Her Body and Other Stories by Carmen Maria Machado

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My library hold finally came in!  This one seemed like a really well-loved copy.

My library hold finally came in!  This one seemed like a really well-loved copy.

This book is scary, sexy, stunning, and spectacular!  Her Body and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Carmen Maria Machado that tell of the different ways that women deal with violence against their bodies.  

In "The Husband Stitch,"  a woman meets her husband at a party while they are still young.  When he asks about her green ribbon that she wears around her neck, she only answers that it is hers and he can't touch it.  Throughout the story, the husband asks over and over again to touch the ribbon only to be denied.  In the end, after becoming a mother and seeing her son off to university, the husband asks about the ribbon again. This time, the wife allows him to untie the ribbon and her head falls off.  Ouch.  

The story "Inventory,"  is one of the most unique stories I've ever read.  A woman is recounting her past lovers and their experiences, but it's through these that we learn a plague is affecting the world.  It's wild-in a very good way.  

In "Eight Bites," a woman and her daughter deal with the consequences of weight loss surgery and how they view each other's bodies.  This one really made me think about how family encouragement can also be taken as criticism.  

There are eight stories total and each of them is incredibly unique.  In many of them, you can feel that something is just slightly off but you don't realize how far off until the very end.  

Amazing collection of stories and I highly recommend for those with strong stomachs. You can get your copy here, and help support the site all at the same time:

Circe by Madeline Miller

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The amazing cover for Circe by Madeline Miller.

The amazing cover for Circe by Madeline Miller.

Growing up, my local Library had a set of books about Greek and Roman mythology.  I remember they were blue and illustrated, and I probably checked them out a dozen times each.  Can't tell you the author or publisher, but they were blue. I have always found Greek mythology fascinating.   How anyone could keep that many Goddesses, Gods, Demigods, Titans, Olympians, etc. straight is beyond me. The way all the main players are intertwined by birth or marriage and how they love and hate each other creates for a never ending line of stories.  

Circe by Madeline Miller is about Circe, daughter of the God Helios and the Nymph Perse, and how she becomes one of the first witches.  Circe tells her story from the beginning, of how as a child she was very different from her siblings. Told from the very beginning that she is ugly and told to never speak, we learn Circe looks and sounds human.  With no obvious power, it takes years for Circe to discover that her powers lay in witchcraft. After she transforms a childhood enemy into a horrific monster, Zeus banishes her to an island to live her immortal life in exile.  

Circe, now completely alone on her island, must learn to provide for and protect herself.  Devoting her time to spells and potions allows her to protect herself from the unwanted attentions of sailors who find themselves stranded on her shores.  

I loved how she turned the sailors into pigs. Literal pigs.  Then she kept them in a pigsty.

She also has to protect herself from the island's creatures.  Early on, she encounters a wild boar.  "His pig-eyes said:  I can break a hundred youths and send their bodies back to wailing mothers.  I will tear your entrails and eat them for my lunch.  I fixed my gaze on his.  'Try,' I said." 

When the boar wanders away, CIrce leaves us with this: "I tell you, for all my spells, that was the first time I truly felt myself a witch."

I think Try would make for a great tattoo...

But Circe isn’t alone for long.  She finds herself surrounded by the disgraced daughters of kings.  She meets the famed Daedalus before he meets his fate with his son Icarus.  Odysseus stays on her island for nearly year and leaves behind the most precious gift, a son that he won’t know of for nearly 20 years.  

Within Circe, we get all the best of Greek mythology:  drama, heartache, deception, and fantastical creatures.  Circe is sensitive by nature and becomes strong by circumstance.  Miller takes us on an incredible journey to watch Circe grow into her craft.  Also, watching Circe really struggle at motherhood was completely relatable.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The writing was incredible and the pacing was fast enough to keep your interest.

You can order your copy, and help support the site, here: 

Circe by Madeline Miller is available now from LIttle, Brown.  

Amal Unboud by Aisha Saeed

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I love the cover of this book!

I love the cover of this book!

This is one of the best covers I have seen for a middle grades novel!  It's bright and bold just like the writing. After seeing this on the new release calendar, I just couldn't get the cover out of my head.  So I naturally ordered it for the youth department.

And not going to lie, I was disappointed that a cataloging record wasn't immediately available but that also meant I could sneak it home and read it before the kids.

This book is wonderful.  I finished it in one sitting because I had to know if Amal was going to be o.k. in the end.  Our story is told by Amal, the daughter of middle class parents in Pakistan. She's passionate about her studies and wants to become a teacher after attending university.  After her mother gives birth to a daughter and closes herself off from the family while battling postpartum depression, Amal is left in charge of the household and her studies are put on hold.  Amal does her best to take care of her sisters while trying to keep up with all her household chores. After a particularly long day, Amal leaves for the market for a few minutes of peace by herself.  Upon leaving, she is struck by car and is confronted by one of the passengers. At first he seems helpful, offering to take her home. But his tone quickly changes and Amal feels that something is off with him.  When he tries to take the pomegranate that fell from her bag, the last in the market, Amal takes it back and asks how he can hit her with a car and then try to take her things?

What Amal doesn't know, is the man is Jawad Sahib, a powerful business man who the entire neighborhood is indebted to.  Including Amal's family. When Jawad confronts her father about Amal's behavior, her father is forced to give Amal to Jawad act as a servant as punishment for her disrespectful behavior.  Amal's dreams of school, teaching, and being with her family are now gone.

Once Amal enters Jawad's household, she has even more obstacles to overcome.  Amal wasn't raised to be a servant and to be treated like an object is very new to her.  When she is informed that she will be personal maid to Jawad's mother Nasreen, Amal believes her time there will be easier.  Unfortunately, another maid repeatedly sets her up for failure. Not only that, Amal has no way to contact her family or friends and is cut off from her books.  Eventually, Amal is given the opportunity to not only change her life, but the lives of those around her.

This book was amazing.  The story was fast paced with well developed characters.  I spent the whole book hoping there would be a happy ending for Amal, but the story really keeps you guessing about how it will end.   Amal's character is not only strong and brave but she really shows how important perseverance can be.

Blood Fury by J. R. Ward

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Book #3 in the Black Dagger Legacy series.

Book #3 in the Black Dagger Legacy series.

Back when my son was a baby and it seemed too big of a hassle to keep him quiet in a library so I could select books, I discovered my library's collection of ebooks.  Scrolling through thousands of choices can be very overwhelming but I have always been a science-fiction, fantasy, and paranormal fan.  I found a random vampire book and checked it out.  That book was Dark Lover, book one in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I was instantly hooked.  

There are now 18 books in the Brotherhood series and Blood Fury is the third book in the spin-off series, Black Dagger Legacy.  

I own them all.  Even the Bourbon Kings and Fallen Angels series.  J. R. Ward knows how to do vampires. 

With all of the variations in vampire lore, there is a vampire for everyone.  Mine don't sparkle.  My vampires are 6' 5", 350, and carry daggers.  They have psychic gifts, fighting skills, and more money than they will ever be able to spend in their incredibly long lifetimes.  They also turn in to puppies when they're mates are around.  They have a complex set of social rules and expectations and are led by their King, Wrath son of Wrath.  Wrath is protected by the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a tight knit group of warriors who protect the King and all vampires from their deadly enemy the Lessers.  The Brotherhood live mostly together in the mansion filled with servants, a medical wing and a training facility.  The Legacy series focuses the younger vampires who are participating in the new training program for Brotherhood recruits. 

I love how the books are structured-each book containing multiple story lines that intertwine and pick up in later books.  However, that also makes summarizing the books tricky.  Each book has it's focus couple, and for this book, it's Peyton and Novo.  

Peyton is part of an aristocratic family with one duty-mate a suitable female and get her pregnant.  But the hard partying playboy has one woman on his radar and she fell in love with another man.  After a wrong decision in a battle with the Lessers that causes his fellow trainee Novo to nearly die, he realizes that it's time grow up and reassess his life.  

Novo has her own family drama to deal with.  After leaving home to prove herself in the Brotherhood's training program and keeping herself isolated from her family and peers, she is dragged back in to the family drama with her sister Sophya's  upcoming wedding.  Not only did her sister ask her to be the maid of honor at her wedding, a human style wedding, but Sophya is marrying Novo's ex-boyfriend.  The ex-boyfriend who also got Novo pregnant and left her to deal with the unplanned pregnancy and the sudden miscarriage all on her own.  Novo and Peyton are brought together after Peyton finally realizes he’ll never have Paradise, his best friend, and he nearly kills Novo.  While recovering from her injuries during the disastrous battle with the Lessers, Novo needs blood to speed her recovery.  Guess who has the magic blood that makes everything all better?  Yep, Peyton.  Guess who gets hit by the love freight train?  Peyton again.  

Unfortunately for the two of them, their relationship does not develop smoothly.  Past hurts, family drama, and social expectations get in the way.  Peyton learns that his father has secured an arranged marriage for him.  Luckily for him, his bride-to-be is not interested in getting married and gives Peyton the heads up he needs to try to make it all go away.  Meanwhile, Novo is still trying to heal from her injuries while her sister guilt trips her into helping with the wedding planning. 

Throughout all the pain and deception, the two do find love.  It’s an amazing ride full of twists, forgiveness, and self-discovery.  

Alongside this story, we finally get the HEA for Saxton.  Oh, Saxton, the hot and sexy lawyer for the King.  He had once found love with Blaylock only to have his heart broken when Blay was able to reconcile with Qhuinn.  When Blay asks Saxton to look into a legal matter for a friend, Saxton is reluctant to work any more closely with Blay than needed.  But after hearing the tale of a lonely widow being harassed by a local developer, Saxton can’t help but step in.  When the situation turns dangerous, the King appoints Ruhn to be his bodyguard.   Ruhn spent much of his life enslaved as a fighter and has worked hard to overcome the trauma.   Ashamed by his lack of education, Ruhn tries hard to fit in at the mansion and be useful, and the role of guard is the first chance he has to prove himself.  Mistaking Saxton’s interest as disapproval, Ruhn is hurt further by the confusion he feels at his own feelings towards Saxton.  Luckily, the two man have one passion in common-old houses.  Remember the widow being harrassed by developers?  

J. R. Ward writes some very steamy books and this one is no exception.  I do think that she doesn’t give fair play to the gentlemen in this one.   I just think that Saxton finally getting the man of his dreams should include more of the fun times.  
But that’s me. 

This is an amazing series with great world building and characters.  It’s an automatic preorder for me.  I know, this book came out in January and I’m just now writing about it.  It’s my absolute favorite series of all time and I waited four months to read it.  Ward also only publishes one book a year.  That’s a long time to wait for the next book, especially after I stayed up late so I could read it all in one sitting.  

It’s that good.  

Fair warning, these books are very explicit in language, sex, drug use, violence, you name it.

You can get your copy here:

 

 

 

 

Potential

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Plumcots make excellent jam.

Plumcots make excellent jam.

Our little orchard is in full bloom!  This time of year is both wonderful and stressful all at the same time.  All of the blooming trees really make the yard look lovely but we also have to worry about frost.  Last year, a late frost came through and destroyed all our blossoms.  No blossoms = no fruit.  

Fluffy Farm Pug added for cuteness.

Fluffy Farm Pug added for cuteness.

Fingers are crossed for consistently warm weather for the next few weeks.  I'd really like to see all the blossoms stay around, especially with the honeybees getting delivered this weekend.  Not only will the bees get a food source, but I'm hoping the extra pollination going on will improve our fruit yields for next year. 

Nearly all of our fruit gets made in to jelly and jam that we give as gifts during the holidays and the more we can grow the better.  Also, we believe strongly in edible landscaping.  There's isn't much better than being able to grab a snack off the trees while you're mowing.  The Kid has grown up wandering the yard and munching on strawberries, blackberries, and peaches and that makes all of us happy. 

And really, isn't that the point?

The Merry Spinster, Tales of Everyday Horror by Mallory Ortberg

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Those teeth!

Those teeth!

After reading and hearing so many good things about this book I couldn't wait for my hold to finally come in at the Library.  I actually finished this about a week ago when my youth department was still decorated for early spring/Easter.  Reading the short story The Rabbit while sitting at my desk eating lunch was a very creepy experience.  I swear all the stuffed bunnies were staring at me.  Like they knew what I was reading.  Like stuffed bunnies talk.  

The Merry Spinster, Tales of Everyday Horror is a short story collection that takes our well-loved and well-known childhood stories and makes them dark, creepy, and chilling.  The title story, The Merry Spinster is a play on the Beauty and the Beast tale.  In this version, it's Beauty's mother, not father who stumbles upon the Beast.  The mother, a rich executive, heads to the city to take care of some investments.  While on her way home, she became horribly lost and ran out of gas.  After wandering around trying to find help she stumbles across a great house that is all lit up but no one answers the door.  What does she do?  She walks in. 

