Book Reviews

A

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin, read by Ilyana Kadushin

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman

Austenland by Shannon Hale

B

Babyville: A Novel by Jane Green

The Beach Trees by Karen White

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Dead – Book 1 – Jonas by Eden Maguire

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

The Blue Notebook by Dr. James A. Levine

Bone: The Complete Series by Jeff Smith

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Brilliance of the Moon: Tales of the Otori Book 3 by Lian Hearn

Britten and Brülightly by Hannah Berry

C

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Cinder by Melissa Meyer 

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Care

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Cleaving; A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell

Clockwork Angel: The Infernal Devices #1 by Cassandra Clare

The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer

Coop; A Family, a Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg by Michael Perry

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence

Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure and a Man Who Dared to See by Robert Kurson

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

D

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor 

Day for Night by Frederick Reiken

The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth Book 2) by Carrie Ryan

Death in the Air by Agatha Christie

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The Doctor’s Wife by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker, read by Christopher Lee

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Drood by Dan Simmons

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, read by Davina Porter

E

elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain, read by Carolyn McCormick

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer

F

Fables Volume 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham

The Faery Reel edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World by Signe Pike

Fallen by David Maine

The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fever by Megan Abbott

Finny by Justin Kramon

Fire by Kristin Cashore

First Love by Joyce Carol Oates

A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Read by Vane Millon

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

French Milk by Lucy Knisley

Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt

G

Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing) by Libba Bray

Gift in Translation by Jean Kwok, read by Grayce Wey

Gillespie & I by Joanne Harris

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dalhquist

Goldengrove by Francine Prose

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, read by Anthony Heald

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

The Good Night, Sleep Tight Workbook by Kim West LCSW-C

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by Tim Robbins

The Green Man edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

H

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Holy Fools by Joanne Harris

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Hot House Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin

The House Girl by Tara Conklin

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

Hummingbirds by Joshua Gaylord

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hunted: A House of Night Novel by PC and Kristin Cast

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I

I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella Hesse

In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpta Lahiri

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (a reread review)

Ireland: A Novel by Frank Delaney

I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance  by Annie Barrows

J

Jack of Fables: the (Nearly) Great Escapes

Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

K

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes by Harold McGee

Killer Bunny Hill by Denise Robbins

The King’s Rose by Alisa M. Libby

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

L

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Landline by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon

Lazarus Volume 1 by Greg Rucka

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr

Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan, read by Conor Grennan

Little Red Riding Hood by Daniel Egnéus

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

Lolly Willowes – or the Loving Huntsman by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Love at First Bark by Julie Klam

The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh

Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health by Amy Kalafa

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

M

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson

The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill

The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis

Margarettown by Gabrielle Zevin

Mating Rituals of the North Atlantic Wasp by Lauren Lipton

Maus I and II by Art Speigelman

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Merlin’s Harp by  Anne Eliot Crompton

Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen

Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange

Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

The Mummy by Anne Rice

N

Naked in Eden: My Adventure and Awakening in the Australian Rainforest by Robin Easton

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg, read by Simon Pegg

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The 19th Wife by David Ebersoff

Not That Kind of Girl by Carlene Bauer

Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart

O

This One is Mine by Maria Semple

Owly Vol 1 & 2 by Andy Runton

P

Paper Towns by John Green

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances by Mark Millhone

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Peter & Max by Bill Willingham

The PLAIN Janes by Cecil Castellucci

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, read by Gabra Zackman

The Position by Meg Wolitzer

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Q

Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie

R

Radiant Shadows: Wicked Lovely Book 4 by Melissa Marr

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

RASL: The Drift by Jeff Smith

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton

The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

Room by Emma Donoghue

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block

The Rosie Project  by Graeme Simsion

S

Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Saint Therese of Lisieux by Kathryn Harrison

The School of Essential Ingredients by Ericka Bauermeister

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland

Sea Change by Jeremy Page

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn

Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Jenna Lamia and David LeDoux

Shivers, Wishes and Wolves: Stone Arch Fairy Tales Volume 1 by Donald Lemke

Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott

Sleep, Pale Sister by Joanne Harris

Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on my Pajamas, and Found Happiness by Dominique Browning 

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Sovay by Celia Rees

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Storm Front: The Dresden Files Book 1 by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwhistle

T

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

The 3-Day Reset: Restore Your Cravings for Healthy Foods in Three Easy, Empowering Days by Pooja Mottl

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede, read by Amanda Ronconi

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

Trickster – Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection by Matt Dembicki

Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce

Trickster’s Queen by Tamora Pierce

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Truth About Forever by Saran Dessen

Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

U

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green by Joshua Braff

V

Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show: A Novel by Frank Delaney

A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan, read by Roxana Ortega

W

Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk

West With the Night by Beryl Markham

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

White Cat: The Curse Workers #1 by Holly Black

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, read by Alyssa Bresnahan (audio)

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Willow by Julia Hoban

Wise Children by Angela Carter

The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner

The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

The Woodcutter by Kate Danley

Y

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Y the Last Man Deluxe Edition Volume 1 by Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Y the Last Man Deluxe Edition Volume 2 by Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra

Trickster – Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection by Matt Dembicki

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2 Responses to “Book Reviews”

  1. Samantha and Mya Mia Happy Michael

    Hi Heather!
    I am just publishing a few books right now and am launching them in the spring. They are both memoirs, one is mine and the other my dog’s! Through the sale of each book I am raising money for the advancement of education and saving the monarch butterfly. I was wondering if you would enjoy reviewing them so that I have some for amazon and wherever. I am working with a pr rep later in march but I thought I would get things rolling. I would love to send you a pdf copy of both if you are interested. The book summaries are below.

    Warm regards,
    Samantha.

    The Beauty of my Shadow: A Story of Strength
    In the blink of an eye, a person’s entire existence can change forever. At eighteen, Samantha Michael learned this in the most challenging way imaginable, when she was in a severe car crash at the hands of an impaired driver. After being rescued from the accident, Samantha was comatose and barely alive. Later, as she emerged from her coma, she would come to discover that terrifying moment was not the end but the beginning—the beginning of a lifetime of challenges and changes, tribulations and triumphs. With wisdom, grace and humour, Samantha recounts the aftermath of her injury and her personal, medical and emotional struggles to win back the happiness which was taken from her. She describes the impact on her family and friends, the lasting physical trauma with which she had to struggle, the pain of deferred dreams and the joy of eventually reclaiming her life and self, piece by piece, day by day. The Beauty of my Shadow will pluck a range of emotional chords as the reader experiences the euphoria, hope, doubt, fear, love and other feelings Samantha herself lived through in the days since her life was forever altered. Written candidly and from the heart, Samantha’s story gives hope to those who have suffered similar trauma, as well as those who are simply wrestling with the ordinary challenges of daily life. Her memoir serves as a powerful reminder of the strength and versatility of the human spirit—that while adversity derails our path in life, undefeatable perseverance often helps us discover another route to take. A percentage of author royalties from the sale of this ebook are donated to charity. See ebook for details. Donated royalties are net of commissions.

    The Butterflies Above My Bed
    A dog’s life is more than just tail-wagging, treat-begging and butterfly-chasing. In The Butterflies Above My Bed, Mya Mia Happy Michael (as told to her beloved human companion Samantha Michael), chronicles the joys, frustrations and general puzzlement’s of a dog’s life. And though a glass window separates Mya’s sunny perch inside from the wild, untamed world of the forest into which she gazes daily with full attention, the boundary between nature and civilization can be torn at any moment, as Mya learns when her world collides unexpectedly with that of a wandering monarch butterfly. She’ll soon be endearingly duped into “punishment” for her unintentional error but even that trick offers a few treats of its own.

    Mya navigates a human-dominated landscape filled with inexplicable gadgets, simple pleasures and strange holidays, unafraid to assert her “dogness” at every turn. The friendly beagle reminds her human audience that the length of a leash is an oh-so-surmountable limitation for a well-meaning dog with an appetite for adventure.

    Samantha’s own experience writing her memoir The Beauty of My Shadow aided Mya in composing hers. Together, they’ve helped each other power through the ups and downs of a world with a propensity for unexpected happenings, reminding each other that beauty is fleeting and fragile but it is nonetheless everywhere, ready to reveal itself to those willing to look.

    A percentage of author royalties from the sale of this ebook are donated to charity of Mya’s choice. Please see http://www.anaid.org for details. Donated royalties are net of commissions.

  2. B.K. Maxwell

    Good day,

    I’m writing to request a review of my self-published children’s book, The Young Mystery Series: The Missing Lunch. If you would like to review it please contact me and I will send you a free copy as digital file such as a .mobi or pdf or I can send you a paperback if needed.

    Also here is the synopsis which is on the back cover of this book:

    Delicious PB& J sandwiches, meetings in the restrooms, wandering in the hallways, inappropriate behavior on the playground, giants in the lunch room and the best sleepover ever; what is going on at Rydell Elementary?

    Well there’s nothing Kia and Marcus Young of The Young Detective Agency can’t handle!

    New to the Detective scene, this sister and brother duo are on the case, helping their friend Dennis find out who has been taking his lunch, not just any lunch, a lunch that could make any and everyone at Rydell Elementary a suspect.

    Thank you in advance for your support,

    B.K. Maxwell

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