Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Goodreads | Author | Purchase

Source: Finished copy provided by Delacorte Press at BEA 2014

My thoughts:

It’s difficult to write a review for a book that relies so much on mystery and misdirection. Many people have said not to read any reviews before reading the book and I agree. This book requires you to go in without any preconceptions or knowledge of what’s to come.

Lockhart uses each and every word deliberately. Here’s an example from the protagonist – Cadence…

“It is true I suffer migraines since my accident.
It is true I do not suffer fools.
I like a twist of meaning. You see? I Suffer migraines, Do not suffer fools. The word means the same as it did in the previous sentence, but not quite.
Suffer.
You could say it means endure, but that’s not exactly right.”

We Were Liars is unique, strange, captivating, frustrating, confusing and brilliant and it’s not going to be for everyone because of the writing style but I loved it.

Lockhart uses several writing devices that I normally hate but because the novel is a stand alone and shorter in length (225 pages) you don’t have time to question or second guess – you’re just pulled into the mystery.
I did figure out the big twist early on but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book because I couldn’t figure out the why of it all until the very end.

My only complaint, was how under developed the love interest was considering what a catalyst they were for certain events. But We Are Liars is about more than the romance, which is good I guess, because I wasn’t buying the intensity of it. Friendships and family were a much bigger part of the story.

Give this book a try if you enjoy mysteries with unreliable narraters. I like to think of it as a beach read for people who like it a little darker.

Garden & food ramblings…

This is the time of year in the garden where the plants either have toughened up and make it through the summer or they die a tragic, withering death.

After sorting out the tough survivors from the wimps, I added a few new plants to the mix to keep he butterflies coming. The Monarchs and Swallowtails have already started laying eggs which is a little early but makes me very happy – because I garden for them.

Mix of Salvia, Thyme, Coleus, Oregano, Coneflower, Parsley, Coreopsis

New plants – Coreopsis, Purple & White Cone Flower

In the shade - Coleus and Impatiens

Close up - Coleus, Oregano, Curly Leaf Parsley

(The Parsley is a host plant for my butterflies. They lay their eggs then you get this…

Swallowtail Caterpillar!

I get SO excited watching them transform into beautiful butterflies!

FOOD!

My favorite newly discovered place to eat, Yum Yum, is closing up for the summer. *sobs* I don’t blame them – it’s too hot to be cooking in a truck but I’ll be counting the days until they reopen in September.

Here’s our final meal…

Hawaiian Rice Pork bowl, and Chicken, Grilled Asparagus Wrap

But more importantly….

TA-DA!

Vanilla Stuffed Cupcake with fresh raspberry filling – topped with fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut.

*My friend Pam has decided to join in with my Garden Ramblings, so if you get a chance stop by and visit here recent post. I love how well she was able to replicate the gardens of NOLA in her own backyard.

Review: One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

A heartfelt, laugh-out-loud-funny story of romance, family, and self-discovery.

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

Goodreads | Author | Purchase

Source: ARC provided by Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an honest review

Review:
One Man Guy was such a refreshingly sweet and hopeful coming of age story. I absolutely adored how Barakiva showed the Khederian family pride in their Armenian culture and how that conflicts with a 14 year old boy trying to fit in at high school. Bringing stuffed grape leaves to lunch isn't always the kind of friendship ice breaker you're looking for. This was probably my favorite part of this book, even more so than the romance, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Alek’s parents are proud, and insistent that Alek get a good education and follow the old traditions of their country. They’re also prejudice, overbearing and sometimes embarrassing. Like when they lecture a waitress about the temperature and toxins of bottled water or how to make Armenian food the “right way” but I think that’s how it is with all families when you’re growing up and Alek’s parents are concerned, present in their children’s lives and very loving. 

Alek’s best friend Becky thinks she likes him more than as a friend and makes a move, which he doesn’t reciprocate. Alek instead finds himself attracted to the enigmatic Ethan. Alk’s realization that he’s gay comes very easy to him and he just accepts it. I’m conflicted about this. I’m sure things don’t go as easily for most people coming out in the LGBQT community – but why not show a positive example as well? I don’t know. Has anyone else read this and have an opinion?

As for Ethan as the love interest…it just didn’t work for me. Alek is 14 years old and just starting to explore his sexuality. He hasn’t even kissed much. Ethan is much more experienced in life and love. Alek is such a sweet, innocent type of character and I can see his being drawn to Ethan who is a skateboarder, cuts class, takes Alek for day trips exploring NYC. He was almost a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Guy) type character. Wild, experienced, HOT and free with a bit of an edge. I sensed there were darker depths to Ethan and his background but this wasn’t that kind of book and it wasn’t his story so it felt out of place to me. He sometimes influenced Alek in ways that weren't good for him but to be fair, Alek helped change Ethan for the better in a lot of ways.

Overall a really sweet story with a protagonist you can really root for. A little younger on the YA spectrum than I usually read but I liked the lighter approach. I enjoyed it more for the family interactions and Alek’s straightforward, stand by your beliefs, approach to life than the romance. I would have liked to know more about Ethan or have that relationship developed more for that aspect to have work for me.

I’m looking forward to see what Michael Barakiva writes next. He has a very unique writing voice.

Tune in Tuesday: Joywave (feat. KOPPS)

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

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This is a little different for me – but it’s a fun summer song…

Joywave – Tongues (feat. KOPPS)



If you’re up for viewing the really strange (but kind of cool/funny) NSFW official video check it out here

Fast Four - Mini Reviews of Randomness…

These reviews are all over the place when it comes to genre – REALLY all over the place – NA, dystopian, YA and Historical m/m O_o but these were all books that I wanted to spotlight but didn’t want to write lengthy reviews so here we go…



Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2) by Sophie JordanNew Adult
Source: Amazon Vine for review

What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?
A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:
Never let them see the real you.

Never fall in love.

Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed—he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control—a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: I adored Foreplay (book #1 of the Ivy Chronicles). I felt that it stood a step above the onslaught of NA that was all angst, all the time with very little real life conflict.

Sadly, Tease was no Foreplay. While the sexual encounters did serve the plot of Tease, they also overpowered it. Emerson and Shaw are hot together and obviously, it is more than just sex in the end. They both have issues that haunt them but the hot sex kind of solves it all. Especially regarding Emerson (although there is a nice twist to her story). I also liked how it explored what a woman vs a man can get away with sexually. How a man is just getting around but a girl is a cocktease.

Alas, the way a few very important issues were dealt with made me stabby. You can read my full review here.


Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
YA – dystopian
Source: Borrowed

It takes guts to deliberately mutilate your hand while operating a blister-pack sealing machine, but all I had going for me was guts.

Sol Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller in an America rigidly divided between people who wake, live, and work during the hours of darkness and those known as Rays who live and work during daylight. Impulsive, passionate, and brave, Sol deliberately injures herself in order to gain admission to a hospital, where she plans to kidnap her newborn niece—a Ray—in order to bring the baby to visit her dying grandfather. By violating the day-night curfew, Sol is committing a serious crime, and when the kidnap attempt goes awry it starts a chain of events that will put Sol in mortal danger, uncover a government conspiracy to manipulate the Smudge population, and throw her together with D'Arcy Benoît, the Ray medical apprentice who first treats her, then helps her outrun the authorities—and with whom she is fated to fall impossibly and irrevocably in love.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights—and a compelling, rapid-fire romantic adventure story. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: Although a little weak on the world building, Plus One exceeded my expectations with a beautifully original, fast paced story with an emphasis on character development and relationships.
All the moral ambiguity, betrayals, twists and tension kept me my toes the whole time. None of the characters were one dimensional.

The romance was so perfect. These are the type of characters and romances I love to read about. A lot of care went into writing Sol & D'Arcy's story. It was so beautiful, bittersweet and real. I believe this is a stand alone. Part of me wants more but the other part of me couldn't bear reading what they would have to go through in another book.

Highly recommend this one!


Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4) by Katy McGarry
YA
Source: Amazon Vine for review

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: West was a lot better than I expected. He was a total tool in Crash Into You. Despite my many problems with this book I did like West and Haley’s romance.

I think it’s time that I threw in the towel on this series. While the first two books are admittedly cheesy, and angst filled, I found them to be compelling and swoony. Now the conflicts are becoming unnecessarily convoluted. Take Me On is basically a rehash, plot wise, of Crash Into You. This time it's fighting instead of drag racing.

I'm also tired of all the alpha posturing that goes on. Despite the heroines having kick ass interests – car mechanic/kick boxer – they are reduced to being property that their male relatives have to protect (even though they treat them like CRAP in order to do so). The boyfriends - while loving the strength the girls show - must fight for them. Once a couple gets together they are everything to each other. It’s like nothing else exists.  It's this weird mixed message about empowerment. I think it was done really well in the first two books, especially with Noah – who learned to respect women, but it's getting lost in the drama that gets layered on in each book now.

I used to like all this – so maybe it’s just a reflection of how my tastes have changed over the years. Because people are rabid fans for this series and I am literally the only person who didn’t like it on Goodreads.

Not my favorite of the series, obviously, but I think readers who love that high level of angst & romance (I did love Haley & West together) will really like it - so ya' know…just ignore me and go read & enjoy!


Sharp Love by Ava March
M/M historical/erotica
Source: Purchased

London, 1822

William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what's necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London's underbelly, he needs Will's help. It's there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he's always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack's need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke's driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will's life to find out if he can win Jack's heart…

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: D/s theme and elements, and male/male sexual practices. ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: It’s so refreshing to read a book that has honest to goodness, real, believable conflict between a couple that doesn’t come off whiny and self indulgent. Well done! I’m looking forward to reading more by this author even though historicals and erotica are not my favorite genre. (Weird title though)

Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

Goodreads | Author | Purchase

Source: Copy provided by HarperTeen for an honest review

Review:Say What You Will hits all the “diversity in YA” marks that everyone says they are looking for right now. Although unintentional, I know I’m not reading, or seeking out, enough books with diverse characters.

Amy has Cerebral Palsy while Matthew struggles with OCD. I’ve had friends, & friends with children, who have suffered from these disabilities and the author was spot on with their struggles. I don’t think she captures everyone’s unique experience but she does portray these two particular characters experience in an honest way IMO.

But is it a good story?

Honestly, I struggled for about half of the book. It’s told in 3rd person, alternating (between Amy & Matthew). I don’t usually have problems reading any type of POV, but in this case, the 3rd person kept me from immersing in the story. Matthew, in particular, came off much younger than his 17 years with very choppy sounding sentences and thoughts.

The romance between the two is very sweet and slow to form. Matthew is the first person not to tip toe around Amy. He tells it to her straight and makes Amy see that although she’s in high school and doing quite well in her chair, using her talking device to communicate, she’s still keeping herself at a distance from other people. She misses out on social cues and nuances that would help her integrate better when she goes off to college and become more independent. Amy helps Matthew push through his panic attacks and seek help with his OCD by giving him tasks and goals.

Their disabilities are an issue but not the issue. They actually have your generic teenage miscommunications, jealousy and insecurities found in any YA. Some of the problems may be unique to their situation but were still fairly standard.

There are some mighty big twists in this book and they elevated the second half of the story for me. While the first half meandered, seeming not to know where it was headed, the second half pulled the characters into sharp focus, really letting us see what Amy and Matthew are made of and how much they can handle. It was unconventional but it fit this story. (Don’t worry – despite the John green TFiOS comparisons – you won’t need to buy stock in Kleenex. Maybe just have one of those small travel packs on hand.  lol)

Final thoughts: I had a few issues with this book. Primarily the 3rd person POV, side characters that weren’t fleshed out, a few big events that happen off page and a meandering first half. But in the end, McGovern has told a heartwarming story of two teenagers that don’t quite know how to fit in but ultimately find hope in each other & for their futures. I look forward to what McGovern writes next.

Epic Reads – Book Nerd Problems…Lending Books to Friends.

I cracked up laughing when I saw this YouTube video by Epic Reads about lending books to friends:



My book lending horror stories mostly consist of never getting my book back. After that happened a few times, I stopped lending out anything that I would be devastated about losing. It’s not even just a matter of trusting my friends – it’s also the post office. I sent a box of awesome books to my mother-in-law and just got the top of the box back saying sorry. *sobs*

I tend to stick to loaning books within the book blogging/reading community (I do background checks for new people – have they borrowed from someone else? Did it come back in a timely fashion? In good condition?) and it’s worked out well. I trust them more. They feel the same possessive drive to protect a book at all costs.

Slightly off topic from lending – more like parting with the precious. We’re lucky as bloggers. We get some really cool stuff! ARC’s, swag, and we know we don’t have room for it all but sometimes it’s hard to let it go.

I sent my friend Ana Lucia (waves hi!) a big box of books that I was excited for her to read but for some reason I kept waffling when it came to These Broken Stars by Aimee Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Now I love Ana and I REALLY wanted her to have this book but it took me almost a week to leave the book in there and tape up the damn box. I would put it in….take it out…start to tape the box…un-tape it…I have no idea why. I could easily buy another copy. I don’t even plan on reading it again but I wanted THAT book. Book lovers are weird!

How about you? Have you had any book lending horror stories?? Would you end a friendship over a mistreated/lost book?

* You can view more Epic Reads Book Nerd Problems videos here

Tune in Tuesday: Hozier

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

This week I’m featuring Irish songwriter and musician, Hozier. I love his bluesy, hypnotic sound.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he makes it to Orlando for a concert sometime soon.

Just for ease of loading times, I’m posting the lyric/static versions of his videos but if you have some time, check out his powerful videos that tackle everything from homophobia to slavery.

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Take Me To Church

* official video link (grab a tissue)

Like Real People Do

Work Song

* official video link

Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene

Cover reveal for the 2B series by Ann Aguirre!

Guys!! GUYS!! I’m insanely excited for everyone to read this series!!! Like….ridiculously excited!

Full disclosure – I was a beta reader for Ann while she was writing the 2B series and it was like Christmas in my mailbox everyday.

But even if I wasn’t a beta reader… even if I didn’t love Ann and everything she writes… I would still be excited for you to read this series.

Ann has written a New Adult series that truly captures all the messy, confusing feelings that hit you in your 20’s, struggling to find your path to adulthood. The problems are real, the characters relatable and diverse. I love everyone in this series. I wish she could write a dozen more books from this world just so we can hear the stories of the supporting characters.

OK…I’ll stop now.

I hope you all enjoy I Want It That Way, As Long as You Love Me, and The Shape Of My Heart as much as I did.

Now… the cover reveal!

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We are over the moon about the cover reveal for Ann Aguirre's 2B Trilogy Series!!! Published by Harlequin HQN, the 2B Trilogy Series is a New Adult Contemporary Romance series made up of 3 titles. I Want It That Way is the first full-length novel in the 2B Trilogy and is set to be released August 26^th. Book 2, As Long As You Love Me, is releasing on September 30^th, and The Shape of My Heart is scheduled to be released on November 25^th. You DO NOT want to miss this series, you guys!

 
About I WANT IT THAT WAY: Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she’s determined to make them come true. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, dating’s the last thing on her mind. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B…. Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can’t risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, the last thing he wants is noisy students living in the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia’s and Ty’s paths cross, and soon they can’t stay away from each other. The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can’t know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

 "A tender, sweet, and sexy story about how life—and falling in love—can never be planned." —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Vroman’s | Book Depository | Powell’s| iTunes

I WANT IT THAT WAY on Goodreads

Read the First Chapter of I WANT IT THAT WAY here!

 

About AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME: Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. She has her reasons—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. But then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend’s older brother. Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He’s the guy who women love and leave, not the one who makes them think of forever—until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

 "I loved everything about this book… I just have two words: more please!" —New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack on I Want It That Way

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Vroman’s | Book Depository | Powell’s

AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME on Goodreads

Read the First Chapter of AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME here!

 

About THE SHAPE OF MY HEART: Some people wait decades to meet their soul mate. Courtney Kaufman suspects she met hers in high school—only to lose him at seventeen. Since then, Courtney’s social life has been a series of meaningless encounters, though she's made a few close friends along the way. Especially her roommate, Max Cooper, who oozes damaged bad-boy vibes from every pore. Max knows about feeling lost—he’s been on his own since he was sixteen. Now it’s time to find out if he can ever go home again, and Courtney’s the only one he trusts to go with him. But the trip to Providence could change everything…. It started out so simple. One misfit helping another. Now Max will do anything to show Courtney that for every heart that’s ever been broken, there’s another that can make it complete.

 "New Adult storytelling with an elegant and refined voice that is entirely unique in the genre." —New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover on I Want It That Way

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Vroman’s | Book Depository | Powell’s

THE SHAPE OF MY HEART on Goodreads

Read the First Chapter of THE SHAPE OF MY HEART here!

About ANN AGUIRRE:

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with  Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.    

Website **Facebook**Twitter**Tumblr ** Goodreads ** Newsletter SignUp

Garden ramblings…Incredible giveaway from Penguin and White Flower Farm!

 I wanted to post a few pictures of all the plants that came into bloom while I was away in NYC for BEA, but unfortunately it’s been pouring everyday so that will have to wait until next week. I did find something fun to share instead!

I received an email from Penguin about a giveaway they're having to celebrate the paperback release of The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is an awesome giveaway that even I plan on entering! The book sounds fantastic too!

The grand prize is  A Plant Every Month from White Flower Farm (please read the details before entering), along with copies of The Signature of All Things to 25 runners-up. 

White Flower Farm has the most beautiful catalogs, overflowing with ideas and inspiration. I often keep and re-read mine for years. I had ordered from them several years ago and I was always satisfied with the plants and their service.

* Click on the giveaway flier to enter!

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 The Signature of All Things is “NY Times bestselling novel of science, love and the thirst for knowledge.” and was named “one of the best books of 2013 by the New York Times, Amazon, Time, the Washington Post, The New Yorker, Good Housekeeping, the Chicago Tribune!”

Goodreads

BEA 2014: The Food Post

I don’t think anyone cares that I go to BEA or what books I got anymore. All I hear when I get back is “Where’s the food post??”

It’s hard to fit in all my favorite places and try a few new ones while still attending BEA but I sure do try!

~ We hit up Pie Face once we got to our hotel. It was right on the corner and we did that on purpose since it’s open 24/7. A great place to grab a quick breakfast and coffee before heading to Javits. They have mini sweet & savory pies as well as something called Australian Iced Coffee that has espresso and ice cream. I LOVE it.

Mini Pear & Ricotta Pie, Aussie Iced Coffee

~ Next up - I decided since I probably won’t be going to France anytime soon – that NYC was were I would lead my quest to try macarons. This is because of one of my favorite books ever, The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand, has the most drool worthy macaron descriptions ever. So we hit up Macaron Café and got a sampler. I really liked them but I wasn’t WOWED – but we’ll get back to macarons a little later….

