book review
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Book Review: Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
What if there was a character who wanted to escape the pages of his book? How far would he go to live among readers? Between the Lines tells the story of Prince Oliver, who wants to do just that. He’s lived in a book for as long as he can remember, and doesn’t see magic…
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Book Review: The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
The Bookseller follows a woman named Kitty who lives in Denver, where she runs a bookstore with her best friend, Frieda. In 1962 it’s not usual for her to be unmarried at the age of thirty-eight, but she tells herself she’s content. Having gone through a failed courtship and several dates that led nowhere, she’s…
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Book Review: Unrivaled by Alyson Noel
Success can be a vicious game. Unrivaled by Alyson Noel follows three young people participating in a competition to best promote the hottest new clubs in downtown LA. They all hope to win best promoter and use their victories to pursue other ambitions. None of them could foresee how fiery the race would become. Aster,…
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Book Review: Char by Kristina Wojtaszek
I accepted a review copy of Char, having been told beforehand that it was a good read. I think I expected it to be a good read anyway, because I love stories about faeries. The book did not disappoint me; I was excited to read this book and see what I’d find. It was an…
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Book Review: The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
The Paris Winter leaves a proper chill in your soul after you finish reading it. It is the haunting story of Maud Heighton, an English painter who takes art classes in Paris, all the while struggling to get her daily meal. Her situation doesn’t go unnoticed at the academy, especially when she starts to lose…
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Book Review: Under the Trees by Ashley Maker
Desperate to prevent an abusive arranged marriage, Princess Araya flees to a neighboring kingdom, only to land at the mercy of the impulsive Crown Prince Thoredmund, who provides refuge in a secluded forest and teaches her survival skills. Her surprise at the unexpected hold the prince has on her heart mirrors his shock at falling…
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Book Review: Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Ship of Magic sweeps us into a world of pirates and sailors, traders and sea serpents. Don’t let the length of the story frighten you: There’s hardly a dull moment in this novel, the first installment of Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy. It’s crafted with so much care, I found it difficult to tell who…
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Review: Be Your Own Fairy Tale by Alison Davies
From the beginning, Be Your Own Fairy Tale looked promising—a book any lover of magic and dragons ought to have on their shelf. With lovely illustrations, it was impossible to ignore; however, it wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would offer more in-depth history of fairy tales, introducing undiscovered gems. Instead, Be Your Own Fairy Tale…
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Review: After Alice by Gregory Maguire
Written by a master storyteller, After Alice might be the richest Alice in Wonderland retelling available if you’re looking for lyrical writing and elaborate description. I wanted to quote every other sentence or store it away in my memory, hoping Maguire’s genius might rub off. The plot, however, is okay at best. Our main character, Ada,…
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Review: Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
Readers have been enchanted by the tale of Peter Pan for generations, sympathizing with the boy who didn’t want to grow up and the children who went on an adventure with him. Having read the book twice, it was exciting to find Never Never at the bookstore–because it sheds more light on the legendary Neverland.…
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Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
The Darkest Part of the Forest is a must-read for any faery tale lover, especially the tales where Fae are tricksters, inflicting chaos on unsuspecting humans. Fairfold is a little town located near a forest teeming with faeries; they live in tentative harmony, though the humans resort to superstition in order to avoid tricks. It’s…
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Review: The Earl of Brass by Kara Jorgensen
In The Earl of Brass we enter a well-imagined, satisfyingly dark Steampunk London where airships and corsets exist simultaneously. We follow two complex characters as their eyes are opened to the possibility of a different world. Eilian Sorrell doesn’t want to be an Earl. He wants to be an archaeologist, uncovering stories of cultures long…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 