Review: The Body under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn

The Body under the Piano
by Marthe Jocelyn; illustrated by Isabelle Follath

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition
Pages: 336
Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication date: February 2, 2020
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction, mystery
Series: Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen (#1)



From the publisher:

"A smart and charming middle-grade mystery series starring young detective Aggie Morton and her friend Hector, inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot. For fans of Lemony Snicket and The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency.

Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn’t got much to do since the death of her beloved father . . . until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot and discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room! As the number of suspects grows and the murder threatens to tear the town apart, Aggie and her new friend will need every tool at their disposal — including their insatiable curiosity, deductive skills and not a little help from their friends — to solve the case before Aggie’s beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie is sure she didn’t commit.

Filled with mystery, adventure, an unforgettable heroine and several helpings of tea and sweets, The Body Under the Piano is the clever debut of a new series for middle-grade readers and Christie and Poirot fans everywhere, from a Governor General’s Award–nominated author of historical fiction for children."

A middle grade mystery series inspired by young Agatha Christie?? Yes yes YES. I was so excited to read this one! 

I think the historical setting and the characterizations were my favorite parts. I loved going around Aggie's turn-of-the-century town with her as she gathered clues. And Aggie and Hector are such cute little mystery-solving pals. It's fun to follow along as they try to do some important work in an age where all the adults were trying to get them to leave things alone. I loved young Hector/Hercule and his proper finicky ways even more than I loved young Aggie/Agatha, I think.

The mystery was well done, and I was definitely deceived at first! I did manage to piece it together before the reveal, but it was satisfying to see how it all came together. Some of the book I felt moved a little slowly, but I was definitely into the parts where it picked up.

There is quite a lot of detail put into some rather gruesome elements (the effects of a poisoning, dead bodies both human and animal, brains leaking out, etc) - Aggie is based on a mystery writer in the making, after all, and she does a lot of thinking about these shocking things she sees, describing them in her head with a mystery writer's touch. Some readers may be turned off by this, but I think most readers who are interested in a historical mystery are going to be just fine with it. My middle-grade-age self would have been ALL about this - I loved the morbid and macabre and all that good stuff (aaand maybe I still do).

Overall, I thought this was a brilliant idea for a book and I'm looking forward to joining Aggie and Hector for another mystery in the next book in the series, Peril at Owl Park, due out in September 2020!


Final verdict: I liked it! I thought this book was good! I enjoyed reading it and I would probably recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

{ Something Old, Something New } November 2018

{ Something Old, Something New } is a meant to help us focus on the new releases in our TBR piles and also hand-pick some older books that we've been meaning to read.

On my reading list for October 2018 was...

{ Something Old }
Of Monsters and Madness
by Jessica Verday

Publication date: September 9, 2014
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 277
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), horror, gothic, retelling



You can read my review here! (2 stars)



{ Something New }
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft
edited by Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe

Publication date: August 28, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 405
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), short stories, witches, LGBTQ*



My review is coming soon! (spoiler alert: it was great!!)

On my reading list for November 2018 is...

{ Something Old }
A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray

Publication date: December 9, 2003
Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 277
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), historical fiction, gothic



First in the Gemma Doyle series. From Goodreads:

"It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls and their foray into the spiritual world's lead to?"

I'm in the mood for some historical fiction, and this one's been on my TBR for a long time. The spiritualism aspect really appeals to me - a reviewer described it as "gothic fantasy" and as soon as I read that I needed it in my hands. Like yesterday.


{ Something New }

The Wren Hunt
by Mary Watson

Publication date: November 6, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 432
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Every Christmas, Wren is chased through the woods near her isolated village by her family's enemies—the Judges—and there’s nothing that she can do to stop it. Once her people, the Augurs, controlled a powerful magic. But now that power lies with the Judges, who are set on destroying her kind for good.

In a desperate bid to save her family, Wren takes a dangerous undercover assignment—as an intern to an influential Judge named Cassa Harkness. Cassa has spent her life researching a transformative spell, which could bring the war between the factions to its absolute end. Caught in a web of deceit, Wren must decide whether or not to gamble on the spell and seal the Augurs’ fate."

This synopsis sucked me right in because tbh I have no idea what is going on... but it sounds magical and complicated and I can't wait!



What's on your { Something Old, Something New} reading list for this month? Pick a book that you've been meaning to read but haven't yet (your Something Old) and a new release or soon-to-be-released book (your Something New), read and/or review them, and share a link to your posts here or tweet it at me @PidginPea! I'd love to share your books and reviews when I do my { Something Old, Something New } post at the start of each month. If you'd like to read/review more than 2 books, be my guest! I'm hoping I can do { Something Old, Something New } AND a "something borrowed" and a "something blue" in the future too!

Want to put a { Something Old, Something New } button on your blog? I'd love that! Just copy and paste the code in the box below. I made the button using DeviantArt stock resources from flameshaft, gimei, and spiritsighs-stock and fonts from dafont.com and kevinandamanda.com.

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{ Binge, Borrowed, Bargain }: Magicians, museums, & Vikings

More new blog things?? Sure, why not! :D

Book Riot does a thing called Buy, Borrow, Bypass that I like, and I wanted to do something similar but in my own style and at my own pace. (They read A LOT of books over there at Book Riot. Because I think technically that is their job.)

So in my version, I'll share something I have binged or am about to binge-read (the Binge, obviously), something that I have discovered at the library (the Borrowed... again, kind of self-explanatory), and something I have found for free on Amazon for my Kindle (the Bargain).

Ready? Here we go!

{ Binge }

The Paper Magician
by Charlie N. Holmberg

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 222
Publisher: 47North
Publication date: September 1, 2014
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 12-18), fantasy



First in The Paper Magician series. From Goodreads:

"Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic… forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined — animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner — a practitioner of dark, flesh magic — invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man."

I'm very late to this party, but I read the first chapter yesterday and I'm so ready to get completely lost in this magical world! I envision myself tearing through this one. (um... was that an unintentional paper pun??)

{ Borrowed }

Archival Quality
by Ivy Noelle Weir & Steenz

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 280
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication date: March 6, 2018
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), graphic novel, mental health



From Goodreads:

"After losing her job at the library, Celeste "Cel" Walden starts working at the haunting Logan Museum as an archivist. But the job may not be the second chance she was hoping for, and she finds herself confronting her mental health, her relationships, and before long, her grasp on reality as she begins to dream of a young woman she's never met, but feels strangely drawn to. Especially after she asks Cel for help…

As Cel attempts to learn more about the woman, she begins losing time, misplacing things, passing out—the job is becoming dangerous, but she can't let go of this mysterious woman. Who is she? Why is she so fixated on Cel? And does Cel have the power to save her when she's still trying to save herself?"

I used to work in a museum and I loved it, so any book I see about museums pretty much immediately ends up in my hands. This one popped up on the list of new books at my library and I snagged it!

{ Bargain }

The Viking's Chosen
by Quinn Loftis

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 300
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: February 12, 2018
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), historical fiction, romance



First in the Clan Hakon series. From Goodreads:

"The prophesy must be fulfilled.

His orders are clear: launch a raid against England and bring home the spoils of war. But the prophecy is also clear: General Torben will take a foreign bride—one who is a seer and healer just like his mother. The eldest princess of England is said to be just that…a beautiful, charming, and headstrong woman. But he's a Viking army general and she's an English princess—and one who is already promised to the king of Tara.

Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless."

I had this one on my "maybe read" list. Generally anything sold as a "romance" is just not my thing. But the Viking twist is calling to me, and it's freeeee, so I'll give it a shot!



Hope you liked my latest effort in new content! If nothing else, you got a freebie alert, right? ;) See you next time!

