Author Archives: GPL

Review: The Kiss of the Spindle

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The Kiss of the Spindle: A Steampunk Sleeping Beauty
by Nancy Campbell Allen
4 stars

In The Kiss of the Spindle Nancy Campbell Allen gives the reader a delightful Sleeping Beauty tale with a steampunk twist. Our heroine, Dr. Isla Cooper, has been cursed by a powerful witch so that she goes into a deep, nearly dead, sleep at the stroke of midnight each evening and cannot wake for six hours. The curse will end after a year…with her never waking up at all. As the year mark draws near, Isla’s on a quest to track down the witch, who is the only one who can reverse the curse, to a Caribbean island. To gain transportation from England, she blackmails shipping magnet Daniel Pickett to take her along on his airship (yes, this is steampunk!) to the island. Unbeknownst to her, Pickett is secretly transporting illegal shapeshifters who can be free in the Caribbean. And Nigel Crowe, a government official who wants to eradicate shapeshifters, forces himself along for the ride, too. Isla, who is an empath for shapeshifters, and Daniel join forces to protect the shapeshifters from Crowe. And Daniel pledges to help Isla on her quest for survival. Packed in between all that drama, a sweet romance (read: no explicit scenes) emerges between Isla and Daniel. I’m not a huge steampunk fan, but Nancy Campbell Allen’s world is wonderfully developed, and she has a knack for developing the relationships amongst her characters. A fun, quick read!

Read-alikes:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

 

 

 

Native American Heritage Month

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November is Native American Heritage Month here in the United States. First officially designated in 1990 by President Bush, the month is designed to give space for Native people in the United States to share and celebrate their culture. Finding books with honest portrayals of Native people (especially those written by Native authors) is not an easy task. With the help of Debbie Reese’s blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature, here’s a list of our favorites.

 

The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales  by James Bruchac
An anthology of Native American folk tales from across the country. Bruchac includes important historical and cultural context for each tale, and tales are kept short ensuring that they can be read in one sitting. Beautiful oil-on-wood illustrations can be found throughout.  Recommended for ages 8+

 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom  by Tim Tingle
In the early 1800s, the Bok Chitto river separated the sovereign Choctaw nation from Mississippi plantations. Enslaved people who were able to cross the river were free, and according to legend the Choctaw people has built a path of stones just underneath the water to help them escape. This picture book tells the story of a Choctaw boy who helps save his enslaved friend. Heart-warming, exciting, and beautifully illustrated. Recommended for ages 7+

 

Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky: Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth at Red Cloud Indian School
This collection of poems was written by middle schoolers at Red Cloud Indian School and assembled by their teachers. It gives their personal accounts of their experiences and identities as Lakota people. Recommended for ages  11+

 

Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina  by Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief was America’s first major Prima Ballerina, and the first Native American to hold the rank. Her parents worked with her to help her become the best dancer she could be. In this picture book, she tells her story of how she came to dance and the success she found in her career. Recommended for ages 7+

 

 

The Birchbark House  by Louise Erdrich
Erdrich is Ojibwe, as are her characters in the Birchbark House series. The Birchbard House is the first book, and it follows Omakayas and her family as they live on an island in Lake Superior around 1847. We learn about their stories, traditions, and ways of life. Great for fans of the Little House series who want an accurate representation of some Native American lives during pioneer times. Recommended for ages 9+

 

Sweetest Kulu  by Celina Kalluk
Kalluk writes a sweet, lulling bedtime story about an Inuit mother singing her baby to sleep. Readers learn about Inuit values, with people and animals coexisting together. Written by acclaimed Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk, this is a beautiful #OwnVoices pick, perfect for young children and new parents. Recommended for all ages.

 

 

 

 

 

Review: When We Were Young

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When We Were Young
by Karen Kingsbury
5 stars

Another amazing book by Karen Kingsbury! Kingsbury tells a wonderful story of second chances; tackling the subjects of divorce and social media. What if we could truly see our future if we chose to walk out? What if we could remember all the reasons we said I do in a single night? This story is a continuation of the beloved Baxters, but can be read as a standalone. The book centers on Noah and Emily, who from their first meeting to their amazing wedding, it is clear they are meant to be together. They have a special love they want the whole world to know about. Millions of fans follow their daily lives on Instagram since their engagement. But behind closed doors, their fairy tale is dissolving because Noah has become obsessed with sharing their lives on social media. So much so, that the greatly loved and admired couple has decided to call it quits. Kingsbury takes one of my favorite stories and weaves it into her own to create something that will inspire so many people. Highly recommend!

Read-alikes

A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte

Review: The Women in the Castle

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The Women in the Castle
by Jessica Shattuck
4 stars

Shattuck expertly weaves together a story set at the end of World War II in Germany that shares the tragedies and the secrets of three widows who barely know each other. After Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the crumbling castle called Burg Lingenfels that was once her home. Her husband was a resister and was hanged for trying to assassinate Hitler. Marianne promised her husband and the other co-conspirators that she would find their widows and help them. As Marianne, finds them (Ania, Benita and their children) and tries to create a home she discovers that each have secrets and repercussions that will make their lives complicated. The story does go back and forth in time and ends in 1991 with everyone reuniting back at the castle and allowing the reader to discover where everyone ended up. I liked the way the author examined the aftermath of Germany’s loss on the citizens and that the story was told from the Germans’ prospective, some who really thought Hitler was insane while the others were just trying to survive. Each woman reacted to the moral dilemmas that impacted each of their lives and the stories showed how they came to terms and how each moved on. The story starts out slow but picks up the second half. Recommend!

 

Read-alikes

The Blindness of the Heart by Julia Franck

The Good at Heart by Ursula Werner

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook