turn. Turns out the Smekday book is what the movie Home was based on (which the gifter didn't even realize -- she obviously doesn't have young kids) so naturally I  haven't had a change to even start it as my 8 year old has taken it over.

And finally, I've been salivating over this pulpy edition of P&P for awhile now and the hubby really came through this year. There is nothing better than finding Darcy under your Christmas tree. 

That's the goodies that came my way. What was in your holiday haul?