Taylor's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 06 Aug 2024 11:29:56 -0700 60 Taylor's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Cursed: The Hunter Inside (Parts I & II)]]> 41555325
Aldor has only made one friend in his life and has never seen a legendary creature before. As soon as he steps beyond his door, he finds himself an outlaw, hunted by ghosts, dragons, and bandits. Forced into joining a team of misfits in a race to recover a sacred, lost artifact—Haran’s Stone—Aldor finds unexpected friendships and adventure with a huntsman, a smuggler, a scientist, and a princess. Just when their quest begins to appear promising, disaster strikes, wielding the unexpected—and the terrifying!

Aldor’s life will never be the same as he struggles with fear, loss, love for the very first time. As the roots of his world crumble to dust, Aldor and company mustn`t lose themselves in a fury of cannibals, monsters, and illusions; their greatest challenge yet.]]> Casey M. Millette Taylor 0 currently-reading 3.78 2018 Cursed: The Hunter Inside (Parts I & II)
author: Casey M. Millette
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface]]> 33799571 Engage Your Readers with Emotion

While writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, one as involving as your characters' struggles, discoveries, and triumphs are for you.

That's where The Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in. Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers. Topics covered include: emotional modes of writing beyond showing versus telling your story's emotional world moral stakes connecting the inner and outer journeys plot as emotional opportunities invoking higher emotions, symbols, and emotional language cascading change story as emotional mirror positive spirit and magnanimous writing the hidden current that makes stories move Readers can simply read a novel...or they can experience it. The Emotional Craft of Fiction shows you how to make that happen.]]> 226 Donald Maass 144034843X Taylor 0 currently-reading 4.45 2016 The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface
author: Donald Maass
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Hook & Crown 55270589




“Where do I even begin with this book?! As a lifelong fan of Peter Pan I am a sucker for retellings and this one blew my mind. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions that I can only hope to share with the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a dark and gritty retelling with some plot twists that will leave you breathless!�


- Verified Reviewer





Elena Hart arrives in London, bound for a new boarding school operated by her estranged uncle. A fresh start is exactly what she needs. But when strange things begin happening, things she can't explain, she begins to wonder if she’s losing her senses. Then, a strange girl appears in her room one night, claiming to be a fairy tasked with bringing Elena to Neverland at the request of its ruler.



Skeptical, Elena refuses, until a young man with strange green eyes appears. Although she tries to resist his charm, something about him allays her doubts, and Elena is whisked away from the world she knows to one she always thought was make-believe.



But Neverland is nothing like the stories Elena grew up hearing, and she quickly learns that the boundary between the righteous and the wicked is hardly clear-cut. She must decide for herself who the heroes and villains are, or if there are truly any at all.]]> 212 Nicole Knapp 195353922X Taylor 0 to-read 3.13 Hook & Crown
author: Nicole Knapp
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.13
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Alex McKenna & The Geranium Deaths]]> 41143371 For Alex McKenna, high school is just a distraction from the love of his life, Margaret, with whom he can't wait to spend more time once they get to college.

In many respects, Alex is just an average seventeen-year-old boy...except for the fact he's a transgender medium born from a long line of Strega witches, possessing the ability to communicate with ghosts.

With the help of Margaret and his talented Strega great-grandmother, Alex will learn how to strengthen his abilities. The dead need Alex to help them reconcile issues they left behind—and he finds that he needs them, too. As his abilities multiply, assisting the dead becomes an outlet to channel his new energy, giving him the strength to come to terms with who he is as a transgender male, and how far he will choose to go.

]]> Vicki-Ann Bush Taylor 0 to-read 4.48 2019 Alex McKenna & The Geranium Deaths
author: Vicki-Ann Bush
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blinding Night (Blinding Night, #1)]]> 41186795 What if you were the missing piece in one of the world’s most epic legends?

Despite being an art history student, Summer isn’t thrilled to be stuck with her archeologist family all summer in Greece. While the rest of her college friends are posting a million selfies by the pool together, Summer is stuck alone, trying to entertain herself alone in a place where she doesn’t even speak the language. 

Upon her arrival to Greece, strange dreams and even stranger shadows seem to haunt Summer, leaving her to ponder the meaning of pomegranate seeds and twisted, darkened faces. 

Suddenly, her stay abroad leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of a dark stranger, who claims to be the god, Hades, whom she feels like she knows from another life. In a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, Summer is seduced to the lowest point of Greece where Hades� lair awaits…the Underworld. Determined to find out who she is and where she belongs in an age-old myth, Summer joins Hades to discover that the secrets about her past life are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.]]> Chantal Gadoury 1953539041 Taylor 5
There are a lot of things to like about the way that Chantal Gadoury approaches this particular Greek reimagining, and the way she leans into a dark, brooding, edgy aesthetic for the Underworld and its inhabitants is the best part. The descriptions and personalities of these characters make them shine: Thanatos, Arae, Minthe, and especially Morpheus are dynamic, interesting, and mysterious. They're cooler than you, and they know it. You WANT to be around them, which is what makes the Underworld chapters of the books so strong. And then there's Darce, the name Hades chooses to go by. The story of Hades and Persephone is one of my absolute favorites, which is why it's sometimes irritating to see so many retellings approach Hades as being cruel, dark, and even villainous just because he rules over the Underworld. His characterization here is much more beautiful and likeable; he's a man equal parts desperate to rule fairly over his domain and to find the love that's been stolen from him, which is what makes him such a sympathetic romantic lead.

Another thing I loved is the way that the chapters are interspersed with short story-esque "flashback" that show Darce finding Persephone in the reincarnations of various humans over and over throughout time, including Prohibition-era New York and Renaissance-era Italy. The only fault here was that I sometimes wished the entire book was set in one of these other time periods (as the tone and feel of these chapters felt much more sweepingly, cinematically romantic).

Finally, how dare you with another cliffhanger ending, Chantal. Why are you trying to kill me. Close your arcs within your first book, dammit. I can't wait another year for this conclusion.

]]> 3.88 2014 Blinding Night (Blinding Night, #1)
author: Chantal Gadoury
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2018/09/22
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves:
review:
I received an ARC of this book in return for a review, but I would have bought it regardless. I've been hyped about this book since I first heard about it--honestly, the fastest way to get my attention is with the words "Greek mythology retelling." Done. Sold.

There are a lot of things to like about the way that Chantal Gadoury approaches this particular Greek reimagining, and the way she leans into a dark, brooding, edgy aesthetic for the Underworld and its inhabitants is the best part. The descriptions and personalities of these characters make them shine: Thanatos, Arae, Minthe, and especially Morpheus are dynamic, interesting, and mysterious. They're cooler than you, and they know it. You WANT to be around them, which is what makes the Underworld chapters of the books so strong. And then there's Darce, the name Hades chooses to go by. The story of Hades and Persephone is one of my absolute favorites, which is why it's sometimes irritating to see so many retellings approach Hades as being cruel, dark, and even villainous just because he rules over the Underworld. His characterization here is much more beautiful and likeable; he's a man equal parts desperate to rule fairly over his domain and to find the love that's been stolen from him, which is what makes him such a sympathetic romantic lead.

Another thing I loved is the way that the chapters are interspersed with short story-esque "flashback" that show Darce finding Persephone in the reincarnations of various humans over and over throughout time, including Prohibition-era New York and Renaissance-era Italy. The only fault here was that I sometimes wished the entire book was set in one of these other time periods (as the tone and feel of these chapters felt much more sweepingly, cinematically romantic).

Finally, how dare you with another cliffhanger ending, Chantal. Why are you trying to kill me. Close your arcs within your first book, dammit. I can't wait another year for this conclusion.


]]> Into the Heartless Wood 53138258
When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.]]> 368 Joanna Ruth Meyer 1645671704 Taylor 5 3.83 2021 Into the Heartless Wood
author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/07/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy (A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy, #1)]]> 51902088 You’ve Reached Sam meets John Hughes in a funny and heartfelt debut about a boy’s delirious summertime quest with his ex-girlfriend.

The summer after senior year should have been a time for Cam to party and hang out with his friends. It should also have been a time for him to win back the love of his life, Allison Tandy, who'd dumped him so brutally the year before.

But it quickly becomes clear that this summer is going to be worse than a failure for Cam. It's going to be a tragedy.

Ally is left comatose after a terrible car crash, then Cam tears his ACL in a basketball accident. The operation leaves him in agony, confined to his couch and ruminating over the fact that his ex may not survive.

But when (after taking his medication) Cam starts seeing Ally, he starts to think: 1. He may be headed for a complete mental breakdown and 2. This summer might just be interesting afterall.

Brimming with honesty and humor, A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy interrogates how much control we really have over matters of love—and life]]> 368 Jeff Bishop 1984812947 Taylor 0 to-read 3.85 2022 A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy (A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy, #1)
author: Jeff Bishop
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Wish You All the Best 39678923
But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.]]> 9 Mason Deaver 1338357247 Taylor 0 to-read 4.07 2019 I Wish You All the Best
author: Mason Deaver
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/12/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wicked Fox (Gumiho, #1) 42133479 A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.]]> 429 Kat Cho 1984812343 Taylor 0 to-read 3.75 2019 Wicked Fox (Gumiho, #1)
author: Kat Cho
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/06/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Eleanor & Park 18463614
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.]]> 9 Rainbow Rowell Taylor 0 3.83 2012 Eleanor & Park
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/05/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Collateral Damage 44590801 "A spunky and jubilant love letter to superhero fans." -Kirkus Reviews

Power. Courage. Invincibility. The marks of a true hero.

Meg Sawyer has none of these things.

Meg has never stopped a moving bus with her bare hands, been bitten by a radioactive insect, or done anything moderately resembling saving the world. She doesn't have to. She's a background citizen, a nobody, one of the swarms of faceless civilians of Lunar City--where genetically enhanced superhumans straight out of the comics have thwarted evil for years.

For as long as the Supers have existed, Meg has had one goal: to not become a casualty in their near-daily battles for justice. And for the last seventeen years, she's managed to do just that. Sure, her minimum-wage job at the local coffee shop isn't great, she can't even leave her apartment without loading herself up with protective gear, and her car was just hijacked to throw at a supervillain (again), but she's not dead yet.

But when Meg accidentally finds one of the city's perfect, invincible protectors murdered under extremely suspicious circumstances, her whole "innocent bystander" strategy falls apart. After being coerced by his determined girlfriend into a mission to help prevent the deaths of the remaining Supers, Meg finds herself forced into the foreground of a story she never wanted to be part of-one that challenges everything she thought she knew about both her city and herself.

"Simonds writes smart and sassy characters but takes the time to give them emotional depth..." -˛ŃłÜ˛µ˛µ±ô±đ±·±đłŮĚý

]]> 309 Taylor Simonds Taylor 0 to-read 4.46 2019 Collateral Damage
author: Taylor Simonds
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Ghost Squad 36601937 Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.
For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business.

Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late.

With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.]]> 256 Claribel A. Ortega 1338280147 Taylor 0 to-read 3.80 2020 Ghost Squad
author: Claribel A. Ortega
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Red, White & Royal Blue 41150487
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?]]> 448 Casey McQuiston 1250316774 Taylor 0 to-read 4.06 2019 Red, White & Royal Blue
author: Casey McQuiston
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Emergency Contact 35297272
Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.]]> 394 Mary H.K. Choi 1534408967 Taylor 4 3.62 2018 Emergency Contact
author: Mary H.K. Choi
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/11
date added: 2019/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Carry On (Simon Snow, #1) 32768522
That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here � it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Carry On - The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you'd expect from a Rainbow Rowell story - but far, far more monsters.]]> 522 Rainbow Rowell 1250135028 Taylor 4 4.17 2015 Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/09
date added: 2019/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1) 28954189 Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art� of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

An alternate cover edition of ISBN: 9781442472426]]> 435 Neal Shusterman Taylor 5 4.32 2016 Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)
author: Neal Shusterman
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2019/03/14
date added: 2019/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1)]]> 32718027
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for...]]> 532 S.A. Chakraborty 0062678108 Taylor 0 currently-reading 4.12 2017 The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1)
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/02/11
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Kingdom 40864907 Welcome to the Kingdom... where 'Happily Ever After' isn't just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species--formerly extinct--roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful "princesses" engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time... love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana's memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty--and what it truly means to be human.]]> 352 Jess Rothenberg 1250293855 Taylor 0 to-read 3.80 2019 The Kingdom
author: Jess Rothenberg
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dream Keeper (The Dark Dreamer Trilogy, #1)]]> 37534266
For the last five years, the Sandman has spent every night protecting Nora. When he hid the secret to the Nightmare Lord’s escape inside her dreams, he never expected to fall in love with her. Neither did he think his nemesis would find her so quickly, but there’s no mistaking his cruel handiwork. The Nightmare Lord is tired of playing by the rules and will do anything to release his deadly nightmares into the world, even if that means tormenting Nora until she breaks.

When the Nightmare Lord kidnaps Nora’s sister, Nora must enter enemy territory to save her. The Sandman is determined to help, but if Nora isn’t careful, she could lose even more than her family to the darkness.

(Please note: This story contains vivid death scenes.)]]> 288 Amber R. Duell Taylor 0 to-read 3.86 2018 Dream Keeper (The Dark Dreamer Trilogy, #1)
author: Amber R. Duell
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> You (You, #1) 20821614
There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance� meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation.]]> 424 Caroline Kepnes 1476785597 Taylor 4
YOU is about a bookshop clerk, Joe Goldberg, who meets an MFA student named Guinevere Beck and becomes fanatically, terrifyingly obsessed with her. He uses social media to learn her patterns and personality, steals her phone and hacks her computer to monitor her communication, and systematically gets rid of anyone close to her he views as a threat, all while maintaining a facade of suave normalcy. The book is written in first-person--something the show mirrors with voice-over--so we're inside Joe's head for the entire story. It's a very creepy place to be.

The reason I enjoyed YOU so much as a show is because there is a stark, well-scripted, well-acted difference between Joe's inner thoughts and his outer persona. Even Joe's thoughts, in this format, are somewhat likeable--he's got a quick wit and charm that permeates even when his thoughts are negative or creepy. Show-Joe's particular brand of charismatic insanity makes you root for him just a little, even though you know he's wrong. This is, of course, helped along by a few redeeming qualities the show manufactured (namely Joe's protectiveness of his neighbor's abused son). The show has the ability to leave Joe's head a little more, which fleshes out the supporting cast. Beck is complicated and manipulative, Peach and Benji are tangibly, deliciously awful, and Joe's descent from obsession to murder feels earned.

