The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Title: The War that Saved My Life

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publisher: Dial Books 2015

Genre: MG Historical Fiction

Pages: 316

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Unread Shelf Project - Season or Phase of Life

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.

So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

I did not expect a middle grade book to hit me this hard emotionally. Ada’s story broke my heart in two. But there was so much hope! We follow along as Ada attempts to reconcile the world with her Mam and the outside world, even during wartime. It makes me so sad to think about the multitude of children who are treated like Ada. I’m still reeling a bit from the roller coaster of emotions. It was a beautiful story full of hardship, but with hope woven throughout. I will have to read the sequel soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

Title: The Blackbird Girls

Author: Anne Blankman

Publisher: Viking 2020

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 345

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own?

Told in alternating perspectives among three girls--Valentina and Oksana in 1986 and Rifka in 1941--this story shows that hatred, intolerance, and oppression are no match for the power of true friendship.

Another middle grade March selection that was really fantastic. I really enjoyed this beautiful tale of survival and friendship. Right away we are thrust into a difficult situation for both Oksana and Valentina and follow them as they grow more and more independent in their thinking and lives. I loved to see the interaction between the girls as they create a bond of friendship. The Soviet Union of the 1980s is not an era that I know much about but I feel like I learned so much through their eyes. We will definitely have to revisit this one when we get to that era in our history study.

Next up on the TBR pile:

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Title: How High We Go in the Dark

Author: Sequoia Nagamatsu

Publisher: William Morrow 2022

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR List

For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague—a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. In 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika Crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic plague will reshape life on Earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects—a pig—develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resilience of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe.

I’m not exactly sure how to review this book. I do know that I loved it and have been talking about it nonstop. There are some very heavy themes in here and it’s definitely not for HSPs. There are many parallels to our current pandemic that made me think about our future and how people have responded to events. I imagine that I will be thinking about this book for many days to come. I’m participating in a zoom conversation at the beginning of April. Maybe I will solidify my thoughts by that time. Overall, I found this collection of connecting stories to be absolutely amazing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm

Title: The Lion of Mars

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Publisher: Random House 2021

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 259

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid--he loves cats and any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't they have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell--a regular kid in a very different world--to uncover the truth and save his family...and possibly unite an entire planet.

Another delightful middle grade adventure story. I read this one in one sitting on a rainy morning. We get to follow Bell as he lives life on the Mars colony, experiences challenges and mysteries, and ultimate finds his place and home. There is death in this book, but it’s done very gently. There is a mystery, but it’s not very scary. And there’s a bunch of interesting side character. I really loved Flossy! I got to the last page and immediately pressed it into Arthur’s hands to read next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

Title: The Magnolia Palace

Author: Fiona Davis

Publisher:Dutton 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 340

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career—and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home—within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she—along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua—is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.

I’ve enjoyed Davis’s books in the past and had to pick up her newest one this week. We get a study of the Frick Mansion in NYC with our two timelines. I’m not a huge fan of dual timelines when one is in the present, but thankfully this one has two historical timelines: one in post WWI and one in the 1960s. Lillian and the cast of characters in 1919 were fascinating. I loved peeking into the Frick family at the height of their wealth and privilege. The storyline set in the 1960s was less exciting, but we get the perfect plot to wrap up the mysteries from the earlier timeline. Overall a good historical fiction centered on a real place, but I imagine that I will forget this in a few months.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

Title: The Magic Misfits (Magic Misfits #1)

Author: Neil Patrick Harris

Publisher: Little, Brown Books 2017

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.

After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.

Oh this was such a delight! Right away we’re pulled into Carter’s story of identity and found family all wrapped up in magic. As soon as Carter meets Mr. Vernon, we know that the story is going to get moving fast. And move it does. This story in one nonstop action and adventure story full of mystery, tricks, and possibly real magic. I loved that Carter finds his place in Mineral Wells and the beginnings of a real family. We get a few clues into the larger history of Mr. Vernon and his compatriots. And we get one heck of a final act with Bosso and his gang. Immediately after I read it, I put it into Arthur’s hands and he devoured it and asked for the next one. Guess we’re adding to the library holds.

The Magic Misfits

• #1 The Magic Misfits

• #2 The Second Story

• #3 The Minor Third

• #4 The Fourth Suit

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs edited by Ann R. Williams

Title: Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: A History of the World in 100 Discoveries

Edited by: Ann R. Williams

Publisher: National Geographic 2021

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 512

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Blending high adventure with history, this chronicle of 100 astonishing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the fabulous "Lost City of the Monkey God" tells incredible stories of how explorers and archaeologists have uncovered the clues that illuminate our past. Archaeology is the key that unlocks our deepest history. Ruined cities, golden treasures, cryptic inscriptions, and ornate tombs have been found across the world, and yet these artifacts of ages past often raised more questions than answers. But with the emergence of archaeology as a scientific discipline in the 19th century, everything changed. Illustrated with dazzling photographs, this enlightening narrative tells the story of human civilization through 100 key expeditions, spanning six continents and more than three million years of history. Each account relies on firsthand reports from explorers, antiquarians, and scientists as they crack secret codes, evade looters and political suppression, fall in love, commit a litany of blunders, and uncover ancient curses. Pivotal discoveries include: King Tut's tomb of treasure Terracotta warriors escorting China's first emperor into the afterlife The glorious Anglo-Saxon treasure of Sutton-Hoo Graves of the Scythians, the real Amazon warrior women New findings on the grim fate of the colonists of Jamestown.

I picked this one up off the new books shelf on a whim. I’m always up for a good book about archaeology and discovery. This one details 100 amazing discoveries starting all the way back in prehistoric times with a line of footprints. I enjoyed flipping through the pages and stopping when a topic caught my eye. I knew about most of these discoveries, but it was still nice to remind myself. This collection is perfect to those new to the topic of archaeology and those that are already steeped in it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

Title: The Jumbies

Author: Tracey Baptiste

Publisher: Algonquin Books 2015

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.

I’ve heard about this one from multiple sources and finally picked it up for Middle Grade March. I loved the dive into Caribbean myths and culture. We get to meet Corinne and the various inhabitants of the island, including the non-human inhabitants. We dive right into the story and immediately encounter the danger from Severine. I loved following along as Corinne makes new friends and then finds a way to return peace and order to her island. Beautiful middle grade horror.

The Jumbies

• #1 The Jumbies

• #2 Rise of the Jumbies

• #3 The Jumbie God’s Revenge

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman and Lorenzo Mattotti

Title: Hansel & Gretel

Author: Neil Gaiman

Artist: Lorenzo Mattotti

Publisher: Toon Graphics

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 56

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Best-selling author Neil Gaiman and fine artist Lorenzo Mattotti join forces to create Hansel & Gretel, a stunning book that's at once as familiar as a dream and as evocative as a nightmare. Mattotti's sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.

The writing portion of this slim story was delightful. Gaiman is amazing at creating those turns of phrases that delight and haunt. The illustrations were an interesting idea, but they were very hard to parse through. Still, I’m always up for a good fairy tale retelling.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Title: A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding #1)

Author: Freya Marske

Publisher: Tordotcom 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf Project - Book Bought for the Cover

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it―not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles―and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Oh this was a delight from start to finish! I got a mix of The Magicians and Jonathan Strange, but much lighter with some great romance. We get thrown into the story and slowly start to unravel the pieces along with Robin. He was such a wonderful character that you cannot help but love him. As we get thrown into the mystery, we slowly start to meet the rest of the cast of characters. Edwin comes across as a straight-laced aristocrat, but we get to peel back the layers along with Robin. I absolutely loved their burgeoning friendship and then romance. (But be forewarned that there are some very open door steamy scenes in this book. Oh, definitely needed a fan to myself a few times.) The mystery was sufficiently intriguing and dangerous. I sped through the pages not wanting the book to end. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The Last Binding

• #1 A Marvellous Light

• #2 A Restless Truth

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Title: Snow & Rose

Author: Emily Winfield Martin

Publisher: Random House 2017

Genre: MG Fairytale Retelling

Pages: 213

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Snow and Rose didn’t know they were in a fairy tale. People never do. . .
Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.
Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.
But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.
This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.

I’m always up for a fairy tale retelling and this one was perfect. We get a nice retelling of the Snow White and Rose Red story set in a patch of uncanny woods. We get to see two young girls navigate their new life and the dangers outside the cabin. I loved the changes in the old tale coupled with the beautiful imagery. The small watercolors added delight to the story. I sped through this beautiful novel in an afternoon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

Title: The Apollo Murders

Author: Chris Hadfield

Publisher: Mulholland Books 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 480

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. A quarter million miles from help.

NASA is about to launch Apollo 18. While the mission has been billed as a scientific one, flight controller Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis knows there is a darker objective. Intelligence has discovered a secret Soviet space station spying on America, and Apollo 18 may be the only chance to stop it.

But even as Kaz races to keep the NASA crew one step ahead of their Russian rivals, a deadly accident reveals that not everyone involved is quite who they were thought to be. With political stakes stretched to the breaking point, the White House and the Kremlin can only watch as their astronauts collide on the lunar surface, far beyond the reach of law or rescue.

I went into this book with very high hopes and unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations. Inside this book is a great political thriller. I loved the bits that dealt with the politics of the space program. I loved the intrigue of spyycraft. And the various characters were intriguing to follow. But then, the actual text gets bogged down in the technical writing. I really did not need to know exactly how Cessna airplane actually works. I imagine that this could have been edited down at least 100 pages to help trim the fat. As it stands, I kept wanting to put it away and read something with a bit faster pace. There’s something here, I just don’t think It completely works as is.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wild Swans retold by Xanthe Gresham Knight

Title: Wild Swans

Retold By: Xanthe Gresham Knight Illustrated by Charlotte Gastaut

Publisher: Barefoot Books

Genre: MG Fairytale Retelling

Pages: 48

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Young Eliza and her eleven brothers' lives are transformed when a plague ravages the Kingdom of the North and kills their mother, the Queen. When their father remarries, their brilliant and "unusual" new stepmother becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the plague and protecting her new family - so obsessed that she decides to turn the boys into swans so they can fly away from the plague, and to send Eliza to a far-away village the plague hasn't touched. Years later, the Queen discovers a cure for the plague just before she dies from it herself. With the kingdom in chaos, it's up to teenaged Eliza to find her brothers, break the Queen's spell on them, return home to cure the plague - and claim her rightful place in the kingdom!

Such a gorgeous slim retelling of the 12 Swans fairy tale. The writing is great and the retelling bit was entertaining and engaging. But the real star here is the illustrations. Gastaut pairs the text with gilded images rich in detail and whimsy. I was entranced with the illustrations and had to wrench myself away from those to continue reading the text. A lovely few minutes spent on this volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill

Title: Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul

Author: Nikita Gill

Publisher: Hachette Books 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 176

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

A friend read this one and loved it and it sounded right up my alley. We get a beautiful collection of subversive takes on classic fairytales. Told in verse and in prose, we examine the motivations and histories of many villains and heroines. I especially loved the few centered on Alice in Wonderland. Towards the end of the collection, Gil moves out of the realm of fairy tales to deal with modern feminism. I was absolutely enthralled by this collection. So much so that I think I need to own this in physical form.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Electric Idol by Katee Robert

Title: Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 375

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.

Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother's knife in the dark, he's been conditioned to accept that he's more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target...he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche's unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul.

Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss.

I went from a light and frothy romcom to a very steamy thriller romance. Now that’s more like it. I enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to Psyche and Eros’s romance. We get to see more of the Thirteen and their political machinations. I have really enjoyed that part of the series. And then we get to the actually romance. I really enjoyed getting to know Eros and Psyche. They were a great enemies to lovers situation. Their particular brand of romance wasn’t as exciting to me as Hades and Persephone, but still enjoyable. I spend through this volume desperately wanting to see how they would outwit Aphrodite. Overall a very enjoyable steamy romance.

Dark Olympus

• #1 Neon Gods

• #2 Electric Idol

• #3 Wicked Beauty

Next up on the TBR pile:

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne

Title: To Sir, With Love

Author: Lauren Layne

Publisher: Gallery Books 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Perpetually cheerful and eager to please, Gracie Cooper strives to make the best out of every situation. So when her father dies just months after a lung cancer diagnosis, she sets aside her dreams of pursuing her passion for art to take over his Midtown Manhattan champagne shop. She soon finds out that the store’s profit margins are being squeezed perilously tight, and complicating matters further, a giant corporation headed by the impossibly handsome, but irritatingly arrogant Sebastian Andrews is proposing a buyout. But Gracie can’t bear the thought of throwing away her father’s dream like she did her own.

Overwhelmed and not wanting to admit to her friends or family that she’s having second thoughts about the shop, Gracie seeks advice and solace from someone she’s never met—the faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app where matches get to know each other through messages and common interests before exchanging real names or photos.

But although Gracie finds herself slowly falling for Sir online, she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they can’t stand each other.

My favorite podcast recommended this contemporary romance as a fun re-envisioning of You’ve Got Mail and this totally is that. Right away we get a strong connection to the fun story and I knew how it would end. But this is all about the journey. I loved diving into Gracie’s life in New York and connecting with her friends and family. From there, of course we need a wonderful meet-cute with Sebastian. I loved him immediately, all straight-laced corporate man. It was delight getting to know them. The book ends with a happily ever after, but that was known in the beginning. This one is all rom-com with no real spice, but still a lot of fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer

Title: I Hope This Finds You Well Poems

Author: Kate Baer

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2021

Genre: Poetry Collection

Pages: 80

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

“I'm sure you could benefit from jumping on a treadmill”

“Women WANT a male leader . . . It’s honest to god the basic human playbook”

These are some of the thousands of messages that Kate Baer has received online. Like countless other writers—particularly women—with profiles on the internet, as Kate’s online presence grew, so did the darker messages crowding her inbox. These missives from strangers have ranged from “advice” and opinions to outright harassment. 

At first, these messages resulted in an immediate delete and block. Until, on a whim, Kate decided to transform the cruelty into art, using it to create fresh and intriguing poems. These pieces, along with ones made from notes of gratitude and love, as well as from the words of public figures, have become some of her most beloved work. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Title: The Kingdom

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Publisher: Henry Holt 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species—formerly extinct—roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty—and what it truly means to be human.

I was pitched that this was a young adult version of Westworld, and it definitely is! We get a seemingly perfect amusement park full of technological advancements. I loved the world building in this book. We really get a sense of the park and the different environments we can encounter. Once we establish some of the world, we get to follow Ana as she slowly starts to unravel her own thoughts and feelings. And the lingering mystery of who died and who killed them. The book is completely fun popcorn adventure, but I still loved reading it. The story was highly enjoyable and the characters were fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Clean Air by Sarah Blake

Title: Clean Air

Author: Sarah Blake

Publisher: Algonquin Books 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

The climate apocalypse has come and gone, and in the end it wasn't the temperature climbing or the waters rising. It was the trees. They created enough pollen to render the air unbreathable, and the world became overgrown.

In the decades since the event known as the Turning, humanity has rebuilt, and Izabel has grown used to the airtight domes that now contain her life. She raises her young daughter, Cami, and attempts to make peace with her mother's death. She tries hard to be satisfied with this safe, prosperous new world, but instead she just feels stuck.

And then the tranquility of her town is shattered. Someone—a serial killer—starts slashing through the domes at night, exposing people to the deadly pollen. At the same time, Cami begins sleep-talking, having whole conversations about the murders that she doesn't remember after she wakes. Izabel becomes fixated on the killer, on both tracking him down and understanding him. What could compel someone to take so many lives after years dedicated to sheer survival, with society finally flourishing again?

A bit of mixed bag with this one. I was intrigued by the post-apocalypse setup and was intrigued by the murder mystery aspect of it. I love good disaster dystopian novel and this one seemed to fit the bill. I enjoyed the world-building and the murder mystery aspects. I was on the edge of my seat to figure out exactly who was killing people in the neighborhood. Those sections were done well. I was less interested with Isabel and her reactions to life and the murders. Her constant cycling through apathy and anxiety left me tired. It felt odd to me to follow someone who is having very PTSD-like symptoms ten years after the inciting events. I had a hard time connecting to her and her actions. I almost wish that we had either focused on the murders or the adjustment to a new way of life. Izabel was not the person that I wanted to follow on this journey.

Next up on the TBR pile:

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Title: All These Bodies

Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: Quill Tree Books 2021

Genre: YA Thriller

Pages: 304

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood. 

Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene—covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.

Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?

Oh blergh. I went into this book thinking that it would be a spooky suspenseful young adult novel. Unfortunately, we didn’t really get any of the spook except for a few very brief scenes. Instead, we got a very stilted and strange retelling of a criminal case written by a teenage boy. I was not a fan of the voice of the book. The writing was all over the place and not well constructed. I kept getting pulled out of the story every time Michael referred to something that would happen in the future or some realization that he made at a later date. But most of the story is written in a very present sense. Beyond the writing style, I was not a fan of the story and specifically the constant misogyny. Every other page is felt like some character was saying that there was no way that Marie killed anyone because she was a, wait for it… girl. I just could not. I realize that the book is set in 1958, but it was written last year. I don’t think we need to focus on this aspect so much. And finally, we get to ending and I was completely flabbergasted. It’s a terrible ending. Such a disappointment.

Next up on the TBR pile: