River Readers

If you liked Spinning Silver, The Bear and the Nightingale has a similar flavor. Vasilisa is a young girl chaffing at the restrictions for girls in 14th century Russia. Vasilisa is an energetic girl drawn to nature and able to see the sprites that help keep the house and community in balance. Unfortunately, Vasilisa's new stepmother wants to tame her. I loved the infusion of Slavic or Russian mythology/fairytales.

This book was so good, that I read it again, actually, my husband and I took turns reading it to each other. My husband doesn't usually like fantasy, but this title was so well written, he enjoyed it tremendously. I was surprised at some of the things I missed the first time through (when I listened to it). GoodReads listed it as one of the top books of 2018 (actually it is on the top of several of their lists for 2018).

Another hilarious fantasy by Harper. Madrona comes to with no memory of how she got there, she is lying next to a dead faery. Shortly thereafter she is attacked by some goons. She believes she is a superhero, since she can bend time. However, all sorts of people react with fear to her presence. Definite cliffhanger ending though.

When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a storm, the last thing she expects is to discover a colony of Aquicorns—magical seahorse-like residents of the coral reef. As she explores the damaged town and the fabled undersea palace, Lana learns that while she cannot always count on adults to be the guardians she needs, she herself is capable of finding the strength to protect both the ocean, and her own happiness. --Goodreads

When the Colonel and Miss Lana share the clues about Mo's watery origins that they've been saving, it seems the time is finally right for the Desperado Detectives (aka Mo, Dale, and Harm) to tackle the mystery of Mo's Upstream Mother. It's the scariest case Mo's had by far. But before they can get started, Mayor Little's mean mother hires them to hunt in her attic for clues to Blackbeard's treasure, which could be buried right in Tupelo Landing. Turns out, the Desperados aren't the only ones looking.

When the King and all the men of the castle die, it’s time for the women to knight up.

When King Mancastle and his mighty vassals ride off on a crusade, the women left behind are not at all put out—that’s a lot less armor polishing to do. Of course, when the men get themselves eaten by a dragon and leave a curse that attracts monsters to the castle . . . well, the women take umbrage with that.

In an enthralling new historical novel from national best-selling author Kate Quinn, two women - a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 - are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

After falling from grace, Tess has tried to be a dutiful daughter to her mother and helpful sister to her twin sister. Still failing miserably to please her mother she strikes out onto the open road. Hartmann does a good job of evoking the feeling of wandering and the healing force of hitting the open road.
I also liked the way Hartmann wove feminist concerns into this adventure story.

When highborn entitled royalty are summarily dismissed from the PennyRoyal Academy with no thoughts to unruffling their feathers, you might be generating enemies. Book 2 of this series.

In the year 2066, a chance observation by Americans spots the presence of alien visitors at what appears to be an orbiting station around Saturn. It doesn't take long for the world to spot the presence and it becomes a race between Americans and Chinese to be the first to arrive and acquire technology with global implications. What will be found? Readers who enjoyed the science-driven plot of Andy Weir's "The Martian" will find this story of exploration and discovery compelling, with interesting characters and subplots, with plenty of surprises and a healthy dose of treachery.

When Asami is kidnapped, Korra sets out to the Spirit Wilds to find her. Now teeming with dark spirits influenced by the half spirit-half human Tokuga, the landscape is more dangerous than ever before. The two women must trust in each other and work together if they are to make it out alive. Their fate is revealed in this stunning, action-packed conclusion to The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars!

Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people.

*Starred Review* The Mars Room is a seedy San Francisco strip club, a dark little planet where interactions are strictly cash-based, just the way Romy Hall likes it. But one regular customer plunges into obsession, and now Romy is heading to prison for life two times over. In smart, determined, and vigilant Romy, Kushner (The Flamethrowers, 2013), an acclaimed writer of exhilarating skills, has created a seductive narrator of tigerish intensity whose only vulnerability is her young son.

If have a normal everyday family, this book probably isn't for you! However, if you like me and realize family is messy, then dive in and enjoy. My favorite quote from this book is very near the end when Miranda's mom is talking about her feelings for her brother Billy. She says, "They were family. You don't have to like your family, you only have to love them." To me this sums up the adventure Miranda has been on and most situations in any family. We can't choose our blood family and they aren't always easy to like, but deep down love of family is always there.

During the war, most villages and cities were devoid of men. Chilbury was no exception. While the women were more than capable of taking over most of the duties, the vicar of the village church decided he would disband the choir. When the new music tutor declared they should have an all-ladies' choir, not all were so sure it would work. What developed was so much more than a choir.