Month: January 2019

Middle Grade Fiction

Squint by Chad Morris & Shelly Brown

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 3 – 6

squint.jpg

Squint’s real name is Flint, but he got his nickname because of the fact that he can’t see very well. He doesn’t have many friends, and uses his free time to finish the comic book he’s working on so he can enter it into an upcoming contest.

McKell is the new girl in school and has a hidden talent of her own that she’s shy about sharing. She takes a liking to Squint, and tries to ward off any kids who tease him about his eyesight. The two become great friends and learn a lot about themselves from each other.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

Adult Fiction, Horror/Thriller, Mystery

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

The Bookish Librarian

Ages 18+mrs westaway

Hal begins her day like any other day, down on her luck and reading people’s tarot cards to make ends meet. Then she receives a mysterious letter telling her that her grandmother has died, and that she will indicates she is entitled to a substantial amount of money as the result. There’s only one problem: her grandmother has been dead for twenty years. Still, she decides to try and claim the money, using her skills as a tarot card reader to her advantage. She travels for the funeral, and, upon arrival, realizes something much bigger is amiss than a letter being sent to the wrong person.

Romance, YA Fiction

August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 9 – 12

august and everything after

Quinn’s best friend Lynn died in a car crash that she feels responsible for, and feels she should be punished for it. She is eager to get away from her hometown for awhile, and stay with her aunt Annie, whom she affectionately called Antsie, on the Jersey shore for the summer. There she meets Malcolm, a musician who has been dealing with his own issues. Nevertheless, she feels herself falling for him, and wonders if this is the new beginning she’s been looking for all along.

Adventure, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, Mystery

The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb & Iacopo Bruno

The Bookish Librarian

Grades 4 – 6 

the story collector

Eleven-year-old Viviani Fedeler spent her entire life in the New York Public Library, and knows every inch of it like the back of her hand. Then she becomes convinced that the library is haunted. Merit Mubarak teases her for it, but Viviani is on a mission to find out if the library really is haunted, or if it’s all in her head. This middle grade historical fiction novel was inspired by the true story of Viviani Joffre Fedeler.