Three Books for Helping Children Understand Big Emotions

Magination Press is new to me, but it’s been around since 1987 publishing books that help children learn about the stresses and challenges in the world around them.  I was looking for more books that had children with learning disabilities as main characters to put on the shelves at the Library when I came across the listings for these three titles.  Of course, I was instantly intrigued and was very excited to read them. One big bonus for these particular titles is the Reader’s Note found at the end of each. The Note contains tips for parents on how to extend the reading experience and start a discussion with their child about the topic.  

My Whirling Twirling Motor by Merriam Sarcia Saunders focuses on Charlie, a young boy who feels like he is controlled by a spinning motor inside of him.  That whirling, twirling motor causes him play when he should be learning at school, accidentally hurt his friends, and run around the table instead of doing his homework.  But even with all of his wiggling and buzzing, Charlie’s parents are patient and understanding of his behavior and point all of the good things that Charlie did that day instead of just focusing on his faults.

With simple language and beautiful illustrations, My Whirling Twirling Motor would make a great addition to any library collection.  

Mindful Bea and the Worry Tree introduces us to Bea, a young girl who is very anxious about her birthday party.  What if there isn’t cake? What if her friends don’t like her? What if everything goes wrong?  When Bea becomes overwhelmed by her anxiety, she runs outside to her favorite tree and focuses on her breath to calm her thinking down.  

Beautiful, lyrical language paired with lovely illustrations make for a wonderful way to read about and discuss anxiety in children.

Goodbye School by Tonya Lippert, PhD.

There are plenty of books out there that show children that starting a new school can be an exciting and fun experience, but I’ve yet to come across one that discusses how it can feel to leave a school.  On Franny’s last day of school, she is trying to say goodbye to her classroom but is overcome with memories. Franny’s love for her classroom and friends allow her to remember the good memories and give her the ability to say goodbye to her old school.  The Reader’s Note at the end of the book provided important and concrete ways to discuss the topic of transition with your child after reading the story.

Clear and simple language paired with beautiful illustrations make for a wonderful reading experience.  

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review these titles.  All opinions are my own.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

Available March 12, 2019

Reader Friends-this book is one of the most heartbreaking and intense novels I have ever read.  There are graphic depictions of drug use and overdose so take care when reading.

Opioid addiction is one of the greatest challenges this country is facing right now.  As an EMS volunteer, I have seen opioid overdoses first hand and those images will always be burned into my memory.  If you have ever wondered how anyone could end up addicted to something that we all know is extremely dangerous, and often deadly, just get an injury.  Almost any injury. It is so easy to be prescribed completely legal, and often necessary painkillers. But what happens if you’re one of the millions of people who are susceptible to addiction?  What happens when your future depends on being at your very best? Who can handle the stress of needing to be perfect in order to succeed? Not everyone, and that’s how easy it is to become a heroine addict.  

What started as a fun night of pizza and girl talk quickly takes a darker turn when their car is hit head on.  Now Mickey Catalan and best friend Carolina Galarza have been badly hurt and their future as the all-star catcher and pitcher duo  or the school’s softball team is in jeopardy. Scholarships and dreams are on the line as the two girls do their best to heal as quickly as they can for the beginning of the season.  Mickey discovers that her doctor prescribed Oxycontin provides more than just pain relief-it gives her all the warm fuzzies and makes it possible for her to go about her limited daily activities.  Her parents have secured the best doctors and physical therapists to help Mickey get well as soon as possible and the pressure to let anyone down only makes Mickey use Oxy more and more. If she doesn’t feel well enough for a therapy session then she’s wasting everyone’s time and money.  If she doesn’t heal on time she’ll lose her chance at a softball scholarship.

As the days go on and her Oxy intake increases, Mickey reminds herself that she is not an addict.  Addicts don’t go to school everyday and pass their math tests. Addicts don’t make it through spring training and physical therapy.  Addicts use illegal drugs-not ones prescribed by their doctors.

Mickey continues to tell herself this as she is forced to increase her dosage in order to stave off the pain and to provide her with the rush of warmth and fuzziness the pills provide.  She tells herself she’s not an addict as she begins to hang with the wrong crowd, lose her best friend, and as the lies begin to overwhelm her, Mickey slowly spirals out of control.

This book is incredibly well written with some of the best developed characters I’ve read in awhile.  When Mickey begins hanging out with Josie, we see another side of addiction. Josie is incredibly smart, rich, and on her way to becoming accepted into college to begin a pharmacist degree.  But she’s bored out of her mind and done with dealing with her mom and her mom’s career of marrying and divorcing men. Drugs for her are just a distraction-something to do when you’re bored.  Through Josie, Mickey begins to become close to Luther and Derrick, students at the rich kid school. Luther is also a star athlete and dabbles in Oxy when he’s with everyone, but never uses on his own.  As he becomes more attracted to Mickey, and attracted by her-her strength, her smarts, her athletic ability, she completely misses it because she’s so caught up in her Oxy-fueled fog. It was heartbreaking to see Mickey throw her friendship with Carolina away and I kept hoping the two of them could work through all of their problems.  The way that Oxy became the main focus of all of her decision making was a stark reminder of the power that drugs have over people.

