You pretty much had me at "magical libraries," so it's no surprise that I loved this. The world was creative and the characters were amazing. Why did it take me so long to read this??

I'm so glad they made this an audiobook because it's one of my favorite audio series! This was short but an excellent segue for the rest of the trilogy.

I loved the premise of this. Girl goes to save a boy from a witch but falls in love with the witch instead. However, I think it suffered from too much editing or something. It just felt like there was something missing as I was reading it. I would love to read more from this world, though!

Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!

After reviewing the first book, Call Numbers, last year, Syntell Smith sent me a complimentary copy to review. It was much appreciated! As an aspiring librarian, I love reading books about libraries and librarians. It warms my heart, honestly. Especially when they’re not portrayed stereotypically. It’s the best.

There’s some great character chemistry in this book! This is probably my favorite thing about these books, especially as someone who reads for character. The way that they interact throughout the book just brings the whole story and library to life. Robin is struggling with life, and there are elements that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to.

There are also a lot of great discussions to be had in this book, especially about discrimination. Smith leaves the reader with a lot to think about when the book is over. He’s definitely an author to keep an eye in on the future!

While parts of this felt a little bit rushed and not described enough, the overall story was interesting and engrossing. I think it would help knowing the myths behind it, giving the reader more context.

But! I loved Sheetal and the whole star mythology was fascinating. If you're looking for court based fantasy, definitely pick this one up!

Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!

Thanks to Net Galley and Iron Circus Comics for providing me an early copy to review! And honestly, what a fun book to review the week of Halloween. Yes, there are aspects of gore in here, but everything is in black and white so it wasn't too bad (at least for me). I overall enjoyed the art style; it's cartoonish and adds to the atmosphere of the book. It was really engaging and I'll have to check out Howard's other art. 

I also loved the characters in this. For a lot of the novel, Mona is mostly like "do I have to?" She's our reluctant hero, and it makes the book all the more entertaining. Plus, her little group of monster friends adds to the humor, with puns and ridiculous situations. Yes, the world is ending and creepy monsters are everywhere, but that doesn't mean that they can't have fun.

Bonus representation: Mona's parent is nonbinary (with a vampire love interest). I can't even think of a novel where I've seen that, so that was refreshing. The only reason I'm not giving this a full five stars is because the ending felt a little rushed to me, but it was such a fun, twisty book. Pick it up just in time for Halloween!

What a great middle grade book! Review to come on Thursday.

Nina LaCour is just so great at writing atmospheric novels that exude this loneliness. This book is no different. It's short, but there's so much emotion and trauma in this shorter book. I wanted a little more from the characters, but overall, an excellent book.

The voice in this is fantastic, even if a lot of the technical science stuff goes way over my head. Watney is a great narrator that adds so much to the story, though.

Based on Haitian folklore, this spooky, atmospheric book is a great fall read. I loved learning about this mythology, and Corinne and her friends were great. An immersive read all around!