Book Club Picks!

Hey, guys!

Voting has closed on the summer book club options, and we have 7 books to read! I'll post the results below, and if you want more information on the books we've chosen, you can look back at my last two posts (here and here) or you can check out my shelf on Goodreads (here).

Just in case you haven't noticed it already, I've added a forum page specifically for the book club discussion. Feel free to go ahead and start conversations about the books in that forum, although it may be a few weeks before I have any real discussion questions or topics ready to go. If you've already read any of these books, that's awesome! You can go ahead and talk about them, just please be careful with spoilers and warn people of them or don't post them at all. We don't want the fun to be ruined for those of us that haven't read these books yet.

I will admit that I've had a bit of trouble finding some of these books because some of them are such new releases. If you can't find a book or can't afford to purchase them, don't feel obligated to read every single one. With the online forum style discussion, you can choose which conversations to participate in. That said, I encourage you to participate in as many as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same!

Also, if your favorite didn't get picked-- don't worry. I've become really interested in all of these, and they're definitely all on my to-read list now, so reviews on the rest of the list will be coming eventually! In the meantime, you can go ahead and read them with me, and we can always discuss them later.

Without further ado, the 2016 summer book club picks are: 




















Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Square Root of Summer 

by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Storm and Silence by Robert Thier

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

And the number 1 pick, with 85% of the votes:

Everything, Everything

By Nicola Yoon

Summer Book Club Options (Part 1)

Hey, guys! I've compiled a list of 24 books to choose from for the books we can read for the summer book club. They cover a variety of genres, from realistic fiction to fantasy to historical to science fiction, but I will admit I took a lot of inspiration from Zoella's W H Smith book club. While they are all called young adult books, that doesn't mean that you won't enjoy them if you're not a teenager-- YA fiction can be enjoyable for all ages!

I've tried to pick relatively new releases, and I was hoping to pick mainly stand-alone books rather than series. Read through the summaries (admittedly from Goodreads) of the books below, and then you can vote for the ones you're most interested in over in the sidebar!

Title: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Published: January 2015

Genre: realistic fiction

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Published: December 2010

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Title: Beautiful Broken Things

Author: Sara Barnard

Published: February 2016

Genre: realistic fiction

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realizes, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

Title: Billy and Me

Author: Giovanna Fletcher

Published: April 2016

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy?

Title: Cinderella's Dress

Author: Shonna Sayton

Published: June 2014

Genre: historical, fantasy

Being a teenager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher. Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life gets complicated. Now, with a father missing in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it's too late. After all, the descendants of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve.

Title: Cinders & Sapphires, also known by the title Secrets & Sapphires by non-US publishers

Author: Leila Rasheed

Published: January 2013

Genre: historical, romance

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies' maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can't help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But a terrible scandal has followed Ada's beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family's honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name-- but it would mean giving up her one true love ... someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Title: The Crown's Game

Author: Evelyn Skye

Published: May 2016

Genre: historical, fantasy, romance

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side. 

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Title: Everything, Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Published: September 2015

Genre: realistic fiction, romance

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

Title: Forget Tomorrow

Author: Pintip Dunn

Published: November 2015

Genre: science fiction, mystery

It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist. 

Or in Callie’s case, a criminal. In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. 

Title: The House of Silk

Author: Anthonu Horowitz

Published: November 2011

Genre: historical, mystery

London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.

Title: It Wasn't Always Like This

Author: Joy Preble

Published: May 2016

Genre: science fiction, fantasy, historical

In 1916, Emma O’Neill is frozen in time. After sampling an experimental polio vaccine brewed on a remote island off St. Augustine, Florida, she and her family stop aging—as do the Ryans, her family’s business partners. In a way, this suits Emma fine because she’s in love with Charlie Ryan. Being seventeen forever with him is a dream. But soon a group of religious fanatics, the Church of Light, takes note. Drinking the elixir has made the O’Neills and Ryans impervious to aging, but not to murder—Emma and Charlie are the only ones who escape with their lives.

On the run, Emma is tragically separated from Charlie. For the next hundred years, she plays a cat-and-mouse game with the founding members of the Church of Light and their descendants. Over the years, a series of murders—whose victims all bear more than a passing resemblance to her—indicate that her enemies are closing in. Yet as the danger grows, so does Emma’s hope for finding the boy she’s certain is still out there...

Title: A Long, Long Sleep

Author: Anna Sheehan

Published: August 2011

Genre: science fiction, fantasy, romance

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all.