This book is fantastic and I’ve already ordered a copy for my YA section at the Library.

If you would like a copy, and want to help support the site, you can get one here:

Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li

Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

There has been a lot of buzz on Instagram and Twitter lately about the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Lots of big important book people showing off which books they’re reading and comparing what books they have already read.  I got sucked into it, of course, and immediately checked out the list to see if I had read any.  Circe by Madeline Miller and My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite were recent reads for me and I loved them both.  Especially My Sister the Serial Killer-if you can find it on audio, I highly recommend it.  One thing led to another and my Library Holds turned a little overwhelming because I added a ton of books from the List.  I’m currently working on Milkman and Lost Children Archive and I’m excited to try them after reading Number One Chinese Restaurant.  Yes, I know, they are completely different books, but Number One Chinese Restaurant was so good I can’t wait to read the others on the list.  

Number One Chinese Restaurant takes us behind the scenes of the Beijing Duck House in Maryland.  Founded by Bobby Han, the restaurant is taken over after his death by his sons Jimmy and Johnny Han.  Jimmy has left the day-to-day management to Johnny who has dreams of running his own exclusive establishment.  What Johnny doesn’t realize is that the seemingly rag-tag group of waiters and cooks at the Duck House are an intricately woven group of people who have worked together for decades and know how to keep the restaurant running smoothly.  Working in the background of everyone’s lives is Uncle Pang, adviser and fixer who’s means of making one’s dreams come true are as mysterious as his connection to the family.

When the Duck House suffers a devastating fire, everyone connected to the Duck House has their life upended.  Some families will become divided, some will become closer, and everyone will be affected.

Number One Chinese Restaurant is part mystery-part family drama.  The writing is fast paced and I immediately became invested in the characters.  Every character is incredibly well developed and I became really invested in the story of Nan Fang, one of the hostesses and Manager of the restaurant.  She is struggling with her teenage son Pat who has dropped out of school and spends more time fooling around with the boss’ daughter than working as a dishwasher.  Caught between wanting to give her son a better life and her estranged husband who has gone to the other side of the country to start his own restaurant. Added to the stress is her longtime attraction to Jack, a fellow employee and dear friend who is trying to cope with his wife’s illness while balancing overtime hours to pay the bills.  

One thing that stuck out to me the most while reading this novel was Jimmy Han’s belief that he was providing this amazing life for his employees.  He truly believed that they only lived in nice homes and neighborhoods because he provided such a great working environment. Not once does he think about how he speaks to them, how they are forced to work large amounts of overtime, or how they are far better workers than he gives them credit for.  

I really loved this book and I highly recommend it.  If you would like a copy, and want to help support the site, get yours here:

In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde Grover

In the Night of Memory by Linda LeGarde Grover
Available April 2nd from University of Minnesota Press

In the Night of Memory is a heart breaking story of love, loss, and family. When Loretta surrenders her two daughters to the County, the daughters are left with only vague memories and a hope of one day being reunited. After a series of foster homes and several years separation, it is through the persistence of a distant relative and the help of the Indian Child Welfare Act, the sisters are placed together again with family members. Through love and acceptance, the girls learn more about their heritage and family history. Unfortunately for the girls, their new found security is short lived. When tragedy strikes the family once again, the girls do what they can to stay together.
Incredibly well written, the story of Azure and Rain draws you in from the first line. Told from multiple points of views across several generations, we are given the complete history of a family, including all their heartbreaks and happiness. I loved this story of family and hope.

This book is wonderful. The story is captivating and I was immediately invested in the well-being of Azure and Rainfall. I really enjoyed how the author told the story from multiple family members which allowed us a more complete understanding, but the characters didn’t necessarily have the same experience. Linda LeGarde Grover is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe and a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Full Disclosure Time: Thank you to Bookish and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own. 

If you would like a copy of this book, and want to help support the site, you can get one here:

New Releases for April 2, 2019

It’s Election Day in Illinois and I’ll be spending my day working as an election judge at our polling place. The best part of the job? I get to read all day long! It’s also across the street from my house so my 5:30 a.m. report time isn’t that horrible.

If you’re in Illinois, go vote! If not, check out these new books coming out today, April 2, 2019.

Margaret Peterson Haddix is very popular at my Library. The kids can’t get enough of The Missing series. This is the first book in a new series and should be waiting for me when I get back to work tomorrow.

The Greystone kids thought they knew. Chess has always been the protector over his younger siblings, Emma loves math, and Finn does what Finn does best—acting silly and being adored. They’ve been a happy family, just the three of them and their mom. But everything changes when reports of three kidnapped children reach the Greystone kids, and they’re shocked by the startling similarities between themselves and these complete strangers. The other kids share their same first and middle names. They’re the same ages. They even have identical birthdays. Who, exactly, are these strangers? Before Chess, Emma, and Finn can question their mom about it, she takes off on a sudden work trip and leaves them in the care of Ms. Morales and her daughter, Natalie. But puzzling clues left behind lead to complex codes, hidden rooms, and a dangerous secret that will turn their world upside down.