Guess where this is going?

After helping herself to some dinner the mother decides to tour the house and grounds.  The bottle of wine that she drank at dinner may have helped with that decision.  Wine bottle in hand, she heads out to pick the roses that she promised to bring her daughter Beauty.  When the Beast, or Mr. Beale in this version, confronts her about stealing and trespassing, the mother is pretty unapologetic.  True to the tale, the mother has to give up Beauty to come live with Mr. Beale.  

Unfortunately for Mr. Beale, he didn't do any research on his new bride and he had no idea what he was getting in to.  

Not every story was a winner for me.  Not going to lie-The Thankless Child went right over my head.  

The Rabbit was deliciously creepy.  That one I enjoyed the most and I don't want to spoil any of it.  I don't think I'll look at stuffed animals the same way again.  Overall this was a great collection and I didn't realize how much I liked short story collections until I read this.  

Since this book was published the author has transitioned genders and now goes by Daniel Mallory Ortberg.  

You can get the book here: 

This is a taco! by Andrew Cangelose

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This is a taco! is available May 1. 2018.  

This is a taco! is available May 1. 2018.  

Poor Taco, he only agreed to be in this book because he thought there would be tacos!  Instead, he has to deal with an author who wants him to fill his cheeks with food (but not tacos), show how he can rotate his ankles backwards, and climb really high trees.  When the author goes on to tell us how hawks hunt squirrels, Taco has had enough.  He's going to use his own words to write the story his way and his way includes tacos. Lots of tacos.  

The story is silly and fun and the illustrations are wonderful.  Especially where Taco crosses out the author's words and includes his own.  This would make for a run read-aloud or story time book.  Really enjoyed this one.  

You can get your copy here:

This Is a Taco!
By Andrew Cangelose
Buy on Amazon

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin

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Look at that shiny cover!

Look at that shiny cover!

This book is one of the cutest books that I have ever ordered for my Library.  Baby Monkey is one smart monkey!  He finds clues!  He has snacks! But pants, oh pants are hard! The pencil drawings are so soft and beautiful.  I love the shades of black and white with the pop of red on the final page of each chapter.  

I used this book during a storytime and the kids really enjoyed it.  At first, they thought I was crazy to read them such a long book.  It clocks in at over 190 pages but there are very few words on even fewer pages.  The repetitive lines had the kids reading along with me after the second chapter.  

Not going to lie, I enjoyed it just as much as they did. 

Baby Monkey, Private Eye is available now from Scholastic Press. 

You can get your copy here:

Baby Monkey, Private Eye
By Brian Selznick, David Serlin
Buy on Amazon

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

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A Conspiracy in Belgravia, book 2 in The Lady Sherlock Series, is available now from Sherry Thomas. 

A Conspiracy in Belgravia, book 2 in The Lady Sherlock Series, is available now from Sherry Thomas. 

Do you ever have those books that you have to preorder but then put off reading because if you read it now, it's that much longer before the next book comes out?  I know, it doesn't make sense logically or mathematically, but I do it anyways.  I've had this book for months and I've finally given in and read it.  And then the ending happened. 

The ending!  I was mad and sad and excited and frustrated and I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!

If you'd like to see my thoughts on Book 1, A Study in Scarlet Women, check out my post here.

Charlotte Holmes, along with her friend and assistant Mrs. Watson, has been quite successful with her investigative business.  Posing as "Sherlock" Holmes, she has handled all types of cases.  One day, a message comes from a new client that could break Charlotte's cover-and end a long-time friendship.  

Lady Ingram, married to Charlotte's friend and not-so-secret crush Lord Ingram, has come to Sherlock Holmes to help find a lost love.  Years before, knowing that marriage would never be an option, Lady Ingram makes a pact to pass by the same spot every year to see her former love.  For the first time, he does not show.  Worried that something terrrible has happened to him, Lady Ingram asks "Sherlock" to help find him.  Who is this former flame that Lady Ingram can't get over?  Charlotte's half-brother Myron Finch, who Charlotte has never met.  

Charlotte is now forced to decide between loyalty to her business, her family, and her friend Lord Ingram.  Throughout the investigation, Charlotte learns more about her brother, recieves a surprise marriage proposal, her sister falls in love, and barely escapes an attempted abduction. 

I love this series.  There are only two books so far but they are so fast paced and entertaining that it feels like there are more.  Sherry Thomas writes a great mystery and she can really keep you guessing all the way to the end.  I also really enjoy the way the women in this book work together to not just look out for each other, but how they really care about and support each other.  Livia Holmes, Charlotte's sister, is a great character.  She is still at home, dealing with parents who really don't like her or understand her.  She is determined to follow her passion and write the adventures of "Sherlock Holmes" but is kept back due to society's rules.  I've really enjoyed watching her character grow and I'm eager to see what happens next with her.  

Love this series-just read it, you won't be disappointed.  

You can get your copy here: 

 

 

Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George

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Heartwood Hotel: A True Home

This book is so sweet!  

Mona the mouse has lost her home, again.  Alone and with only a suitcase she makes her way through the dark forest trying to find a safe place to wait out the storm.  Mona comes across a large tree with a heart carved in the bark.  When she puts her hands on the heart to inspect it more closely, because it looks like the heart on her suitcase, a door swings open allowing Mona to enter the tree.  Mona hasn't just found a refuge from the storm, she has found the Heartwood Hotel, a place where all animals are welcome to rent a room for the night. 

Unfortunately for Mona, it's the annual Acorn Festival and all the rooms are taken.  Luckily the owner, Mr. Heartwood the badger, agrees to let Mona stay the night with one of the maids in exchange for her help cleaning up after the festival.  When Mona goes to leave the next day, Mr. Heartwood asks her to stay on through their busy season, much to the dismay of the current maid Tilly.  Joy quickly turns to disappointment as Mona is bossed around and teased by Tilly.  

When danger comes to the Heartwood Hotel, it's up to Mona to be brave and save all of her new found friends. 

This is such a cute story of friendship and found families.  Mona is so much smaller than everyone else at the hotel but her desire to fit in and prove herself makes her the bravest of them all.  At 162 pages, at least for my edition, it would be great for young readers Grade 3 and up or an advanced Grade 2 reader.  While there is a threat of bears and wolves, no animals are harmed in the story so you can reassure your sensitive readers.  This is also the first book in the series so if your reader enjoys Mona's adventures, there are two more books available.  

You can get your copy here:

Rebound by Kwame Alexander

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Library copy of Rebound, available now from Kwame Alexander.

Library copy of Rebound, available now from Kwame Alexander.

From the Publisher:

Before he's Chuck "Da Man" Bell, proud father of Jordan and Josh Bell, Charlie is a kid who dreams of basketball glory.  In his mind, he can steal, jump, dunk, and make the crowd go wild just like a pro baller.   But when tragedy strikes, Charlie can't help but make all the wrong moves.  Will a series of missteps keep him benched, or can he learn how to rebound?

The first book by Kwame Alexander that I read was Solo.  I loved the characters in Solo.  They pulled you in to their lives and made you want to care about them.  That book was beautiful and heartbreaking and I couldn't put it down.  Rebound  is the follow-up to his book The Crossover, also on our YA shelf-and still on my TBR list and I guess I better go get that read so I can get this one started! 

You can get your copy here:

Baby April

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Emily and April

The Fat Farm welcomed its newest member Wednesday afternoon!  Baby Goat April was born while everyone was at work so we were very lucky there weren’t any complications.  April will be the first baby we’ve had here in almost 5 years. Unfortunately, just like with humans, not all pregnancies end with happy healthy babies.  

Emily and April 2

 

Baby April was born to Emily, The Kid’s first 4-H show goat.  She has been such a good mother and it’s been fun having a new baby on the farm.  We've lucked out so far-it doesn't look like bottles are in our future.  Emily will be our only baby this year so I’m sure she’ll end pretty spoiled!

The Matchstick Castle from Keir Graff

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The Matchstick Castle available now from Keir Graff.

The Matchstick Castle available now from Keir Graff.

From the Publisher:

Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois.  Jail, for example.  Or an earplug factory.  Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.  Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge wooden house in the forest.  With balconies, turrets, and windows seeming stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze.  To the mad-cap eccentric family that lives inside, it's not just a home-it's a castle.  Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting.  With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.  

This sounds so fun!  This book was selected as an Illinois Reads 2018 selection and I just got it in for my Youth Department.  It was actually published last year and I'm glad I was able to add it my growing middle grades section.  The cover is absolutely delightful and wouldn't it be amazing to wander through the woods and come across a castle that looks like that? And how does that boat end up on top?  So many questions! 

You can get your copy here:

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

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I mean, that cover!  

I mean, that cover!  

Wrong to Need You, book #2 in the Forbidden Hearts series is the steamy follow up to her book Hate to Want You.  Both books are amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on the third book, Hurts to Love You which just came out last week.  I listened to so many people rave about the first book and the author that I had to find out what was causing such a fuss.  They were all correct-the author and the book are both incredible.  I first heard about Alisha on episode 271 of Smart Podcast Trashy Books which caused me to look like an idiot while walking the dogs in the hay field all while constantly giggling.  Alisha is also a great person to follow on social-I follow her on Twitter.  

So, the book.  It's not entirely necessary to read #1 before reading #2 but it's also an amazing book so just read it first.  

Jackson Kane is back in town after years of traveling the world and avoiding his family.  Between a false accusation, family drama, and small town pettiness, Jackson had good reason to stay away.  But he came back for his twin sister Livvy and had no intention of staying for long.  After seeing his sister-in-law Sadia, who is now a widow, he realizes that his feelings from years ago never left.  Unfortunately for him, Sadia lets loose ten years of anger and frustration at his lack of communication both when his nephew was born and when his brother died. 

Sadia also does not have time to deal with an incredibly handsome older version of her former best friend.  Between being a restaurant owner, part-time bartender, and full-time single mom, Sadia doesn't have time for anything.  But her restaurant needs a new chef and it just so happens that is what Jackson has been doing for the last decade-traveling the world with his successful pop-up restaurant business.  

Alisha Rai has this amazing ability to write incredibly real and authentic characters.  I spent most of the book nodding along with Sadia's character thinking, "Oh yes, I hear you!"  Being a mom is hard! Owning a business is challenging enough without having a second job on top of that.  Feeling guilty about wanting to take care of yourself-completely relatable.  I just love her characters.  I really loved the dynamics of the big families and all the drama that comes with them.  Sadia has a lot of sisters.  A lot.  All of them are beautiful and highly successful and more than willing to help out with taking care of their nephew.  But trying to balance everyone's expectations can be emotionally and physically draining. 

Jackson's family is very complicated.  Very.  

And steamy.  This book is so steamy! 

So Sadia finds life easier with Jackson working at the restaurant and Jackson finds being an uncle is actually a great gig.  When old secrets are revealed, both have to figure out how to handle the consequences and how to move forward.  

This book was amazing! Highly recommend! 

You can get your copy here:

 

 

Half World by Hiromi Goto

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Inter-library loan copy of Half World by Hiromo Goto.

Inter-library loan copy of Half World by Hiromo Goto.

Some of the best books I’ve read lately have been recommended by people I’ve never met.  This one, for example, came from a member of a Facebook group for the Books & Brews podcast.  It’s a book that I never would have found on my own and probably would have passed up had I seen it.  It was also a simple post-here’s a book I like and has anyone else read it? Sometimes those low-key testimonials are the best endorsements for a book.  I tend to shy away from books that become too popular too fast. I haven’t read Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train.  They must be good-everyone else has read them.  Which is why I probably won’t. Make sense? I know it doesn’t.  It’s just how I am.

In Half World, we follow young Melanie on a life changing journey through the realms.  Melanie is always on the outside, lonely, unpopular, and living with her unstable mother.  Living on the edge of poverty and without any family, Melanie is barely hanging on to her mother who is spending more and more of her time drinking.  While trying to avoid the mean girls at school, Melanie finds herself at home in an empty apartment. Her mother, who barely leaves the apartment is now missing.  

Following a string of mysterious clues, Melanie learns of the three realms:  the Realm of Flesh, the Realm of Spirit, and Half World. With the help of a kind neighbor and her magical gifts, Melanie makes her way to Half World to find her mother.  Once there, Melanie finds a world of unlikely human-animal hybrids, impossible buildings, and nightmares come to life; a world ruled by the evil Mr. Glueskin. Melanie must believe in herself in order to find the strength to rescue her mother from the evil ruler and free all of those who are stuck in his vicious cycle of half living.

I’m not usually one for coming of age stories.  They tend to be overly sweet and angsty. This one really hit the right balance for me.  Melanie is fourteen. She’s overweight, unpopular, and not the best at school. Yet, she is still able to find her way to another realm, defeat every obstacle that comes her way-barely, and save the world.  It’s the barely part that I appreciate. She nearly gives up over and over again.

In to YA Fantasy?  Try this one out. It doesn’t disappoint.  

 

The City on the Other Side by Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson

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Available from First Second Books on April 24, 2018!

Available from First Second Books on April 24, 2018!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

There isn't much  that makes me happier than seeing strong female lead characters in a kid's graphic novel. Set after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Isabel is raised to become a proper little lady by her emotionally detached mother. Isabel would like to stay in the city surrounded by familiar sights instead of heading off to the country to stay with her artist father.  She would also like a little adventure, a little independence, and to get her hands dirty once in a while.  Her first night spent alone at her father's house doesn't end up a lesson in loneliness and patience, but instead lands Isabel on a journey that tests her bravery.  

Isabel meets her first faerie, a Seelie messenger on a mission to deliver an important and magical necklace.  After becoming gravely injured, Isabel is tasked with continuing the mission with the help of Button, a sort of mushroom-looking faerie.  Together, they travel through both sides of the veil to outrun the Unseelie guards and to find the mysterious Miyori who is believed to be able to change the course of the war.  Along the way, Isabel and Button befriend a human thief named Benji who is living on the faerie side of the veil.  Throughout all the twists and turns, dangers and fears, Isabel and her two friends work together to finish out their mission.  

A fun adventure story with relatable characters and beautiful artwork, City on the Other Side, is a great read for younger children.  The story moves on quickly enough to keep kids interested and Button's humorous character keeps the story from becoming too dark.  

Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry

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Illinois Reads is an initiative by the Illinois Reading Council to encourage readers of all ages to try out books by Illinois authors.  Contrary to popular belief, Illinois does have some positives.  We have amazing state parks-not necessarily well funded, but beautiful, you can experience all four seasons within a day, and we have great authors.  Leslie Parry is one of them. 

I typically spend most of my time reading through the children's selection of the Illinois Reads list.  I mean, there's a lot of books to get through and I do have to plan the events that go along with the books for the Library.  But this book from the Adult list looked too good to pass up.  It's amazing! It's completely bananas!  It's also completely engrossing and beautifully written.  There are so many twists that spoilers are very difficult to avoid.  

Odile and Bella Church are twin sisters raised amongst the lights and noise of the circus.  Surrounded by colorful characters, the talented twins grow up to be strong and independent young women until tragedy destroys their family. 

Sylvan was found as a small child, alone and ill in a cellar.  Raised by his rescuers, he faces loss and struggle throughout his early life.  Now as a young man, he finds an infant in a privy.  Barely alive, the baby stirs in Sylvan a sense of duty and protectiveness that he didn't know he had. 

Alphie, a young woman in a strained marriage, wakes up confused and scared in a mental asylum.  Thinking it has to be her overbearing mother-in-law, she waits for her husband to come rescue her.  While at the asylum, she meets a beautiful but extraordinary young woman who will be vital to her continued survival.  

The characters were so well written-each one with a story that is both tragic and inspiring in some way.   Odile and Bella grew up as performers in The Church of Marvels, a Coney Island sideshow that is owned by their mother.  Surrounded by performers, lions, and thrill-seeking crowds, their world is turned upside down after a tragic fire.  When Bella leaves shortly after learning of their mother's death, Odile firmly believes she'll return home soon.  But months go by and there is no word from Bella.  Using what little clues Bella left behind, Odile meets Sylvan, a young man who is also looking for her sister.  After learning her sister may have had a child, Odile becomes even more intent on finding her sister. 

Meanwhile, Alphie has worked hard to survive on the streets of NYC.  Once she marries her soul mate, she believes her life can only become better.  But her oppressive mother-in-law has other plans for the woman who is definitely not good enough for her son.   Snide comments about her choice in clothing, food, and a lack of a first born child make Alphie's newlywed days very grim.  It's after Alphie hatches a plot to give her mother-in-law a grandchild, that Alphie's life becomes even more unbearable. 

There are so many spoilers in this book that it's hard to discuss without ruining the ending.   This book was both absolutely amazing and bizarre.  How the author was able to weave the different story lines together to create this novel is beyond me.  Each situation the characters find themselves in becomes more complex and fantastic but still manages to remain completely plausible.  Highly enjoyable and an incredible read.  Definitely recommend!