Review: Caraval

{image via Goodreads}

If you're seeing this book here for the first time, prepare yourself to see a whole lot more of it. Caraval is this year's Hunger Games meets The Night Circus, and it's wonderfully done. Though it's touted as a young adult (YA) book -- and certainly has some of the elements that make for a popular young adult novel -- I think this one will appeal to wider audiences and especially those readers who enjoy mystery and magic wrapped in dangerous circumstances.

Scarlett and Donatella Dragna are sisters, daughters to a wealthy and abusive man and captives in their own island home. When they were little, their grandmother told them the story of Caraval, a fantastical event happening only once a year, a traveling game come to life. All Scarlett ever wanted was to see the show, protect her sister from their father's beatings, and somehow get the two of them off the island to a better life. For years, Scarlett wrote to Legend, the Game Master, pleading with him to bring Caraval to their island, and for years she received no response. Until, just weeks before she is set to marry, three tickets arrive to this year's Caraval.

What I loved about this book: the sumptuousness of it. There was sensory detail in every paragraph, and I particularly loved the way that Garber described Scarlett as experiencing emotions as colors. Also captivating was the way that Garber set up the world of Caraval -- it's only a game, and players are constantly reminded of its illusory nature, but it's disorienting all the same and difficult to tell who can be trusted. That also makes the romantic relationships rather tenuous, as you can never tell if someone is acting genuinely or simply acting while inside the game. 

Caraval is the first in a duology, but there's no information yet on the second book's release. This first book has already been all over Instagram, but I predict you'll see more of it because the movie rights were snapped up even before the novel was published. Highly recommended for fans of the fantasy genre, and especially to those who enjoy a reading experience that keeps you guessing.

Bottom-Line Rating: 5/5

Title: Caraval (Caraval #1)

Author: Stephanie Garber

Publisher: Flatiron 2017

Price: $12 for a hardcover on Amazon

ISBN: 1250095255

Format: Hardcover

Source: Amazon

Review: The Bone Witch

{on Goodreads}

It's been a while since I've read a good fantasy novel, and despite my history of avoiding young adult fantasies, there was something about this new fantasy series from Rin Chupeco that drew me in. The Bone Witch introduces us to Tea, a fourteen-year-old girl who accidentally resurrects her brother from his grave. This act reveals that she belongs to an unusual class of magical women, called asha, and furthermore, that she is one of only a few women who can conjure dark runes -- in other words, she can perform death magic. There's more to the story here, including a relatively innocent crush on a prince, lots of intrigue, and some really memorable characters. I was worried about the story being cheesy (you know, in the way that YA can sometimes be), but the plot was interesting, with allusions to catastrophe and a definite cliffhanger leading into the second book. What I was most surprised by was the world building in this book --it was certainly more sophisticated than I was expecting. I could tell as I was reading that Chupeco had a clear picture of the details of this world, and I loved how the setting and rules of society were revealed without it feeling like an information dump.

There was only one thing that seemed a little strange to me, and it has to do with the duties of an asha. In this world, the asha are -- from what I could tell -- essentially like geishas. Their job is to entertain their hosts with dancing and conversation. As soon as I realized this parallel, I had trouble aligning it with the fate and duties of Tea in particular. While a typical asha would not have any duties outside of entertainment, Tea's dark magic put her in a different class from other ashas -- not only was she expected to be skilled in the entertaining arts, as a bone witch she was also expected to protect the kingdom from dangerous beasts. It felt strange to me that she was still expected to take singing lessons when she really needed to be trained further in the dark runes. I'm hoping the reasons for her participation in the more frivolous arts will be revealed in further installments. I will definitely be following the series as its released. Though I don't read much YA, I would recommend this to fans of Game of Thrones and similar fantasies with magic, beasts, intrigue, and the like. I also want to mention that there was a twist thrown in at the very end that has me impatient for the second book (but I won't ruin it for you here)! This title will be released on March 7, 2017 and is available now at a pre-order price!

Bottom Line Rating: 4/5

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Rin Chupeco

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 2017

Price: $12 to pre-order on Amazon

ISBN: 1492635820

Format: E-book

Source: Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this text by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Review: The Fifth Petal

{on Goodreads}

First, you must know that Brunonia Barry is a local author. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts, a city rife with historical significance, and also the city where I teach. I was first drawn to Barry's novels because of Salem's storied past, along with my love of reading fiction set in places that I know in real life. I first read The Map of True Places in college and loved both Barry's writing style and her penchant for bringing the past to life in a contemporary novel. Last year, I picked up The Lace Reader and was blown away by the surprise ending. The Fifth Petal is the sequel to The Lace Reader and will be released next week on January 24th. If you haven't yet read The Lace Reader but think you might be interested, stop reading here and go grab it off the library shelf! Be warned, spoilers ahead.

The Fifth Petal begins sometime after the ending of The Lace Reader. In it, Rafferty, our charming and flawed investigator, is married to Towner and has been promoted to chief of police. The story opens with a new look into an old cold case -- what's known locally as The Goddess Murders. Back in the late eighties, three beautiful and notoriously promiscuous friends had formed a mysterious clique, naming themselves The Goddesses and using their ancestral link to the convicted witches of Salem as part of their lure for Salem's eligible (and ineligible) men. One night, they are brutally murdered at the site of a Wiccan ceremony. There are only two survivors from the ceremony -- an old woman named Rose and a five year old child, daughter of a goddess, who is whisked away to be raised by nuns after the traumatic incident. Flash forward to modern day, and Rose has become Salem's resident crazy homeless lady, while Callie (the traumatized child), returns to Salem to find that so much of her past is not what she thought it was. Old faces from both The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places come into play as Rafferty and Callie work to find out what really happened on the night of the Goddess Murders and how it's all connected to those original Salem witches.

I have to say that the beginning of this novel was a teensy, tiny bit slow for me. I wasn't really sure what Barry was getting at and went into it thinking that more loose ends from The Lace Reader would be addressed. I'm still waiting on some of those loose ends (Barry has commented that it will happen in book 3!) but as soon both Rafferty and Callie started to discover more details about the night of the murders, the more suspenseful it got and the more I became invested in Callie's character and her backstory. Over time, I tried to make my predictions about the resolution to the mystery, but if there's one thing Barry writes well, it's an all-is-revealed, high-intensity ending. This one absolutely rivaled the ending of The Lace Reader. If you enjoyed the first I'd highly recommend this second installment. You still have almost a week to pre-order your copy before its release -- enough time to have it on your doorstep early next week!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Fifth Petal

Author: Brunonia Barry

Publisher: Crown, 2017

Price: $20 to pre-order on Amazon

ISBN: 110190563

Format: E-book

Source: Net Galley

Note: Top Shelf Text was provided with a copy of this text by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Have you ever avoided reading a book just because it's popular?

I'll admit, I do this all the time. 

I hadn't really noticed this about myself until I started to reflect on some of the books that I avoided for long periods of time and then loved, and to be honest, I couldn't really come up with a reason why I avoided them. Maybe it's too-high expectations, or maybe it's not wanting to go with the crowd, but In the past year I picked up a few fan-favorites, and though I think they've been reviewed enough to not warrant one of my own, I wanted to say a few words about each of them.

Anne of Green Gables is apparently a childhood favorite of just about everyone, and I've had it on my shelf since I was about ten years old. I never read it because I kept thinking it would be like Little Women, which I attempted to read at that age and found excruciatingly boring. I finally plucked it off my shelf to kick-off my summer reading (and fulfill my classics category) and I fell head over heels for it. I loved everything about this book -- the setting, the characters, the writing style. I don't often laugh out loud when reading a book, but this had me giggling at regular intervals. If you haven't yet read this, I absolutely recommend it. Since reading it over the summer, I've also listened to the latest audiobook version, narrated by Rachel McAdams. One word: amazing. Spoiler alert: you'll be seeing this pop up again next week on my top ten list. It's convinced me that I need to try more classics in 2017, including giving Little Women another chance.

Outlander was another one that I avoided for a good long time. I finished the first over the summer, sprinted to the bookstore, stood frowning at the shelves when I discovered that they didn't have the second, and then proceeded to text my bestie in all caps about the ending. Allie urged me to read this for months (she's on the third? fourth? already) and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Ten pages in, my thoughts mostly consisted of scolding myself for not reading it sooner (seriously, what a waste) and obsession over its main characters.

6 More Great October Reads

You probably don't need me to reiterate the fact that I love fall, but I'll say it again anyways.

I am head over heels for this season.

First of all, that crazy heat has left us. It was a pretty hot and dry summer here in New England, so I am relishing the cool breeze.

Second, everything is pumpkin flavored (I'm a fan), leaves are crunchy and beautiful, and Halloween is just around the corner. Fall is also my favorite season for reading, because it's still warm enough to read outside, but you can elect to cozy up with a sweater or blanket. 

If you're looking for a good book to start off your autumn reading list, seek no further! You can find 10 great October reads in my original post, plus a few more reads below!

Conversion by Katherine Howe // I rarely read young adult fiction, but I sought this out at the library because it's by one of my favorite local authors. Seriously, if you like books that are well suited for this time of year, start with her The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. This one follows a group of teenage girls who attend a prestigious private school on the North Shore of Boston. When a mystery illness breaks out among the students, the events become strangely reminiscent of The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials that inspired the play. Since I'm currently teaching in Salem (yes, that Salem), I loved that local connection and trying to solve the mystery of what was really going on with the students.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier // This is a classic work of gothic fiction, but I only recently picked it up because it's been recommended for those who enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale, one of my all-time favorites. It's the story of a young woman who lives a tedious life as a companion to an obnoxious American woman. They're on holiday in Italy when the narrator (who, strangely enough, is never named) meets a gentleman widower. She's whisked away to his gorgeous estate, and there finds herself haunted by the ghost of his late wife, Rebecca. This one doesn't have a huge scare factor, but there's an excellent twist and a general, creepy sensation throughout.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry // I read this over the summer, but I felt while reading that it would make a great autumn read. Brunonia Barry is another local author whose work I adore. This one is about a young woman recently returned to her hometown (you guessed it, Salem). There's a strange element of magic woven throughout the plot in the form of lace reading, which was (and is) a real trade that some practice as a form of fortune telling. I don't want to give anything away, but as I read I couldn't help but think something wasn't quite right with the story as it was presented. All I can say is that the final pages had me yelling, "Wait, what?!?!?" I always love a good twist.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston // I read this last fall and loved it. You can read my full review here.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs // I read this years ago when it first came out, but I'm going to attempt to rapidly re-read it before seeing the movie (opening September 30th). I would say that peculiar is a particularly fitting word for this book, as the title suggests. It features strange, antique photographs (which the author collected before coming up with the storyline), an alternate universe, children with supernatural gifts, and a nightmarish evil force. All great components for an autumn read, wouldn't you say? 

***

Stay tuned next week for a list of the books that I'm coveting for myself in October!

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Lately at the Library

There are few things I love more than going to the library. I love the way that the library feels. It's quiet, but it's almost as if you can hear the rustling of pages, of stories waiting to be read. I love thinking about how many characters and worlds exist in such a small space.

The library is a place where I sometimes go to recharge. Most of the time I run in and out to return books and to pick up holds, but about once a week I like to go in just to wander. A lot of the time I come out with way more books than I could possibly read in the amount of time I'm allowed to keep them, but I like having the choice when I get home.

I wanted to share what kind of books have caught my eye lately during my wanderings. I tend to always get about 10 picture books to browse and take with me to school for the kids to read, but I also usually end up with a relatively tall stack of pleasure reads. 

I know that the fall doesn't really begin for another month or so, but I've been drawn to fall reads on recent trips. That can only mean that my favorite season is approaching -- but I'll refrain from talking about it for another week or so!

Here's what ended up in my stack on a recent trip to my local public library -- I've included Goodreads links below -- check out the full description if the cover catches your eye (like it did mine)!

Conversion by Katherine Howe // Young Adult, by a favorite (local) author. An elite prep school, allusions to The Crucible, and of course a local setting. Oh, and that witch-y feeling, which you know is my favorite to read in the fall.

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid // I've since decided that it would probably be a literary crime to read this before I've read the original (Austen) version. It caught my eye because it's part of The Austen Project series, in which contemporary writers modernize Jane's original works. It'll go back to the library unread -- for now. You can consider the original to be at the top of my classics list for now.

The Nautical Chart by Arturo Pérez-Reverte // I've read this author before in high school (I highly recommend his The Fencing Master), and really loved his style. Plus, this has sunken ships, and you can always count on my interest in a treasure hunting-type of tale.

The Cruelest Month (Inspector Gamache #3) by Louise Penny // I just started reading this mystery series this summer thanks to the recommendation of Anne Bogel, and I love it. This is the third, which I just finished today -- in my opinion, it was the best of the series so far. I'll be posting more about the series after I've read a few more.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier // Another recommendation from Anne Bogel, for readers who loved The Thirteenth Tale (one of my all-time favorite gothic books). I can't wait to dive into this, if not to relive that subtle, creepy-crawling feeling that comes with gothic fiction.

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart // Forensics + history + archaeology + suspense. Need I say more? This is totally in my wheelhouse. Plus, the main investigator is a woman, somewhat unusual in mystery novels and definitely to my liking.

***

I will add a disclaimer here that although this particular batch is a little grim-looking, my children's picks are usually rather bright and cheery. Balance, right?

***

What's caught your eye at the library lately?

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Hi there!

It's been over a month since I last posted... oops! More life updates to come next week, but thanks for sticking around!

Whether or not you are a dedicated Harry Potter fan, you must have heard of this summer's biggest release: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

I've mentioned this before, but I could definitely be described as a Harry Potter fanatic. I first read the books when I was about nine years old, and have re-read the entire series close to ten times. I love Harry Potter trivia, I watch the movies pretty frequently, and I'm always using Hermione as an example of a role model for my students. I'm part of what's referred to as the Harry Potter Generation, which means that I essentially grew up with the story and the series played a significant role in shaping my reading identity.

So, it goes without saying that the moment I heard about the new release, I pre-ordered a copy (that was back in February) and I spent the intervening months excitedly awaiting the release. 

There's one thing that I want to make clear to those who have not yet read the book, because I think that sometimes publishers, in all their eagerness, forget to really advertise the little details that are important to avid fans. This happened with Go Set a Watchman, the unedited first draft manuscript from Harper Lee, which was unfairly advertised as the prequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, and which caused significant uproar to those who were unaware of that when they read it, only to find out that an iconic character (Atticus Finch) was portrayed quite differently (read: negatively). I avoided reading Go Set a Watchman because I was really unsure about the ethics of publishing it (did Harper Lee really give permission? I felt like she was taken advantage of) and I didn't want the characters that I knew and loved to be spoiled for me.

I've heard that some people are, quite rightly, feeling hesitant about reading The Cursed Child for similar reasons. If that's you, I can say that I believe it is 100% worth reading, but that you should be well-aware of the facts first:

This wasn't written by J.K. Rowling. It's not actually the eighth story, but it is a continuation of the book for the next generation. It was based on the epilogue from the seventh book, so it is founded in the facts that J.K. has laid out concerning the later happenings in the wizarding world. It's also a play script, for the production taking place in London right now. So you can imagine that the reading experience is not going to be quite the same. 

That being said, I do highly recommend it for all fans, if not for the experience of delving into that world again -- because let's face it, J.K. has left us with just the seven books and seems perfectly content with that decision.

If you've read it/have no interest in reading it/don't care about spoilers (because, SPOILER ALERT!), read on!

I'm not going to summarize the entire book for you, but here are my top five thoughts immediately after reading:

(1) Draco Malfoy, I always knew you'd be redeemed! 

(2) Scorpius Malfoy is far and away my favorite character. Please let's be friends in real life.

(3) You can absolutely tell this was not written by J.K. Her style is extremely unique and the voice of the main characters was just not there. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all pretty off -- but especially Ron. That was the disappointing part, in my opinion.

(3) Interesting that Voldemort had a child. I always thought that he was not interested in liaisons because he was too narcissistic/power hungry and would be absolutely jealous if any child of his threatened his rightful place as the Dark Lord. Also, Bellatrix Lestrange was practically throwing herself at him the entire series and he was quite obviously slightly annoyed with her eagerness -- I find it a little hard to believe that he would have had a child with her. 

(4) The thought of different realities, influenced by the tiniest change in events during the fourth year, was really fascinating to me. Cedric, a death eater? The return of Umbridge? (Ugh, thanks but no thanks). 

(5) Not to mention the different storylines for Ron and Hermione's romance -- I like the original version the best. 

Of course, I've only read it the once (and in a span of three hours) so I plan on re-reading more slowly next week so that I can see how my thoughts change.

If you've read the book and would like to debate the finer points of fan theories with me, feel free to email me at topshelftext@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Currently Coveting {July}

July is here! 

This is one of my favorite months of the year. Why, you ask? The list is long, but includes watermelon for every meal, wearing full-out red white and blue to celebrate the birth of our country, and lots of beach days. My bestie and I have a new tradition where she comes to visit me for the Fourth because I absolutely refuse to leave my (historic) hometown for the most important holiday of the year. I am so excited because not only is Allie coming again this year, she's also bringing along her twin sister! There is nothing better than when the three of us get together. We have so much fun planned for their trip this year!

At last year's fireworks display!

I know that I've already established my summer reading list, but that can't stop me from wanting to put these on my library list! Below you'll find some of my picks for this month.

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg // This is a new release from the author of one of my favorite fantasy trilogies (you can read my review of the first one here). This one's about a woman with a talent for magical baking. I'm looking forward to revisiting Holmberg's sweet and simple writing style.

The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald // Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I was immediately intrigued when I came across this historical fiction novel for middle grade readers. It's told from the perspective of a young girl who works as a maid in a grand house in the roaring '20's. There's a little bit of mystery and of course, I'm in love with the cover.

A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin // This fantasy novel was recently released, and what caught my eye was its allusion to Cinderella. You know I'm always up for a fairytale, so I'll be adding this to my library list.

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne // Since I've been on a bit of a thriller kick lately, this one caught my eye. I'm really fascinated by the research on the link between twin siblings (may or may not have to do with the fact that my besties are twins), and this plays up that link to a whole new level. Definitely not one to read in the dark.

***

Sometimes, these currently coveting lists are not helpful in that they actually cause my reading list to grow when really it already contains more books than I could possibly read in my lifetime. The ultimate plight of bookworms, no?

Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-

Top Ten of Twenty Fifteen

Hello Twenty-Sixteen!

I am so looking forward to this year and though I'm hoping that some things go exactly as planned (such as finishing grad school), I can't wait to see what surprises are in store.

This year I read a total of sixty-six books and 20, 552 pages. If you remember, I was focusing on quality over quantity, and though I actually ended up reading more books than I did in the past two years, many of my favorite reads from this year were children's books. Though my average rating for books is around 4 stars (hey, I know how to pick 'em!), I'm highlighting these ones in particular because they stood out above the rest. I'm not going to set any resolutions again this year (no resolutions worked out well for me in 2015), so I'm looking forward to picking up whatever strikes my fancy. Although, I would like to make some progress in reading the A Song of Ice and Fire Series, and as always, reading more classic literature is still on my to-do list.

Below you'll find my top ten picks from 2015:

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin // It's Game of Thrones. Need I say more? If you're a fan of the HBO series and are debating reading the books, go for it! I'm still in the middle of the second (taking my time), but I think having seen the show helps me to keep the characters straight in my head.

The Heretic Queen: Heiress of Misfortune, Pharaoh's Beloved by Michelle Moran // All of the heart eyes for the love story between Nefertari and Ramesses II. Review for this on the blog next week!

The Witch's Daughter (The Witch's Daughter #1) by Paula Brackston // I didn't realize that this was the start to a series until I went to prepare this post! I will certainly be reading the second installment (due in 2016), as this was the perfect mix of fantasy and historical fiction. Highly recommended for your October reading list. You can read my review here.

The Postmortal by Drew Magary // I plucked this from my boyfriend's shelves one day when I had nothing to read and couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. I don't normally delve into post-apocalyptic lit but this was worth taking the chance. 

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great (Catherine #1) by Eva Stachniak // The second in this series is on my to-read list for January. Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre (though I love fantasy too) and this was unique in it's setting and captivating. You can read my review here.

The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig // I just finished this earlier this week and had to make room on my list for it because oh my goodness the heartbreak was real. Review to come!

The Martian by Andy Weir // You might recognize this as the hit movie starring Matt Damon. I didn't expect to love this book but it's probably my top recommendation from this year because I think it appeals to all kinds of readers. The humor is what pulled me in but it was incredibly suspenseful as well.

The Glass Sentence (The Mapmaker's Trilogy #1) by S.E. Grove // I actually read and loved the first and second books in this series, which I stumbled across just by chance. It's become one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter. 

The Master Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg // I was sad to see the end of this trilogy but I do plan to re-read it at some point. I love the whimsy of it and I find the world that Holmberg created comforting. I wish that I could be friends with Ceony Twill!

The Sisters of Versailles (The Mistresses of Versailles Trilogy #1) by Sally Christie // I loved this book. As in, I read in early for a publisher and still pre-ordered my own copy (the copies publishers send me are often not final drafts). I cannot wait for the second installment, due out in April! You can read my review of this book here.

Bonus! Top Three Children's Picks

Since just about half of the books that I read this year were children's novels, I thought I'd share my top three children's literature picks from this year as well!

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo // If you have not yet read this book, do yourself a favor and read it this year. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting and everything that you'd ever want from a book. I'll be re-reading it at least once this year.

The Mister Max Trilogy by Cynthia Voigt // If you have a middle grade reader in your life, this series would make a great gift! I thought that it was entirely unique from the typical formula for novels of this genre and fell in love with its quirky characters. You can read my review of the trilogy here.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate // Beautiful. Captivating. Incredible. I could go on and on about this book. Tears were shed (bewarned) and it's the one book that my students can't stop talking about this year.

***

Next week on the blog: a review of The Heretic Queen and the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2016!

Want more of my favorites? See my Top Ten of 2013 here and 2014 here.

Review: The Witch's Daughter

{on Goodreads}

Paula Brackston is now high on my list for favorite authors of fantastical historical fiction (my new genre name for fantasy that's steeped in rich historical detail). The first thing that caught my eye was the cover -- for a person whose two obsessions are books and shoes, they sure nailed it on the head for me with this one. The Witch's Daughter is the story of Elizabeth (Bess) Hawksmith, a young girl living with her family in Bathcombe in the early 1600's. Bess's family is struck by the plague, leaving only Bess and her mother alive and well. The villagers fear the disease, and soon bring in a witchfinder, whose duty is to locate the witch who brought the plague to their small village. The witchfinder settles on Bess's mother, and Bess is mortified. Her own mother, a witch? Impossible. But it's true. After Bess sees her mother hanged for her alleged crimes, she escapes into the arms of a powerful sorcerer named Gideon, who transforms Bess into his equal. Fearing her newly dark nature and incredible powers, Bess escapes and plunges into a centuries-long game of cat-and-mouse with Gideon. 

When we next meet Bess, she's living in modern day England as Elizabeth, an eccentric and lonely woman who sells tinctures at artisan markets. She meets a young girl, Tegan, whose admiration for Elizabeth prompts the two to start a relationship as witch and apprentice. Elizabeth tells Tegan the story of her many lives: as a surgeon in the Victorian era and a nurse during the war, and how Gideon has managed to find her in each of those roles. We hear about the heartache and loss that come with Bess's incredible powers, and this was what made me fall in love with her character. 

