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A Crown of Wishes is the spellbinding sequel to the enchanting debut A Star-Touched Queen. Vikram is a young prince trying to prove himself to an unfriendly council, and Gauri is an enemy princess who trusts nothing and no one except her own fighting skills. When they are given a chance to compete in a magical tournament to win a wish, they must work together to survive and succeed. A Crown of Wishes is full of the same vivid description and imaginative characters that brought A Star-Touched Queen to life, and it continues the immersion in Indian culture. Fans of Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Sarah J. Maas' Court of Thorns and Roses series will enjoy this book.
The Book of Polly is the imaginative story of a girl who grows up with a mother old enough to be her grandmother. The highlight of the book is the vivid characters, whose antics often caused me to laugh out loud. Everyone can relate to having weird friends and relatives that drive you crazy as much as you love them. More than anything, The Book of Polly is a story about family and the things we will do for the ones we love.
To be honest, I did not finish this book. The writing is not bad, but the book just failed to grab me. At no point did I find it difficult to stop, or find myself wondering what would happen next. I was impressed by the author's talent in replicating the older language of Henry James' day, and enjoyed the relative strength and independence of the main character, Frieda. I may try one of this author's other books.
Lincoln in the Bardo is a creative imagining of the night of Willie Lincoln's death, told through historical text excerpts and the voices of the spirits in the cemetery where he is buried. The story flows quickly, drawing the reader from one short chapter to the next. The eccentric cast of characters is quite entertaining and makes that period in history seem more real and relatable. A fun read, especially for history buffs!
The Animators is a story of relationships - a messy, intense roller coaster of emotion that is ultimately rooted in love. Some of the relationships work and others fizzle out, but that's life. Join Sharon and Mel on their journey through life, art, love, heartbreak, success, failure, and success again. While not all of this book really grabbed my interest, the characters are well developed, and fans of realistic human relationship dramas will enjoy it.
Unpunished returns to the world of Maggie Gardiner, forensic scientist, and Jack Renner, homicide detective (and vigilante killer). Maggie and Jack have an uneasy truce born of mutually assured destruction following the events of the first book in the series, That Darkness. Unpunished is a little lighter on the forensic science than the first book, but it was still an interesting and fun detective novel. Readers who haven't read the first book may feel a little lost regarding the Jack and Maggie tension, but would still be able to enjoy the mystery arc within Unpunished. I am curious to see where the Maggie/Jack relationship is headed in the next installment!
Vasilisa Petrovna is not your typical Russian girl. To the consternation and exasperation of her loving family, she is constantly running off into the woods and speaking of fairy-tale creatures as though they are real. It is all relatively harmless until her father goes to Moscow and brings a new wife back to the harsh wilderness of the north country. Vasya's new stepmother is extremely devout, and forbids the family from acknowledging the traditional household spirits. Things get even worse when a charismatic new priest arrives from the city preaching fire and brimstone for the unfaithful. As life in the unforgiving terrain deteriorates, Vasya must do her best to protect her family and village in the face of increasing hostility and suspicion over her unique abilities. Part fairy tale, part coming of age story, the Bear and the Nightingale features enchanting descriptions and well-developed characters trying to find a balance between old and new traditions.
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood, which in her Frostblood-controlled country is a very dangerous thing to be. She has spent her life trying to hide her powers, so when she is discovered by the Frost King's soldiers she is unable to control her gift and is captured as her village is destroyed around her. She is dying in prison when she receives an offer from two mysterious strangers - help them kill the Frost King in exchange for her freedom. Ruby agrees and is taken to an abbey, where she convalesces and begins to learn how to control her power. She gradually learns more about the plot to defeat the Frost King, but all the careful plans fall apart when Ruby is captured and forced to fight against Frostbloods and beasts in the king's brutal tournaments. Will she be able to complete her mission and get her revenge against the cruel king?
While parts of the first half of the book are a bit slow, it does give the characters time to develop their relationships. Ruby is a realistic heroine, physically weak from her long months in prison but mentally tough and determined to grow her strength and control her abilities. Themes of acceptance and tolerance of differences are present throughout without being heavy-handed. The requisite romance is nicely plotted and has some literally sizzling moments. A great read for YA fantasy fans in general and in particular those who love Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series.
Wow. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but I was not prepared for the reality. This collection of fictional stories features women from all walks of life experiencing a wide range of human emotions and relationships. Raw and blunt, most of the stories cover topics often avoided because they make people uncomfortable - sexuality, abuse, fractured families, and others. Roxane Gay shies away from nothing, and her stories challenge traditional portrayals of women in literature. This collection is well-written, but not for the faint of heart.
What an imaginative book! I was immediately swept up in the rich world of Caraval, where the lines between reality and illusion are blurred. Caraval is a story of two sisters doing whatever it takes to escape from their abusive father and a life of constant fear. Just when you think you have everything figured out, a new twist will appear. Anchored by its strong female protagonist and full of fantastical elements, Caraval is one of those books that keeps you captivated long after you've turned the last page. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
I would give The Fifth Petal 3.5 out of 5 stars. What first drew me to pick up the book was the setting – I enjoy historical fiction and wanted to learn more about Salem and the witch-trial period. As a fan of police procedurals I was also intrigued by the murder mystery aspect of the plot. The story was interesting and engaging, and for the most part kept me turning the pages. It was a bit too long; the story dragged in some parts, and could have been shorter without losing any plot. Additionally, while you certainly don't need to have read the first book in the series to understand this one, there are a lot of references to the first book (which I had not read, and therefore the many references made me feel I was missing something rather major). Overall though I liked the characters and enjoyed the unique atmosphere of modern-day Salem. A good read for fans of mysteries with a hint of the supernatural.
