Book Review: The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson is a brilliant, beautifully written story with fantastical elements, strong characters, and a captivating plot. It is about Princess Anthia of Rhodaire. She is training to be a crow rider, a warrior of the sky, when the Illucian empire invades and kills all of the crows and Thia’s mother and mentor. Thia is thrown into a deep depression and she struggles to navigate her emotions and save her kingdom from Illucia at the same time. Josephson tackles the issue of mental health openly, which is another reason why this is one of the best fantasy books I’ve…
Check 'Em Out: Historical Fiction & Fantasy Picks
Fantasy Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer: When a stranger rides into town offering Jax and Callyn silver in exchange for holding secret messages for an anti-magic faction, the choice is obvious--even if it means they may be aiding in a plot to destroy their new king. It's a risk they're both willing to take. This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede: Alessa has a gift from the gods that’s supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, but instead it’s killing every suitor she touches, and with her island in danger and a powerful priest convincing her soldiers that her death is the island’s…
Groundhog Day: Books You Can Read Over and Over Again
Ah, Groundhog Day. I grew up in Pennsylvania, not far from the home of the notorious Punxsutawney Phil and his yearly weather prediction on February 2. This is a ritual that derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog can see its shadow on February 2, it will retreat back into its burrow and spring won’t arrive for six more weeks. This was a relatively small, obscure rural tradition until the 1993 Bill Murrary movie Groundhog Day, which brought prominence to the event (and party that happens in Phil’s hometown). The film also forever tied the idea of Groundhog Day to…
Fantasy Fiction for Fall!
Want to explore a new place without having to leave your couch (or bed)? Check out these eight titles that are chock full of fantastical elements and adventure! The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa: Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool... King Oberon's right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat unlike any before. A threat that brings him face-to-face with a new enemy...himself. With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince…
Book Review: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
In Natasha Ngan’s world, Ikhara, there is an oppressive hierarchy in place. The Moon Caste are the unequivocal rulers of Ikhara; they are fully demon, possessing demon traits and heritage. They rule Ikhara with an iron fist. The Steel Caste is second best to the Moon Caste, as they are humans with demonic traits. The Paper Caste are the lowest of the low, being fully human. They are the most disrespected and overlooked members of Ikhara’s society. Lei and her father belong to the Paper Caste. When Lei is ten, the soldiers of the Demon King come for her mother. Lei never sees her again…
You've Been Accepted: Queer and Trans-Inclusive Magic Schools
I have a complicated relationship with Harry Potter. I read the first three books back-to-back-to-back at the very beginning of the Harry Potter craze, then proceeded to fall in love with Harry, Hermione, and Ron over the next decade. As I was about to enter my senior year of high school, Harry was battling Voldemort for the last time. I quite literally grew up with Harry. Harry Potter taught me that girls could be smart and capable (even more so than the boys), that friendship and love and determination can defeat evil, and that evil isn’t always obvious (remember Dolores Umbridge?) and to…
Science Fiction Escape with BookMatch Teen
Why not start off your week with some new books? Here's a list of science fiction titles from BookMatch Teen, most of which take place in space. Escape to colder and darker worlds during this heatwave, and share your favorite science fiction reads with us!
Lose Time with Doctor Who & These Related Book Series
If time traveling and galaxy exploration are on your list of reasonably attainable resolutions this year, then you might (should!) be a fan of Doctor Who. In a thousand words or less, I’m going to entice you into the fandom with a bit of a Season 11 (2018, which debuted Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor) wrap-up, a case for why you should (still) be watching Season 12, and also a peek into the lingo of a Doctor Who fan. And you will not need to a language decoder (think Elvish, Klingon or even Dothraki), but if you really want something to read, I’ll list books you might like to pair with…
5 Literary Trends of the 2010s
As a group that never shies away from a good pun, I thought I’d lean into librarianship for this post on trends of the last decade. And to keep it even more on topic, I’ve doubled down with a term that lost relevance amongst Millennials and Gen Z years ago. Here goes... Hands down, the number one trend of the decade could be summed up as the following: If it was Lit(erary), it was On Trend Who says libraries and books are losing relevance? This last decade saw libraries and the publishing industry as veritable Hollywood incubators. The bread and butter of modern librarianship—books (…
5 Books You've Been Longing to Have Time For
Does your apartment seem strangely quiet? Has the pitter-patter of little feet raced away down the rapidly cooling sidewalk? These are the telltale signs that your children have finally gone back to school. So the question is: what are you going to do with all your spare time? Read a very long, complicated book, of course! Here are BPL’s selections for books to read when you’ve really got the time: Outlander (850 pages) by Diana Gabaldon: In 1945, Claire, a former combat nurse, is reunited with her husband for a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands. When she walks through a…