by Billy Collins “My Hero” Just as the hare is zipping across the finish line, the tortoise has stopped once again by the roadside, this time to stick out his neck and nibble a bit of sweet grass, unlike the previous time when he was distracted by a bee humming the heart of a wildflower. […]
[Disclosure: I received a free digital review copy of the novel from the publisher. I’ve also been friends with Jamie for over a decade. All comments, however, are my own.] Bearskin by Jamie Robyn Wood Debut-author Jamie Robyn Wood blends fairy tale fantasy with YA romance in Bearskin. Told through the lens of rotating narrators, […]
If you’re looking for fun and engaging middle-grade mysteries, look no further than the following two series. Both are now well-established and popular with young readers and feature vivid characters, historical fiction settings, and young and capable sleuths puzzling together page-turning whodunits. The Myrtle Hardcastle Series by Elizabeth C. Bunce (order the entire series here) […]
by Tilar J. Mazzeo Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, WWII Publisher: Gallery Books Page Count: 317 Published: September 27, 2016 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble Note: A young readers edition is also available for ages 10+ (a detail of this cover is shown below). My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars Official Book Summary: From the New York […]
Today I’m sharing the second installment in a three-part feature on writers Chadd VanZanten and Russ Beck, authors of On Fly-Fishing the Northern Rockies. Chadd is a professional editor and has published his writing in online journals and print anthologies. Russ teaches writing at Utah State University, is the recipient of the Western Literature Association […]
by Alison Case Genres: Historical Fiction, Retelling Publisher: Pegasus Books Length: 474 pages Published: February 8, 2106 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Official Book Summary: “Young Nelly Dean has been Hindley’s closest companion for as long as she can remember, living freely at the great house, Wuthering Heights. But when the benevolence of the […]
by Karen McManus Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller Publisher: Delacorte Press Length: 361 pages Published: May 30, 2017 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble “Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. […]
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, British History, Biography, Mystery, Feminism Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Length: 333 pages Published: April 9, 2019 Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Official Book Summary: “Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving […]
by Barbara L. Packer Defying the traditional approach, Barbara L. Packer’s The Transcendentalists begins in medias res and constitutes a thorough analysis of transcendentalism. The author skillfully guides her readers through nine chapters that provide a comprehensive understanding of this American historical, social, religious, and literary movement. Packer’s text is an invaluable guide to any […]
by Agatha Christie “Women could be beautiful, but Hercule Poirot was not at all sure that he liked beauty in men. He would not have liked to be a beautiful young man himself, not that there had ever been the least chance of that. There was only one thing about his own appearance which really […]
by Anthony Doerr I first became a fan of author Anthony Doerr when I read his short story collection The Shell Collector some nine or ten years ago while working on my master’s degree. His prose was beautiful and each story seemed to carry great emotional significance. Last year I read his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel […]
by Nathaniel Philbrick “Prior to the Battle of Valcour Island, Arnold had complained to Horatio Gates about the injustice of the allegations concerning his conduct during the retreat from Canada. None of those charges had been proven, but now, during the spring of 1779, Arnold was on his way to turning one of the […]
by J.K. Rowling I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Until then, I’m finishing rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and trying my best to avoid encountering any spoilers of the play online. Out of all of the installments in the Harry Potter series, the […]
Jactionary: Interview with Josh Allen, Author of Out to Get You
Today, I’m happy to share my interview with middle-grade author, Josh Allen. Allen’s book of scary stories, Out to Get You: 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe, is being published by Holiday House on September 3, 2019. Perfect for any reader aged 8-12 who loves mystery and creepy twists and turns, Out to Get You […]