6 Next-in-Series TBR’s

There are multiple book series that I have read only the first or second book without finishing the entire saga, but the main ones at the top of are listed here. Let me know if you have finished any of these series and if you think I should continue. Also feel free to recommend any book series based off of this list that you think I may like!

Book #3 in the Frances Gorges Historical Trilogy

This story follows the perils and experiences of a woman with medical knowledge who is accused of witchcraft in the time of King James I in England. I’m curious to see how Borman will end the trilogy.

Book #2 in the Hourglass Door Trilogy

I stopped reading this one midway, but loved the first one and want to still finish the trilogy due to the time-travel elements, which is a sub-genre I always try to find in literature. The third book looks like I may like it, but I have a feeling I won’t understand it unless I fill in the gaps. Book #2 for some reason was just a harder one to get into. Hopefully I can pick up the pace and make it to the third one.

Book #2 of the Gravekeeper series

This series is pretty new, having the first book published only a couple of years ago. I just finished the first book this week and am looking forward to following Keira’s journey in helping the dead pass on as well as finding out more about her own mysterious identity.

Book #2 of the Sisters of the Salt series

This sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, which I read a couple of years ago (I think it may have been one of my first book reviews on this site!), will probably have a fairytale twist like the first book did, though I wonder which way she will go with this one since the other was a macabre spin-off of the tale of the 12 Dancing Princesses.

Book #2 of the Black Hollow Lane series

I liked the first book of this middle grade series more than I thought I would, since I just randomly chose it from a list of books I thought I may want to read for my “Writing for the Middle Grade” class. When I heard that there was a sequel to this historical mystery, I knew I had to delve in soon!

Sequel to The Red Necklace

This has been on my shelf forever so I’m not sure why I haven’t continued this unique series set during the French Revolution. A mix of magic and history, I wonder if Gardner will continue with this historical fantasy series or just leave the story as is.

I’m not sure which series I will continue first, but hopefully it will be one that will pull me into the story and make me not want to finish until I have finished the whole saga!

Book Review: Took by Mary Downing Hahn

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I recently continued my Mary Downing Hahn read-a-thon I seem to be participating in and read another recent book of hers, Took.

Summary

The story follows a boy named Daniel and his younger sister Erica as they move from their plushy home of Connecticut to a much poorer town in Maryland where rumor has it is home to a “conjure woman” who goes by “Auntie” and steals a child every 50 years. When Daniel’s sister is her new target, Daniel enlists the help of his neighbors and Auntie’s niece to stop the witch before it is too late.

Likes & Dislikes

While this wasn’t my favorite story of hers, I thought she did an effective job adding voice to the 13-year-old male protagonist (who’s POV we read most of the story in). Like any teenage boy, he uses words like “crap” and “pee” and other lingo that a teen boy would use in daily conversation, but not to too much of an excess. Based off the internal monologues of the main character, the language he uses as well as his thought process were consistent, and I could see how his character developed as he sought to face his fears to save his sister and appease the grief of his family.

A lot of the time, I think boys this age feel they have a responsibility to their family, and I could sense that pressure that Daniel was feeling through his voice in this story. For example, he wanted his whole grief-stricken family back to normal, and he knew that to do so, he must get his sister back, whatever the cost.

Recommendation

Overall, even though this book wasn’t initially my cup-a-tea, I thought this story was well-written by a talented author. I would recommend it to MG readers and older who enjoy thrillers and mysteries.

Book Review: The Thirteenth Cat by Mary Downing Hahn

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I started this week reading a book from a MG detective series, but after catching a lot of grammar errors and seeing it had WAY too much dialogue, I abandoned it and read a book from Mary Downing Hahn (in 2 days!!). She never fails to disappoint so I knew I could finish one of her books in a quick time.

Summary

This new middle grade horror thriller of Hahn’s is about a girl and her friend who are cast under an evil spell by her neighbor who happens to be a menacing witch. After trying to save a cat from her neighbor (her 13th cat to be exact), she soon discovers a nefarious operation and herself soon trapped in the middle of it. *SPOILER* After being cursed as a cat, she and her friend must enlist the help of her neighbor’s untrustworthy niece to help them change back into humans before it is too late!

Likes

I liked this story more than I thought I would, considering the main character turns into an animal, but the pace was quick enough to keep me reading.

Dislikes

I think the pace was a little too quick in parts and the characters moved the plot along in ways that I didn’t think were in their character to do so.

Application to My Own Writing

I think the reading I’ve been doing has affected my own writing in the sense that I should try to develop my character from my own MG horror story I’m writing a little more so the stakes in the story are higher and the plot can move forward in a way that is meaningful for the main character.

Recommendations

I recommend this story to anyone (more likely a reader at middle grade level) who likes stories about talking animals or animorpheous books where a human gets turned into an animal. Also, anyone who likes reading witchy or mystery stories.

Book Review: Eventide by Sarah Goodman

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What a unique piece of historical fiction! I read this book a few months ago, so I am epically behind blogging. However, I am excited to review this read, since I thought it was a fresh, exceptionally written YA historical fantasy thriller. I was surprised by how much I ended up liking this book…as usually is the case getting books from thrift stores (“…Will this be my cup’o’tea or no?”). Anyway, let’s dive in!

Summary

1907. Wheeler, AK. Young Verity and her sister Lilah find themselves in new territory as they are both adopted into new families. While Verity tries to get used to her new guardians on a family farm, Lilah is whisked away by the lovely and kind schoolteacher. However, Verity soon realizes that things are not always as they appear to be when she notices that something is a bit off about the town. She learns about a local superstition that ties to an eerie well, a supposed witch, and a mysterious connection that her own birth family has to the town. Realizing her sister is in danger, Verity must muster her courage and fight the dark secrets that someone in town is trying desperately to hide.

Likes

Setting. I’m always a sucker for stories set down south since it always seems like the perfect setting for creepy tales. Turn-of-the-century America is also a setting that I do not see very often in YA novels, so it was refreshing to read a story in an era I am interested in learning more about.

Family tropes. Is family what you are born into or those you choose? Sometimes it’s both and this story includes effective examples of both.

Mystery. The mystery surrounding the town and the superstitious legends all come full circle, which I always like to see in a thriller.

Dislikes

Predictable love twist. *SPOILER* I did not doubt that the sudden disaffection for Verity by her love interest, Able, after learning about the witchcraft that was going on. I couldn’t help but assume “I’ll bet he’s under a spell” from the antagonist. And I was right!

Author

I believe this is Goodman’s debut novel. I was such a fan and I hope she will write more stories like this soon! You can follow her on Instagram: @sgoodmanbooks.

Book Review: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As a sufferer of anxiety and OCD for 25+ years, I FINALLY took the step this year to attend therapy, and this was the book that my therapist recommended I study before each of our sessions. I have to say that, despite my apprehension of even seeing a counsellor, I was happy as a reader to be given this type of homework.

Summary

In this self-help book, Brown offers her own expertise on, as the subtitle suggests, “how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live love, parent, and lead.”

The book examines the metal stages of shame resilience, belonging, becoming, worthiness, gratitude, cultivating hope, mindfulness, vulnerability but not oversharing, wholeheartedness, and many others.

“Shame resilience is about moving from shame to empathy—the real antidote to shame” (74).

Likes

Stories. Brown uses personal anecdotes to describe the principles of each chapter, which I think adds strength to her credibility on the subject of vulnerability.

“Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity” (234).

Finding light in our darkness is something that I always thought was a way of overcoming fear. I also learned from this book that “shame breeds fear” (188), which makes sense, because I do feel shame in my life, and therefore, fear.

Quotes. I especially like when she quotes HP, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

Study Guide. Brown has a worksheet that readers can fill out as they review the book. I found this especially helpful when trying to apply the studies to my own situation.

Dislikes

Chapter length. While some chapters are relatively short, many are quite long. I personally would have liked some shorter chapter that talked more about the subtopics instead of cramming them all into one large chapter.

Conclusion

I would recommend this book to people suffering with OCD, anxiety, depression, etc. and for those who are searching for ways to help those they know who suffer with it. Due to my positive experience studying this book, I decided to read her other book, The Gifts of Imperfection.

“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” (133).

Book Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Summary

This YA horror novel follows a young mute girl named Olivia who can see ghouls. Her only clue to her family remains in a strange journal left to her by her birth mother. After finally being taken away from her oppressive boarding school to the residence of her ancestral home, Gallant, she realizes that her new home may be more dangerous than she had previously fathomed.

Thoughts

This story reminded me a lot of Coraline due to the parallel universe trope. I did not know this book would have parallel universes, which trope doesn’t usually draw me to a story, but the author weaved it together very effectively. It also contained extensive description. The language was original and vivid on the author’s part, but sometimes it distracted me from the plot. The book also contained epistolary entries in journal-form as well as watercolor illustrations which added uniqueness to the story.

