Knot My Type was an adventurous yet informative book was book that was one of my favorites from last year. Even though I read it at the end of the the year it still ended up in the the favorite column because it was the first examples I’ve ever seen of well written disabled erotica.
The book follows sexologist Frankie, our heroine who host a podcast called All Access which talks about love, sex, and relationships for the disabled community. Frankie who is a wheelchair user, and her group of friends with different disabilities including blindness and Crohn’s disease usually have the answers for her listeners questions.
But when a question comes up about shibari (rope play) Frankie is coming up blank. Until she finds out one of her close friends associates might be able to help she goes in simply for research but finds herself attracted, too bad Jay doesn’t do dating.
Jay is jaded after an older woman broke his spirit and made him believe he was no good. But he finds himself attracted to Frankie and he also finds her fitting in with his family and bolstering him emotionally. But he has a knot in his heart he doesn’t know if he can untie, will Frankie be the one to set him free from his past pain and give them both a chance at love?
So for my one of the tropes I love is disabled badasses. This book has one of my favorite in awhile. Air is a great piece of fiction about a girl in the country with big dreams of WCMX in a wheelchair.
Summary
Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide—and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals—and her choices—suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to get her dreams off the ground—and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.
Review
This book had me up in the air emotionally at several point especially with the relationship between Emmie and her father. They are both suffering from the loss of her mother to a drunk driver and her father is holding her too close, or so Emmie believes. But she actually has a surprise in store. Another favorite moment of mine is when Emmie receives the check at the show, and how she shows the town exactly what she can do.
Also the sweet middle grade romance between her and a local horse farmer’s son, add to the cute factor. This novel deals with a little bit of everything, from grief, to freedom, to responsibility. It was an A+ with me and a great read for anyone who is feeling like people are pinning them in because of their disability.
I really enjoyed The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy for several reason which I will detail in my review but the female ensemble cast was great. I haven’t read enough of Ursu’s work something I intent to remedy, this however was a gem.
The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy
Summary
If no one notices Marya Lupu, is likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer.
The Lupus might be from a small village far from the capital city of Illyria, but that doesn’t matter. Every young boy born in in the kingdom holds the potential for the rare ability to wield magic, to protect the country from the terrifying force known only as the Dread.
For all the hopes the family has for Luka, no one has any for Marya, who can never seem to do anything right. But even so, no one is prepared for the day that the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability, and Marya makes a terrible mistake. Nor the day after, when the Lupus receive a letter from a place called Dragomir Academy—a mysterious school for wayward young girls. Girls like Marya.
Soon she is a hundred miles from home, in a strange and unfamiliar place, surrounded by girls she’s never met. Dragomir Academy promises Marya and her classmates a chance to make something of themselves in service to one of the country’s powerful sorcerers. But as they learn how to fit into a world with no place for them, they begin to discover things about the magic the men of their country wield, as well as the Dread itself—things that threaten the precarious balance upon which Illyria is built.
I really love the feminist point of view of this book. Marya comes from a society with very few if any opportunities for women and educated women are seen as a threat, for example look what happens to Marya’s neighbor the seamstress when she tries to teach her a secret method of communication that the women of IIIyria used. I love that the women of IIIyria had a secret language as it mirror a lot of real life real secret languages that craftspeople use.
I loved that the problem IIIyria was facing was basically from taking away women’s agency and only way to solve it was for women to get their agency back. I loved what Dragomir Academy eventually became and the great cast of young women who were involved with running it with Marya.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and zoomed through it in maybe 3 days. Would definitely read more fantasy in the same universe.
Making Friends is a very cute graphic novel for the middle grade set about a Danielle, who is having issues with friendship ever since she got got to middle school.
Summary
Danielle needs a perfect friend, but sometimes making (or creating) one is a lot easier than keeping one!
Sixth grade was SO much easier for Dany. All her friends were in the same room and she knew exactly what to expect out of life. Now that she’s in seventh grade, she’s in a new middle school, her friends are in different classes and forming new cliques, and she is totally, completely lost. What Dany really needs is a new best friend! So when she inherits a magic sketchbook from her eccentric great-aunt in which anything she sketches in it comes to life, she draws Madison, the most amazing, perfect, and awesome best friend ever.
The thing is, even when you create a best friend, there’s no guarantee they’ll always be your best friend. Especially when they discover they’ve been created with magic! And this isn’t the only problem magic causes Dany is going to need all the friends she can get to save her school and her friends from a sketch gone wrong.
