Kiley Reid kicks off our year strongly with her winsome and thought-provoking debut novel, Such a Fun Age. Emira Tucker, a black twenty-five-year-old who lives in Philadelphia and recently graduated from Temple, babysits for a white, affluent married couple—Alix Chamberlain, lifestyle guru and blogger, and her husband Peter, a news anchor who becomes embroiled in a … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Such a Fun Age
Category: Book Reviews
My 2 Cents on Catch and Kill
I have clear memories of that pivotal event in 2017—when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and significant contributor to the #MeToo movement Ronan Farrow (War on Peace) published in The New Yorker a damning exposé consisting of allegations against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for his serial pattern of sexual abuse. It was fascinating to keep up … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Catch and Kill
My 2 Cents on Dorothy Must Die
In Danielle Paige’s (Stealing Snow) 2014 YA fantasy debut, Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm, a bullied teenager living in a trailer park with her junkie mom, wants desperately to get away from her life in Dusty Acres, Kansa. In a way, her wish is fulfilled when a tornado tears through the park, whisking her away … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Dorothy Must Die
My 2 Cents on Rebel: A Legend Novel
Six years have passed since 2013, which was when Marie Lu (Warcross, The Young Elites) wrapped up her YA dystopian Legend novel series by publishing the third—and what was intended to be the final—entry, Champion. Just recently, however, on October 1st, she released the fourth book, Rebel—a moving story that digs deep into the heart and … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Rebel: A Legend Novel
My 2 Cents on Frindle
Frindle, Andrew Clements's 1996 debut children's novel, tells the story of Nicholas Allen, an imaginative fifth-grader with a bit of a troublemaking streak. Devising angles to sidetrack his teachers before they can give the class homework is his forte, making him especially popular among his peers. But this doesn't work at all on his language-arts … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Frindle
My 2 Cents on Seinfeldia
Twenty-one years after "The Finale" aired on May 14, 1998, Seinfeld has left a remarkable legacy as a revolutionary sitcom that entertained audiences with hilarious comedy and an unprecedented insight into everyday life's inane and mundane minutiae. So it's only appropriate for something like Seinfeldia, a book written by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (Mary and Lou … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Seinfeldia
My 2 Cents on Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game
There is plenty of fantabulous fun to be had in Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game, the fourth entry in the Mr. Lemoncello series by Chris Grabenstein (The Island of Dr. Libris, coauthor of I, Funny with James Patterson). Kyle Keeley, a boy who eats, sleeps, and breathes board games, and his friends enter the All-Star … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game
My 2 Cents on Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan, published in hardcover in 2011 and then paperback in 2012 with a bonus chapter, is a necessity for any gamer, being a stimulating, cleverly written book that takes you on a journey through the enthralling tales and trivia facts behind the multibillion-dollar video game publisher Nintendo. … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America
My 2 Cents on Matched
Matched has a natural ability to weave the gripping twists of a mystery and the genuine emotions of a romance into one plot, giving it a creative edge over typical YA dystopian sci-fi books. Sometime in the far future, people live in a utopian world of tranquility watched over by the Society. The defining feature of … Continue reading My 2 Cents on Matched
My 2 Cents on The School Story
A girl with an amazing novel in her hands and her best friend who pushes and pushes to get it out there — even when the publication process gets glossed over at times, the signatures of memorable characters, snappy dialogue, and sincere story/character arcs from Andrew Clements' other books (Frindle, Lunch Money) are clearly present … Continue reading My 2 Cents on The School Story
