Beautiful Boss by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Boss (Beautiful #4.5)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Pocket Star 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 115

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

One Player tamed. One nerd girl satisfied. And one more major life decision to make. When Will fell for Hanna, her quirky sense of humor and fierce dedication to her career were part of the attraction. (Not to mention her coy newbie attitude toward sex and her willingness to let him teach her everything.) But when the job offers start rolling in for her—and oh, they do—Hanna has trouble deciding what she wants, where they should live, and how much she should burden Will with the decision. Magic between the sheets is only one part of a relationship...getting on the same page is quite another altogether.

Meh. Will and Hannas are not my favorite couple, but at least they aren’t Chloe and Bennett. This is yet another story where Hanna just acts so incredibly young and I am annoyed by it I am not a fan of that dynamic. This story wrapped up some of their particular plot line. But I’m definitely ready to move on to the last book in the series.

Beautiful Bastard

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Secret (Beautiful #4)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 385

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

And we get to know Max’s younger brother Niall in this romance romp. Overall I did really enjoy this book, but there were a few aspects that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. I enjoyed the general romance between Niall and Ruby. I liked their personal relationship as they navigate their feelings for each other. The steamy scenes were definitely steamy. I was very much into this story. But then, we get the big conflict and I was very annoyed. It seems like this entire series has a dynamic of a male character stepping back while a female character handles a terrible situation. Okay I’m very on board with this idea of men stepping back and allowing women to step up for themselves. Again, I am okay with this set-up. What I don’t like is that there is always some other male character acting terrible that suffers no consequences from their behavior. In this book we get a very sexual predator boss who forces Ruby to quit her internship or stop dating Niall (who is not her boss in any matter). And nothing absolutely happens. I am very enraged in these situations through the series. I’m still going to finish the series, but very annoyed by this small part.

Beautiful Bastard

Next up on the TBR pile:

The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher

Title: The City of Lead and Gold (Tripods #2)

Author: John Christopher

Publisher: 1967

Genre: Middle Grade Scifi

Pages: 209

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

When Will and his friends arrived at the White Mountains, they thought everything would be okay. They’d found a safe haven where the mechanical monsters called Tripods could not find them. But once there, they wonder about the world around them and how they are faring against the machines.

In order to save everyone else, Will and his friends want to take down the Tripods once and for all. That means journeying to the Tripod capital: the City of Gold and Lead.

Although the journey will be difficult, the real danger comes once Will is inside the city, where Tripods roam freely and humans are even more enslaved than they are on the outside. Without anyone to help him, Will must learn the secrets of the Tripods—and how to take them down—before they figure out that he’s a spy…and he can only pretend to be brainwashed for so long.

Finally, we get to see the aliens in the tripods! Overall this book was a very enjoyable ride. We get to follow Will as he travels into the city of the Masters. The writing becomes very descriptions as we learn more about the aliens and their plans for Earth. Thankfully the books moves quickly keeping the action continuing at a decent pace. I am definitely interested in how this story is going to end.

The Tripods

#0.5 When the Tripods Came
#1 The White Mountains
#2 The City of Gold and Lead
#3 The Pool of Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

Title: Dead Silence

Author: S.A. Barnes

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 343

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed—made obsolete—when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find is shocking: the Aurora, a famous luxury spaceliner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick search of the ship reveals something isn’t right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Messages scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold on to her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.

I cannot remember where I heard about this one (maybe Book Pages?), but I was totally in for a space horror story. This does not disappoint. Right away we know that something went horribly wrong onboard the ghost space ship Aurora. We then spend the rest of the book switching back and forth between the story of what the crew found and Claire’s present. Make not mistake, this story is creepy and very gory. If you cannot handle blood and gore, do not read this one. The writing dives right into very atmospheric settings and graphic descriptions. I was on the edge of my seat the entire ride. I would have liked a bit more time encountering the spooky while onboard the Aurora before Claire passes out and her memory mostly goes blank. But otherwise I really enjoyed this one!

star-rating-remains-the-most-important-part-of-a-review-cad0047.cad0047.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

The White Mountains by John Christopher

Title: The White Mountains (Tripods #1)

Author: John Christopher

Publisher: 1967

Genre: Middle Grade Scifi

Pages: 223

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Will Parker never dreamed he would be the one to rebel against the Tripods. With the approach of his thirteenth birthday, he expected to attend his Capping ceremony as planned and to become connected to the Tripods—huge three-legged machines—that now control all of Earth. But after an encounter with a strange homeless man called Beanpole, Will sets out for the White Mountains, where people are said to be free from the control of the Tripods.

But even with the help of Beanpole and his friends, the journey is long and hard. And with the Tripods hunting for anyone who tries to break free, Will must reach the White Mountains fast. But the longer he’s away from his home, the more the Tripods look for him…and no one can hide from the monstrous machines forever.

J has been trying to get me to read this series for years now. He read it during childhood and remembered it fondly. I finally started the series and blew through the first book in two days. This is short and middle grade, so not hard to read. There were some great sequences of the boys escaping through the countryside and coming across the ruins of civilization past. I especially loved the sections set in what was Paris. The overall escape adventure was fun to follow. There were passages that were slow and very old-fashioned in terms of style. And the ending was very abrupt and terrible. I really wish for two more chapters to detail their arrival at the White Mountains, but oh well. Maybe the next book will expand that setting.

The Tripods

#0.5 When the Tripods Came
#1 The White Mountains
#2 The City of Gold and Lead
#3 The Pool of Fire

Next up on the TBR pile:

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Title: Magic for Liars

Author: Sarah Gailey

Publisher: Tor 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR; Unread Shelf

Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.
Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.
She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.
Ivy Gamble is a liar.

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister—without losing herself.

Our April book club selection and one off my own unread shelves. I was hoping for another great adventure a la Upright Women Wanted. This one didn’t quite live up to the action and adventure. I loved the setting and the overall atmosphere of the novel. Osthorne and all the weird settings really put me in the spooky mood. I was definitely along for the plot itself. I needed to find out what happened to Capley and whodunnit. My biggest issue was with Ivy herself. She just wasn’t a likable character and I completely understand why. She has a past, but some of the desperation was completely self-inflicted. I could only take so much of the desperation before it really started to grate on me. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but I think it’s going to be farther down he list of favorite Gailey books.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell

Title: The Dragon in the Library

Author: Louie Stowell

Publisher: Nosy Crow 2019

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 224

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

Kit can't STAND reading. She'd MUCH rather be outside, playing games and getting muddy, than stuck inside with a book. But when she's dragged along to the library one day by her two best friends, she makes an incredible discovery - and soon it's up to Kit and her friends to save the library... and the world.

Meh. I was hoping for another fun literary themed middle grade fantasy (a la The Bookwanderers), but this one did not deliver for me. It was a little too immature. Definitely lower elementary as opposed to proper middle grade. I was slightly annoyed by the repetition in the narration and commentary about the various characters. It just didn’t really keep my attention and I won’t me reading farther into the series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Title: If the Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1)

Author: Julie Murphy

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Cindy loves shoes. A well-placed bow or a chic stacked heel is her form of self-expression. As a fashion-obsessed plus-size woman, she can never find designer clothes that work on her body, but a special pair of shoes always fits just right.

With a shiny new design degree but no job in sight, Cindy moves back in with her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, the executive producer of the world’s biggest dating reality show. When a contestant on Before Midnight bows out at the last minute, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight. Showcasing her killer shoe collection on network TV seems like a great way to jump-start her career. And, while she’s at it, why not go on a few lavish dates with an eligible suitor?

But being the first and only fat contestant on Before Midnight turns her into a viral sensation—and a body-positivity icon—overnight. Even harder to believe? She can actually see herself falling for this Prince Charming. To make it to the end, despite the fans, the haters, and a house full of fellow contestants she’s not sure she can trust, Cindy will have to take a leap of faith and hope her heels— and her heart—don’t break in the process.

Another romcom for my reading month. This one came from a recommendation from the Currently Reading podcast. And it was good. Nothing that I will want to read over and over again, but it was a good romcom book. In general, I think I prefer the spicy romances, but we at least get a good meet-cute and re-meet-cute. My favorite parts of this book were actually the interactions between Cindy and her family. I loved Anna and Drew and the triplets. We get all the elements of good romcom, and I had a good few days reading it, but ultimately this wasn’t amazing.

Meant to Be:

#1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
#2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
#3 Kiss the Girl
#4 Tangled Up in You
#5 Worth Fighting For

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

Title: Tell Me an Ending

Author: Jo Harkin

Publisher: Scribner 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 448

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

What if you didn't have to live with your worst memories?

Across the world, thousands of people are shocked by a notification that they once chose to have a memory removed. Now they are being given an opportunity to get that memory back. Four individuals are filled with new doubts, grappling with the unexpected question of whether to remember unknown events, or to leave them buried forever.

Finn, an Irish architect living in the Arizona desert, begins to suspect his charming wife of having an affair. Mei, a troubled grad school dropout in Kuala Lumpur, wonders why she remembers a city she has never visited. William, a former police inspector in England, struggles with PTSD, the breakdown of his marriage, and his own secret family history. Oscar, a handsome young man with almost no memories at all, travels the world in a constant state of fear.

Into these characters’ lives comes Noor, a psychologist working at the Nepenthe memory removal clinic in London. The process of reinstating patients’ memories begins to shake the moral foundations of her world. As she delves deeper into how the program works, she will have to risk everything to uncover the cost of this miraculous technology.

And a big old dud for me. I was intrigued by the Black Mirror and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comparisons. I was looking for a very strange trip through memory and neuroscience (with a dash of the sci-fi thrown in). Unfortunately, we get a book of terrible people speculating about the terrible things they may or may not have done. The pace was excruciating. Nothing happened for chapters and chapters and chapters. And then when things happened, they weren’t that exciting. I was just thoroughly bored and definitely did not like this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bookwanderers by Anna James

Title: The Bookwanderers (Pages and Co. #1)

Author: Anna James

Publisher: HarperCollins 2018

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal TBR

Since her mother's disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly Pages has found comfort in the stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents' bookshop. But when her favorite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, start showing up at the shop,Tilly's adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their books, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses. Tilly's new ability leads her to fun and exciting adventures, but danger may be lurking on the very next page...

When new secrets are uncovered, it's up to Tilly to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago. From debut author Anna James comes a charming and exciting adventure about a bookish young heroine, a mysterious librarian, and a magical bookshop that will delight book lovers everywhere.

Oh this was just so delightful! I always love books that incorporate books and this was such a great adventure story involving characters from books. Right away I was delighted with Tilly and her family’s book store. And then we start to encounter some interesting “people.” The big adventure finally gets going about halfway through the book and then doesn’t stop until the last page. And even then, we know there’s so much more to the story. I absolutely adored following along and must read more in this series soon.

Pages and Co.

#1 The Bookwanderers
#2 The Lost Fairy Tales
#3 The Map of Stories
#4 The Book Smugglers
#5 The Treehouse Library

Next up on the TBR pile:

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: