Publisher: HarperCollins

The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley: Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Buy “Wistful verse highlights small but telling moments throughout Rynn’s search…The author’s lived history with foster care and adoption gives the narrative nuance and authority. Emotionally complex and empathetic characters…and a faithfully depicted rural landscape form an exemplary backdrop for this contemplative novel.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Compassionate and compelling.” —Kirkus This emotionally compelling novel in verse is a bittersweet portrayal of the complexities of adoption. Rynn has wondered her whole life where she came from. She’s always […]

Posted June 27, 2022 in Author Guest Post, Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 9 Comments

2022 YA & MG Verse Novels: A Complete List & Ten I’ve Been Looking Forward To

I haven’t done a Top Ten Tuesday Post in a while, but I thought I’d jump in with a list this week, even though I’m not doing the official list. (It’s a step in the right direction, right?) Anyway, I’ve been reading lots of verse novels lately since I’ve also been writing in verse. And I wanted a running list of verse novels releasing in 2022, but I couldn’t find one. So I created a […]

Posted March 29, 2022 in Let's Discuss, Top Ten Tuesday / 9 Comments

Great Kids’ Reads for Black History Month (and Every Month!): Amari and the Night Brothers, Moving Forward, and the Parker Easy Readers

Today, I’m focusing on kids’ books with Black protagonists for Black History Month, but these books are great reads any time! Watch for more posts dedicated to Black History Month coming soon. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Amari and the Night Brothers is the best MG fantasy I’ve read in a long time! I LOVED this book!! As it says in the description, it has a bit of […]

Posted February 9, 2022 in Black History Month, Reviews / 5 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: Unsettled, Amber & Clay, Legacy, and Hello, Earth!

As my regular readers know, I’m a round-one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Poetry category. Because of that, I’ve been reading tons of verse lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed […]

Posted November 17, 2021 in Cybils, Reviews / 10 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of XOXO, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Greta’s Story, and The Beast Player

Today, I have a YA contemp, a MG (YA? Adult?) contemporary fantasy, a MG biography, and a YA fantasy! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! This is the type of book that makes you so happy you don’t want to put the book down. I happily read it in two sittings. The story follows Jenny, who has always been focused on her music and getting into an elite […]

Posted August 12, 2021 in Reviews / 8 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Last Fallen Star, Phoebe and Her Unicorn in the Magic Storm, Long Distance, and Heart of Iron

Today, I have a MG fantasy, a MG sci fi graphic novel, an audiobook of a MG fantasy graphic novel, and a YA sci fi novel! I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! This is one of my favorite Rick Riordan Presents books, which is saying a lot because I absolutely love this imprint! The book explores Korean folklore and features an adopted main character who struggles to reconcile […]

Posted July 14, 2021 in Reviews / 12 Comments

The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad: Review, Giveaway & Alysa’s Top Ten Addictions

Today I’m featuring THE VERDIGRIS PAWN, a timeless middle grade fantasy full of danger, betrayals and intrigue! Check out my review, along with Alysa’s list of top ten addictions and a giveaway of the book! This book is not your typical middle grade fantasy; not only does it have a timeless, almost classical feel, it also has the complexities of an epic fantasy that you’d expect from YA or even adult books. But the story […]

Posted July 6, 2021 in Author Top Ten Lists, Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 36 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, Mañanaland, The Copycat, & Shuri

As my regular readers know, I’m a round one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category. Because of that, I’ve been reading LOTS of books lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will […]

Posted November 12, 2020 in Cybils, Reviews / 4 Comments

I’m a 2020 Round One Cybils Awards Judge! Plus, Quick Reviews of Last Year’s MG Speculative Fiction Finalists

I really enjoyed being a round-two judge for the Cybils Awards. The process for picking a winner was WAY harder than I expected it to be, but it was also great to have in-depth discussions about each of the finalists. I was surprised how many of the books I absolutely loved! This year, I said I’d be willing to be either a round-one or round-two judge, and I was chosen for round one for the […]

Posted September 23, 2020 in Cybils, Reviews / 8 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Deeplight, More to the Story, The Female of the Species, and Knockout

I’ve got four reviews for you today: a YA fantasy, a MG contemporary retelling, a YA contemporary and a MG contemporary in verse. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! A fascinating YA fantasy with incredible worldbuilding! Deeplight had me entranced from the very beginning. It reminded me of books by my favorite fantasy author, Robin Hobb, because of its unique worldbuilding and epic-but-not-overly-ponderous fantasy feel. Hardinge’s gorgeous writing […]

Posted July 8, 2020 in Reviews / 16 Comments