Kansas author Sarah Henning has penned a dozen books. Most are geared towards young adult readers, but her novels are also popular with adults who enjoy the YA genre. Henning’s latest fantasy novel “The Lies We Conjure” is a 2025 Kansas Notable Book, one of 15 titles recognized by the State Library of Kansas. “It... Continue Reading →
A hallmark of the queer community is our ability to survive, even when society throws our identities, our bodies, and our right to exist into question, and Andrew Joseph White’s second novel, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, examines the struggle and triumph of that upheaval.
Kelly Barnhill's novel When Women Were Dragons explores the ways in which women were (and are still) told to fit into certain roles, certain standards, and certain ways of living. And when they don't, those women dragon. Yes, they dragon. As in "dragon" as a verb.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is the magical, cozy book that you never knew you needed. And you do. You need it. When meek and mild-mannered Linus Baker is sent on a secret assignment to the house on the sea, he plans to be his meticulous self: he'll record his observations... Continue Reading →
Savor this book. Let Roshani Chokshi's language roll around on your tongue, and let the underground world of Paris 1880s come to life in your imagination. It's worth it. The Gilded Wolves, a masterful tale of life and death, love and loss, and the inter-workings of The Order, tells the story of five exceptional, though... Continue Reading →
Teddy must learn who she can trust; can she trust herself and her abilities? what about the rest of the Misfits? her teachers? It’s also darker, having graduated from the young adult feel of Harry Potter to the decidedly troubled times in which many middle-twenty-somethings find themselves.
Holly Black has done an exceptional job with world building, taking standard tropes in faerie tales and putting her particular spin on things with "The Cruel Prince," the first in a new series from Black, who is a seasoned writer of lore. I stayed intrigued by the story, compelled to continue reading how a mundane-born... Continue Reading →
shelly. walston. writes. 