Top Ten Tuesday: Six Months

 This week's topic is all about the books we want to read MOST the first half of the year.

Unlike most weeks, I'm going to really try to stick to just 10 books.

Also, I'm going to do a middle grade post, so I'm going to stay away from middle grade books.

Does list surprise you as it does me? I really loved Fourth Wing and that kicked me back into fantasy reading. I'm looking forward to these. This year, I read more thrillers than I have recently.  And always, I'm a Jane Austen fan. Clearly, I need to add more romance books to my TBR list. 

What are you excited to read this year?

Review: Shelterlings

 

A group of magical misfits have come to terms with the fact that their magic, while unique, isn't going to make their lives better. They're not going to bond with wizards and go on quests together. They're stuck together in a cozy little home. 

Until Charlie returns with news. He's uncovered a spell that will make everything better. The spell will fix the Moon Mirror and they can live the lives they were meant to live. However, they need to gather ingredients - which won't be easy.

Almost everyone's thrilled with the idea. They volunteer for a quest. Holly and her best friend Gus need to find a flower. But their quest takes a turn when they meet a cat, a wizard, and a dragon who needs their help. Holly never though her magic would amount to much - or that she would go on a quest. But she's having the time of her life. Does she really want everything to change?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I felt badly for Holly and her friends as they agonized over their limited magical abilities. lots of action and adventure in this book. Also soul-searching. I loved the friendships in this book - the best friends and the making of friends. I loved the message about being different. There are a few lovely quotes in this book - here's one "You're only a failure if you quit. Until then you're just someone who hasn't succeeded yet." Another winner for Sarah Beth Durst.

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: eARC from Netgalley

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public libraries!

Review: Even and Odd

 

Even and Odd share magic - they each have magic on certain days. Which leads to their nicknames. When magic in their world goes wonky, Even, Odd, and a unicorn named Jeremy travel to the border to look for answers. 

One minute they're in the human world. The next moment, they are in the magical world. Then the board closes. They can't return. They don't belong in the magical world, except for Jeremy. 

Not knowing what to do, they head for Jeremy's home. But his home is no longer there. Instead there's a lake with mermaids in it's place.

Something is Not Right in the magical world. Can the sisters and their new unicorn friend help fix both worlds?

My Thoughts: I loved the premise of this one - two sisters who share magical powers saving the world together. I loved that one sister wanted magical powers and trained all the time while the other sister wasn't interested in magic. Jeremy the unicorn was funny - especially his interest in gaming and soda. I loved how the trio were stuck in the magical world and everything was going wrong. I love how they worked together to save the day. Another fun book from Sarah Beth Durst!

Cover Thoughts: Love

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library.

Blog Tour: The Last Fallen Star

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE LAST FALLEN STAR by Graci Kim Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: THE LAST FALLEN STAR

Author: Graci Kim

Pub. Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, BandN, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family.

"Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information."--New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.

Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan!

Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?

As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next. I really loved the sister relationship and how close they were. I felt terrible for Riley as she was an outsider in most other areas of her life. But I admired her courage and determination. Of course I loved the moments in the library. I loved learning about the clans and the magic. Lots of moments of friendship. Lots of action, danger, and plot twists. SO happy there are two more books coming! 

Another winner for the Rick Riordan Presents publishing house - I'm so loving all these books!

 

About Graci:

Graci Kim is a Korean-Kiwi diplomat turned author who writes about the magic she wants to see in the world. The Last Fallen Star is her middle grade debut. In a previous life she used to be a cooking show host, and she once ran a business that turned children's drawings into plushies. When she's not lost in her imagination, you'll find Graci drinking flat whites, eating ramyeon, and most likely hugging a dog (or ideally, many). She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Twitter @gracikim and Instagram @gracikimwrites.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details: 

3 winners will win a finished copy of THE LAST FALLEN STAR, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

Week Five:

5/23/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
5/24/2021	fictitious.fox	Review
5/25/2021	Emelie's Books	Review
5/26/2021	Eli to the nth	Review
5/27/2021	Popthebutterfly	Review
5/28/2021	Books and Zebras	Review
5/29/2021	YA Book Nerd	Review

Week Six:

5/30/2021	two points of interest	Review
5/31/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Review: Catalyst

Zoe finds a kitten on her birthday and begs her parents to let her keep it. They reluctantly agree - if she takes responsibility for it. Zoe has a habit of bringing home stray animals. After the last time when she brought a skunk home thinking it was cat, they said no more animals. But Zoe can't resist.

She names her cat Pipsqueak. But Pipsqueak isn't your average cat. Overnight she grows - from the size of a kitten to the size of a regular cat. Zoe and her best friend take the animal to the vet. The vet doesn't believe them.

When her cat grows again, Zoe isn't willingly to trust anyone except her best friend. But she's having a harder and harder time keeping her cat safe. Soon Pipsqueak's too big for her bedroom. Zoe know she's going to have to get help, but she doesn't know who to trust. Can she keep her cat safe?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I loved the bond between Zoe and Pipsqueak. I loved how Pipsqueak was almost like other cats - and she loved the boxes. I really liked Zoe and Harrison's friendship and how they had each other's back. I enjoyed their adventure together and the friends they met along the way. A really fun book for animal lovers.

Cover Thoughts: Made me curious about the story.
Source: Book Sent for Review
Library Recommendation: Sarah Beth Durst has become an auto-buy author for my library. Highly Recommended.

Teen Summer Reading (5)

For the past month, I've been chatting about Teen Summer Reading Program ideas.

If you missed them, you can find them here.

But this week (my last week) I'll be talking about new fantasy books to purchase for summer.

I always like to have new books to share with my teens for summer. Summer is the best time of year for circulation stats. Teens come into the library and check out lots of books. 

It's important to have new items for them to find.

In my library, our teen room has a middle grade section. So these books will be a mix of middle grade and teen books.

They don't have to revolve around the theme, but these will.

Middle Grade:

YA:

 Nonfiction:

 What other new or upcoming books would you recommend?

Summer Reading Kids (6)

Even though it's winter outside, in the library world, it's time to start planning summer reading. This year's theme is all about fantasy and fairy tales in Imagine Your Story.

Four weeks ago I looked at Castles, three weeks I looked at Fairy Tale Crafts, two weeks ago I looked at STEAM programs, last week I'm talking about food programs, and this week I'm talking about new books to order for the collection.

I just started building my cart for new books for summer.

As you can see I'm looking at castles, faeries, fairy tales, princes and princesses, knights, trolls, and magic. Here's a sample books in my cart at the moment.

What are you looking to purchase for your library?

Middle Grade Review: Girl with the Dragon Heart

*Book 2 in the Tales from the Chocolate Heart series *

Silke loves working at the Chocolate Heart with her best friend, dragon turned human. And she's not above telling anyone who will listen. When her friend gets into a spot of trouble at the market, Silke saves her by spinning a tale that happens to involve the Crown Princess.

The next day, she's taken from her family's stall by soldiers of the Crown Princess. Silks isn't sure what's about to happen, but she's dumbfounded when she story becomes truth.

She's offered a position in the palace - in exchange for being eyes and ears during an upcoming royal visit. Silke can't say no to the request, but she also has personal reasons for wanting her first mission to go well. Can she uncover the truth about the fairies without getting caught?

My Thoughts: I Loved this book: from the spy moments, the learning etiquette, to family drama, to friendship, and to storytelling. I loved the chocolate moments. I loved Silke and her brother - even though their conversations were heartbreaking at times. I wanted Silke to find a home of her own. I liked learning more about her past - especially her parents. I enjoyed her moments trying to one up Princess Sofia. I loved the ending. Lots of action and danger and friendship. And of course it made my mouth water for something chocolate! It was great being back in this world and I hope there are more Tales from the Chocolate Heart series to come!

Cover Thoughts: Magical
Source: ARC sent for review
Release Date: This one comes out tomorrow

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for both school and public libraries.