Currently Reading: Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers

Remember how much I liked Grave Mercy? It was years ago, and I never wrote reviews for the other two books in Robin LaFever’s excellent His Fair Assassin trilogy, but the stories of Ismae, Sybella, and Annith have stuck with me for ages and have, quite honestly, made other historical fantasies pale in comparison. So

Book Review: Words In Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Star Ratings: Characters: ***** (5 stars) Writing:**** (4 stars) Plot: **** (4 stars) Overall: **** (4 stars) (Be it known that I read an advanced reader’s copy of this book and some things may change before publication.) I liked this book.  It’s realistic, somewhat romantic, somewhat nerdy YA.  It’s Australian, so the seasons were confusing.

YA Books To Buy For Your Graduation Gifts

I’m away from the Somewhat United States at the moment, ceilidh dancing in Edinburgh and haunting my old haunts in St Andrews, but high school students all over America are getting ready to graduate within the next few weeks.  Congratulations to you all, especially to the young adults who are regulars at my bookshop.  I’m

Book Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Star Ratings: Characters: ***** (5 stars) Character Development: ***** (5 stars) Plot: ***** (5 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: ***** (5 stars) Age range recommendation: 13 and up.  (Swearing, violence, mild sexuality.) Be it known that I read an advanced copy of this book and some details may change before publication in late September.

Book Review: The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

(img source: goodreads) Star Ratings: Characters: ***** (5 stars) Character Development: **** (4 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: **** (4 stars) Age range recommendation: 12 and up. (Dark but not scary, though there’s some troubling emotional and domestic abuse.) Be it known that I read an ARC of this book,

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Star Ratings: Characters: *** (3 stars) Character Development: *** (3 stars) Plot: **** (4 stars) Writing: *** (3 stars) Overall: *** (3 stars) Age range recommendation: 15 and up.  (Definitely not for anyone who isn’t in high school yet, as there’s sex and other grossness.  I would actually recommend this to a lot of twenty-somethings

Book Review: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Star Ratings: Characters: **** (4 stars) Character Development: ***** (5 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: **** (4 out of 5 stars) I recommend The Game of Love and Death for readers age 14 and up, though there’s nothing particularly terrifying or overtly sexual, so strong younger readers could give it

Book Review: The Revelation of Louisa May by Michaela MacColl

Star Ratings: Characters: **** (4 stars) Character development: **** (4 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Overall: **** (4 stars) Age range recommendation: 11 and up (murder and strife but not much gore or sex.) The Alcott home is weathering some rough times. There’s not enough money to support a family of

Book Review: Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

Star Ratings: Characters: **** (4 stars) Character Development: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (4 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Overall: ***1/2 (3 1/2 stars) Age recommendation: 13 and up (scary stuff, some language) The South has swamps; and mosquitoes; and yards full of decaying cars, rotting pieces of other houses. The South has church groups

Book Review: Beware The Wild by Natalie C. Parker (coming out soon!)

Star Ratings: Characters: **** (4 stars) Character Development: **** (4 stars) Plot: *** (3 stars) Writing: **** (3 stars) Overall: **** (4 stars) Age range recommendation: 12 -18 I read an ARC of Beware The Wild and some details may change before publication! I seriously dig swamp magic.  I mucked around writing half a novel