I wasn’t sure what the plot was at times, since the spooky aesthetic was so strong, but towards the end the first-person narration became an effective tool for the “why” behind the character’s decisions. This helped the plot become a little clearer to me in the conclusion.

Author

I wasn’t too familiar with V.E. Schwab’s work prior to this novel, but I recognize some of her newer novels have been popular with the modern reading crows on social media platforms like BookTube and Bookstagram. She is the author of not only novels, but short stories, graphic novels, and even TV and film.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book fans of gothic fiction and novels with dark suspense. Due to the detailed descriptions and the subject matter, I would recommend this book to older audiences, such as YA age instead of teens.

Book Review: The List of Unspeakable Fears by J. Kasper Kramer

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“Floorboards creak. Shadows stretch. Shapes in the dark bend and sway. But I don’t let any of that stop me. It’s not because I’m not afraid. I am. I just keep moving forward despite it.”

— Page 217

Summary

This is my new favorite MG novel! It takes place during the Irish immigration to America after the “Potato Famine.” The main character Essie is a fearful child who’s fears stem back to the death of her father. Ever since, she keeps a list of things that scare her and finds herself adding and crossing out things to the list as the story goes on. She finds her fears mounting after her mother marries a doctor with a mysterious past who works at a hospital on an island where many nurses have gone missing. However, things are not as they seem, and Essie soon realizes this the more she confronts her fears to discover the truth.

“I’m afraid, yes. I’m so scared that shivers come in waves up my spine. But I can choose to keep walking forward.”

— Page 214

Application

This book really hit home to me, because I too struggle with anxiety/OCD/etc. so I could relate to this character a lot. I had hoped that the character would grow out of her fear, and I was not disappointed! I tended to like her best friend a little more at the beginning because she was the character who liked to solve mysteries from the get-go (as we see in many MG novels); however, it was neat to see her own flaws come out and the character of Essie begin to take the spotlight as she found her own way of discovering the truth.

I was surprised this novel was in first person POV, because many MG novels steer away from that, but it was effective for this story since we got to see Essie’s thought-process. I always like reading about a character’s fears from that POV.

“Only now does it finally make sense. Only now do I understand that you can’t be brave unless you’re afraid.”

— Page 215

Suggestions

My only dislike for this was the slower pacing at the beginning. We had to focus on character for whatever book we chose for this week’s reading in my MG writing class, and I couldn’t believe what a scaredy-pants she was…until I realized that was the point of her story.

Conclusion

I initially checked this book out at the library, but after delving into it and realizing the truths it contained and parallels to my own life, I am resolved to buying it and adding it to my permanent bookshelf.

Book Review: Tangled in Time (Book 1): The Portal by Kathryn Lasky

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Summary

This middle grade novel follows a middle school fashion blogger named Rose whose mother just passed away and she is sent to live with her grandmother. However, amidst making friends and avoiding school bullies, she finds herself traveling back and forth in time to the Elizabethan court. Stranger occurrences then ensue that lead her through the mystery surrounding the identity of her father.

Likes

  • Subject matter. I had no idea this was a novel that would be partially set in one of my favorite time periods to research: the Tudor Era. The author did her research about the setting, which made the plot more believable and provided the reader with an effective teaching opportunity about the history of the era.
  • Protagonist. The main character Rose, to me, was a breath of fresh air; she had unique interests and talents, which I think makes for a believable MG character!
  • Parallel stories. While I think this could be stronger throughout the story, I appreciate the parallels the author draws between what the protagonist experiences in her time travel as well as in her own time.

Dislikes

  • POV change. I thought it was third person limited for the first hundred pages or so, but then the narrator focuses on another character and her thought process on occasion. I think the author did this to show how the main character did not know something and how she needed to eventually uncover the mystery from the other person’s knowledge. I just thought it was a little inconsistent.
  • Info dumping. This can be a hard thing to avoid, especially in time-travel novels, due to the need for catching the reader up about information about the era/setting. I caught some parts where there were expositions of information that I think could have been spread out more or found out by the protagonist on her own (so that we can learn with her).

Author

Kathryn Lasky has written over 130 children’s picture, fantasy, and history books (many of which I was surprised to see on my own bookshelf!) A list of her books can be found here on her author website.

Recommendation

This would be a good starter novel for MG readers who are looking for time travel mysteries or stories about the Tudor Era. There are also quite a few references to gardening that young green-thumbs may enjoy!

Film Review: Netflix’s “The Pale Blue Eye”

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Wow was Harry Melling’s portrayal of Edgar Allen Poe astounding! Sometimes I’m hesitant to see people’s representations of real people in films, since I already have my own idea about what they looked like, how they spoke, their mannerisms, etc. However, I’m happy that I got the chance to see Poe represented this way. Along with Melling, Christian Bale also gave a memorable performance (as always), and the rest of the cast played their roles well.

*Please Note: I watched this film via VidAngel so my criticism is subjective to filters including things pertaining to sex and nudity, so if there was more than my content advisory mentions (end), then I am unaware of it.

From CNET.com

Summary

After a string of murders occur at West Point college, an inspector enlists the help of a budding author who is well-versed in matters of the macabre. However, his help soon turns to suspicion and as the film progresses, we see that things are not always as they seem…

From netflixlife.com

Likes

Representation of Poe. I didn’t expect the character to be portrayed with such child-like innocence, which is very refreshing to see in a character who is always portrayed as dark and brooding.

Setting. The fact that the story takes place in a place where Poe attended as a youth sets up for a plot that is somewhat believable as well as a driving force for the plot’s progression and the shocking reveal.

Twist. I am a sucker for good twists in thrillers and this one I didn’t see coming. The film veered the viewers sites to one potential killer (or two), but in the end, using clues scattered throughout, turns the whole plot on its head.

From ew.com

Dislikes

The “villains.” I was somewhat relieved to find out the villains that the plot originally contained were not the main villains of the story, because I thought they were rather predictable and cliché.

Recommendation

Overall, the VidAngel version of this Netflix film did not disappoint. The plot, setting, and characters of Poe and the inspector were my favorite elements of this film, and I would recommend it to those who like to watch historical fiction, gothic dramas, and murder mysteries.

Content Advisory
Language: 2/5
Sex: 2/5
Violence/Gore: 5/5
Drugs/Alcohol: 3/5

Book Review: Love Unseen by Rachel Kelley Stones

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I was so excited when this came out because I rarely have the opportunity to read novels written by people I have actually met. But favoritism aside, this book had an original plot with unique character arcs that you don’t tend to see in common regency romances. Let’s dive in!

Summary

This proper regency romance follows a young woman named Hannah who has been plagued with a malady that she feels has separated herself from the rest of society. However, a young merchant named Jonathan helps her rediscover the confidence she has been recently lacking, allowing her to face her trials with a renewed sense of self.

Likes

  • Unique conflict. Without giving too much away about what the protagonist’s disability is, the author does a great job introducing it, by giving subtle hints and “Easter eggs” of description of it in the first chapter. Only after the first chapter ends is it revealed, and I think this was an effective creative choice of the author.
  • Believable characters. Sometimes in settings that may not be that familiar to us, we get caught up in making one-dimensional characters, but that is not the case with this novel. The author gave me characters to root for and to hate to my very core.

“For a fleeting moment, I wondered if a relationship like that would ever happen for me…Unbidden, Jonathan came to mind…”

— Hannah

  • Setting. Clearly, the author did her research without info-dumping. She assumes that the readers know a bit about the period, which works in the reader’s favor.
  • POV. The author switches between the point of view of the protagonist as well as the love-interest, which helps the story move forward…especially given the limitation of description that may result through Hannah’s malady.

“She exhibited independence and intelligence and a desire to help others. All of these memories served to strengthen my resolve.”

— Jonathan

Dislikes

  • Location of the conflict’s peak. It seemed like the height of the main conflict occurred right at the end of the story, so the resolution seemed a bit rushed. It is still an effective method of telling the story, I just expected it a little earlier than was shown. But at least she planted the seeds of conflict early on.
  • Lack of communication b/w characters. (This is just a personal reaction I had and is not a reflection on the author’s writing). I like dramatic tension, but sometimes I just wanted to groan because the love-interests would not communicate with one another their feelings as often as I wanted them to (which I knew them doing so would come back to bite them later). While this did help drive the plot, I still felt some frustration when these moments occurred.

Author

I met Rachel at this year’s Storymakers Conference, and she is a part of my local creative writing group. What are the odds that I would meet someone from my hometown at a regional writer’s conference in a whole other state? This is her debut novel.

Recommendation

I recommend this book to audiences who love stories set in the regency era, who enjoy proper romances, and who enjoy a captivating story about character realization and growth. You may learn more about or order the novel here.