Madison's Library

PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Tag: Fiction (Page 3 of 77)

Book Review: Blaine for the Win

March 20, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

Blaine for the Win

– Robbie Couch –

Simon Schuster

Published 12 April 2022

♥♥♥♥

 

I was looking for something fun and uplifting when I picked up Blaine for the Win. And, having just read Heartstopper books 1 to 4, this was the perfect follow up book.

When Blaine is dumped by his boyfriend rather than receiving the expected invite to the family holiday, he is devastated. Worse is being told the reason is because he isn’t serious enough. Sure, maybe most guys aren’t painting murals or eternally running late, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t serious. To prove his point, Blaine decides to run for student body president, as his ex-boyfriend’s replacement and his ex-boyfriend’s new boyfriend’s opponent (it’s complicated). His two best friends make the best campaign team and he finds an unexpected ally in Daniel, the boy he literally crashes into.

Continue reading

Book Review: Blood Scion

March 17, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

Blood Scion

– Deborah Falaye –

Harper Teen

Published 8 March 2022

♥♥♥♥

 

Blood Scion is a hard-hitting, epic fantasy novel that doesn’t pull its punches. At all. Parts of this book left me feeling sick, and there is no shying away from the cruelty these characters must face. It also leaves the reader with no question as to why our protagonist must make the choices she does and how hard she has to fight for justice and even just a glimmer of hope for a better future.

Continue reading

Book Review: What Matters Most

March 10, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

What Matters Most

– Courtney Walsh –

Nantucket Love Story #3

Tyndale House Publishers

Published 5 April 2022

♥♥♥♥

In What Matters Most, author Courtney Walsh returns readers to the shores of Nantucket for a story about grief, secrets, and forgiving yourself.

Emma has moved herself and her young son to Nantucket in the hopes it will give them both a fresh start. Five years after her husband’s death, she’s still reeling from grief and guilt. Jameson too carries much guilt over the death of Emma’s husband and in a bid to move on with his life, he arrives in Nantucket to tell Emma the truth about her husband’s death. When Jamie arrives on Emma’s doorstep, she thinks he’s there to answer her ad for someone to clean out and renovate the guesthouse on her property. Jamie agrees but fails to tell Emma the real reason he’s there. Maybe he can help her in other ways. As Jamie works on the house, he and Emma grow closer, sharing their love of art and even rekindling that creative spark. But they both have secrets that could destroy any future they might have.

Continue reading

Book Review: Some Mistakes Were Made

March 5, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

Some Mistakes Were Made

– Kristin Dwyer –

Harper Teen

Published 26 April 2022

♥♥♥♥♥

 

I knew that Some Mistakes Were Made would be gut wrenching. And it was. It was also incredibly hard to put down, tear-jerking and made my heart ache. In a good way. Such a delicious, agonising way.

For all the readers who love books about brothers, this one is for you. For all the readers who love resilient, angry and strong survivors who have to face so much more than is imaginable, this book is for you. And readers who love tortured, broken relationships romance, you need to read this book RIGHT NOW!

Continue reading

Book Review: Mulberry Hollow

March 3, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Mulberry hollow book cover bench overlooking sunrise

 

Mulberry Hollow

– Denise Hunter –

Riverbend #2

Thomas Nelson

Published 19 April 2022

♥♥♥♥

Mulberry Hollow is the second book in Denise Hunter’s Riverbend Romance. As is the way with most of her series, you can read the books as stand alone titles, but reading the series in order gives you a lovely overview of a this family group. We met Avery in the first book in the series and now get a better insight into her life, career and decisions in this second book.

Avery is a doctor and owner of the only clinic in town. It’s a career she followed after watching her mother die. Now the genetic disease that stole her mother’s life hangs over Avery’s. It’s one of the reasons she is so desperate to entice another doctor to the clinic. When a hiker finds his way to Avery’s clinic doorstep and needs medical care, it might also be an answer to prayer. With limited funds, Wes offers to renovate the small carriage house on Avery’s property in exchange for his medical care. It’s easy for Avery to enjoy Wes’s company, despite her vow to avoid a relationship, marriage and a family. But Wes is committed elsewhere, anyway, so it can’t hurt to spend time with him, right?

Continue reading

Book Review: A Magic Steeped in Poison

February 25, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Magic steeped in poison book cover. Girl with colourful swirls around her and fish

 

A Magic Steeped In Poison

– Judy I. Lin –

The Book of Tea #1

Feiwel and Friends

Published 22 March 2022

♥♥♥♥

 

Like Mulan but more focus on the tea ceremonies. That’s how i think of this book. And don’t get me wrong, that makes it an awesome book. Imagine all of Mulan’s fight and guts and “I have what it takes” and take that energy and put it into making tea that can bewitch and enchant. It is super cool and unique and just the start of an exciting series.

Ning’s sister is dying. Poisoned by the same poison that killed their mother. Ning knows the only way to save her sister’s life is to lie to everyone she cares about and risk everything. Ning enters the competition to find the next shénnóng-shi, master of the ancient and magical art of tea making. The winner will be bestowed a favour from the princess and Ning plans to win and get the best healers available to tend to her sister. Ning was once trained by her mother, who was a master shénnóng-shi once, but she knows if anyone in the imperial city discovers her true identify, her life will be forfeit. But she has only just arrived in the city when she is drawn into the mystery of The Shadow, court politics and a corrupt competition. Winning and escaping with her life seem more and more unlikely, but Ning is determined to not give up.

Continue reading

Ramblings: Inheriting a Genrefied Library

February 23, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Inheriting a Genrefied Library

I have shared a lot about my experiences and thoughts around genrefication. I have written posts and articles, shared how I first started by genrefying a young adult fiction collection, before moving onto non fiction collections. I’ve presented at conferences and webinars on the topic. But, a first for me this year has been inheriting a library collection that had already been genrefied. I had worked in libraries before that had collections genrefied by someone other than myself, but those times were only for part time work or contract work. This year, I have taken over the library and am now responsible for a library collection where the non fiction is organised by dewey, the biographies are separated, and the young adult fiction collection was genrefied over 5 years ago.

Continue reading

Book Review: Always Jane

February 21, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

Always Jane

– Jenn Bennett –

Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Published 29 March 2022

♥♥♥♥♥

 

It took me about 40 seconds to figure who was our narrator and which brother was which when I started reading Always Jane. And then it took me about .02 seconds to fall in love with Fen. Completely and for always. But, by the end of the book it was the author Jenn Bennett to whom I felt the need to confess my undying love, for writing such a beautiful and powerful novel.

In true Jenn Bennett fashion, Always Jane is a compelling and addictive contemporary YA novel, a find-your-voice-and-own-way coming of age novel, with steamy romance, and delightful and complicated family dynamics.

Continue reading

Book Review: This Golden State

February 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 

This Golden State

– Marit Weisenberg –

Flatiron Books

Published 1 March 2022

♥♥♥♥/♥

 

This Golden State is a delicious book that features mystery in a very realistic fiction style, sweet summer romance with a more serious side of family secrets.

The synopsis is vague. Poppy’s whole life is a little vague. She knows only what her parents have told her and lives by the rules they have set. Never use your name, don’t get close to anyone. Poppy, her sister and their parents have spent their life living off the grid and moving from town to town. Never staying long, always being ready to leave at a moment’s notice, taking nothing with them. For Poppy, it means never having friends, never getting far with her school work, never growing roots. But they must live that way if they are to stay together. Poppy doesn’t know what they are running and hiding from or who, just that her parents are scared and that it would be bad if they were ever caught. Really bad. So she follows the rules. But this latest move is different. Her mother is acting strange. There are mysteries surrounding the house they are staying in and her father seems even more on edge. But he does allow Poppy one luxury she’s never had before – access to a summer school. Finally, Poppy gets to see how well she can really do at something, to test herself and fall in love with the wonders of the world of mathematics. Then there is the mysterious boy who sits next to her in class who everyone seems to know but no one talks to. And then Poppy breaks the rules. It will have far reaching consequences and reveals truths she didn’t even know to look for.

Continue reading

Book Review: Daughter

February 9, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Daughter book cover image of girl standing behind cracked glass

 

Daughter

– Kate McLaughlin –

Wednesday Books

Published 8 March 2022

♥♥♥

 

What would you do if you found out your father was the worst kind of serial killer? How would you act when you have to come face-to-face with him for the first time. This is a gritty and dark novel, but didn’t quite sit right with me.

Scarlet’s life is forever changed when two FBI agents arrive at her door. It turns out, the father she never knew is actually on death row for a string of murders and other crimes. Now, dying, her father has one last request. If he can speak with Scarlet, he’ll reveal the locations of the bodies of the other women he killed. Thrown into a world of serial killers, media storms and cold cases, Scarlet must reconcile who is she now that she knows everything she once knew about her life, including her own name, is a lie.

Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »
Madison's Library

© 2024 Madison's Library

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