Gods won’t save you. Gods will break you. Nevertheless, you will persist. And become anew.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
I don’t usually like things that are written in 2nd person, or as kind of stream of consciousness, but I really enjoyed this short story. It hit so many points at once while also tying in themes from different relationships in mythology and proving that a woman can make herself happy more than any other person can. It was uplifting and inspiring while also being a bit tongue in cheek. I really enjoyed Headley’s writing style and may definitely check out more of their work in the future.
Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má’s, seventieth birthday together.
Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má’s plane ticket! There’s just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food.
And after her pickled cucumber debacle at lunch, she’s determined to channel her inner Julia Child. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I so enjoyed this graphic novel about Cici and her journey through a number of issues that she faces. Moving across the world to America, discovering her passion and wanting to fight for it, but also wanting to meet her parents’ expectations. This story was much more complex than it appeared on the surface and I loved seeing that. Her growth and coming into her own throughout the story was wonderful to witness, as were all the relationships and how they grew and changed over the span of the graphic novel. I loved the detail that was added when talking about all the foo represented and feel like it would be great for any young reader who is showing an interest in cooking, navigating a new home/country, or even just discovering their own voice.
Be transported into dystopian cities and other-worldly societies. Be amazed and beguiled by a nursery story with a reverse twist, a futuristic take on TV cooking shows, a playscript with tentacles – and more, much more. Plunge in and enjoy!
A collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcasing twenty stellar writers and artists from India and Australia: Isobelle Carmody, Penni Russon, Justine Larbalestier, Margo Lanagan, Lily Mae Martin, Kuzhali Manickavel, Prabha Mallya, Annie Zaidi, Kate Constable, Vandana Singh, Mandy Ord, Priya Kuriyan, Manjula Padmanabhan, Samhita Arni, Alyssa Brugman, Nicki Greenberg and Amruta Patil.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
After reading the concept of this anthology and some of the things that contributed towards it I was really excited to pick it up. Many of the stories did tackle important issues such as how girls/women are treated and viewed, climate change and what it could do to our planet, death and more. While there were no stories in this anthology that I disliked, there weren’t any that blew me away either. Many of them were impactful and fun, with clear purpose. I did also really enjoy the stories told in graphic form that were sprinkled into the collection as it was nice to have a bit of a mixed media feel to it.
Cat Calls – 4 stars Swallow the Moon – 3 stars Little Red Suit – 3 stars Cooking Time – 4 stars Anarkali – 3 stars Cast Out – 4 stars Weft – 4 stars The Wednesday Room – 3 stars Cool – 3 stars Appetite – 3 stars Mirror Perfect – 4 stars Arctic Light – 4 stars The Runners – 3 stars The Blooming – 2 stars What a Stone Can’t Feel – 4 stars Memory Lace – 3 stars Back Stage Pass – 4 stars
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.”
With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
As soon as I heard about this book I wanted to pick it up, so I was thrilled when I received a copy. I was so excited about the premise of this one as soon as I read it and was not disappointed at all. Amari is a character who has faced a lot of prejudice in her life, whether it be for her race or where she lives, and is excited for the possibility of being somewhere where that doesn’t matter. She’s also desperate to find out about her brother’s disappearance. Right off the bat we can tell what type of person Amari is and as the story goes on we learn about some of her insecurities and strengths. She doesn’t always make the smartest of decisions and she finds that she’s traded one set of prejudices for another as she switches environments, but she perseveres.
I so loved this story and all the important conversations and topics that were woven into it. I loved watching Amari come into her own and truly believe in herself and really enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story itself. I had a suspicion who was going to be villians and who wasn’t but I didn’t know for sure until the very end. The writing was easy to follow and flowed wonderfully and I felt there was a great balance between building the world and actual plot.
B.B. Alston started writing in middle school, entertaining his classmates with horror stories starring the whole class where not everyone survived! After several years of trying to break into publishing, he had just been accepted into a biomedical graduate program when a chance entry into a twitter pitch contest led to his signing with TBA, 20+ book deals worldwide, and even a film deal. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead. B.B. was inspired to write AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS because he couldn’t find any fantasy stories featuring Black kids when he was growing up. He hopes to show kids that though you might look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, your uniqueness needn’t only be a source of fear and insecurity. There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.
Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I’m thrilled I got to experience Amari’s journey and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for not just a fun adventure but an empowering read that tackles a number of complex and important issues.
Fans have fallen in love with Liz Climo’s charmingly quirky animal kingdom, which was first featured in The Little World of Liz Climo—a place where porcupines, anteaters, and grizzly bears all grapple with everyday life with wit and humor. Now Liz returns with a book devoted to friendship. Chapter themes include “Old Friends,” “New Friends,” “Unlikely Friends,” and “Friends with Benefits.” It’s the perfect gift for a special friend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Liz Climo is one of those authors who I will pretty much always pick up. I know that her comics will put a smile on my face and love her art style. These are very simple single page comics, so the book flies by, but they are heartwarming and funny at the same time. Plus, all the animals she pairs have great friendships or interactions. If you’re looking for a book that you can just reference here and there or sit down and read the whole thing at once, this one would be a great option!
This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.
WELCOME
From some of the most exciting bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors writing today…journey from Ecuador to New York City and Argentina to Utah, from Australia to Harlem and India to New Jersey, from Fiji, America, Mexico and more… Come On In.
With characters who face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, and the daunting and inspiring journey to new lands, who camp with their extended families, dance at weddings, keep diaries, teach ESL, give up their rooms for displaced family, decide their own answer to the question “where are you from?” and so much more, Come On In illuminates fifteen of the myriad facets of the immigrant experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was really excited when I saw this one pop up and felt that the subject matter was very timely – especially with certain political issues in the US. This collection contains perspectives from a wide range of cultures and races regarding what immigration looks and feels like for them. It really explores what people are forced to consider, the risks they are forced to take and more when attempting to enter a new country, or when living as an immigrant. Some stories also tackled some race issues which add further layers to the conversation.
I found this collection very poignant, even if I didn’t “love” every story. Each one had something important to say and that really was the impact of the collection. My personal ratings of the stories is below – but I want to emphasize that even though each story may not have been for me, I felt all of them were important.
All the Colors of Goodbye by Nafiza Azad – 4 stars The Wedding by Sara Farizan – 5 stars Where I’m From by Misa Sugiura – 4 stars Salvation & the Sea by Lilliam Rivera – 3 stars Volviemdome by Alaya Dawn Johnson – 3 stars The Trip by Sona Charaipotra – 4 stars The Curandera & the Alchemist by Maria E. Andreu – 4 stars A Bigger Tent by Maurene Goo – 4 stars First Words by Varsha Bajaj – 4 stars Family Everything by Yamile Saied Mendez – 5 stars When I was White by Justine Larbalestier – 3 stars From Golden State by Isabel Quintero – 2 stars Hard to Say by Sharon Morse – 5 stars Confessions of an Ecuadorkian by Zoraida Cordova – 4 stars Fleeing, Leaving, Moving by Adi Alsaid – 4 stars
Hey everyone! You may not know this about me, but for the last couple years I have been working on completing my Nancy Drew collection. Nancy Drew is one of my nostalgic childhood series which I will never tire of reading not just because I enjoy the mysteries and characters, but because of the stage of my life at which I originally read them.
A note – Nancy Drew is definitely a product of its time and if examined closely definitely has problematic elements when compared to today’s standards. A number of the stories have actually been modified from their original versions to remove some content that was inappropriate (I can’t give specific instances as I don’t have that information handy, but I know the info is out there). It’s still a series that holds a place in my heart and I’m ok with that, I can still read them and love them while acknowledging that fact.
Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’m going to give you a very quick glimpse of my Nancy Drew shelves. They are messy and out of order, so no judgement please, part of going through them will be actually putting them in some semblance of order (and removing all those stickers).
Those books are triple stacked. To be fair I need an entire bookcase devoted to Nancy Drew, but space is limited where I am, so we work with it. There are almost 300 Nancy Drew books there, with 175 original and extended mysteries, plus over 100 Nancy Drew files books (separate series). I have slowly been collecting them through second hand sellers (shoutout to Thriftbooks.com) and have finally collected everything I wanted to. I have everything in the original line, and most of the Files (I stopped a bit past 100 because I didn’t like how much they were changing the characters etc at that point).
Story time – I originally read these books at a stage in my life where I had read everything considered suitable for my age, but was still too young to be allowed to read more adult books (it’s a long story that I don’t need to go into, but it was a frustrating time for me because I was reading and reaching for books outside of my age group, but then being told I couldn’t). My mom, seeing my frustration, suggested I check out the Nancy Drew books. She probably figured they would keep me busy for a long time, but I devoured the original 56 books in the matter of a few months – which my library thankfully had all of. From there I read as many of the ‘extended originals’ and Files that my library had. Occasionally my parents were able to buy me one here and there to add to my small collection – I was fully hooked. There was something about the mysteries, about Nancy and about the overall adventures that just always proved an enjoyable read. I’ve been collecting them here and there for years and I can’t tell you how happy it made me when I completed what I wanted to collect.
Now on to the challenge – there are definitely some of them that I never got to read, whether because my library didn’t have them or because we could afford or find them. Now that I have them all I definitely feel a reread/read is in order. Don’t get worried, I’m not expecting to get through all of them in 2021 – but I’d like to at least read a couple a month. If it doesn’t happen that’s ok, but I think it would be nice to slowly make my way through the series. I will mention which ones I read in monthly wrap ups if I do them, but I’m probably not going to actually do full on reviews.
I did start a reread not too long ago, so I’m starting where I left off with that – which is #12 The Message in the Hollow Oak. Right now I’m just going to concentrate on the original line of mysteries and not really read from the Files (that will be later haha).
Life in a slasher film is easy. You just have to know when to die.
Aerial View: A suburban town in Texas. Everyone’s got an automatic garage door opener. All the kids jump off a perilous cliff into a shallow river as a rite of passage. The sheriff is a local celebrity. You know this town. You’re from this town.
Zoom In: Homecoming princess, Lindsay. She’s just barely escaped death at the hands of a brutal, sadistic murderer in a Michael Jackson mask. Up on the cliff, she was rescued by a horse and bravely defeated the killer, alone, bra-less. Her story is already a legend. She’s this town’s heroic final girl, their virgin angel.
Monster Vision: Halloween masks floating down that same river the kids jump into. But just as one slaughter is not enough for Billie Jean, our masked killer, one victory is not enough for Lindsay. Her high school is full of final girls, and she’s not the only one who knows the rules of the game.
When Lindsay chooses a host of virgins, misfits, and former final girls to replace the slaughtered members of her original homecoming court, it’s not just a fight for survival-it’s a fight to become The Last Final Girl.
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Rating: 3 out of 5.
After reading a couple of Stephen Graham Jones’ books and short stories in the past, I have been wanting to pick up more of his backlist. The premise of this one really intrigued me so I thought it would give it a shot. The story and plot itself was interesting and I certainly wasn’t expecting some of the plot twists – but the way it’s formatted really hampered my reading experience. I understand the intent behind it, it’s written like a script in a way where you are constantly changing perspective and scene and they blend into each other – but it made the book harder to read for me. It’s a really cool concept but the lack of chapters and constant shifts did bring down my enjoyment a bit.
Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
I have been wanting to pick this one up for a long time, so it’s another instance of kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. I really enjoyed one of Maurene Goo’s other books, so am glad I finally got to this one since it was just a wonderful read. Sure there were parts of it where it was a tad predictable but I absolutely loved all the K-drama references and the nods to Korean culture. I can’t say the route Desi took was appropriate and it was pretty out there – but it made the read fun and hilarious. This was great for a light and fun read and I’m so happy I finally got to it.
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd delivers an all-new thriller, featuring a bold and brash female protagonist.
WRONG JOB Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.
WRONG NAME Evie’s escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on justice, intent on recovering her life, she searches for the killer who slaughters without remorse.
WRONG ALIBI At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evie emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own family?
I did not expect this book to fly by as fast as it did and was surprised by how fast it seemed to go. This is my first experience with Dodd’s writing but I was pulled in by the writing and the way it flew by. I did feel like it could have been honed a bit as sometimes it did seem that some things weren’t necessary, or were affecting the other aspects of the story in ways they didn’t need to, but overall it was a really enjoyable read with vibrant characters. I look forward to picking up some of Dodd’s other books in the future when looking for a good mystery.
New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd writes “edge-of-the-seat suspense” (Iris Johansen) with “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (ALA Booklist). Her fifty-eight books have been called “scary, sexy, and smartly written” by Booklist and, much to her mother’s delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list at www.christinadodd.com.
The Wandering Wordsmith 