Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn is an amazing book full of many of my favorite things. There's magic (cool, unique magic, unlike magic systems I've seen before.) There's political intrigue. There's a young woman trying to make it in a man's world. There's a focus on an artist who is…
Clare Vanderpool's Moon over Manifest immerses readers in a small town where a new girl is discovering herself and her roots all at once. Abilene Tucker wants to ride the rails with her father. Unfortunately, he has sent her to Manifest for the summer (or maybe longer). He seems to…
Mazie, the newest book by Melanie Crowder, is a great story about one young woman’s journey toward Broadway.As a small town girl from Nebraska, Mazie doesn’t know any professional performers (unless you count her dance teacher). In many ways, she’s aiming for something that seems utterly unreachable. It’s a powerful…
Marie Lu’s The Kingdom of Back surprises with its mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I expected a fantasy, but at first, got nothing but a tale of Mozart’s forgotten sister.As a historical tale, this story immerses me in a world of rich detail, patriarchy, ambition, and music. Then, just…
New Kid, by Jerry Craft was 2020’s Newbery award winner. Like other Newberys, it is incredibly well-written, and rich in detail. It has well-rounded characters and a tale that tugs on my heartstrings. Unlike any other Newbery I’ve read, it is also a graphic novel. The artwork is gorgeous, and…
Marissa Meyer has written another fabulous book with Cress. Book Three of The Lunar Chronicles lives up to the high standard set by Cinder and Scarlet. (My daughter would say it surpasses it. Cress is her favorite.)Like the two previous books, this one is a fairy-tale retelling–in this case of…
I read Bridge to Terabithia once long ago, and my memory of it was fuzzy–only that it was a very good book, and that it made me sad.When a student needed to read it for a class, I was glad to pick up a copy and read along. And, having…
I’ve been rereading Little Women the past few weeks, and I’m reminded what a wonderful book it is. I started reading it for a The Enchanted Book Club, but I’m way behind, and haven’t been able to participate in the discussions. Maybe I’ll do better with next month’s selection.Moral Pap…
I became interested in Enola Holmes when I saw the movie (on Netflix) titled with her name. I loved it, and her, and so did my husband and daughter, who watched it with me.But, of course, Enola Holmes lives in a book, too. A set of books, really, by Nancy…
I picked this up from the library after a friend recommended it on Goodreads, and it’s every bit as good as she said it was. I’m probably going to want to get a copy of my own of this stunning little gem at some point.When Binti leaves home to attend…
As you can probably see from the picture, Boxers & Saints is a graphic novel. (Really, two graphic novels.) Now, I’m not usually a graphic novel person, but every so often I run across something amazing. This is one of those things.This is a story ripped from the pages of…
My fourteen-year old has been begging me to read this one for at least a year now–and it’s spectacular. I love the world-building. Everything from Cinder’s cyborg parts to her stall in the market is shown in beautiful detail that makes the story come alive. And, of course, fairy-tale retellings…
Wow.Sometimes I read a book, and it’s so good, that I’m a bit in awe. This one is like that.I didn’t know what to think, at first, of a book narrated by death. But it grew on me. And seemed so appropriate–Death telling a story about World War II–a time…
Like all my favorite stories, Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give introduced me to a whole new world. Except, however foreign it feels to me, Starr’s world exists. It's in places I can drive to–even if they’re hard for me to see, given that I’m a white girl. My world…
It’s easy to see why Hello, Universe won the Newbery this year. The kids in this story are quirky, delightfully complex, and easy to believe in and sympathize with. Even Chet, the stereotypical bully, is not nearly so stereotypical as he first appears.Don’t get me wrong. He’s still a bully,…
This collection of essays about making a living as a fiction writer had me laughing out loud and reading extended sections (when I could get them out without cracking up) to my critique group and long-suffering husband. Besides being a healthy dose of fun, these essays were practical and encouraging. …
Dragon of Ash and Stars was a Bookbub title I picked up for free, but it was worth so much more than the nonexistent price I paid. This is one of only a couple of ebook titles I’ve read that I may try to obtain in actual paper (the others…
What is Robert's Rules of Writing? I picked this book of short essays (tips) on writing in a thrift store because the price was right, but I knew I’d enjoy it when the very first rule was “Burn your Journal.” Though plenty of writers I know find journals helpful, I’ve…
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, believe it or not, is a book on English grammar. (It’s subtitled The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed.) As such, it’s a lucid explanation of parts of speech and basic syntax, with entertaining examples, whimsical illustrations, and a vivid…
My kids and I have been reading through the Harry Potters together for several months, and have just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We started this set because the kids are getting pressure from classmates to read and discuss the books, but I don’t want my…