Youths!

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

July 31, 2019 by Manimama Leave a Comment

This is for the Youth Bingo Square. Rick Riordan is a pretty big deal in my house. My younger child (aged 11) has been reading through all of his books in a continuous, never-ending, are-you-really-doing-this-again loop for the last three years. Of the series written by Riordan, the Magnus Chase books are probably my second favorite. The Sword of Summer introduces Magnus, a homeless teenager living in Boston. He has been homeless for two years, since the death of his mother to glowing blue wolves. […]

Unfortunately, This One Was a Miss for Me

You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

July 29, 2019 by Jen K Leave a Comment

Bingo Square: Youths! I was intrigued by MrsLangdonAlger’s review of this, but despite her warning of how it was hard to describe and defied expectations, the novel description on Amazon made me expect a certain narrative flow, and as a result, something about the ending didn’t quite work for me. It starts off so great! Magpie or Mags or Margaret, depending on who she is interacting with, is a sophomore in high school and close to failing. Her family life has collapsed in the last […]

“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.”

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

July 28, 2019 by LittlePlat 2 Comments

How do you decide whether or not to take the plunge and start on a multi-book series? Are you a completist who won’t even touch an unfinished series, lest you find yourself caught in a George R R Martin-style vortex, unable to escape? Or do you have the patience of a saint? And if you do decide to embark on a new multi-book series, do you have the fortitude to cut and run if the quality tumbles downhill? Or are you a sucker for […]

A single story told as though it’s the only one

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls WIlder

July 26, 2019 by Wanderlustful Leave a Comment

For those of you who missed reading this American children’s classic in your own youth, as I did, Little House on the Prairie is the second (or third, depending on whether you count Farmer Boy, apparently) in Ingalls’ multi-volume Little House set, after Little House in the Big Woods. It was my first foray in Ingalls’ works, and I don’t think I missed anything by starting out of order. The book kicks off with Pa Ingalls yearning for a place with less people (the Big […]

A very sweet YA romance with queer characters

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

July 23, 2019 by Malin Leave a Comment

#CBR11 Bingo: Rainbow Flag (author is a lesbian, as is the main character) This book would also fit nicely into the “Youths!” and “Own voices” squares on the bingo card. Official book description: Leila has made it most of the way through high school without having a crush on anyone, which comes as something of a relief. Her Persian heritage makes her different enough; if word got out that Leila liked girls, life would be twice as hard. And what would her parents think? It’s bad […]

“You can have anything once you admit you deserve it”

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

July 22, 2019 by Malin Leave a Comment

#CBR11 Bingo: Own Voices (the book is about a trans girl, written by a trans woman) (Can also easily fit into the categories of Youths!, Award Winner and/or Rainbow Flag) Official book description: Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone. But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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