Somewhere between fantasy and reality, Dottie finds new life in her relationship with the mysterious girl. But Dottie’s entanglements with Magdalena, a curious centenarian, a compelling stranger, an ex-mobster, and a murder of crows thrusts this once cloistered woman into a frenzy of public scrutiny. To quell the rumors, Dottie keeps returning to pen and paper, the place where only she can distinguish the fiction from what truly happened. In sharing her story, she discovers something as frightening as it is liberating – her voice.

Though her prose has been compared to Shirley Jackson, Sary’s writing stands in a class of its own. MAGDALENA is a swirling and mystical debut, part ghost story, part tender tale of love, loss, and longing, inspired by the author’s personal experiences. Sary’s mesmerizing and haunting debut will keep readers under its spell long after the final page.

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Anytime something is compared to Shirley Jackson I’m intrigued, so I was excited to hear about this one. I would definitely agree with that comparison and thoroughly enjoyed this read. While the story is about Dottie and Magdalena, I really enjoyed the offshoots and additional stories within the town itself. This was my first ready from Candi Sary and I really enjoyed not only the writing style but the overall atmosphere of the read. I will definitely be picking up more from this author!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Candi Sary is an award-winning
writer and graduate from the University of California, Irvine.
Her writing has won Reader Views Literary Award, a
Chanticleer International Book Award, and was First Runner-Up
in the Eric Hoffer Book Award. A mother of two adult children,
Sary lives in Southern California with her husband, a dog, a cat
and several ducks. She can often be found surfing and paddling
boarding in the waters of Newport Beach. She is a proud
steward of a Little Free Library.

Author website | Author IG | Author Facebook | Goodreads

Happy reading!

All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover…

That was Elliott’s belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader.” As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookstore, Elliott’s passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookstore into high-rise condos.

But others won’t give up the bookstore without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney’s sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott’s legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookstore, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage.

Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It’s a celebration of found family and a love letter to the everyday heroes who run bookstores.

I was definitely intrigued by the concept of this book but found it a bit hard to get into it. The first section of the book definitely was slow in pacing, but once I got past that and got more into the meat of the story I did find myself enjoying it more. I enjoyed the amount of humor injected in the story as it helped it move more and increased my enjoyment in it. I did end up overall enjoying the story and found the writing style easy to read even when the pacing felt slow.

Happy reading!

This collection features 25 inspiring tales of proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Read about how these women, girls, and nonbinary people broke down barriers, honored their identities, and lived authentically no matter what anyone else said.

Find your voice with Janelle Monae. Play for equality with Billie Jean King. Protect your community with Marcia P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. And organize joyful celebrations with Dr. Lady Phyll and Molly Pinta.

With a foreword by Elena Favilli, this book pairs inspiring, easy-to-read text with colorful full-page portraits created by female and nonbinary artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!

Once again Rebel Girls has come out with another great installment to their collection. This collection includes stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community from all cultures, identities and even generations. I always enjoy the diversity and inclusion in these books and this one is no different. I really like the added QR codes to listen to longer stories/information about some of the people featured in the book, plus all of the interactive and informative pages at the end of the book that would really be so beneficial for those trying to learn or trying to figure out who they are.

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Eight years ago, everything changed for Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

I went into this one knowing very little about it and I’m glad I did because that meant I had little expectations. I really liked how well crafted the magic system and base of history was and felt that was developed well. Where it fell a little short for me is that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I felt they were likeable in general, but couldn’t identify with them during the story. That’s not to say that someone else wouldn’t, I’m sure they would, they just weren’t characters that resonated with me personally.

I did overall enjoy the world that was crafted and found many elements of it intriguing, just had a hard time really connecting with the characters.

Happy reading!

TRUE STORIES OF WOMEN WHO RAISE THE ROOF!

This collection features 25 stories of extraordinary women in music—women who have moved hearts and minds with their lyrics, uplifted other musicians, and gotten people to jump, dance, and sing along with their music.

Belt out pop anthems with Lizzo, bang on the drums with Nandi Bushell, and write country hits with Dolly Parton. The women in this book come from all around the world. They play different instruments, experiment with new sounds, and stand out in their genres. But one thing is true of them They rock!

With a foreword by iconic rocker Joan Jett and activities curated by Gibson Guitars, this book will have readers everywhere jamming out! Plus, scannable codes let you listen to more stories on the Rebel Girls app.

I’ve really been enjoying these more focused installments in the Rebel Girls series, especially since they can appeal to people who are looking for specific themes that are more focused to their interests. As always the art is amazing and I really like the variety that is always included in the styles that are represented. Another thing I really enjoy about this series is how they make sure to include people from different cultures, ethnicities, walks of life and more – there’s always a really good balance of people included and I feel that you will always be able to find at least one individual that resonates with you, if not more!

Happy reading!