Piper Houdini: Apprentice of Coney Island by Glenn Herdling

Piper Houdini is a YA fiction novel by Glenn Herdling. Piper has been shuttled back and forth between foster homes since she was a baby. When she's twelve years old, someone claiming to be her father takes her to Harry Houdini's house, who happens to be her uncle. Here she encounters a mysterious and magical world that Piper had no idea existed.

Sex: There are several sexual references. One character comments on the fact that she's "slept with lots of men." She is also nearly raped in an alley but is rescued

Language: Mild.

Drug/Alcohol Use: This book is set in the 1920s during Prohibition, but some characters do still drink and are known to visit speakeasies.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: This book deals with things that are mystical. The occult and vampires play major roles in this story. There is also a character who is considered a zombie.

Final Note: This book wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. Harry Houdini frequently insists that he is an illusionist and he works to disprove any sort of mysticism. But, "magick" is considered real in this story and it's very dark. The book changes perspective with nearly every chapter and it's pretty hard to follow.

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The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

Purchase this book on Amazon here! The Wizards of Once is the latest middle grade novel by Cressida Cowell, the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. Wizards and warriors have always been taught to hate each other. The wizards stay in the forbidden Badwoods and the warriors live in their iron castle. But when Xar, a wizard, and Wish, the warrior queen's daughter, meet each other in the woods, they find that they must work together to fight the one thing everyone is afraid of: witches. Sex: None. Language: None. Xar uses his own cursing. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are a few suspenseful scenes and battles, but nothing too over the top. Final Note: This book was cute, but it wasn't my favorite. It would be a good stepping stone for younger readers who are showing an interest in things like Harry Potter , but who aren't quite old or mature enough for that particular series.

The Elite and The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection Series)

The Elite and The One are YA fiction novels by Kiera Cass. Books two and three in the Selection Series, The Elite and The One continue the story of America and her fight for Prince Maxon's heart. Sex: There are no explicit scenes, but there are a few moments of intimacy between characters in both books. Language: Mild. Drug/Alcohol Use: Mild. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Several deaths over the course of the two books. The rebels often attack and those scenes are suspenseful. Final Note: I'm still really enjoying this series! I have a couple of books left to finish, but so far I've been pleased. These books are definitely for older teenagers, but it shows the romantic aspects without being too terribly steamy or detailed. The story line is very intriguing as well.

My 2020 5 Star Reads

I'm a few days late, but here it is! My top books from 2020! Because of quarantine, I was able to finish 321 books - 83,718 pages. I decided to organize my favorites by genres so they are easier to pick out for those who care! 😊 Middle Grade: -All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker -New Kid AND Class Act by Jerry Craft (graphic novels - 1st two books in the same series) -Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina -A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee -To Be a Slave by Julius Lester (Nonfiction) -Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds -Mistakes Were Made and We Meet Again by Stephan Pastis (Timmy Failure series) -Guitar Notes by Mary Amato -The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden -The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon -Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus AND Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (1st two books) -The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQUeen (Historical fiction) -My Year in the Midd...

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