Book-Joe, on the other hand, I found to be definitively less likeable. This isn't a bad thing--Joe is a BAD PERSON, and even the show doesn't ever condone his actions. But being trapped in his head was claustrophobic and sickening--his sentences are run-on and feel like they're moving at lightning speed and his thoughts whirl with fantasies about Beck (of which he cannot, even for a page, stop thinking about) and the crimes he commits are more spontaneous, frazzled, *insane* than Show-Joe's, who yes, murders people, but it happens when he feels like he's been backed into a corner with no other options.

Book YOU is deeply, psychologically terrifying; it does not contain any of the "fun" the show clearly had in expanding upon these characters and circumstances. Beck herself is rather bland and generic, but that is also the point--she's not special. She could be anyone. Joe could be anyone. This could happen to /anyone/. I did not enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed the show, but I still respect the writing, premise, and the fact that it scared me enough that I will never, ever go on a date with anyone I don't know ever again enough to give it 4/5 stars. ]]> 3.86 2014 You (You, #1)
author: Caroline Kepnes
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/26
date added: 2019/01/26
shelves:
review:
Like a lot of others who are just now discovering the fascinating appeal of reading a horror story from the perspective of an absolute lunatic, I sought out this book after watching the TV series. Inevitably, I can't disassociate my opinion of the show from my takeaway of the book, so let it be known that this rating is biased because of that.

YOU is about a bookshop clerk, Joe Goldberg, who meets an MFA student named Guinevere Beck and becomes fanatically, terrifyingly obsessed with her. He uses social media to learn her patterns and personality, steals her phone and hacks her computer to monitor her communication, and systematically gets rid of anyone close to her he views as a threat, all while maintaining a facade of suave normalcy. The book is written in first-person--something the show mirrors with voice-over--so we're inside Joe's head for the entire story. It's a very creepy place to be.

The reason I enjoyed YOU so much as a show is because there is a stark, well-scripted, well-acted difference between Joe's inner thoughts and his outer persona. Even Joe's thoughts, in this format, are somewhat likeable--he's got a quick wit and charm that permeates even when his thoughts are negative or creepy. Show-Joe's particular brand of charismatic insanity makes you root for him just a little, even though you know he's wrong. This is, of course, helped along by a few redeeming qualities the show manufactured (namely Joe's protectiveness of his neighbor's abused son). The show has the ability to leave Joe's head a little more, which fleshes out the supporting cast. Beck is complicated and manipulative, Peach and Benji are tangibly, deliciously awful, and Joe's descent from obsession to murder feels earned.

Book-Joe, on the other hand, I found to be definitively less likeable. This isn't a bad thing--Joe is a BAD PERSON, and even the show doesn't ever condone his actions. But being trapped in his head was claustrophobic and sickening--his sentences are run-on and feel like they're moving at lightning speed and his thoughts whirl with fantasies about Beck (of which he cannot, even for a page, stop thinking about) and the crimes he commits are more spontaneous, frazzled, *insane* than Show-Joe's, who yes, murders people, but it happens when he feels like he's been backed into a corner with no other options.

Book YOU is deeply, psychologically terrifying; it does not contain any of the "fun" the show clearly had in expanding upon these characters and circumstances. Beck herself is rather bland and generic, but that is also the point--she's not special. She could be anyone. Joe could be anyone. This could happen to /anyone/. I did not enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed the show, but I still respect the writing, premise, and the fact that it scared me enough that I will never, ever go on a date with anyone I don't know ever again enough to give it 4/5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)]]> 28449207 The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around�and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.]]> 532 Laini Taylor 0316341681 Taylor 0 currently-reading, abandoned 4.27 2017 Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)
author: Laini Taylor
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/20
shelves: currently-reading, abandoned
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)]]> 42080479 The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are�?]]> 488 Soman Chainani 006210490X Taylor 4
Let it be known that I loved this book; the concept of two girls thrust into opposite sides of a fairy tale had all the emotional complexity of Wicked mixed with the MG vibrancy of the Disney Channel Descendants movies. Watching Sophie and Agatha (especially Sophie) arc into their respective roles as villain and princess was delightful, and being able to predict certain plot points and twists (because of course a lot of it was predictable--this book is middle grade and I'm an adult) didn't take away from the enjoyability at all. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book, and I'm jumping right into the sequel.

The reason I'm giving SGE four stars instead of five is best expressed by an interview question Soman Chainani answered himself, in which he explained that he wanted the book to feel like a fever dream--and it did. I honestly felt like I was hallucinating (in a good way?) for most of this book, between the chaotic betrayals and side-switching of characters, the colorful, larger-than-life atmosphere, and Sophie and Agatha's tumultuous friendship. The pacing felt very rushed and very drawn-out at the same time, which was an odd thing to experience. This fever dream kept getting more and more hectic until the last fifty pages, where it spiraled completely out of control and I felt like my head was going to explode from so many things happening at once--twists on twists on twists that wrapped in on themselves like a pretzel. I wish the ending had felt cleaner and that some of the revelations were more earned (after watching She-Ra four times, I know what a solid friends-enemies-lovers arc looks like and this one is missing something that I feel confident will become stronger in later books), but although I still sort of have no idea what's going on, I can't wait to find out what happens next. ]]> 4.00 2013 The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)
author: Soman Chainani
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/20
date added: 2019/01/20
shelves:
review:
"Once upon a time, there were two girls..."

Let it be known that I loved this book; the concept of two girls thrust into opposite sides of a fairy tale had all the emotional complexity of Wicked mixed with the MG vibrancy of the Disney Channel Descendants movies. Watching Sophie and Agatha (especially Sophie) arc into their respective roles as villain and princess was delightful, and being able to predict certain plot points and twists (because of course a lot of it was predictable--this book is middle grade and I'm an adult) didn't take away from the enjoyability at all. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book, and I'm jumping right into the sequel.

The reason I'm giving SGE four stars instead of five is best expressed by an interview question Soman Chainani answered himself, in which he explained that he wanted the book to feel like a fever dream--and it did. I honestly felt like I was hallucinating (in a good way?) for most of this book, between the chaotic betrayals and side-switching of characters, the colorful, larger-than-life atmosphere, and Sophie and Agatha's tumultuous friendship. The pacing felt very rushed and very drawn-out at the same time, which was an odd thing to experience. This fever dream kept getting more and more hectic until the last fifty pages, where it spiraled completely out of control and I felt like my head was going to explode from so many things happening at once--twists on twists on twists that wrapped in on themselves like a pretzel. I wish the ending had felt cleaner and that some of the revelations were more earned (after watching She-Ra four times, I know what a solid friends-enemies-lovers arc looks like and this one is missing something that I feel confident will become stronger in later books), but although I still sort of have no idea what's going on, I can't wait to find out what happens next.
]]> The Valiard Mansion 23690522
And when emotions run high, the spirits of The Valiard Mansion stir.

THE VALIARD MANSION is an illustrated novel set in 1888. It tells the story of two childhood sweethearts separated by a vengeful ghost. The novel's first two chaptes can be read for free to download today! Visit ]]> 300 Ezelle Van Der Heever Taylor 0 to-read 4.25 The Valiard Mansion
author: Ezelle Van Der Heever
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Hot Dog Girl 35843729
* She's landed a job at Magic Castle Playland . . . as a giant dancing hot dog.
* Her crush, the dreamy Diving Pirate Nick, already has a girlfriend, who is literally the Princess of the park. But Lou's never liked anyone, guy or otherwise, this much before, and now she wants a chance at her own happily ever after.
* Her best friend, Seeley, the carousel operator, who's always been up for anything, suddenly isn't when it comes to Lou's quest to set her up with the perfect girl or Lou's scheme to get close to Nick.
* And it turns out that this will be their last summer at Magic Castle Playland--ever--unless she can find a way to stop it from closing.

Jennifer Dugan's sparkling debut coming-of-age queer romance stars a princess, a pirate, a hot dog, and a carousel operator who find love--and themselves--in unexpected people and unforgettable places.]]> 320 Jennifer Dugan 0525516263 Taylor 0 to-read 3.47 2019 Hot Dog Girl
author: Jennifer Dugan
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Grief Keeper 34522727
They hitchhike, snagging a ride with an unassuming woman who agrees to drive them to New Jersey, but when Marisol wakes up in D.C. she learns the woman is actually a government agent. Indranie Patel has a proposal for she wants Marisol to be a Grief Keeper, someone who will take another's grief into their body. It's a dangerous experimental study, but if Marisol agrees she and Gabi will be allowed to stay in the United States. If the experiment fails the girls will be sent home, which is a death sentence. Things become more complicated when Marisol meets Rey, the wealthy daughter of a D.C. Senator, and the girl she's helping to heal. Marisol likes Rey's short hair and sarcastic attitude. But she didn't expect the connection from their shared grief to erupt into a powerful love.

Suddenly being forced from the United States isn't just a matter of life and death, but a matter of the heart.]]> 256 Alexandra Villasante 0525514031 Taylor 0 to-read 3.99 2019 The Grief Keeper
author: Alexandra Villasante
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)]]> 26032887 The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.]]> 336 Holly Black 0316310336 Taylor 5 4.27 2019 The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/12
date added: 2019/01/12
shelves:
review:
Another Folk of the Air book, another me lying on the floor waiting for the sweet release of death because it would be preferable to having to wait to find out what happens next
]]> <![CDATA[Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)]]> 22299763
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.]]> 561 Leigh Bardugo Taylor 5 4.58 2016 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/07
date added: 2019/01/10
shelves:
review:

]]> Wilder Girls 42505366
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.]]> 357 Rory Power 0525645586 Taylor 0 to-read 3.46 2019 Wilder Girls
author: Rory Power
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1)]]> 36118682 Wicked Saints—an epic, passionate novel that you won't soon forget. Prepare to meet:

A GIRL named Nadya, who hears the whisper of the gods inside her head.

A PRINCE surrounded by desperate suitors and deadly assassins

A MONSTER hidden behind pale, tortured eyes � and a smile that cuts like a knife

The paths of these three characters become entwined during a centuriea-long war filled with sinners and saints, magic and mystery, and a star-crossed romance that threatens to tip the scales between dark and light . .. forever.]]> 385 Emily A. Duncan 1250195667 Taylor 0 to-read 3.55 2019 Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1)
author: Emily A. Duncan
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Dead Queens Club 35998937 Mean Girls meets The Tudors in Hannah Capin’s The Dead Queens Club, a clever contemporary YA retelling of Henry VIII and his wives (or, in this case, his high school girlfriends). Told from the perspective of Annie Marck (“Cleves�), a 17-year-old aspiring journalist from Cleveland who meets Henry at summer camp, The Dead Queens Club is a fun, snarky read that provides great historical detail in an accessible way for teens while giving the infamous tale of Henry VIII its own unique spin.

What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain, and the vice president of the debate club have in common? It sounds like the ridiculously long lead-up to an astoundingly absurd punchline, right? Except it’s not. Well, unless my life is the joke, which is kind of starting to look like a possibility given how beyond soap opera it’s been since I moved to Lancaster. But anyway, here’s your answer: we’ve all had the questionable privilege of going out with Lancaster High School’s de facto king. Otherwise known as my best friend. Otherwise known as the reason I’ve already helped steal a car, a jet ski, and one hundred spray-painted water bottles when it’s not even Christmas break yet. Otherwise known as Henry. Jersey number 8.

Meet Cleves. Girlfriend number four and the narrator of The Dead Queens Club, a young adult retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives. Cleves is the only girlfriend to come out of her relationship with Henry unscathed—but most breakups are messy, right? And sometimes tragic accidents happen…twice…]]> 464 Hannah Capin 133554223X Taylor 0 to-read 3.58 2019 The Dead Queens Club
author: Hannah Capin
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fangirl 16068905 A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family, and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?]]> 483 Rainbow Rowell Taylor 4 3.93 2013 Fangirl
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/04
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 Taylor 5
The worldbuilding! The imagery! The political intrigue! Lies and deceit and manipulation! Jude Duarte will cut you in half and brag about it! Teenagers actually acting like teenagers, but in a fantasy setting, which lends itself to really incredible character arcs and growth! I'm so glad I read this so close to The Wicked King's release, because I don't know how I would wait any longer than a couple of weeks for the sequel.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING AND IS NOT A ROMANCE, READ IT]]> 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/31
date added: 2018/12/31
shelves:
review:
I DIDN'T READ THIS ALL YEAR BECAUSE Y'ALL'S FAN ART MADE ME THINK IT WAS JUST ANOTHER PARANORMAL DARK ROMANCE ABOUT A PASSIVE GIRL FALLING IN LOVE WITH A BROODY GUY WHO'S A DICK TO HER AND IT WAS THE OPPOSITE OF THAT I AM MAD

The worldbuilding! The imagery! The political intrigue! Lies and deceit and manipulation! Jude Duarte will cut you in half and brag about it! Teenagers actually acting like teenagers, but in a fantasy setting, which lends itself to really incredible character arcs and growth! I'm so glad I read this so close to The Wicked King's release, because I don't know how I would wait any longer than a couple of weeks for the sequel.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING AND IS NOT A ROMANCE, READ IT
]]> <![CDATA[Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)]]> 23437156 Alternate cover of ISBN 9781627792127

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.]]> 480 Leigh Bardugo 1627792120 Taylor 5 ]]> 4.47 2015 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/29
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves:
review:
This book chewed me up into a broken wreck and then spit out the bones but like in a good way

]]> Dumplin' (Dumplin', #1) 18304322
Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroineâ€�¶ŮłÜłľ±č±ôľ±˛Ôâ€� is guaranteed to steal your heart.]]> 375 Julie Murphy 0062327186 Taylor 4 3.88 2015 Dumplin' (Dumplin', #1)
author: Julie Murphy
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2018/12/18
date added: 2018/12/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1)]]> 30075662 From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch�

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic. ]]> 473 Amie Kaufman 1524720968 Taylor 0 to-read 4.08 2019 Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/12/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Light Between Worlds 34842042
When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves.

Now, Ev spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes.

Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was.

But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.

Content Warnings

The Light Between Worlds portrays characters dealing with depression, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, illness and disordered eating, and the loss of a loved one. It refers to possible suicide, contains scenes of violence and war, and brief mentions may be unsettling to readers with emetophobia. If you have any questions about these warnings, or require more details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the contact page on the author's website.]]> 351 Laura E. Weymouth 0062696874 Taylor 5
The Narnia parallels here are intentional, so let's start with that: Imagine that Lucy, Susan, and Peter (there's no Edmund parallel in this book, thank god) have finished their time in Narnia, and they come back to the very moment that they left--war still raging around them--and now have to adapt to being back in the real world, in childlike bodies with adult minds. And Lucy can't adapt, and she didn't want to come back in the first place, and all she wants is to go home to Narnia but she can't find her way.

