Author: Madeleine L’Engle Type: Fiction, novel Part of series: Time Quintet (#1) Published: 1962 I read it: January 2018 (re-read) At the mall in my hometown when I was a kid (back when malls hardly ever displayed an empty storefront), there was a Waldenbooks. This small spot was the first proper bookstore I knew, and…
Author: Eugene Lim Type: Fiction, novel Published: 2017 I read it: February 2018 Sometimes you have to take a chance while browsing at the library, and the title, cover, and slim length of this book made it worth a shot. Was it worth it overall though? Lim’s novel starts out with two Asian-American boys bonding…
Author: J.R.R Tolkien Type: Fiction, novel Published: 1998 (posthumous) I read it: February 2018 A decade or so before The Hobbit was published, J.R.R. Tolkien took his family on a seaside vacation. There one of his sons lost a small toy dog and was devastated. To pass the time and give consolation, the great storyteller…
Author: Andrew DeYoung Type: Fiction, novel Published: 2017 I read it: February 2018 When writing YA, the key ingredient is having respect for the “adult” in “young adult.” The opening pages of The Exo Project show that the author has his audience clearly in mind and is unafraid to speak at their level. The protagonist,…
Author: Richard A. Kirk Type: Fiction, novel Published: 2017 I read it: January 2018 You know what’s awesome? Libraries. You know what library system in particular is extra awesome? The Des Moines Public Library. Sure, at our local branch they provide Legos on Fridays so I can take my son there every week after picking…
Author: James Thurber Artist: Marc Simont Type: Fiction, novella Published: 1950 I read it: January 2018 Although I didn’t note anything about the James Thurber story in my review of Unnatural Creatures, Gaiman’s mini-rave of The 13 Clocks within those pages made me take note. When I found a copy at Half Price Books, I…
Author: Natasha Pulley Type: Fiction, novel Published: 2015 I read it: January 2018 When my wife was sick at the end of November, I brought her a stack of hardcovers from the library. I had a good sense of what she might like, with most of the books taking place in England and featuring some…
