Ryka Aoki's Light from Uncommon Stars is full of many of my favorite things from both life and literature.There's music and an exploration of genius. There are alien refugees. (Actual aliens, not "illegal aliens.") There are demon contracts.And did I mention the donuts?Or the dozens of fabulous Asian dishes I…
The Last Cuentista, by Donna Barba Higuera, is such a good book. Strong characters, fascinating family dynamics, storytelling... And a run for the stars as the world crumbles around the characters. And that's just the beginning. Seriously, this is a fabulous story that makes me think about the importance of…
Leaving Hope Chapter 15--In which Anya tries to talk to Ryan Lancet, who is avoiding her--and being avoided by Borsk.Talking things through only works if you can manage to connect with that person. Sometimes that connection takes the cooperation of the other person.Have you ever tried to avoid a looming…
Leaving Hope Chapter 14--In which Anya's rebellious art goes public, and she misleads her father about her colony intentions. What do you think of Anya's strategy for dealing with her father in this chapter? Clever? Deceptive? Doomed to failure? Some of all of that? Something else? Remember to leave your…
Leaving Hope Chapter 13--In which Borsk finishes his hacking job, argues with his family, and has a showdown with Ryan Lancet. This was a fun chapter to write---as are all the scenes where Ryan and Borsk have to deal with each other--they're such different people. How well do you think…
Leaving Hope Chapter 12--in which Anya gets surprisingly invested in math homework, and Borsk untangles a digital disaster.Unlike Anya, I love math, and in this chapter, I got to play around with how someone who isn't as naturally attracted to the subject might find a way in.Have you ever had…
Leaving Hope Chapter 10--ln which Anya finds a Wash-n-Wear place, and Sarka sends Borsk on a rescue mission. Anya's a rich kid, and as such, there are certain things she's never done. Using a public shower and laundry is one of them. Now, I'm not from a society that has…
Leaving Hope Chapter 9--in which Anya has a run-in with her father and is forced to flee home (at least temporarily) This is a super short chapter, so there isn't a whole lot to say--except that this is one of the first places where we see how little privacy Anya…
Leaving Hope Chapter 8--in which Anya discovers new restrictions on her life and one of Borsks secrets is uncovered. I love this chapter because it gets us a little deeper into Borsk's family, introduces a new neighborhood, and drops us right into a few sticky issues since I've been thinking…
Leaving Hope Chapter 7--in which Borsk and Anya exercise their talents and one of them is nearly late to school I love this chapter because it lets us see both Anya and Borsk doing what they do best. So, what do you think? When Anya messes around with art instead…
Leaving Hope Chapter 6--in which Anya reevaluates her relationship with Ryan. She also develops a plan for convincing him to try out with her. Though Anya isn't thrilled with Ryan, she'd rather let it continue than bring her father's wrath down on her head. She believes these are her only…
Leaving Hope Chapter 5--in which Anya and Borsk share a greenhouse detention on the grape trellis -- and then a meal with Borsk's mama. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, especially the part in the greenhouses when Anya and Borsk are pollinating the grapes. I read about…
Leaving Hope Chapter 4--in which Anya's father shows his true colors, and Anya uncovers Borsk's shenanigans with her bank account. This, by the way, is one of the chapters that might need a trigger warning. (Domestic abuse) And, might I just say, the action that Anya witnesses at the beginning…
TJ Young & The Orishas is an exciting new fantasy series by Antoine Bendele. If you like coming-of-age magic stories, read this for sure. I have actually only read the first one--The Gatekeeper's Staff. (Oh--and also a little short story that you can get when you sign up for Antoine…
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…
I wouldn't have guessed that Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book was my kind of book. I'm not usually into the macabre or horror. But it is. It really is.I like the strongly developed characters in here. They're quirky, but not so quirky that they seem flat or impossible.I also like…
Marie Lu's Skyhunter isn't quite as good as her The Kingdom of Back. But it's still an incredible book, and I'll be looking for the sequels. The book stars a talented young woman from the wrong side of town. Her superpower seems to be her inability to speak--a relic left…
R. L. S. Hoff's Golden Terrace Colony series starts with Leaving Hope, continues in StarRacer, and ends with Shindashir--which I hope to publish in June of 2025.This Read-Along goes through Leaving Hope chapter by chapter with discussion questions that you're welcome (encouraged!) to respond to in the comments. Soon, there will…
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is such a good book. Really. Go out and get it if you haven't read it yet. (From the library works--that's what I did.) The book is about Tarisai, who is beautiful, intelligent, talented, strong, and immune to fire. She can also read (or steal) memories…
JL Kaiser's Aeon The Sands of Undal has a great main character, wonderful world-building, and lots of food for thought. Caiia Shadi is smart, resourceful, a bit unconventional, and exceptionally loyal to her family--and to friends. I love how she makes her own path in a world that leaves no…
I’ve been meaning to read Jade City for a while, and I don’t know what took me so long.Once I finally got into it, I found this book totally lived up to its hype. It’s a brilliant story, with intricate plotting and rich world-buildingThe real stars, though, are the characters.…
In A Voice that Thunders, Cully Mack plays around with that weird bit from Genesis 6. You know the bit--where Nephilim are on Earth, and sons of God are having children with daughters of men.That bit is a mysterious and intriguing glimpse of something odd going on in ancient times.…
Theresa Kay’s Broken Skies is a young adult science fiction novel about Jax, a traumatized young woman, living in a post-apocalyptic world. Disease has decimated the human population, and aliens are colonizing Earth.Then some of those aliens kidnap Jax’s brother, leaving one of their own behind, wounded. Jax makes a…
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…
The Priestess Trials by A. A. Lee places me in a rich, unique world that feels vaguely familiar.It’s like something I saw or heard during my time in China–but in the countryside, not the city. However that doesn’t quite fit either because this world has very little modern technology. (They…
I picked up The Raven and The Dove from a sales promotion that Songs of Healing was also in, and I was glad I did. This story by Kaitlyn Davis has great world building, interesting magic, good pacing, fascinating political intrigue, and romance. Plus, people can fly!Seriously, I love the…
Invisible–another great book by Cecily Anne Paterson.The book stars Jazmine Crawford–a young lady who actively avoids attracting attention. Since her father’s death, she has perfected the art of becoming invisible.But then, Jazmine gets in trouble. To stay in school, she agrees to help with the school play. Soon, everybody sees…
Midnight Sun, as you probably already know, is the latest book in the Twilight series. It covers much of the same ground as the original books–but from Edward’s point of view.I admit I liked it, but that might be at least partly nostalgia. Still, some of Edward’s behavior feels a…
Beyond by M. C. Winkkle is a young adult science fiction book. It stars Stella, a young woman who is being held captive as an alien spy. However, Stella’s no spy. She’s just an ordinary girl who has had trouble fitting in with the other kids. She has a close…
The Captain’s Boy is the newest release from one of my critique group members–Don Callaway.This story follows a Pennsylvania farm boy from the period of the American Revolution. When Isaiah and his father return from a supply-gathering trip, they find that Hessians have looted and burned their farm.With the rest…
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 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…
If You Love Me, Call Me Dorrie is a nostalgic read for me…a book that someone gave me when I was in late elementary school.It love the characters here, and the Parent-Trap-like machinations of the teens are both funny and heartwarming.I loved and still love the way Dorrie finds her…
Fran is starting over at a new school because of some tragedy in her past, and at first we’re not sure what that is, but we can see that it’s affecting everything about Fran.I love the voice here, and I love the way that Fran struggles to move past her…
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…