ONE | uno
As some of you may know, my last visit to ancient China was fairly short. I had somewhere else to be-- plus, I was in an underground necropolis the whole time, so I didn’t get to see as much as I wanted to. But I’d love to explore my roots, and Qin’s unification of China was an amazing time, marked by great public works and art and change-- though fairly dangerous, what with all the war and assassination going on. So go to ancient china, but pack light and don’t forget an escape map!
TWO | dos
If you’re looking for something a little more laid back, 1900’s Tahiti might be a good time and place. Black sand beaches, sapphire seas-- but please be aware and respectful of local culture and sacred sites. And if you join us there, be warned: Kashmir keeps threatening he’ll learn to pearl dive in the customary way (i.e. in the nude). And if he catches you staring you’ll only make him more insufferable.

THREE | tres
If city living is more your style, I recommend Jazz-age Harlem. Sit discreetly in the corner of a smoky club and listen to the real stars of the era-- Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday. Celebrate Black Excellence then and now.

FOUR | cuatro
Speaking of excellence (or if you’re just tired of the last century), I’ve always wanted to see 12th century Constantinople: the biggest, richest city in Europe before the fourth crusade wrecked everything. See it during the Komnenian Restoration and enjoy the amazing advances in science, poetry, art, and other culture that made this city a gem. I’m still looking for a map of the right time. You may need to start here, in 15th century Byzantium, and ask the locals for older maps, but please be careful and avoid outbreaks of plague.

FIVE | cinco
Finally, for anyone unhappy with our current timeline and longing for an alternate reality where one of the most successful rulers of all time is also a woman, I urge you to enjoy Egypt during Hatshepsut’s reign. She was pharaoh for two decades, during which she opened trade routes with excellent diplomacy, built wealth for her country, and commissioned hundreds of major construction and infrastructure projects.

// There you have it, five can’t be missed times and places! Smooth sailing and safe travels, wherever and whenever you go. (And if you see me there, say hi!)
 -- Nix Song
Oreo Truffles with Molly and Simon | Recipes
{Post provided by Becky Albertalli}
*Book: Simon Vs. & The Upside of Unrequited

MOLLY: Hi, everyone! I’m coming to you live from Atlanta today for this very special episode of Molly’s Got the Munchies. 
SIMON: That’s the name of your channel? Molly’s Got the Munchies?
MOLLY: Yes.
SIMON: So, like a stoner rom-com?
MOLLY: Not that kind of munchies. General munchies. *looks off-camera* Abby, stop laughing.
SIMON: General munchies, unrelated to marijuana.
MOLLY: Entirely unrelated. Anyway. Hi, everyone! This is my new friend Simon Spier, and he’s here today to share his mom’s recipe for Oreo truffles.
SIMON: Also known as reindeer turds.
MOLLY: Right. Of course.

SUBTITLE: Not actual turds. Please do not attempt this with actual turds.

MOLLY: So, for this recipe, you’ll need a Cuisinart mixer, a gallon-sized bag, a bag of chocolate chips, a microwave, a block of cream cheese, and a big package of Oreos.
SIMON: Maybe two packages.
MOLLY: Well, we need to keep the proportions right.
SIMON: Okay.
MOLLY: So, first –
SIMON: But what if you accidentally eat the Oreos? Then you’ll wish you had a second pack. 
MOLLY: I guess that’s true. If you somehow accidentally eat an entire pack of Oreos –
SIMON: I’d say when.
MOLLY: What?
SIMON: When you accidentally eat an entire pack of Oreos.
MOLLY: Okay then. Two packs of Oreos.
SIMON: Maybe three.
MOLLY: OKAY. So these are actually very simple! We start by dumping the Oreos directly in the Cuisinart and grinding them up until they’re sort of a dirt consistency.
SIMON: I don’t know if you’re really selling it…
MOLLY: And then you divide the cream cheese into chunks and put it right into the Cuisinart with the Oreo powder.
SIMON: Yes. 
MOLLY: So, now we’ll just blast it around in there for awhile until it’s all mixed.
SIMON: Until it’s a delicious Oreo blob from heaven.
MOLLY: Exactly. 
SIMON: I’m going to make sure it tastes okay. *reaches for the Cuisinart*

SUBTITLE: Please ensure that the Cuisinart is powered off before inserting your hand inside. 

