A Glorious and Devilish Expanse (Witches if the Isnad, #3) by Katie McGarry

A Glorious and Devilish Expanse by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this series so much and the 3rd installment had me in so much suspense! The story of Orion & Cassie continues but his malevolent mother has plans that include killing her son, killing Cassie, and killing anyone who is in her way in her to "save" her son. I loved the plot, the characters, and oh the ending was perfect and I was chuckling as I read about Moloch and his charge in the "human world"
As Cassie and Orion battle all that is evil, I rooted they find each other and save the worlds. Totally awesome!

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The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow (The Okay Witch, #2) by Emma Steinkellner

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this 2nd middle grade graphic novel in the Okay Witch series and Steinkellner ensures the reader will laugh and hold their breath as Moth uses a cursed charm to try to battle the bullies in her school. I particularly liked her mom and teacher dating (hysterical) and the strong grandmother witch who preaches witch history and being strong---but Moth can't really listen and understand her words. I loved her friend Charlie and the talking cat, a great 2nd book, I want more!

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A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry

A Wicked and Beautiful Garden by Katie McGarry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A new and exciting series by Katie McGarry introduces Cassie and Orion--once lovers, Cassie has believed Orion died 9 years ago. With much determination, she had built a new life as a midwife. As a child her grandmother gave her a wonderful loving life which consisted of tales about faeries and the beauty of what nature holds. I can't wait for the next book in the series this fall!

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Catywampus by Ash Van Otterloo

Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book with a title having a word 3 syllables or longer for #BitAboutBooks Spring Reading Challenge and oh did I enjoy it! With magic, witches, feuds, and a community that hates witches, Delpha McGill and Katybird Hearn have been warned and forbidden to use magic in Howler's Hollow. But magic is calling to both girls in feuding witch families--- Delpha finding her family's top secret book of hexes unleashes zombies from both families; Delpha and Katybird must quickly STOP the chaos. But what if the girls magic can't/won't work? I loved Van Otterloo's debut book for so many reasons--the writing is exciting, the characters are well drawn, but the magic, their friend Tyler, and Delpha's shed, better known as Puppet, steal the show! For a suspenseful spirited read, middle grade students will be sharing this thriller of magic, hexes, and zombies with their friends. Highly recommended!

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Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great graphic novel; appealing to children, middle grade and YA! Beetle is best friends with a ghost imprisoned at a mall. She lives with her grandmother who practices goblin magic and is her home school teacher, kind, honest, motherly and nice. When an old childhood friend, Kat, returns to Hollowbones, she is now an apprentice to her scary aunt. As Kat and Beetle rekindle their friendship, forces are at work to tear down the mall where her ghost friend is and create havoc with the old friends. This graphic novel has it all witches, magic, horror, ghosts, zombies, in a colorful backdrop with suspense, humor and friendship. Highly recommended, all readers will enjoy this graphic novel!

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The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts

The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to @joshwhowrites (Josh Roberts), #BookJunkies, Owl Hollow Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles, for allowing me to be an early reader of The Witches of Willow Cove by debut author, Josh Roberts, in exchange for an honest review. I loved this middle grade magical mystery! Best friends, Abby and Robby, get the surprise of their life on Halloween when they ride a witches’ broom through the sky! Quickly Abby finds out she is a witch from Miss Winters (a witch herself) but posing as a substitute teacher. With Miss Winters urging Abby identifies five other witches, but everyone must keep this secret, which is a problem for Abby because this secret causes a rift in her friendship with Robby. Robby is perplexed by Abby’s behavior and they grow apart. What I totally enjoyed about this debut novel was the quick and suspenseful pace of the plot; I could not stop turning the pages. As Abby and her “new” witch friends learn more about their powers from Miss Winters, Abby is also trying to figure out what happened to Robby’s mom and most recently, the disappearance of Robby’s stepmom. At the same time, Robby is trying with two friends to find out more about the Abby, the witches and their history in Willow Cove. Is the disappearance of his mom and stepmom connected? The pacing of the plot, the mysteries as they are revealed, and the friends’ relationship drama was authentic and gripping. Readers will relate to the friends’ drama; both Abby and Robby do not want to expose their friends to any danger, so they keep secrets and this causes judgments on both sides. I really enjoyed this debut novel, the teen witches, and the past of Willow Cove which definitely includes witch history. What will happen to teen witch Abby and her witch friends? Readers will be treated to an exciting, suspenseful read; highly recommended!

