It's Been HOW Long Since I've Put Up a Post?

Well, apparently my last post was published waaaaaaay back in August.  You'd think being under pandemic restrictions would make ones life simpler, but somehow I've accumulated way too many responsibilities and I almost never have to time to read or blog anymore.  I actually started this post on October 1st, and here we are almost a whole month later.  Sorry about that.  At least I've got some great recommendations for you!

The Accidental Highwayman (plus 17 other words!), by Benn Tripp, was a big thick book.  It was a historical fantasy story, meaning that it was a historical fiction story, with a young man being chased across the countryside by the authorities due to a case of mistaken identity, but it was also fantasy because, while fleeing from said authorities, he got entangled with a witch and a fairy princess and a whole bunch of other fey creatures.  I probably would have abandoned it as soon as I figured this out, but the book was just too darn funny, saying things like, "Neither of us could remember our mothers, who had perished young in the fashion of the times."  All in all, it took me a really long time to read, but I enjoyed it in the end, and I might even check out the second book in the series, even though the first one felt just fine as a standalone.    (Reading Level 6.8 / Middle Grades)

White Stag, by Kara Barbieri, was also part one of a trilogy, and it was also fantasy.  This one, however, was High Fantasy.  I am not a fan of High Fantasy.  I almost chucked it aside during chapter one when they started talking about all of the goblins.  I stuck with it, though, because I don't usually read High Fantasy and figured I should at least give it a chance.  I stuck with it despite the fact that the writing wasn't all that great.  It wasn't bad, mind you, it was just . . . I don't know, I guess it felt like it needed some polishing. This one also took me awhile, but I finally managed to make it through it, and even went through an opinion change from Uuuuggghhh, to Meh, to Hmmmm, this isn't so bad after all.  I don't think I'll read the next installment, though, but if you like High Fantasy, you would probably like this trilogy.   (Reading Level ? / Upper Grades)

I checked out Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young ages ago, and kept passing it over on the shelf.  Finally, when I was down to three books I didn't really want to read anymore, I pulled it down and gave it a try.  You know what I'm going to say now, don't you?      I LOVED this book!    OMG, I already ordered my own copy, just two days after I finished reading it.  It tells the story of a teenage girl who is a warrior, and one day, during a battle against her people's generations-long enemy, she sees her supposedly dead brother on the battlefield . . . .  fighting for the other side.  This book is full of battle-action and personal angst and romance and evolving relationships, and it teaches a powerful lesson about humanity and family and hate and love and if you haven't already read it you really should.  Soon.  And probably buy a copy for your own home library too.  Really.  It's that good.   (Reading Level 4.8 / Upper Grades)

I don't usually read adult fiction novels because I've found that they tend to be wordy, or dry, or stupidly unrelatable to me.  For some reason I made an exception for Sin Eater: A Novel by Megan Campisi.  And boy, am I glad I did.  This book was really, really good!  It tells the story of a sin eater, which is supposedly someone who ate people's sins before they died but that is about all we know because the historical references are quite few and far between and also very vague.  I guess the sin eating concept had something to do with providing people absolution, but maybe in a more pagan type of way instead of having the priest come give the last rights or something.  Anyway, the premise behind the story is that sin eaters were shunned, you know, for being full of the sins they had eaten, and the heroine of the story is made into a sin eater as a punishment for a crime.  The book is wonderfully written and has a well-developed theme and all that good stuff, and even though it is a bit crude at times, it was really quite impactful.  Now, some people would interpret this as a feminist novel, but, coming from the background of both a historian and anthropologist, I can confidently say that it is more about personal strength under adversity and the concept of freedom and finding a place to belong than anything else.  And do you know what else I liked about it?  It is a historical fiction murder mystery, and it is set in the Elizabethan period, and the author makes a big deal about it being FICTION, but it is really heavily based on fact that is quite cleverly disguised in a way that is perfectly obvious.  Wonderful!   (Reading Level ? / Upper Grades)

I purchased a paperback copy of Billy Creekmore from the Bookoutlet website for like one dollar a couple of years ago.  Not only was I was drawn to the Lewis Hine photo on the cover of this book by Tracey Porter, but also, I mean, one dollar(!).   I pulled it off the shelf after abandoning the three books left from my library haul.  (I didn't stick with them long enough to even bother telling you about them.)   This book was historical fiction, set sometime right around the turn of the last century.  It tells the story of an orphan who ends up working in a coal mine before getting involved with some labor union trouble and having to run away, ultimately joining the circus.  It gave a great picture of the time period and was witty, and interesting, and sad, and uplifting.  Not only that, but it was also a pretty quick read.  Although the main character is a ten year old boy, I found the story very entertaining, and I think both boys and girls of all ages would enjoy it.   (Reading Level 5.4/ Middle Grades)

Into the Bright Unknown was the final book in Rae Carson's Gold Seer Trilogy.  I mentioned in an earlier post (read it here) that I really loved the characters and the writing style of the the first two books, but that by the end of the second book I was really getting tired of the overbearing theme of the oppression of women and the evils of the patriarchy bla, bla, bla.  I wasn't going to read the third book, but I asked myself, how bad could it possibly be?  Well, it was pretty bad.  The entire beginning of the book really went overboard with this theme, and I just couldn't deal with three hundred more pages of it.  So, I took it back to the library and moved on to something better . . . . 

Wow, Wow, WOW, WOW, WOW! An Enchantment of Ravens, by Margaret Rogerson, was . . . . just incredible!  So, you've got a girl who lives in a town called Whimsy, which is kind of between the world of the Fair Folk and the Regular world.  The Fair Folk come to Whimsy to get things made from humans, because they can't practice "Craft" themselves.  So, this girl, she's a portrait artist, and a master of the Craft.  And then there is a guy, who just so happens to be of the Fair Folk, and not only that, but he is the prince of the Autumn Court.  And he just so happens to come to the girl to get his portrait done.  Now, it also happens that Fair Folk and humans are forbidden from falling in love, and if they do, well, let's just say the consequences are dire.  For both of them.  So what do you think happens?  Yes, the girl and the prince fall in love.  This book is a spectacular Fantasy Romance, with a healthy dose of action and intrigue mixed in.  It is beautiful, and romantic (duh!), and funny, and exciting, and heartbreaking, and . . . well . . . absolutely perfect.  I mean, if there was a word for more than perfect, this book would be that.  If you like Fantasy, and you like Romance, you should run out and get yourself a copy a.s.a.p.   (Reading Level 6.3 / Upper Grades)

Ruthless Gods is the second book in a fantasy series written by Emily Duncan.  I read the first book almost exactly one year ago, and unfortunately made the mistake of reading it soon after it was released.  So of course, when I sat down to read this one, I was already confused enough by the end of the first chapter that I decided I had better reread the first one, Wicked Saints.  Lucky for me, I had purchased my own copy, so it was just sitting on my bookshelf already.  (Oh, see, I was wondering how I managed to read so few books over the past two months - that's because I also read Wicked Saints, which was a pretty long book, again!)  Anyway, I vaguely remembered that the first book had a fantastic story, but writing that wasn't the greatest - go back and read my review of it, here.  No, really, go back and read it!   So, I actually enjoyed the book more the second time around. It made a lot more sense and since I was already desensitized to the dumb blood magic thing, it didn't really seem even half as dumb. I was curious to see if the second book would be about the same, or worse, or better. Let me tell you, it was better! The story was still so gloriously unique, and even MORE dark and tragic, and the writing was better, and did I say dark and tragic? Just Wow. Unfortunately, the final book in the series won't be released until next April, but since I've got my very own copy of this one sitting on my bookshelf already, I'll be able to reread it as well before then. And I really am looking forward to reading it again. Somebody make this into a movie, please!   (Reading Level ? / Upper Grades)