That's the premise of this book, but even the premise doesn't do its beauty justice. The first half of TLBW is from the perspective of Evelyn (the book's resident Lucy), now seventeen, still yearning for her lost Woodlands. The chapters switch back and forth between her memories of the Woodlands (bright, action-packed, vibrant, adventurous) and her time in the present as a student at boarding school, where, like post-Oz Kansas, everything feels just a little bit gray and dull, like there's a layer of fog hanging over every sentence. At a hundred pages into this book, I started to think about how irritating it was that no "inciting action" had happened at the boarding school yet--how, even though the descriptions were lovely and the writing was beautiful and the characters felt real, it was always more fun to read the Woodlands chapters because more things were, you know, happening.
Then, of course, I realized that that was the point.

And then, Evelyn just walked out of the book.

The desperation to find her way back to the Woodlands consumes her, and she leaves her own narration.

" 'Very well,' I say to the dark. 'If you won't call, I'll walk until I find the way.' "

The rest of the story is told from the perspective of Philippa, Evelyn's guilt-ridden older sister, and details Evelyn's unraveling from an outsider's point of view. Her narrative is split between a different sort of past and present--her memories cover the lives of their family after she and her siblings return from the Woodlands, and her present details her desperate search to find out what has happened to her missing sister. Did she make it back to the Woodlands? Or is she lost in the woods of this reality, drowned in a river?

The Light Between Worlds is like nothing I've ever read before. "Achingly beautiful" doesn't even begin to cover it. Don't go into it hoping for a tremendous amount of action or adventure--it's not that kind of book. But it IS the kind that will wash emotional depth over you like a wave, and it is the kind that will make you experience guilt, loss, longing, familial love, and even nostalgia at a level you typically need a heart-wrenching orchestral film score to fully appreciate. Like the Woodlands themselves, it will haunt you long after you finish reading.

[TLDR: Solid 5/5 stars; a perfect book]]]> 3.72 2018 The Light Between Worlds
author: Laura E. Weymouth
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/03
date added: 2018/12/03
shelves:
review:
When I was twelve, I wrote a fan-fic about a descendant of Wendy Darling who died trying to fly back to Neverland--she grew up, and Peter Pan stopped coming for her, and she tried to jump off a roof. It was a pretty bad fan-fic because again, I was twelve, but the point is that I guess I've always liked the idea of "what happened after the fairytale ended" stories, and The Light Between Worlds is the very best possible version of that.

The Narnia parallels here are intentional, so let's start with that: Imagine that Lucy, Susan, and Peter (there's no Edmund parallel in this book, thank god) have finished their time in Narnia, and they come back to the very moment that they left--war still raging around them--and now have to adapt to being back in the real world, in childlike bodies with adult minds. And Lucy can't adapt, and she didn't want to come back in the first place, and all she wants is to go home to Narnia but she can't find her way.

That's the premise of this book, but even the premise doesn't do its beauty justice. The first half of TLBW is from the perspective of Evelyn (the book's resident Lucy), now seventeen, still yearning for her lost Woodlands. The chapters switch back and forth between her memories of the Woodlands (bright, action-packed, vibrant, adventurous) and her time in the present as a student at boarding school, where, like post-Oz Kansas, everything feels just a little bit gray and dull, like there's a layer of fog hanging over every sentence. At a hundred pages into this book, I started to think about how irritating it was that no "inciting action" had happened at the boarding school yet--how, even though the descriptions were lovely and the writing was beautiful and the characters felt real, it was always more fun to read the Woodlands chapters because more things were, you know, happening.
Then, of course, I realized that that was the point.

And then, Evelyn just walked out of the book.

The desperation to find her way back to the Woodlands consumes her, and she leaves her own narration.

" 'Very well,' I say to the dark. 'If you won't call, I'll walk until I find the way.' "

The rest of the story is told from the perspective of Philippa, Evelyn's guilt-ridden older sister, and details Evelyn's unraveling from an outsider's point of view. Her narrative is split between a different sort of past and present--her memories cover the lives of their family after she and her siblings return from the Woodlands, and her present details her desperate search to find out what has happened to her missing sister. Did she make it back to the Woodlands? Or is she lost in the woods of this reality, drowned in a river?

The Light Between Worlds is like nothing I've ever read before. "Achingly beautiful" doesn't even begin to cover it. Don't go into it hoping for a tremendous amount of action or adventure--it's not that kind of book. But it IS the kind that will wash emotional depth over you like a wave, and it is the kind that will make you experience guilt, loss, longing, familial love, and even nostalgia at a level you typically need a heart-wrenching orchestral film score to fully appreciate. Like the Woodlands themselves, it will haunt you long after you finish reading.

[TLDR: Solid 5/5 stars; a perfect book]
]]> Winterdream 42615815
Except, maybe, a mouse.

At long last, can true love break the Nutcracker’s curse?

For Clara Stahlbaum, this Christmas means the end of her youth. A daughter of the aristocracy, Clara is expected to give up her dreams of adventures and the extraordinary for more normal days as the wife of a cruel Viscount.

But when magical Uncle Drosselmeyer returns with his wondrous, dancing contraptions, and one...special gift for Clara, she is beckoned to the land of Winter Dream, where she is thrust into the greatest adventure of her wildest dreams. But will she be able to break the Nutcracker's curse?

Uncle Drosselmeyer’s apprentice, Anton, is handsome as he is mysterious. But what is it about him Clara finds so alluring?

Winter Dream is a phenomenal retelling of The Nutcracker from the eyes of Clara Stahlbaum with all the magic of the Holiday season. If you loved S. Jae-Jones� Wintersong, you’ll fall in love with this stunning tale of love, war, redemption, and Christmas magic.

Read it now!]]> 292 Chantal Gadoury 195353905X Taylor 5 3.66 2018 Winterdream
author: Chantal Gadoury
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/11/16
date added: 2018/11/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Vengeful (Villains, #2) 26856502 A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions�#1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.

Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Victor Vale and Eli Ever. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Great partnerships, now soured on the vine.

But Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she’s finally gained the control she’s always sought—and will use her new-found power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She’ll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other.

With Marcella's rise, new enmities create opportunity--and the stage of Merit City will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.]]> 462 Victoria E. Schwab Taylor 5
What I love most about the Villains series is that you JUST ROOT FOR EVERYBODY. Like, /everybody/. And then they're all fighting each other and you just want to yell at them to stop and take over the world together like a NORMAL person. Writing is beautiful, non-linear narrative is seamless, characters come to life and stick inside your head forever. Just an incredible book.

My one disappointment isn't even a REAL disappointment, it's just proof that I loved all these characters too much, and that's ***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER*** that I had a moment of intense optimism where I thought Victor and Eli would finally reconcile after working together for half a second to defeat their mutual enemies, and NOPE ELI'S GOING FOR THE SCALPEL OKAY THEN

I will never not recommend this book and its predecessor for the rest of my life. ]]> 4.13 2018 Vengeful (Villains, #2)
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/10/19
date added: 2018/10/25
shelves:
review:
I didn't think a book could be more perfect than Vicious and this was more perfect than Vicious help

What I love most about the Villains series is that you JUST ROOT FOR EVERYBODY. Like, /everybody/. And then they're all fighting each other and you just want to yell at them to stop and take over the world together like a NORMAL person. Writing is beautiful, non-linear narrative is seamless, characters come to life and stick inside your head forever. Just an incredible book.

