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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
In a recent review I made mention of how cozy fantasy novels have been a soothing mental escape in recent months (years?). Totally true. Also true is that I am finding mental solace in darker fare as well. The common thread for both of these forms of reading relaxation are places and stories that can transport me and protagonists with a strong sense of self and their own code of honor.
Ghosts may make their unwelcome presence in a house for any variety of reasons, but the specter haunting the Hacienda San Isidro is there for reasons so deeply rooted in the land that it might never be fully purged. In Isabel Cañas’ assured debut The Hacienda, the ghost of the eponymous home is meant to be a sanctuary for Beatriz, a young woman trying to piece some security together after her general father is killed as a traitor following Mexico’s brutal War of Independence.
The 2022 Charlotte Zolotow Award winner for best writing in children’s picture books, this new book by Meg Medina is a gem. Evelyn is Daniela’s best friend and they do everything together. Even as Evelyn’s family is packing boxes and loading the truck, these two besties don’t waste a single minute of their time together, playing together until the very last second of having to say goodbye.
Thirty award-winning authors and illustrators share stories and discussions about "the talk" - the conversations they have with their children about race and racism, identity, and self-esteem. For some parents it's a way to prepare their kids, for others it's a way to protect them, for still others it's a way to explain. All of the talks and the reasons for the talk are varied, just like humans are varied.
Belonging is a common theme in many young adult stories. Graphic novels provide an excellent visual of capturing the experiences and emotions as characters grow and find themselves. It’s as if we’re dropping in or hovering over a character’s shoulder to see a slice of their life. Here are three insightful and at times, humorous graphic novels to check out:
Travis Baldree's debut novel is a member of what's being called 'cozy SFF' in some parts of the interwebs (okay, I admit I found it on #booktok). Cozy science fiction and fantasy is just that, it's certainly imaginative and involves beings and creatures fresh and innovative, but it's also warm, good hearted and even funny. Sample titles, in case you need more of an idea, All Systems Red by Martha Wells or The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J.
All eyes have been riveted on Ukraine and Russia in these tense days. An author who has long used the beautiful colors and designs of Eastern Europe in her stories is Patricia Polacco. Patricia Polacco published her first children’s book in 1988 at the age of 41 and has subsequently written and illustrated over 100 titles. Many of her stories are inspired by her own life and the lives of her family.
Yes, something fishy is going on at the Paris apartment when Jess arrives to stay with her brother Ben. There's no way that Ben can afford to stay at the lavish building on his salary as a journalist. And how do the two young students on the fourth floor pay rent? And why do the inhabitants of the penthouse apartment insist the other residents attend their fancy wine parties? It doesn't add up. Not to mention, Ben is missing. Jess spoke with him on the phone before her arrival and now he's nowhere to be found.
Tasha Suri is a librarian who studied creative writing at University and both of those facts are evident in her debut fantasy novel which is clearly well-researched and oh so creative.
Evelyn Maltravers had hoped she wouldn’t have to brave the ruthless London season and catch a wealthy husband, but that’s exactly where she finds herself in the spring of 1862. Her prospects aren’t ideal: with no dowry to speak of, the reputation of an elder flighty sister to overcome and a depressed London society in mourning for the recent death of the Prince Consort, Evelyn has her work cut out for her.