SIMON: Close call. *shoves Oreo blob into his mouth*
MOLLY: So, next, you’ll want to take whatever scraps of Oreo filling Simon hasn’t eaten, and scoop them into your Ziploc bag. Then you stick the bag in the freezer for a few hours. But luckily… SIMON: Please tell me you’re about to do the thing where you already have a batch ready to go. MOLLY: I already have a batch ready to go!
SIMON: *victory dance*
MOLLY: So, here we have a bag of Oreo blob that’s been in the freezer for just a couple of hours. It’s not actually frozen – this just makes it a little firmer and easier to work with.
SIMON: I have a confession. *peers into camera* I have no idea how to make these. We found this recipe on the internet.
MOLLY: Um.
SIMON: I’M SORRY. I HAD TO TELL THEM.
MOLLY: Well then. *smiles at camera* Anyway. Now we roll them into little balls, about the size of a ping pong ball – maybe a little smaller. Please don’t eat all the dough, Simon.
SIMON: *swallows* Sorry! *resumes eating dough*
MOLLY: Now I’m placing them on a cookie sheet that I’ve lined with wax paper. They look so cute! 
SIMON: They look like poop.
MOLLY: But cute poop.
SIMON: Agreed. 
MOLLY: So, now we melt the chocolate in the microwave. Usually, this takes less than a minute. I like to take it out halfway to stir it up. If you want, you can add a tiny bit of oil to make it smoother, but that’s optional. Once we have our melted chocolate, it’s time to dip the Oreo balls!
SIMON: I love this part.
MOLLY: I like to use a spoon for this. I dunk each one in and get it all covered in chocolate. Then I use the spoon to take the ball out and put it on the tray to harden.
SIMON: You are making so many innuendos right now.
MOLLY: I am. *covers mouth with both hands* Oh my god.
SIMON: So what do we do with these hardened balls, Molly?
MOLLY: *still blushing* Um. We eat them.
SIMON: We eat the heck out of them.
MOLLY: So, that’s reindeer turds. Super easy, super delicious, no real poop involved. If you end up trying these at home, let me know in the comments. And if you liked this video, you should subscribe to my channel – Molly’s Got the Munchies. And give us a thumbs up!

And that's it! Hope you all enjoyed this issue of IT'S LIT and that maybe you are excited for more? 

Hello, voyagers! For today, we bring you something really amazing and we're really happy to be a part of this fabulous event. We, with a few bloggers you definitely know, came up with fun posts to share for THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE release week! Today is our turn and we can't feel more excited that we already are feeling to be honest. We adored Heidi's book quite a lot and The Book Voyagers will forever share this love to the world because this book deserves it allllll.

Our post consists of various destinatiors the characters of TGFE travel inside the book. We added some little facts about the places just to know more about them! It was so epic to see it; the different time, the different cultures and places, the people leaving there - it is an amazing and magical journey when you decide to get on board of The Temptation and sail with them towards the adventure.

Schedule:

• Monday: Intro
• Tuesday: Tamara @ Tamaraniac / My Favorite Bookish Maps
• Wednesday: US!!!
• Thursday: Maria @ In Wonderland
• Friday: Aila @ One Way or An Author 

Title: The Girl From Everywhere
Series: The Girl From Everywhere #1
Author: Heidi Heilig
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publishing: February 16th, 2016
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads synopsis:
Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

We - at The Book Voyagers - adore diverse reads and intriguing plots, and most of all - we love stories that leave us wanting more. The Girl From Everywhere is a book you need to put in your TBR as soon as possible. It has all of these factors and so much more inside those pages. It's a book that you will definitely say "yikes, Heidi Heilig is something else."

We decided to interview Heidi Heilig because we just wanted to know more. We hope that you enjoy this next interview as much as we do - and find out more about the magical, character-driven book - The Girl From Everywhere.



TBV: Hi, Heidi!! We're excited to have you here with us and talk about your upcoming book - The Girl From Everywhere (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Heidi: Thank you for having me and for the sparkle-confetti!

TBV: So first things first, for those who don't know about this book, can you tell us what it is about?
Heidi: THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE is Nix’s story. Though she was born in 19th century Honolulu, she’s lived all her life aboard a black pirate ship captained by her father, who uses antique maps to sail through time to places and eras both historical and mythological.


TBV: What inspired you to write it? A traveling-time ship is just simple a wonderful idea.
Heidi: Thank you! Frankly, I’ve always loved time-travel--both for the twisty turns of chronology, and the way the past is littered with regrets that in real life we can never undo. And being from Hawaii, my father and I spent a lot of time on, near, or in the water when I was a girl. The literal idea for a time traveling ship actually came from the ocean itself--it connects every piece of land and it is ageless--it seems that if you were to use a vehicle for time travel, a sailboat would be the natural choice.

TBV: You can go anywhere if you are on board of The Temptation. If you were part of the crew, when in time would you go? Who would you just love to meet in person?
Heidi: Oh gosh, what a tough question--there are so many possibilities! I’m sure my answer will change every time I think hard about it, but right now, I feel like going back to ancient Egypt to meet Pharoah Hatshepsut would be incredible. For those who don’t know her, Hatshepsut was one of the rare queens of Egypt. She was an excellent ruler: successful in war, but more importantly, she ushered in an era of peace and prosperity, broadening international trade resulting in a flowering of art and architecture in her country. She also described herself as “the most beautiful of women,” and I love it when women know how lovely they are. There is a wonderful statue of her in the Met, depicted with the traditional ceremonial beard that the Pharoah’s wore. I visit her every time I’m at the museum.

TBV: This next question is something we really want to know *ha!*: If you could do a crossover with another book, what book would you love to see interacting with your characters and scenery (or vice-versa)?
Heidi: Again, another question with a lot of possible (and interesting) answers! But the answer that came immediately to mind is PROMISE OF SHADOWS by Justina Ireland. (PROMISE OF EVERYWHERE? Or THE GIRL OF SHADOWS maybe?) I think Nix would feel quite at home with the rich modernized mythology of Ireland’s world, and Zephyr knows a lot about fates worse than death. They could commiserate about difficult family members, and honestly Zephyr might help Nix lighten up. After all, Zephyr starts off in a pretty shitty (pun intended) place, and she’s still cracking jokes. I like to think they’d be friends.


Heidi: The first character who came to me was Nix herself! That’s probably because she’s similar in some ways to my sister--she cares deeply about the people in her life, she’s a little bossy, she’s very smart. The second character came very shortly after, and that was Slate. He’s a bit more like me--let’s just say he’s . . . ‘difficult.’ The relationship between the two of them is something I’m really proud of, and that developed, like any good relationship, over time.

TBV: Speaking of the characters - they are from all around the world. Would it bug you if they were casted incorrectly or whitewashed in graphics/edits?
Heidi: Definitely! I actually think that the plot of the story (and the themes of the story) would make much less sense if the backgrounds of the characters were ignored. I don’t want to spoil the story, but part of Nix’s arc involves discovering who she is and where she fits in the world, and while the theme is universal, the actual plot is specific to her as a biracial, hapa haole girl.
But there is nothing to fear on that front. One of the things I’ll always love about my editor is that, when we were discussing the cover (and specifically, the eyes in the wave), she told me: “The last thing we want is for her to be white-washed!” She (and the team at Greenwillow) have made it clear to me they’re committed to celebrating the diversity in this book.