Happy World Book Day!

 Hope everyone has a great day and gets some reading in. I will be starting Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen for the Jane Austen Reading Challenge. The challenge is being hosted by Canterbury Classics throughout the whole year. I’m looking forward to reading this book because it is one of the only Jane Austen books that I know nothing about. 

Happy Reading!!

Octopus Moon Review

 In honor of Middle Grade March, I decided to review some of the best MG books I read separately from my end of the month reviews. This will also be in my monthly post. 

Octopus Moon

By Bobby Pyron

Read March 3rd-4th

Pages 336

Release Date: March 25th, 2025

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Octopus Moon is a book I didn't know I needed in my life, but I'm so glad I found it. It is about a young girl named Pearl who is dealing with many changes in her life as she starts fifth grade. She is having a difficult time finding the energy and the willpower to do what she needs and wants to do. The story is written from her perspective in verse as she navigates her life and deals with depression.

"Depression lies."

This was such a touching story which I related to on so many levels. I haven't had depression since I was Pearl's age but it has been a part of my life for many years. Never thought I'd see myself so much in this ten year old girl. So much of what she expresses in these beautiful lines of verse is what I feel on my darkest days. It had me tearing up as I read many parts of her story. 

Over the years, I have had to learn to cope just like she does with her therapist. I like how the author also shows how depression can be generational and the stigmas against it. She shows how hard it is to have an invisible disease that is only in your own head. 

One of the best parts is watching Pearl and her family/friends working together to help Pearl get through the bad and the good days. It was beautiful to see her with such a healthy support system in her life. They are not perfect and it is important to show young readers how everyone learns and grows. 

"Love is a verb."

Pearl's fascination with marine life, especially turtles and octopuses plays a big role in the plot too. I enjoyed reading the sections where she got excited about these creatures. It was heartwarming. 

I cannot recommend this book enough. It will be great for the middle grade readers in your life, but I also believe adults should read it too. Pearl's story is one I'm sure many people will relate to and one I think needs to be read. Definitely, one of the best middle grades I have read in my life. Please pick this up when it comes out at the end of the month.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.*

Hilarious Things Literary Characters Have Said

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Hilarious Things Literary Characters Have Said

Here are some funny quotes from some of my favorite books and characters. I had a great time making each of these.

February Reads 2025

  💝 February Reviews 💘

February 1st-28th

This is one of the best reading months I have ever had in February. In just 28 days, I read 19 books, found many new favorites, and finished another series. Here are the 19 books I read.

Book 18: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

By Robert C. O’Brien

Read February 2nd

Pages: 240

Release Year: 1971

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Such a wonderful children’s classic!

Book 19: Lost Stars

By Claudia Gray

Read February 4th

Pages: 551

Release Year: 2015

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 This is a wonderful story set in the Star Wars world before the start of the Rebellion, continuing to a year after the Battle of Endor. We follow Ciena and Thane, two friends from the Outer Rim planet, Jelucan, who dream of joining the Empire as children. They join the Imperial Academy, working to become fighter pilots. 

Slowly, Thane grows disillusioned with the Empire as Ciena continues to believe they are in the right. The book follows them both as they fall in love with each other while being on opposite sides of the galactic war. 

I loved following both preceptives in this book. We are so used to seeing Star Wars from the side of the Jedi or the Rebels. This book shows a very different side to a story I have known for most of my life. The best part was seeing how the propaganda was used to get people to want to join the Empire to begin with. Many people think of the Empire as evil because of the Emperor and Darth Vader, but in this book we see some of the reasons why so many people believed they were in the right. 

It was great to see many iconic scenes from the original trilogy through Ciena and Thane's perspectives. They are each so well-developed which had me invested in both of their stories equally. Also, the side characters were all fleshed out just as much. I wanted to know what would happen to them all. There are some scenes with characters we know from the movies, but most of the book is focused on the new characters. 

I enjoyed the discussions on the Force especially hearing Thane's thoughts about it. Gave me a good laugh throughout.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of this wonderful story. The narrator does a great job and the sound effects add to the overall experience.

Book 20: The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

By Mitch Albom

Read February 6th

Pages: 224

Release Year: 2018

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“The tale of your life is written second by second, as shifting as the flip of a pencil to an eraser.”

I love how beautifully Mitch Albom shows the connections between people. There are so many interactions that everyone takes for granted in their lives. Never realizing how much you can affect another person’s life in an instant. This book is one of the greatest examples of one of those stories.

Mitch always has such an interesting way of narrating his novels. I enjoy how all the pieces he gives come together in the end. His books are cleverly written and stand out as some of the best writing I have ever read.

I will never forget reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven back in high school. It was a book that greatly affected me. Now, about thirteen years later, I’m in a different place in life and getting very emotional over another of his stories. I needed this book in many ways. We lost my father in November, and it has been tremendously hard getting through the months since. If Mitch’s version of Heaven and the afterlife is true, I would love nothing more than to have Dad be one of my five people.

I highly recommend this book and its predecessor. They are wonderful stories, along with every other Mitch Albom book (well, at least the ones I read).

Book 21: Greeking Out: Epic Retellings of Classic Greek Myths

By Kenny Curtis

Read February 5th-8th

Pages: 192

Release Year: 2023

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A great retelling collection of many classic greek myths for children. I know I would have loved this book when I was a child and falling in love with Greek mythology.

Book 22: The Girl from the Other Side, Vol 6

By Nagabe

Read February 8th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2018

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The best part of this series is watching the friendship between Teacher and Shiva. There are so many great scenes with them in this volume. They are what makes this series worthwhile.

 

Book 23: The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 7

By Nagabe

Read February 10th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2019

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I will definitely be finishing this series this month. Shiva and Teacher are great.

 

Book 24: The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 8

By Nagabe

Read February 10th

Pages: 184

Release Year: 2019

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My favorite of the series so far. This one shocked me quite a bit and I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen in the last four volumes.

 

Book 25: Love Letter from Hades

By Emily Brandt

Read February 11th

Pages: 101

Release Year: 2023

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I adore retellings of Hades and Persephone. This was a great set of poems dealing with Hades’s feelings throughout a year. There are so many lines in this that stood out to me as I was reading.

Book 26: From Persephone, With Love

By Emily Brandt

Read February 11th

Pages: 100

Release Year: 2023

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Another great set of poems, this time from Persephone’s perspective. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first volume but I enjoyed seeing the difference between Persephone’s feelings about their relationship. There are so many beautiful lines in these poems and I know I will definitely pick this and the first up again.  

“For you deserve to see it most of all. 

I find I miss you in the moments between breaths…

I find I miss myself when I am alone

Surrounded by those who claim to know me

Wishing to be back with someone who does

Safely in my nest.”

Book 27: Hamnet

By Maggie O’Farrell  

Read February 7th-12th

Pages: 384

Release Year: 2020

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When I first bought this book years ago, I instantly thought it would be a favorite. I love books about Shakespeare, especially fictionalized versions of his life. This was not at all what I thought it would be. There were many times I enjoyed the story but then the writing would meander and it fell apart for me. 

Also, it felt strange for William Shakespeare’s name to never once be used in this book. He is referred to has son, father, brother, the Latin tutor, husband, etc, but never once by his name. The focus of the book is not supposed to be on him but it still feels strange.

Book 28: A Song for You and I

By K. O’Neill 

Read February 12th

Pages: 240

Release Year: 2025

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I first fell in love with K. O'Neill's illustrations years ago when I read The Tea Dragon Society. They are an amazing artist and storyteller whose stories I will always highly recommend. 

This graphic novel was wonderful. I loved following Rowan and Leone's journey of self-acceptance. It was great to see them both support each other in their dreams and identities. The story had a powerful message and the artwork went along perfectly with it.

A Song For You and I is a perfect example of cozy fantasy. It has so much heart and charm. K. O' Neill has a way of writing characters which makes you want to get to know each of them. I loved Rowan, Leone, and all of the side characters. They are all important to this story and building the world. I would love to see more of them all again. 

I cannot recommend it enough. Please pick this up in March.

*Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 29: Tress of the Emerald Sea

By Brandon Sanderson

Read February 13th-15th

Pages: 480

Release Year: 2023

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Tress of the Emerald Sea has so much I love in books with adventure, strong characters, pirates, and the humor (I adore Hoid). I knew going in that I would most likely love this and was especially excited to read a book narrated by Hoid himself. There were so many times I laughed so hard.

Tress is a great protagonist. Her determination to do anything in her power to save Charlie was such an enduring quality. I loved watching her growth throughout the book and her adventure with the pirates. It was a joy reading this story.

 

Book 30: A Thousand Ships

By Natalie Haynes

Read February 18th-19th

Pages: 368

Release Year: 2019

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2025 reread: 

I absolutely love this book and it was even better the second time reading it. 

2021 read:

I fell in love with the tales of Greek Mythology from a young age. There was this mythology book that I read so often as a kid that I absolutely adored. As I grew older, I read the epics like The Illiad, The Odyssey, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and the Aeneid along with countless retellings of these popular stories. I have got to say that this book really stands out to me as Madeline Miller's have before it. It is definitely a new favorite that I adore. 

Having all these women give their perspectives of the Trojan war was such a great plot for this book. These women fought the war just as much as their men did. They lost so much and sometimes even more than the men did. There were perspectives and stories in this book that I have never even heard before reading it. Most I had at least a knowledge of but never from the perspective, we were given here. 

I especially enjoyed Penelope's messages to her husband throughout the novel. Also, poor Cassandra whose story has always intrigued me and I really enjoyed how it was perceived here. Most of all though I love how we got the perspectives of the mortals, muses, queens, princesses, and also the goddesses. It was great to get such a mix. 

I love what authors are creating with these tales that have been told countless times before. How they are making them new in so many different ways. Natalie Haynes did an amazing job with this book and I adored her voice throughout. This was so special.

 

Book 31: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 9

By Nagabe

Read February 20th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2020

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I’m glad I had the next volume after finishing up this one because of that cliffhanger.

 

Book 32: The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 10

By Nagabe

Read February 20th

Pages: 180

Release Year: 2020

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I love this so much. Finally got so many answers to what is going on with Teacher, Shiva, and their pasts.

 

Book 33: The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 11

By Nagabe

Read February 20th

Pages: 178

Release Year: 2021

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I’m glad to finish this series but I wasn’t a big fan of the ending.

 

Book 34: The Inheritance Games

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Read February 22nd

Pages: 386

Release Year: 2020

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Such a compelling mystery. The puzzles were so inventive and I loved trying to figure them out along with Avery and the Hawthorne brothers. Each character was so well developed. Their story was one I was invested in every single page and I look forward to reading more about the family. This book was addicting, making me not want to stop for long. I had to know what was going to happen next. 

Book 35: Run Away with Me

By Brian Selznick

Read February 23rd

Pages: 320

Release Year: 2025

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Brian Selznick has written a beautiful love story that I know I will remember for a long time. Run Away With Me is about young love, history, and the city of Rome itself. I always adore the way Brian decides to tell his stories with both illustrations and words. He does an incredible job with Danny and Angelo’s story and showing the beauty of Rome. The boys explore the city and fall in love along the way. I also enjoyed reading Angelo’s stories he tells Danny about the history of Rome and also about other young loves. 

I highly recommend this stunning book to fans of Brian’s other books and those who love a great romance. This is one of my favorite romances I have ever read and that is not an exaggeration. I cannot wait to add it to my Brian Selznick collection. 

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.*

 

Book 36: The Halcyon Fairy Book

By T. Kingfisher

Read January 4th- February 28th

Pages: 380

Release Year: 2017

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T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite writers. I absolutely love how she has such a distinct writing style that shines through in all that she writes (at least what I have read of hers). This book is divided into two sections. The first is a collection of fairy tales from various countries with T. Kingfisher’s commentary. Her commentary is absolutely hilarious. I could not stop laughing every time I read a new story. I had a great time spreading this volume over the last two months. 

The second section is T. Kingfisher’s own collection of fairy tale short stories and poetry, which was previously published under the name Toad Words. These were a great set of stories and poetry. My favorites were “Bluebeard’s Wife,” “Boar and Apples,” and “The Wolf and the Woodsman.” I’m looking forward to picking up more of her fairy tales in the near future.

Books Set in the Past featuring Historical Figures

 

 Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books Set in the Past featuring Historical Figures

For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, I decided to pick books set in the past that feature historical figures.

1. A Warning about Swans by R. M. Romero 

- This is a young adult historical fantasy book written in verse that is loosely based on Swan Lake. The story is set in Bavaria and has the historical figure King Ludwig II. He is famously known as the fairy tale king because of the fairy tale murals he had painted in his castle, Neuschwanstein. Neuschwanstein is also meant to look like a castle from a fairy tale. One of the plot points in this book deals with him having the murals painted by a side character named Franz. 

2. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan 

- This book is a beautiful story about the love between a sister and a brother and the lengths she will go to for him. Megs' little brother George falls in love with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and wants Megs to find out where Narnia came from for C. S. Lewis. George is homebound due to his illness and becomes very fixated on the book. Megs goes to meet C.S. Lewis (who goes by Jack) to find the answer to her brother's question. Throughout the novel, Jack tells Megs about his life, and she tells her brother the story. 

- I loved that this story occurred right after the first Narnia book was published. Going into this book, I knew a lot about Jack's life, but I loved learning even more. I also enjoyed how this book showed how deeply George and Jack loved reading and how it helped them in their lives. 

3. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

- I love the books by the Lady Janies. They take historical characters and give humorous twists to their stories. This focuses on Lady Jane Grey who is famously known as having the shortest reign in British history. She became the queen of England for nine days until she loses her head to Mary I. In this book, Jane is given a very different story. 

4. King of Shadows by Susan Cooper 

- This is a story about a young man named Nat Field that finds comfort in theater which he doesn’t have in other parts of his life. He is meant to be traveling with an American trope to London to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a replica of the Globe. He becomes sick shortly after arriving in London and mysteriously transports back in time four hundred times to the original production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While there, Nat grows close to William Shakespeare himself and finds a father figure in the man. 

5. In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

- An eerie historical fiction retelling of the Persephone (Proserpina) and Hades (Pluto) myth which is set in Italy’s Sacro Bosco (The Garden of Monsters). It has such a unique twist on the classic story with a gothic atmosphere which pulled me in from the first page until the last. Along with the retelling, it also features the famous Salvador Dalí and his wife, Gala Dalí, who are such over the top personalities in this story. 

- It is about a woman named Julia who is modeling for Dalí in a work that he is doing of Sacro Bosco. He wants her to be his muse for the goddess Persephone. While at the garden, Julia meets Ignazio who she eerily finds familiar even though she doesn’t believe there is a chance she has met him before. 

- I knew I had to read this book after first seeing the cover and tagline. It is definitely one of the most unique takes I have seen of this myth. 

6. Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen

- The Chronicles of Imaginarium Geographica is a series which I am highly enjoying. The first book starts after an unusual murder brings together three complete strangers, John, Jack, and Charles in London, during the first World War. They meet a man named Bert, who explains to them they are now caretakers for an atlas called the Imaginarium Geographica. It is for all of the lands that have ever existed in myths, legends, fables, and fairy tales. The entire series has plenty of historical figures who are mainly all authors such as J. M. Barrie, Edgar Allan Poe, etc. I will not spoil any of the others. 

7. Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz

- One of my favorite books from last year. It is an intricately woven story told through artifacts, verse, and prose. Rhaskos and Melisto’s story is told through many perspectives, such as their mothers, the Greek Gods, the historical figure Sokrates, and many others in their lives, along with themselves. My favorite of the narrators was definitely Hermes. 

- Each artifact is illustrated and precedes a section of the story. They are meant to be exhibits in a museum which we then get context for in the poetry or prose that follows each piece. It was brilliant how Laura Amy Schlitz chose to play with format throughout the entire book. She has a historical context section at the end of the book where she explains Greek Verse and how she used it for the characters. I definitely recommend this for fans of historical fiction, Greek Mythology, and Greek History. 

8. Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein by Lita Judge

- One of my favorite pieces of nonfiction that I have ever read. Going into this book, I knew very little of Mary Shelley’s life and really enjoyed seeing it depicted here. This focuses on her life, how she met and fell in love with horrible Percy Shelley, and where she originally got the ideas for Frankenstein. It is written in verse and a good amount of it was inspired by Mary Shelley’s journals. Along with the beautiful poetry throughout, we also get stunning illustrations. 

- I will never get over the fact that she started writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen years old. 

9. The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix

- Now onto my favorite nonfiction book. I was lucky enough last year to get to read an ARC of this book early in the year. John Hendrix blends prose, images, and narrative comics to chronicle the lives of two literary greats, C. S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien. It not only focuses on their Fellowship but also goes into details about their early lives, inspirations, how they were affected by fighting in WWI, their friendship, and many other aspects of their lives. Hendrix does a wonderful job using this medium to tell his story and I love the use of Mr. Lion and The Wizard, who are takes on Aslan and Gandalf. 

- Along with the information on both authors, Hendrix also has what he calls Portals. They discuss other information such as myth and fairy tales. These are sections which are great extras that add to the overall experience of the book.

- I highly recommend this book to fans of both authors. It was an incredible read that was informative, enjoyable, and heartwarming at times. I know I would have loved this book when I was younger and first reading from both of their fantasy worlds. Definitely, would also love to see more books like this for other fantasy authors, such as L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, etc. 

10. Spear by Nicola Griffith 

- Stories featuring King Arthur have always intrigued me since I was a child and first watched The Sword in the Stone. One of my favorite books featuring the Once and Future King is called Spear, which focuses on a young woman who travels as a man, in hopes of joining Arthur’s knights. It is a sapphic romance with such beautiful writing. I have been meaning to reread this wonderful novella for years and I plan on doing so very soon.  

Middle Grade March 2025

 I will be participating in Middle Grade March again this year and will be reading the group reads and prompts from the channel: Middle Grade March. It was great finding this channel earlier this month and I am definitely looking forward to reading many MG books in March. I adore reading Middle Grade stories and am excited to participate with so many great people.

Below, I will show information on the group reads and prompts from Katie and Krista’s announcement video Middle Grade March 2025 || Announcement and Details. I also will show some of the other middle grade books I will be reading during the month. 

Group Reads: 

~ Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry- A science fiction retelling of The Secret Garden. 

    🌕 Oh my goodness, I cannot wait to read this book. It sounds incredible!

~ The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

    🪴 A great classic and I will definitely be rereading along with the group.

Prompts

For each of these prompts, I am going to show some of the ideas I have for books to read. I’m not too sure what I am going to read next month but these are books I am thinking about. My goal is to read a different book for each of these prompts. 

1.) Read a book by an author with 3 names

  🪄 The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones- I started the Chrestomanci series last year and want to continue it this year. This is the next book in Diana Wynne Jones’s recommended order.

2.) Read a book with flowers on the cover

   🐸 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame- A classic I have been wanting to read for years.

3.) Read a book that is part of a series

    📖 Wizkit 2: A Tail of Disruption by Tanya J. Scott- I read the first book in the Wizkit series last year and really enjoyed it. I have an eARC which I am looking forward to. 

4.) Read a book that involves travel

   🍄 Afia in the Land of Wonders by Mia Araujo- Another ARC I have which I’m very excited to read. It’s a retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with such beautiful art throughout. This will definitely be on my reading list for next month. 

5.) Read a book written in the 1900s

   🕰️ 13 Clocks by James Thurber- A book I have been wanting to read for over ten years and I plan on finally reading it next month. It was originally written in 1950.