Fantasy, Fiction

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Knowing of our shared love of Good Omens, Ben picked up a copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane for me from the Strand one year for Christmas! Synopsis A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm… Continue reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I finally realized why I read so many books about young women during World War II. My grandmother grew up in Nรผrnberg during this time and she has never spoken about her childhood. From what my father has told me about her experiences, I wouldnโ€™t talk about it either. I read so many books because… Continue reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Fantasy, Fiction, New Adult, Novella

Hear Me by Viv Daniels

This book is known to my family as "the reason Sarah owns a dreaded Kindle." New Adult author Viv Daniels (aka my second favorite author in the whole wide world Diana Peterfreund), originally released this book eBook only. Two years later, I found that I could order a paperback (pictured above), but of course I… Continue reading Hear Me by Viv Daniels

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

Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper

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

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

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grades

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

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

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, 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

Book Club, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror

The Vorrh by Brian Catling

Vorrh #1 Today my husband and I are celebrating the 7th anniversary of our first date so I figured I would review one of his favorite books, that I also read for our book club, The Modern Readers.  This is the original graphic used to promote the book club. Synopsis Outside the colonial town of… Continue reading The Vorrh by Brian Catling