The Island by Natasha Preston TikTok influencers are invited to an amusement park on an island. The owner is a billionaire who wanted a place for the wealthy to enjoy a very exclusive park. My first thoughts on this book were about the author’s decision to use TikTok as the social media platform. I remember … More The Island
Family of Liars by E. Lockhart Years ago, I read the book We Were Liars. This book is the prequel. I was worried that I didn’t remember enough of We Were Liars to enjoy this book. I do remember loving We Were Liars. I would book-talk it every chance I got. I devoured that book … More Family of Liars
The Monster’s Bones (YA Edition) by David K. Randall My mom loves to go on little adventures whenever possible. I love going with her. Recently, we went to a museum not too far from our hometown, and there were many exhibits featuring dinosaur bones. So naturally, I had to find some books about dinosaurs. I … More The Monster’s Bones (Young Readers Edition)
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh I meant to read this book for school last year, but I just didn’t find the time. I came across it again, and when I read the summary, I pretty much started reading it the same day. Matthew is stuck at home during the Covid lockdown, bored out of … More The Lost Year
In the Shadow of the Moon by Amy Cherrix There are two main men in this book. Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev. I was a little worried about this book after seeing many other reviews say it had mistakes or was biased. During World War II, Germany, von Braun wanted his technology and rocket development … More In the Shadow of the Moon
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln I wasn’t sure about this one as it started off with what felt like a lot of detail that I didn’t think all my students would like. Some would, for sure, but a lot of them want action right away. Well, our main character is named Shenanigan Swift. Unusual name … More The Swifts
World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky Set in the late 80’s, Iris is a young girl trying to navigate a world where AIDS is off limits to talk about, and she desperately wants to talk about it. Her dad is dying of AIDS, and she feels like she has to hide what she is … More World Made of Glass
Monster Down Deep by Amy Fellner Dominy Thank you Pushkin Press for the digital ARC! The first chapter is from “Monster Down Deep”. Well, that is what others call him. But he really is just “Very Afraid Fish”. I thought that was a fun way to start a book. There are chapters from the fish’s … More Monster Down Deep
The Secrets Below by Camilla Sten and Viveca Sten Another book in translation! This one is also from Sweden. I received this book as an e-galley from Amazon Publishing. The story takes place in the Stockholm archipelago. If you are like me and didn’t know what an archipelago was, it’s a group of islands. I … More The Secrets Below
Shirley: An Indian Residential School Story by Shirley Horn Thank you, Second Story press, for the egalley Shirley is only five years old when she is taken from her family to live at a residential school. This school is called an Indian Residential School. It was a Canadian school where kids were sent to be … More Shirley: An Indian Residential School Story
Literary Coffee 