Bibliophile Support Group

Sophomore Year is Greek to Me is a YA contemporary novel by Meredith Zeitlin. Growing up as a single child, raised by her dad in New York, Zona has never felt she was lacking anything. Since her mom died before she could remember her, the loss has never truly hurt – though she knows it has never left her dad. She has her close-knit friends, her new position as features editor at the high school paper and enjoys a trust-based, roommate type of relationship with her journalist father. When her dad tells her they are moving to Greece for six months for him to cover their economic crisis, Zona is upset for two reasons. One, she does not want to leave all she knows and loves in New York. Two, she knows that his work is not the only reason her dad is taking her to Greece. That is where her mother’s family lives. Her big family. Her big family that returned her father’s many letters and has never attempted to contact her in her entire teenage life. The big, Greek family she has no in...

Of Noble Family is the fifth and final novel in The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal. I am passionate about this series, primarily due to the absolutely wonderful characterizations and lovely Regency atmosphere. Therefore, I strongly recommend reading these books in order: Shades of Milk and Honey: Here Glamour in Glass: Here Without a Summer: Here Valour and Vanity: Here Of Noble Family As you can see, you can click on each prior title to be swept away to my reviews of those books. Again, if you are not caught up with the series – I ardently recommend reading them, in order, before this review of the final book! After their exhausting time in Italy, Jane and Vincent have been able to do some relaxing with Jane’s family, including her sister’s new baby, whom they both find themselves enjoying immensely. Yet, when news comes to Vincent stating that his estranged, fugitive father has died – his soul is thrown into turmoil. He attempts to push aside the tumultu...

The Madness Underneath is the second book in the urban supernatural YA series Shades of London by Maureen Johnson. I strong recommend reading the books in order – so if you haven’t read The Name of the Star yet, check out my review of that first book here . Final warning to look away if you haven’t read the first book yet… Rory’s move from the American South to a London boarding school didn’t turn out the way she expected it to. Suddenly gaining the ability to see ghosts was startling enough – to then also be nearly killed by a Jack the Ripper copycat was the icing on the horror cake. Yet Rory doesn’t feel like she’s as psychologically damaged as she should be – and when she’s given the opportunity to return to Wexford, she does. But there’s evidence of a new potentially ghost-like string of murders and Rory’s powers have morphed into something stronger since she was nearly murdered… Is she as ready as she thinks she is to take on another dark force? First off, I lo...

Love, Lucy is a YA contemporary novel by April Lindner that will be released in January 2015. In exchange for giving up her dreams of being an actress to become a business major in college, Lucy’s father has funded a backpacking through Europe trip. Desperate to soak in as much culture and beauty from a trip that traded away her aspirations, Lucy finds herself absolutely besotted with Florence, Italy. …Not to mention a certain handsome traveling street musician named Jesse Palladino. Before long, Lucy is swept into a whirlwind summer romance that feels like more – though Lucy steels her heart as much as she can. After all, she has to return home. She has to go to college and take business courses. She has to be practical. But are their feelings more than a vacation fling? Yet again, I am impressed with Lindner’s ability to create just the right atmosphere. In Jane and Catherine she had that gothic vibe mixed with a contemporary setting – here we have a fantastic sen...

The Diamond Secret is a YA retold fairytale, one of the Once Upon a Time books, by Suzanne Weyn. When Nadya is told by two handsome mean in the Russian tavern she is working in as a waitress that they believe they know who she is and that they’d like to take her to her grandmother, she cannot help but hope it is all true. Plagued with memory loss and the fear that she is or was insane – due to being found after a time in an asylum before the Bolsheviks turned them out – her life is not ideal. It’s better than when she was living on the street, but just barely. Agreeing to accompany the young men, if only because she has little to lose either way, Nadya soon embarks on a journey to Paris – and out of the Revolution torn Russia in 1919. Yet there is more to the young men’s plans than they initially tell her – and they aren’t bringing her to just any grandmother – but exiled Dowager Empress Marie. And she is to be Anastasia… The Diamond Secret felt very familiar – I’ll be ho...

In Perfect Time is the third WWII novel in the Wings of the Nightingale trilogy by Sarah Sundin. Though each novel depicts a story featuring different characters, the characters overlap from book to book. For example, you’re introduced to Kay, the main character in In Perfect Time , in the first book and all the characters we met in the first book are still shown in this final novel. Because of this, I definitely recommend reading the three books in order for maximum enjoyment. First there’s With Every Letter , then On Distant Shoes and THEN you can read In Perfect Time . Deal? Okay then! Gorgeous, red-headed bombshell flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson doesn’t hide her penchant for a good time with a boy on every shore. She makes it clear from the get-go that she has a lineup of boyfriends and likes it that way. So, when she meets handsome, prank prone pilot Lt. Roger Cooper and he resists her to-date irresistible charms, why does it bug her? Doesn’t she have enough men lining...

Meant to Be is a contemporary YA novel by Lauren Morrill. Straight-A high school junior Julia has marked her guidebooks and re-read the travel itinerary multiple times – she is ready for this Spring Break school trip to London! As a literature lover, this is the perfect place for her to go. She’s ready to soak up the history and read Pride & Prejudice for the umpteenth time in a perfect London spot, meanwhile daydreaming about her MTB (Meant to Be) Mark back home, who has yet to really notice her. However, it’s not long after they get to their destination that she finds out all students have to have a partner – a travel buddy that must be with them at all times outside of the place they’re staying. And Julia’s happens to be her personal nemesis, class clown and attention-seeker extraordinaire Jason. He tends to bring her accident-prone life into the limelight, which she hates. She much prefers to be under the radar. Of course, the very first night they’re partnered Jason...

The Lovely and the Lost is a YA historical horror/paranormal novel and the follow-up to last year’s The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan. To read the books in order, definitely lap up The Beautiful and the Cursed first, bibliophiles! I’d avoid this review, also, until you have done so. Ingrid and Gabby Waverly have not had the quiet reprieve from London society gossip that they expected when they first came to France. Instead in 1900 Paris they’ve realized they are part of a dark, supernatural world – involving demons, gargoyles and angels. Having only recently rescued Ingrid’s twin brother Grayson from the fallen angel Axia – only to find him changed and still very potentially dangerous – they had hoped that things would calm down for a spell. Not likely. The Waverly’s gargoyle Luc, one of the Dispossessed, is still being kept busy as a mysterious man has a special interest in Ingrid’s unique blood – and he is part of an organization that is known for doing anythin...