If you’re looking for a good middle-school/YA fantasy novel for your kids, this is one I highly recommend. It felt really original to me, and at the same time I felt it was a really nice mix of influences, not just your traditional fantasy read. In fact, it’s barely fantasy in that it happens in…
I wanted to take a minute to send people to I09’s list of summer reads in science fiction and fantasy. I love their book lists because they cover so many different types of books. Whether you read science fiction or fantasy, it seems like there’s something for everyone here, and not just the usual suspects. …
In the last couple of months I’ve read more than series books than usual. I don’t like reviewing series after the first book, because (1) it’s too spoilerish and (2) because series books are usually pretty fluffy and there isn’t much to say about them. I have a class ending next week and I’ve been…
I wanted to share a cool post from Stainless Steel Droppings on some of the best science fiction and fantasy covers of 2013. Most of these aren’t books I’ve read, but on the covers alone I now want to read The Misfortune Cookie, Love Minus Eighty, and A Natural History of Dragons. The name that…
It’s been a good month for reading. I had high expectations for The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and it met them. It’s a good fantasy story, but like Gaiman’s other books, it’s so well-written it transcends its genre. The book tells the story of a forty year old man, visiting his childhood…
I’ve been reading rave reviews about Patrick Ness for the last couple of years, and finally got around to reading one of his books. A Monster Calls was amazing and completely unexpected. I’m not sure how to review this book so I’ll just recommend that you read it. The story was originally conceived by Siobhan…
There’s been a lot of hype around this book, considering it’s not even out until August 20. I’ve heard Shannon referred to as “the next J.K. Rowling” and the book as “the next Hunger Games.” I can’t say that either of those are even close. But I will say this: for a 21-year-old literature student’s…
Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series is one of the best and most original fantasy/alternate reality series out there. But that said, her last few books have not been as good as the first part of the series. If the idea of Napoleonic-era history WITH DRAGONS sounds interesting, or you like British nautical historical fiction, definitely check…
Note: The Book Stop is on vacation! This post was written in advance. But please feel free to comment. If you like well-written fantasy with a strong female character, this is the book for you. The Hero and the Crown won a Newbery Medal in 1985, which is awarded once a year to the best…
Over Sea, Under Stone is the first of five books in Susan Cooper’s classic children’s series, The Dark is Rising. She won a Newbery award for the fourth book, The Grey King. It’s on my Classics Club list and also counts towards the Around the World in 12 Books Challenge. March’s country is Wales, and…
Storm of Swords is the third book in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and it will be airing on HBO beginning March 31. It’s also the book most people say is their favorite in the series. And while I found Book Two kind of disappointing, Book Three was worth…
While I’m working on a few reviews, I wanted to post this awesome link to all the best 2013 science fiction and fantasy novels coming out in 2013. My husband sent me this link, and the first thing that struck me about this list was how many of my favorite authors AND my husband’s favorite…
The Book Stop 