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Why You Need to Read: “Along the Saltwise Sea”

The Up-and-Under, #2: Along the Saltwise Sea By: A. Deborah Baker Published: October 12, 2021 Genre: Fantasy/Children’s Literature/Sequel             No matter how strange or improbable the things Avery, Zib, and their friends encounter on their journey through the Up-and-Under, I am telling you the truth as it was seen on those hazy, not-so-long-gone days. There may sometimes… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Along the Saltwise Sea”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Mask of Mirrors”

Rook & Rose, #1: The Mask of Mirrors By: M.A. Carrick                                                                    Audiobook: 23 hours 13 minutes Published: January 21, 2021                                                   Narrated by: Nikki Massoud Genre: Fantasy             Still, she insisted that obsequiousness was part of the role, and no amount of correction from either Ren or Alta Renata could stamp it out. Sighing, Renata put in her earrings—formerly Letilia’s—while… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Mask of Mirrors”

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Why You Need to Read: “Over the Woodward Wall”

The Up-and-Under, #1: Over the Woodward Wall By: A. Deborah Baker Published: October 6, 2020 Genre: Fantasy/Children’s Literature             Because of their houses, Avery’s and Zib’s both, were on the side of the street where the forest loomed, there were no corners: they lived, unwittingly, only three doors down from one another. But across the street from… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Over the Woodward Wall”

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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”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Once and Future Witches”

The Once and Future Witches By: Alix E. Harrow Published: October 13, 2020 Genre: Historical Fantasy, Folklore, Paranormal             …“The Tale of Saint George and the Witches.” It’s never been one of her favorites, but she reads it anyway.             It’s the usual version: once upon a time there were three wicked witches who loosed a terrible… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Once and Future Witches”

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Why You Need to Read: “Beneath the Sugar Sky”

Wayward Children, #3: Beneath the Sugar Sky By: Seanan McGuire Published: January 9, 2018 Genre: Fantasy             The Queen of Cakes would never have been defeated: Sumi had died before she could return to Confection and overthrow the government. Rini wasn’t just saving herself. She was saving a world, setting right what was on the verge of… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Beneath the Sugar Sky”

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Why You Need to Read: “Every Heart A Doorway”

Wayward Children, #1: Every Heart A Doorway By: Seanan McGuire Published: April 5, 2016 Genre: Fantasy *Winner of: Hugo Award for Best Novella 2017, Nebula Award for Best Novella 2016, Locus Award for Best Novella 2017, ALA Alex Award 2017             …the wanting. You want to go back, and so you hold on to the habits you… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Every Heart A Doorway”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Starless Sea”

The Starless Sea By: Erin Morgenstern Published: November 5, 2019 Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Magic Realism             Only the singular section of “Sweet Sorrows” is about him, though pages are missing, upon close inspection there are numerous vacancies along the spine. The text comes back to the pirate and the girl again but the rest is disjointed, it… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Starless Sea”

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Why You Need to Read: “Middlegame”

Middlegame By: Seanan McGuire Published: May 7, 2019 Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction/Metaphysical             Dodger was never going to be a linguist, any more than Roger was going to be a mathematician, but they could cope, which was more than some of their fellows ever learned. They balance each other, (Variation).              Seanan McGuire is an author whose books you’ve… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Middlegame”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Ten Thousand Doors of January”

The Ten Thousand Doors of January By: Alix E. Harrow Published: September 10, 2019 Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age             I almost didn’t notice the Door at all. All Doors are like that, half-shadowed and sideways until someone looks at them in just the right way, (1, The Blue Door).              Portal fantasies are one of the many… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Ten Thousand Doors of January”