My Lady Jane

By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Hardcover
491 pages
2 days

This is a funny and irreverent rewriting of the history of England. In this world, people can magically change into an animal form of they have the magic in their blood.
This forms a political tension between those who use magic and those who can't. This compounds the normal court room intrigue and provides some fun opportunities for creative problem solving.
The book is playful and fun, sometimes the narrator breaks out and interrupts the action; sometimes they allude to, parody, or quote various lines from diverse sources such as Shakespeare or Monty Python.
It is an enjoyable book and I very much enjoyed reading it.

This Savage Song

By Victoria Schwab
Hardback
427 pages

I received this book in my July Owlcrate. Oh my, I enjoyed it so much. It is YA Lit- however, although the protagonists were boy and girl (August and Kate) there was not a lick of romance in the entire story, which I appreciated.
It also felt like a very fresh take on the classic monsters- at least an uncommon one.
There was a tension and a mystery to the plot which was well maintained and satisfyingly wrapped up.

Magic Knight Rayearth

By Clamp
manga

This is a beautifully drawn story with quite an interesting plotline. The 3 protagonists are drawn into another world in order to save that world from chaos and destruction. These schoolgirls discover a potential to fight, and put their extracurricular talents (such as fencing and archery) to good use.

There is a satisfying ending to this volume, and there is also a second volume in the series.

The Dreamcatcher

By Stephen King

A very long and strange book about aliens, telepathy, and weasels.

I didn't really enjoy it very much.