To Read or Not To Read

You've heard of ghost stories -- or have you? Because in this case, a beloved classic we thought we knew turns out to be one of the most epic ghost stories of all. When you throw together a ghost hunter, a girl who can command ghosts, and a writer, we finally get the backstory to Jane Eyre  we never knew we needed. Narrated by our hilarious group of Lady Janies, Jane Eyre finally gets the story she deserves. You will never look at Jane Eyre the same way again.  The authors of this novel fondly call themselves the Lady Janies, and are comprised of writers Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. Ashton, author of the Everneath trilogy and  Diplomatic Immunity,  received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and currently lives in Utah. Hand,  New York Times  bestselling author of the Unearthly trilogy and  The Last Time We Say Goodbye , s...

History can't be rewritten -- or can it? Because, in this case, history got it all wrong. Enter a humorous, magical retelling of a beloved moment from history, because it's the right story. With three dynamic characters, an exhilarating plot and a group of hilarious narrators, the Lady Janies give Lady Jane Grey the story she deserves. And it's definitely the kind of story no reader can soon forget. The authors of this novel fondly call themselves the Lady Janies, and are comprised of writers Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. Ashton, author of the Everneath trilogy and Diplomatic Immunity, received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and currently lives in Utah. Hand, New York Times bestselling author of the Unearthly trilogy and The Last Time We Say Goodbye , studied literary fiction and earned an MFA and PhD in fiction writing, and currentl...

A lot of stories we can find in literature, cinema, or art are retellings of the classics, begging the question: why rewrite the same story? The answer is that often, when the story is changed, it can teach us something new or unexpected. By changing just a few details, there is representation for people who weren't there before, or a deeper understanding of multiple characters. Retellings are the most exciting stories, in my opinion, because they can be viewed as a kind competition -- who did it best, the original or the retelling? Like the book vs. adaptation question, this question lacks a clear answer. Luckily, that means we can continue to invite these stories into the world, and Addie Thorley does just that with her novel, Night Spinner . A loose retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame , which combines epic fantasy elements, engaging characters, and a series of crazy plot twists,  Night Spinner proves that retellings are surprising and necessary. Addie Thorley, author of N...

We trick ourselves into a lot of things: whether that's finding ways to be more productive, to eat healthier, or to generally achieve the life we want to live. But, turns out, we trick ourselves so deeply that it's hard to pull apart what we do because we want to, and what we do because of societal constructs. Luckily, Jia Tolentino takes a stab pulling these constructs apart for us. She calls it a "trick mirror . . . the illusion of flawlessness as well as the self-flagellating option of constantly finding fault." In this collection of cleverly-crafted essays, Tolentino analyzes what it means to be human in the digital era, the ways in which we present ourselves, and how all of our lives are full of self-delusions. Jia Tolentino is a staff writer at The New Yorker  whose essays in Trick Mirror  focus on self-delusion. Previously, she was the deputy editor at Jezebel and a contributing editor at the Hairpin . She grew up in Texas, attended the University of Virgin...

How far would you go to save the country you love? Would you rule over it, kill for it, spy for it? And what about the people within the country, good and bad? These are the central questions at the heart of Leigh Bardugo's newest novel, King of Scars . Readers enter the beloved Grishaverse with three familiar characters surrounded by whole new controversies. With claims to the throne, hidden Grisha, and new leaders, Ravka's future looks as uncertain as ever. But these three leaders won't give up easily, as they each grapple with that question: how far will they go? Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author of fantasy novels, her most notable being those involved with the Grishaverse. Those include the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows duology,  The Language of Thorns , and The Lives of Saints . She's also received critical acclaim for her novel,  Ninth House , which, along with some of the Grishaverse books, will be soon coming to  TV ! If you...

What is infinite, Bardugo asks constantly in this book, and she gives us this answer: "the universe and the greed of men." This sentiment echoes throughout this series, as greed battles good, in which ultimately one can win. But it is not an easy battle. It is one full of ruin, and scars, and destruction. But it is also full of great transformations, beginning with a girl who was nothing, who became a saint, and rose again to do everything in her power to defeat darkness. A symbolic, poetic, and inspirational end to a beloved trilogy, Ruin and Rising  is chock-full of relatable characters, beautiful developments, and all the shocks a fantasy novel needs to be forever remembered by all readers. Enter into the last story and the biggest battle of Alina Starkov, at your own risk. Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author of fantasy novels, her most notable being those involved with the Grishaverse. Those include the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows duolo...

The darkness has fully descended, and the darkness will not die. The only way to combat it is with light, and hope. But both of those commodities fall few and far between. This is how we open with Leigh Bardugo's sequel to Shadow and Bone. Additional characters join the fight against the Darkling, and readers start to understand just how strong the pull for power truly is. How much further is Alina willing to go to defeat the Darkling, and to satisfy the need of feeling fully complete? Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author of fantasy novels, her most notable being those involved with the Grishaverse. Those include the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, The Language of Thorns ,  King of Scars   and The Lives of Saints . She's also received critical acclaim for her novel,  Ninth House , which, along with some of the Grishaverse books, will be soon coming to  TV ! If you're interested in more of my reviews of Leigh Bardugo's work, you...

Magic swirls at the heart of everything, depending on your perspective. There's darkness and there's light. But what if darkness, and brightness, had physical manifestations, both of which required special magic? It is these kinds of ideas that give us the fascinating genre of fantasy, and these specific questions that bring us to Shadow and Bone . But, truly, the question at the heart of Shadow and Bone  is how much anyone can be willing to sacrifice for the sake of belonging, as articulated by the author herself.  Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author of fantasy novels, her most notable being those involved with the Grishaverse. Those include the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, The Language of Thorns ,  King of Scars   and The Lives of Saints . She's also received critical acclaim for her novel,  Ninth House , which, along with some of the Grishaverse books, will be soon coming to TV ! You can find her on Twitter, ...

Recently, multiple authors have grappled with the idea of justice in their novels, with varying levels of success. They often comment on laws, customs, or toxic cultures. That is what I thought this book might take a stab at, with the epigraph "Preserve the law, for if we undo one, we undo them all." There's a lot less about justice and law in this book than I thought. In fact, this book analyzes a court culture, hierarchies, and choices in a world where there aren't many. Our heroine is flawed, her future supposedly determined, but when her world is turned upside down, it is up to the readers to understand why. The Betrothed  is a fantasy novel built on the unexpected. With a love triangle that isn't the end game, a determined yet flawed heroine, and a society steeped in tradition, Kiera Cass breaks away from the glittering style of court life. Instead, we enter a grittier royal romance where relationships are constantly tested and nothing is as it seems. Kiera...

Love is terrifying, and exciting. It's exhilarating, earth-shattering, and alarming. Eadlyn Schreave knows all of these things as she's entering her final days to choose a husband, but refuses to face the vulnerability that comes will all these feelings. Like all of us, she's spent her life protecting her heart, and isn't ready to let go. Of course, her heart also comes with the weighty cost of a crown, so which boy will survive the girl and the job? The Selection series ends in a whirlwind as Eadlyn prepares for the rest of her life. After so much growth and character development, Eadlyn is a princess readers root for, because she is wholly herself. And, in the end, she makes the choice that's best for herself, because that is what's best for the country. Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author, is the author of the Selection series which has gained a wide fanbase and is soon to be adapted for the  screen . Cass graduated from Radford University with...