Once upon a time…when you hear those words, your body leans in toward the tale-teller. Your minds eye opens wide, your ears tune sharply to hear every word. It’s the magic of the story and it’s held in thrall countless people through the ages. One of the best known storytellers is Shahrzad, the girl who saved her own life by telling a story. For centuries, her tales have traveled the globe on their magic carpet. With Renee Ahdieh, she gets a reboot.

No one has ever volunteered before. It’s a death sentence and no one really wants to die but Shahrzad has ulterior motives for putting her life on the line. She wants revenge.

Khalid murdered her best friend, Shiva, and so many other brides on the morning after they become his wife. Shahrzad is determined that Shiva will be his last. She smart and full of sass. She’s also a gifted storyteller. That first night, she spins a tale that enthralls her new husband. When she ends the story before it’s conclusion, Khalid realizes what she’s done but he spares her life and returns night after night. Soon, things begin to change between them and suddenly, revenge doesn’t seem so sweet. How is she to fulfill her mission if she can’t take her mind off of his eyes that are full of pain; pain she finds herself wanting to take away.

Fans of complicated love stories akin to Beauty and the Beast, rejoice. This is a series. Just be prepared for a love hate relationship with cliff-hangers.

Have you ever read a book that ended up wrecking you as much as it did the main character? I just read I Was Here by Gayle Forman. Teenagers have so many issues to deal with these days. Sure, every generation of teens has “issues” but now, it just seems that there are more unhealthy and even deadly matters weighing upon such young shoulders.

Meg and Cody, Cody and Meg. It’s been that way since they were little. You never saw one without the other. Meg’s parents practically raised Cody since her mom was a bit of a flake. Then, one day, Meg went somewhere Cody could’t follow, didn’t even know Meg was thinking about. That place leads Cody on a downward spiral trying to figure out what went wrong. How could it have happened? How did she fail her best friend?

The road trip to find answers leads Code to people who knew parts of Meg but no one had all of the pieces. Some Cody picks up on Meg’s computer. Other pieces come from people living on the outskirts of Meg’s life, particularly Ben, a one-night-stand for Meg. Cody makes some dangerous choices as she collects Meg’s pieces but will she ever be able to understand and forgive?

Holy Smokes! This was an intense story from the beginning. The range of emotions Forman takes the reader through in rapid succession leave you feeling like you just rode a roller coaster 3 times in a row, after lunch! If you’re a fan of teen drama akin to John Green’s or Sarah Dessen’s work, this should be your next book.

Tana wakes to the drip drip drip of water. She’s in a bathtub and the remnants of the party are strewn around the bathroom. The rush of the riot last night has settled and Tana figures that everyone is just passed out. They are not and her day just goes from wet to worse in the single beat of her heart. She isn’t alone, though. In a room, she finds her annoyingly adorable ex-boyfriend chained to a bed and a vampire gazing at her through florid red eyes.

Tana’s world is full of fences, quarantines, and blood. Vampires are real and infected humans are everywhere. Some are infected willingly, others, not so much. Tana has never been one of the wannabes, hanging on to the promises of eternal life and surging strength. She survived her mother turning and just wants to live a normal life. That, however, is not now possible. She finds a scratch, a tooth-shaped mark on her leg and knows there’s only one place she can go; Coldtown. It’s a place for monsters, monster-lovers and those unsure of their place in the world.

Now, Tana will risk everything to save the three of them and the lengths she will have to go will take her to the the cold, dead heart of Coldtown.

 
Holly Black is the horror writer who makes her monsters just human enough to love and her humans just monstrous enough to leave you completely unbalanced…but in a totally delicious way! Coldest Girl in Coldtown will not disappoint.

I don’t know if you know about Book Riot but it’s a great blog that features everything literary. I subscribe to their YA page and get regular updates full of articles, lists, podcasts, etc. about YA Lit. Obviously, they have regular grown-up bookish stuff, too, but that’s not who I am (at least literarily). If you’re looking for a great book to read, check them out! They’ll find you something!

My favorite Book Riot lists:

YA Retellings TBR in 2020

10 Badass YA characters That Inspire our 2020 Goals

9 Solid Gold YA Fantasy Books from 2019

7 YA Books With Unconventional Narrative Structures

10 YA Fairy Books for Fans of Holly Black (I LOVE Holly)

Surprisingly enough, this is a controversial thing! I’ve often asked my students if they re-read books and have gotten a mixed bag of responses. Most of them say no, “What’s the point when you already know what’s going to happen?” Like any librarian worth her sensible shoes, I ask, “But what if you are older or in a different place mentally than when you first read it?” Sometimes I get a thoughtful look and answer and sometimes I get a blank stare. Sigh…Hello, My name is Donna and I am a re-reader. You know, there’s actually research and articles written on this topic. There’s even a whole book dedicated to re-reading!!!

I re-read for a variety of reasons. Sometimes I want the comfort of old friends. Yes, yes, I realize I’m talking about fictional characters. I’m not crazy but I do love to meet them again between the pages of my favorite books. Other times, I’m waiting for a book to be released and want to read something I can stop in the middle of. Like when, Holly Black’s newest book, Queen of Nothing wasn’t coming out until November 19 but I finished my other book on Halloween. What’s a girl to do? Not reading wasn’t an option so, I picked up Fire by Kristin Cashore. I settled in and got reacquainted. I also found myself surprised by things I’d forgotten and new things I learned…mostly about myself. You see, when you re-read books, you not only get to see your old fictional friends; you also get to find yourself, both the old you when you read that book so long ago and the new you who found something you didn’t know you were missing. I highly recommend re-reading!

Fire is a monster. Not your typical snarling, ugly, murdering kind of monster. Rather, she’s the last of her kind, a human monster. Her power is both in her looks, which captivate and ensnare those with weak minds and her ability to read and control minds. Though she has great power, she refuses to use it against anyone and goes to great lengths to earn the trust of those around her. Then, one day, Prince Brigan rides into her life. There is a war brewing and her power could tip the balance. She knows she has the ability to save her beloved kingdom but does she have the strength to save herself from becoming the real monster her father was?

I like this quote. I like the idea that stories never truly end. If you’ve ever read Jasper Fford, you know that the characters in the story have full lives when they are not being read. I like that idea, as well, especially when you find a great trilogy or series. I like to imagine the characters living, loving, and moving about their daily lives when I close the book. It helps when you get to the end and you’re sad that it’s over. I mourn the characters lost and the those I love but who aren’t real (SIGH!!!).

Holly Black is one of my favorite authors. Her latest trilogy (?), The Folk of the Air has been dreamy! She writes about the Fey as though she knows them intimately, has seen their revels and danced with Faerie princes. The first two of the series, Cruel Prince and Wicked King paint a picture so vivid and heartwrenching that I was unsure of how the final book would go. I was not disappointed, though she did give me a massive fright toward the end and I almost broke my cardinal rule NOT to read the end before getting there. I am glad that I did not do so for it would have ruined the sweetness.

Jude is doomed to the mortal world indefinitely. She is always thinking, scheming of a way back to Faerie, back to her wicked king to repay his betrayal. In the meantime, though, she is a Fey fixer and assassin, when necessary. On a day that begins like all the rest, her chance for revenge appears in the form of her backstabbing twin, Taryn who has put herself on the wrong side of the Fey court. Being an identical twin has its advantages. Playing the role of Taryn, Jude defies her exile order to confront the charges against her sister and her feelings for Cardan. Upon her arrival, she discovers that Elfhame is in dire straights. War is coming and at its head is her father, Madoc. Soon she is entrenched deep in enemy territory and must find a way to stay alive long enough to warn her king of impending war. In an unexpected and tragic turn of events, a hideous curse is unleashed putting her in the very place she longed and dreaded to be, Queen of Elfhame. She must walk a razor-thin line between love and control if she wants to save her kingdom and her King.

I do enjoy a good historical fiction story, especially when it’s based on a real character. As I started reading Susanna’s Midnight Ride by Libby Carty McNamee, I had to see if the author wrote anything about whether she was real or not. I was surprised to learn about this young girl who played such an important role in the war to create our great nation!

Susanna Bolling, Suki to her family and friends, is living on a plantation in Virginia during the Revolutionary war. Both of her older brothers are fighting further down South in North Carolina and Sukey finds herself frustrated at being stuck at home doing housework. She is sure she could do more for the cause than cleaning the floor for the umpteenth time. What she’s not so sure about is whether she’d have the courage to do something dangerous.

Early one morning, Sukey and her mother hear strange noises coming from down the lane. The ground shivers with the stomping of feet and hooves as General Cornwallis invades the once quiet Bollingbrook Plantation. Her mother puts on a brave face and orders the servants to hide so that they aren’t kidnapped by the army and she serves them dinner. As Sukey moves around the dining room keeping plates and classes filled, she overhears a nefarious plan to capture and kill Lafayette, the French hero of the Revolution. Now, her courage will be truly tested. Will she be able to overcome her fear and the concerns of her mother to do what needs to be done to prevent disaster?

Tilly Castillo is an amazing dancer. It’s all she’s ever wanted to do since the day she first put on ballet shoes. Lately, though, she’s fallen in love with modern dance. Her dreams were are nearly dashed when a nasty fall puts her dancing future in jeopardy. She worked hard to get back into shape and is rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dance in NY as a part of a troupe, she jumps at the chance. The only damper to her excitement is that she has to lie to her mom.

In the troupe, she finds a best friend and an arch enemy. In the city, she finds love and courage. In the end, she slays her dragons.

Christina June has written a sweet and simple tale of triumph over adversity and finding your path no matter what the obstacles. Her characters are typical teens and mostly believable. I love that the main character is Hispanic. The story is wrapped up into a bow a little too neatly but, for readers looking for a great beach book or fun independent reading book, this would be excellent.

I started reading The Great Libraries series because I’m a great librarian. Seriously, though, I love the library and everything about it. Librarians and authors are superheroes to me so, of course, I read a book series all about libraries. Thing is, this series shows libraries in a different light. Power, privilege, words, and money are the currency. Sound familiar? Right, all of those descriptors apply to governments and politicians around the world. And that is exactly what the Great Libraries are in this series.

The Great Library has absolute control over what knowledge is accessible to people. The Scholars are powerful and ruthless; they will do anything to restrict what information is available to the masses. Jess and his friends are determined to change things, to make the Library live up to the ideals they still believe in; that all knowledge is precious and should be accessible to everyone. Not all of them will survive this revolution but what they are fighting for is worth more than their lives.

As some of you know, I’m a huge Cassandra Clare fan. Her book City of Bones was absolutely fantastic and I devoured that entire series. This series, The Dark Artifices, was even better, if that’s even possible. Reading the three books made me laugh out loud, cry angry tears, yell at the characters (embarrassing but I managed to control myself until I got home), and cry over broken hearts. The last book, though, was the most difficult to get through. Lord of Shadows ended tragically. It took me weeks to get over that horrifying loss. Queen of Air and Darkness picked up in the aftermath and barrelled through, picking up speed and terror along the way. It literally took me from the day it came out (Dec. 4 2018) until today to finish it. I NEVER take that long to read a book, regardless of how long it is.

Throughout this series, Cassandra took on issues currently plaguing our society without flinching, namely racism and bigotry, and carrying them through to their inevitable and deplorable end. Along the way, each of the characters endured pain and love, loss and discovery. So much emotion that it seemed like I was on a roller coaster. I just had to get off to rest and breathe for a bit every so often.

So why do I do this to myself? Because reading about it makes the reality a little more palatable and it gives me hope that maybe we, too, can defeat hatred and bigotry. That’s what books do, particularly Young Adult novels. I wish that I could infuse my student with my love for books and stories. I am a big believer in bibliotherapy, that is giving books about certain topics to students who are struggling with them. They can experience, vicariously (and safely) the ills of the world and maybe get some insight into how to survive, themselves. Reading stories about people just like you is a very good thing, especially for teens how might be living in places where they don’t know anyone else who looks the same, thinks the same or feels the same as they do (think really small, rural towns, etc.).

The moral of this story? If you are dealing with something difficult, take time to tune out and pick up a book. You can either read about someone else dealing with your difficulty or you can completely escape from your reality and vacation somewhere else for a while and breathe for a bit.