November is ending, American Thanksgiving is almost here, and it's that time of year to start putting up Christmas lights. I've read 17 books so far this month, and I'm here with a list of some of the most notable reads!
Six Crimson Cranes | Elizabeth Lim | YA Fantasy
“If fate is a bunch of strings, then I'll carry scissors. My choices are my own. I'll make them as I please.”
I went into this read thinking about how hyped this book has been and knowing my sorry track record with other hyped YA books (looking at you, The Hunger Games and Caravel). I was very glad to be wrong about my hesitation, as I thoroughly enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes. First, I was soooo impressed by how clean it was for a secular YA! It was refreshing to read a mainstream book that I can recommend without a bunch of notes to teens. (my one caution is that there is magic in this story if you're sensitive to that, but it felt more like a fairy tale magic to me) Secondly, I loved that Shiori didn't lose her head about Takkan. Their romance stayed slow burn and sweet, and I really liked it. And third, the PLOT TWIST - I actually didn't call it, and I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, a really good mainstream YA fantasy.
The Hound of the Baskervilles | Arthur Conan Doyle| Classic Mystery
family curses, mysterious hounds, and a fortune
This very well may be my second favorite Sherlock Holmes story (Reichenbach Fall takes first). The atmosphere is wonderfully eerie, and the story in a whole makes a fantastic fall read.
The Bletchley Riddle | Sepetys & Sheinkin | MG Historical
a thrilling middle grade historical novel highlighting the codebreakers of bletchley park
This is the book my 12/13 year old self would have talked about for months and recommended to everyone I met. I was fascinated by the Bletchley Park codebreakers at that age (I mean, they were literally geeks that were turning the tide of WWII), but I could only find one fiction book about them, and it was an adult historical fiction that I didn't really enjoy (I was 12/13. What did I expect?). I read every young readers' nonfiction book that had so much as a paragraph about Bletchley that I could get my hands on. I even named my pet rabbit Enigma. So, yeah, this book would have been an obsession of my younger self.
Now, as an adult, I still 100% loved it. Lizzie was such a good character, with her deductive skills and straightforwardness (also, she's hilarious), and Jakob was definitely the big brother. The cameos of real life codebreakers like Alan Turing were so much fun.
All in all, The Bletchley Riddle is a middle grade historical adventure, with high stakes and memorable characters. Definitely one I'd recommend to middle grade readers (and older!).
The Chaos Grid | Lyndsey Lewellen | YA Science Fiction
chaos, a two headed bird, and a girl trying to outrun her past
Wow! Lyndsey Lewellen really blew it out of the water with this book. The setting (post-apocalyptic sci-fi) was immaculate and the characters were very memorable. Two Heads was amazing, by the way. Lots of plot twists, lots of action. Definitely recommend! As an added bonus, it's a very clean read as well (no language or icky romance, though there is violence).
Ronnie Akkard and the Brotherhood of Blades |A.C. Williams | Sci-Fi
found family, superheroes, and humor
Well that was unique (in a good way, I think). Definitely the most unique read of this month, and not entirely my style. I felt like I was reading a mash-up of The Avengers and The Outsiders. There's some good humor and engaging characters. I'm impressed by AC Williams' story plan for this series with all the connecting characters, and I liked Barb and Jim's (from Barb Taylor and the Russian Dolls) cameo at the end.
Voices of the Future: Stories of Adventure and Imagination | Anthology
I loved reading the 4th volume of Voices of the Future!
Some of the stories stood out to me more than others, but that's likely just personal preference (:
My top favorites were likely Marielle's The Teddy Handbook (a very fun, well-written, and adorable story. 100% recommend to middle grade readers and I would totally love a full length novel in this setting) and Joseph's What Lives Beneath the Skin (creepy yet somehow heartwarming. Siblings, great worldbuilding, and overall a very memorable story. I would totally read a full length novel set in this world).
The Weeping Knight | Lauren Hildebrand | Fantasy
A quest for redemption is the main theme of this Arthurian-style tale. Though *technically* fantasy, The Weeping Knight has a setting where medieval Christianity exists, and the best genre comparison I have for this (it's not allegory) is an Arthurian tale. Taliesin was a fantastic character, and Kynon added much-needed comedic relief. If you like Arthurian tales, medieval fantasy, or allegory, you'll probably enjoy this very well-written novel!
That's all for November! Next month, you can look forward to some Christmas book reviews, plus reviews of two new books from Christian authors: Winter's Maiden (adult fantasy) by Morgan Busse, and The Nightmare Virus (YA science fiction) by Nadine Brandes.
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