Some books are made for reading aloud. And if you’re lucky enough to have a little(ish) one around to read aloud to, wonderful things can happen. This summer, my 9-year-old niece was having a hard time finishing her copy of The Secret Garden, so she brought it downstairs and we sat on the couch and read it aloud together. When we finished that, I searched the library for something I thought would be a good next book, and I remembered the Lemony Snicket books, of […]
I demand a tiny glass dragon for a pet. I DEMAND IT.
Despite all my caterwauling over the formulaic nature of the series, I’ve really enjoyed the last three books. This one is probably tied for my favorite with the second one. That one had that sweet ass battle where Briar goes to town all over the bad guy’s house with his super magical plant powers, and this one had Tris being grouchy and getting a tiny glass dragon for a pet. Plus I really liked the way that T. Pierce dealt with issues of culture and […]
A sweet story about non-romantic love, involving a magical plague.
Briar’s Book is the final book in Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic quartet, which of course is ending just as I’m getting used to the format Pierce wrote them in. Naturally, it focuses on Briar, the former thief and street rat, now plant-mage of Winding Circle Temple. He and the three girls are now a year older than they were in the first book, but still quite young. They’ve adjusted to their new lives and are learning in heaps and loads. For Briar, a large […]
The last Percy Jackson book? Who knows.
This is what I wrote upon finishing the book last month: “My emotions have been played like a cheap fiddle at a hoedown AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE. I like, am alllllmost tempted to give this five stars, but I’m gonna sit on that impulse for now (see cheap fiddle hoedown comment above.) So for now, 4.5 stars. Also shut up, YOU’RE CRYING.” I’ve cooled off since then, and I’d probably need to re-read before I can form definite opinions about specific details (mostly because […]
A diverse, impressive world for the middle-grade and adult reader
(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Akashic Books has long been at the indie forefront of interesting literature. Along with other fun releases like Simon’s Cat and Go the F—k to Sleep, they’ve expanded their stable to include books aimed at middle grade and young adult readers under their new imprint, Black Sheep. Game World by C.J. Farley is one of their first releases, and it’s a diverse, impressive world aimed at the advanced elementary school-aged reader on up to adults. My [now] 10-year-old daughter […]
There is magic in the weaving.
Sandry’s Book is the first book of Tamora Pierce’s I’ve read that wasn’t set in Tortall, and I enjoyed it very much. It was a compact, precise little book all about people coming together. And, you know, magic and stuff. Fair warning, though. My reading of the book probably suffered because it was my second book in the 24 Hour Readathon a couple of weeks ago. I was highly buzzed on coffee for the first half of the book, and during the second I was […]