The Feminist Bookworm

I am so excited to be working with Penguin Random House Canada for the blog tour of The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari! The Grey Sisters is a psychological YA thriller (perfect for fans of Sadie and The Cheerleaders ) about two friends, D and Spider, who return to the scene of a deadly plane crash that took the life of D's sister, after D comes across a photograph that makes her believe her sister is somehow still alive. I got to do a Q&A with Jo about The Grey Sisters , her writing process, and how much fun it is working at a bookstore! 1. How would you pitch The Grey Sisters using only pop culture references? Little Women meets Deliverance . 2. What was the inspiration behind The Grey Sisters ? I was on a road trip with two friends and we were out in the middle of nowhere. It really began to feel as if the trees and mountains were encroaching on us. I made a joke about ‘how would we know if someone was watching our every move?’ and just like that, boom! Plus I...

**A version of this review will appear in the Fall 2019 print edition of the Cornell Book Review.** Remember how I said I'd bet money on the fact that Red, White & Royal Blue would be my favorite book of 2019? Well... it's still my favorite novel (key word :/) of the year! And to be fair, this book wasn't even announced until about 3 weeks before publication!  Anyways... Chanel Miller's Know My Name is now my favorite book of the year. It may not have been as "enjoyable" as RWRB, but it is unquestionably the best book I've read all year.  “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here,” writes the woman then known only as Emily Doe in her victim impact statement that was read around the world and even on the floor of congress. The woman, who had been sexually assaulted by then-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, reveals her identity in her new memoir, Know My Name : Chanel Miller. Miller herself is not just a victim....

**This post is sponsored by Glasstown Entertainment for the release of Crier's War by Nina Varela** Crier's War is described (and I would very much agree!) as an "o wn voices, richly imagined epic fantasy duology about an impossible love between two girls - one human, one Made - whose romance could be the beginning of a revolution." I had the opportunity to interview Nina about Crier's War, and I'm so excited to share it with you all!  How would you pitch/describe Crier’s War using only pop culture references (ex: Gilmore Girls meets Pretty Little Liars )?  THE HANDMAIDEN meets THE IRON GIANT. Just kidding. Maybe THE HANDMAIDEN meets WESTWORLD? CRIER’S WAR lives at the intersection of WALL-E and every Hayley Kiyoko music video.  In addition to being a novelist, you are also a screenwriter! Has your experience writing scripts influenced the format of your novels? It’s definitely helped me with plotting. Screenwriting is all about stru...

I love Katharine McGee, and I loved her series The Thousandth Floor . But I am absolutely obsessed with anything having to do with royals, and a Katie McGee book about America reimagined as a monarchy? Sign me the fuck up! This was my most anticipated book of 2019, and I am so grateful to have gotten my hands on a finished copy. American Royals imagines that, instead of being the first President, George Washington was the first king of America. Fast-forward to present-day, and we follow the current American royals. There's Beatrice, who is poised to become the first Queen of America. Sam, Beatrice's younger sister and the spare. There's Nina, a commoner and Sam's best friend. And then there's Daphne, a scheming aristocrat desperate to capture the heart of Jeff, Sam's twin brother. There's not much beyond that I can say about the plot with out spoiling anything, but if, like me, you love anything involving royals, this is the book for you! And it'...

I recently did a buddy read of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin with my friend Bethany, from the YouTube channel Beautifully Bookish Bethany! Both of us are fans of fantasy, and both of us are fans of Sarah J. Maas (although she prefers Throne of Glass and I'm an ACOTAR girl), and as this book is being pitched as a "steamy fantasy perfect for Sarah J. Maas" this seemed like a perfect fit for us. Boy oh boy was that an understatement! We both absolutely LOVED this book, and it will definitely appear on our list of favorite books of the year! Serpent & Dove takes place in a French-inspired fantasy world, where there are witches and witch hunters, called chasseurs, who are basically respected soldiers from the church. We follow Louise "Lou" who is a witch, and Reid, who is the captain of the chasseurs, who are forced into a marriage. And you can guess what comes next. ;) This book has everything going for it: it's diverse, it's super...

I've read two books by Ashley Elston previously, This is Where it Ends and The Lying Woods , both thrillers, and both of which I gave 5 stars. 10 Blind Dates is Ashley's first strictly contemporary novel, so I went into 10 Blind Dates expecting to like it, but not love it. Surprise! I loved it!! 10 Blind Dates follows out main character Sophie, a senior in high school, who is excited to spend the holidays with her boyfriend without her parents' presence, as they are going to stay with Sophie's older sister, who is having a difficult pregnancy. However, Sophie's boyfriend Griffin breaks up with her within hours of her parents' departure, resulting in Sophie fleeing to her grandparents' house. Sophie comes from a HUGE, overbearing family, and they decide the solution to Sophie's heartache is to set her up on 10 blind dates. Only, she has some really weird and annoying family members choosing her dates, Griffin shows up wanting to get back togethe...

**This post is sponsored by Simon & Schuster for the release of Start Here by Trish Doller, which comes out on August 13th.** Start Here follows two girls, Willa and Taylor, as they go on a sailing voyage from Ohio to Florida. They had originally planned to take the trip with their best friend, Finley, but when Finley dies shortly before graduation, the girls decide to honor Finley's wishes and take the trip without her. Finley has left a piece of herself with the girls for their trip in the form of a list of things to do. In honor of the release of Start Here , I've compiled a list of books inspired by Finley's list in the novel. So, start here! 1. Start here and read by favorite book of 2019, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. 2. Music is good for the soul , so indulge it by picking up Daisy Jones & the Six 3. Make time for wonder and explore The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg. 4. Time travel whenever possible and pick up a book Tay...