A Hilarious and Adorable Love Letter to Theatre // REVIEW: Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt

Title: Theatrical
Author: Maggie Harcourt
Publication Date: 
Publisher: Usbourne Publishing
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Usbourne (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon UK || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Google Books

Blurb Description: Hope dreams of working backstage in a theatre, and she’s determined to make it without the help of her famous costume designer mum. So when she lands an internship on a major production, she tells no one. But with a stroppy Hollywood star and his hot young understudy upstaging Hope’s focus, she’s soon struggling to keep her cool… and her secret. 
Gorgeously fresh, funny and commercial YA romance from the author of Unconventional, and The Last Summer of Us

YOU CAN READ MY REVIEW OF Unconventional HERE 

 

If you don’t already know, Maggie Harcourt’s second novel, Unconventional was one of my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE reads of 2017. It was adorkable, awkward, filled with RIDICULOUSLY cute moments, authors and being locked in convention centres! Absolutely stunning, and a MUST read.

As soon as I was done, I stalked Maggie Harcourt’s Goodreads profile, only to find her next book, Theatrical listed RIGHT THERE. Needless to say, it made my 2018 ‘HAVE TO READ’ list.

And here we are.

I finished Theatrical a few days ago, and I’m only just finding the time to sit down and write my review for it:

IN A NUTSHELL: Theatrical had all the elements I LOVED about Unconventional – family, finding yourself, romance, awkwardness, girls with Purpose and it was SUCH a glorious read. In fact, it was THE highlight of an otherwise very crappy week. At the same time, while it was a GOOD, even GREAT book, it lacked that final element that made Unconventional PERFECT, and I can’t even explain what it is.

(Maybe I just liked Lexi and Adrian better than Hope and Luke? Maybe I like the Comic Con -esque setting better than the Theatre? – Who even knows?)

THINGS I LOVED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

1.       ALL THE THEATRE: I adored looking at the theatre through Hope’s eyes. I’m not an ardent fan like she is, but I’ve always admired the shows and the cast and I loved the love letter to theatre that was Maggie Harcourt’s Theatrical.

2.       HOPE AND LUKE: Maggie Harcourt knows how to write adorkable, which in my opinion, is almost every teenager ever. There are very few teens that actually are like the humans with game that you see on TV/ the movies, and I loved the delicious awkwardness between Hope and Luke that slowly blossomed into trust, picnics, a mutual love for theatre, the feeling of being seen and tiny cardboard cut-outs ;)

 

3.       TOMMY KNIGHT: He wasn’t a character I thought I’d like within the first few chapters of the book, but this movie star grew on me, especially as he covered for Hope and Luke, and actually grew into a real person, with real hopes and fears.

4.       THE SMALL SURPRISE APPEARANCE IN THE FINALE: THERE WAS A SMALL CROSSOVER BETWEEN MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2017, Unconventional, and this one at the VERY END AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I was pretty much flailing and AAAAH.

5.       ALL THE AWKWARDNESS: Really, this is a legitimate thing. I loved that all teenagers, but especially Luke and Hope in this book were so awkward and perfect, and it was really quite funny to read.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Definitely, ALONG WITH UNCONVENTIONAL, which is just the most perfect thing ever.

A hilarious, ultra-adorable love letter to theatre filled with the cutest romance that is just a perfect feel good read. 

Maggie Harcourt was born and raised in Wales, where she grew up dreaming of summer road trips and telling stories for a living. As well as studying Medieval Literature at UCL, Maggie has variously worked as a PA, a hotel chambermaid and for a French chef before realising her dreams and beginning to write full time.

She now lives just outside Bath, UK, where she can usually be found in a bookshop or somewhere near the river. She guards the secret of her favourite coffee shop jealously, because she has the perfect spot picked out there for people-watching.

Have you read any of Maggie Harcourt's books? DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM?

What's one of the best books you've read this year?

I'd love to hear from you!

ATTENTION BOOKDRAGONS: Here's Why Julie Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns NEEDS To Be On Your TBRs

I first heard about Forest of a Thousand Lanterns when mentions of the book EXPLODED all over my Twitter Feed. Suddenly, everybody was talking about this book I hadn't heard of and I (virtually) ran the mile towards Goodreads, read this GORGEOUS book's description and hit the Want to Read button faster than you could say "Snow White Retelling."

I requested an ARC of Forest Of A Thousand Lanterns on a whim, sure that a small time blogger such as myself would never get approved to read it. To my completely shock, the lovely publicist at PRH International* said she had an extra copy and sent it my way!

*I would like to take the time to appreciate the WONDERFUL PRH International whose sole mission it is to get books published in the US to readers all over the world. As someone living in India, everything about their existence makes me happy.

I haven't shared my review with you folks yet ( I will closer to publication date) but in short, I LOVED IT MORE THAN ANY OTHER RETELLING I'VE EVER READ and so, I've compiled a list about why YOU NEED THIS BOOK IN YOUR LIVES. 

Quote from Julie C Dao's Website

1. IT'S DARK AND TWISTY:

If you got that Grey's Anatomy reference, you can be my new best bookish friend. I mean it. 

I didn't know what to expect going in with Forest of a Thousand Lanterns being Julie Dao's debut novel. Most of it is set in the palace, filled with politics, ever changing loyalties and characters so deeply explored you'll feel like you've known them your whole life.

This book deals with Fate and Destiny and the lengths one girl will go to to get what she has always been told was hers. I loved all the plot twists, the political backstabbing, the romance - EVERYTHING.

2. THE WRITING WILL HAUNT YOU:

Julie Dao's lush re-imagined fairy tale, that's probably more Grimm than Disney will stay with you for a long time to come. 

Her writing isn't superfluous, but still manages to capture the essence of the world around her. More than ANYTHING, she manages to capture the volatile emotion of all the characters in the book. Whether is was the Empress, Lady Sun, Xifeng, the Emperor or ANYBODY, really, she dove into their minds, and dove deep and made me, one of her biggest fans, get to know when well.

3. #DiverseBooksAreTheBESTBooks:

DON'T YOU AGREE WITH ME? Not only is Forest of a Thousand Lanterns one of the best retellings out there with an anti-heroine as the main character, it's also set in East Asia and it is done GORGEOUSLY. 

From the descriptions of the city and the palace, to the clothes that everybody in court wore, this book captured the essence of a culture without seeming like it was trying to hard too - and that's the best kind of representation.

4. THIS IS SNOW WHITE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE:

I'm pretty sure the Snow White from your childhood contained a poison apple, all the happiness, fluffy animals and seven dwarves but this book is nothing like that. It was darker, filled with more character and just plain better. 

Not only did this book take place in a totally different setting, but the entire tone of the fairy tale had changed. There was a desperation to Xifeng, along with a strong determination that she would live the life she'd been brought up told about and that she would make it to the top and I'm pretty sure you'll love all of it.

Board by Heidi Heiling

5. VILLAINS ARE THE BEST KIND OF PEOPLE:

If you've never heard me say, Give me the worst people in the book and I'll fall in love with them, you have now. Xifeng is one of the BEST anti-heroes or villains that I've read in EVER and the dark, lush nature of this book just made this THAT MUCH BETTER.

If you’re looking for that unpredictable, diverse and dark fantasy book, go throw this book to the TOP of your TBRs and Wish lists. Forest of A Thousand Lanterns will have you spell bound with its intense writing, captivated by its ruthless main character and in love with the world you’ve been transported to.

Title: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress #1)
Author: Julie C Dao
Publication Date: October 10th 2017
Publisher: Philomel Books
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/2 of the Rise of the Empress Series
I Got A Copy Through: PRH International (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?
Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

Julie C. Dao (www.juliedao.com) is a proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York. She studied medicine in college, but came to realize blood and needles were her Kryptonite. By day, she worked in science news and research; by night, she wrote books about heroines unafraid to fight for their dreams, which inspired her to follow her passion of becoming a published author. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is her debut novel. Julie lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.

Julie is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency.

 Have you heard of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns? Is it on your TBRs?

 Have you already read it - and if so, what did you think of it? 

What are some of your favourite retellings?

Review: Tanya Tania by Antara Ganguli

Title: Tanya Tania
Author: Antara Ganguli
Publication Date: July 9th 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Flipkart || Amazon IN

Blurb Description: Last night there was a snowstorm that made my window disappear. I woke up gasping at the heater. This is my first letter in three years. First letter since I left Pakistan. First letter since Nusrat. 
Tanya Tania is a story about two young women coming of age in two countries that are coming of age. Tanya Talati in Karachi and Tania Ghosh in Bombay, daughters of college best friends, write to each other of what cannot be said to anyone else: a mother who has gone from quiet to silent, sex that has become a weapon, a servant with unforgettably soft hands and a country beginning to play with religion. When Tanya's brother receives a kidnapping threat, she sets in motion what no one could have predicted, least of all Tania, who finds herself alone in a forbidden bazaar in Bombay, listening to the sounds of a riot torn city coming closer and closer and closer . . .
Written in letters that span six years, Tanya Tania is a story of what it means to be between childhood and adulthood at a time when two countries are struggling with what it means to be Indian and Pakistani, rich and poor, confident and lonely. A story of love between girls, between families and between countries, Tanya Tania, is, at its heart, a love story about what it means to be human.

"I want to make something of my life, Tania. I’m not yet a whole person but I’m trying to be. That must mean something.”

I’m Indian. My grandparents moved from the region of India that is now called Pakistan during the partition in India into India and Pakistan.

Pakistan was the country the Muslims demanded for their own religious freedom, and the Hindus along with others following different religions that happened to be living in their promised region were sent out. My family was one of these families.

Reading Tanya Tania was like learning all about my history; all about how different and yet how similar my life could have been, were we still living there. That sounds selfish, now, so how about I stop talking about me and start talking about what this book is ACTUALLY about.

Tania Ghosh lives in Mumbai, with her rich family, boy and popularity problems. Her boyfriend doesn’t publicly acknowledge their relationship, her best friend is a mute girl who also happens to be hired to wash her clothes for her and her parents never seem to do anything but fight and want her to be her older brother.

Tanya lives in Pakistan, but her entire life is about the day she leaves, and goes back home. College in America, that’s the dream. Harvard. In the meantime, she is trying to cope with her mother that fades away more every day, her twin brother and father that are always absent and refuse to acknowledge that there is anything wrong, her boyfriend doesn’t care, and everybody around her is receiving death threats.

Tanya Tania is all about two teenage girls, and their journey into adulthood.

For there is nothing simple about GROWING UP anymore; nothing simple about growing up female in countries where feminism is oppressed. There is nothing simple about growing up in a world where what SOCIETY tells you you’re supposed to do is more important that what YOU want to do.

Tanya Tania is a story, told through a bunch of letters to explain the complex lives of two ordinary girls, and it is GORGEOUS.

It is everything you might be going through, it is everything you might go through in the future, and it’s told in a SUCH heart-warming, you will forever want to stay immersed in there two lives.

What I LOVED about Tanya Tania:

1.       ALL THE DEEP THINGS: EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF THIS BOOK HAD SOMETHING DEEP GOING ON. Depression, Sex and Consent, RELIGION, Standing Up To Your Parents, How Much It Matter If People Like You, AND EVERYTHING WAS HANDLED GORGEOUSLY. I was particularly happy with how much sex was talked about in this book – about what sex means as a teenager, the pressure to JUST GET IT OVER WITH, and how it’s always the GIRL that is the slut when it all comes out.

2.       THE HONEST VOICES: Tanya and Tania had these unflinching voices, raw voices that embodied the thoughts of all teenage girls when it comes to boys, sex, college, parents and just what to do with themselves. It felt like I was reading something I would write on a piece of paper, and I LOVE THAT FEELING.

What I Didn’t Love about Tanya Tania:

1.       That Abrupt Ending: I know this is a story about LIFE, and that the ending of this book shouldn’t have been tied up in a pretty bow, BUT I REALLY NEEDED IT. It felt like all Tanya had accomplished was that she managed to move away and live the American Dream, but nothing about her PERSONALLY had been resolved. She never spoke to her parents about being the invisible one, never spoke to her brother about any of it. It was heart-breaking and she deserved a better ending.

2.       The Names: AGAIN, I know, a symbolic/ publicity stunt, but for the first few letters, I WAS SO CONFUSED about which girl was writing to which. SIGH.

All in all, a book DEFINITELY worth your time, with the most unflinching thoughts on what it is to grow up today.

4 stars!

What books accurately represent your country or religion? I'm dying to read more books that accurately give me insight into different cultures, and I'm looking for recs!

ALSO, which books have helped you through a hard time? 

Please do link me up! I'll be catching up on comments this weekend!

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2) by Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publication Date: May 17th 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses Trilogy

I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)

Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US

Blurb Description: Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Full disclosure? A Court of Thorns and Roses did NOT impress me, not until the very end, and not even that much then.

Full disclosure? This is probably because I was expecting a Celaena/ Aelin and for three quarters of the book, Feyre was the exact opposite.

 

And so, A Court of Mist and Fury was not one of my most anticipated reads of this year, and definitely not like Empire of Storms is, but I was going to be reading it anyway.

And now, a few hours (Read: 28 hours, 42 minutes) after closing ACOMAF and staring at the walls because life without these characters is not worth it, I would sell my unborn child, a few limbs, a kidney and even bits of my soul for the next book. NOW.

Or, perhaps, to be transported to this world and never leave.

Or, perhaps, get to live with Rhys in his home, or in the Court of Dreams, or Velaris, or SOMEWHERE. Because for God’s sake, I’M DYING HERE AND I NEED SOMETHING. All ye great inventors, WHERE IS THE FICTIONAL WORLD TRANSPORTER?

Because it was perfect, wonderful, mind blowing, brilliant, heart wrecking, action filled, swoon worthy and EVERYTHING I never expected. A Court of Mist and Fury is Sarah Maas’s best work till date.

The second book picks up three months after the challenges Under The Mountain, in the Spring Court, with everyone still on edge. The horrors they all endured at Amarantha’s still plague their every moment, both awake and asleep. The things that Feyre did for Tamlin, for Prythian made her lose herself and she doesn't know how to salvage the shattered pieces.

I'm giving away a copy on Instagram!

Kept like a princess locked in a tower to protect her, Feyre is not allowed out of the Spring Court Manor. To protect her, Tamlin says. To make sure nothing and nobody can harm her ever again. On her hand, though, the tattoo reminds her of her bargain. The bargain she made in the darkest of nights, with night himself. One week, with him at the Night Court, once a month.

But maybe Tamlin isn't who Feyre thought he was, maybe Rhysand isn't the monster everybody believes he is. Maybe the immortal high fae with the human heart isn't who she used to be - maybe she's more. Maybe she's what this broken world needs.

I'm not going to go further into what this book is about, but as I write this review all this time later (3 days?) I'm still feeling all the feels. ALL OF THEM. This book was so bloody beautiful, I find myself at a loss for words.

I loved the depth of each and every character, the way Maas makes you feel every move, every bit of darkness, every bit of swoon and ship her characters like nobody else has the power to. A Court of Mist and Fury is dark, seductive, wonderful, brilliant - a masterpiece.

A million star and the highest praise for the best fantasy I've ever read.

Go eat it.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FANTASY? WHICH FANTASY WORLD DO YOU MOST WANT TO BE IN?

Let's talk swoony book boyfriends and girlfriends, and If you've read ACOMAF, let's freak out together!