Fantasy, Fiction, New Adult

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte

City of Dark Magic #1 City of Dark Magic is a testament to how well Ben knows me. One fall day, a few years ago, we were partaking in one of our favorite Saturday afternoon activities of perusing the shelves of the local independent bookstore (where I now work) when he called me over to… Continue reading City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte

Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Pastiche

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Sherlock Holmes #2 I'm not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fangirl, but when Anthony Horowitz came to the bookstore I work at, I figured I should pick out one of his books to read, and to break out of my reading comfort zone! Synopsis Internationally bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's nail-biting new novel plunges us back into… Continue reading Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Fiction, Thriller

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Millennium #1 I began readingย The Girl with the Dragon Tattooย 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 Itโ€™s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young… Continue reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Verity #2 I may need to rereadย Rose Under Fire - when I first read it, I was "broken" on World War II novels - I'd read so many, I didn't really "feel" anything when I read them anymore. There are things that happen in Rose Under Fire that are absolutely horrific and I just kept… Continue reading Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone #1 / Grishaverse #1 I just realized I'm reviewing the Leigh Bardugo books I've read in the opposite order in which I read them! It you have any interest in reading any of the books in her Grisha-verse, I recommend starting with this one and reading them in the order they were… Continue reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Book Club, Classics, Fiction, Mystery

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot #10 Just likeย A Study in Scarlet,ย Murder on the Orient Express was one of the Modern Readers' Magical Mystery Tour books from last summer. Every since I sawย The Mousetrap, one of Agatha Christie's plays, and watched theย Doctor Whoย episode that includes Agatha as part of the storyline, I've wanted to read one of her famed… Continue reading Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Fantasy, Fiction

The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman

The Magicians, The Magician King, The Magician's Land Happy Halloween! Since I don't read a lot of horror, I figured a fantasy series was the next best pick for Halloween. The Magicians Synopsis Intellectually precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater escapes the boredom of his daily life by reading and rereading a series of beloved… Continue reading The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman

Book Club, Graphic Novel, Memoir/Autobiography, Nonfiction

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

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

Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray

A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing I first readย A Great and Terrible Beautyย shortly after it was first released many moons ago... in 2003 when I was a freshman in high school. I loved it from the very beginning - it was one of the first young adult fantasy books that… Continue reading Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray

Book Club, Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea first came into my hands as an ARC (advanced reader copy) shortly after I was introduced to Ruta Sepetys' writing when I picked up a copy of Between Shades of Gray at a not-so-little hidden gem of a used book store in center city Philadelphia. When I met Ruta at Winter Institute in 2016,… Continue reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys