{Review || LivTheBookClub May 2018 BOTM} The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Page Count: 288

Published on: February 13, 2017

Published by: First Second

Genre(s): Graphic Novel, YA, LGBTQAI+, Historical, Romance, Comics

Source: purchased for book club

Age Rating: all ages

Where to Find it: Amazon // Goodreads // Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart. 

~~~

Hey, guys!
    During the month of May, the Liv the Book Club chose The Prince and the Dressmaker as our book of the month. This is a full color graphic novel that takes place in Paris, France during the dawn of the modern age. The novel follows the young seamstress Frances. After creating a unique dress for a noblewoman, France's talent is noticed by the Crown Prince of Belgium: Sebastian. Sebastian hires Frances to become his personal seamstress and enlists her in aiding him in maintaining his secret identity as Lady Crystallia. The two grow close and soon are best friends. Though Frances adores being Sebastian's secret weapon, she longs to live her dream and become a famous fashion designer. 

     This novel was absolutely beautiful. I absolutely adored every bit of it. The characters were so well thought out, their stories were fantastic. The plot was so wonderful and the pace was so addicting. I didn't want it to end. The art style was beyond perfect for the vibe of this book. The writing was phenomenal and stirred up every emotion. The colors and line work were just stunning. I cannot stress the perfection of this book enough. 
      There was a fantastic focus on acceptance and unconditional love in this book. The discussion on gender norms was done so well. This story is going to be one of those influential stories that will brilliantly inform the uninformed reader. Often times, those who are considered different often are dehumanized and forced into a label that does not accurately portray or define who they are. There is a trend lately where people will just make assumptions about people, specific group of people, etc. I think this book has the capability to enable readers to begin to accept people for who they are or even just understand why people are who they are. 

     Overall, this graphic novel is an absolute treat. I highly recommend it to everyone. Happiness is imminent when reading this beautiful story. This is going to be one of my all time favorite books of the year and probably ever. Everyone needs to pick it up.

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin

{LivTheBookClub} May 2018

Hey, guys!

If you follow me on Instagram, or any of my other social media, you'll know that the book club is BACK ON! Julia and I have decided to officially make the Liv the Book Club a summer book club. We have announced the summer reading picks for each month {here}. 

In May we are reading:

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang!!!

Goodreads synopsis:

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

Page Count: 288

Release Date: February 13, 2018

Publisher: First Second

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.47 stars

Author Twitter: {@alooghobi}

Author Instagram: @wangstagram

Author Website: {click}

Book Club Goodreads Discussion: {click here}

Discussion Start Date: May 13-May 29

Connect with our social media here:

Book Club Links:

Goodreads: {click here}

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Facebook: {click here}

Liv's Social Media:

Twitter: @livthebooknerd

Instagram: @livthebooknerd

YouTube Channel [ON HIATUS- COMING BACK SOON!]: {click here}

Blog: {click here}

Bloglovin: {click here}

Tumblr {click here}

Book Depository Affiliate Link {click here}

Julia's Social Media:

Twitter: @jujuthereader

Instagram: @jujuthereader

Goodreads: {click here}

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository Affiliate Code

{Liv the Book Club 2018} Summer Reading List

Hey, guys!

     I've already helped announce the reading list on the Instagram, Twitter, and the Facebook page! I think it's time to announce it here! This summer, the book club is meeting back up again and we are reading 3 books! August is currently under discussion because we are unsure if we all will be able to keep up, but we will be reading the three books mentioned below! We hope you enjoy these books! More information will be posted in a couple weeks. Until then, connect with us on the book club social media! 

Happy reading! This summer is going to be the best session, yet!

Stay tuned to meet our newest members! 

Book Links

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Released: February 13, 2018

Goodreads link: {click here}

Purchasing Links: {Amazon} {Book Depository} 

The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton

Released: February 6, 2018

Goodreads link: {click here}

Purchasing Links: {Amazon} {Book Depository}

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Released: June 5, 2018

Goodreads link:{click here}

Purchasing Links: {Amazon} {Book Depository}

What do you think we should read in August? 

Tweet us, DM us, or message us!

Connect with our social media here:

Book Club Links:

Goodreads: {click here}

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Facebook: {click here}

Liv's Social Media:

Twitter: @livthebooknerd

Instagram: @livthebooknerd

YouTube Channel [ON HIATUS]: {click here}

Blog: {click here}

Bloglovin: {click here}

Tumblr {click here}

Book Depository Affiliate Link {click here}

Julia's Social Media:

Twitter: @jujuthereader

Instagram: @jujuthereader

Goodreads: {click here}

Happy reading!
Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository Affiliate Code

{Review || LivTheBookClub June 2017 BOTM} Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Page Count: 240

Published on: October 24, 2017

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Source: Paperback - via publisher 

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     This review has been a long time coming, but I'm finally getting to it! Julia and I read this for the summer book club back in June. I, unfortunately, was really disappointed in this book. Unlike Renee Ahdieh's previous books, the characters, the plot, and the whole concept of this book fell really flat for me. The characters were boring, annoying, and two-dimensional, the plot was underdeveloped, the magic, overall, lacked any kind of magical-ness. I was entertained and the writing style was interesting, but I just felt like Ahdieh just wasn't writing her best in FitM. I adored her Wrath and the Dawn duology. They were stunningly written and so intensely beautiful. I was so impressed, however, I feel like this book was written by a completely different person. 

      Let's talk about characters. This book didn't have any characters that I connected to. I felt like the characters that we met in this book were just "there" and didn't actually fit the story. The main character, Mariko, was just so annoying. I felt like she just whined the whole time and she would never make up her mind. She was just a mess. At first, I was really into her character. I thought she was really badass and really inspiring, but once the book started to progress, she just constantly whined and didn't progress at all. Anything that happened to her just seemed like a convenient plot device to keep the story going. The story didn't flow well at all. 

     The whole romance aspect of this book was just a big "nope" for me. I could not get behind the random and all-of-a-sudden kind of love. The romantic plot did not build up at all. It felt like it just was plopped into the story to make it "interesting". The little development that we got was much too rushed and I didn't really sense any real chemistry between the two characters. They went from enemy strangers to acquaintances to lovers. I just really didn't like that pacing. It was too much. The romance could have been left out and the plot would have been fine. I just think it was really unneeded. 

     I feel similarly about the magic system in this book. I don't know much of anything about it after reading the book. It just exploded towards the end of the book and left me confused. I really thought there would be more magic throughout the book, but I felt like it was just a mish-mash of an attempt at a history-based fantasy novel..but not done well. 

     I was hoping for a more history-based Japanese story, but I was just left with a massive state of confusion. The first part of the book was really fantastic and intriguing. I was really into the first part, however, the rest of the book was just a muddle of confusing ... stuff. I was just really confused throughout the book. 

    This book was far too busy for my taste. There was just too much happening and nothing productive. The ending was far too rushed and confusing. I'm still not sure what was happening. There were far too many instances where I was just questioning why I was reading the book. If I had not been reading it for the book club and buddy reading it with Julia, I would have probably DNF'd the book. Overall, I was just bored and confused. I only like a couple of the minor characters. I don't even remember their names. 

Favorite Characters: Yumi, Yoshi, and the peasant girl Mariko's brother likes

Least Favorite Characters: Mariko, Okami, & Ranmaru

Book Club Discussion Board: {click here}

Book Club Links:

Goodreads: {click here}

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/livthebookclub/

Liv's Social Media:

Twitter: @livthebooknerd

Instagram: @livthebooknerd

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLAl...

Blog: www.livthebooknerd.blogspot.com

Julia's Social Media:

Twitter: @jujuthereader

Instagram: @juliatharp

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository

@LivTheBookNerd on Books Amino

{LivTheBookClub #3} Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Hey, guys!

     Once again, I'm late to announce that the book club is back! We're going to be having a summer book club and if we're able to, we'll maybe continue on in the fall. Everything is up in the air at this point, but who knows what will happen! October was a bit of a flop, but I think June will hopefully work out. We'll be mainly holding discussions and sprints on the Instagram and Goodreads page, but you will probably see updates on Twitter and Facebook as well. Keep an eye out on those platforms and give us a follow! 😁

     We will be reading one of my most anticipated 2017 releases, Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh. I'm so excited to start this book. It sounds really fantastic. The main three things that I know about this book are that: 

1) it takes place in feudal Japan

2) it's written by Renee Ahdieh, so the writing must be beautiful and wonderful

3) it has a really badass female main character

What else is there? I just needed this book in my life! 

I have some reviews for Renee Ahdieh's other books, so if you'd like to see my raving reviews for her debut novel and the sequel then follow the links below!

• The Wrath & the Dawn (#1): {click here}
• The Rose & the Dagger (#2): {click here}

Synopsis:

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires. 

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.12 stars 

Page Count: 393 

Date Published: May 16, 2017

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, YA

The June BOTM Live Show's date is still undetermined, but we will announce the date as soon as we can on Twitter, Goodreads, and our personal twitters. 

Follow us on social media!

Book Club Links:

Goodreads: {click here}

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/livthebookclub/

Liv's Social Media:

Twitter: @livthebooknerd

Instagram: @livthebooknerd

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLAl...

Blog: www.livthebooknerd.blogspot.com

Julia's Social Media:

Twitter: @jujuthereader

Instagram: @juliatharp

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin // Book Depository

@LivTheBookNerd on Books Amino

{LivTheBookClub} October 2016 Book of the Month Announcement

Hey, guys!

I'm a bit behind when it comes to announcing the newest book of the month and participating in the previous discussions for Furthermore. School has been kicking my butt. Sorry, guys! Anyway, I can't promise that I'll be keeping up with discussions and events for the book club, but I definitely will try. This month we will be reading and discussing 

The First Principle by Marissa Shrock

Synopsis:

In the not-too-distant future, the United Regions of America has formed. Governors hold territories instead of states, and while Washington, DC, is gone, the government has more control than ever before. For fifteen-year-old Vivica Wilkins, the daughter of a governor, this is life as usual. High school seems pretty much the same--until one day, that controlling power steps right through the door during study hall.

When Vivica speaks out to defend her pregnant friend against the harsh treatment of Population Management Officer Marina Ward, she has no idea she's sowing the seeds of a revolution in her own life. But it isn't long before she discovers her own illegal pregnancy. Now she has to decide whether to get the mandatory abortion--or follow her heart, try to keep the baby, and possibly ruin her mother's chances at becoming president.

A rebel group called the Emancipation Warriors, who are fighting to restore freedoms once held unalienable, offer her asylum. Can Vivica trust these rebels to help her or will they bring everything crashing down around her? Accepting their help may come with consequences she isn't ready to face.

Marissa Shrock's debut novel crafts a chilling story of what may be to come if we allow the economic and moral crises currently facing our country to change the foundations on which we built our independence--and of the difference one person can make when they choose to trust God's lead.

~~~

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.27 stars

Page Count: 240

Date Published: December 20, 2014

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Christian Fiction, Suspense, YA

We're really excited to read this book and hopefully the discussions get started. Don't forget to participate in the discussions on Goodreads. We will answer the questions asked during the discussions and we will mention the different points that y'all make during the discussions during the live shows. 

The September Live Show's date is still undetermined, but we will announce the date as soon as we can on Twitter, Goodreads, and our personal twitters. 

Follow us on social media!

Book Club Links:

Goodreads: {click here}

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/livthebookclub/

Liv's Social Media:

Twitter: @livthebooknerd

Instagram: @livthebooknerd

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLAl...

Blog: www.livthebooknerd.blogspot.com

Julia's Social Media:

Twitter: @jujuthereader

Instagram: @juliatharp

Courtney's Social Media:

Twitter: @annamariaizland

Instagram: @annamariaizland

Happy reading!

~Liv~

[LivTheBookClub BOTM #2: Review] Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw

Page Count: 228

Published on: April 19, 2016

Published by: Razorbill

Genre(s): YA, Contemporary, Romance

Source: Hardback

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @annabreslaw

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Meet Scarlett Epstein, BNF (Big Name Fan) in her online community of fanfiction writers, world-class nobody at Melville High. Her best (read: only) IRL friends are Avery, a painfully shy and annoyingly attractive bookworm, and Ruth, her weed-smoking, possibly insane seventy-three-year-old neighbor.

When Scarlett’s beloved TV show is canceled and her longtime crush, Gideon, is sucked out of her orbit and into the dark and distant world of Populars, Scarlett turns to the fanfic message boards for comfort. This time, though, her subjects aren’t the swoon-worthy stars of her fave series—they’re the real-life kids from her high school. And if they ever find out what Scarlett truly thinks about them, she’ll be thrust into a situation far more dramatic than anything she’s ever seen on TV…

~~~

Hey, guys!

      During the month of August, Julia, Courtney, and I read Scarlett for our online book club called LivTheBookClub. I was really excited to read this book because it sounded exactly like something I would really enjoy considering how involved I am in the fandom life. 

     This book follows Scarlett Epstein. When Scarlett's favorite show ends unexpectedly, she has no idea what to do with her life. She turns to her online friends for advice and to figure out what to do in lieu of watching Lycanthrope High. They decide to each write up a fanfiction, Scarlett first, to cope and figure out what to do before they move on to another show. Scarlett doesn't even want to write. She ends up writing her fic based off of the events that have been occurring in real life. If the people around her find out what she really thinks of them, her life would be turned upside down.

      I really liked this book. AlthoughI did have some issues, this was one of my favorite debuts of 2016. The characters were so funny and Scarlett's character was so relatable. She was so snarky, intelligent, and fun. She was so surprisingly relatable and raw and real that I would find myself laughing out loud, talking to the characters, and...occasionally muttering "yaaas" and scaring my sister. This book made me feel a myriad of different emotions -- most positive, some negative. This wasn't the perfect book, but it was still pretty great.

      Let's just get the negative stuff out of the way. I really didn't like the love interest, Gideon. There was some really great character development, but by the end, I felt like he didn't deserve Scarlett. They should be friends again before they get into a serious relationship considering the drama that unfolded throughout the book. He was an ass half of the time. He had the potential to be a total sweetie-pie, but he made some pretty awful decisions...Which was also kind of great. Most male characters in YA-contemporary books aren't guys! They're the ideal guy for young girls, but they aren't very realistic. And although Gideon was an ass, he was still very realistic. I kind of want a book about Gideon because I want to know what was going on in his head. 

     Ashley is as fake as bologna. Julia and I established this early on in the book in our online Goodreads discussions, and if you read our discussion posts, you'd probably know of my deep loathing for Ashley. She was the perfect fake popular girl that you most likely encounter in high school. Sometimes I would cackle and point at my book and tell my sister, "That's !" Her attitude made me laugh, but absolutely livid at the same time. It boggled me that she could be so shallow....

     Avery...Okay, I'm not going to go into much detail with her character, but I thought she was a precious bean. I loved how nerdy and funny she was. She was such a good friend to Scarlett and I really wish that she was featured in the book more. 

      Ruth! I can't wait to discuss Ruth during the live show, because I have so many spoiler-y thoughts about her. Long story short, I really loved Ruth. She wasn't the typical older woman in YA. She had such a cool back story and she was so funny! I love love love Ruth. More details coming during the live show!

      Let's get into Scarlett's character. She had her flaws, trust me, but she had this amazing and natural character arc that I just really loved. There were a few moments during the book where she kind of annoyed me, but her attitude at the end of the book really made up for it. She was so well spoken and when she committed herself to something she enjoyed, she'd do amazing things. She's such a great writer, and I looked forward to the sections of the book where her fanfiction was featured. Her characters were based on people around her, but story and plot were really interesting. I really wish I had the whole story. If Anna Breslaw had included the whole fic, then the book would be longer, but really cool.

A Couple Issues That I Had:

• WHY DID SCARLETT DRINK SO MUCH? She's only 16 and easily accessed alcohol all the time! I got really irritated every time Scarlett would drink that shit.
• Scarlett's dad. I'll go into this bit during the live show, so keep an eye out for the announcement on Twitter!
• Dawn's mothering....

Favorite Character: Scarlett

Least Favorite Character: Scarlett's dad or Ashley

Other Books You Would Love:

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
• Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

Don't forget to check out the LivTheBookClub's next BOTM! We're reading Furthermore by Tehereh Mafi! 

Click {here} to join!

You can also follow us on social media!

Instagram: @livthebookclub

Twitter: @livthebookclub

Facebook: {click here}

Live Show date TBD! Check Twitter for the official date!

We hope you check it out!

Happy reading!

Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~

Twitter // Instagram // Tumblr // Goodreads // YouTube // Bloglovin

@LivTheBookNerd on Books