After learning that her husband has been unfaithful, Caroline goes on a trip to London by herself. Even though the trip was supposed to be an anniversary trip with her husband, Caroline goes alone and embarks on a personal quest. The novel is empowering because it features a character who wants to reshape her circumstances: … Continue reading Book Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Book Review: The Dark Side of Innocence
Terri Lynn was popular--she was a cheerleader and a Mauna Loa, a popular girls' group. She sat by the tiger--her school had a statue of a tiger where the popular kids gathered. Stoners and nerds weren't allowed anywhere near it. Despite this, Terri Lynn is deeply unhappy. She contents almost every day with something she … Continue reading Book Review: The Dark Side of Innocence
Texas Great Reads
Butterfly Yellow: A Novel by Thanhha Lai This year the Texas Center for the Book chose Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai as a "Texas Great Read." Access to this book is available through January 16, 2020. Read the book by visiting this site, https://www.tsl.texas.gov/greatreadtexas Butterfly Yellow has won four major literary prizes: Cooperative Children's Book … Continue reading Texas Great Reads
Book Review: The Van Apfel Girls are Gone by Felicity McLean
This debut by Australian author, Felicity McClean, is a tantalizing page-turner. This exciting novel is a mystery and coming-of-age story in one. Tikka remembers her childhood--she grew up in a small Australian river valley. One incident irrevocably changed the Tikka's life: the summer of 1992. Her neighbors, Corrie, Hannah, and Ruth, disappeared one fateful day. … Continue reading Book Review: The Van Apfel Girls are Gone by Felicity McLean
Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
One by one Kya's family leaves her--her mother, her siblings, her beloved Jodie, and lastly her alcoholic and abusive father. Kya, whom the town calls "the marsh girl," learns to rely on herself and turns to the marsh for comfort. While its difficult to fathom how she can do this, Kya learns to provide food for … Continue reading Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens