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LOU LOU AND PEA AND THE MURAL MYSTERY by Jill Diamond

I met Jill Diamond at last year's CLA conference, and was immediately struck by her imaginative writing and refreshing main characters. This book is the first in the Lou Lou and Pea series, and I look forward to many more. Readers (especially…

Manic Monday, Writer's Block, and Kitchen Timers

I've had a hard time getting motivated this morning. Maybe it's because the novelty of the holidays is over and now it's time to get back to work, do all the running around, etc. Cue the Bangles:[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w?list=RDSsmVgoXDq2w]…
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IMPYRIUM by Henry H. Neff

I met Henry Neff at last year's NCIBA Fall Discovery show, where I not only learned about his Tapestry series, but I found out about IMPYRIUM, the first book in his new MG fantasy series. Anyone who loves intricate world-building should be sure…

Monday Feature: THE HUNDRED LIES OF LIZZIE LOVETT by Chelsea Sedoti

Happy New Year to all! Tomorrow, on January 3, THE HUNDRED LIES OF LIZZIE LOVETT will hit the pavement! I featured it back in November, and I can't wait for this story to get into the hands of readers:A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts…

Book Review: WE KNOW IT WAS YOU by Maggie Thrash

I first got to know Maggie Thrash's writing when her graphic memoir, Honor Girl, passed by my desk. It was a beautiful book in an of itself, but what I remember most about it was how hard it was to categorize. Did it go with biographies? Graphic…
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STILL LIFE WITH TORNADO by A.S. King

Every time I read one of A.S. King's novels, I think she can't possibly top it. Especially with the brilliant ways she's been able to answer interview questions here on three different occasions: specifically here, here, and here. She is the…

Movie Review: ROGUE ONE and Unsung Heroes

Earlier this year, I talked about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and what it taught me as a writer. While that movie fell a bit short of my expectations (A bigger Death Star? Really?), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story did not. And, I learned even…
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THE TUNDRA TRIALS, the newest in the Bounders Series by Monica Tesler

Earlier this year, I featured the Bounders series by Monica Tesler. The newest book in the series, THE TUNDRA TRIALS, debuted yesterday. And, the first book in the series was also renamed with a new, episodic title. Have a look:Thirteen years…

Book Review: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger

Last year, I featured Shannon Messenger and her Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and even though I hadn't read her books yet, I was intrigued by them.Well. After having read the first one (twice), I can say that this series is so wonderfully…
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HOLDING COURT by K.C. Held

HOLDING COURT is just the kind of book I love to read. Not just for the setting (a castle-turned-dinner theater) or the comedy. It's the unique voice that really makes this book sing, starting with the very first line: "I'm standing behind the…