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Why You Need to Read: These Middle Books that Do NOT Suffer from “Middle Book Syndrome”

I've been noticing the topic of "middle books" being mentioned in a few reviews (both bookbloggers/BookTubers and professional reviewers). So, I decided to point out the ones which continues the excitement and the plot within the series. When a series is mentioned, there are concerns as to whether or not the "next book in the… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: These Middle Books that Do NOT Suffer from “Middle Book Syndrome”

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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: “A Spindle Splintered”

Fractured Fables, #1: A Spindle Splintered By: Alix E. Harrow Published: October 5, 2021 Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Folklore             …I’ve fallen out of my own story and into one that might have a happy ending. Because this is my last chance to have a real adventure, to escape, to do more than play out the clock, (2).… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “A Spindle Splintered”

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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

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Why You Need to Read…My Most Anticipated Speculative Fiction Books of 2021

How many books will I read in 2021? Let me rephrase the question: how many books coming in 2021 will I get to read in 2021? I ask this question because I’m still going through all of the books I didn’t get to read last year—including all of the books that came out in 2020.… Continue reading Why You Need to Read…My Most Anticipated Speculative Fiction Books of 2021

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Speculative Fiction Books that Kept My Interest in the Genre

Please note the title of this post refers to books! I will write a separate list containing movies, TV shows and video games related to speculative fiction sometime in the future. And, expect that list to consist of “originals,” not just media adaptations of books. Also, these are NOT my favorite speculative fiction books of… Continue reading Speculative Fiction Books that Kept My Interest in the Genre

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Adult Fantasy: Is There Such a Thing?

Video games, graphic novels and comic books and manga, and fantasy literature continue to share the same criticism from those who are neither fans nor creators: they are for children and/or they have no place in a classroom or in an academic setting. The fact that such notions continue to be made is a disconcerting… Continue reading Adult Fantasy: Is There Such a Thing?

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Why You Need to Read: “The Girl in the Tower”

Winternight Trilogy, #2: The Girl in the Tower By: Katherine Arden Published: December 5, 2017 Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Folklore/Magic Realism/Coming-of-Age             Highborn women, who must live and die in towers, were much given to visiting. Now and again, they stayed overnight for company, when their husbands were away, (1: The Death of the Snow-Maiden).             Folklore maintains traditions and cultures that… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Girl in the Tower”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Bear and the Nightingale”

Winternight Trilogy, #1: The Bear and the Nightingale By: Katherine Arden Published: January 10, 2017 Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Folklore/Magic Realism/Coming-of-Age             Vasya’s head hurt with thinking. If the domovoi wasn’t real, then what about the others? The vodyanoy in the river, the twig-man in the trees? The rusalka, the polevik, the dvorovoi? Had she imagined them all? Was… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Bear and the Nightingale”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Year of the Witching”

The Year of the Witching By: Alexis Henderson Published: July 21, 2020 Genre: Dark Fantasy/Occult Fiction             Immanuelle had always felt a strange affinity for the Darkwood, a kind of stirring whenever she neared it. It was almost as though the forbidden wood sang a song that only she could hear, as though it was daring… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Year of the Witching”