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Showing posts from August, 2021

The Hollow Boy Book Review

Stroud's best yet,  The Hollow Boy is the creepiest, funniest, and most exciting Lockwood & Co. series book yet. With new ghosts and threats building, the suspense around the Problem is growing thicker and thicker with each deepening mystery. And let's not forget the new tensions that are forming between Lockwood, Lucy, George, and their newest addition, Holly, making for a read that is hilarious, heartfelt, and thrilling.  Jonathan Stroud is the author of the first two Lockwood & Co. books, The Screaming Staircase and The Whispering Skull ; the internationally   bestselling Bartimaeus books: The Amulet of Samarkan, The Golem's Eye, Ptolemy's Gate, and The Ring of Solomon; as well as the novels  Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege,  and  Buried Fire.  He lives in England with his wife and three children. You can find Stroud at www.jonathanstroud.com . You can find more of my reviews of Stroud's works here .  A massive outbreak of supernatural Vis

The Whispering Skull Book Review

In this exciting and dramatic sequel, the agents of Lockwood & Co. face yet another mystery that puts them directly in harm's way. Stroud continues to develop his world of alternate contemporary England while weaving together multiple mysteries, culminating in an end that satisfies while also leaving readers wanting more. The Whispering Skull , a cleverly crafted novel in its own right, begins to set the stage for the larger storm coming for Lockwood & Co., creating suspense that will keep dedicated readers at the edge of their seat.   Jonathan Stroud is the author of three books in the Lockwood & Co. series , as well as the  New York Times  bestselling Bartimaeus books, and the standalone titles  Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege,  and  Buried Fire.  He lives in England with his wife and three children. You can find Stroud at www.jonathanstroud.com . You can find more of my reviews of Stroud's works here .  A new client has hired Lockwood & Co. to

The Screaming Staircase Book Review

With ghosts around every corner and a mystery that will just not leave the main character alone, Jonathan Stroud builds a world that is thrilling, a bit terrifying, and imaginative. For fans of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, the first novel in the Lockwood & Co. series takes us back to what we all loved about our favorite childhood series: a main character regaining confidence in herself, witty and silly sidekicks with the perfect jokes, and a story that will not let us go until we find out exactly how it ends. For those looking for a fun read and a perfect escape, I recommend The Screaming Staircase as the first step in an adventure to do just that.   Jonathan Stroud is the author of three books in the Lockwood & Co. series , as well as the New York Times bestselling Bartimaeus books, and the standalone titles Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege, and Buried Fire.  He lives in England with his wife and three children. You can find Stroud at www.jonathanst

Any Way the Wind Blows Book Review

A fitting finale for a series full of beloved characters, Any Way the Wind Blows ties up all the loose ends of Simon's, Baz's, Penelope's, Agatha's, and Shepard's stories that began six years ago. With emotional and character-driven moments balanced by an entertaining yet low-stakes plot, Any Way the Wind Blows is truly a story for those who have followed Simon and Baz since the beginning, and are looking for a cathartic ending to what has been a tumultuous and exciting journey. It is the kind of story that wraps up all the loose ends and makes readers wonder what will be next for Rainbow Rowell. Rainbow Rowell lives in Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband and two sons. She's also the author of Carry On, Wayward Son, Landline, Fangirl, Eleanor & Park and Attachments . You can find more of my reviews of Rainbow's works here .  In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in

Unmarriageable Book Review

A faithful retelling of the beloved classic Pride and Prejudice , Unmarriageable examines the double standards for men and women in modern day Pakistan. With clever nods to its source material and brilliantly fun twists to a famed love story, Unmarriageable is a delightful and thoughtful read, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice  and those who desire reads that break down the world around them, while also providing a happily ever after.    Soniah Kamal's debut novel, An Isolated Incident , was a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and the Karachi Literature Festival-Embassy of France Prize. Her TEDx Talk is about regrets and second chances. Kamal's award-winning work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Catapult, and Literary Hub . You can find Soniah at soniahkamal.com and on Instagram @SoniahKamal When Alys Binat's family is invited to their town's wedding of the century, Alys's mother, the indom

Evvie Drake Starts Over Book Review

Linda Holmes's debut Evvie Drake Starts Over has charmed thousands of readers—and it's easy to see why. With fully realized characters engaging in real conversations about the tough curveballs life throws their way, it's actually quite difficult to not fall head-over-heels for this novel's authenticity, hilarity, and originality. Heartwarming and wise, Linda Holmes crafts a novel that's perfect all-year round, but especially when one might need to remember that there is always hope in life.  Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for National Public Radio and the host of the podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour , which has held sold-out live shows in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, and elsewhere. She appears regularly on NPR's radio shows, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition . Before NPR, she wrote for New York magazine online and for TV Guide , as well as for the influential website Television Without Pity . In her free time,

The House in the Cerulean Sea Book Review

A thought-provoking, incredibly fun, and honest novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea just might take your breath away. Described as being close to perfect and like a hug, this wholesome found family journey of acceptance, loyalty, and truth is a relevant and necessary tale. For readers of every age, TJ Klune creates a world that is magical and thoughtful, a world that we all long for and have the power to create.  TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea , The Extraordinaries , and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. You can find Klune on Instagram @tjklunebooks. You can find more of my reviews of TJ's work here .  Linus Baker is a by-the-book caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records for company. But his