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The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and Aladdin for the advance reader copy of The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner, in exchange for an honest review. Middle grade readers will totally enjoy Moth Rush, an independent, honest, normal, happy girl who finds out she is a witch! But her mother, who has kept this secret, refuses to teach her or let her practice magic. While Moth struggles with her mom, she learns more about her descendants and history of turmoil. What is a girl to do when she wants to delve into magic and learn all she can about her witch history? Moth is also involved in the school play which trumpets the history of witch hunts and her burgeoning “magic” has helped her best friend capture the lead. The drawings in this graphic novel are vivid and show both worlds where Moth learns she has witch family and problems. Moth’s facial expressions are awesome and her eyes just pop with feeling, excitement, courage, and aggravation. The plot will keep readers turning those pages. Highly recommended.


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The Grim Lovelies (Grim Lovelies #1) by Megan Shepherd

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the Twitter chat 3/14 at 8PM EST with #2jennsbookclub, and I loved Anouk and her beastie friends! What I did not like was the witches, Prince Rennar & family- the Royal Haute, and the way they were treated throughout the novel. Beasties Anouk, Luc, Beau, Cricket and Hunter Black. The Goblins were wonderful to help Anouk and her friends, but time is running out; will they stay human? This is the first in a series and it will kill me to wait to see what Anouk does about her very difficult plight. Did not like the ending at all...

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The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was just beginning my time as a librarian (1996) and Oh did I love this series with Lyra and Pantalaimon as Lyra's dæmon (they are bound to each other in her world)!!! Now listening to Philip Pullman's narration (with a cast of characters to help with the many voices) it was just so lush, divine, and exciting to listen as I drove to West Chester to watch my grandchildren. Pullman's voice was melodious, awesome & frightful. I loved the interplay of good characters ( Iorek Byrnison, Iofur Raknison, Lee Scoresby, Roger Parslow, Serafina Pekkala) and the evil characters (Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel). Lyra's & her daemon's voice were perfect and the adventures took her to many places, taught her how to lie, be a spy and further cemented that she was a very special child indeed with a legacy she must forge. If you like witches, magic, fantasies, series, this book begins and awesome series you can't put down (but sometimes the horror made me want to!!!) you must read how little Lyra rises to the challenge England and beyond!

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The Cursed Queen (THe Impostor Queen #2) by Sarah Fine

The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC, The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine. Ansa is a warrior in the Krigere tribe and has fought beside and supported Thrya, the daughter of Lars, the ruler of the tribe. Ansa also loves Thyra and will do anything to be her wolf in war and at her side in life. On a ship battling the witch queen, Ansa sees Lars and others enveloped in the fire of the Kupari Queen Witch, and is herself “struck” by the witch. With Thyra and her good friend, Sander, they return a much smaller group to their tribe to regroup but all is not well within the ranks. As Thyra tries to rally her people, rumblings of mutiny stalk Thyra and Ansa wrestles with the reality she is cursed somehow with the ability to wield the power of fire and ice. The drama of keeping her lies about being a witch becoming insurmountable and becoming ensnared with Jaspar’s father’s tribe boiled my blood. I could not stop turning the pages. I rooted for Ansa and Thyra’s relationship but was mesmerized by the treachery, lies, and witch magic. An epic story of warriors, rulers, and witches with grand world building and ambitious characters; bring on the next book in the series!!! Highly recommended!

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The Fallen Vampire (Flux & Firmament: The Cloud Lords, Prequel Part #1) by Beata Blitz

The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Beata Blitz and the Goodreads Group YA Reads for Teachers for the ARC, The Fallen Vampire. Chloe is a normal teen whose life changes abruptly at a party when she uses witchcraft. She is imprisoned awaiting a trial when her best friend and love interest helps her escape from jail. As they flee, Chloe wishes desperately that Wayne would return her feelings. As a witch Chloe will not have the life she wants so she slips away from Wayne and runs headlong into a conflict between Vampires (known as Night Flyers) and Dragons and Bats considered gods and also could change into human form. As something falls from the sky, Chloe follows and finds what seems to be a dead man. What will happen to Chloe now that she is hunted as a witch, meets Cloud Lords, and tries to save whoever fell during the battle? Beata Blitz has crafted an dystopian world where California is now Dragon's Faith with feral dogs, bombed out buildings, and a new world that is patrolled by sheriffs with Regulators, rules, no technology and no information from the past. I can't wait to learn more about Chloe, her fate, and that of the fallen man in the 2nd book in this epic series with magic, mystery, gods and vampires!

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved the world building, characters, and skill of Kelly Barnhill's sumptuous fantasy feast. Luna is a baby when she is inadvertently fed moonlight by friendly witch Xan. So rather than have another family raise her Xan, a swamp monster, Glerk and tiny dragon, Fyrian all lovingly tend to Luna as she grows. For luscious middle grade read, you will not get much better. An excellent fairy tale for all!

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Half Lost (Book 3 Half Bad) by Sally Green

Half Lost by Sally Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, the end to a really great series - I just loved Carl Prekopp's narration of Nathan as he tries to become the with Gabriel loves. Now that he has his gifts, Nathan works to perfect them, hunts Annaliese and helps the Alliance of Witches against the hunters. I wish I could say I loved the ending...I enjoyed all of Prekopp's characters in his narration, author Green's worlds were wild, heart stopping, and powerful. I have to thank The 2015 Hub Challenge for giving me the impetus to listen to this series, it was awesome.

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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This 4th book in the Throne of Glass series DID NOT disappoint. Aelin, Rowan, and Aedion band together to fight the barbaric creatures the king has created to kill rebels, sympathizers, ANYONE. I loved Manan, Elide and her 13 witches- WOW!!! Chaol really changed throughout this book as he gave up the king and became a rebel after Dorian's love was beheaded and the king ensnared Dorian in the black collar (have to read the book). I always love the way Aelin thinks, plots, plans and her interactions with her others just keeps getting more and more deep, magical, and desperate as she strives to save her kingdom. I have already pre-ordered the 5th book, Empire of Storms on my kindle- look for it in September!

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Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J Maas

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh boy did I LOVE this 3rd book in Throne of Glass & Sarah J. Maas's writing, her worlds, her characters are addicting; I could not put this book down!!! Celaena vows to avenge Nemiah's death and goes to Wendlyn to find Maeve & information on the Wyrdkeys. She is trained by Rowan who has sworn a blood oath to Maeve (Celaena's mother kept her away from Maeve, hated Maeve). As she becomes stronger, Chaol, Dorian and her cousin, Aedion plot against the king. Oh there is so much horror, sorrow, angst, secrets, lies, romance...Can't wait to read the 4th book!

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Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Wild by Sally Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this book as part of the 2016 Hub Challenge Top 10 Amazing Audiobooks. OMG, Carl Prekopp's narration of this amazing audiobook was killer. I could not stop listening to Nathan, half white witch & half black witch, as he grows older, receives his wishes from his father, feared black witch, Marcus, searches for his love, Annaliese, and revels in his tentative relationship with Gabriel (who is in love with Nathan). This is part 2 of the Half Bad series by Sally Green and it is just as riveting as the first book!!! With a cliffhanger for an ending, I can't wait for the 3rd book in this series.

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Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Bad by Sally Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An amazing audiobook! I loved Carl Prekopp's narration; he was gripping and mesmerizing. I kept looking for ways to plug in and LISTEN to this book!!! In a future England, Nathan is 1/2 white witch and 1/2 black witch and it is being the son of black witch Marcus that brands him an outsider---even his own sister, Jessica, hates him. Thankfully Nathan has a wonderful and sympathetic brother, Aaron. Aaron is sweet, trusting, and very protective of Nathan. But Aaron is not bullied, beaten up, or branded "BAD" like Nathan. Will Nathan be able to elude the hunters and survive until his 17th birthday and receiving his 3 powers of magic? Will he be able to survive in a world that does not want him or his father? Now I can't wait to get into the second book, Half Wild!!!

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