Kwame Alexander’s books go out constantly at the Library and I’m always looking for new books either on or about poetry to add to our collection.

Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing stark attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present. Robust back matter at the end provides valuable historical context and additional detail for those wishing to learn more.

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

Otto and Sheed are the local sleuths in their zany Virginia town, masters of unraveling mischief using their unmatched powers of deduction. And as the summer winds down and the first day of school looms, the boys are craving just a little bit more time for fun, even as they bicker over what kind of fun they want to have. That is, until a mysterious man appears with a camera that literally freezes time. Now, with the help of some very strange people and even stranger creatures, Otto and Sheed will have to put aside their differences to save their town—and each other—before time stops for good.

This looks fascinating and that cover is gorgeous!

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Very excited about this one!

What does it mean for a woman to be strong—especially in a world where our conception of a “hero” is still so heavily influenced by male characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman? Geek Girls Don’t Cry explores the subject, offering advice tailor-made for fans of any age. Andrea Towers, who works in public relations at Marvel Entertainment and has written about superheroines for outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, outlines some of the primary traits heroic women can call upon, like resilience, self-acceptance, and bravery, pulling in stories from real-life women as well as figures from the pop-culture pantheon. She also interviews the creators of our favorite fictional heroines, who discuss how they drew from their own experiences to develop these protagonists and how, conversely, their own creations continue to inspire them.

Fan of Andy Weir?

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat paycheck—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed?

When Megan Stack was living in Beijing, she left her prestigious job as a foreign correspondent to have her first child and work from home writing a book. She quickly realized that caring for a baby and keeping up with the housework while her husband went to the office each day was consuming the time she needed to write. This dilemma was resolved in the manner of many upper-class families and large corporations: she availed herself of cheap Chinese labor. The housekeeper Stack hired was a migrant from the countryside, a mother who had left her daughter in a precarious situation to earn desperately needed cash in the capital. As Stack's family grew and her husband's job took them to Dehli, a series of Chinese and Indian women cooked, cleaned, and babysat in her home. Stack grew increasingly aware of the brutal realities of their lives: domestic abuse, alcoholism, unplanned pregnancies. Hiring poor women had given her the ability to work while raising her children, but what ethical compromise had she made?
     Determined to confront the truth, Stack traveled to her employees' homes, met their parents and children, and turned a journalistic eye on the tradeoffs they'd been forced to make as working mothers seeking upward mobility—and on the cost to the children who were left behind.

The latest in one of my all-time favorite series!

In the venerable history of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only one male has ever been expelled—but Murhder’s insanity gave the Brothers no choice. Haunted by visions of a female he could not save, he nonetheless returns to Caldwell on a mission to right the wrong that ruined him. However, he is not prepared for what he must face in his quest for redemption.
Dr. Sarah Watkins, researcher at a biomedical firm, is struggling with the loss of her fellow scientist fiancé. When the FBI starts asking about his death, she questions what really happened and soon learns the terrible truth: Her firm is conducting inhumane experiments in secret and the man she thought she knew and loved was involved in the torture.
As Murhder and Sarah’s destinies become irrevocably entwined, desire ignites between them. But can they forge a future that spans the divide separating the two species? And as a new foe emerges in the war against the vampires, will Murhder return to his Brothers... or resume his lonely existence forevermore?

One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose of­fice she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.
As Gottlieb explores the inner chambers of her patients' lives -- a self-absorbed Hollywood producer, a young newlywed diagnosed with a terminal illness, a senior citizen threatening to end her life on her birthday if nothing gets better, and a twenty-something who can't stop hooking up with the wrong guys -- she finds that the questions they are struggling with are the very ones she is now bringing to Wendell.
With startling wisdom and humor, Gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is rev­olutionary in its candor, offering a deeply per­sonal yet universal tour of our hearts and minds and providing the rarest of gifts: a boldly reveal­ing portrait of what it means to be human, and a disarmingly funny and illuminating account of our own mysterious lives and our power to transform them.

Happy Reading Everyone!

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color, Edited by Nisi Shawl

New Suns:  Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color

Edited by Nisi Shawl

I’m late getting to this one, not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I really wanted to take the time and absorb each and every story and every story in this collection is incredible.  

Friends, Rebecca Roanhorse has a story in this collection.  I mean, that’s all I need to say.

Covering a range of topics, settings, and time periods, there is a short story for everyone in this collection.  What do you do when Earth becomes an intergalactic tourist destination? Have you ever considered a Djinn complaint department?  

I especially loved the short story The Robots of Eden by Anil Menon.  The story opens with a husband reflecting on his wife and her lover, Sollozzo, arriving from Boston so that together, they can inform their young daughter of their divorce.  It’s handled so matter of factly and without any anger or resentment that it’s a bit confusing. Why isn’t he upset? He claims that he and Sollozzo both love the same woman.  Shouldn’t he be sad? It’s only later that we learn that many in the world are now Enhanced. They are connected to AI through implants that levels off-maybe even takes away-all of their aggressive and negative emotions.  After the divorce, the husband and Sollozzo become friends, speaking frequently and enjoying philosophical and literary debates. The divide between the Enhanced and Unenhanced takes a chilling turn when tragedy hits the family and the only upset is Velli, an Unenhanced woman who works for the family.  This story was a powerful look at how even the most devastating of emotions are important to the human journey and no matter how badly we want to turn them off, we shouldn’t.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and I would highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in trying out short stories-they’re a new love of mine.  

Reader Friends!  Right now, this book is only $5.38 on Kindle.  Jump on that.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Burnout, The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA

If you are the type of person who enjoys sitting around with your best friends, having a coffee or cup of tea, and getting into a deep and emotional conversation, this book will be a perfect fit for you.  The further I got into this book, the more it felt like I was right there with the authors and their best friends. It’s an incredibly accessible look at how women, and men but the book focuses on women, get caught up in a cycle of trying to meet everyone’s needs, be everything to everyone, and then got lost to the burnout that follows.  

Twin sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski combine real life stories from their own friends and statistics to provide a path to completing the stress cycle that affects so many women.  At the end of each chapter, there is a “tl;dr” list-that wonderful abbreviation for “too long, didn’t read”. In this section, the authors provide a short list of key facts and questions to help summarize the chapter-as someone who doesn’t read as much nonfiction as she should, I found this very helpful.  

I found this book to be very helpful and insightful.  There are so many layers to our stress-and how we deal with it-that we don’t necessarily think about or know what to do with.  The authors provide practical tips on how to cope with stress, how to set limits for yourself, and how in creating boundaries and limits with others we can improve our relationships with those that stress us out.  As a person who deals with chronic pain, when the authors discuss the connection between chronic illness and chronic stress, it was like, Yes! You get it! Thank you!

Guess what else contributes to burnout in women-the patriarchy.  Not surprised? I wasn’t either. I found myself nodding along as the authors discussed how the constant stress of worrying about sexual violence, body image, gaslighting and work success is ingrained in women from the day of their birth.  I initially thought that this section was just preaching to the choir-but I do think there are a lot of women out there who may not realize how deeply established these ideas were in their own upbringing and that it is ok to draw boundaries, especially to preserve your own health and happiness.  

Now, this book will not eliminate all the stress in your life.  Life is stressful. What this book will do is help with completing that stress cycle and to find that balance that we all seem to be seeking.   

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Full Disclosure time: Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

February 2019 Book of the Month Selection

Early Riser is a fascinating take on human history and human interactions.  In this wonderfully imaginative novel, Jasper Fforde asks the question, what if the human race hibernated?  What if the world went through an intense cold spell for four months every year and the only way to survive is to be like your favorite bear-fatten up, sleep well, and conserve as much energy as possible.  But we’re humans and humans can monetize every aspect of our lives, including basic survival. Finding sufficient food and shelter can be expensive and when it was discovered that dreams can be physically draining, medications to halt dreams lead to a new way to find cheap labor and create a new type of class division in society.

Charles Worthing is working his first winter with Winter Consuls, a group that is responsible for making sure humans survive safely through the harsh winter.  Approaching winter unprepared can cause humans to become nightwalkers-humans that are breathing but with simple minds and a craving for human flesh. Nightwalkers can then be farmed out on the black market for replacement body parts and to be used as breeding stock for future generations.  

This book can really dark yet be incredibly funny all at the same time. It’s a wonderfully bizarre book.

When Charles believes that he has uncovered some crooked agents within the Consul, his naive quest for justice leads him on a deadly adventure where those he can trust seem to change from minute to minute.  When an outbreak of viral dreams affects Charles, he begins to lose the ability to tell reality from dreaming.

This story is absolutely wild and I loved it.  The way that hibernation has shaped the world and changed humans was fascinating to read.  It was both hilarious and heartbreaking-reading about how easy it was for people to die during their hibernation and then Charles will wake up and brush out his bed bugs...I just can’t come up with a better description.  It’s wild. The writing is incredible and I really enjoyed all of the footnotes. Many of the footnotes were vital to the story and some were just plain silly-it was a great mix. Fforde does a wonderful job of including enough information about the world that I never felt like I didn’t understand what was going on but didn’t get so deep that you spent pages and pages in details.  Background was doled out in small doses as needed and it really helped with keeping the story flowing.

Wonderfully quirky and unique, Early Riser is a fantastic read and I highly recommend giving it a try.  

Interested in reading Early Riser?  My copy came from my Book of the Month subscription as the February 2019 pick.  I have written of my love for Book of the Month before here.  If you’re interested in starting a Book of the Month subscription, they have a special going on now and it really is an easy service to use.

Check out Book of the Month here.

