Series: The Selection Kiera Cass YA Welcome back to this dystopian cupcake of a series. I liked Elite, the middle book of The Selection Series trilogy, the same way I liked The Empire Strikes Back as a mid-trilogy installment. We’re past all the exposition and can delve deeper into our characterizations and plot complications. … Continue reading
Shannon Hale YA Fantasy Ok, this is the Hebrew cover, but it’s just stunningly symbolic, so that’s what you get this time. Book of a Thousand Days has just about everything I have come to love in Shannon Hale, in abundance. She brings a surprising depth, even a kind of ache, to her fairy tales. … Continue reading
THE BOOKS OF BAYERN #4 Shannon Hale YA Fantasy Oh, author Shannon Hale, you got me again. I thought you’d fallen so in love with your own characters from the first 3 books of the series, that book 4 would just be an excuse to go hang out with them again. Regardless of a plot. … Continue reading
THE BOOKS OF BAYERN #3 Shannon Hale YA Fantasy Top 3 reasons to read this book: Razo Razo Razo The plot isn’t as tight as in the first two books of this series, nor is the use of theme as poignant. But I don’t care, because Razo is a fantastic protagonist. I love being in … Continue reading
THE BOOKS OF BAYERN #2 Shannon Hale YA Fantasy Enna was a memorable, capable, and loyal best friend from the first book of this series, The Goose Girl. That’s why she’s a natural lead in book 2. Just as Ani (aka Isi the Goose Girl) found the power to speak to wind, now Enna finds … Continue reading
The Books of Bayern #1 Shannon Hale YA Fantasy Only after I turned the last page of Shannon Hale’s book did I look up the original tale of The Goose Girl in Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Maybe my education in fairy tales is incomplete, because I don’t remember this one at all. But I was impressed … Continue reading
Amanda Ashby YA Fantasy There’s a bit of Harry Potter in here. Burtonwood isn’t a school for wizards, but slayers of elemental creatures, such as goblins and fire salamanders. And like The Giver, your future job is assigned to you. Emma, feisty honor student and daughter of a famous dragon slayer, would do anything to … Continue reading
Veronica Roth Teen Dystopia It is hard to define this book. It is 2/3 prequel to Veronica Roth’s popular teen dystopia. The last 1/3 overlaps the timeline in Divergent. It’s all told from the point of view of Tobias, aka Four. A skeptical person will ask, Is this book really necessary? Don’t we already … Continue reading
No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson Which is good, because it gives us a chance to discuss books. And there’s nothing I enjoy more than analyzing a book to a pulp. Well, eating chocolate-covered bacon may come close, but there’s no guilt after you read a book. That’s called “market research.” I review … Continue reading
Sarah E. Morin 