Bethany Larson

Waiting on Wednesday: Uncommon Criminals

June 1, 2011

Title: Uncommon Criminals
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 304
Release Date: June 21, 2011

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.
There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.
Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.
Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.–Goodreads

Well apparently it’s Ally Carter day on this here bloggy-blog!

Having just finished Heist Society, it’s only natural that my WoW pick is Uncommon Criminals. While I’m a little leery of the whole “the gem is cursed” business, I’m really excited to see where Carter takes us in this book!

…Mostly, I’m really excited to see if Visily Romani shows up. Mostly because I want to know who he/she is. I have a hunch, and I want it to be validated, people!

So there you have it! Let me know which book you’re not-so-patiently waiting on this week in comments! And if any of you super lucky BEA-goers have read this book already and wants to send it to me, I would love you forever and ever and always. *smiles sweetly*

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Heist Society

June 1, 2011

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: February 9, 2010

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster’s art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history—and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.–Goodreads

I really love learning about art heists–the seedy underbelly of a world that is so full of culture and pretension and money that even the thieves have to be cultured and pretentious and monied. So, it’s an understatement to say that I was excited about reading Heist Society on my flight from Arkansas back to NYC on Monday.

But I have to admit, that when I had made it about half way through the book, I was a little disappointed. Yes, there was art. Yes, there was a sassy main character. Yes, there was a super wealthy, swoon-worthy male. Yes, there was travel to European locales. But there was a certain . . . I don’t want to say sexiness, but I think I mean sexiness* . . . that the book was missing for me.

And then I met Visily Romani. He changed the book for me. As soon as that character was introduced, I was glued to the pages. I almost made the girl sitting beside me crawl over me when she needed to go to the restroom because I didn’t want to have to put my book down to get up out of my seat. The other turning point for me was the hot chocolate moment. I don’t want to spoil it, but when you read it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It takes the book in a totally different, deliciously unexpected direction that totally fulfilled the missing sexiness I was looking for.

Like in her Gallagher Girls series, Carter does a great job of keeping her uber-smart, uber-clever, uber-talented teenagers grounded. They’re accessible characters that I think real teenagers can relate to on the basest of levels. They hold friendship, family, and loyalty dear, and are willing to support each other through good and bad. They are willing to overcome disputes, forgive freely, and love unconditionally. Although that all sounds like it belongs in a Thomas Kincade painting, it’s those types of qualities that make Carter’s otherwise too-cool-for-school teens believable. Bonus: she throws in Princess Bride jokes. I really like all things Princess Bride.

Overall, I ended up really enjoying where the story went. It took me a bit to really get invested, but once I was introduced to Visliy Romani and experienced the hot chocolate moment, I was hooked.

Lucky for me, the sequel comes out in less than a month!

*When I say sexiness, I don’t mean like lingerie and hot wax. I mean that sleek, James Bond/Sydney Bristow feeling that all spies/thieves need to have. I think it mostly has to do with being smart and making really smart connections between two things.*

Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads

May 31, 2011

Sooooo. I’m a weird girl in that I don’t really like the beach. I mean, I’ll go. But I don’t want to spend an entire week or month or, really, an entire day at the beach. I think this partially has to do with the fact that I am very fair skinned, and therefore the sun and I don’t really like each other, and partially with the fact that I hate sea creatures. Like. HATE them. I also didn’t grow up anywhere near the beach, so maybe that factors in too.

However, I do understand the appeal of the beach. Warm sun, nice sea breeze, ogling good looking men (or women!) in almost no clothes . . . there are a lot of things much, much worse than that, right? Despite my weird distaste for beaches, there are some books I’ve read where I’ve thought, “You know, this would be a fun book to read on a beach.” Most (okay, all) of these books fall into the adult chick-lit category.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Back when I was about 15 and decided to make the leap from YA to adult fiction, (also, the leap from Seveteen mag to Cosmo…I thought I was sooo grown up.) this was the book I jumped off with. It’s a pretty good little read, and super duper different than the God awful movie adaptation. It’s light, breezy, funny, and fun! However, if you’ve ever considered being an au pair, it might make you think twice about it . . .

Anything by Candace Bushnell

Say what you will about Ms. Bushnell, but I like her books. She crafts female characters that are interesting women with varying ideas about love, sex, career, and just life in general, and knows how to write a delicious bedroom scene. And let’s be honest–when you’re on vacation, you want to read something a least a little bit titillating.

The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

These books are just cute. And waaaaaay better than the movie. (I think this is a theme…)

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

So, Weisberger is the lady who wrote The Devil Wears Prada, which I also read and very much enjoyed. However, I liked Everyone Worth Knowing MORE. Mostly because of her uncles. When you read it, you’ll know what I mean. 🙂

The Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison

Alright, I can’t help myself! I’m throwing in some YA! I effing LURVE these books. I would read them ANYWHERE. Including the beach.

Even though I’m not a big beach fan, it looks like I might actually find myself on quite a few beaches this summer! So I would LOOOOVE to have your suggestions for great beach reads I should check out, in comments!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Tune-In Tuesday: Superbass

May 31, 2011

tags: nicky minaj, superbass, tune in tuesday

Typically, I am NOT a rap kind of girl. (I like banjos.) but for some reason unbeknownst to me, I’ve really wanted to listen to rap music lately. Maybe it’s because it’s summer? I truly have no idea why I’ve listening been to it, buuuut I have been. And I can honestly say that I’ve been enjoying it!

Anyway, for the past week I’ve been singing “Superbass” by Nicki Minaj. My thoughts on it have gone from “Hey this is fun,” to “OMG I HATE THIS SONG,” back to “I really like this song,” which basically means that it has passed my “do-I-or-don’t-I-like-this-song?” test. And now I’m sharing it with all of YOU. *smiles*

Be warned! The video is probably NSFW. But it does feature pastel colored Doc Martins. So plug in your headphones, click the link, prepare to open up a new tab to hide the video from your boss/co-workers, and get your chair dance on!

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads!

The Story of How I Found a Clockwork Prince Teaser at BEA

May 27, 2011

tags: BEA, cassandra clare, Clockwork Prince, Infernal Devices, Jem, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster, teaser, Tessa, Will

Title: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)
Release Date: December 6, 2011 (SO FAR AWAY!!!!)

While many-a-blogger who attended BEA had a FANTASTIC experience meeting authors, having books signed, networking with publishing reps, and having a great time with each other, I was at BEA going to trade meetings and presentations…which was fun in its own way. But not nearly as fun as hanging out with super awesome book people with whom I do not work.

However, that does not mean that I did not pick up at least a little bit of swag.

Although I completely missed the unveiling of the cover for Clockwork Prince because I was being whisked away to meet sales reps and wholesale vendors [aren’t those words super fun?] that work with the publishing house I work for, I did make my way over to the Simon & Schuster booths to check out the cover and the weird guy dressed as Will they had hanging around taking pictures with people. I did not take a picture with him.

So I’m walking through their aisle of booths and chatting with some reps, when tout a coup I spy a thin, paperback with the Clockwork Prince cover art on the front. Having zero idea what it was, but knowing that I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!!!!, I nonchalantly grab it. At least, I hope it looked nonchalant. If someone had looked into my eyes, they would have known that it was, in fact, a rabid, burning desire that shouted “OUT OF MY WAY BEFORE I END YOU.” But I digress.

So it wasn’t until I had actually left BEA that I realized exactly what I’d perhaps-not-so-nonchalantly grabbed: the prologue and first three chapters of Clockwork Prince.

Once I realized what it was I dashed through the throngs of people in Midtown to the nearest place to sit quietly (The Borders at MSG) and read the damn thing. And lemme just say.

GAHHHHHHHHHH.

I really love Will. And I SUPER love Tessa. And I loved loved loved Clockwork Angel. And I LURVE what I’ve read of CP and where the storyline is headed. 😀

And that is all I’m going to say! If you’ve also read it, or don’t mind spoilers, feel free to DM me on Twitter or hit me up via gmail (bookishbethie@gmail.com) to discuss!