When my older sister and I were teenagers, we shared book suggestions like Halloween candy, something that has slowed in recent years because, well, life, and changes in book tastes. For Christmas this year, she actually gifted my little sister, our mom, and me with the same book: My Oxford Year, by Julia Whelan. The … Continue reading My Oxford Year, by Julia Whelan →

Many times, when I talk to people about filmmakers like Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro, they say something about loose screws, and in a voice that suggests mild insanity. Nothing makes me angrier than when people dismiss creativity as nothing more than a fleeting fancy of mental illness or drug use, because, sometimes, imagination … Continue reading The Shape of Water, by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus →

When I picked up this latest fantasy offering about faraway worlds and magical adventures, I was not expecting so much melancholy. Especially after my previous reading disaster, I was ready for something that would transport and enthrall me in every way the last book did not. I got what I wanted, but I really did … Continue reading The Light Between Worlds, by Laura E. Weymouth →

I cannot remember the last time a fairy tale retelling left me feeling so indifferent. Honestly, if not for this blog, I would have quitted this book halfway through. Of course, it cannot be easy to make a compelling retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, because of its rinse-and-repeat storyline of climbing a tall green … Continue reading Jack the Giant Killer, by Charles de Lint →

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a sucker for Beauty and the Beast tales. So imagine my joy when I found another fairy tale of a beauty learning to love a beast: East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This other tale as old as time has been adapted numerous times … Continue reading Ice, by Sarah Beth Durst →

It’s that time again—to consume all the corny Christmas romances we can lay our cookie-sticky hands on! You know, there was a time where I never would have picked up a book that looked and sounded like Josie Silver’s One Day in December, for the very reasons that many people love Hallmark’s holiday lineup. But … Continue reading One Day in December, by Josie Silver →

Some books stay on my shelf for two reasons: either I’m simply putting them off till I can finish my current read, or it’s just not the right time of year for it. Jeff Guinn’s How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas has been sitting in a corner for years, waiting for the holy alignment of enough … Continue reading How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, by Jeff Guinn →

During the freezing Wisconsin winter term of my junior year of college, I curled up with a classic novel from renowned fantasy writer Robin McKinley. That book was called Beauty, a novel-length retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When the stars align to not only give you a novel-length retelling of your favorite fairy tale, … Continue reading Rose Daughter, by Robin McKinley →

Yet again, I find myself reviewing a book for a writer who has done me a tremendous favor. Only more indirectly. I subscribed to Jenna Moreci’s YouTube channel last fall, during my MFA graduate thesis. As any MFA candidate will tell you, thesis is heaven, because you have a whole school year to write your … Continue reading The Savior’s Champion, by Jenna Moreci →

As much as writers preach about conflict and drama and excitement in every book, sometimes, the opposite is true. Books that build atmosphere and mood are just as evocative as the most thrilling books of all time—the books that put you in a contemplative meditative state. While it took me a long time to get … Continue reading The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey →