Adult, ARC review, book review

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (ARC Review)

Immigrant. Socialite. Magician. Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how. Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice… Read More The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (ARC Review)

ARC review, book review, young adult

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Review)

Hwani’s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest, near a gruesome crime scene. The only thing they remember: Their captor wore a painted-white mask. To escape the haunting memories of this incident, the family flees their hometown. Years later, Detective Min—Hwani’s father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared under similar circumstances, and so he returns to their hometown to investigate… only to vanish as well. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and reconnects with her now estranged sister—Hwani comes to realize that the answer lies within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago… Read More The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur (Review)

Adult, ARC review, book review

Red Island House by Andrea Lee (ARC Review)

Shay is surprised when her husband Senna declares his intention to build her a spectacular dream house on an idyllic beach in the tropical island nation of Madagascar. But the Red Island House casts a spell from the moment she sees it, and before she knows it Shay has become the somewhat reluctant mistress of a sprawling household, caught between her privileged American upbringing and education, and her connection to the continent of her ancestors. At first, she’s content to be an observer of the passionate affairs and fierce ambitions and rivalries around her. But as she and her husband raise children and establish their own rituals on the island, Shay finds herself drawn ever deeper into an extraordinary place with its own laws and logic, a provocative paradise full of magic and myth whose fraught colonial legacy continues to reverberate. Soon the collision of cultures comes right to Shay’s door, forcing her to make a life-altering decision.… Read More Red Island House by Andrea Lee (ARC Review)

ARC review, book review, young adult

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson (ARC Review)

Isda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house. Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives. But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison… Read More Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson (ARC Review)

Adult, ARC review, book review

The Mystery of Mrs Christie by Marie Benedict (ARC Review)

In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her husband and daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark exploration into the shadows of history, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such a murky story… Read More The Mystery of Mrs Christie by Marie Benedict (ARC Review)

ARC review, book review, young adult

Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell (ARC Review)

Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life. When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past. This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them… Read More Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell (ARC Review)

calendar girls

Calendar Girls (September 2019): A Pirate’s Life For Me (Favourite Book About Pirates)

It’s that time again! It’s the first Monday of the month which means that it’s time for another Calendar Girls Books post! This month’s theme is A Pirate’s Life For Me: Favourite Book About Pirates and I can’t wait to see what everyone’s favourite picks are because it turns out that I haven’t read many… Read More Calendar Girls (September 2019): A Pirate’s Life For Me (Favourite Book About Pirates)

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Calendar Girls (August 2019): Book Lover’s Day (Favorite Book You’ve Read This Year)

It’s time for another Calendar Girls Books post, and this month our prompt is Book Lover’s Day: Favorite Book You’ve Read This Year! It took some decision making, but I think I narrowed it down okay. I was very stuck between the book that I chose and my first honourable mention, but then ended up… Read More Calendar Girls (August 2019): Book Lover’s Day (Favorite Book You’ve Read This Year)

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Calendar Girls (June 2019): Pride 🏳️‍🌈 (Favorite Book with LGBTQ+ Representation)

It’s time for another Calendar Girls Books post, and this month our prompt is Pride: Favorite Book with LGBTQ+ Representation. I’ve been reading LGBTQ+ books since I was in high school, so I’ve read quite a few but I think it’s still not enough. It doesn’t help that my high school library didn’t have any… Read More Calendar Girls (June 2019): Pride 🏳️‍🌈 (Favorite Book with LGBTQ+ Representation)