👶👶👶: For Girls Who Walk Through Fire, by Kim DeRose

Many thanks to Union Square & Co. for sharing this unexpectedly sobering young adult novel. This gifted novel, along with a couple of others, came as surprise book mail, and although it was a book I wouldn't normally choose, I was captivated from the start.

The story follows Elliott, a teenage victim of sexual assault, who comes upon a spell book that once belonged to her departed mother. After recruiting fellow victims from her support group to join her coven and cast spells on their perpetrators, she is ultimately surprised to learn what her true heart's desire is. 

Having known absolutely nothing about witches and how covens work, I was a bit apprehensive about the content, but ultimately, the message was one of redemption and hope. Kim DeRose did an excellent job expressing the wide range of emotion that sexual assault victims undergo. The novel was all at once disheartening and empowering.

⚠️Trigger warnings: sexual assault, death of a parent

Read 4/18/24

👶👶👶👶: In the Lives of Puppets, by TJ Klune

Oh, TJ Klune, your talent is absolutely incomparable! WHAT AN IMAGINATION👏👏👏!!!

Mr. Klune never ceases to captivate me with his wonderfully whimsical worlds! He cobbles together the most endearing characters in the most peculiar worlds. And he always manages to convey an important message about humanity. This particular novel focuses on the significance of family and the importance of keeping those you love close by. I sang "We're in this love together" in my head the whole time I was reading this one! But if Al Jarreau isn't your jam, then I'd recommend "The Power of Love"! You're welcome😜!

This Pinocchio retelling was also fascinating because it takes place in a post-apocalyptic society where the robots have taken over...

You can always count on Klune to easily transport readers, grab them by the heartstrings, and never let go! His quirky casts will stay with you long after the last page is turned. 

I will add that this book had more adult themes than his previous two, just as a heads up!

"𝑵𝒐 𝒄𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒚, 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆."

Many thanks to partner, @torbooks for this #gifted copy! What a joy to read another novel by this incredibly talented author!

Read 4/25/23

👶👶👶: Lone Women, by Victor LaValle

🎉🎉HAPPY PUB DAY!!!🎉🎉

Many thanks to partner, @oneworldbooks for this #gifted review copy.

This genre-bending book was unlike anything I've ever read. With a mix of fantasy, horror, western, and historical elements, I was intrigued by this vivid story from the very first tense scene. 

😱I'll admit, I just don't do horror, so suffice it to say, when the publisher reached out to me, this was the last thing I expected. Maybe I should've paid greater attention to the synopsis (swipe left to read it⬅️), but a part of me is glad I experienced such an out-of-the-ordinary novel. While this was definitely a far reach for me, it offered me an opportunity to step outside my self-imposed box. And no surprise, fantasy is not my bag either, but in this case, I was grateful for it - it made the story easier for my wimpy self to brave. 

I will say - there is just something about Victor LaValle's writing. It is compelling from beginning to end, and he had me wanting to know where this wild narrative would land. I appreciated the level of inclusion in this novel and definitely rooted for the strong women.

I giggled at the instances of modern language in the early 1900s, but it didn't detract from the story since so much of it was far-fetched anyway. I suppose all of the anomalous elements added to the appeal. Then, there were these truly believable aspects to the novel, too. There was certainly a deeper meaning behind the surface story with several symbolic elements.

So if you're looking for something wildly unique, with a strong allegorical appeal, pick this one up TODAY!

Read 3/28/2023

👶👶👶👶: Enchanted Forests, by Astrid V.J. and various authors

I'm so excited to present this wonderful compilation of short stories that seeks to make a difference in our world!!!

𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 is a collection of ten fantastical short stories from various authors that have come together to support the Rainforest Foundation. All proceeds benefit this extraordinary nonprofit whose mission is to support indigenous and traditional people of the world’s rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment.

These unique stories involve enchanted forests and magical beings, and have a heartfelt lesson at their core. And because I am a kid at heart, these stories just made me so happy! It's hard to pick a favorite as they each have their merits and share different messages.

I fell in love with so many characters, but Píngguô, in Apple and the Dead Forest, was the one that tugged at my heartstrings the most. I'm such a sucker for an underdog...

Full of sage wisdom and awe-inspiring insight, this book is sure to please everyone from age 5 to 105!

"𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏." -𝑿𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔

If you're looking to make a difference, this is a great way to not only give a gift that keeps on giving, but to also enjoy these heart-warming stories as an added benefit!

