Fantasy, Fiction, Retelling

The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon

I love fairy tale retellings, they are one of my favorite subgenres of fantasy and like Beauty, and other works by Carolyn Turgeon, the combination of fairytales promised in The Fairest of Them All pulled me in. Synopsis In an enchanted forest, the maiden Rapunzel's beautiful voice captivates a young prince hunting nearby. Overcome, he climbs her… Continue reading The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon

Fiction, Historical

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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

Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Young Elites #1 First : Marie Lu is coming to the book store that I work at in less than a month!!! Second : At BookCon in the spring of 2015, I listened to a bunch of teenage girls tell Marie Lu during a panel how much they loved her books and how her characters… Continue reading The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Fantasy, Fiction

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted came to me highly recommended by a former coworker - she and I have very similar tastes (we call each other book-twins), so I figured it would be a sure thing. Synopsis Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border,… Continue reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Nonfiction, Photography/Art, Sociology

Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker

A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves Shortly afterย Strong is the New Prettyย came out and jumped onto the bestsellers list, my coworker's stepmother came into the store and scoffed in disdain at the cover and claimed that we (society) were now turning girls into boys. I wasย livid, absolutely livid to say the least and my coworker… Continue reading Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker

Contemporary, Fiction

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The bookstore that I work at has a number of book clubs, the largest being the original, with 25 to 30 members and last night, they celebrated their 14th year in existence. Typically, they read former bestsellers, which they vote upon every three months or so. Last November, they voted overwhelmingly to read The Storied Life… Continue reading The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Biography, Book Club, Nonfiction

Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik

The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg A year and a half ago, shortly after I started working at an indie bookstore, I started a book club, The Modern Readers. It was not only a way to read new and interesting things, but also a way to meet new people and make new friends… Continue reading Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik