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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
I read the first book in Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy, A Deadly Education, last year and loved it. Harry Potter meets the Hunger Games with a scrappy, angry underdog protagonist and an odd-couple romance sprinkled throughout? Yes, please!
Since spring doesn't seem to want to get here, I went looking for a warm and snug read and was reminded of The Last Marshmallow by Grace Lin. This cozy book is one in a series of four wonderful board books that introduce math concepts - such as number sense and division, spatial sense, measurement and geometry - in fun and engaging ways to young children, ages 2-4. In The Last Marshmallow, two friends, Mei and Olivia, have been playing outside in the snow.
Orquídea Divina invites the multigenerational Montoya family to her home to celebrate her funeral. The catch is that Orquídea is still alive. The arrival of the magical invitations confuses many of her family members and dredges up painful memories for others. Everyone must attend the funeral in order to receive their inheritance and this strings-attached event is complicated on many levels. The land that Orquídea's home is situated on is infused with magic and the funeral proceedings are hampered by supernatural happenings.
Lee knows big sisters. His big sister Zora is the boss. “I go wherever she goes, and we are home before dark. Those are the rules.” And today, Lee and Zora are going to the library… but not to get on the computer or to check out books, they are going to learn to sew from Ms. C, the librarian. There is a LOT to love in this book.
"When Grandma walks to her special garden, we know to follow.This is the place where wonder grows and stories blossom."
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Mirrorland for a recent Lakeview Mystery Book Group discussion other than it would likely be a dark suspenser - and it is that.** But it's also a twisty puzzler of a book that keeps the reader off balance from first to last page.
This book requires a certain mindset and I caution readers to prepare themselves for a memoir of alcoholism and addiction that is stunning in several ways. First, it's hard to believe that Matthew Perry, one of the stars of the television sitcom Friends, is still alive after everything his body has been through. Second, his candid sharing of stories about himself and others surprised me, and probably surprised those he spilled the beans about.
Azra and her family are having a regular evening when her father comes racing into their home, saying the whole family must leave immediately. Violence and turmoil have gotten out of control in their part of India because of colonial division wrought by the British. In their haste, they leave behind everything they own, including Azra's beloved doll, Gurya. Will she ever see her again? This story, suitable for elementary school children, sheds light on a time in Indian history that even parents and school teachers might not know a lot about.
I know you're out there. All those readers who helped make Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes the biggest thing to hit fantasy fiction last year. If you're one of the many (like me) who ended that book with a sigh of delight and immediately began searching for other cozy fantasy to sustain you? Then look no further than Rebecca Thorne's entry into the sub genre, which has much (a lot, actually) in common with Baldree's novel.