This is a really cute book you can understand Dany’s troubles whatever age you are, given the power of a magic sketchbook. It would be hard to limit yourself on this power. I love some of the group of friends Dany makes along the way and the conflict between Dany and her newly created friend who has to establish herself away from Dany. It’s a good example of boundaries and independence which is always good when show in work for this age group. I like the fact that the group in the end can be interdependent but no co-dependent. Also the Sailor Moon/She-Ra-eque fight at the end was lovely and that’s the kind of content I need in my life. Very good graphic novel, can’t wait to read the rest in the series. 5/5
So I read a lot in 2021 but I wasn’t good at keeping up with reviews after I read like I had been in previous years. What Stars are Made of was one of those books. I read lots of #OwnVoices books by disabled authors the disability written about in this book is written about in one other book I know about the Silver Gate but in the Silver Gate the author isn’t #OwnVoices.
What Stars are Made Of
Summary
Twelve-year-old Libby Monroe is great at science, being optimistic, and talking to her famous, accomplished friends (okay, maybe that last one is only in her head). She’s not great at playing piano, sitting still, or figuring out how to say the right thing at the right time in real life. Libby was born with Turner Syndrome, and that makes some things hard. But she has lots of people who love her, and that makes her pretty lucky.
When her big sister Nonny tells her she’s pregnant, Libby is thrilled―but worried. Nonny and her husband are in a financial black hole, and Libby knows that babies aren’t always born healthy. So she strikes a deal with the universe: She’ll enter a contest with a project about Cecelia Payne, the first person to discover what stars are made of. If she wins the grand prize and gives all that money to Nonny’s family, then the baby will be perfect. Does she have what it takes to care for the sister that has always cared for her? And what will it take for the universe to notice?
Review
I think this book was primarily written to encourage young girls with being newly diagnosed with Turner’s Syndrome and their parents. And that’s okay! It does its job very well, Libby is a smart, funny, encouraging protagonist who is used to her condition and could help someone who is newly diagnosed be less scared. It could also help them maybe be more at peace with some of their symptoms. I’m also always a fan of where people with different conditions get their own books. I also like all the information about female scientist Cecelia Payne that Libby researches throughout the book, and her final project is wonderful. Finally I like the conversation between her and Nonny about the baby.
Overall this was a great book, I love a #OwnVoice book by a disabled writer and always want to see more of those.
Skin of the Sea was a great book. So good I want to hand it out to friends as Christmas presents, Also that cliffhanger at the end was just plain cruel, so I can’t wait for 2022 when the second book arrives. I normally love a book where the main character is a mermaid but this book just took it to a whole new level.
Summary
Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.
But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable—she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.
To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail . . .
Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she fails, she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.
Review
TW: Vivid descriptions of people on slave ships, injuries from slave ships. Vivid descriptions of someone being captured for the slave trade
Simi is a great heroine she’s willing to stand up to the Orisha Yemoja or goddess who turned her into a mermaid when it comes to the idea of sinking slave ships of saving Kola, the boy she found who was drowning but alive, she is fiercely loyal, to Yemoja and to Kola and his group of friends once she gets close to them, and she isn’t willing to stop until her mission is done even if she butts heads with Kola from time to time. Even though she’s a mermaid her humanity is a defining characteristic, she misses being human and it influences her choices.
I really love that she’s willing to make hard choices for her friends and the other Mami Wata even at her own expense. I also love the West African mythology and information about different rituals which I hope to hear more about in Book 2. It was very informative and made me want to read some of Bowen’s sources which she lists at the end of the book. Overall this was one of the best books I read this year. It was was well researched and beautifully written. More Simi and her friends as soon as possible please.
I’ve been a fan of the Cassidy Blake series since the beginning. I overall haven’t found it particularly scary but there have been moments in each book that had me on the edge of my seat. This book there was a particular scene towards the end of the book on a bridge that had me questioning how the book would go.
Bridge of Souls
Summary
Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows . . .
Unless it’s the other way around?
Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while traveling for her parents’ TV show.
But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colorful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.
Review
Okay there were so many favorite things from this book Lara is back for one and her and Jacob’s banter always makes things ten times more fun. The Society of the Black Cat is amazing and reminds me of paranormal fighting D&D group. Then the guardian of death that Cassidy has to deal with itself, like I said few things have creeped me out throughout the series. It’s creepy, one because it’s powers are never really defined. Like when can it get you and when can it not, as a result Cassidy and Lara are always on edge that leads to a high key feeling that works perfect for the confrontation. Some people might not have liked the ending with Jacob but I found it sweet, a great finale to a very sweet and spooky series.
I think it’s fair to say I’m a huge fan of Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces Quartet. Her latest outing Dark Waters representing the season of summer, doesn’t let down with the scares and sets up for a very interesting finale set in spring. I can’t wait to see how Arden makes spring creepy but I wasn’t there is some precedent for creepy summer stuff but I don’t know anything creepy spring, anyway I’m looking forward to it immensely.
Dark Waters Summary
Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian’s family’s inn and a boom sounds at the door, there’s just one visitor it could be. Only, there’s no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as —S.
The smiling man loves his games and it seems a new one is afoot. But first, the three friends will have to survive a group trip to Lake Champlain where it’s said Vermont’s very own Loch Ness monster lives. When they’re left shipwrecked on an island haunted by a monster on both land and sea, Brian’s survival instincts kick in and it’s up to him to help everyone work together and find a way to escape.
One thing is for sure, the smiling man is back and he wants a rematch. And this time Brian is ready to play.
Review
The group’s relationship with the Smiling Man is evolving, which isn’t good for Brian, Coco, and Ollie. The first two books were direct monster encounters in this book they had to avoid the monster and then get a few messages from helpful ghosts to save them. Also the Captain and the man on the island, tears right here. They were working in a situation where the Smiling Man had all the advantages and I fear that the finale book will be a lot like this as well. Smiling Man with the upper hand, the group having to fight against bad odds so great for reading but not great for my anxiety. Dark Waters was wonderful and scary and suspenseful in a way that I couldn’t see the end all the things you need for great horror/mystery.
The Dragon Egg Princess was a lighthearted fantasy with important messages about the importance of nature over progress.
Summary
Jiho comes from a long line of forest rangers who protect the Kidahara—an ancient and mysterious wood that is home to powerful supernatural creatures. But Jiho wants nothing to do with the dangerous forest.
Five years ago, his father walked into the Kidahara and disappeared. Just like the young Princess Koko, the only daughter of the kingdom’s royal family. Jiho knows better than anyone else the horrors that live deep in the magical forest and how those who go in never come back.
Now the forest is in danger from foreign forces that want to destroy it, and a long-forgotten evil that’s been lurking deep in the Kidahara for centuries finally begins to awaken. Can a magic-less boy, a fierce bandit leader, and a lost princess join forces and save their worlds before it’s too late?
Review
This is a perfect book for young middle graders. It’s got adventure, good heroes and heroines, a wonderful cast of side characters. There are also awesome monsters and other good creatures represented throughout the book and the villain is extremely cool. I would love a sequel to this book as it felt like it ended in a way were there could be more story but that just could be me. I especially loved Kiko as a character, along with the main villain. I also loved the dragon lessons that a certain character receives and the wizard giving them.
Author
The book is written by Ellen Oh who is the co-founder of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Potomac, Maryland, with her husband and three children and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.
The whole Tea Dragon Series is a beautiful tale of love and friendship, so it would only make sense that its ending volume would be the same. The finale of the series shows the growth of the characters from the first book, and brings in old friends so we can enjoy seeing them again.
The Tea Dragon Tapestry
Summary
Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng’s care, Greta still can’t chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.
Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth.
K. O’Neill is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning illustrator and graphic novelist from New Zealand. They are the author of Princess Princess Ever After, Aquicorn Cove, The Tea Dragon seriesand Dewdrop, all from Oni Press. Their books reflect their interest in tea, creatures, things that grow, and the magic of everyday life. Also look at the way O’Neil’s art style has improved since the first book isn’t this beautiful.
Review
This book was just a joy to read. I read it quickly. O’Neil’s books are always like pieces of candy something you finish quickly and is beautiful and shiny. But in another way they are like a cup of tea, you have to read it again and go back for a second slow look at all the details you missed. The plot itself was great Minette dealt with her past in a way she’s been needing to since book 1 and Greta found some confidence in herself she’s been needing since book one. Also I loved the surprise visitors and their relation with everyone. Overall, this book was great but then again I’m a huge K. O’Neil fan so I may be biased. I can’t wait to see more of their work.
![The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by [Anne Ursu]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yaQUQW0HS.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Skin of the Sea by [Natasha Bowen]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xKQpbaepS.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Dragon Egg Princess by [Ellen Oh]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41NBK6YltoL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
