***My 250th Blog Post Banned and challenged books have become a “hot topic” in 2022; or maybe the Shutdown brought more attention to them because many people returned to reading due to the Pandemic. Yes, throughout 2020 and 2021 A LOT of attention was given to books about race and ethnic issues. Then earlier this year,… Continue reading Banned & Challenged Books: When Society Overrides Personal Choice
Category: School
Why You Need to Read: “Wildseed Witch”
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wildseed Witch, Book 1: Wildseed Witch By: Marti Dumas Published: May 10, 2022 Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic School This is Belles Demoiselles: Finir l’École des Sorcières. Magic is for hooligans. Belles demoiselles use charm. That’s what you’re supposed to learn at a finishing… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Wildseed Witch”
Why You Need to Read: “Where the Drowned Girls Go”
Wayward Children, #7: Where the Drowned Girls Go By: Seanan McGuire Published: January 4, 2022 Genre: Fantasy ***WARNING: SOME SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SERIES. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.*** “You said it was where students go when they want to believe that everything that happened on the other side of the door was just a… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Where the Drowned Girls Go”
Reading Check-In: December 25, 2021
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! Because today is a holiday and I'm a bit of a workaholic, I'm keeping this week's post simple and straightforward. What have you finished reading recently? I did it! I finished this book, which is the 20th book released in 2021, which means I'll be able to present… Continue reading Reading Check-In: December 25, 2021
Why You Need to Read: “Summer Sons”
Summer Sons By: Lee Mandelo Published: September 28, 2021 Genre: (Southern) Gothic Fiction Eddie had made those decisions for Andrew as a matter of course, keeping them paired together as much as he could—until his surprise early semester at Vanderbilt. Five months of separation that had stretched into eight over the summer, and now would… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Summer Sons”
SCKA 2021 Winners
The Subjective Chaos Kind of Awards 2021 has its winners! After 6 weeks of re-reads and voting, the judges--including myself--have voted on the winners from our finalists. If you need a refresher about what the awards are and what they are about, then you can read my previous post about it here. First, let me… Continue reading SCKA 2021 Winners
Reading Check-In: October 23, 2021
What book have you finished reading recently? This debut novel lives up to all of the hype and the praises its been getting. Even if romance isn't your to-go genre, if you're a fan of Norse mythology, then you have to read this book. It gives an interesting picture of the Norse Pantheon from the… Continue reading Reading Check-In: October 23, 2021
My Favorite Speculative Fiction Narratives
***My 200th Blog Post!!!*** For this post, which marks a new milestone for me, I decided to discuss one of the most enjoyable—and the most dreadful—topics: favorites. We all know why favorites is a fun topic, but it can be daunting for opposing reasons: others have them as their favorites, they are ubiquitous, they are… Continue reading My Favorite Speculative Fiction Narratives
Why You Need to Read: “The House in the Cerulean Sea”
The House in the Cerulean Sea By: T.J. Klune Published: March 17, 2020 Genre: Fantasy *Winner of the 2021 ALA Alex Award* It was set up a hill on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It looked as if it were at least a hundred years old. It was made of brick and had a large… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The House in the Cerulean Sea”
Speculative Fiction Starters for Children and Young Adults
This article was written for the Martian Chronicle blog, but it was never posted so I decided to rewrite and to present it on my blog. Enjoy! When children and adolescents show an interest in reading, we—as adults, and as readers ourselves—want nothing more than to load our recommendations and favorite books on to them. Unfortunately, not… Continue reading Speculative Fiction Starters for Children and Young Adults