The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel (Review)

July 4, 2020

Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, takeout enthusiast, and happily single woman. The moment she realizes her parents’ latest dinner party is a setup with the man they want her to marry, she’s out the back door in a flash. Imagine her surprise when the same guy shows up at her office a week later — the new lawyer hired to save her struggling company. What’s not surprising: he’s not too thrilled to see her either after that humiliating fiasco… Read More The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel (Review)

— Adult, ARC review, book review —

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (ARC Review)

July 3, 2020

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back. Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight… Read More The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (ARC Review)

— book review, young adult —

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer (Review)

June 27, 2020

Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader… Read More Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer (Review)

— book review, indigo book box, young adult —

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (Review)

December 21, 2019

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne. Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril… Read More The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (Review)

— ARC review, book review, young adult —

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (ARC Review)

December 1, 2019

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family, and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead… Read More The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (ARC Review)

— book review, children's —

When Unicorns Poop by Lexie Castle & Christian Cornia (Review)

October 13, 2019

Celebrate all things sparkly, including unicorn poop, with this rainbow-filled, humorous story! Did you know that when a unicorn poops, rainbows arch across the sky? And when they toot, shiny bubbles float all around! What happens when a unicorn sneezes or spits or cries? More magical whimsy occurs when unicorns do all these things, of course. Just don’t step in their poop-eww!… Read More When Unicorns Poop by Lexie Castle & Christian Cornia (Review)

— book review, young adult —

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Review)

October 13, 2019

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut. In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place… Read More The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Review)

— book review, young adult —

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco (Review)

September 30, 2019

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World’s Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders. Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they’ve heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another… Read More Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco (Review)

— book review, children's —

The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali & Hatem Aly (Review)

September 28, 2019

A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad. With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong… Read More The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali & Hatem Aly (Review)

— book review, children's —

Ping by Ani Castillo (Review)

September 28, 2019

With the visual ingenuity of Press Here and the emotional resonance of What Do You Do with a Problem?, this wise and timely book about the fragile art of personal connection will strike a chord with children and adults alike. In the era of social media, communication feels both more anxiety-producing, and more inescapable, than ever before. This clever, comforting picture book debut explores the challenges and joys of self-expression and social connection.… Read More Ping by Ani Castillo (Review)