There are some books that are so predictable there’s no use in reading them at all. But gosh darn it, the narrator has such a natural, charming, authentic voice that you need to read in to learn how her story ends. Such is the voice of Bianca Piper, the protagonist of the YA “classic,” The … Continue reading The DUFF, by Kody Keplinger →

Every once in a while, the fluffiness of romantic comedy and the drama of a character-driven story combines into something remarkable. The likes of such books now includes American Royals, and with any good story, it’s hard knowing where to begin. I saw this book here and there in bookstores, but never committed to it … Continue reading American Royals, by Katharine McGee →

Very few authors hold as much sway in the middle grade (a different class from young adult, by the way) fantasy community as Rick Riordan. Any story where a child finds out they are the child of a god in any real-world pantheon owes its inspiration to the Percy Jackson books and all their sequel … Continue reading The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1), by Rick Riordan →

I promise this will be the last time I talk about a Nutcracker book during a time other than Christmastime. At least for this year. Anyway. Indeed, the spree of reading Nutcracker-themed books comes to a close with Winter Dream. After my previous read was such a disappointment, I hoped this one could pick up … Continue reading Winter Dream, by Chantal Gadoury →

Remember how I said I got a whole load of Nutcracker-themed books back in June? This is the second one, and probably the one I was expecting the least from. How could this 130-page novella tell a thoroughly sweeping Nutcracker story when there seems to be so little Nutcracker in it? Still, it had something … Continue reading Clara’s Soldier, by Brittany Fichter →

Here's a funny little story. Way back in June, the uncanny mood struck me to search for young adult book versions of one of my favorite stories ever, The Nutcracker. I don't know entirely why: I guess I just needed a soul-deep influx of Christmas cheer, magic, romance, pageantry, and childlike wonder. I found so … Continue reading The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork →

Over ten years later, I still remember watching Jaws for the first time: sitting in my family's basement, watching the movie on a 50-inch screen, in the dark, scrambling back in my seat when the shark first emerged from the ocean. I've since watched it dozens of times, and only now have I read the … Continue reading Jaws, by Peter Benchley →

During my high school Women's Studies class, we studied the 1975 film The Stepford Wives. We discussed how and why the husbands in Stepford conspired to turn their flawed human wives into blank, submissive shells of themselves. I kept playing those discussions over and over as I listened to Rosemary's Baby, also written by the … Continue reading Rosemary’s Baby, by Ira Levin →

Jojo Moyes proved herself to me a few years ago when I read Me Before You. So I thought I would try her again when I found One Plus One at the library. And I'll admit that love stories involving working-class women are getting more and more relatable all the time. Jess Thomas is stretched … Continue reading One Plus One, by Jojo Moyes →

WARNING: This review briefly describes scenes of graphic sexual violence.  What can I say about The Exorcist that people haven't already raved about? Although I guess I should make the distinction that I'm not talking about the infamous William Friedkin movie. No, I'm talking about the William Peter Blatty novel that got a whole generation … Continue reading The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty →