Category Archives: News and Fun

Author Interview: Lily Anderson

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Lily Anderson - credit Chris Duffey I’m super excited because today, as a part of the Wednesday Books Blog Tour, I get to share an interview with author Lily Anderson. You might have first fallen in reader love with her after reading her debut novel, The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, which probably won you over with its fabulous geek culture and unstoppable banter between characters. Lily’s back with her sophomore novel, inspired somewhat by The Importance of Being Earnest, about a girl who runs away from home to compete for a college scholarship.

Onto the questions and answers!

Author Interview with Lily Anderson

Do you have a favorite character (from either of your books)? Is there something about him/her which you love but just didn’t fit and didn’t get included in the story?

I love Ben West, the hero from THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU. He’s the braying jackass that lives inside me. When I was originally drafting THE ONLY THING, Ben’s dad was a big part of the story. He was supposed to be a former Jeopardy champion who used his winnings to send Ben to the Mess and Trixie taunted Ben with the final question that finally got his dad off the show. It just never really fit with the book so it got cut pretty early on.

Awww – Ben is awesome! That would have been a super cool twist, but yeah, I can see how it didn’t fit the rest of the story. Such a fun idea, though!
One of my favorite things about THE ONLY THINK WORSE THAN ME IS YOU is all the Geekdom and witty banter. Are you a Whovian personally? Were you able to pull a lot of the trivia from things you already knew or were there things you researched for the characters?

I am a Whovian with super strong opinions (mostly about how much I hate Clara—bye forever, Impossible Girl!). For the geeky references in both of my books, I pulled from my own knowledge as much as possible, but I also researched some other fandoms that I’m not as involved with (mostly Supernatural, Game of Thrones, and comics in the Spider-Verse) when I realized which characters would be into things that I’m not. For NOT NOW, NOT EVER, I read a lot more sci-fi than I normally would and got weirdly into Frank Herbert’s Dune.

I have to say, I couldn’t tell where your personal knowledge ended and the research began. Also– right?! My husband got me hooked on DUNE while we were dating. Not my favorite storytelling style, but there’s something about it that won’t let me go.
The rivalry and banter, especially between Ben and Trixie made me laugh out loud so many times. Is there more of this sort of fun to look forward to in Not Now, Not Ever?

NOT NOW, NOT EVER is also full of rivalry and banter, although it’s not an enemies-to-lovers story like THE ONLY THING. Luckily, Ben and Trixie are minor characters in NOT NOW, so you’ll get to see what they’re up to now that they’re in college.

YAYYYY!!! I can’t wait to read it. It will be fun to get a glimpse of Ben and Trixie again, too. Totally looking forward to that.
What is one question about your books you are often asked by readers?

I think what I’m asked most is “what advice would you give to aspiring writers?” And my advice is this: not everything you write will—or SHOULD—get published. Some things will just be for you. Some things just won’t work out. Don’t ever stop. Read as much as you can.

Great advice! What do you most hope that readers take away from your novels (either or both)?

I want all my readers to take away a sense of happiness. NOT NOW, NOT EVER and its predecessor, THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU, are fluff. Hopefully well crafted, artisanal and organic fluff but fluff nonetheless. NOT NOW is very much a story about choosing a path, but also realizing that the paths don’t close behind you. I want my readers to have hope for Elliot’s path and their own.

Hope and happiness are definitely worthy goals for a book. I know I felt both when I read THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU.

About Lily Anderson

website | twitter | facebook

LILY ANDERSON is an elementary school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California. She is also the author of The Only Thing Worse than Me Is You.

About Not Now, Not Ever

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Elliot Gabaroche is very clear on what she isn’t going to do this summer.

  1. She isn’t going to stay home in Sacramento, where she’d have to sit through her stepmother’s sixth community theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
  2. She isn’t going to mock trial camp at UCLA.
  3. And she certainly isn’t going to the Air Force summer program on her mom’s base in Colorado Springs. As cool as it would be to live-action-role-play Ender’s Game, Ellie’s seen three generations of her family go through USAF boot camp up close, and she knows that it’s much less Luke/Yoda/”feel the force,” and much more one hundred push-ups on three days of no sleep. And that just isn’t appealing, no matter how many Xenomorphs from Alien she’d be able to defeat afterwards.

What she is going to do is pack up her determination, her favorite Octavia Butler novels, and her Jordans, and go to summer camp. Specifically, a cutthroat academic-decathlon-like competition for a full scholarship to Rayevich College, the only college with a Science Fiction Literature program. And she’s going to start over as Ever Lawrence, on her own terms, without the shadow of all her family’s expectations. Because why do what’s expected of you when you can fight other genius nerds to the death for a shot at the dream you’re sure your family will consider a complete waste of time?

This summer’s going to be great.

Review: The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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The Beautiful Ones
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Thomas Dunne Books
Published October 24th, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Beautiful Ones

In a world of etiquette and polite masks, no one is who they seem to be.

Antonina Beaulieu is in the glittering city of Loisail for her first Grand Season, where she will attend balls and mingle among high society. Under the tutelage of the beautiful but cold Valérie Beaulieu, she hopes to find a suitable husband. However, the haphazard manifestations of Nina’s telekinetic powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

Yet dazzling telekinetic performer and outsider Hector Auvray sees Nina’s powers as a gift, and he teaches her how to hone and control them. As they spend more and more time together, Nina falls in love and believes she’s found the great romance that she’s always dreamed of, but Hector’s courtship of Nina is deceptive.

The Beautiful Ones is a sweeping fantasy of manners set in a world inspired by the Belle Époque.

My Review

This is one of the most amazing books I have read this year. Its depth is incredible, especially in the way that it plumbs the human spirit, and reveals all the nitty-grittiness of a person’s soul. If you’re looking for an exciting book, this isn’t it. But if you’d like to read a story about human nature that will both chill and warm you to your core, than look no further, because this is your book.

The characters are the driving force behind the story. No character is fully good, and no character is fully evil in this book; rather, they are human, with different wants and desires that they are chasing after, and different means of getting them. We get to explore the plot through several pairs of eyes, and it gives the story credibility and depth, as well as allowing us to at least sympathize with characters, if not agree with them.

There was so many themes explored in this book: betrayal, love, idolatry, selfishness, etc. Even though the author packed a lot of material into The Beautiful Ones, she did so with grace. It never felt heavy-handed, or like the author was trying to beat a message into the reader’s head. Instead, she wove it with such subtlety that I wouldn’t realize what she was getting at until the last few lines of a chapter, or certain phrases of dialogue, and then I would get chills. I was astonished over and over again at the depth of this book.

I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list. The Beautiful Ones (perhaps better titled The Broken Ones) is a complex tale of human nature and weakness that is well worth the read. Fans of the melancholy atmosphere and magic of The Night Circus, or the complex characters of Kristy Cambron’s books. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars, with a star subtracted for content.


Recommended for Ages 17 up.

Cultural Elements
All of the characters are white. Some are described as country bumpkins, or rubes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Several obscene words scattered through the pages. References to fornification and suggestions of adultery.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kisses, embracing, touching, thinly-veiled references to adultery, marital duties, and fornification. It is clear that characters have sex several times (before marriage), sometimes on page, though very few details are given. Characters talk about sex, without mentioning details. Mention of seeing a druggist to prevent having a baby.

Spiritual Content
Some mention of gods and goddesses. Nina briefly ponders if she’ll be damned for fornification, but doesn’t consider it a serious possibility. Mention of priests and martyrs.

Violent Content
Some minor injuries, not overly detailed.

Drug Content
Characters drink wine. 

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2017

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The weather is finally beginning to be almost bearable here in Central Florida as we transition into fall. Well, as much fall as Florida ever really gets. Haha! This month, I was able to fit in a few books which have been on my To Be Read list for a super long time. I hope to add a few more of those over the next few weeks!

If you haven’t done so already, hop over to my review of Mistress of All Evil and enter the giveaway before it closes tonight at midnight! Thanks again to Disney Hyperion for an awesome prize pack!

Here’s what you may have missed in terms of reviews here at The Story Sanctuary. Leave a comment below and let me know if you’ve read any of these books and if not, which you’re adding to your own To Be Read list.

October 2017 Reviews

Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

A totally suspenseful read with the biggest liar of all as narrator.

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Gabrielle praised this book because it “tackled some issues that are especially relevant to YA readers, and carried them off beautifully.” She recommends it to fans of Kasie West and Amy Clipston.

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

One of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of the best ever in its exploration of faith versus doubt. Fantastic– total must-read, especially for Christian readers.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Such a fun read! Loved the crazy antics of the characters and the heartwarming story.

Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Want to know more about one of Disney’s classic villains and how she came to curse a princess? Then you don’t want to miss this book. (Or the giveaway ending tonight at midnight!)

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Gabrielle calls this “the perfect creepy fall read for fans of Heather Dixon and Anne Elisabeth Stengl.”

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

An amazing story based on an impossible-sounding historical place. Fantastic characters, emotive narrative. Not to be missed.

Reign of Outlaws by Kekla Magoon

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

A fresh, fun gender-flipped Robin Hood reboot.

City of Thirst (Map to Everywhere #2) by Carrie Ryan and John Parker Davis

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

The wild, whimsical sequel to The Map to Everywhere, which was one of my favorite books the year it came out.

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

A sweet romance in an exotic setting. One of my favorite books this year.

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What’s on your reading list this fall?

So what about you? What’s on your reading list this fall? Have you read anything amazing lately that I need to add to my list? What books from my review list sound best to you?

Review: In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

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In a Perfect World
Trish Doller
Simon Pulse
Published on May 23, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About In a Perfect World
Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

My Review
I am so in love with this book. The romance and the vivid setting and the relationships between Caroline and her parents (who were cool, but still parental–not the easiest balance to strike, but I thought they were awesome!) made this an unforgettable story. I liked the way Caroline’s experiences in Cairo made her think about the way women get treated, but also made her separate individuals from culture.

In writing this book, Doller doesn’t shy away from some of the political and cultural issues an American might face in moving to Egypt. In a Perfect World, despite the rosy glow of its title, explores a Cairo still in the aftermath of a revolution. While women are free to choose what clothing they wear, many face cruel or gross comments by some men even if they’re dressed modestly by Western standards. The story shows more than those extremist views, though. Caroline meets several devout and incredibly kind and giving Muslims. I liked that such a broad spectrum of people was represented in the story and felt like it added a lot of value without adding a lot of preaching.

Some readers may be uncomfortable with the idea of romance developing between a Muslim and a Catholic. I always feel like I can’t really pass judgment there since my own family crosses lines of faith. So that’s going to have to be something readers feel out for themselves. I liked that Caroline and Adam approached the possibility of their relationship knowing how serious those differences were between them, as they both highly valued their faiths. That totally resonated with me in my own life and relationship.

I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Trish Doller at ApollyCon last spring, and we talked a bit about this book (which wasn’t out yet at the time). I remember being totally intrigued and pre-ordered myself a copy after I got home. I’m SO glad I did, and so glad I was able to spend time with such a thoughtful, amazing author who challenges her readers to think even while telling deeply moving stories.

In a Perfect World is a great fit for Sarah Dessen fans as well as fans of romance or cultural stories in general. It’s a pretty quick read, and still a pretty new release, so keep this one in mind for the holidays, either as a fireside read or a gift for the reader in your life!

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Caroline and her (white Catholic) family move to Egypt for a year. Adam and his family are Egyptian and Muslim. Caroline meets lots of Muslims of varying practice and beliefs. Some are kind to her and some judge her pretty harshly.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently. Maybe four or five times through the whole book.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. One brief reference to a boy putting his hand up Caroline’s shirt. (It’s implied he had her consent.) In Cairo, some men (strangers) make lewd comments to her and one unknown man touches her butt in a crowd. Caroline describes her frustration and humiliation at the experiences as well as her frustration at the men she talks to about it who sort of shrug and say, that’s just how it is here. (Not everyone responds that way.)

Spiritual Content
References to Catholic prayer and traditions. Caroline talks openly about her anxiety about living in a Muslim country and wonders how women who wear the hijab feel. She listens to the call to prayer—her mother explains what it means.

Caroline visits the church supposedly set on the place where Jesus once was. She thinks about him and his family as people who, like her, traveled to Egypt as foreigners.

Violent Content
Caroline hears about a bomb destroying an area of Cairo. At one point, she knows at least one of the victims killed in the blast.

Drug Content
Her parents make a comment about not being able to bring wine as a gift to dinner hosts who are Muslim. School friends invite Caroline to a beach trip in a place where there are bars. Her parents don’t allow her to go.

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Review: Ungifted by Gordon Korman

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Ungifted
Gordon Korman
Balzer + Bray
Published on August 21, 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Ungifted
The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It’s usually more like Don’t try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn’t exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn’t be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

My Review
The opening chapter of Ungifted was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. I was immediately drawn in to Donovan’s frank humor and way of viewing the world around him (despite its sometimes disastrous consequences!). I’m not a huge fan of adult point-of-view scenes in children’s literature. Ungifted contains a few of those, but not too many. I still kind of wish they’d been left out. I found the kids’ viewpoints much more interesting and entertaining.

I liked how each character had a distinct voice and a story which contributed to the overall whole. I thought the positive view of science was great and the parts about the robotics competition were super cool. The tone and quick pacing make this book a great choice for reluctant readers as well as those interested in science and robotics. Highly recommended.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Main characters appear to be white. I think some other races are represented in minor characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One of the boys uses a wrestling move he learned on YouTube to attack a couple of bullies trying to break the gifted students’ robot.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

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Once Was Lost
Sara Zarr
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published on October 1, 2009

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Once Was Lost
Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. But her mother is in rehab, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. And when a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, her already-worn thread of faith begins to unravel.

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed—about God, about your family, about yourself—is transformed.

My Review
Once Was Lost has been on my reading list for years. I kind of have no excuse for taking so long to get to it, because it’s not a long book, and it’s exactly the kind of story I love—someone in a difficult place desperately trying to do the right thing anyway. I loved that about Sam. She makes some choices that get her into trouble, but I never doubted that her heart was good and never wavered in wanting to know how her story ended.

Perhaps it’s a little unexpected to find a book in mainstream literature with such strong spiritual themes. I loved the way Zarr handled the descriptions of the small town and the church people. She made them real and gave them real problems without vilifying them. I also loved the way she let us into Sam’s struggles about her faith and her disappointment about what youth group was like. Sam expected this joyous, close-knit community, and instead, she felt distant from the other participants. That war between appearances and genuine connection totally resonated with me thinking back to my own youth group days. It felt so very right on.

All in all, I loved this book. I think it’s a great read for Christian kids who may be facing the same kinds of struggles Sam is but also for kids who don’t share Sam’s upbringing or faith. It’s a great window into what church life can be like with its ups and downs. And ultimately, this story is about self-discovery and personal growth and healing. You don’t need to have faith for those messages to matter. I highly recommend this one.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. The story takes place in a small California town.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
As pastor’s daughter, Sam and her family feel a lot of pressure to behave in certain ways. Sam feels like she can’t be honest about doubts she’s having, and when others have significant spiritual experiences, they expect her to be as thrilled about them as they are. Sam wrestles with her faith in a genuine, sensitive way. The church is depicted as a group of well-meaning, even if sometimes hurtful, people. While Sam’s faith isn’t the focal point of the story, her wrestling with doubts does have a meaningful resolution.

Violent Content
While Jody is missing, people speculate about what may have happened to her. The story doesn’t give any details about what goes on during her captivity, but it obviously traumatized her.

Drug Content
Sam’s mom spends much of the book in a rehab program for alcoholics. Sam remembers different events where her mom’s alcoholism interfered with family life or caused other problems. Sam knows her two best friends have gone out with other kids to have a beer at a party, but she’s never invited along, and they don’t tell her about it directly.