Bibliophile Support Group

A Curse Dark as Gold is a YA historical fairy-tale retelling of Rumpelstiltskin by Elizabeth C. Bunce. I know, I know. This book has been out there for a while. Well, if you’re like me and you haven’t had the chance to read it yet – here’s a great opportunity to learn more about it! And this blog has NEVER been about reviewing only new books – and this blog is getting back to its roots, remember? Charlotte Miller and her sister Rosie grieve their father’s death deeply – but Charlotte knows it is her duty, her place, to step up and take the reins of their family’s long-established woolen mill. Many employees depend on their wages at the mill, families in their small village have histories there – she would not give that up for anything. Despite her young age and gender. When more dire circumstances for the mill are introduced, however, Charlotte finds that she must get them out of debt. A deep debt that comes as a surprise, as their father took a loan they never told them abo...

Tales of the U’tanse is a YA sci-fi novel, and follow-up to Star Time , by Henry Melton. Now, to get the full impact of this book it’s best to read Star Time first – then Melton takes off on two separate branches: Earth and otherwise. This is the latter, but you can find the next story for the former in Kingdom of the Hill Country . So, best to look away if you haven’t read Star Time yet! When the Cerik attempted to raid the supernova-damaged Earth, they were unsuccessful. Yet before departing back to their home planet, the leader snatched two humans – hoping to breed a new race of slaves to replace those they’d killed off in a fit of rage. Those two were Abe and Shannon, both gifted in their own way. But they had no intention of creating children that would be enslaved. So, Shannon, using her psychic gifts, helps to make sure that the generations of new humanity have powers that will be absolutely necessary to their survival… against masters that are unpredictably violen...

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters is a historical horror YA novel by Suzanne Weyn. In 1815 twin sisters Ingrid and Giselle are notified of their father Victor Frankenstein’s death. They have never known him, as he disappeared shortly after their birth and mother’s death, but he has left them a large inheritance and a castle on a remote isle. Though close, the seventeen-year-old twins are very different. Giselle has thoughts of glamorous parties to bring life to the dark, sprawling castle, whereas Ingrid’s more intellectually interested mind becomes fascinated with the journals penned by their father and his fascinating experiments. In fact, upon meeting a cantankerous, lonely, wounded naval officer next door, Ingrid begins to wonder if she could perfect some of her father’s brilliant ideas to help her neighbor… whom she is becoming more and more fond of. Rumors of Victor Frankenstein’s madness, of his obsession with an idea that a thing was hunting him to his dying day, haunts the...

The Dead and Buried is a YA supernatural/horror mystery by Kim Harrington. Jade knew that moving into the large, beautiful house seemed outside of her family’s ordinary budget, but she was distracted with happy thoughts of going to a high school with more than just a few classmates to think too much about it. But when her first day gets interrupted by whispers and awkward silences, especially one involving a guy with killer blue eyes that was shyly friendly until clamming up at the knowledge of her new address, Jade knows something is going on. Then Jade’s little brother starts telling her about a girl he sees in his room. It doesn’t take long for the truth the come out. The house was affordable because a teenage girl died in it last year. A popular, gorgeous girl who ruled the school and was dating the guy with killer blue eyes the time of her untimely death. And now the house is haunted. Jade soon finds out that this dead girl wasn’t very nice in life… and definitely...

Without a Summer is the third novel in the adult Regency-era magical/historical series The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal. Oh yeah - It’s also TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!!!! Because it is so awesome, you definitely don’t want to read them out of order. Here’s the order and the links to the reviews so you don’t spoil yourself here, if you haven’t read books one and two yet: Shades of Milk and Honey Glamour in Glass And – truly – each one gets better and better!!! Now, LOOK AWAY if you haven’t read BOTH of the previous novels. Immediately!!! Okay then, for those who are all caught up with the books, here’s a vague synopsis: Married glamourists Jane and Vincent have been taking a break from their international travels and visiting with Jane’s family when they receive a commission to work for a prominent London family. This gives Jane a great opportunity to pull her younger sister, melancholy-of-late Melody, out of quiet Long Parkmeade to give her a chance to mee...

Doublesight is a YA fantasy novel by Terry Persun. In a world where people who can turn into animals are called doublesight, and humans without the ability fear them, murder seems to be the way to rid the land of the magic they cannot understand. Zimp and Zora, twins, are of a tribe that turn into crows. After a brutal, sudden attack leaves her twin sister dead, Zimp finds that she has the responsibility to take her grandmother’s position in the tribe. Never a leader, and haunted by grief, Zimp fights her destiny as rumors of doublesight slaughters throughout the land reach their ears. A council assembles to assess the situation and five doublesight are sent to investigate, Zimp leading. With the fate of her people resting on her reluctant shoulders, will Zimp be worthy of the task? Doublesight had a bloody, distantly disturbing beginning with vivid images of crows morphing into humans as they fell, dying, from the trees. The concept is original and grabbing, but the t...

Not Exactly a Love Story is a 70s era YA coming-of-age novel by Audrey Couloumbis. It’s 1977 and fifteen-year old Vinnie Gold is not loving the twists his life has been taking this year. His acne is so bad that the dermatologist seemed frightened, his gal left for California without even a goodbye, his parent’s got divorced, so now he’s been moved to Long Island to a new home where his mom is now married to his – ack! – gym teacher! Plus, he’s failing gym. Yep, it’s been not so awesome. Yet his silver lining is his gorgeous next-door-neighbor classmate Patsy. Happenchance leads him to her phone number, and one night, late, he gathers the courage to call. But, of course, his nerves lead him to say the worst thing possible. Somehow, though, it becomes a routine. Every night Vinnie calls Patsy, as his anonymous self, and he finds himself start to develop a tentative rapport with her. He’s more confident, he’s mysterious. He’s Vincenzo. But the way he interacts (or actual...

The Fire Chronicle is the second novel in the middle grade fantasy trilogy The Books of Beginning by John Stephens. Of course, if you haven’t yet read The Emerald Atlas you may want to read last Friday’s review and avoid this one for the sake of possible spoilers. Agree? All of you who have read The Emerald Atlas : Let’s talk about The Fire Chronicle , eh? After an eventful time last winter, the wizard Stanislaus Pym decided to send the children back to the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans as a measure of protection. Now that Kate is Keeper of the Emerald Atlas, and the three children have been identified as the children of a prophecy involving the Books of Beginning, they are in danger from some influential, powerful and dangerous people/creatures. However, it appears their living among the ordinary didn’t quite do the trick of keeping their location secret. When their enemies discover them, Kate utilizes the Atlas to do her part in saving her ...

Happy Monday, Fellow Bibliophiles! June has come – and hopefully some warmer days and bluer skies with it, right? I have an important update about the Bibliophile Support Group to share with you. Before I give you the update, here’s some background that brought me to this decision: After a rather tumultuous year, I now have a new job – full-time, of course – and it is a place I am happy to be, to grow, and to hopefully build a career in. Unlike some of my previous jobs, I will not have as much of an opportunity to read during my work day. Not that my lunch and relaxation breaks won’t be stuffed full of it, they will, but during my working hours I will be, well, working . Over the last couple years, I have noticed more and more that I feel rushed when I’m reading. Before I started blogging more heavily, I never felt this way. Now, in the back of my mind I’m figuring out how behind I’ll be if I don’t finish this book by this time, etc. I haven’t reread a book in a long time, ev...