Lose Yourself in the World of Books
I’ll readily admit that Ella’s dark green dress on the front cover of the first paperback edition was what first caught my attention. But given my established record as a lover of fairy tale adaptations, it should come as no surprise that this is the book that started my obsession! Synopsis How can a fairy's… Continue reading Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Fairyland #1 I picked this book up upon the recommendation of a fellow educator at the school book fair last spring and I read it while on vacation last summer. While I’m trying to review only books that I’ve read most recently now, I figured it best to throw this one in as well. Synopsis… Continue reading The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings, Perfect Fifths Jessica Darling helped me survive high school. I was first introduced to the delightfully snarky, sarcastic and spunky teen heroine of Sloppy Firsts when I was a freshman in speech and debate practice after school one autumn afternoon back in 2003. A frenemy of mine… Continue reading Jessica Darling quintet by Megan McCafferty
Millennium #1 I began reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after the movie was announced (though before watching it) after one of my friends recommended it. Based on my knowledge of the friend who offered the recommendation, it was nothing as I expected. Synopsis It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young… Continue reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
I finally realized why I read so many books about young women during World War II. My grandmother grew up in Nürnberg during this time and she has never spoken about her childhood. From what my father has told me about her experiences, I wouldn’t talk about it either. I read so many books because… Continue reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A Brief History of Montmaray, The FitzOsbornes in Exile, The FitzOsbornes at War My sister told me I absolutely had to read these books, and while being told to read something is not usually a good incentive, this time I am so happy that she introduced me to these books. These are three of my… Continue reading The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper
Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows Millennials, my generation, are defined in some small part by their relationship with Harry Potter. Almost all of us have a story about when we were first introduced the the boy wizard who changed our reading… Continue reading Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Essays and Stories Fantasy author Brian Staveley once told me he was haunted by the yellow coat on the cover of The Opposite of Loneliness, and for good reason - he was one of Marina Keegan's high school teachers. He knew her before the rest of the world knew her. The Opposite of Loneliness would never had been… Continue reading The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
Persepolis had been on my TBR list for a very long time, probably since I first saw the trailer for the film adaptation (which I still haven't seen) at an art theater in the town I grew up in. When Emma Watson, one of my personal heroes, decided to make it a selection for her Goodreads'… Continue reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
I enjoy a well written WWII narrative as much as the next person - there's a reason there is a whole sub-genre of historical fiction dedicated to the time period - 70+ years later it still holds the world's attention, particular in the current world climate that seems to threaten WWIII. I picked up The Nightingale not… Continue reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Celebration of Books 