Many thanks to Astrid V.J. and all the amazing authors who worked together on this project and gifted me with this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Read 4/2/22

👶👶👶👶👶: Feather and Flame, by Livia Blackburne

 

🎉𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙔 𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙄𝘼 𝘽𝙇𝘼𝘾𝙆𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀!🎉

𝘍𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘍𝘓𝘈𝘔𝘌, 𝘉𝘠 𝘓𝘐𝘝𝘐𝘈 𝘉𝘓𝘈𝘊𝘒𝘉𝘜𝘙𝘕𝘌

𝘗𝘜𝘉 𝘋𝘈𝘠: 𝙏𝙊𝘿𝘼𝙔, 6/14/22

Well, for those of you that have followed me a while, you probably know I am a Disney FANATIC!!! So, as soon as I got wind of the fact that a sequel to Mulan was coming out, I was all over it!

Well, Livia Blackburne did NOT disappoint! This novel lured me in from the first sentence, "𝐴 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑘. 𝐼𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑝 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑗𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒."

That gives you just a glimpse of the imagery you're in for when you pick up this fabulous book! I don't know if Ms. Blackburn was hand-picked by Disney to write the sequel, but I was sure impressed!

The story picks up after Mulan has saved China, and has settled down training a group of female warriors. She is suddenly beckoned by the emperor and a familiar face accompanies her on the journey. From there, she embarks on another adventure that is filled with action, suspense, and excitement as she ascends in power. It's full of girl power from the get-go and I just loved it! Throw in a little Disney romance, and I'm sold!

I just hope they make this into a movie sequel too; what fun that would be! Now, I must read the first book in The Queen's Council series, Rebel Rose, about none other than, Belle🌹!

Many thanks to Disney Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review😊!

Read 6/15/2022

👶👶👶👶👶: Ascendant, by Michael R. Miller

👏I was so psyched to get this AMAZING YA Fantasy Bookish gift box! I just can't thank @booksforward l and @michael_r_miller_author enough! What a fun gift!

Check out the awesome bookish swag we received: this FANTASTIC novel, an adorable Ash the Dragon, an awesome Holt & Ash - moon & pan - necklace (you must read it to understand the significance), and some promo items! It was so fun to unbox! THANKS A TON BOOKS FORWARD!

I will admit, as excited as I was, my teenage son was even more excited! This is his absolute favorite genre! Anything having to do with fantasy and Dragons, he is 100% here for it🎉!

📚Here is his review:

This novel was full of vivid descriptions and awesome world-building! The magical way the dragons transfer power to the riders is super cool! I was impressed with the twists too.

The characters were so likeable, but Ash, The Dragon was definitely my favorite! He was not only wise, but really funny too. But Holt was such a selfless, caring warrior and I love that he had such a big heart to take on this HUGE responsibility.

I think the best part of the book is the message of acceptance- to not treat the weak differently just because they're different from you... you just never know, they might just be the most powerful of all!

Read by my son: 4/27

👶👶👶👶👶: Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett

💗Every once in a while, a novel comes along that warms your heart and refreshes your soul... and this is one such novel! I am in a euphoric state, having laughed out loud so often, shed a tear a few times, and ultimately finished this novel with a few new lessons on my ever-expanding "plate of virtue".

💯Damn, @annie_hartnett , you're good! The point of view from the "residents" of Maple Street Cemetery was sheer brilliance and each of the characters was an absolute delight! Whether it was a judgmental mom, a former drug-addicted brother, a missing best friend, a quirky family friend, a father in the throws of dementia, or one of the many "unlikely animals", each of these individuals lit up the pages and melted my heart. It was a joy to follow along on Emma's journey "back home".

🌟All the stars for this most charming treasure of a novel. Don't miss this one, y'all - it's worth every second!

A million thanks to @books_with_taylor from @randomhouse for reaching out to me with this advanced reader's copy from @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Read 4/12/22

👶👶👶👶: This Woven Kingdom, by Tahereh Mafi

WOW, what did I just read?!

Tahereh Mafi REALLY knows how to grab the reader's attention from the beginning and not let it go until well after the last page is turned. Not once did I lose interest in the storyline, and when I wasn't reading it, I often found myself thinking about what would happen.

I was really ready to hate this novel as soon as pure evil entered the picture - I tend to steer clear of anything having to do with that. However, I was glued, and just had to know if good would overcome evil. And because of the fantasy aspect, I was able to retain my suspension of disbelief, making it more palatable for me. Of course, now you'll just have to pick it up to find out for yourself!

Tahereh did a splendid job with world-building and character development. And talk about plot twists!!! This was an excellent fantasy novel based on Persian Mythology - not one I'd normally even consider reading, but certainly one I enjoyed every minute of!

Many thanks to Book Sparks and Harper Collins for gifting me with this Winter Reading Challenge 2022 novel!

Read 3/19/22

👶👶👶👶👶: The War of the Woods, by D.E. Night

👦My 14-year-old son adores fantasy, but has very discriminating taste, so not many books meet his criteria. He's struggled to find a series worth his time UNTIL he found this one! With themes of magic, contending with evil, and self-discovery, 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖓𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖜𝖆𝖑𝖉 rivals the best-selling series out there... and it has a female protagonist to boot! Though marketed to a YA audience, he thinks adults will enjoy it if they liked Harry Potter.

✍️𝑴𝒀 𝑺𝑶𝑵'𝑺 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾: "This novel reminds me of Harry Potter, with a school of magic and scriveny (instead of wizardry). It is an enjoyable series with an interesting storyline, and I really liked all the different characters (aside, of course, from the Dark Queen). Ivy, the main protagonist, is a lovable person, who is always wrapped up in some sort of trouble with her best friends Fyn and Rebecca. One of my favorite characters is Rimbrick, who stood apart from the other wise dwarves to make the adventure even more exciting. In this series, Ivy must race to beat the Dark Queen in a battle of power and wit to get magical stones with awesome power."

RELEASE DATE: 4/13/22 at www.shop.denight.com & 5/13 on Amazon!

🙏Many thanks to D.E. Night and Daniela at Untold Press for gifting us with this awesome ARC!

Read by my son 3/13/22

👶👶👶👶: Under the Whispering Door, by T.J. Klune

I can only imagine that T.J. Klune is a highly empathetic and warm-hearted individual. His books always leave me with a warm, sentimental feeling when I've finished reading them and his characters stay with me long after I've turned the last page. I'm left to ponder relationships with those dear to me and contemplate what's truly important in life. Addressing profound topics that are generally associated with despair, he somehow ends up crafting stories that are uplifting and inspirational. This story was no exception. In his usual whimsical manner, Klune takes his readers on an unusual journey into a uniquely-imagined afterlife. And it seems to be his modus operandi to create protagonists that are highly unlikable to begin with, but end up becoming incredibly endearing by novel's end. This author takes great care to expose the worst qualities in human beings, while also illuminating the best ones. I will admit that The House in the Cerulean Sea is still my favorite of the two. I did feel that there were scenes in this novel that didn't really move the plot along. In the same breath I'll admit that this is a more character-driven book, and therefore the plot is perhaps not a central focus. Also, Cerulean Sea was more quotable, tbh🤷‍♀️. As usual, this is a wonderfully inclusive book with BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQ characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review! Read 9/21/21

👶👶👶👶👶: The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

🤗Oh what a magical novel!!! TJ Klune is witty, smart, and delightful and I enjoyed every bit of his novel! It was such a touching, unique fantasy (and this coming from someone who is not generally a fan of fantasy). Klune shares such basic ideas in such a profound manner and takes his readers on a whimsical journey that will make you smile from ear to ear. There are so many beautiful quotes that really hit home for me:

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐. 𝑰𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆."

♥️I was enchanted from beginning to end, and was fully invested in all of the characters; the author did a phenomenal job of creating memorable individuals in vivid situations. To boot, there were just so many valuable lessons in this novel.

💯The story was so uplifting and inspiring and I honestly can't believe I can say that about a book that deals with a garden gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a green blob, a shape-shifter pomeranian, and an antichrist. But believe me you, if you give it a chance, you will not be disappointed!

"𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆."

👶👶👶👶👶: The Second Blind Son, by Amy Harmon

🎉🎉𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬!!!🎉🎉

💯💯💯OH. MY. WOW. Amy Harmon, is there no end to your astonishing talent???!!!

🔥This book, oh, this book.

First off, let me tell you that I have NEVER been a fan of Mythology, Fantasy, or Romance... Enter Amy Harmon. Because of her, all my presuppositions regarding these genres have gone out the window.

Why? Because Ms. Harmon hits the mark on everything a well-written Fantasy should have: prodigious world-building: ✔check, magnificent character development: ✔check, provocative story line: ✔check. This novel has it all: multi-dimensional protagonists, endearing secondary characters, unexpected plot twists, intriguing adventure, and a beautiful, tasteful love story.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Amy Harmon is an absolute master with words. She will lure you in with her magic, stun you with her skill, and leave you with the biggest book hangover Every.Single.Time!

I just did not want this story to end. I was a part of their world for a short time, and it was not only captivating, but all-encompassing.

This is the companion novel to The First Girl Child, and Harmon was brilliant in allowing this to be a stand-alone novel OR the perfect accompaniment to the first. If you haven't read The First Girl Child, you won't be lost, but if you have, it brings so much depth to that story as she drops several Easter Eggs along the way.

My favorite quote: "𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅. 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑺𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆... 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅."

All the stars as usual!!!
5/5👶👶👶👶👶

I've tagged a few of my Fantasy-loving friends - this is a MUST READ!!!

Many thanks to Amy Harmon and for gifting me with this early review copy in exchange for an honest review!

Read 7/19/21

👶👶👶👶👶: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab

Strangely enough, I really wanted to hate this novel - the whole concept is quite honestly a bit terrifying to me. Not only that, but characters that dislike their lives and feel like the grass is always greener elsewhere just irk me.

Sooo... what a surprise it was when I ended up absolutely adoring it!

What struck me most about this novel was the tragic dichotomy between a girl who is desperate for unencumbered freedom to live her life as a female without restrictions, and a girl longing for human connection. It never dawns on her until it's too late that the absence of constraints would mean the absence of relationships.

"𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔰𝔨 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔪𝔦𝔱. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔣𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔯𝔲𝔩𝔢. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔢 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔢𝔵𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔩𝔶 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔢."

V.E. Schwab, in writing this long, drawn-out saga, gives readers a glimpse of the lonely eternity that Adeline was faced with.

"𝔏𝔦𝔣𝔢 𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔣𝔢𝔢𝔩 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔩𝔬𝔫𝔤 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔢𝔫𝔡, 𝔦𝔱 𝔤𝔬𝔢𝔰 𝔰𝔬 𝔣𝔞𝔰𝔱."

Schwab also astutely conveys the idea that life is fleeting and precious.

"𝔅𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔨 - 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔦𝔰 𝔤𝔬𝔫𝔢. 𝔅𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔨 - 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔣𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴."

Furthermore, she allows her readers to understand that yes, there is uncertainty and hardship in life, but that genuine relationships are what make a lifetime so precious.

"𝔅𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔤𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔫, 𝔰𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔨𝔰, 𝔦𝔰 𝔞 𝔟𝔦𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔤𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔞𝔡. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢𝔤𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔴𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩, 𝔦𝔣 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩. 𝔄𝔣𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔩𝔩, 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔞 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩 𝔦𝔣 𝔦𝔱 𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔯𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡?"

And with this understanding, comes the appreciation of the old platitude to "be careful what you wish for".

Read 6/7/21

👶👶👶Circe, by Madeline Miller

In all fairness, I am simply not a huge fan of mythology, sci-fi, or fantasy. So, my 3-star rating does not in any way reflect on Madeline Miller's writing, but rather on my personal reading preferences. Ms. Miller's writing was actually quite engaging, and her imagination is brimming. If you are in fact a fan of Greek mythology, then this would likely be a great pick for you! I, on the other hand, simply have a hard time with suspension of disbelief to that extent. However, I was under the impression that this author is so talented, that I would have a hard time putting the book down - alas, no such luck.  

I struggled with several parts of the novel, including the fact that every single man - with very few exceptions - that came to Circe's door, was apparently a rapist and deserved to be turned into a pig. Furthermore, I have an incredibly difficult time getting past the bestiality. I fully comprehend that it is simply a myth, but it disgusts me to no end, and I have never understood why it is a component of these stories. The same goes for the infidelity, incest, and polygamy - the sheer immorality of the Greek gods is my biggest struggle while reading these novels. 

Read 2/13/20

👶👶👶👶 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling

My opinion of the first and second book of the Harry Potter series still applies for the third as well:

So, after being begged by each of my children in succession as they read this series, I finally caved and decided to begin, what is arguably the most popular children's series of all time... and what a well-earned label indeed. Not only have I never been a fan of fantasy, but I also avoid committing to such a long series. However, I must admit, J.K. Rowling may have reversed my aversion. Rowling is absolutely brilliant; her imagination, unmatched. She has the ability to deliver a visual feast for her readers. I was all-at-once transported and transfixed, engrossed and intrigued. It was a fun-filled joyride, and I truly look forward to the next installments of the adventures of Harry and his friends.

Read 12/7/19

👶👶👶👶 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling

My review of the first book of the Harry Potter series rings true for the second as well:

So, after being begged by each of my children in succession as they read this series, I finally caved and decided to begin, what is arguably the most popular children's series of all time... and what a well-earned label indeed. Not only have I never been a fan of fantasy, but I also avoid committing to such a long series. However, I must admit, J.K. Rowling may have reversed my aversion. Rowling is absolutely brilliant; her imagination, unmatched. She has the ability to deliver a visual feast for her readers. I was all-at-once transported and transfixed, engrossed and intrigued. It was a fun-filled joyride, and I truly look forward to the next installments of the adventures of Harry and his friends.

Read 11/4/19

👶👶👶👶 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

So, after being begged by each of my children in succession as they read this series, I finally caved and decided to begin, what is arguably the most popular children's series of all time... and what a well-earned label indeed. Not only have I never been a fan of fantasy, but I also avoid committing to such a long series. However, I must admit, J.K. Rowling may have reversed my aversion. Rowling is absolutely brilliant; her imagination, unmatched. She has the ability to deliver a visual feast for her readers. I was all-at-once transported and transfixed, engrossed and intrigued. It was a fun-filled joyride, and I truly look forward to the next installments of the adventures of Harry and his friends.

Read 10/24/19