Peter Pan is by James Barrie. The classic children's fantasy tale. Peter Pan can't grow up. He goes to the home of the Darling's to listen to stories told to their children. When he loses his shadow and has it sewn back on by Wendy Darling, he takes Wendy, John, and Michael for an adventure in Never Never Land. There they meet the lost boys, the Indians, the mermaids, and of course, Captain James Hook. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 5th grade - 9 out of 10.
Devil in a Blue Dress is by Walter Mosley. The first book in the historical fiction Easy Rawlins mystery series. Set in Los Angeles in 1948, Easy is a black war veteran who has lost his job. He is trying to find another so he can keep his home, which means everything to him. He is approached by a white man and asked to locate a white woman who is known to hang out in the black part of town. Then people start dying and Easy is suspected by the police. Can he discover what is really going on without getting killed or thrown in jail for crimes he didn't commit? This is a dark and violent series.
Ratings: 12th grade - 6 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (very mature thematic content).
A Daughter of Fair Verona is by Christina Dodd. A charming historical fiction look at Romeo and Juliet's daughter; the first in the Daughter of Montague series. Romeo and Juliet didn't die, they lived and had a bunch of children. The oldest daughter is named Rosaline and she doesn't want to marry. However, her parents betroth her to a man whose last three wives have died under suspicious circumstances. When she is found in the garden at her betrothal party standing over the body of the husband-to-be, Rosaline must discover who really killed him and why. This novel was completely charming. It is the first in a series, so there will be more for fans who want to know more about Rosaline.
Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
Cleopatra is by Saara El-Arifi. A historical fiction look at the life of the famous Egyptian queen. Told from the point of view of Cleopatra, the novel covers her childhood with her family, her ascension to the throne of Egypt, as well as her love affairs with both Caesar and Antony. The twist at the end was a surprise. I enjoyed this novel.
Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
The Inugami Curse is by Seishi Yokomizo. The second book in the historical fiction Detective Kindaichi mysteries. Set in 1940s Japan, Detective Kindaichi is called in to solve a series of mysterious deaths related to the will of the head of the Inugami clan. This is the first Japanese mystery I have read and I admit I found it convoluted with a large cast of characters. I am probably missing a lot due to my lack of understanding of Japanese culture. I did enjoy it and would like to read more Japanese mysteries in translation and in this series in particular.
Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
Beowulf is translated by J. R. R. Tolkien. The classic fantasy legend translated by the master himself. This edition also contains a complete commentary and other poems related to the myth. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read. A must read for all Tolkien fans and fans of Beowulf.
Ratings: Adult - 10 out of 10.
The Salamander Spell is by E. D. Baker. The fifth book in the fantasy Frog Princess series. This prequel follows the adventures of Grassina and her journey to becoming the Green Witch. Fans of the series will enjoy this book.
Ratings: 6th grade - 6 out of 10.
No Place for Magic is by E. D. Baker. The fourth installment in the Frog Princess fantasy series. Emma and Eadric are ready to get married, so they travel to his home to get his parents' approval. When they arrive, they discover his younger brother has been captured by trolls and they must rescue him before they can marry.
Ratings: 6th grade - 7 out of 10.
Hamnet is by Maggie O'Farrell. Historical fiction novel about the life of Shakespeare's son. The story never mentions the Bard's name. It tells the story of his family, his wife and her family, and his children. Since not much is known about Shakespeare or his family historically, O'Farrell takes liberties that do make the tale intriguing and page-turning. This is why you should avoid hype before reading a book! It was an enjoyable read, but for me, did not live up to the excessive publicity surrounding it.
Ratings: Adult - 5 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
The Tiger in the Smoke is by Margery Allingham. The fourteenth book in the Albert Campion historical fiction mystery series. As a knife wielding killer stalks London, Campion is called on to help hunt him down. Fans of Campion will enjoy this installment as well. Golden Age fans will love Allingham's work.
Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10.
Bunny is by Mona Awad. A strange piece of magical realism. Samantha is an outcast in her MFA cohort at a fancy school. She calls the in-group "the Bunnies." When she is mysteriously invited to one of their special get-togethers, she finds herself embroiled in their dark weird group dynamics. This book is completely bizarre. Based on the hype, I'm sure there are many who find this type of novel intriguing. I did not. This book was definitely not in my wheelhouse.
Ratings: Adult - 4 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
This Story Might Save Your Life is by Tiffany Crum. A chilling realistic fiction novel. Two best friends start a podcast which becomes extremely popular. When Joy and her husband disappear, Benny discovers Joy has sent him a copy of her unseen memoir. He must find out what happened to Joy, while he is considered a suspect in their disappearance by the police. Benny finds that he really did not know Joy at all, despite their closeness, as he reads her memoir and discovers her darkest secrets.
Ratings: 11th grade - 7 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 5 is by Beth Brower. A continuation of Brower's historical fiction Emma M. Lion series. The year is 1883 and Emma is living in her family home with her irritating cousin and her new boarder. The story includes all the other crazy denizens of St. Crispian's. Fans of the series will enjoy this installment.
Ratings: 7th grade - 7 out of 10.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 4 is by Beth Brower. A continuation of Brower's historical fiction Emma M. Lion series. The year is 1883 and Emma is living in her family home with her irritating cousin and her new boarder. The story includes all the other crazy denizens of St. Crispian's. Fans of the series will enjoy this installment.
Ratings: 7th grade - 7 out of 10.
Love and Other Monsters is by Emily Franklin. A lively historical fiction recounting of the summer spent by the Shelleys, Lord Byron and others on the shoers of Lake Geneva. The tale is told through the eyes of Mary Shelley's stepsister, Claire. Claire is all but absent from the history of this summer. Franklin's novel proposes a reason for this. This novel is dark and propulsive. I enjoyed it more than I had expected.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
Son of Nobody is by Yann Martel. A retelling of The Iliad combined with the story of a translator and his family. Harlow Donne is a Canadian who goes to Oxford to translate Greek relics. The Psoad is the story of the Trojan War as seen through the eyes of Psoas of Midea. Donne translates the fragments as he writes letters to his daughter Helen, to whom he dedicates his translation. The story alternates between Donne's point of view and that of Psoas and the other figures from Homer's tale. An interesting story. It made me want to pick up Homer's work again.
Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - P (profanity).
The Hounding is by Xenobe Purvis. A historical fiction novel that is on the strange side. The Mansfield sisters live with their father on an estate near the village of Little Nettlebed. A drought is causing the river to dry up and the crops to fail. When the villagers began to hear barking, they believe the Mansfield girls are turning into wild dogs using witchcraft. But is it really witchcraft or merely another type of evil? This is an interesting and thought provoking parable with a twist at the end that should have been obvious. I did not like this book as much as I wanted too after the reviews I read.
Ratings: 12th grade - 6 out of 10 = AC (mature thematic content).
Platform Decay is by Martha Wells. The eighth book in the science fiction Murderbot series. Murderbot volunteers for a rescue operation on a hostile space ring. But now it must spend extended amounts of time interacting with, and trying to save, young humans. ICK! Another wonderful installment in a great series. Fans of the series will love this story. Murderbot is the best!!!
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
Vigil is by George Saunders. A strange fantasy novel by one of my few favorite modern authors. Jill is sent to earth to guide a dying soul to the afterlife. But K. J. Boone is unlike any charge she has ever encountered. He doesn't want to be consoled as he has nothing to regret - or does he? "Visitors" began to appear seeking a reckoning, birds swam the dying man's room, two cronies from the past arrive with their own agenda. This is not an easy read, but it is charming in its own way, as it looks at dying, good and evil, and what faces us in the afterlife.
Ratings: 12th grade - 7 out of 10 - (Profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
A Natural Man is by Gary Soto. A work of modern poetry by the famous Hispanic poet. A short collection of Soto's poetry. Easy to read and understand. Fans of Soto will enjoy this collection.
Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
The Library of Amorlin is by Kayln Josephson. The first in the fantasy Age of Beasts series. Kasira is a con artist who has been arrested and is forced to pose as the new assistant librarian in the magical Library of Amorlin. She is to assume the post of librarian and turn the library's secrets over to the kingdom of Kalthos who wish to use its powers for evil. But when she arrives, she discovers the librarian is not at all what she believed him to be. Can she save the library and herself or will she have to choose? An interesting magical world filled with political intrigue as well.
Ratings: 10th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).
Cocktail Time is by P.G. Wodehouse. The third Uncle Fred installment in Wodehouse's charming historical fiction series. When Uncle Fred shoots the hat off of a stuffy relative with a Brazil nut, it inspires the relative to write a scandalous novel about the younger generation. As he contemplates political office, he enlists Uncle Fred's help to keep his authorship secret - and of course, hijinks ensue. I love Uncle Fred almost as much as the Blandings stories. Fans of Wodehouse will enjoy this series as well. I wish I had an Uncle Fred!
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