My one disappointment isn't even a REAL disappointment, it's just proof that I loved all these characters too much, and that's ***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER*** that I had a moment of intense optimism where I thought Victor and Eli would finally reconcile after working together for half a second to defeat their mutual enemies, and NOPE ELI'S GOING FOR THE SCALPEL OKAY THEN

I will never not recommend this book and its predecessor for the rest of my life.
]]> Vicious (Villains, #1) 40874032 A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.]]> 402 Victoria E. Schwab Taylor 5 a perfect book wow 4.17 2013 Vicious (Villains, #1)
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2018/10/17
date added: 2018/10/17
shelves:
review:
a perfect book wow
]]> Sawkill Girls 38139409 Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep. He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight� until now.]]> 447 Claire Legrand 0062696602 Taylor 0 to-read 3.67 2018 Sawkill Girls
author: Claire Legrand
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/10/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Broken Things 37859646 It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.]]> 408 Lauren Oliver 0062224131 Taylor 4 Like Bridge to Terabithia, but with murder. Loved it.
Good stuff:
1) Excellent differentiation of voice between two narrative perspectives
2) I sure as heck didn't guess the murderer and I love when that happens
3) Loved the use of flashbacks to slowly build characters and give clues
4) Speaking of flashbacks, way to go Lauren Oliver for figuring out the perfect strategy to get my demisexual ass to actually care about a romance: introduce the characters' history as children together through flashbacks and memories until I'm screaming about how pure they are and am literally desperate for them to reconnect as teenagers. 10/10 for that particular romantic development
5) I really liked the snippets between chapters from both the book the characters are obsessed with and their own fan-fic. They were all so...creepy. Really did a good job of setting the tone.

Yikes stuff:
There's a fantastic, fat, beautiful, stylish, cool, funny character whose fantastic-ness is undermined by the fact that the book (through Brynn) really draws attention to the fact that she's fat, and not in a good way. More in a "Wow, I can't believe she's this pretty and cool AND she's fat, how abnormal and confusing" kind of way. Why? Why do this? Here's an example:

P. 113: "...Plus I'm always booking photo shoots and stuff."
I stare at her. "I thought models were thin," I say.
"Oh, no. We come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors."

WHY

It's like Brynn is meant to be a stand-in for the reader and is asking this question because the book thinks that we the readers are going to be confused about the existence of plus-sized models. And we're not. Which makes this entire exchange just rude.

Another!

P. 262:

"My body wants to be fat," she continues impatiently, as if we're mid-argument already and she's cutting me off. "Why bother hating something you can't change?"
"That's stupid," I say automatically. "You can change. Everyone can change."

!@^*%$*&(*?!

WHAT?!?!??

*mutters angrily*

And no one ever refutes this!! No one ever calls Brynn out on how toxic of a mindset that is!! Abby's response is an accusation that Brynn can't change who she is either, that she can't change herself from being scared. And that is NOT the same thing. I shouldn't have to explain why that's not the same thing.

So, that whole thing is just sort of dealt with terribly. However, apart from that, I did enjoy the story and the rest of the characters and the way the mystery aspects are woven in so well with the contemporary family drama, and the fact that I thought about how much I couldn't wait to get home and finish this book the entire time I wasn't reading it which is why I finished it in two days.

Total verdict: four out of five creepy vintage paperbacks ]]> 3.56 2013 Broken Things
author: Lauren Oliver
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2018/09/11
date added: 2018/09/12
shelves:
review:
*ARC provided by BookNet Fest*
Like Bridge to Terabithia, but with murder. Loved it.
Good stuff:
1) Excellent differentiation of voice between two narrative perspectives
2) I sure as heck didn't guess the murderer and I love when that happens
3) Loved the use of flashbacks to slowly build characters and give clues
4) Speaking of flashbacks, way to go Lauren Oliver for figuring out the perfect strategy to get my demisexual ass to actually care about a romance: introduce the characters' history as children together through flashbacks and memories until I'm screaming about how pure they are and am literally desperate for them to reconnect as teenagers. 10/10 for that particular romantic development
5) I really liked the snippets between chapters from both the book the characters are obsessed with and their own fan-fic. They were all so...creepy. Really did a good job of setting the tone.

Yikes stuff:
There's a fantastic, fat, beautiful, stylish, cool, funny character whose fantastic-ness is undermined by the fact that the book (through Brynn) really draws attention to the fact that she's fat, and not in a good way. More in a "Wow, I can't believe she's this pretty and cool AND she's fat, how abnormal and confusing" kind of way. Why? Why do this? Here's an example:

P. 113: "...Plus I'm always booking photo shoots and stuff."
I stare at her. "I thought models were thin," I say.
"Oh, no. We come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors."

WHY

It's like Brynn is meant to be a stand-in for the reader and is asking this question because the book thinks that we the readers are going to be confused about the existence of plus-sized models. And we're not. Which makes this entire exchange just rude.

Another!

P. 262:

"My body wants to be fat," she continues impatiently, as if we're mid-argument already and she's cutting me off. "Why bother hating something you can't change?"
"That's stupid," I say automatically. "You can change. Everyone can change."

!@^*%$*&(*?!

WHAT?!?!??

*mutters angrily*

And no one ever refutes this!! No one ever calls Brynn out on how toxic of a mindset that is!! Abby's response is an accusation that Brynn can't change who she is either, that she can't change herself from being scared. And that is NOT the same thing. I shouldn't have to explain why that's not the same thing.

So, that whole thing is just sort of dealt with terribly. However, apart from that, I did enjoy the story and the rest of the characters and the way the mystery aspects are woven in so well with the contemporary family drama, and the fact that I thought about how much I couldn't wait to get home and finish this book the entire time I wasn't reading it which is why I finished it in two days.

Total verdict: four out of five creepy vintage paperbacks
]]> Beauty Queens 9464733 When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.]]> 396 Libba Bray 0439895979 Taylor 0 to-read 3.62 2011 Beauty Queens
author: Libba Bray
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection (Andrea Vernon, #1)]]> 36130625 Then, one morning, she is kidnapped, interviewed, and hired as an administrative assistant by the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection. Superheroes for hire, using their powers for good. What could possibly go wrong?
Lots.
Her coworkers may be able to shoot lightning out of their hands or have skin made of diamonds, but they refuse to learn how to use the company's database. She has a swell hook-up buddy relationship with The Big Axe, but he's pushing to go exclusive. Then there's the small matter of a giant alien space egg hovering over Yankee Stadium, threatening civilization as we know it.
Will Andrea find contentment in office drudgery? Can she make a life together with a guy who's eight feet tall and never puts down his axe? And will she ever figure out how her boss likes her coffee?

Listening Length: 8 hours and 49 minutes]]> 9 Alexander C. Kane Taylor 0 to-read 3.81 2017 Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection (Andrea Vernon, #1)
author: Alexander C. Kane
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Once & Future (Once & Future, #1)]]> 36233085 King Arthur as you've never imagined! This bold, sizzling YA retells the popular legend with the Once and Future King as a teenage girl -- and she has a universe to save.
I've been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I've always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.


Now I'm done hiding.


My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.


When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.


No pressure.]]> 336 A.R. Capetta Taylor 0 to-read 3.54 2019 Once & Future (Once & Future, #1)
author: A.R. Capetta
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Outrun the Wind 36639897
To earn back Artemis’s favor, Kahina must complete a dangerous task in the kingdom of Arkadia� where the king’s daughter is revealed to be none other than Atalanta. Still reeling from her disastrous quest and her father’s insistence on marriage, Atalanta isn’t sure what to make of Kahina. As her connection to Atalanta deepens, Kahina finds herself in danger of breaking Artemis� second rule.

She helps Atalanta devise a dangerous game to avoid marriage, and word spreads throughout Greece, attracting suitors willing to tempt fate to go up against Atalanta in a race for her hand. But when the men responsible for both the girls� dark pasts arrive, the game turns deadly.]]> 302 Elizabeth Tammi 1635830265 Taylor 0 to-read 3.56 2018 Outrun the Wind
author: Elizabeth Tammi
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quinsey Wolfe's Glass Vault (Glass Vault Duology, #1)]]> 34511974
Some see it� Some don’t�

Perrie Madeline is a normal girl living in a normal world. Her only concern is deciding whether or not to let herself fully fall for August Hartley after her past relationship failed miserably. That is, until a strange museum, known as Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault, appears overnight and people around her begin to go missing.

To uncover what hidden secrets the Glass Vault may behold, Perrie then embarks on a pursuit with August. They soon realize, not everything is as it seems. While stumbling through the museum’s obscure collection, Perrie and August must find their way out before discovering what may truly not be for the faint of heart.

Quinsey Wolfe’s Glass Vault is the start of a thrilling duology full of magic, danger, and romance.]]> Candace Robinson Taylor 5
Okay so I read this book like two months ago and I'm STILL thinking about it. Sometimes you just want a horror/fantasy escape and this is that. Yes, the beginning spends a little too much time on the exposition but once the story really gets going, it gets GOING. The pacing from one re-imagined horror-filled fairy tale/legend to the next is so quick and engrossing, it almost feels like you as a reader are trapped in the vault having an adventure right alongside the characters. I didn't see the twist coming even though I'm usually pretty good at guessing them in books, and the ending made me scream. I literally just found out the sequel is out so guess what I'm doing this weekend. READ THIS BOOK]]> 3.89 2022 Quinsey Wolfe's Glass Vault (Glass Vault Duology, #1)
author: Candace Robinson
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves:
review:
OKAY

Okay so I read this book like two months ago and I'm STILL thinking about it. Sometimes you just want a horror/fantasy escape and this is that. Yes, the beginning spends a little too much time on the exposition but once the story really gets going, it gets GOING. The pacing from one re-imagined horror-filled fairy tale/legend to the next is so quick and engrossing, it almost feels like you as a reader are trapped in the vault having an adventure right alongside the characters. I didn't see the twist coming even though I'm usually pretty good at guessing them in books, and the ending made me scream. I literally just found out the sequel is out so guess what I'm doing this weekend. READ THIS BOOK
]]> <![CDATA[Nine While Nine (The Nine While Nine Legacy) (Volume 1)]]> 34864408
Suddenly, she is no longer Isabeau and becomes part of the most secretive inner-workings of Death itself, as well as an otherworldly dominion of ancient magic.

Now beings—which we were taught as children were merely fictional creations of wildly whimsical minds—are edging their way into her world as well.

Buggans and Kobolds and Vargs�.Oh my!

She yearns for the simplicity of her old life—this one is full of dangers, unanswered questions, and cryptic dreams.

After one particularly anomalous dream in which she learns of the Nine While Nine Legacy, things become truly precarious.

Now, someone sees her as a risk…a threat…and wants to eliminate her.

Fortunately, she falls under the protection of Gideon—unless she leaves his territory—which is the one thing she wants the most…and wants the least.

For fans of THIS SAVAGE SONG.]]> 339 Stasia Morineaux Taylor 0 to-read 4.23 2014 Nine While Nine (The Nine While Nine Legacy) (Volume 1)
author: Stasia Morineaux
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[August Prather Is Not Dead Yet]]> 40817850
Katherine Garnet is a writer who has never cared much about anything, making it awfully difficult to create new content. Despite the fact she has the "edge" of being trans (according to her cis male editor), she is not looking to capitalize on her own personal story.

Desperate for inspiration, Garnet tries to sneak a peek at her rival August Prather's latest fantasy manuscript about a quest for the elixir of life. While reading, Garnet gets accidently dragged into a bizarre cross-country road trip and begins to see parallels between the manuscript and their journey.

Along the way, they encounter a parade of equally colorful individuals, including ghost-hunting priests, a robot magician, a discarded piece of furniture, a runaway teenager, and a Japanese rock star.

As Garnet confronts her past, she begins to understand why someone might want to live forever.]]> 370 Danielle K. Roux Taylor 0 to-read 4.30 2018 August Prather Is Not Dead Yet
author: Danielle K. Roux
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Meatspace 41208876
He already sold off the last of his childhood memories. The love of his life has ghosted him. He has nowhere left to run. When a trillionaire goes missing, Jim has one last shot to track him down and earn a reward that will keep him Inside forever. But the magnate seems to be dead, and that simply doesn’t happen. Not here. Not to someone with money.

The solution to this impossible mystery can only be found on the Outside - the grimy, blood-soaked physical world that Jim had happily forgotten. Now he must face the people and sensations he’d abandoned in a world where nothing is free and death is very real.]]> Asa Tait Taylor 0 to-read 4.38 2019 Meatspace
author: Asa Tait
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Bride of Glass 34861186
Perrie Madeline is trapped in the clutches of Vale, a demon of the Underworld. In order to gain strength, Vale intends to send human souls to the Glass Vault, where Perrie was once trapped. After dying in the Bride of Frankenstein display, she is alive once again—and his. Can Perrie escape Vale’s hold on her, or will the Bride, her new alter, keep her from coming back?

Maisie Jaser is on a rescue mission to retrieve her cousin and best friend, Perrie. Together, she hopes to bring down Vale and rid the world of the destruction he has caused. But will she even be able to find Perrie, or will Vale prevail?

The Bride of Glass concludes the duology in this dark romance.]]> 213 Candace Robinson Taylor 0 to-read 4.35 2022 Bride of Glass
author: Candace Robinson
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Halves of Us (The Halves of Us, #1)]]> 37654484
Some say blood is thicker than water. But for twin sisters, Adie and Aura, their connection runs even deeper than blood.
After investigating a surprise attack carried out by dark souls controlled by the Wicked Willow, an evil  residing in a neighboring region, Aura uncovers a family secret: she is the fulfillment of a curse placed upon her family centuries ago.

While Aura is destined to destroy their planet, Thindoral, Adie is fated to follow in their mother’s footsteps and become Ruler, but even Adie’s path comes with revelations. Dangerous premonitions plague her dreams, all depicting Thindoral’s demise at the hand of her sister.

As darkness takes control of her mind, Aura must determine whether defying fate and time is the choice that will seal her destruction, or if self-sacrifice will save all she holds dear. Meanwhile, Adie is faced with an impossible decision: save her sister, or protect their world?]]> Sydney Paige Richardson Taylor 0 to-read 4.18 2018 The Halves of Us (The Halves of Us, #1)
author: Sydney Paige Richardson
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Weaver (The Weaver Trilogy, #1)]]> 41109363 Laney Holden is a freshman at Madison College whose life goes from normal to paranormal in a matter of seconds. When the antagonist in the book she’s writing shoves her down the stairs at the subway station, she learns she is a Weaver. Weavers bridge the narrow gap between fantasy and reality, bringing their words to life.
Laney soon meets William whom she also suspects is a character from her book—one she’s had a mad crush on since her pen hit the paper. But he’s in danger as her antagonist reveals a whole different ending planned for Laney’s book that involves killing William. Laney must use her writing to save the people closest to her by weaving the most difficult words she will ever write.
THE WEAVER is the first installment of The Weaver trilogy. It is an NA paranormal romance set in a small town on the north shore of Boston. It will leave you wanting more.]]> 238 Heather Kindt Taylor 0 to-read 3.29 2019 The Weaver (The Weaver Trilogy, #1)
author: Heather Kindt
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sin Soldiers (Fragments, #1)]]> 41143216
Things go from bad to worse when Kai is started on a drug and training regimen, and forced to take injections of blue compound. The scientists in charge plan to make her into a working soldier who will mine the mysterious power crystals beneath the desert. Kai becomes a victim of the bully Finn, a handsome but nasty soldier whose years on red compound seem to have erased his humanity. Still, she begins to pity the Seven Soldiers, including the monstrous boy who tried to rip her to shreds at the club. They appear to be nothing more than genetically enhanced, drug-controlled teenagers.

On the outside, Dex and his tech-savvy boyfriend try to crack the soldiers� chemical code to find a weakness that will break the system. But Kai has already been drawn deep into her new world. Strong feelings for the soldiers she’s come to know have started to cloud her judgment. Can she escape and find Dex without becoming a monster herself?]]> 350 Tracy Auerbach 1953539262 Taylor 0 to-read 3.85 2019 The Sin Soldiers (Fragments, #1)
author: Tracy Auerbach
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Double-Crossing the Bridge 40693291
Rent in New Metta is through the cavern ceiling. When Granu barely survives her first gig teaching students who attempt to fillet her for lunch, the baby-eating troll ends up unemployed and facing eviction. Granu's only prospect for income is grueling work in the tar pits. That is, until her playboy best friend devises a perfect, if suicidal, scheme—a heist!

The Covered Bridge, the largest source of income for the city, has New Metta well under hoof. In a week, TCB Corporation pulls in enough cash to buy a small country. It's the ideal target, but security is top-notch. Granu needs three things to survive this heist: a crew of specialists, impenetrable sun protection, and gallons of grog.

There’s just one thing Granu doesn’t plan for—those damn meddling billy goats.]]> 329 Sarah J. Sover Taylor 0 to-read 4.37 2019 Double-Crossing the Bridge
author: Sarah J. Sover
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mortal Engines (Mortal Engines, #1)]]> 287861
The great traction city London has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can finally unfold.

Thaddeus Valentine, London's Head Historian and adored famous archaeologist, and his lovely daughter, Katherine, are down in The Gut when the young assassin with the black scarf strikes toward his heart, saved by the quick intervention of Tom, a lowly third-class apprentice. Racing after the fleeing girl, Tom suddenly glimpses her hideous face: scarred from forehead to jaw, nose a smashed stump, a single eye glaring back at him. "Look at what your Valentine did to me!" she screams. "Ask him! Ask him what he did to Hester Shaw!" And with that she jumps down the waste chute to her death. Minutes later Tom finds himself tumbling down the same chute and stranded in the Out-Country, a sea of mud scored by the huge caterpillar tracks of cities like the one now steaming off over the horizon.

In a stunning literary debut, Philip Reeve has created a painful dangerous unforgettable adventure story of surprises, set in a dark and utterly original world fueled by Municipal Darwinism -- and betrayal.]]> 326 Philip Reeve 0060082097 Taylor 0 to-read 3.78 2001 Mortal Engines (Mortal Engines, #1)
author: Philip Reeve
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)]]> 9969571 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.]]> 480 Ernest Cline 030788743X Taylor 5 4.21 2011 Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)
author: Ernest Cline
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2018/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 36381037
She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.]]> 400 Marissa Meyer Taylor 5 4.11 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
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]]> The Book Thief 19063 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

(Note: this title was not published as YA fiction)]]> 592 Markus Zusak Taylor 5 4.38 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> Every Day (Every Day, #1) 13262783 Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone A wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.]]> 322 David Levithan 0307931889 Taylor 4 3.91 2012 Every Day (Every Day, #1)
author: David Levithan
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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]]> Eleanor & Park 15745753 "So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I'm not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we're 16."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
"I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I'm not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.]]> 328 Rainbow Rowell 1250012570 Taylor 5 3.92 2012 Eleanor & Park
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Taylor
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]> 374 Suzanne Collins Taylor 5 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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]]> The Night Circus 9361589
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.]]> 506 Erin Morgenstern Taylor 5 4.00 2011 The Night Circus
author: Erin Morgenstern
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 5
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]]> The Princess Bride 21787
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.]]> 429 William Goldman 0345418263 Taylor 5 4.27 1973 The Princess Bride
author: William Goldman
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1973
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)]]> 28187 Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.]]> 377 Rick Riordan 0786838655 Taylor 5 4.31 2005 The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 7896527 Meet Celaena Sardothien.

Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]> 406 Sarah J. Maas Taylor 4 4.19 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Adventure Zone Vol.1: Here There Be Gerblins]]> 35684941
SEE! The illustrated exploits of three lovable dummies set loose in a classic fantasy adventure!

READ! Their journey from small-time bodyguards to world-class artifact hunters!

MARVEL! At the sheer metafictional chutzpah of a graphic novel based on a story created in a podcast where three dudes and their dad play a tabletop role playing game in real time!

Join Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior for an adventure they are poorly equipped to handle AT BEST, guided ("guided") by their snarky DM, in a graphic novel that, like the smash-hit podcast it's based on, will tickle your funny bone, tug your heartstrings, and probably pants you if you give it half a chance.

With endearingly off-kilter storytelling from master goofballs Clint McElroy and the McElroy brothers, and vivid, adorable art by Carey Pietsch, The Adventure Zone: Here There be Gerblins is the comics equivalent of role-playing in your friend's basement at 2am, eating Cheetos and laughing your ass off as she rolls critical failure after critical failure.]]> 256 Clint McElroy 1250153700 Taylor 0 to-read 4.33 2018 The Adventure Zone Vol.1: Here There Be Gerblins
author: Clint McElroy
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)]]> 119322
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.]]> 399 Philip Pullman 0679879242 Taylor 5 4.02 1995 The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)
author: Philip Pullman
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1995
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 3 309 J.K. Rowling 0439554934 Taylor 5 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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]]> Gone with the Wind 18405 1037 Margaret Mitchell 0446365386 Taylor 5 4.30 1936 Gone with the Wind
author: Margaret Mitchell
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1936
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Little Women (Little Women, #1)]]> 1934 This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780451529305.

Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.

It is no secret that Alcott based Little Women on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with "woman’s work,� including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing. Little Women brought her lasting fame and fortune, and far from being the "girl’s book� her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.

]]> 449 Louisa May Alcott Taylor 5 4.16 1868 Little Women (Little Women, #1)
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1868
rating: 5
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]]> Jane Eyre 10210 Alternate editions can be found here and here.

A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is edited with an introduction and notes by Stevie Davis in Penguin Classics.

Charlotte Brontë tells the story of orphaned Jane Eyre, who grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit - which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall's terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions - even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.]]> 532 Charlotte Brontë 0142437204 Taylor 5 4.14 1847 Jane Eyre
author: Charlotte Brontë
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average rating: 4.14
book published: 1847
rating: 5
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]]> The Great Gatsby 4671 The only edition of the beloved classic that is authorized by Fitzgerald’s family and from his lifelong publisher.

This edition is the enduring original text, updated with the author’s own revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and with a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published by Scribner in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald 0743273567 Taylor 5 3.93 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
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average rating: 3.93
book published: 1925
rating: 5
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]]> Pride and Prejudice 1885 Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679783268]]> 279 Jane Austen 1441341706 Taylor 5 4.28 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Taylor
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1813
rating: 5
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]]>