Willa Cather’s My Ántonia was a title I first learned in grad school, when I was learning how to teach. My mentor taught a few works of Willa Cather, and while My Ántonia was not among the discussed classroom titles, it was one he spoke of quite fondly. I never thought of reading it, as … Continue reading My Ántonia, by Willa Cather →

Maybe I’m beginning a reading trend now: one that involves raw and cutting voices, horrifying living situations, and dreams of escaping into a better life. Except unlike my previous review, this book is much more positive, and not at all supernatural. In fact, the true-to-life rawness is what makes it so particularly beautiful. In 1987 … Continue reading Push, by Sapphire →

It’s safe to say that we all wish for miracles during times of crisis. And when those miracles don’t come fast enough, we dream of times where magic and miracles happen every day—even if sometimes it’s just on the Hallmark Channel. It might be early May, but I did, in fact, curl up with a … Continue reading Let It Snow, by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle →

Thanks to Fiction Flock for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sword-wielding heroines are everywhere now, setting a new standard for “strong” female protagonists. While the concept of a young medieval woman challenging gender norms and saving the day with a sword is appealing, it teeters on the … Continue reading Not Every Girl, by Jane McGarry →

Every young adult fantasy reader has a favorite: vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. My personal favorite? Fairies. Seelie, unseelie, tricksters, changelings, forbidden love, blood contracts—fairy lore has it all! Young adult fantasy hardly ever shies from fairy lore’s darker elements, but I like it when there’s a symbiotic relationship between humans and fairies. In the case … Continue reading An Enchantment of Ravens, by Margaret Rogerson →

Sleeping Beauty is as ripe for retellings as they come. A majority of the story—the Grimms’ version, anyway—mostly details what happens when the princess falls asleep: what happens to the castle, the peasants, even the flies in the stables. The evil fairy’s spell, the rescue, the famous kiss of true love—all that is a footnote … Continue reading Spindle Fire, by Lexa Hillyer →

For whatever reason besides fluff and escapism would I pick up a romance novel? With nothing better to do but sit and read these days, it makes sense to read something that will remove me from all the anxiety and uncertainty. And what is more escapist than a title that has the word “princess” in … Continue reading My Fair Princess (The Improper Princesses #1), by Vanessa Kelly →

Today’s book serves two purposes: one, I’m still kind of coming down from the emotional high of Finding Dorothy, and second, I’ve seen this book many random times at bookstores and libraries. So I guess today is the day where I finally sit down and read it. Not that it’s been hyped up or anything; … Continue reading The Four Dorothys (Drama! #1), by Paul Ruditis →

Every once in awhile, I just need some fluff. I don’t want to think; I just want to feel. I never thought in a million years I would turn to romance novels for fluff, as my haughty reading tastes had prevented me from enjoying them before. But now, I have to admit, they’re growing on … Continue reading Strawberry Hill, by Catherine Anderson →

As you all know, fantasy is my Kryptonite: give me a modern character, a fantasy world to explore, and I’m gone until that journey is finished. But sometimes, magical realism all by itself is just as powerful as any real magic spell. The greatest adventures can be found with your own friends, in your own … Continue reading The Looking Glass, by Janet McNally →