Want to try it without the subscription?  

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:  

Only When I Sleep by E.V. Lind

Only When I Sleep by E.V. Lind

Available March 12, 2019

Big Time Content Warning:

There are several graphic scenes of rape and physical assault.  

I am a big fan of all things ghostly and spooky and this book has both of those elements.  Add in some missing persons, murder, and an abusive ex and you have the formula for a very intense read.  

Beth Campbell has seen a lot of tragedy in her life.  Her parents both passed away in a car accident while on their way to visit Beth at college.  After their death, Beth learns that their insurance money will barely cover her parent’s debts and expenses.  Left with very little money and hope, Beth leaves school and tries to get a fresh start waiting tables at a local diner.  When she meets a handsome police detective, Beth begins to believe that she has a chance at a happy future. But that happiness is short-lived when she discovers that her boyfriend is married to another woman and turns incredibly abusive.  Now pregnant and with nowhere to turn, Beth sets off to find a place to hide from Detective Dan Henderson and protect her unborn child.

While on the road, Beth meets Ryan and Mary-Ann Jones, locals to Riverbend, Oregon.  Mary-Ann won’t take no for an answer when she discovers Beth on the side of the road, wet and shivering.  Ryan, wounded from war and wary of everyone, immediately distrusts Beth and her intentions. But his mother Mary-Ann is determined to rescue Beth and hires her on at her cafe and puts her up in an empty house on the family farm.  But Beth’s new home is full of dark secrets and spirits that guide Beth through her dreams to the clues needed to solve a decades-old crime.

Even with her new home and anonymity in the small town, Beth is still wary of anyone finding out her true name and history.  But Beth will need to learn to trust Ryan in order to stay safe from her abusive ex.

This story is so well written and compelling that I finished it one sitting.  I was immediately caught up in Beth’s story and invested in her well-being. The abuse scenes are very intense and I spent the entire book hoping Dan came to an ugly and horrific ending.  

Spoiler Alert-

He does.  

Alongside Beth’s story is that of Lizzie and Aggie MacDonald.  The MacDonald family lived in the farmhouse during World War II and saw their own share of tragedy.  When their father walks out on the family when the girls are young, the two sisters are left with a bitter and abusive mother who justifies her cruelty as religious and moral discipline.  When Lizzie runs away after learning her lover was lost at war, Aggie’s mind seems to break from the loss. But her seemingly senseless ramblings reveal that she knows far more about her father and sister’s disappearances.  Is Lizzie’s ghost helping to guide Beth? Is Beth living through Lizzie’s pain? Unexplained events in the house leave Beth with far more questions than answers.

Beth has more than ghosts to deal with in Riverbend.  Ryan seems to be both suspicious and protective of Beth and his meddling mother is constantly putting the two together-against both of their wishes.  Their relationship is definitely not of the instalove variety-they both dislike each other immediately and neither one is interested in being in any type of relationship.  Ryan has the tragedy of losing his fellow soldiers to come to terms with and he has no time or patience for a pregnant woman who does not want to be his damsel in distress.  Their relationship is built very slowly through trust and a lot of patience on both of their parts.

A well written and compelling story full of ghosts and mysteries, Only When I Sleep, will be a great addition to your paranormal romance collection.  If you’re a Kindle Unlimited user, it’s free!

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:  

Full Disclosure Time:  I received a free review copy from the author.  All opinions are, as always, my own.

Death’s Dancer by Jasmine Silvera

Death’s Dancer by Jasmine Silvera

Grace Bloods Book One

Paranormal Romance is one of my all-time favorite genres and this series is now in my top 5.  If the idea of using dance to communicate with gods, hot and sexy necromancers, and incredible writing pique your interest-this one's for you.

Isela Vogel dances for gods.  Through her carefully executed choreography, she is able to draw the attention of the gods and seek requests and favors such as good health and success in business deals for her patrons.  As one of the most successful dancers in the world, Isela is frequently requested by elite clients but when the most powerful necromancer wants her for a powerful spell, Isela’s life and that the lives of those around her is put in terrible danger.  

Azrael is one of the most powerful and feared necromancers and is determined to find the being that has been able to murder five necromancers.  To increase his power for a dangerous spell, Azrael needs Isela and her dancing in order to find the killer.

This book was so good friends!  The writing was incredible and I was immediately sucked into the story.  Isela is great-she’s incredibly smart and confidant and the way that she interacted with her friends and family was really fun to watch.  The dancers at the academy have a really tight knit friendship and it was really lovely to watch everyone care for each other and just genuinely enjoy the company of one another.  There are some big family secrets that come to light for Isela and it ended a really great layer to the story. I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone but it’s a twist that includes one of my favorite paranormal elements.

The relationship between Isela and Azrael was a slow burn that ends with a smoking bed-literally!  There were some great conversations about consent, independance, and respect. Their relationship felt so real-real dialogue, real interactions, just real. Isela has no problem standing up for herself and making her opinions known and think we should go get drinks some time.

I really loved this book and as of this writing, it’s only $2.99 for Kindle!  You can’t pass that one up. Book two, Dancer’s Flame is also available now.

Want to learn more about the author?  You can find out more here.

If you want to get a copy for yourself, and help support this site, you can grab one here:

If you’ve read this book, drop your thoughts in the comments.  I’d love to hear what you thought of it.

Full Disclosure Time:  I received a free review copy of this book from the author.  All opinions are, as always, my own.

Seventh Grade Vs. The Galaxy by Joshua S. Levy

Available March 5, 2019 from Lerner Publishing Group

Jack is your typical seventh grader except that his school is anything but typical.  Jack attends PSS 118, a middle school that is currently orbiting Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter.  

That’s right-middle school in space!

What could possibly go wrong when you put several hundred middle school aged children on  a ship in space? Just the ship suddenly launching into light speed and being attacked by mysterious aliens who are intent on brainwashing all the students and placing them in prison.

Are all of the highly dedicated and highly trained teachers going to save the day? Of course not! This is a middle grade science fiction adventure-the kids are going to save the day!

Jack’s dad was the science teacher on board the ship until he was caught making modifications to the ship’s engines without permission.  With the ship under attack, Jack discovers that those engine modifications weren’t the only thing that Jack’s dad altered. He also gave Jack special access to the computers in case of emergency.  It’s with this new discovery, and the help of his amazing friends, that Jack will try to save his classmates and teachers from the evil Minister.

This book was a lot of fun-there’s tons of action, snarky attitude, friendship drama, and crabby lunch lady robots.  I found Jack to be a very relatable character. He has a mom who left the family, is being bullied at school because of a mistake his father made, and is trying to find his place in the world.  All of this stress has placed a strain on his friendships with Ari and Becka and their relationships are tested over and over.

There is a lot that goes on this book that will interest young readers.  There’s time travel, alien shopping malls, and even an alien arcade. I really enjoyed the crabby lunch lady robots and their constant complaints about working conditions.  

This was a great story.  If you have a young reader who would be interested in this title, you can get a copy here:

Full disclosure time:  I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.  Thank you to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this title.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Flatiron Books

The Night Tiger was my January pick from Book of the Month and I don’t think they could have picked a better book.  The Night Tiger takes us to early 1930’s Malay and the hospitals and cities that are home to both locals and wealthy, privileged British doctors.  Filled with magic, superstition, and mystery, The Night Tiger is a beautifully written book about finding our true selves.

Forbidden to attend medical school by her strict and abusive stepfather, Ji Lin is both unhappy and unfulfilled in her role as a dressmaker apprentice.  Secretly working on the side as a dance hall girl to pay off her mother’s gambling debts, Ji Lin walks a very careful line of propriety and morality. When a dance with a traveling salesman accidentally puts Ji Lin in the possession of a withered finger, it sets off a chain events that will affect everyone around her.  

Ren, a young houseboy working for a beloved doctor, finds himself on the task of recovering the finger that his master lost years ago in the jungle.  Believing that his master’s soul will not find peace if his body isn’t buried whole, Ren is on a strict deadline to find and return the finger to his master’s grave.  

As the deadline looms closer, the local area is hit with a series of unexpected deaths and fears of a man-eating tiger grow with each death.  

This was such a wonderful story of how two young people are struggling to find their places in the world.  Ji Lin is such a smart and brave young woman who just wants to be treated as an equal and go to school instead of only thinking of becoming someone’s wife.  Ren is very bright with all the natural skills of a doctor but will only attend school if he can find someone generous enough to do so. His bravery during the search for his master’s missing finger is tested not only in this world, but in the space between worlds when his grief for his deceased brother brings him to the brink of the afterlife over and over again.  

The Night Tiger is full of magic and mystical elements.  The significance of names and numbers plays a major role in many of the decisions made by the characters.  Ji Lin is able to communicate with Ren through her dreams just like Ren communicates with his deceased brother.  The belief that men can be weretigers leads to some very shady dealings at the hospital where Shinn works and many believe it is a weretiger that is killing in the district.  Even one of the British doctors has suspicions that his luck is a little too good to be true.

The mystery surrounding the suspicious deaths was very well done-I definitely didn’t see that twist when it came.  

I found this book to be beautifully written, completely engrossing, and an absolutely magical read.  If you like a copy of this book, and would like to help support the site, you can find one here:

The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin

If you like comics, drag queens, costume design, solving cold crimes, and sharp, witty dialogue-check out The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin.  I picked this up as an Amazon First Reads and I had so much fun reading the adventures of MG and her colorful cast of friends. MG, short for Michael-Grace, is a comic book writer and fashion designer.  Working in a male dominated field has it’s stressors but MG is tough, confident, and knows what she wants for her future. When MG meets Detective Matteo Kildaire during her morning coffee run, her life is about turned upside down and sideways.  Now, she has to help Matteo solve a case that’s imitating her favorite comic book and may also include the mysterious pasts of some of her closest friends.

The Frame-Up is fast-paced and full of geeky references.  When MG comes across multiple pieces of evidence that implicate her friends and co-workers, she struggles with where her loyalties lie.  The crimes that were committed by our comic book imitator all happen off the page so if you find murder mysteries too much-this one might be more palatable for you.  

MG is such a great character-she knows exactly who she is and what she wants in life.  She has no problem living her “nerd girl” lifestyle: comic book creating and writing, colorful hair, costume designing for her best friend who performs in drag, and binge watching all the science fiction movies.   Even with all of her awesome confidence and character, MG can be very defensive of her lifestyle. She automatically assumes men will have a problem with her hobbies and can come off as very prickly and defensive. As much as I loved MG, her constant assumptions that other people were judging her did a get a bit much.  

I found The Frame-Up to be a fun read and it’s the beginning of a series so if you like it, there’s more to come.  Also, it’s only $3.99 for Kindle!

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:  

Flashback: The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp

 I have never been to New Orleans but it’s one of my very favorite settings for books.  Bonus points for bringing in magic and the supernatural. From Anne Rice, to Sherrilyn Kenyon, some of my favorite books have taken place in New Orleans.  Confession-I love the t.v. show The Originals. Vampires, witches, and shifters in NOLA? Yes, Please! I’ve been looking for another great fantasy series now that the Kate Daniels series from Ilona Andrews is wrapping up and this book was everything I was hoping for.

This book takes all the very best of the magic, myths, and music to create an engrossing tale of murder and rebirth.  After Katrina devastated New Orleans, Jude Dubuisson shut himself off from his magic and the needs of the city. A demigod with ability to find all things lost, he has spent the last six years with his senses overwhelmed by the incredible loss of the city and its inhabitants.  

Jude is abruptly ripped away from his self-imposed retirement by a former colleague, Regal Sloan.  A mysterious invitation leads to the murder of the city’s fortune god during a poker game and Jude is in the middle of the fallout.  Now, Jude needs to find the murderer before he becomes the #1 suspect. With clues scarce and trusted friends even more so, Jude has to use every gift he has to stay alive.  

Regal Sloan, former colleague and friend, hasn’t seen Jude in over six years.  When she shows up with the mysterious invitation to a game with the gods, Jude doesn’t know if he can trust her.  When a string of murders follows Jude wherever he goes, Regal is top at the list of suspects. Adding to the mystery, Jude’s mother paints a chilling and prophetic painting that leads Jude on a dangerous path. 

I wish I could do the book justice-it really is an amazing read.  It pulls you in with the music and the food and dark and sweaty bars.  I felt torn between wanting to yell at Jude to buck up and do his job-the city needed him-and cringing from the thought of  drowning in all those feelings of loss. To have that power and have to walk down streets with empty houses that have lost their owners.  To be surrounded by people who lost everything in the storm-no wonder Jude shut himself off. I loved this book. It looks like it’s the first in a series?  I really hope so. The ending was open enough to want more-but also satisfying enough to stand alone. I know, I’m not doing it justice.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Flashback: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Update: I finally got the Hubs to try fiction! He’s loving this book!

It’s been 26 hours since vacation officially started.   The Kid and I took the pugs on a very slow meandering stroll through the woods, went out to lunch, and I devoured the most badass monster slaying story.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse is the grown-up Buffy* I’ve been dying to read.  When Maggie Hoskie was a child, she survived a horrific attack that awakened her clan powers.  Faster, stronger, and more deadly than any human, she hunts the monsters that roam what is left of the Navajo lands, now known as the Dinétah, after a climate apocalypse.  But it’s not just monsters that wander the earth, so do gods and beings with power.

Drug out of self-imposed seclusion to help rescue a child who was taken by a monster, Maggie  finds more than just a simple case of search and rescue. Seeking out help from her dear friend and local Medicine Man Grandpa Tah, leads to the discovery of deadly witchcraft and a new partner, his grandson Kai Arviso.  Together, they work to find the one responsible for the deadly monsters and confront Maggie’s past in order to survive.

Maybe.  No promises on that one.

This is an amazing book.  Maggie is tough and impressive even without her clan powers-but the clan powers are amazing.  The balance of old myths and legends blending with post apocalyptic droughts and magic is just perfect.  I don’t want to live in that world-Hell. No. But I want to read all of it. Coyote the Trickster is here creating chaos.  There is a magical/mystical dance hall that shows up in the desert on it’s own schedule and is a popular place for all special beings.  Kai puts some silver paint on Maggie’s eyes which allows her to see what everyone looks like without their illusions-I would love to see that on screen or in a graphic novel version.  It’s an amazing part of the book. Many of the people have some animal characteristics-like the Feather People have feathers and the Big Deer People have huge antlers on their heads. The club itself is like the Tardis where space seems to change to fit what is inside and going underground still gives you a view of the sky.  

Maggie has a lot to overcome throughout the book.  Not just the horrible attack that awakens her powers and takes away her family, but also being apprenticed by a demigod during some very formative years and her whole identity being questioned then later on in life.  There are also a lot of relationships that shift and change and with all of her trust issues, it’s a rough ride.

I really enjoyed this book.  Luckily, there is a sneak peek at Book #2 in the back so there will be more.  

Trail of Lightning, by Rebecca Roanhorse is available now.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

*Side note:  We're re-watching the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and wow is that problematic!*

Flashback: The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

The Girl with the Red Balloon available now from Katherine Locke

Yes, it also requires many flags.

Fantasy novels are supposed to make you rethink your surroundings.  Magical doorways, fairy circles, talking animals, and superpowers can all be found in our everyday lives masked by the ordinary.  Will you travel through time by walking up the back staircase? Can eating the perfect apple freshly picked from the tree lead to magical sleep?

Will holding a red balloon transport you through time? If you happen to be visiting the Berlin Wall in Germany while on a school trip, beware the red balloons.  

Growing up, Ellie Baum listened to her Grandfather tell the story of how he was rescued from a Nazi death camp by a magical red balloon.  Ellie always played the story off as fantasy and while visiting Germany herself on a class trip, she sees a beautiful red balloon and knows she needs a photo of herself with it.  But once she touches the balloon, she finds herself far away from the Berlin Wall Memorial, and at the Wall itself. Now in 1988 Berlin, Ellie meets Kai and Mitzi, two balloon runners who use the magical balloons to help people escape to West Berlin.  But how did Ellie get here? Where is the original balloon passenger? Who is tampering with the balloons and why?

This book was completely absorbing and incredibly well written.  I loved how quickly the story moved-the action was constantly moving.  The relationships between the characters was very relatable. How do you handle wanting to pursue a relationship or, even a friendship, when you're constantly trying to find your way home?  Through Ellie's discussions with her new friends and the flashbacks to her grandfather, there was a lot of Jewish history that was new to me. At one point, her grandfather Benno is telling the story of the Exodus to his future rescuer, Aurora.  After hearing the story of the Exodus, she complains that Jewish stories are sad and why aren't there any happy stories? Benno tells her, "I've told you two stories that end in freedom," I protested.  "How much happier could you ask for? I just loved that quote.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.  I'm not a highlighter or underliner, but this book had more sticky flags in it than any other book I've read in a long time.  

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Flashback: Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

The list of "Automatic Pre-order" authors that I have is pretty short.  Ilona Andrews is top on that list.  Not only is this a new book, it's the start of a new series!  A new series is always, always good news from this amazing writing team, especially since the Kate Daniels series is wrapping up with book 10 this year.  If you haven't read any of the Kate Daniels series, I wouldn't really worry about.  Definitely read it, because it's amazing, but the authors do a a really great job of filling you in on the necessary backstory.  

From the publisher because they say it better:

"The Iron Covenant Book 1
No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work. 
Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.
Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.
Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies? 
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.” 
Hugh and Elara may do both. 

This book is an amazing start to a new series about respect, redemption, love and loss.  This book hits all the best points of fantasy and romance-strong characters, lots of magic, ancient creatures, and action that keeps the pages turning long after bedtime.  

One of the best parts of this book is the world building.  A castle that was shipped in brick by brick to please the former mistress in modern day Kentucky is now inside a dark magical forest after the magical shift occurs.  There are tunnels under the castle that people don't come back from and no one knows why.  There are druids, shapeshifters, magic, technology, gods, and creatures that are completely unknown.  It would seem chaotic except the authors have made it all make sense and believable.  

Elara's character is absolutely incredible and mysterious.  The way the authors are able to weave in old mythology with this insanely bonkers world they've created is fascinating.  Elara's character is both beloved and respected by her people for her ability to keep them healthy and safe, but there is a secret that everyone is hiding.  We do get a glimpse of what she truly is, but it's only a glimpse and I hope more is revealed as the series progresses.  

Hugh d'Ambray has spent his life powerful and feared.  Without Roland's magic and support, and now no clear agenda, he falls apart.  All the way apart.  When the opportunity comes along to save his soldiers and himself, he reluctantly takes it.  Hugh's character is such a contradiction-he is feared and brutal but also incredibly loyal to his Iron Dogs.  At one point, he talks over breakfast about how he killed a woman and then later on saves a dog.  I really feel the authors did an amazing job of making his character very slow to like.  It was as if he had to prove to himself that he was worthy of respect before the reader could believe that as well.  

The relationship between Elara and Hugh was also very unique.  It's easy to groan about the arranged marriage trope but this was the farthest thing from trope-y.  Their relationship was built incredibly slowly and all on the basis of respect.  Both characters were fiercely protective of their people and not afraid to do whatever it took to keep them safe.    

I just can't say it enough-this book is amazing.  These authors are amazing.  I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

Iron and Magic is available June 26th and you can pre-order this book now here: 

Thank you to Netgalley and NYLA for the opportunity to read and review this book-all ramblings and the overuse of "amazing" are my own opinions.  

Also, there are other amazing series from these authors.  May I suggest: