Recently Read: Truly Devious

Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: Young Adult/ Mystery
Publication Date: 2018
Page Count: 416
Rating: 4/5

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Also by Maureen Johnson 
The Name of the Star
The Madness Underneath
The Shadow Cabinet 

Stevie Bell is obsessed with solving crimes, one crime in particular: the disappearance of an American billionaire's wife in daughter in the late 1930s. When Stevie is accepted into the boarding school started by the billionaire, and the scene of the infamous crime, she is determined to solve the mystery once and for all, but first, she may have a few other crimes to solve. 

Back in 2014 I read the first book in Johnson's Shades of London mystery series and I loved it! The next books in the series were less-great (though still good) so I was excited to hear that Johnson had a new YA mystery series coming out this year, but also a little unsure of how I would feel about it.

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a quick read. I read the ebook and couldn't believe when I finished it that it was four hundred pages because I flew through it. As usual, Johnson's characters were super loveable and interesting. I loved the dual mysteries and time-lines that were in the plot, and thought both of them were equally intriguing and entertaining. We receive information on the 1936 case in alternating chapters alongside Stevie's story, and I was just as invested in the past crime as the current story-line. I think the two will come together in a brilliant way in the upcoming novels.

All elements of this novel were high-quality including the mysteries, the characters, the setting, and the slow-burn and confused romance. I loved the idea of the boarding school for super-smart and creative kids, and I thought it made a great setting for a mystery. I think that this plot will really expand in the upcoming novels, as there is a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this book. I'm not looking forward to the wait for book two! I also loved all of the side characters, and found Stevie's classmates to be so interesting. I'm hoping that we will get to know these characters more in the upcoming books. There is a lot of natural-feeling diversity in the side characters, which is always appreciated.

I'm really looking forward to more books in this series. The end of this book had me trying to turn the page to the next chapter, and being shocked to see it was done. If you've been thinking about picking this one up, go for it!  

2018 Releases on My Radar (and that might not be on yours)

January tis the month to post about upcoming book releases! I have seen quite a few posts highlighting books that will be released in 2018, but I haven't seen a lot of the books that have caught my eye on many lists. I thought I would share some of the books on my 2018 watch-list that may not be on yours. Book titles lead to Goodreads of course!

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 
Release Date: January 16th

This is a mystery that flips back and forth in time that takes place at a boarding school. I love Johnson's humor and thought the first two books in her Shades of London mystery series were hilarious and so well-done, so I think this one will be a really great read. It looks as if this will be the first book in a trilogy.  

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

Release Date: February 6th 

I loved the writing and magical realism of Hutchinson's We Are the Ants which I read in 2016, so I'm really looking forward to this release. This one also sounds like it will have some magical realism as the main character, a girl-who-likes-girls, is able to perform miracles, including healing her crush from a gunshot wound as her mysterious shooter disappears into the clouds. 

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartmen

Release Date: February 27th 

This one is set in Medieval times and is about a rebellious girl who avoids being sent to a nunnery by her parents by running away and disguising herself as a boy. Oh, yeah, and there's dragons. 

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough 

Release Date: March 6th 

Books about art and artists always catch my eye and this one sounds really interesting as it centers around an Italian teenage female artist in the early 1600s. It's written in verse, and centers around a young woman's struggle to make a name for herself in a world that doesn't approve of her lifestyle. 

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

Release Date: March 13th 

This one deals with family curses, witches, and love. I haven't read Walton's first novel, but I've heard lots of great things about the lyrical writing and the magical realism elements. 

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Release Date: May 8th 

This one has a super unique premise! Mila tries to solve the mystery of her best friend and the school's mean girls' deaths by bringing them back from the dead. I love the vibes of this cover, and the premise sounds like it has a lot of potential! 

Scream All Night by Derek Milman

Release Date: July 24th

I have to rely on Goodreads for this one because its another one with a unique premise. 

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.

But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he’s left there.

With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele 

Release Date: August 21st

This one has lots of great elements. It takes place in my home state, it's a mystery with paranormal elements, and a conspiracy theory obsessed father who goes missing. 

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke 

Release Date: October 2nd 

There's not a lot of information about this one out yet besides that it's a gender-bent Beowulf, which you can sign me up for. 

Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore 

Release Date: October 9th 

Goodreads: A magical realist Snow-White & Rose-Red meets Swan Lake, in which two sisters become rivals in a game that will turn the losing girl into a swan.  I enjoyed McLemore's first novel. Her writing was super lyrical and the magical realism was super interesting, and I'm hoping this one will be similar.  

Pulp by Robin Talley

Release Date: 2018

Goodreads: About a closeted teen in the 1950s finding a way to express herself by writing a lesbian pulp novel and a contemporary out-and-proud lesbian who discovers the book years later and becomes fascinated by its pseudonymous author.

Girls on the Verge by Sharron Briggs Walker

Release Date: 2018 

Goodreads: When 17-year-old Camille discovers she can't obtain an abortion anywhere near her small hometown, she sets off for a Planned Parenthood clinic in the next state. Accompanied by Annabelle, the one-time star of her high school who has wound up stocking shelves, Camille embarks on a road trip of self-discovery in this coming-of-age story pitched as Going Bovinemeets Thelma and Louise. 

Some 2018 Intentions (reading and otherwise)

Last year, I didn't really set any year-long reading goals for myself. I was so overwhelmed with finishing my degree and the uncertainty that comes along with that, that I couldn't even picture a month into the future, much less a whole year. Over the past week or so, I've been thinking about whether or not to set 2018 goals, reading and otherwise. I started out by saying no I wasn't going to, yet here I am writing this post. My Type-A personality is once again victorious.

Instead of big, lofty goals, I'm going to throw out a few intentions for this year. I have no idea where I will be for most of the year, as this summer I will be interviewing for actual teaching jobs and then tackling my first year of teaching, which is notoriously difficult, but that's okay. These are just some things that I intend to do, or devote some time attempting to do this year.

In 2018 I want to...

• Read the books I already own. This one is on every year's list, but I never really feel like I make any progress. I buy more books in a year than I read from my existing TBR, and that's fine really. I'm not going to attempt to directly change the number of books I buy in a year, I just want to try and read from my own shelves more. 

• Read more authors from my Women's Writers List. I made this list a very long time ago, and I would love to revamp it and continue completing it. I've really taken a step back from reading classics this year, as I have been finished with my college literature courses, but I want to get back into them, and classics by women is my area of interest. I'll be revamping this list and posting about it in the near future.  

• Keep posting. It seems like every time I have been in a good blogging flow in the past two years, some major life thing (usually school) disrupts it and then I loose the flow. It's frustrating to see something you spend a lot of time working on gain in views and reads, only to loose that momentum because of outside forces. Blogging has never been about the views for me, I just love having a place to write about what I read, and I appreciate it even more now that I am out of school and have lost that avenue for discussing literature. I want to keep writing about what I read regardless of how busy I get this year or the numbers. I really love having this record of my relationship with literature. 

• Continue to declutter my life. Ever since moving out, and then back in my parents, my life has been overflowing with stuff. I moved an apartment's worth of stuff back in my childhood room, which was already filled with stuff, and I don't even know what I own anymore. I have been donating like crazy this year, and I want to keep doing that. I need to be honest with myself about what I need and proactive about getting rid of what I don't. 

I am thinking I will make smaller goals throughout the year as well, but for now, these are the things I want to focus my time and energy on this year. I would love to hear what your intentions for the new year are or your thoughts on New Year in general! Happy Reading!