A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsboarding school / British Indian main character / class differences / competition / diversity / Fantasy / friendship / high school sweethearts / joint review / magical powers / magical school / Naomi-Novik / POC / prickly heroine / prophecy / students / survival / YA / YA fantasy30 Comments
Jennie: Janine, Sirius, and I reviewed the first book in the Scholomance series (originally slated as two books; now a trilogy). Sirius gave it a C- and said she wouldn’t be reading this sequel, but Janine and I, though we had some reservations, ended up liking A Deadly Education quite ... more >
Book Reviews / Recommended Reads / Top Ten ListsAgent/Spies/Undercover / Best of 2020 / best of list / boarding school / Cold War / disabled hero / found family / genius loci / historical romance / king / Literary fiction / loner / m/m / magic users / one day courtship / passing / SF / thief / twins / UF / voting / war / YA / YA fantasy14 Comments
I spent much of 2020 grateful to books and authors for giving me a way to visit other times and places while stuck at home because of Covid. Below, listed in alphabetical order by author, are my top eight favorite books of 2020. Some grades have been adjusted since my ... more >
A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / C- Reviewsboarding school / British Indian main character / class differences / competition / diversity / Fantasy / friendship / joint review / magical powers / magical school / Naomi-Novik / prickly heroine / prophecy / students / survival / YA / YA fantasy13 Comments
Jennie, Sirius and I (along with Jayne), reviewed Naomi Novik’s last book, Spinning Silver, together. Our roundtable discussion was a lot of fun and the three of us decided to reunite for Novik’s recent release, the first book in her Scholomance series, A Deadly Education. –Janine. Janine: A Deadly Education ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviews1950s / boarding school / England / family relationships / teacher / teaching2 Comments
High Ambo, in England, is the setting. It is winter, and Caroline West—a very human, placid and unexcitable person, has gone there to escape her late husband’s relatives. Like so many good-hearted people, she is immediately put upon. Caroline’s sister Iris comes first, full of impulse and determination to be ... more >
Book Reviews / Reading ListsBiography / boarding school / Classic Murder Mystery / Contemporary romance / Essays / Fiction / flashbacks / Memoir / murder mystery / Reading lists / Suspense / twins11 Comments
Also read and reviewed: Ocean Light and Cadaver & Queen An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet Van Der Zijl I can’t remember if this was recommended somewhere or if I just found it while perusing historical biographies on Amazon, but I know I was initially intrigued by ... more >
B Reviews / B+ Reviewsboarding school / family-reunion / fathers and daughters / grief / Love-Triangle / musician / New Hampshire / YA / Young-Adult10 Comments
Dear Ms. Bowen, I’ve enjoyed most of your NA novels; in my opinion, you write your strongest books when you focus on coming-of-age themes. So, when I saw that your first YA novel, The Accidentals, was out, I took a chance and bought it. It’s the summer before senior year ... more >