In Under Rose-Tainted Skies, Louise Gornall allows her readers to see the world through the lens of mental illness. As if adolescence isn't a difficult enough time for girls, Norah Dean has the added struggle of OCD and agoraphobia. When a cute boy moves in next door and starts talking to her, her world is thrown into further turmoil. A realistic and ultimately hopeful story that will leave readers with a better understanding of mental illness and the bravery required for so many people just to get through each day. If everyone read more books like this one, the world would be a more compassionate place.
I always enjoy stories set in the ancient world. While The Spartan Dagger wasn't a bad book, it wasn't particularly fabulous either. It follows a slave, Protos, whose parents are killed by Spartans. From that moment forward Protos makes it his life's mission to destroy Sparta. Years of war go by, and among them is the back-and-forth between Protos and the Spartan boy who killed his father. The Spartan Dagger is a relatively engaging read good for fans of historical fiction set in ancient times.
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife is a bleak portrayal of just how quickly the world as we know it could crumble around us. Set in the modern U.S. after a terrible virus has wiped out more than 98% of the population, especially women and children, the story is told through a combination of journal entries and narrative. The focus is on an obstetrics and gynecology nurse, aka the titular “Unnamed Midwife,” who took care to chronicle her life following the plague. This haunting novel delves into the realities of human nature when basic survival is the prime objective. A great read for fans of Station Eleven and other postapocalyptic novels.
The Motion of Puppets is a modern interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, with a mysterious puppet shop serving as the Underworld. It's hard to tell whether the book is intending to be a suspense/horror story or more of a supernatural mystery/love story. Though a slow read at times, it is fun getting to know the personalities of the different puppets in the shop and to observe the development of the friendship between Theo and Egon. Good for fans of fiction involving the real world with slight elements of the supernatural.
Vassa in the Night is a modern retelling of an old Russian folk tale, and it is an enjoyable blend of magic and the real world. The plot was engaging and managed to involve a good number of unique characters despite taking place almost entirely in one small location. There were a few aspects of the story that seemed insufficiently developed, but not having read the original folk tale perhaps I was missing some references. Overall a good read for fans of modern fairy tales.
Watching Edie is a “before and after” style book that slowly reveals bits and pieces of a traumatic event from the past while following those same characters in the present day. I admit that my review is probably biased by my tendency not to enjoy this genre - I get annoyed by how little information is revealed in each breadcrumb, and when the switches between past and present are very frequent it can be distracting. That said, this book is well-written and I did not predict the ending. While the story got bogged down by an overload of angst and inner turmoil at times, the ending was suspenseful and left me thinking after it was over. A good read for fans of psychological suspense stories.
Absalom's Daughters is a tale of self-discovery and the bonds between family members told through the lens of half-sisters, one black, one white, in the 1950s American South. The story shines on light on some of the ways in which racial tensions in America throughout history deeply affect the lives of individuals, which forces the reader to think about the issue while at the same time enjoying the sweet story of two young sisters sticking together through thick and thin. There is one fantastical element to the novel which feels slightly out of place in the otherwise realistic setting, but it serves a poignant purpose. Absalom's Daughters is an easy read that is quite relevant to current times despite its historical setting.
I always enjoy Shakespeare adaptations, and it was especially fun to read one set in my native Baltimore. Anne Tyler does a great job bringing the classic story of The Taming of the Shrew into the modern world, maintaining the essence of the story while smoothing out some of the misogynistic edges to make it palatable for female readers. An enjoyable summer read!
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but ended up with mixed feelings. Many readers might be discouraged early on by the amount of Hebrew used with no translations provided. I enjoyed the alternate reality world that Barton constructed, and appreciated the overall message of religious tolerance. However, the book at times got bogged down by continuous theological arguments, and the ending was much too abrupt. Additionally, the unnecessary love triangle was frustrating as it detracted from the main story. Overall, a great fictional world but not a great story.
I was instantly intrigued by the premise of this book - the possibility that the brief but intense friendship of Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne while Melville was writing Moby Dick was romantic rather than platonic. I always enjoy books that bring to life the relationships between famous authors, but this one was particularly captivating due to its intensity of feeling. It would have been nice to have a bit more of Hawthorne's perspective in the narrative, but writing the story through Melville's eyes created more parallels to Moby Dick. All in all an entertaining piece of historical fiction that fans of the classic authors will enjoy.
It was extremely refreshing to read a book with characters in my age range - most books skip from teen protagonists right to people in their late twenties or early thirties, which makes it harder to relate. Mix in the fun of imagining that your bartenders and baristas are actually demon-fighting badasses and healers, and you end up with a great read! I look forward to reading a sequel if one is written.
I really enjoyed this book. It was like a nostalgia tour of my six years studying Latin in middle and high school, and made me regret anew that I did not continue my studies in college. The vocab and grammar expositions, while at times getting a little too into the weeds, were interspersed with enough anecdotes and personal reflections to keep the narrative moving. It is brave of Ann Patty to have written so frankly about her life experiences. Now I want to go audit some Latin classes!