Summer Book Club Options (Part 2)

Title: Maid of Secrets

Author: Jennifer McGowan 

Published: May 2013

Genre: historical, mystery, romance 

Orphan Meg Fellowes makes her living picking pockets—until she steals from the wrong nobleman. Instead of rotting in prison like she expected, she’s whisked away to the court of Queen Elizabeth and pressed into royal service, where she joins four other remarkable girls in the Maids of Honor, the Queen’s secret society of protectors.

Meg’s natural abilities as a spy prove useful in this time of unrest. The Spanish Court is visiting, and with them come devious plots and hidden political motives. As threats to the kingdom begin to mount, Meg can’t deny her growing attraction to one of the dashing Spanish courtiers. But it’s hard to trust her heart in a place where royal formalities and masked balls hide the truth: Not everyone is who they appear to be. With danger lurking around every corner, can she stay alive—and protect the crown?

Title: Mirror in the Sky

Author: Aditi Khorana

Published: June 2016

Genre: science fiction 

For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices. 

Title: Peaches

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson 

Published: April 2012

Genre: realistic fiction, romance 

Peaches combines three unforgettable heroines who have nothing in common but the troubles that have gotten them sentenced to a summer of peach picking at a Georgia orchard.

Leeda is a debutante dating wrong-side-of-the-tracks Rex.

Murphy, the wildest girl in Bridgewater, likes whichever side Rex is on.

Birdie is a dreamer whose passion for Girl Scout cookies is matched only by her love for a boy named Enrico.

Title: The Potion Diaries

Author: Amy Alward

Published: July 2015

Genre: fantasy

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.

Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?

And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. No big deal, then. 

Title: The Shadow Queen

Author: C. J. Redwine

Published: February 2016

Genre: fantasy

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh bardugo 

Published: September 2015

Genre: fantasy 

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Title: The Sky is Everywhere 

Author: Jandy Nelson

Published: March 2010

Genre: realistic fiction, romance 

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding. 

Title: The Square Root of Summer

Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Published: May 2016

Genre: science fiction, romance

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

Title: Starstruck

Author: Rachel Shukert

Published: March 2013

Genre: historical

Set in Old Hollywood, Starstruck follows the lives of three teen girls as they live, love, and claw their way to the top in a world where being a star is all that matters. 

Title: Storm and Silence

Author: Robert Thier

Published: March 2016

Genre: historical, romance 

Freedom – that is what Lilly Linton wants most in life. Not marriage, not a brood of squalling brats, and certainly not love, thank you very much!
But freedom is a rare commodity in 19th-century London, where girls are expected to spend their lives sitting at home, fully occupied with looking pretty. Lilly is at her wits’ end – until a chance encounter with a dark, dangerous and powerful stranger changes her life forever...

Title: A Thousand Nights

Author: E. K. Johnston

Published: October 2015

Genre: fantasy 

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster. 

Title: We Were Liars 

Author: E. Lockhart

Published: May 2014

Genre: realistic fiction, mystery, romance

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Make sure to go vote for which books you're most interested in! The poll will be over in the sidebar, and it'll be closing  just next week, so make sure your voice is heard!

Also don't forget to invite any of your friends to join us for the summer book club! 

November is Coming!

As evidenced by the constant flood of everything Halloween, November is rapidly approaching us. Yes, that means (hopefully) cold weather, sweaters, boots, pumpkin pie, turkey, football, and crazy shoppers. But do you know what else it means?

If you guessed NaNoWriMo, then you'd be right! Woo hoo!

If you don't have any idea what NaNoWriMo is or why you should be excited about it, I'd suggest you go read my post from March here.

Anyway, with only three days left before the mad race to 50,000 words begins, I obviously don't have time to plan a whole new novel. That said, I have four decent unfinished novels from years past, and I need your help to figure out which one to work on! I'll post synopses and possibly excerpts from all four, and then you can use the poll in the side bar to let me know which one you want me to work on! 

Also, if you're working on a novel of your own, please let me know! I'd love to be your writing buddy! Check me out on nanowrimo.org and campnanowrimo.org as thestrangemusician! 

Story 1: Victoria's Cross

Synopsis: London, 1940. George and Katherine Knight die in a bomb blast, leaving behind their five children- James, Arthur, Anna, Robert, and young Peter- in the midst of a war. When James and Arthur end up drafted a year later, they learn that the war is much more than they ever read about in the papers. Meanwhile, Anna, Robert, and Peter discover that the war extends much further than the battlefield- it reaches right into their own family.

