Katrina
"We are all stardust and stories."
--Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea
I absolutely adored this novel. It was thrilling, funny, and full of emotion. It made me laugh, gasp, cry, and then laugh some more- all out loud, no matter where I was reading. Besides a page-turning plot, the writing was phenomenal and the characters really struck a chord with me, despite (or maybe because of) almost all of them being animals. When all the humans in the world start succumbing to a disease that turns them into zombie-like creatures, S.T. the crow(who thinks he should have been born human) and his faithful Bloodhound must go on a quest to free the pets of the world from the confines of the houses they are locked in. S.T. is such a plucky, genuine narrator and unlike any I've read before- I loved him so much. From page 1 this book drew me in and I couldn't stop reading it or thinking about it. I want to sit down and read it all over again.
The Gardens are a fantastical place: time doesn't pass for the lords and ladies and every day is the same full of feasts, violent games, and brutal consequences for child servants who grow up. Thistle, a servant, and Dora, a one of a kind outcast, are each others' only comfort. When they escape the Gardens, they are thrust into the crossroads of the multiverse and are taken in by the Memory Theater, a troupe that shows us how important sharing memories are to our personal stories. This dark and dreamy fairy tale is Tidbeck's best work yet- I absolutely devoured it and am longing for more.
Let your morbid curiosity get the better of you and enter the dark and strange world of Anthropodermic Bibliopegy- or the craft of binding books in human skin. Filled with the history of medicine, book binding, collecting, consent, and other fascinating tidbits of the strange and dark. Perfect for fans of Caitlin Doughty or Mary Roach.
This short book packs a gut punch of emotion. Terrifyingly relevant to today's times, there is so much to be learned from this story. Told from different perspectives of those affected by Ebola in West Africa, this is a fully formed look at human nature during a crisis, good and bad. From the doctors and nurses, the patients, the volunteer gravediggers to the ancient Baobob tree and even the virus itself- Tadjo writes in a way reminiscent of African folktales to tell us the brutal truth of how diseases can unravel us.
Piranesi is a mythical and mysterious novel. We follow a young man, Piranesi, around a labyrinth of great halls that are never-ending and sometimes filled with the tides of a sea. We are reading his journals of his time spent in the halls categorizing and listing all of the statues he comes across, each unique to the hall that they are in. We are sucked into a mystery of where he really is and why. I loved this book! This is definitely one that I will reread!
From the first page the voice of one of the main characters, Anvar, instantly hooked me with his wit and honesty. Both main characters, Anvar and Azza, are so engaging and full of humanity. Their journeys, though very different, bring them together in an important way. Following each of their stories in alternating chapters, this look into the lives of these two young Muslim immigrants and their families from 1995-2016 is a heartfelt and humorous look at family, faith, culture, love- and how to be an individual encompassed by all of those things
To me, Atwood's writing is all poetry. Passages that are marked in my books; so beautiful, so true that I have to come back to them again and again. Every poem in this collection holds that potential as well. Just begging to be read out loud, the reader falls into the natural cadences of these poems. This is a perfect collection for anyone: Atwood fans, poetry readers and those new to both. Absolutely splendid.
This book is stunning and so full of color, spirit, and emotion. It tells the tale of the revered Oak Flat and the Native American individuals, and their families, who have been fighting to save this sacred place for decades. It's unforgettable and important.
This book is pure magic. I was completely enchanted with it and loved the stories within the story. Morgenstern writes poetically and it's impossible not to lose yourself in this novel. Full of secrets, intrigue, and the love of stories. You have to read it!
Oh man. This is so, so much more than a zombie story. It's a story of a married couple coming to term's with a terminal illness one of them is suffering from. It is a story of a married couple, how they survive together, and then what happens after. It's beautiful and full of emotion, love, and devastation. My heart aches for Lyle and Jude.
This is such a fun read! We all think of superheroes as doing good, but what about all of the damage they cause when saving the world? Anna works as a hench and she is compiling spreadsheets of the cost of all of the buildings, cars, and people effected by superheroes. This is a funny page-turner and I want to read more with these characters!
This book is amazing! A fantastic look inside the creation of the Invader Zim TV show and graphic novels. I will always love Invader Zim!
I cannot contain the excitement and passion that pours out of me when talking about Hollow Kingdom, and now Feral Creatures. I have pushed it on all of my friends and have received only positive feedback. This book is superb- a second read proves it may be my favorite book ever. And the follow up, Feral Creatures, is simply perfect as well. Spectacularly written, funny, devastating, brutal, and unforgettable. I am absolutely obsessed with Kira Jane Buxton's books. S.T. is my very favorite and I will love him forever.