A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

This is my return to the writing of Sarah Maas. It has been awhile but I loved the Throne of Glass series (Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash, and The Assassin's Blade).


I liked this book a lot. I admit freely that at one point I was really frustrated with Fayre but it didn't keep be from being sucked into the world Maas created here. And world building in a series can go slowly and be hard to get into or it can feel effortless and suck the reader right in. This one did that for me.

I felt bad for Fayre and how awful and less she felt for the thing she never learned to do. I really liked the Lucien and his snarky way. I wasn't sure how I felt about Rhysand by the end of the story, very conflicted. And Tamlin was just, well, really good.

There was romance, some steamy scenes, mystery, magic, and lore. Overall a good strong start to a series.

I guess this is a twist on Beauty and The Beast but who is the beast? I guess I will keep reading and find out. On to book 2!!!

(Finished January 28, 2020)

Crooked Kingdom (The Six of Crows Duology #2) by Leigh Bardugo

If I hadn't got sick, lost a lot of sleep, had two teeth pulled and just been really off my game I would have finished this much quicker. It was a really good follow-up to Six of Crows. And following the advice I was given to read The Shadow and Bone trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising) first was the right move. Some of the references to events and people from that part of the Grisha story were easier to follow by doing it that way.

I was devastated by one part, intrigued to watch all the schemes play out, and liked that there was no miraculous making of one character into some shiny hero. It is much more interesting when a story stays in that moral gray area and a character feels human, not all good or bad but capable of being rotten.
If I had to pick a favorite character I am not sure I could, but maybe Nina, or Inej, or maybe Mattias...or maybe....but I loved the interplay between Wylan and Jesper. Something they both felt was a weakness in themselves was made strong by the presence of the other.

Nina and Mattias and the evolution of how they viewed each other was beautiful. And Inej's surprise at the end was perfect.



This was a slower burn than Shadow & Bone but no less enjoyable. Now I think I will have to get my hands on King of Scars.

(Finished January 25, 2019)

Six of Crows (The Six of Crows Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I was advised to read The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising) before I read The Six of Crows Duology because it would give me context for some of the events and people referenced and it was. So if you are new to The Grishaverse that is what I would suggest you do too.

The tone of this story has a very different feel than The Shadow and Bone Trilogy. That isn't a bad thing just something to be aware of. These characters are a study in contrasts. Kaz, is he just a heartless thief who has had anything good in him killed off by childhood trauma? Is there hope of any kind of peace and friendship possible between Matthias and Nina when everything he has ever been told throughout his entire life has him thinking Nina and all other Grisha are evil witches? Will Inej ever be free of the fear her time in The Menagerie as done to her? Can a young gang of crooks become a family?

Six of Crows is a heist story and also a character story. As the big score, the one that could free the crew from their debts and indentured status, is planned and carried out their stories begin to be revealed and all that they have seen, done, and had done to them before colors their actions and choices now. Will that help or hamper their score? And what's with Kaz's gloves?

I can't really compare the two sets of stories, they take place in the same world around the same time but have such a different cast and tone. I don't know if more overlap happens in book 2 but I guess I will find out shortly.

(Finished January 17, 2020)

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

The pick for the Barnes & Noble bookclub for its February 4th meeting. I read this a little earlier than I normally would in order to be able to lead the discussion. I had never read any of Ann Napolitano's other books so I don't know if this is her usual style/story telling way but I loved it. And I want to get a fern.

Dear Edward is beautiful and heartbreaking but also cathartic and life affirming. Edward begins the tale as 12 year old Eddie and he is moving with his family, his mom Jane, his dad Bruce, and his big brother Jordan, from New York to California. Along the way the plane they are on crashes and he is the lone survivor. The story is told in a back and forth through time fashion. It alternates between the start of the flight and the time leading up to and then the crash and Eddie waking up in the hospital and his time after as Edward and trying to live again with his Aunt and Uncle and new friends Shay and her mom Besa.

During the pieces of the story told form the airport and aboard the plane we meet some of the other passengers on the plane. There is a gay wounded vet, a dying business legend, an up and coming trader, a pregnant young lady, a woman who believes she has lived hundreds of prior lives and remembers all of them, and a nurse with no name. We also meet some of the crew.


The after chapters tell the story of Edward. He has to learn how to live in a world without. Without his family, without falling apart, without letting others define him. But he finds his world still has a lot as well and that it takes time to see it and feel it. He has to learn that ok looks different now.

I'm not going to lie, this is a very emotional read and can be quite hard. But it is so worth it.
A quote I was particularly touched by sort of sums it up "In the moonlight, though, the pain is revealed to be love. The emotions are entwined; they are two sides of the same gleaming coin."

(Finished January 13, 2020)

Martin McLean, Middle School Queen by Alyssa Zaczek

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! My friend and coworker who is the Queen of the children's department at the B&N where we work told me about this book and I had to have it. I am always looking for suggestions for LGBTQ+ books and there aren't many in the younger age group. Middle school is a mine field for all kids but for some kids it is even harder. For kids of color, for kids who don't know how they feel, for kids who do and feel like maybe it means they are different or less, we need more books like this. Books that tell gay kids that they are bright and beautiful and fierce and wonderful too. That they are normal too.

As the mom of a gay middle school aged teen I wish that when my now 8th grader was in 6th grade and struggling with what it meant when he came out to us, with the words he was hearing other kids at school use, I wish this book was available then. As a bookseller I am so pleased to have this title in my list of recommendations. The story is beautiful and funny and heartbreaking and healing. It isn't just about being a middle school drag queen, though that is a huge part of who Martin/Lottie is. It is about it being ok to not know the answers to the big questions. It is ok to be yourself and no one has the right to take that away from you or make you feel bad. It is about supporting your friends. It is about being part of a team. It is about finding the you you want to be and doing it fiercely.

I LOVED THIS STORY!!!!


(Finished January 11, 2019)

Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo

First was Shadow and Bone then came Siege and Storm and rounding it out is this stunning conclusion.


In less capable hands this might have been a "typical" fairytale. But the complexity of the characters, the willingness to embrace the truth that there is a blurred line between good and evil, to acknowledge that power is tempting and giving it up is a loss that it's ok to mourn, it is just all so beautifully woven together. I don't want to drop any huge spoilers or ruin any twists and surprises so I will just say that there are some. There is a reveal that I didn't see coming but then when it did it made perfect sense. Happy endings aren't always the way we expect them and it makes them better when they are laced with sadness and other strong emotions. And I loved this trilogy so much!!! It was so worth the inevitable book hangover I am feeling.


Side note: I added this book to my LGBTQ shelf on Goodreads because there is a same sex couple that forms in this book and it isn't made a huge deal, it is just presented as two people who feel a connection and fall for each other and I wanted to acknowledge that.

(Finished January 10, 2019)

Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo

This is the follow up to Shadow and Bone. I started as soon as I finished and a chapter in I was so angry!!! I felt like I had taken a breath too soon and was sucker punched. But then things changed and a new character came into the story and I fell for him big time. (And beyond this there be spoilers a little so skip down if you are trying to avoid any, I promise no big spoilers tho.) Not that I don't like or even love Alina and Mal, but something about Strumhond/Nikolai, I just love. I think it is ability to swagger and snark even when he is hurt or angry. Or maybe it is the way he seems to soothe Alina and not really make demands of her. I mean yes he does make ask something of her but he doesn't force her and he seems to accept her for who and what she is and doesn't want to change her and he doesn't feel threatened by her the way Mal seems to. And he doesn't want to use her for her power for his own gain the way Darkling does.





(It is safe to resume here if you want to skip the minor spoilers above.)
The world building continues and Ravka feels as much a character in this tale as the people do. The battle for freedom and the moral gray areas are still central to the story and it is well crafted. How much power is too much, or does it wholly depend on who wields the power. Is absolute power absolutely corrupting? Can a leader also have a normal life, what price for freedom and safety is too high? What makes a good leader and does pure bloodline matter? How does vanity and jealousy cause us to make terrible choices or remind us to make better. I feel like these are the central questions/theme tackled in this fantasy fairytale. And I am anxious to get on to the finale.

(Finished January 8, 2019)

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

My first experience with Leigh Bardugo was her first adult book Ninth House. I had an ARC from work and it was the November Barnes & Noble bookclub book and I am the group leader for that. While at Leaky Con people were stopping me to tell me they were dying to read it and that if I hadn't (and I hadn't) I should read her other work. Then my friend Kelly told me I should read The Grisha Trilogy (aka Shadow and Bone Trilogy) first then move on to Six of Crows so that is what I am doing.  And I am so glad I did. I wasn't disappointed.

Sometimes when a book is the start of a series and has the burden of world building and character creation it can make for a clunky or slow read. That wasn't the case here. From the first page I was sucked in and wanted to know more about Alina. When she meets The Darkling my spider sense tingled but I wanted her to be happy. When she finds her buried memory I sighed and felt for her. I really liked her. She doesn't come across as a dumb girl in need of rescue, a pet peeve of mine, but rather is aware of her limitations and begins to learn how she can compensate for them or conquer them.

I hope we get more of her backstory in the remainder of the story. I hope she continues to grow and learn. And I hope she is victorious.

I would have finished this sooner if I wasn't working and doing other things that kept me from my book, like being a mom and sleeping, you know, the things that seem to get between a girl and her reading time. I wouldn't trade my other activities for anything but I am also fully aware of the tug a books have on me and the desire to be able to be curled up with my dog and current book and not have to do anything else...You know the struggle and it is real.

(Finished January 6, 2020)

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1) by Adam Silvera

One of the perks of my job is ARCs (Advance Reader's Copies) come into the store. I had mentioned to my friend at work that I was excited for this one and had even preordered a personalized signed copy. So when I walked into work and found the ARC in my locker I was very excited, she saw it come in and snagged it for me.


I will try not to be too spoilerish because the book isn't out yet and not knowing certain things is important.

But I want to share some thoughts. Something Adam does here is he writes the dialogue the way teens talk. Something with YA books is yes the characters are young but sometimes they act very adult and sometimes they are clearly young and speak and act like they are and that is like the "real world". In the real world people of all ages are capable of different levels of maturity and speaking the way teens of the day speak isn't the best reflection of how mature a person is.

There is something very important about this book, Emil is a gay young man and is very comfortable with his sexuality as is his family, he has a loving support system and knows he’s lucky. There is an easy use of all pronouns for each character including they/them. I love the way Adam makes his characters feel real and validates their lives. I thinks it’s time for more characters of color and more characters who are members of the LGBTQ community to be magical and heroic and the stars of the story. All kids, all teens, should be able to see themselves in their stories. And white and straight kids need to be exposed to more diverse characters the stories they read. Normalized shouldn’t be Cis gender white males, it should a rainbow of people across all spectrums.


So this particular story, the first in the Infinity Cycle and a departure from Adam's previous books. It's a magical fantasy story. Something that comes through is the love you can tell the author has for works from his younger days, there is a bit of an ode to stories like Harry Potter and X-Men here.

Twin brothers Emil and Brighton live in NYC in a time where some people have powers and others don't. Among those who don't there are some who acquire power in less than honorable ways. The brothers wish they were a magical team but when their 18th birthday comes and nothing has manifested they have resigned themselves to not being super heroes. Brighton really wants powers and he fan boys those who have them. He is trying to make a name for himself as an internet celebrity. I will admit he irritates me and I blame a lot of what happens on him and his greedy desire.

Overall I really liked this book and am looking forward to seeing where the next installment takes us.
There is tension and questions of ends justifying the means. There is the beginning to looking into what makes a villain and what makes a hero, the shades of gray and the things people do to each other in their quest to be or to feel powerful and part of something.

And Emil, he is a sweet young man who is comfortable with his sexuality but not his body and it is an interesting character. I liked him and felt for him and wanted him to be happy and succeed.

I think I am risking saying too much if I say more so I will just say that this is a solid first outing. It is worth noting that this is a different approach to world building for a series than I have encountered before. The story starts and the world is fleshed out a little bit here and there. Adam talks to the reader as if they are in a world they are already a part of so there aren't huge pauses in narrative to explain back story and history, it all flows.

As I touched on before, there are different ways of voicing YA books/characters. Here it is in the first person and the teenagers sound like teenagers from this time period, the present. It doesn't distract from the story but it can at times make an older reader and lover of YA books feel old. It isn't a problem and I still really liked the book and story.

(Finished January 2, 2020)