I had no idea what I was getting into when I found this book at the library, but did I ever hit the jackpot.

Tuesday Nights in 1980 is a beautiful story, filled with painfully flawed characters, the exploding art world in gritty New York… and shoulder pads. 1980 in all its glory! This is Molly Prentiss’ debut and she did a fantastic job. Her prose flows effortlessly and the central characters (James, Raul and Lucy) feel very solid and real. I’m not sure if she’s written anything else, but I definitely want to find out.

I received this book from Harper Collins Canada at a recent meet and greet. I’m so glad I got to meet Uzma Jalaluddin. She is super funny, and it definitely comes through in her writing!

Ayesha at Last is Jalaluddin’s debut novel, and it’s practically perfect - I loved it. It is a modern day, Muslim focused retelling of Pride and Prejudice. And it’s set in Toronto!

It’s a cute and lighthearted look into a community I don’t know much about - it was really nice to read about something out of my wheelhouse. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out - I especially loved Ayesha’s grandfather. He was absolutely adorable and constantly spouting lines from Shakespeare. A couple of the characters did seem to be a bit over the top, but it went well with the humour throughout the book. It was a good balance.

Anyone looking for an uplifting romantic summer read, you should definitely check this one out. I really hope Jalaluddin writes more books in the future!

I love Ernest Hemingway’s work - he truly was brilliant. But honestly, I know very little about his personal history. A few months ago Mrs. Hemingway appeared on a few IG accounts I follow, and it looked really unique. Basically, the book is divided into four sections, each from the point of view of one of his wives. The sections focus on the end of each marriage, with flashbacks to how they started. There is some overlap, as 3 of the 4 relationships ended with a mistress waiting in the wings.

As you can imagine, it’s not a flattering portrait of Ernest - he is portrayed as a chronically unfaithful, depressed alcoholic. But honestly, I was more concerned about the portrayal of each of the women. Frankly, it was troubling; each woman was characterized only in relation to her feelings for Ernest. Their personalities and passions disappeared as they entered his orbit. And all characters outside of Ernest and his wives were rather shallow, pale shades of what they could have been. That was disappointing.

Thankfully, the story itself was engaging - I finished it quickly. And Wood’s writing style was simple, clear and flowed well - so I enjoyed that aspect of it. I just wish it had gone that one step further and given those women more of a voice.

3.5/5

Hocus Pocus has turned 25! Time flies. I’ll be honest, it’s probably been at least a decade since I last watched this movie - so the finer plot points are quite fuzzy. Luckily, this book has it covered. The first third is a straight novelization of the film, which is a great refresher. The second part is Halloween 25 years later (so - now) and the Sanderson sisters are back!

This story was so entertaining, creative and fun. It definitely held on to the tone of the original film - I could picture Bette Midler letting loose with Winnie’s lines. And there was some really positive LGBTA representation, which I LOVED. The main characters are teens and they were solidly written. The adults were a bit more flat, but I’m almost assuming it was intentional - it’s clearly aimed at a younger audience.

Overall, the book was great, but I struggled with the point-of-view in the ‘now’ part of the book. It kept switching between first person and third, depending on who was the focus of the chapter. Every time it switched it threw me a little, and pulled me out of the story. BUT! The ending makes up for my struggles. A cliffhanger! Which means.. potential for more HOCUS POCUS!

I won both books in this series from the publisher in an Instagram contest. The second book, The Iron Flower, comes out in September.

So, I’m a little late to the party when it comes to The Black Witch Chronicles. How on earth did I miss out on the first book?! I’m super happy I’ve had the opportunity to read it now, and to also read the second!

This series is YA, of the epic fantasy variety. Basically, it’s about a world tearing itself apart through racism and hatred. Yes, it’s dystopian. And yes, it does have a prophecy, and a central female character that starts out ordinary but quickly becomes exceptional. But even with these common YA tropes, this story is so well written that it feels pretty fresh and new.

Forest has created a world that is incredibly detailed - from the setting, all the way to the individual races and religions. It’s very unique. I loved the strong female characters, even with their many flaws. Really, it was the complexity of it all that impressed me. I couldn’t see where the conflict was heading, and there were some pretty heart-wrenching twists that were a total surprise.

The Iron Flower is definitely not the last book in the series, and I’m looking forward to reading the next one!