Excerpt: First, there was scraping all the leftovers off the plates and storing them carefully in the fridge. Every bit would be needed, especially with the rationing now. It seemed like portions kept getting smaller and smaller, but in a house of boys, it was hard to tell.

 Then came laundry and mending. Everyone needed new clothes, but no one was getting them. Peter wore hand-me-downs from Robert years ago, and some of the clothes were a bit threadbare, but at least they fit him. Robert’s trousers were all too short, and she couldn’t think of any way to make them longer at this point- they’d already been mended and let down too many times. He can’t just keep wearing Arthur’s trousers either, she thought, setting aside the trousers. Arthur’s clothes fit him alright, but the shirts were worn soft and thin, especially in the elbows, and likewise in the knees of his trousers. James, as the oldest, had the newest clothes, but even they were worn and he’d have to pass a few on to Arthur or Robert soon enough. Anna’s own dresses were worn, but she had the opposite problem of Robert- they were becoming too loose. The needle moved quickly and fluidly between her fingers and the fabric, sewing patches onto sleeves and sewing up seams and taking in her own dresses.

Finally, there was cleaning. Making sure everything was being used. Collecting the boy’s laundry for washing and mending. Washing the dishes. Dusting. Even going through the trash to see what could be reused. In this time, every little thing had some sort of purpose, and if it didn’t, it was a luxury the Knight’s didn’t have. Scrap metal or glass could be donated, and would be paid for. Paper could be written on again. Anything could be reused.

Done with her chores- for now, at least- Anna sunk, exhausted, onto the couch, knitting in hand, a cup of tea on the table, and the radio on. The yarn wove around the needles fluidly, stitch by stich creating a sweater, desperately needed with fall and winter coming. All of a sudden, the yarn stopped and the needles fell limp.

“A draft has now been issued. All men of suitable age and health for war are to enlist in the army by the end of this week, or so be arrested for treason.”

The voice on the radio crackled, but there was no mistaking what had just been said- and what it meant for the Knight’s. The knitting slipped out of Anna’s thin fingers, and one bony hand reached up to cover her mouth in surprise.

That means James and Arthur! The only income we have. Robert needs them, Peter needs them, I need them here! Robert and Peter are in school. I can’t work and keep up with the cooking and housework and take care of them! What will we do? They’re… they’ll be going to war. If they… no. I cannot afford to think like that. They’ll be safe. We all will. We’ll all be safe and sound… we have to be.

Story 2: Masquerade

Synopsis:   After the famous Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes is called in to solve the murders of young Charlotte Keene's parents, her interest in forensic science, medicine, and criminology is sparked- an almost unheard of interest for a growing young woman in Victorian society. Ostracized by her adoptive family- her aunt Margaret and two cousins, Bennet and Emmeline- she is forced to hide her interest, studying, and dream of being mentored by Sherlock Holmes himself. At the age of 18, her secret is outed and her books taken away. Desperate, Charlotte disguises herself as a homeless boy names Charlie and flees to London, in search of her freedom and her hero. There, she is quickly sucked into an investigation of serial killings that shakes the foundation of everything she knows about herself. 

Excerpt: “Charlotte Ann Keene…” She started tersely. I restrained a shudder at the use of my full name. “Charlotte. I remember…” she stopped pacing and looked at me. “I remember when you were interested in science!” she scoffed. “You were nine, only a child. You said you wanted to be a doctor, or detective-” she had been speaking as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she said detective as if it were especially sour. “Inspired by that ridiculous fellow named Holmes! I explained to you, that it wasn’t proper. It was not your place. I thought you understood. You told me you would give it up. You’ve become such a lady, a beautiful, smart, accomplished, well-bred young lady. You could be a bit more social... But this-” she held up the book she’d taken from Ben. “This, cannot be in your future. It is not ladylike. I am also very angry that you have lied to me, for these nine, almost ten years, and I am angry that you have continued with these preposterous studies.” She tossed the book ungracefully back down on the desk. I winced at the thump it made.

“I’ve had Rosalind search your room. She brought me all of your books on this subject. I am confiscating them as of this evening. She also found a few journals of your own writings on the subject. I am taking those as well. This must end, immediately.”