{ Spotted & Sampled }: A new YA take on Lost & Lord of the Flies, a blast from the 90s past, and a sneak peek at a royal murder

Hello, fellow bookworms! Hope you all had a great summer! I spent mine with my hubby (who is a teacher and therefore can party all summer, woohoo!) and my son, who is now a toddler and has way too much energy. We spent a lot of time outside and we went on a big road trip at the end, so it was a nice break for all of us!

But now I'm back - yay! - and I bring you new blog things!!

So I keep discovering all kinds of books that I'm so excited about, and that I really want to share with people. Also, I have recently become aware of SO MANY ways to read samples of books, which is so great because I love getting a taste of the plot and an author's writing style ahead of time. And so I thought to myself, why not just make a weekly post about what I've spotted and added to my TBR list, and also what I've come across in the way of samples over the past week?

So here we are! Spotted & Sampled! LET'S DO THIS.

{ Spotted }

When We Were Lost
by Kevin Wignall

Available as: unknown
Pages: unknown
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Expected publication date: 2019
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 12-18), survival, thriller



From Goodreads:

"When a plane bound for Costa Rica crashes in deep jungle, the tail section breaks free and nineteen teenagers miraculously survive. Joel Aspinall, son of a local politician and student rep on the school’s council, is quick to take on the mantle of leadership, to organize everyone until a rescue party arrives. But the plane was crashed on purpose, no one knows where they are and no rescuers are coming. To make things worse, Joel’s decisions lead to more people dying, and he’s determined to wait it out.

Tom Calloway didn’t want to be on this trip. Tom doesn’t want to bond with his classmates – he isn’t the bonding type. He’d rather they just left him alone, and he’s always been unfriendly enough that they’ve been happy to oblige. But that was before the crash. Now he finds himself building the friendships he’s always tried to avoid. And despite his determined efforts to be left alone, he begins to see that he might be the one to challenge Joel and pull off another miracle, by getting all the survivors to safety.

When We Were Lost, featuring elements of Lost and Lord of the Flies, is a novel of survival, of teenagers thrust into a hostile environment. It’s a novel of life and death and the razor-thin dividing line between them. And it’s a novel about finding a place for yourself in a world that’s infinitely complex."

Lost + Lord of the Flies + YA = YES. Survival stories are so my thing. I'm already lining up for this one.


The Race to Chimney Rock
by Jesse Wiley

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition
Pages: 160
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 4, 2018
Suggested tags: chapter book (ages 7-10), historical fiction, choose your own adventure



From Goodreads:

"Go west, young pioneer—your journey begins here! In this first leg of your trek on the Oregon Trail, you need to find your way to Chimney Rock—but not without unpredictable challenges ahead. This is the first installment of four books that will take you all the way to Oregon Territory—if you make the right choices.

In book one of this exciting choose-your-own-adventure series, it's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time. But hurry—you'll need to make it through the rugged mountains before winter snow hits. Plus, there are wild animals, natural disasters, unpredictable weather, fast-flowing rivers, strangers, and sickness that will be sure to stand between you and your destination!

Which path will get you safely across the prairie? With twenty-two possible endings, choose wrong and you'll never make it to Chimney Rock on time. Choose right and blaze a trail that gets you closer to Oregon City!"

IT'S AN OREGON TRAIL CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK OMG THIS IS MY '90s CHILDHOOD IN BOOK FORM

Ahem. ... I'm fine. Everything's fine. ... But yeah, as soon as I saw this it was IMMEEEEEDIATELY on my to-read list. And you better believe I'm gonna read until I find all 22 possible endings.

{ Sampled }

Four Dead Queens
by Astrid Scholte

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook
Pages: 432
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Expected publication date: February 26, 2019
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she's, in fact, one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent."

Sampled from: Bookish First (If you haven't heard of Bookish First, go check them out! You can read samples of upcoming books every week, and reviewing books earns you entries into weekly drawings and points towards FREE BOOKS. Yes please!! ... P.s. I'm not affiliated, just a big fan.)

Ok, so... YA fantasies are like THE THING right now. There are soooo many of them. And I'm starting to feel like they're all kind of... the same? I feel like I haven't read a new YA fantasy in a while that's really unique. So I'm a little hard to please when it comes to this type of book.

And after reading this sample, I'm kind of torn on this one. Parts of it I liked, and parts of it I didn't. I wasn't wowed by Keralie's story at the beginning - she's basically a pickpocket, working for an Oliver Twist-esque Fagin character, and the hints of her backstory (she left home apparently, after some kind of situation with her father) didn't really make me all that interested to know more, I hate to say.

Then we move over to a scene at the palace, where there are four queens of four different areas of this world called Quadara. I mean... again, I'm torn. Quad, four - clever, I get it. There are four distinct areas, but I wasn't really all that interested in any one of them. And I didn't really get into the queens' story line until (SPOILER! ... Well, not really, since it's in the title...) one of them is murdered.

Both Keralie's and the queens' story lines end in cliffhangers, and I *did* find myself wanting to read more to find out what happens from there. So I give this a solid "meh". I do want to keep reading, but I'm not going to be first in line when it comes out.



That's all for this week! Did you like it? I hope so. I liked doing it! So I'll hope to see you next week for more spottings & samples!

Pea-Sized Reviews: A Map for Wrecked Girls, Spirit's Key, & Starstruck

Trying a new review style... Smaller bite-sized reviews. On a pea-themed blog. So, Pea-Sized Reviews, obviously! Eh? Eh??

Well, it's a work in progress. Let's move on...




A Map for Wrecked Girls
by Jessica Taylor

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication date: August 15, 2017
Suggested tags: young adult, contemporary, survival



From Goodreads:

"We sat at the edge of the ocean—my sister Henri and I—inches apart but not touching at all. We'd been so sure someone would find us by now.

Emma had always orbited Henri, her fierce, magnetic queen bee of an older sister, and the two had always been best friends. Until something happened that wrecked them.

I'd trusted Henri more than I'd trusted myself. Wherever she told me to go, I'd follow.

Then the unthinkable occurs—a watery nightmare off the dazzling coast. The girls wash up on shore, stranded. Their only companion is Alex, a troubled boy agonizing over his own secrets. Trapped in this gorgeous hell, Emma and Alex fall together as Emma and Henri fall catastrophically apart.

For the first time, I was afraid we'd die on this shore.

To find their way home, the sisters must find their way back to each other. But there’s no map for this—or anything. Can they survive the unearthing of the past and the upheaval of the present?"

Pretty much anything that's a "lost on a deserted island" story will end up on my TBR. I love survival stories. And I was really intrigued by the sisters storyline in the synopsis for this one. But... I don't know. It wasn't for me. It wasn't bad, it was just not really my style of writing (the synopsis gives you a good idea of what it's like - kind of choppy and sparse, which some readers may really like), and the flashbacks interspersed in the story didn't really work for me. I kind of felt like I was reading two separate books instead of a story with flashbacks. Also, I feel like this story would have been
better?just as good without the Alex and Emma romance - I would have been just fine if it was only Henri and Emma on the island together. So yeah, not bad, just not what I thought it would be, I guess? More of a romance and less of the sister story I was expecting, and the writing style and format didn't work for me, but it would probably be a winner with other readers.

Overall rating: I liked it! I may not buy it for myself but I'm glad I read it. I would probably recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. }




Spirit's Key
by Edith Cohn

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication date: September 4, 2014
Suggested tags: middle grade, mystery, paranormal



From Goodreads:

"Spirit's Key is a mystery with a bit of magic for fans of Savvy and Because of Winn Dixie.

