A bit of magical realism mixed with ancient culture and horror come together to give us The Only Good Indians. A well written horror story that pairs with the notion of respecting ancient tradition. It also shows that our actions are like dropping a pebble in pond, the ripples reach far beyond what we consider.

This book follows for friends, who are being hunted by the indiscretions of their youth. Traditions are in place for a reason we these four Blackfeet will come to learn. This haunting is not limited to the reservation where they all grew up; but it will end there one way or another.

As someone who has read the Odyssey multiple times and enjoyed it, I found this book to be a nice spoof on the epic poem. I always love twisted fairytales and once I got over constantly thinking “they didn’t have that on Ancient Greece”, I found myself chuckling at the story and appreciating the creative with the inclusion of a variety of storybook characters.

We follow our Odysseus, whose name is Otis Seehus, home after the famed Trojan War. Anxious to get back to his Penelope, Otis’s choice not to wait for his war ship proves to be a downfall that leads him to treacherous obstacles. Back on Ithaca, Otis’s son Mac has been waiting years for his father’s return. Things are getting dangerous for him around the castle as his mother’s suitors become more and more impatient for her to give up waiting for Otis to returns and marry one of them. With some unlikely hope, Mac ventures out to find his father before it’s too late.

Join a motley crew of fairytale characters for Otis’s journey home. If you’ve ever wondered how Peter Pan, Robin Hood, and Snow White’s evil queen could fit into an epic Greek poem, this is how.
If you’ve read the Odyssey before, leave your preconceived notions about the story at the door and just enjoy this fun read that borders on National Lampoon/Harvard Lampoon level parody.

This book has been on my TBR list for a while and I kept putting off reading it. Soon it became one of those books that you hear so many good things about I was worried it wouldn’t live up to expectations. But it did. A beautifully written fantasy novel with Celtic mythology tones.

Jack Tamberline is being called from the mainland back to his home island of Cadence, a place he never thought he’d see again after being sent away to school. He returns at the mysterious summons of his Laird carrying only his harp and the plaid he left with. Upon his return, Jack learns that young girls from his clan are disappearing without a trace. Partnered with his childhood nemesis and heiress of the East, Adaira, Jack must use his music and the island’s enchantments to find the missing girls.

For a new fantasy series, I didn’t find the world building and establishment of local lore overwhelmingly or too drawn out. Everything was clear and engaging. I am looking forward to reading the sequel. I’ve already got it on hold at my local library

A beautiful example of passing on history and culture through storytelling.

Four women, Chinese immigrants to San Francisco, meet and decide to form the Joy Luck Club, a place where they can eat, laugh, and talk with someone that understands. This is their stories and the stories of their American born daughters.

Some tales are heartbreaking, some harrowing, all told from the heart. I think this book does an amazing job highlighting not only the mother/daughter relationship but also the difficulty of being the first generation child of an immigrant; someone caught between two cultures and trying desperately to be loyal to family while fitting in with those around them.

I think this book is classified as historical fantasy but I feel like it’s more magical realism. There’s a definite magical under current but it doesn’t feel like a fantasy world. It’s got some really creepy, macabre vibes too.

Catalina had a whirlwind courtship and hurried marriage. Her new husband whisked her away to his family home. Now her contact with her family is minimal. When she sends a frantic, confusing letter her cousin Noemí makes it her mission to figure out what’s going on and bring Catalina home. When she visits High Place, Noemí finds that she can’t tell who the crazy one is anymore.

This was a reread for me. I think the first time around, I went into the book with high magical realism expectations. Like Isabel Allende vibes. When that wasn’t what I got I was disappointed. This time around I decided to go in with an open mind. I found this time around that I liked it a lot more. It’s a little horror, a little mystery, and a decent amount of magical realism.
I did find that I had some issues with the female main character. She was self absorbed. But I liked her growth in the second half of the book.

I felt the science in this mystery more than in Lydia Kang’s other books. And the hinting of magical realism that was present in the other books (supernatural beings, unexplained events) is not present in this one. It seems more straightforward mystery.

Death at a dinner party. Everyone seems ready to write it off as a straightforward champagne induced fall down the stairs but Allene is not so sure. With the help of her one time estranged friends Birdie and Jasper, this New York socialite intended to get to the bottom of everything. While the rest of the world is dealing with war and the outbreak of Spanish Influenza, for Allene this puzzle is what’s important.

I got real “Emma” vibes from Allene (Jane Austen novel). Like Emma, I found Allene to be a vain young lady who can’t see past her own needs and wants to those of her friends/family yet views all of her actions as selfless. I think that was the biggest problem I had with this book. Granted, I really did not like “Emma” so that might have colored my opinion since almost from the first chapter I associated the main character with that book.
I liked the science based nature of this book more than the other two I read. I still very much enjoy Lydia Kang’s style and science based mystery genre. And while this might have been an accurate portrayal of an early 1900s socialite, I hope I don’t get too many Jane Austen vibes from future books (or at least make it a better character

This book had a bit of everything. A little romance, a little magic, a little mystery, and even some murder. It makes for an exciting read.

Nell has followed in her parents footsteps to earn a PhD in cartography. She landed her dream job with her father at the New York Public Library only to be devastated by his betrayal and demand to have her fired before her internship is even completed. Seven years of silence later, Nell is summoned to the NYPL after her father is discovered dead at his desk. Among his possessions she finds a seemingly worthless map. A clandestine organizations, dark family secrets, and this map all connect to put Nell in danger.

Multiple narrators perspectives make for an interesting read. Chapters time-hop thru Nell’s life so that we uncover secrets long buried right along side her.
This book was well written and definitely a page turner. New connections can be made with every chapter.
If Peng Shepherd sought to bring magic to something we take for granted everyday, she definitely succeeded. I think from now on I’ll feel a little magic every time I look at a map

This is the first favorite book I can remember having. For a long time, mine was the only name on the card to check it out from my school library. I started reading it in the first grade and never stopped rereading it.

I know that some people shy away from this book because of the obvious religious leanings. CS Lewis was a convert to Christianity so it makes sense that something that influenced his own life would appear in his works. People will find religion wherever they want to find it. As with all book/works of art, everything is open to interpretation. You see what you want to see. As an adult, the religious tones of the book are obvious. But as a child (who attended many years of Catholic school and was in fact in Catholic school during my first reading of this book), I wasn’t in it for the metaphors and meanings. It was a magical adventure that I wanted to be a part of. It’s not trying to convert people. It’s a book and you’ll take from it what you want to.

And like any true fantasy fan, there’s a part of me that will always hope to find Narnia in the back of a closet.
“But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again”. Glad I never outgrew it in the first place ❤️

A beautiful look into the afterlife. A twist on the classic expression “your life flashes before your eyes when you die”. While this is a sad read, it’s also one of hope. I read this for this first time in college. I had to take a class on death and dying. One assignment was to read or watch two things that had to do with death. I chose this book and I remember thinking: If this is what Heaven is really like, it’s not a bad thing at all.

Eddie is going to die today. He doesn’t know it yet but we do. When he dies, there are no pearly white gates. Instead he finds himself meeting with people who had some impact on his life whether he realized it at the time or not. Five people to be exact. They will help him answer questions and realize truths.