The Voice Upstairs

By Laura E. Weymouth 

YA Fantasy 

310 pages

Hardback

Impulsively checked this one put from the library when I went to pick up my holds. 

It's a stand-alone novel. 

Some unexpected twists. Interesting plot and characters. 

Starling House

By Alix E Harrow

306 pages

Hardback

Library 

I waited a very long time for this library hold to come up, and I loved this book so much I wish I'd just bought it. 

the plastic and the blur make this super hard to read. 

Basically, girl has been running a lot of cons to try and keep herself and her brother afloat after their mom dies. She dreams of a house. Turns out the house dreams of her, too. 

It's funny and sad and tense. I read it all yesterday, staying up too late to finish it. 

author info

link to her Instagram

The last book I read was like a research paper, and SO IS this one! 

Family Lore

By Elizabeth Acevedo 

368 pages

Hardback

Book Club spring pick

Lore like oral history. It's mostly a modern fiction novel, but there are some elements of magical realism too? 

yes.

She does not deserve a name.

This was a fun paragraph because a student just shared the band Aventura with me. I liked the song she sent me.

This line, breaking across pages, just struck me as so sad and beautiful. 

I had to look up sainthood here. I don't know who the patron saint of anything is.

The book was beautiful and inevitable. It wasn't a page turner because I wasn't in suspense if what would come next, mostly.

A novel that reads - in the best way - like a research project. 

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

By Balli Kaur Jaswal

296 pages

Softcover

Borrowed from a friend!

This book was not what I expected! 

Not only is it about a writing workshop, it's also a romance of its own AND a murder mystery! 

page 1 

author info 

I really enjoyed this book!

A Court of Silver Flames

By Sarah J Maas 

Hardback

Out of the free bin at McKay's 

Book #5 in the series 

This book follows Nesta - the oldest sister.

It was way longer than it needed to be. The plot is super thin. There are a lot of sex scenes. 

I think I'm tired of these now. 

The Nevernight Chronicle

By Jay Kristoff

Trilogy:

1. Nevernight

2. Godsgrave 

3. Darkdawn

These were really great. 

Trilogies can be tricky, but these sustained my interest throughout. 

I am glad I was able to get them all from the library at once. 

author info 

The only other books of his I've read are the first of the Illuminae Files, and I didn't really get into that one. 

Some random excerpts, with no context:

The Owlcrate travel mug that inspired this reading choice: 

A Court of Frost and Starlight

By Sarah J Maas 

229 pages

This book was so pointless. 

Like no plot advancement. 

But annotations return!