I leapt to my feet. “My books? My journals? You’re taking those away?” I yelled it in a voice that was certainly not “ladylike,” but at this point I was too angry and hurt to care. “They’re all I have, all I care about! This-” I gestured to the room, and to my own dress, which was far too formal for my tastes. “This isn’t me! This is not who I am, or what I’m interested in, or what I care about! I do not want this life. All I want, is to learn, and to do something with my mind. Is that really so wrong?”

“Charlotte!” Aunt Margaret fumed. “How dare you speak to me in that manner! It isn’t proper. You will cease your studies, and you will be more respectful. Now, leave me, you have quite vexed my poor nerves.” She put a hand daintily over her forehead as she waved me away dismissively with the other. She was quite clear that she was through with me. In all the thirteen years I had lived with her and my two cousins, I had never been this through with her. After all of this hiding and lying, I was done, and not in the way she wanted me to be. I felt the anger bubbling up in me, like a pot on the stove about to boil over.

“Darn your nerves!” I exploded, relishing briefly in the appalled look that crossed her features before I stormed out of the room, my heavy footsteps and the slamming of the door punctuating my final words perfectly.

Story 3: Currently Untitled! 
Synopsis: Michael is a relatively normal 17 year old. 
Except, most normal 17 year olds don't spend most of their time in the hospital. And most 17 year olds go to school, get a job, learn to drive, hang out with friends. Michael, on the other hand, does none of the above. He's an amputee, so on that hand I guess he really isn't that normal. 
Oops, sorry, poor choice of words. 
Oh, and me? I would say I'm relatively normal too. I'm Olivia. I do go to school and have a job and know how to drive. When I met Michael, I was looking for a story. 
And boy, did I find one.
Excerpt: None yet! This one's still in planning stages

Story 4: Anchored 
Synopsis: Abby, a high school senior haunted by the events of her junior year escapes with her struggling single mother to a small beach town called Bayview for the summer. 
Riley, fresh out of high school and still unsure of what life holds for him, is anxious to see what might lie outside Bayview and beyond the grip of his strict, business-mogul father. 
Can Abby come to peace with her turbulent past? Can Riley find his future? What will the present hold for them both?
Excerpt: The van jolted to a stop, and I jerked awake. I would have gone flying except for the fact that I was glued to the seat by my own sweat. I glanced out the window groggily, attempting to determine our approximate location.

“We’re in Bayview. I thought we’d stop and eat before going to the condo.” Mom gestures to the barbecue restaurant we were parked in front of.I nodded numbly, and hopped out of the van.

The door chimed cheerfully as we walked in, and at first, we too were cheerful. The prospect of working air conditioning and a full stomach after a long car trip was definitely nice. That is, until we saw the prices. It was too expensive for us, I knew, but mom sighed and ordered us both the pork plate- the cheapest thing on the menu at $8.00.

We ate in silence, with only the sound of our plastic forks scraping on the styrofoam plates. It wasn't until we were done that mom said anything.

"You can go next door and look around if you want. It's a music store."

I just nodded and got up, throwing away my empty plate and nearly running out the door as the bell chimed. The music store was vintage, with whole sections of old records along with the new albums. Old guitars hung from the high ceilings, and others lined the rough-hewn walls. There were racks of sheet music scattered randomly, and the help desk at the back was a semi circle bearing the store's name- Rhythm and Blues- in vintage blue neon sign. Come to think of it, the whole place was blue, and exuded a calm, almost retro feel.

I walked over and picked up a ukulele and strummed a few bars. The high, almost twangy sound was comforting, and almost put me in the mood for spending the summer at the beach.

"Need any help?" A deep tenor asked from behind me. I spun around to face him.

The guy was tall, much taller than I was. My head came up to about his nose. His hair was dark, curly and reached his ears. He was tan, with bright blue-green eyes, and looked like he spent all his time on the beach. Which he probably did. Judging by his "Rhythm and Blues" t shirt, he was staff. I knew it was his job, yet my stomach involuntarily fluttered at the idea that he was talking to me. My voice caught in my throat as I tried to respond.

"No, just looking," I managed to squeak out. He just grinned.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything. See you around.”

I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. He turned with a wave and disappeared between the shelves. I ran out of the store before I could do anything else stupid.

Mom was waiting, sitting in the driver’s seat of the old van. I dreaded getting back in after so long in that sticky leather seat, but I was desperate to get to the condo, and it’s not like I could just walk. So I hopped in, and we turned back onto the road towards the coast.

