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The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
This makes for a very wholesome read that will definitely appeal to fans of T.J. Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. Set in Britain, we follow Mika Moon, a witch who has learnt to live an isolated life in order to successfully hide her magic from others. Like other witches, she is an orphan […]
3 STARS, 3rd pov, Adult, british indian author, cheesy, Childrens, Contemporary, cozy mystery, england, FANTASY, female authors, found family, gay side characters, grumpy/sunshine dynamic, HUMOR, lgbtq+ side, light reads, m/m side, MAGIC, NORFOLK, orphans, playful style, published in 2022, queer side characters, read in 2022, ROMANCE, Sangu Mandanna, sitter/au pair/governess, teachers, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, WITCHES -
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is an engaging start to an action-driven fantasy series that is written in a winsome prose that is guaranteed to appeal to fans of Rick Riordan. Like Riordan’s books, Zhao combines an action-driven quest with a coming of age tale exploring the highs and lows of being a 12yr […]
3.5 STARS, 3rd pov, action, adventure, asian american, battles, belonging, BOOK REVIEW, Booklr, bullying, Childrens, China, chinese canadian author, coming of age, Contemporary, FANTASY, gaming, history, HUMOR, identity, KIDS WITH POWERS, lgbtq+, LGBTQ+ Author, middle grade, middle school, Muslim rep, myths, near future/alternate reality, playful style, published in 2022, queer, quests, read in 2022, reading, social issues, technology, travel, URBAN FANTASY, Xiran Jay Zhao, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor -
A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier — book review
“One thing was for sure: This Christmas was going to be anything but boring.” A Castle in the Clouds is the book equivalent of cotton candy. Fluffy, sickly sweet, and somewhat insubstantial. Nevertheless, with its Clue meets Scooby Doo story this latest novel by Kerstin Gier makes for an entertaining, if silly, read. A Castle […]
1st pov, 3.25 stars, A Castle in the Clouds, adventure, Childrens, Christmas reads, Contemporary, drama, female authors, German, german author, hotel, HUMOR, Kerstin Gier, missing jewels, mountains, MYSTERY, mystery puzzle, PUBLISHED IN 2017, read in 2020, ROMANCE, Switzerland, TRANSLATED FICTION, uplifting reads, WINTER, winter reads, YOUNG ADULT -
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken — book review
“IT WAS DUSK – winter dusk. Snow lay white and shining over the pleated hills, and icicles hung from the forest trees. Snow lay piled on the dark road across Willoughby Wold, but from dawn men had been clearing it with brooms and shovels. There were hundreds of them at work, wrapped in sacking because […]
1800s, 19TH CENTURY, 4 STARS, adventure, alternate history, books with wolves, British author, CHILDHOOD, childhood reads, Childrens, childrens classics, england, female authors, friendships, GOTHIC, HISTORICAL FICTION, Joan Aiken, manor, MYSTERY, orphans, published in 1962, re-reads, read in 2020, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase -
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson — book review
“She was good at all sorts of puzzles—word searches, hangman, acrostics, cryptograms, any puzzle with words.” Although I am not part of Winterhouse’s target audience, I do enjoy reading the occasional book aimed towards younger readers as they can be quite uplifting and entertaining reads. In fact, I picked Winterhouse up hoping for a light […]
3 STARS, 3rd pov, adventure, America, American, AMERICAN AUTHOR, Ben Guterson, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, Childrens, Chloe Bristol, FANTASY, friendships, ghosts/spirits, holidays, hotel, illustrated books, male authors, MYSTERY, mystery puzzle, orphans, published in 2018, read in 2020, WINTER, winter reads, Winterhouse