Doodleville V01 by Chad Sell
Doodleville V01 by Chad Sell was a bit of a hard sell for me (okay got that out of my system). It is by the author of a book I felt was “Okay. Not OKAY!” (A small difference, but one nonetheless.) But I was in the mood for something that felt easy but knew would not be just fluffy and Doodleville seemed to fit. And the theme of dealing with the fears and emotions of one girl was not fluffy. But it was not “heavy” […]
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
4.5 stars Official book description: A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the […]
Baby Monster by Andrea Pfeiffer
I Want to Sleep Under the Stars by Mo Willems
It is that time of year again: New reader copies. And two that found their way to my reading desk were a picture book called Baby Monster and an early reader called I Want to Sleep Under the Stars! (Unlimited Squirrels V03). They have nothing in common except I read them the same day and knew a 250 review each would be hard. Andrea Pfeiffer created Monster Baby. It is an amusing and rhyming text story about a couple (of scientists) who made a bundle […]
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri
Awhile ago, Tiger vs. Nightmare was on several reading and award lists. I was interested, but even though it looked short, I just never found the right moment to start reading. However, a few weeks ago, while I was browsing the website of my local library, I found that they had a copy of Emily Tetri’s book. I requested some curbside pickup service (along with other books) and find myself reading the other night. What I found was a single themed story about what a nightmare […]
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
3.5 #CBR12 Bingo: Repeat (since I’ve already covered the Adaptation square) Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher. This means he roams about the countryside, travelling from place to place, killing monsters for profit. To become a Witcher, he was taken from his family as a child, and long training, magic and special potions make him a strong, fast and highly efficient killer. Based on the stories in this collection, it seems that once, there were a lot more Witchers, now they are rare and unusual, and […]
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
Mary Jekyll, daughter of the famous Dr. Jekyll, finds herself trying to solve the mysteries of her father’s past. Along the way, she meets the off-spring of several of literature’s most famous characters – Dr. Frankenstein, Mr. Hyde, Dr. Moreau and Dr. Rappaccini. Together with Sherlock Holmes and his trusty side kick Dr. Watson, her formidable housekeeper Mrs. Poole, and scullery maid Alice, the ladies join forces to help solve the Whitechapel murders (aka Jack the Ripper). That’s a lot to unpack in a book. […]
