Let’s talk book covers. The old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” is ridiculous. We all judge a book by its cover, and the publishers know this and spend lots of time and energy designing book covers for just this reason. If book covers didn’t matter, why do they change covers between US and … [Read more]
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
Ring Shout is set in 1915 Georgia, where Maryse Boudreaux and her friends Chef and Sadie work as bootleggers by day, and demon hunters by night. But unlike their K-pop counterparts, this trio of demon hunters is after Ku Kluxes: terrifying, pointy-headed monsters that fill the ranks of the KKK … [Read more]
He Who Drowned the World: The Radiant Emperor Duology Book 2 by Shelley Parker-Chan
This finale to Shelley Parker-Chan’s The Radiant Emperor Duology was outstanding. As with the first book (She Who Became the Sun), Parker-Chan focuses on the political and military machinations of a handful of ambitious individuals, each desperate for power and/or revenge. Parker-Chan has created … [Read more]
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Scarlett looks like she has it all: she goes to Stanford as a top collegiate diver and is applying to med school. But underneath it all … She’s a massive ball of anxiety and insecurity She’s off her diving game for reasons that will become clear Family sadness, although her stepmother … [Read more]
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
I hadn’t read Ali Hazelwood in a while, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. First of all, I don’t get forbidden romance that’s like “I can’t date my best friend’s brother.” Why not? But in this case, “I can’t date the finance bro who’s taking the company away from the mentor who believed in me. I am … [Read more]
I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir by Eugene Yelchin
I enjoy Eugene Yelchin as an author and illustrator. I have read several titles including, The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, Breaking Stalin's Nose, and The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy (illustrated by Yelchin). Therefore I was excited about I … [Read more]
Dragon vs. Unicorn: Friends or Frenemies? by P.J. Hoover and Lisa Wiley
Dragon vs. Unicorn: Friends or Frenemies? by P.J. Hoover and Lisa Wiley (illustrator) might be, if not the first, one of the first or few Choose Your Own Adventures books I have read via an online reader (though it is currently available). Online reading of a CYOA is not an easy task, unlike this … [Read more]
