Elvenbane, by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey, is a thrilling fantasy novel that explores themes of identity, freedom, and the power of friendship. The novel follows the story of Shana, a half-human, half-elf girl adopted by dragons. Shana was orphaned after her mother was killed in the wilderness. Most dragons tolerate the girl, but […]
***Trigger Warning- racism, sexism, and homophobia The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a fascinating and thought-provoking story, told entirely through snapshot poems, focusing on Xiomara Batista, a young girl from Harlem with an extraordinary talent for writing poetry. The novel explores themes of family, religion, love, and self-discovery. The author uses vivid descriptions and […]
Gloria Steinem by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara explores the life of the plucky eponymous feminist and journalist. Steinem noticed at a young age that females and males were treated differently and held to different standards. She went on to become a journalist, and traveled the world, finding her true passions in grassroots activism, and feminism. […]
Vegara’s Michelle Obama explores the life of one of the most gracious of First Ladies. As a child and young adult, Michelle excelled in school and went on to go to law school. It was there that she met Barack Obama. Michelle’s story is one of a person still living, and always such an inspiration! […]
Yoko Ono by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara explores the fascinating life of a person most recognisable as the wife of John Lennon. But there’s soooo much more to her life! Ono was an artist who grew up in Japan, then moved to the USA to study art. I appreciate that the author handled certain parts […]
Saiké’s Ghost Reaper Girl follows Chloe, a young and struggling actress, as she finds herself dragged into the affairs of the spirit world after a jailbreak from Hades leaves the living world flooded with malicious spirits. Overall, this manga was hilarious and certainly kept me reading. Chloe gets tangled up with two male ghosts. Mind, […]
Aftershocks by Marisa Reichardt was a wonderful, fairly quick read! I love stories that are mostly man v nature and this didn’t disappoint. Going through events like these force characters to mature or die. These types of events can really shift perspectives. I happen to live in California, and Aftershocks showcases, in detail, my worst […]
Glacier’s Edge is another awesome installment in the Legend of Drizzt series. This is 2nd in the Way of the Drow trilogy, and continues the split narratives between Jarlaxle and his group in the wilds of glacial tundra, those still at the Hosttower and the Harpell household, and Drizzt who is visiting Grandmaster Kane. Oh […]
Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle tells the story of the Blackwood family who has sadly been reduced to just three members. Several years prior, four other members of the family died from acute arsenic poisoning. Tried for the deaths of her family, elder sister Constance lives an agoraphobic life now. She and […]
How to Write That Scene! by Rayne Hall is part of her Writer’s Craft series. This book gives brief tips for writing a variety of different scenes from novel openings and ending to travel, fight, and love scenes and everything in between. Each type of scene has its own separate volume within the Writer’s Craft […]
