Sir Magnus Holmes, cousin to the more famous Sherlock, is asked to investigate the appearance of an otherworldly knight carrying a legendary sword in the cellar of a Victorian London pub.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
This was my first real exposure to Garth Nix’s writing, even though I have a couple of his books on my TBR and I did enjoy this spin on the Holmes family as well as his writing style. The story does start off rather jarringly as you are dropped smack dab in the middle, getting a vignette really. Perhaps an introduction would have helped, but it was still enjoyable and a fun mini-adventure.
I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.
Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable.
But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
As soon as I found out this had to do with Malay folklore and culture I wanted to pick it up. I loved learning about the different supernatural beings featured in that culture as the story went on and also really enjoyed the themes of friendship, families (and how experiences can make them different) and grief. All of these played a part in Suraya’s story where we saw a lot of growth in her as well as a bit of adventure when they came up against someone who didn’t have the best of intentions. There are definitely some darker parts to this when it comes to some of Pink’s actions, but that just added more to the story regarding what a pelesit is. While I don’t have any real knowledge of Malay folklore, it’s stories like this that make me want to learn more.
Their collections may clash but their hearts are a perfect match.
Moving to eclectic New Hope, Pennsylvania, and running The Beautiful Things Shoppe is a dream come true for elegant and reserved fine arts dealer Prescott J. Henderson. He never agreed to share the space with Danny Roman, an easygoing extrovert who collects retro toys and colorful knickknacks.
And yet here they are, trapped together in the quaint shop as they scramble to open in time for New Hope’s charming Winter Festival.
Danny has spent years leading with his heart instead of his head. The Beautiful Things Shoppe is his chance to ground himself and build something permanent and joyful. The last thing he needs is an uptight snob who doesn’t appreciate his whimsy occupying half his shop.
It’s only when two of New Hope’s historic landmarks—each as different as Danny and Prescott—are threatened that a tentative alliance forms. And with it, the first blush of romance. Suddenly, running The Beautiful Things Shoppe together doesn’t seem so bad…until Danny’s secret threatens to ruin it all.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
After reading The Hideaway Inn (the first book in the series) I definitely wanted to pick this one up as well, and I’m not disappointed that I did. This is definitely hate to love and what a fun time it was, while also being really genuine and exploring those moments where someone may not be ready to share their full selves with someone, and overcoming that. I felt it was a really enjoyable story with some wonderfully crafted characters. I would definitely read more in the series if any more were to come out.
When Aeslin Finn was a little girl, her parents read to her from a magical book called The Avalon Chronicles. But that was a long time ago. Now a teenager, Aeslin is about to discover just how magical she and that book really are. Transported to the world of Avalon, she discovers a kingdom in need of a Dragon Knight – and the last dragon, Blue Moon, is waiting for her!
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
While I felt this was a good start to a new series, it didn’t quite live up to what I was expecting. I really liked the premise and the twist regarding the books, but while the beginning and ending went really fast for me, the middle dragged a bit. I didn’t really feel like I could connect with many of the characters and their motivations. Still, for someone looking for a hero’s journey type fantasy quest in a graphic novel, they would probably really enjoy it. For me it was just ok and I probably won’t be continuing with the series.
Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon!
This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil…only this time around, her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window.
Eisner Award winner Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award winner Dan Mora (Go Go Power Rangers, Hexed), along with series creator Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers), bring Buffy into a new era with new challenges, new friends, and a few enemies you might already recognize. But the more things change, the more they stay the same as the Gang faces brand-new Big Bads, and the threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High confirms what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Whoa. Going into this I knew that it was a modernization and that it was remixing the BtVS universe a bit, but there are a LOT of changes. You could honestly go into this with no knowledge of the existing Buffy universe and enjoy it, but there are tons of references and Easter eggs if you are a fan of the canon universe. I did really love the modernization but definitely spun for a loop with some of the events that happen in this volume. I’m both excited and scared to see what happens next!
When Benning Reeves’s twins are kidnapped, the frantic father knows who can help: the Tactical Crime Division and Ana Ramirez. Even though Ana once shattered Benning’s heart, the special agent is the only one he can trust. But Ana is still tormented by the unresolved case that brought them together years before — a case somehow entangled with Benning’s children. It’s up to the TCD and Ana to discover why…before it’s too late.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was sucked into this one immediately because the action started from the get go. This was definitely a second chance romance, but the suspense was at the forefront. I felt like it never really slowed down or stopped since there were so many twists and turns, tons of danger and a lot of revelations. It was also a great plot point to see Ana harboring a lot of guilt over what had happened in the past, and then working through it and learning to forgive herself. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for tons of action with some romance/tension/chemistry mixed in. It was a great ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In Where Hope Comes From: poems for a broken world, Instagram superstar and poet Nikita Gill returns to her roots with her most personal collection yet. Sharing a number of poems that she wrote when the world went into lockdown, this collection will include the phenomenal Love in the Time of Coronavirus which was shared across social media over 20,000 times, as well as her poems of strength and hope How to Be Strong and Silver Linings. This collection will be fully illustrated by Nikita with beautiful line-drawings, and moves her into an exciting new space in the market as she tackles themes such as mental health and loneliness.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Nikita Gill is pretty much my favorite modern poet, so it was no surprise that I pre-ordered this as soon as I heard it was coming out. As someone who was also deemed high risk who has stayed home for the last 15 months to protect myself, this one hit especially close to home for me. This collection hit on so many things I thought, felt and went through in the last 15 months. It highlights not just depression, anxiety, loss of loved ones and more, but also the loneliness and isolation many people have felt. I loves the language she used and the range in poems, as well as the wonderful watercolor illustrations. This is a very hard hitting collection, so it talks of the subjects I mentioned are triggering for you I would proceed with caution, but it’s a wonderful read.
Fans of Real Friends and Be Prepared will love this energetic, affecting graphic memoir, in which a young girl uses her active imagination to navigate middle school as well as the fallout from her parents’ divorce. Tori has never lived in just one world.
Since her parents’ divorce, she’s lived in both her mom’s house and her dad’s new apartment. And in both places, no matter how hard she tries, her family still treats her like a little kid. Then there’s school, where friendships old and new are starting to feel more and more out of her hands.
Thankfully, she has books-and writing. And now the stories she makes up in her head just might save her when everything else around her—friendships, school, family—is falling apart.
Author Tori Sharp takes us with her on a journey through the many commonplace but complex issues of fractured families, as well as the beautiful fantasy narrative that helps her cope, gorgeously illustrated and full of magic, fairies, witches and lost and found friendships.
I was really enamored with this graphic memoir from the start because I was able to identify with the way Tori coped with what was happening in her life. While I didn’t have the same experiences as her when I was her age, writing and reading were my escapes when I dealt with my own issues, so it was something that really resonated with me. That 7-9th grade range is a difficult time for many kids, especially when you have so many different issues going on. I really enjoyed the mix of seeing Tori’s life and day to day mixed with her stories when she escaped into them. The story lines in some ways had parallels as Tori navigated her real life and attempted to survive and juggle everything going on. The art style was bright and vivid and perfectly suited both the real life and the fantasy.
Tori Sharp is a Seattle-based author-illustrator and swing and blues dancer with a BFA in sequential art from SCAD. You can find her online at http://www.noveltori.com and on Twitter @noveltori. Just Pretend is her debut graphic novel.
I also had fun putting together a playlist on Spotify with some songs that I felt fit some of the feelings I had when reading this book. I’ve included it below!
Make sure you check out the other stops on the tour too! Happy reading!
An alternate history short story looking at decisions and consequences, and what it takes to pull the trigger.
This story was very impactful, even though it was short. The concept that an innocent child must be slaughtered at the president’s hands in order for them to get access to missile codes, essentially forcing the president to take the life of one of their own citizens before taking the lives of another nation’s citizens. It’s a moral dilemma that is enough to give someone pause and make them really think on their decision. In this story we follow Nyma, who is the one that has the codes inside of her and who the president has to kill should he want to use the missiles against those they are at war with. Seeing this experience through her eyes, all of her interactions with the president as the war is ongoing, seeing his struggle through his eyes and also her conflict, fear and anger over the situation. It’s a hard story to read especially in times that are so politicized and divisive, but the moral components of it made it a compelling read.
Hey everyone! May flew by super fast! Just when I thought it would slow down a bit, I was wrong. I’m enjoying just a few bullet points for my wrap ups, so if you want to see all the books I read and my ratings on books that I read that I don’t necessarily cover on the blog – you are more than welcome to add me as a friend or follow me over on Goodreads. There are some books that I don’t always write up full reviews for, but I always rate them over there.
I completed three of my TBR card challenge books for May and made progress on a few others from previous months. Let’s hope this continues so I can work on the pile that is accumulating!
I read two Nancy Drew books in May and started on a third one.
I continued a few graphic novel series, though they were all graphic novels. I’m caught up on Isola, working on catching up on Monstress and finished the original seasons of BtVS that Dark Horse originally published, meaning it’s time to move onto the reboot.
In total I read 27 books, making it a great month indeed!
How did everyone else’s reading months go? June is set to be a very busy month for me since Rich and I are dealing with some medical stuff and our anniversary is at the end of June so we’ll see how much I’m able to get done.
The Wandering Wordsmith 