Firestarter conjures memories of sitting at my first-period Geometry class desk, poring over my third Stephen King book ever. Like the first two books before it, I stumbled across the poster or trailer for their respective movie adaptations and being so fascinated by the summary that I had to read the book for the full … Continue reading Firestarter, by Stephen King →

So I completely intended to have this series finished by Halloween, but I got caught up in finishing my costume and tending to other adult matters (boo!). But, you know, it's still fall, so I can still technically review books that take place in autumn and be on time. And besides, there are other fall … Continue reading Parties and Potions (Magic in Manhattan #4) →

And we are back with more of Rachel Weinstein's adventures, only now we leave the noisy urban landscape of Manhattan to the bright, mosquito-filled Camp Wood Lake. Now that Rachel's finally found her magical mojo, let's see what mischief she and Miri will get up to now. Rachel and Miri leave Manhattan for the summer … Continue reading Spells and Sleeping Bags (Magic in Manhattan #3), by Sarah Mlynowski →

Unlike Bras and Broomsticks, which I read countless times throughout my adolescence, I only read its sequel, Frogs and French Kisses, once. Not because I didn't enjoy it. It was likely because the story was getting juicy enough that I wanted to keep plunging ahead through the series. It clearly had staying power, too, since … Continue reading Frogs and French Kisses (Magic in Manhattan #2), by Sarah Mlynowski →

When I was twelve years old, traveling with my family in Florida over spring break, a pastel-colored book cover with a broomstick and an off-catching title, Bras and Broomsticks, caught my eye. The title sounded similar to an old Disney musical I'd seen called Bedknobs and Broomsticks, so this new material, while obviously vastly different, … Continue reading Bras and Broomsticks (Magic in Manhattan #1), by Sarah Mlynowski →

I must have read The Girl in the Tower, the sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale, in a daze because when I came back to it recently, it was as though I had never read it at all. That's not always a bad thing, though, since this second read-through was full of suspense, adventure, … Continue reading The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy #2), by Katherine Arden →

I honestly cannot say when my love of horror began, but I do know that the Stephen King short story “Children of the Corn” was an early example of finding the thrill in being scared. That is mostly thanks to the 1984 film adaptation of the story starring John Franklin and Linda Hamilton, along with … Continue reading Children of the Corn, by Stephen King →

My seventh-grade English teacher, one of the most brilliant teachers in all my education, taught one of the most chilling lessons I’ve ever had. We were going to study “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” a famous Twilight Zone episode. Because this episode presumably had much to do with monsters, my teacher asked us … Continue reading The Mist, by Stephen King →

To say that 2017 was a rough year for me is an understatement. I was going into my final year of graduate school, I lived in a crummy apartment, the state of the world brought on record levels of anxiety, and the weight of the post-school world was closing in more than I could handle. … Continue reading The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy #1), by Katherine Arden →

I've found that stories have a way of finding you, and therefore lending you their magic, at the best times. The last several weeks have been difficult for me, mentally and emotionally, and I'm about to get a little personal here, so bear with me. I work two jobs to support myself, one that I … Continue reading A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett →