[Review] A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary, narrated by Felicity Monroe

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand-Alone

Release Date: 4 October, 2022

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Fiction

ISBN: 9781668612118

Edition: Audiobook (also available in paperback and eBook)

Rating:★★★★☆ (4.75 stars over all)

Review Written: 13 January, 2024
Content Warnings: Mentions of Fraud, mentions of animal death (not depicted), mentions of infidelity

Summary:  

Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays.

Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on saving the cafe.

But if Ben and Kara can set aside their differences—and find homes for all the cats by Christmas—they might discover that, by risking their hearts, they’ll have their own purr-fect holiday . . . together. 

See more by Codi Gary on her website.

[Review] Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable with Stephanie Yue (Illustrator)

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Katie the Catsitter #1

Release Date: 5 January, 2021

Publisher: Random House Children's Books Publishing

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Graphic Novels/Middle Grade

ISBN: 9781984895639

Edition: Paperback (also available in Hardback and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 15 February, 2022
Content Warnings: None

Summary:  

A new middle-grade graphic novel series about growing up, friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats!).

Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp--something that's way out of Katie and her mom's budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting.

First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they're not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city's most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie's upstairs neighbor is really a super villain?

Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who's this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city's history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats!

See more by Colleen A.F. Venable on her website.

[Series Review] Shadow Children 1-3 by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Shadow Children Series 1-3

Release Date: 1998 - 2006

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Publishing

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Dystopian/Science Fiction

ISBN: Unavailable for Series

Edition: Hardback & Paperback (also available in Paperback, Audiobook, and eBook)

Rating:★★★☆ ☆ (2.5 over all)

Review Written: 10 February, 2022
Content Warnings: Child death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality

Summary:  

In a future society that allows only two children per family, all third children are in danger from the dreaded Population Police, and these forbidden kids must work together to survive. Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children books are a huge hit with today's young readers, and now fans can own all seven thrillers from the best-selling series. Kids won't be able to stop turning the pages of each gripping read! Includes: Among the Hidden, Among the Impostors, Among the Betrayed, Among the Barons, Among the Brave, Among the Enemy, and Among the Free.

See more by Margaret Peterson Haddix on her website.

[Review] Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

 

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 17 August, 2021

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary/Romance/Magical Realism/Poetry

ISBN: 9781250780362

Edition: Hardback (also available in Audiobook, and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 11 February, 2022
Content Warnings: Death, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Racism, Abandonment

Summary:  

A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path.

Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.

Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he'll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.

Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.

Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.

See more by Amber McBride on her website.

[Review] Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 7 July, 2020

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons - an imprint of Random House

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Children's/Contemporary

ISBN: 9781984816436

Edition: Hardback (also available in Paperback, Audiobook, and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 9 February, 2022
Content Warnings: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse (Vaping), Addiction, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Sexism, Ableism, Transphobia

Summary:  

In this debut middle-grade girl-power friendship story, an eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school and sparks a rebellion.

Molly Frost is FED UP...

Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top.

Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit.

Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F.

Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips.

Because girls' bodies are not a distraction.

Because middle school is hard enough.

And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up for what's right, and they're not backing down.

See more by Carrie Firestone on her twitter.

[Review] Cleo Porter and the Body Electric by Jake Burt

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 6 October, 2020

Publisher: Squarefish, an imprint of Macmillan Kids

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Children's/Science Fiction

ISBN: 9781250802729

Edition: Paperback (also available in Hardback, Audiobook, and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 7 February, 2022
Warnings: Mentions of Death, Fire/Fire Injury, Animal Death, Minor Violence, Panic/Anxiety Attacks

Summary:  

A woman is dying. Cleo Porter has her medicine... and no way to get it to her.

Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors. They never leave. They never get visitors. Their food is dropped off by drones. So they're safe. Safe from the disease that nearly wiped humans from the earth. Safe from everything. The trade-off?

They're alone. Thus, when they receive a package clearly meant for someone else - a package containing a substance critical for a stranger's survival - Cleo is stuck. As a surgeon-in-training, she knows the clock is ticking. But people don't leave their units.

Not ever.

Until Now.

See more by Jake Burt on his website.

[Review] Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Cover image from the TheStoryGraph Site.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 1 June, 2021

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, a division of Macmillan Publishing

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/LGBTQIA+/Contemporary/Thriller

ISBN: 9781250800817

Edition: Hardback and Audiobook (also available in Paperback and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 16 September, 2021
Warnings: Racism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Bullying, Hate crime, Outing, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Police brutality, Cursing, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Grief, Biphobia, Gore, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Slavery, Torture, Alcohol, Injury/injury detail, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Addiction, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry

Summary:  

A compelling, incendiary, and unputdownable thriller with a shocking twist, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé delves deep into the heart of institutionalized racism with this compulsive debut.

Hello, Niveus High. It's me. Who am I? That's not important. All you need to know is...I'm here to divide and conquer. - Aces

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light.

Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public.

Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.

Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...

See more by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé on her website.

[Review] Nightbooks by J.A. White

 

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 24 June, 2018

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Genre: Middle Grade/Horror/Fantasy

ISBN: 978062560094

Edition: Paperback (also available in Hardback, eBook, and Audiobook)

Rating:★★★★☆ (4.25)

Review Written: 19 August, 2021
Warnings: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury Summary:  

A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. This thrilling contemporary fantasy from J. A. White, the acclaimed author of the Thickety series, brings to life the magic and craft of storytelling. This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 6, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

Alex's original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he'll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He's loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don't have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he's desperate for a different ending--and a way out of this twisted place.

This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans of Coraline and A Tale Dark and Grimm. With interwoven tips on writing with suspense, adding in plot twists, hooks, interior logic, and dealing with writer's block, this is the ideal book for budding writers and all readers of delightfully just-dark-enough tales.

See more by J.A. White on his website.

[Review] The Project by Courtney Summers

 

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 2 February, 2021

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre: Young Adult/Thriller

ASIN: B088KSMYJS

Edition: Audiobook (also available in Hardback and eBook)

Rating:★★☆☆☆

Review Written: 29 July, 2021
Warnings: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Car accident, Suicide, Grief, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Child abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Gore, Infertility, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Cults

Summary:  

"THE UNITY PROJECT SAVED MY LIFE."

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying - and failing - to prove it.

"THE UNITY PROJECT MURDERED MY SON."

When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its charismatic and mysterious leader, Lev Warren, he proposes a deal: if she can prove the worst of her suspicions about The Unity Project, she may expose them. If she can't, she must finally leave them alone.

But as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members, and spends more time with Lev, it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her - to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to.

WELCOME TO THE UNITY PROJECT.

See more by Courtney Summers at her website.

[Review] Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 1 September, 2020

Publisher: Macmillan Publishing

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/LGBTQIA+/Romance

ISBN: 97811250250469

Edition: Hardback (also available in audio and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 29 July, 2021
Warnings: Blood, Transphobia, Death, Deadnaming, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gore, Child death, Body horror, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma

Summary:  

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. 

See more by Aiden Thomas on his website.

Picture Book Round Up - Mid-2021 Edition

 Regularly I read a number of picture books for work. Sometimes they're a hit, and sometimes they're a dud. Here are some that I've read so far this year that I think are fantastic additions to anyone's collection.

All pictures are from Goodreads unless otherwise stated.

[Review] A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 5 March, 2019

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Adult Fiction/Contemporary/Literary

ISBN: 9780062699763

Edition: Audiobook (also available in Hardback and eBook)

Rating:★☆☆☆☆ (1.5)

Review Written: 27 July, 2021
Warnings: Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Grief, Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Abortion, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Self harm, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Hate crime, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Gaslighting

Summary:  

This debut novel by an Arab-American voice,takes us inside the lives of conservative Arab women living in America.

In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. Though she doesn’t want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. History is repeating itself: Deya’s mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam. Though Deya was raised to believe her parents died in a car accident, a secret note from a mysterious, yet familiar-looking woman makes Deya question everything she was told about her past. As the narrative alternates between the lives of Deya and Isra, she begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind her community.

See more by Etaf Rum on her goodreads page.

[Review] Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

 

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Legendborn #1

Release Date: 6 October, 2020

Publisher: Simon Schuster Audio

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Science Fiction/Retellings

ISBN: 9781797113463

Edition: Audiobook (also available in Hardback and eBook)

Rating:★★★★★

Review Written: 22 March, 2021
Warnings: Racism, Death of a Parent, Grief, Death, Slavery, Rape, Blood, Gore, Sexism, Bullying

Summary:  

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight. 

See more by Tracy Deonn at her website.

[Review] How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Thorne Chronicles #1

Release Date: 8 October, 2019

Publisher: Daw Books

Genre: Science Fiction/Fairytale Formula/Space Opera/Fantasy

ISBN: 9780756417499

Edition: Paperback/Audio (also available in Hardcover and eBook) Rating: ★★★★★

Review Written: 22 March, 2021
Warnings: Confinement, Violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Cursing, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Summary:  

Now in mass market, the first in a duology that reimagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera--The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia.

Rory Thorne is a princess with thirteen fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she'd inherit her father's throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.

Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.

When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairytale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination--how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but change the course of history.

See more by K. Eason at her website.

[Review] The Invisible life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

 

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: 6 October, 2020

Publisher: Tor books

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

ISBN: 9780765387561

Edition: Hardback (also available in audiobook and eBook)

Rating:★★★★☆

Review Written: 22 March, 2021
Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Death of a Parent, Grief, Toxic Relationships, Mental Illness, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Rape, Sexual Content

Summary:  

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

See more by V.E. Schwab at her website.

[Review] Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

Cover image from the goodreads website.

Series or Stand Alone: Supernatural Investigations #1

Release Date: 19 January, 2021

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction/Supernatural/Spooky/Mystery

ISBN: 9780062975164

Edition: Hardback (also available in audiobook and eBook)

Rating: ★★★★★

Review Written: 22 March, 2021
Warnings: Racism, Hate Crimes, Kidnapping, Grief, Bullying, Medical Trauma, Death

Summary:  

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

See more by B.B. Alston at his twitter.