To Read or Not To Read

Erin Sterling's follow-up to The Ex Hex, The Kiss Curse , is just as charming as predecessor. The perfect book for fall, and for those of us who love good witchy stories, curses, and all things magical, this spooky romance belongs on the fall TBR. Erin Sterling also writes as Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books for young readers. Her work has been sold in more than a dozen countries. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @ladyhawkins. You can find more of my reviews of her work here .  Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she's running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she's started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there's only one problem—Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow. ...

On this page, find all of my reviews of the four books in the Raven Cycle Series, by Maggie Stiefvater. Each review begins with a brief overview of the book's content (with a publisher-supplied blurb), before diving into my review.  Maggie Stiefvater is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Shiver, Linger, and Forever . Her novel The Scorpio Races was named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association. She lives in Virginia. You can find her online at www.maggiestiefvater.com .  *These reviews can also be found on my Goodreads page* The Raven Boys Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be-dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they c...

On this page, find all of my reviews of the three books in the Serpent & Dove series, by Shelby Mahurin. Each review begins with a brief overview of the book's content (with a publisher-supplied blurb), before diving into my review.  Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn't fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches  The Office  and reads voraciously. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband and semiferal children.  Serpent & Dove  is her debut novel. Visit her online at  www.shelbymahurin.com . You can read more of my reviews of her work here. *These reviews can all be found on my Goodreads page* Serpent & Dove Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatev...

On this page, find all of my reviews of the six books in the Shatter Me series, by Tahereh Mafi. Each review begins with a brief overview of the book's content (with a publisher-supplied blurb), before diving into my review.  Tahereh Mafi is the  New York Times  and  USA Today  bestselling author of the Shatter Me series,  Furthermore  and  Whichwood.  She can usually be found overcaffeinated and stuck in a book. You can find her online just about anywhere @TaherehMafi or on her website  www.taherehbooks.com . You can find more of my reviews of Tahereh's works  here .  *These reviews can all be found on my Goodreads page* Shatter Me One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill. No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But the Reestablishment sees it as a gift,...

You've Got Mail is one of my all-time favorite rom-coms—which means that I've been waiting a long time to get my hands on Kelsey Rodkey's debut. An emotional rollercoaster of a story, Last Chance Books is as much a love story to bookstores as it is to self-growth. Kelsey Rodkey is a burrito lover and banter enthusiast striving to create the stories she lacked as a teenager. She lives near the capital of Pennsylvania, which a lot of people think is Philadelphia, with her significant other and their cat, Cheese. Last Chance Books is her first novel. Follow her www.kelseyrodkey.com .  Nothing will stop Madeline Moore from taking over her family's independent bookstore after college. Nothing, that is—until a chain bookstore called Prologue opens across the street and threatens to shut them down. Madeline sets out to demolish the competition, but the guy who works over at Prologue seems intent on ruining her life. Not only is he taking her customers, he has the unbelievable ...

I'd had my eye on Axie Oh's XOXO since before it was published, and finally had the chance to read this swoonworthy YA novel. It did not disappoint! For fans of Nicola Yoon, Laura Taylor Namey, and Abigail Hing Wen, this novel about two musicians—one a classical cellist, the other a famous K-Pop star—will have you believing in the power of music to bring fated two souls together. Axie Oh is a first-generation Korean American, born in New York City and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California San Diego and holds an MFA in Writing for Young People from Lesley University. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea, and she currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her dog, Toro (named after Totoro). She is the author of multiple books for teens, including The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea . You can find Axie online at axieoh.com . You can find more of my reviews of Axie's ...

Suzanne Park's YA holiday romcom is a hilarious romp with a lot of heart. With everything on the line—from main character Chloe's chance at an artistic future to Chloe's and Peter's parents' livelihoods to the sense of community in their second home—Park crafts a novel that shares a necessary story in a funny and compelling way.  Suzanne Park is a Korean American author who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, she appeared on BET's Coming to the Stage, was the winner of the Sierra Mist Comedy Competition in Seattle, and was a semifinalist in NBC's Stand Up for Diversity showcase in San Francisco. Suzanne graduated from Columbia University and received an MBA from UCLA. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, off-spring, and a sneaky rat that creeps around on her back patio. In her spare time, she procrastinates. She is also the author of the young adult novels The Perfect Escape and Sunny Song Will Never...

Don't let the second-person blurb throw you—Gillian McAllister's newest mystery is about more than just time travel, and more than just crime (but don't worry, there is plenty of all of that!). What makes Wrong Place Wrong Time such an engrossing read is its ability to combine suspenseful elements with the strong emotional core of how far one would go to protect the ones they love.  Gillian McAllister has been writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she writes full-time. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Everything But the Truth, Anything You Do Say, No Further Questions, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear , and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night . She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast. To learn more, find her online at gillianmcallister.com . Late October. After midnight. You're waiting up for yo...

Isabel Allende's masterpiece The House of the Spirits is a must-read for all book lovers, but also for all those who love to write. A sprawling story with a strong emotional center, The House of the Spirits is an immersive and powerful read, moving and grounding all at once. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of a number of bestselling and critically acclaimed books, including The House of the Spirits, Eva Luna, Stories of Eva Luna, Of Love and Shadows, Paula, The Japanese Lover , and In the Midst of Winter . Allende's books have been translated into more than thirty-five languages and have sold more than sixty-five million copies worldwide. She lives in California. Learn more at www.isabelallende.com .  The House of the Spirits brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch, Esteban, is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wi...

A harrowing and timeless novel, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale will stand all the tests of time. Exquisitely crafted, this novel is both a quick read and an incredibly digestible one, despite the heavy content. This contemporary classic needs to find its way into everyone's hands, and then some, because it'll teach more than just the power of reading—it will teach the power of storytelling. Margaret Atwood, whose work has been published in thirty-five countries, is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. In addition to The Handmaid's Tale , her novels include Cat's Eye , shortlisted for the 1989 Booker Prize; Alias Grace , which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy; The Blind Assassin , winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; Oryx and Crake , shortlisted for the 2003 Man Booker Prize; The Year of the Flood; MaddAddam; The Heart Goes Last; and Hag-Seed . She is the recipient of the Los Angeles Times ...