~ Dinner was at BarBacon with Pam from Midnyte Reader. My husband had sliders, I had a Barbacon Bahn Mi sandwich and Pam had the Bacon & Roasted Corn Torta. Obviously you need to like bacon to eat here.

They were filming a TV spot when we got there and hilarity ensued while all three of us tried to avoid being interviewed. Kevin, Pam and I are extreme introverts! It was a weird, crazy dinner but we had a lot of laughs and good food.

~ I had a wonderful dinner with Ann Aguirre and Megan Hart at Tao Friday night. I hear this place gets really busy and you can’t even hear yourself think but we seemed to have gotten there early enough to be able to have a nice conversation and meal. The food is amazing and the decor is gorgeous! If you go, I would suggest ordering a few different things and sharing. The Pad Thai was fantastic. The lighting is very low so this picture is awful but there is a giant Buddha as the focal point of the restaurant. And may I just reiterate….SQUEE! I met Ann Aguirre!!!!! She’s as lovely and generous in person as you would expect.  <3! Highlight of my trip!

~ A few random snacks at Victory Garden (Artisanal products and local goat milk ice cream, frozen yogurt) - YUMMY, Pommes Frites – delicious fries with even more delicious sauces to try, Magnolia Bakery (Of course! I go every visit), The Nutella Bar at Eataly

~ Even though my first macaron experience was sort of meh I persevered and tried again! (Someone's gotta do it!) and stumbled upon Bosie Tea Parlor. I only wish I hadn’t eaten so much all week because I was only able to try a few macarons but they were absolutely heavenly! I tried coffee, salted caramel and the lavender peach. Now I know what all the fuss is about. This is definitely a place I will be visiting again the next time I’m in NYC. They also have a formal tea service and Sunday brunch. My picture doesn’t do these delicious little morsels justice ( I was outside in a sunshine filled park) so check out the their photo gallery.

~  Oatmeals was a new place that I wanted to try this year. It’s an oatmeal bar where you can try pre-selected combinations or invent your own. They oatmeal comes in baby bear, mama bear and papa bear sizes made with either milk or water base. I had peaches and cream, Kevin had brown sugar cinnamon raisin. I REALLY want to go back and try some of the savory/spicy selections like fig & gorgonzola. I’m adding Oatmeals to must go on every visit list!

~ We’re in the home stretch people! Hang in there – I’m almost done!

~ On Sunday we went to 2nd Ave Deli (thanks for the recommendation Alison!) This was hands down the best roast beef sandwich and pickles I’ve had since I was a kid. My husband was happy to finally get his pastrami sandwich but this was such a weird experience. We had an older man for our waiter and he wouldn’t let me add potato salad to my meal. Like…yelled at me and said no. lol  I couldn’t even be mad because it felt like something out of a Seinfeld episode – he was like the Soup Nazi. We couldn’t stop laughing. And in the end he was right – I wouldn’t have been able to finish the potato salad. I was too full. lol

~ We checked out a new (to us) vegetarian restaurant, Angelica's Kitchen. Everything is organic and fresh. We started with People’s Polenta and it was delicious! Then I had Dashi and Noodles which was just what I needed after the drain of BEA and Book Con. My husband had the BBQ tempeh which was had way too much sauce. (The BBQ Tempeh at Café Blossom Is fantastic)




~ I saved my two favorite places for last. Café Blossom – the BEST vegan restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. The food & service is always excellent.



~ And of course Tea & Sympathy! Kevin, my friend Tori, her mom and I all went to see Maleficent (which was fantastic btw!) in the morning then went for our scones with clotted cream. This has become a annual BEA trip tradition.

~ Oh And I can’t forget Shake Shack! I ALWAYS have to have Shake Shack!!

~ One more! I didn't snap a photo but just before heading to the airport we stopped by my favorite place for breakfast - Good Enough to Eat. We met my friend Jen - YA Romantics and it was great to be able to spend some quality - non BEA line time together. 

That's it! Until next year….