Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith

4 stars For Halloween, Hughie volunteers at Harvest House, a haunted house fundraiser highlighting local ghost stories. But strange things start happening at the crossroads by Harvest House. With the help of his friends, Hughie investigates to determine whether something sinister is lurking at the crossroads. A cool blend of mystery, supernatural elements, and current…

Read More

Comics for a Strange World (Poorly Drawn Lines #2)

by Reza Farazmand 4 stars Another hilarious collection of comics from the Poorly Drawn Lines universe, complete with some classic characters and new faces. I really enjoy Farazmand’s blend of snark, oddity, and humor. Weird in the best of ways. Definitely a fun read. Goodreads

Read More

Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 1 by Yumi Unita

Translated by Angela Liu 4 stars An entertaining read with fun little references to Sleeping Beauty. Yaneko loves sleep. But when a sleep spirit named Nerimu gets tired of fighting to wake her up every morning, Yaneko learns there’s much more to the world of sleep. She tags along with Nerimu and finds herself helping…

Read More

Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt

by Rob Sanders Illustrated by Jamey Christoph 4 stars A beautiful book that depicts the remarkable story of the AIDS Memorial Quilt through lyrical text and wonderful illustrations. In this narrative nonfiction picture book, Sanders tells some of the major events in Cleve Jones’ life alongside the development of AIDS in America. Interspersed throughout the…

Read More

Creepy Cat Vol 1 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars When Flora moves into a mansion, she discovers it comes with a strange, white cat who is… a little creepy. She stumbles her way though many of the milestones of cat ownership with a paranormal twist as she settles into her new home. A humorous story of…

Read More

I Love My Magic! by Kelly Leigh Miller

4 stars Short and sweet. Willow loves using magic. But sometimes she uses it too much. When her wand is confiscated, Willow has to do things a different way… and it’s maybe not as bad as it first seemed. Cute messages about seeing the world in different ways and using your talents for good, not…

Read More

A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett

4 stars Perfectly Pratchett. A fantastic collection of fantasy and sci-fi stories featuring ghosts, dragons, wizards, talking animals, and time travelers. What a fun read. Its history is as interesting as the stories themselves. Loved diving into this collection of recently discovered stories, the majority originally published under the pseudonym Patrick Kearns. The collection features…

Read More

The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels

4 stars I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I’m not much of fan of fake dating stories, but this one managed to do it without being creepy and added a nice twist. After a rough breakup with her toxic ex-girlfriend, Margot just wants a nice holiday. She gets her chance when Ben invites her…

Read More

Rainbow Brite, Vol. 1 by Jeremy Whitley

Art by Brittney Williams, Xenia Pamfil, and Christine Hipp 4 stars When I saw Jeremy Whitley was coming out with a new Rainbow Brite story, I was so excited. This volume did not disappoint. Best friends, Wisp and Willow, bring big adventure to their small town with their amazing imaginations. But when Wisp has a…

Read More