Category: five stars

Sundial by Catriona Ward || Utterly Addictive Thriller Horror

Sundial by Catriona Ward || Utterly Addictive Thriller Horror

Content Tags: Adult     Horror     Psychological Thriller     Thriller     Unreliable Narrator     Graphic Gore     Character Death     Miscarriage     Abuse     Animal Cruelty     Perfect for readers who want: Psychological thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Two unreliable […]

The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef by Michael D. Beil || Addictive MG Mystery With Heart

The Swallowtail Legacy: Wreck at Ada’s Reef by Michael D. Beil || Addictive MG Mystery With Heart

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Mystery     Contemporary     Blended Family     Family Bonds     Grief/Loss     Perfect for readers who want: A compelling cold case mystery that needs solving. Putting together clues and spotting inconsistencies. Heartwarming family dynamics. Grief and healing and family coming together from the loss […]

The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody || Pokemon Meets Sea-Faring Adventure

The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody || Pokemon Meets Sea-Faring Adventure

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Fantasy     Adventure     Diversity     Missing Limbs     Squad Vibes     Perfect for readers who want: Pokemon-esque creatures that bond with and fight alongside humans. A vast, rich world filled with danger and wonder. Soul-searching and trying to find one’s place in a […]

Five-Star Reads of 2021

Five-Star Reads of 2021

Posted January 4, 2022 in book list, five stars, top ten tuesdays / 30 Comments

Now that 2021 is officially over, it seems like a good time to shout about all my new loves I discovered in the past year. Because what’s a year without losing your heart, having it shatter into a million pieces, and decimating your enemies? Not necessarily in that order. Figuratively, of course. *cough* I read […]

The Fowl Twins: Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer || Hilarious Action Adventure MG

The Fowl Twins: Get What They Deserve by Eoin Colfer || Hilarious Action Adventure MG

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Adventure     Fantasy     Action     Humor     Sibling Bonds     Squad Vibes     Perfect for readers who want: Hilarious third person omniscient narrative style. Lots of action that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. A small almost-villain supergenius who is […]

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud || Funny, Fast-Paced Adventure

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud || Funny, Fast-Paced Adventure

Content Tags: Young Adult     Fantasy     Science Fiction     Dystopia     Mild Gore     Death     Slavery     Abuse     Perfect for readers who want: A dark dystopian fantasy world that will make you feel better about this one. And also will sometimes rise up out […]

Pighearted by Alex Perry || Heartwarming Contemporary About A Boy and His Pig

Pighearted by Alex Perry || Heartwarming Contemporary About A Boy and His Pig

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Contemporary     Animals     Chronic Illness     Family Bonds     Sibling Bonds     Friendship Bonds     Animal Death (Offscreen)     Perfect for readers who want: A heartwarming story along the lines of Charlotte’s Web. A protagonist with a chronic illness and all […]

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia || Black Folklore and History Mixed With Fast-Paced Adventure

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia || Black Folklore and History Mixed With Fast-Paced Adventure

Content Tags: Middle Grade     Fantasy     Adventure     Mythology     Diversity     Black     Squad Vibes     PTSD     Grief/Loss     Perfect for readers who want: Flawed Black characters as heroes, pulling through and saving the day. Black folklore and West African gods come to […]

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani || Gloriously Twisted Diverse Fairy Tales

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani || Gloriously Twisted Diverse Fairy Tales

Content Tags: Young Adult     Fantasy     Retelling     Short Stories     LGBTQ+     Fairy Tale     Sibling Bonds     Diversity     Perfect for readers who want: A new take on some old stories. Fairy tales where the damsel in distress doesn’t need to wait for her […]