Best Books for the Beach

Although it brings along sunburns and bug bites and sweat, summer does offer a few good things- particularly time to read.

If you're like most people, you're probably visiting the beach sometime this summer, and if you're like me, you're probably planning to read while you're there. (And even if you're not headed to the shore anytime soon, kicking back with a good book is still totally worth it!)

So here's my list of books to bring along when you head to the beach!

If you're looking for historical fiction...

Check out Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
          I've reviewed this series before, and for more information on the books, you can read that review here. The sparkling 1920's setting, romance, and hint of mystery make these books perfect for a summer read!

Check out A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson
          Although the characters are occasionally a bit cliche, they are lovable and well written, and if you're looking for a historical romance, this book might just be for you! Set in the 1940s in Austria, this book combines romance and the wartime setting to create a emotional read for summer!

If you're looking for romance...

Check out The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
          I read the first book in this series a few years ago, and while I don't exactly remember all the details of the plot, I do remember the book being full of romance and summertime imagery that make it an ideal choice for the beach!

Check out Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
          Sarah Dessen is known for her young adult romance novels, and this is one of the best ones I've read from her. With a quaint beach town setting and realistic, likable characters, this book is a great poolside read. (UPDATE: I've written a review including this book, and you can read it here.)

If you're looking for a classic...

Check out Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
          I think everyone who's a reader at least has an idea what this one is about. This is a more challenging read, but Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, their romance, and the British Regency setting definitely make it worth the challenge!

Check out The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
          While this one is often a required book in high school and is also more challenging, it's definitely got many of the makings of a good summer book: musical writing, engaging plot, realistic characters, and the glamour of the 1920s make this book a great choice.

If you're looking for a mystery...

Check out Paper Towns by John Green
          This book is many things, but for now I'll call it (and Margo Roth Spiegelman) a mystery. With the much-anticipated film coming out in July, now is a perfect time to pick up the book and get to know the original story before it comes out in theaters!

Check out Secret Letters
          As an extension of the classic, Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes novels, this book is best appreciated by those familiar with the original stories. That said, this book gives a twist to the story that makes it appealing to other readers as well as an intriguing summer read!

If you're looking for a fairy tale...

Check out Serenade by Mari Bianca
          This story is a version of the familiar Little Mermaid story by Hans Christian Andersen, this story rings with familiarity, but with enough of a twist to keep things interesting! The romance, folklore, and oceanside setting make this a perfect beach book!

Check out Avalon High by Meg Cabot
          Although I really didn't like the movie, this book is an old favorite of mine! The characters and setting are definitely lovable, and the modernized Arthurian legend provides just enough action, romance, and fantasy to make this a great choice for reading by the pool.

Are You a Romantic?

If someone asked you if you were a romantic, what would you say? Okay, now if someone asked if you were a Romantic, what would you answer?

I've never really thought of myself as a Romantic. And no, we're not talking about Cupid and hearts and Valentine's Day, although that's all fine and good it that's your sort of thing.

So a few months ago, I probably would have answered no to both of those questions. Or at least the second one, for sure. But I think I've rethought my position since then.

In case you don't remember from your high school history or English literature class, Romanticism was a movement that circulated during the 1800's in America and Western Europe. It affected nearly all areas of art, including literature, visual art, music, and dance. It was largely a reaction against the Scientific Revolution, rationalism, and rapid industrialization of the time.

The Romantics believed that creativity was more important than intelligence, spontaneity was more important than planning, emotion was more important than mind, and nature was more important than industrialization.

And these few things are what made me disagree with them.

I will be the first to admit: I am a very logical person. I like to think out how to solve problems in a logical way, I analyze (and sometimes over-analyze) everything, and I tend to plan things out before I do them. So to insist that something else is more important than the way my brain works sort of instantly turned me away from agreeing with the Romantics.

But I am also a very creative person. All of my hobbies are very expressive ones: music, writing, art, and sometimes I can be rather reflective and sensitive. I do tend to plan out my stories before I write and sketch out my drawings before I paint, but it's still creativity.

I've realized now that I don't entirely disagree with the Romantic movement. I just disagree that one set of ideas is necessarily more important than the (seemingly opposite) set.

I believe in the importance of creativity as well as intelligence, spontaneity as well as planning, emotion as well as mind, and nature as well as industrialization. People, and the world as a whole, needs a balance of both to really be successful.

"There is no conflict between warm emotions and an intelligent, well-trained mind."                 —Walter Raymond Spalding, Music: An Art and a Language