By now, twelve-year-old Spirit Holden should have inherited the family gift: the ability to see the future. But when she holds a house key in her hand like her dad does to read its owner's destiny, she can’t see anything. Maybe it’s because she can't get over the loss of her beloved dog, Sky, who died mysteriously. Sky was Spirit’s loyal companion, one of the wild dogs that the local islanders believe possess dangerous spirits. As more dogs start dying and people become sick, too, almost everyone is convinced that these dogs and their spirits are to blame—except for Spirit. Then Sky's ghost appears, and Spirit is shaken. But his help may be the key to unlocking her new power and finding the cause of the mysterious illness before it's too late."

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but it turned out to be good! I loved the island setting, the talent that Spirit and her dad have for telling the future, and the idea of ghost dogs?? I want one!! It was a little heavy, with the dogs on the island dying, but it was a decent mystery story (although the reveal of whodunnit was a little meh for me). Nice themes of friendship, belonging, and doing what's right. I'd recommend this to middle grade readers who need a little something supernatural in their books (like my younger self... I would have loved this kind of book as a tween!), but who won't be too heartbroken over dying animals.

Overall rating: I liked it! I may not buy it for myself but I'm glad I read it. I would probably recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. }




Starstruck
by Rachel Shukert

Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 339
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication date: March 12, 2013
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, 1930s, California



First in the Starstruck series. From Goodreads:

"Every week they arrive in Los Angeles--beautiful and talented young hopefuls who dream of becoming stars. It's all Margaret Frobisher has ever wanted—and when she's discovered by a powerful agent, she can barely believe her luck. She's more than ready to escape her snobby private school and conservative Pasadena family for a chance to light up the silver screen.

The competition is fierce at Olympus Studios and Margaret—now Margo—is chasing her Hollywood dreams alongside girls like Gabby Preston, who at 16 is already a grizzled show-biz veteran caught between the studio and the ravenous ambition of her ruthless mother, and sultry Amanda Farraday, who seems to have it all--ambition, glamour . . . and dirty secrets. Missing from the pack is Diana Chesterfield, the beautiful actress who mysteriously disappeared, and there are whispers that Diana's boyfriend—Margo's new co-star—may have had something to do with it. Margo quickly learns that fame comes with a price, and that nothing is what it seems.

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."

I'm so into historical fiction, and also books that follow the storylines of multiple characters, so this one made my TBR with no second thoughts. It reminded me a lot of the Luxe series by Anna Godberson, where you get a peek at the lives of different girls, which includes much secrecy and gossip and romance and etc that keeps me flipping the pages long past my bedtime. The setting in 1930s Hollywood was really interesting to me and seemed accurate enough, from the limited knowledge I have of it. It's probably not something I would reread, but I liked it well enough and I think anyone interested in this time period or this type of dirty-little-secrets book should give it a read.

Overall rating: I liked it! I may not buy it for myself but I'm glad I read it. I would probably recommend it to others.

{ Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for providing me with a review copy. }

{ My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }

{ Something Old, Something New } April 2018

Ugh, I'm a little late with this for this month. Sorry. :(  There has just been a lot going on... I'm taking an impossible graduate class with a ridiculous amount of group work outside of class time (kill me), our house got tented for termites, and we had to say goodbye to our sweet wonderful old dog Josie. So I've been all over the place for a week or so, but I'm starting to get back on track.

{ Something Old, Something New } is a meant to help us focus on the new releases in our TBR piles and also hand-pick some older books that we've been meaning to read.

On my reading list for March 2018 was...

{ Something Old }

The Glass Sentence
by S.E. Grove

Release date: June 12, 2014
Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 439
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



I haven't posted my review yet... but it will be up soon!


{ Something New }
The Unbinding of Mary Reade
by Miriam McNamara

Release date: March 6, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, 18th century, pirates, LGBTQ



You can read my review here!

On my reading list for April 2018 is...

{ Something Old }

Caraval
by Stephanie Garber

Release date: January 1, 2017
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 407
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy



First in the Caraval series. From Goodreads:

"Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away."

I read this one once before and didn't *love it* like I expected to, but it was during middle-of-the-night feedings with my then-newborn and I'm not sure my brain was really functioning at the time. It deserves a reread.


{ Something New }

Legendary
by Stephanie Garber

Expected publication date: May 29, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Suggested tags: young adult, fantasy



Second in the Caraval series. From Goodreads:

"Stephanie Garber’s limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colorful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling breakout debut Caraval

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun."

See what I did there? :D It's a Caraval-fest this month! I got an eARC through NetGalley of Legendary and I'm excited to read it, but I felt like I needed to do another run-through of Caraval first.



What's on your { Something Old, Something New} reading list for this month? Pick a book that you've been meaning to read but haven't yet (your Something Old) and a new release or soon-to-be-released book (your Something New), read and/or review them, and share a link to your posts here or tweet it at me @PidginPea! I'd love to share your books and reviews when I do my { Something Old, Something New } post at the start of each month. If you'd like to read/review more than 2 books, be my guest! I'm hoping I can do { Something Old, Something New } AND a "something borrowed" and a "something blue" in the future too!

Want to put a { Something Old, Something New } button on your blog? I'd love that! Just copy and paste the code in the box below. I made the button using DeviantArt stock resources from flameshaft, gimei, and spiritsighs-stock and fonts from dafont.com and kevinandamanda.com.

<center><a href="http://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/p/something-old-something-new.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="747" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ1NTXh9BQne-X6VkNWTp3hXPYd1vvDMegno1E-g5V1t_kcusYOouvJgjf6OuHsjNiunpvU4QHMCQzw0Tz7pxGaf67oI7-A4N1kRYNOwFmmW19kWC-fuE7zrGgoxXHqaWPKo1Cowq8NE/s200/something+old+something+new.jpg" width="200" /></a></center>

{ Something Old, Something New } March 2018

Wheeee, let's get this going again!!

{ Something Old, Something New } is a meant to help us focus on the new releases in our TBR piles and also hand-pick some older books that we've been meaning to read.

On my reading list for March 2018 is...

{ Something Old }

The Glass Sentence
by S.E. Grove

Release date: June 12, 2014
Available as: hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 439
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



First in The Mapmakers Trilogy. From Goodreads:

"She has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous.

Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods. Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Life with her brilliant, absent-minded, adored uncle has taught Sophia to take care of herself.

Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own.

The Glass Sentence plunges readers into a time and place they will not want to leave, and introduces them to a heroine and hero they will take to their hearts. It is a remarkable debut."

This sounds spectacular. It's been on my "must read" list for forever. A middle grade version of The Girl from Everywhere, perhaps? If so, I shall devour it.


{ Something New }
The Unbinding of Mary Reade
by Miriam McNamara

Release date: March 6, 2018
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Suggested tags: young adult, historical fiction, 18th century, pirates, LGBTQ



From Goodreads:

"A swashbuckling, smart novel based on the true story of a girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to sail with the infamous pirates Anne Bonny and Calico Jack.

There’s no place for a girl in Mary’s world. Not in the home of her mother, desperately drunk and poor. Not in the household of her wealthy granny, where a girl could never be named an heir. And certainly not in the arms of Nat, her childhood love who never knew her for who she was. As a hired sailor aboard a Caribbean merchant ship, Mary’s profession—and her safety—depend on her ability to disguise the fact that she’s a girl.

Leastways, that’s what she thinks is true. But then pirates attack the ship, and right in the middle of the swashbuckling crowd of bloodthirsty pirates, Mary spots something she never could have imagined: a girl pirate. The sight of a girl standing unafraid upon the deck, gun and sword in hand, changes everything. In a split-second decision, Mary turns her gun on her own captain and earns herself a spot among the pirates’ crew.

For the first time, Mary has a shot at freedom. But imagining living life as her true self is easier, it seems, than actually doing it. And when Mary finds herself falling for the captain’s mistress, she risks everything—her childhood love, her place among the crew, and even her life."

Queer lady pirates swashbuckling around the Caribbean? Shiver me timbers. This one's been getting some weak reviews - I'm hoping I'll love it though, because it sounds awesome.



What's on your { Something Old, Something New} reading list for this month? Pick a book that you've been meaning to read but haven't yet (your Something Old) and a new release or soon-to-be-released book (your Something New), read and/or review them, and share a link to your posts here or tweet it at me @PidginPea! I'd love to share your books and reviews when I do my { Something Old, Something New } post at the start of each month. If you'd like to read/review more than 2 books, be my guest! I'm hoping I can do { Something Old, Something New } AND a "something borrowed" and a "something blue" in the future too!

Want to put a { Something Old, Something New } button on your blog? I'd love that! Just copy and paste the code in the box below. I made the button using DeviantArt stock resources from flameshaft, gimei, and spiritsighs-stock and fonts from dafont.com and kevinandamanda.com.

<center> <a href="http://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/p/something-old-something-new.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="747" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ1NTXh9BQne-X6VkNWTp3hXPYd1vvDMegno1E-g5V1t_kcusYOouvJgjf6OuHsjNiunpvU4QHMCQzw0Tz7pxGaf67oI7-A4N1kRYNOwFmmW19kWC-fuE7zrGgoxXHqaWPKo1Cowq8NE/s200/something+old+something+new.jpg" width="200" /></a></center>

New Release Round-Up: March 30-April 5, 2015

Young Adult


Solitaire
by Alice Oseman

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Suggested tags: young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"In case you're wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that's all over now.

Now there's Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don't know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don't care about Michael Holden.

I really don't.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers."

The Start of Me and You
by Emery Lord

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 384
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Suggested tags: young adult, romance, contemporary



From Goodreads:

"Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?"

Other YA new releases for this week:

Middle Grade


Anywhere but Paradise
by Anne Bustard

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 288
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Suggested tags: middle grade, historical fiction



From Goodreads:

"Moving from Texas to Hawaii in 1960,12-year-old Peggy Sue faces a difficult transition when she is bulled as one of the few haole (white) students in her school. This lyrical debut novel is perfect for Common Core classroom connections.

It's 1960 and Peggy Sue has just been transplanted from Texas to Hawaii for her father's new job. Her cat, Howdy, is stuck in animal quarantine, and she's baffled by Hawaiian customs and words. Worst of all, eighth grader Kiki Kahana targets Peggy Sue because she is haole--white--warning her that unless she does what Kiki wants, she will be a victim on "kill haole day," the last day of school. Peggy Sue's home ec teacher insists that she help Kiki with her sewing project or risk failing. Life looks bleak until Peggy Sue meets Malina, whose mother gives hula lessons. But when her parents take a trip to Hilo, leaving Peggy Sue at Malina's, life takes an unexpected twist in the form of a tsunami. Peggy Sue is knocked unconscious and wakes to learn that her parents safety and whereabouts are unknown. Peggy Sue has to summon all her courage to have hope that they will return safely."

Rutabaga the Adventure Chef
by Eric Colossal

Release date: March 31, 2015
Available as: hardcover, paperback
Pages: 128
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Suggested tags: middle grade, graphic novel, fantasy



First in the Adventure Chef series. From Amazon:

"In a world where there are dragons, wyverns, and haunted squash, you’d figure someone would have recipes for them, right?

Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot, Pot, join young adventurers Winnifred, Manny, and Beef on a quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, find monsters to have for and/or to dinner, and to save the day through cooking. Rutabaga will dare any danger to uncover new tastes, and there’s a whole world full of food to try—from roasted mud leech to spider soup to peanut butter on crackers. His heroic recipes combine real ingredients, fantasy ingredients, and real ingredients that sound fantastical. Rutabaga the Adventure Chef is the perfect adventure for any kid grossed out when something weird shows up on the dinner table."

Other Middle Grade new releases for this week: