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I picked this book up while I was on vacation in Monterey Bay. The cover and title immediately caught my attention; I was hoping that this would be an engrossing read and it definitely met that expectation. Oscar Hokeah’s main character Ever is introduced as a young Kiowa/Cherokee, Mexican whose parents are struggling to provide a stable life for him. Readers gain access to his works through the perspective of differ

Frankie Barnet’s Mood Swings is a fascinating novel about what it’s like to live on a planet that is certain to die due to the abuse of humans. People are despondent, uninspired, and pretty fatalistic. To make matters worse a billionaire, Rodrick Maeve, killed all the animals. Many believe he had a valid reason to rid the world of creatures who were hell bent on exacting revenge on them, but the world is a pretty sad

And the Mountains Echoed is a fascinating tale about families and generational trauma. In particular, the focus is on economic and relational struggles that are exacerbated by cultural norms and/or environmental factors. The novel begins with Abdullah and Pari who are brother and sister and inseparable. Their father makes a decision that forever changes the trajectory of their lives and reverberates for many generat

This was an unexpected treat. I've been leery of reading Station Eleven because the title was so bizarre but I am happy that I finally gave it a go. I was hooked from the very first page. I particularly enjoyed Mandel's storytelling. The structure is unique and it felt like putting pieces of a puzzle together as I read each chapter. This was very satisfying. Oberall, this is one of the best dystopian books I've read.

This play seems even more relevant today than it did the last time that I read it. Racism, classism, ignorance, addiction... It's all so timely. It will be interesting to discuss this one in class given today's climate.

I've wanted to read this book for a very long time; however, I wasn't prepared for the literary heft. This one packs a major wallop when it comes to a layered plot with loads of symbolism. It is a perfect fit for a freshman college course possibly entitled Sex as Protest. This is not to say that the book is cover to cover sex, but it is one of the themes in the text. Also, the writing is phenomenal.

I couldn't finish this one. I was reading it to my daughters every night (ages 8 and 6) and it was too scary for them. The fairies in this book are not beautiful and sweet; they are creepy and so stores mean. I guess I should have known that this would be a dark book- the cover is black.