Brackston wrote Bess as headstrong, as brilliant, devoted to healing and with strong morals, but mostly she wrote her as a flawed, ordinary human (albeit with amazing supernatural powers). That made her heartache that much more potent and made the danger posed by Gideon seem all too real. The villain in this story, Gideon, gave me stronger chills than most because his vengeance was steeped in desire, and that made him all the more dangerous and terrifying. Tegan had to have been my least favorite character, but I'll admit it was because of her immature behavior, which was actually appropriately written. The thing that I loved most about this story was that it could have easily felt like a cheesy fantasy novel, but the historical detail made it rich and sophisticated. Brackston did an excellent job jumping between eras; I fell easily into the different time periods and had no trouble picturing the scenes in my mind as I read. The book reminded me of my favorite October read from 2014, and I've already put several of Brackston's other novels on my library list.

Bottom-Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Witch's Daughter: A Novel

Author: Paula Brackston

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2011

Price: $10 on Amazon

ISBN: 978-1250004086

Format: Paperback

Source:  Public Library

Library Sale Spoils

If you know me, you know that I do countdowns for my local library sales.

This week I went to the biggest library sale in my area. Over 50,000 (yes, really!) books were put out for this sale, and boy was it a bibliophile's dream.

Long story short, I bought ninety-seven books.
If your mouth is hanging open, I don't blame you. Even the librarians were impressed.

Let me explain...
I went with the goal of building upon my classroom collection, which I started a few years ago but is still only a fraction of size I hope to have in my classroom come next year. Many people have no idea that the books in a classroom library are purchased out-of-pocket by teachers and that schools don't provide teachers with the books for their classrooms. In the fourth-grade classroom in which I'm completing my student teaching this year, we have more than a thousand books for our students to choose from for their daily reading. They often read 2-3 books per week, which means that we need to have a whole lot of options for them throughout the year! There's no way to predict which grades I'll teach in the future, and my teaching license covers first through sixth grade (and up to eighth for special education), so I've been collecting everything from picture books to more difficult middle grade series. This sale was a great opportunity for me to pick up a lot of books for a much lower price than any online seller or local bookstore can offer.

I didn't go in with a list, but I do have a general idea of which authors are really important for me to have (big names like Andrew Clements and Sharon Creech), and which series are most popular and therefore great for buddy or bookclub reads (A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Warriors, etc.)

That being said, I did buy a few books for myself, so I thought I'd share those here.

The Religion by Tim Willocks

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir

I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

Needless to say, I have a great stock of books to cozy up with this winter. The sale happens again in March, so I'm already saving my pennies for another round! Do you see any favorites here? Have a recommendation that I absolutely have to look for at the next sale? I'm always up for adding more to my wish list!

P.S. Have a children's book (or two) that you'd like to donate to my classroom library? E-mail me at topshelftext@gmail.com!

Favorite Fantasy Series

Now is the time to start stocking your to-read pile with heavy tomes of magic, mystery, and far off places! September, October, and November are by far my favorite months of the year. Fall can feel so fleeting compared to the long winters, so I absolutely relish the chance to match my reading picks to the mood outside. I love reading books with darker settings, gruff and moody protagonists, and bits of magic sprinkled throughout. You'll probably be hearing a lot about my fall picks this year, but I thought I'd get started with a list of my favorite fantasy series.

The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling // I mean, I can't start this list without my favorite of favorites. Harry Potter is suitable reading for any time of year, but I especially love snuggling up with any one of the books in this series during our cozier months.

The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness // Fun fact: the author of this series is an alumna of the very place that I am now attending for my Master's program. I raved about this trilogy last year and am hoping to re-read it sometime soon. It has witches, vampires, time travel, romance, suspense -- basically anything you could hope for in an Autumn read.

The Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg // This is another one that I'd be happy to re-read. I own the series on my Kindle but the covers are some of my favorites. The premise is super inventive and I find the story to be comforting. Ceony Twill is one of my all-time favorite female characters, too. You can read my review of the first in the series here.

The Mapmakers Trilogy by S.E. Grove // I just finished the second installment in this trilogy over the weekend and absolutely loved it. I sound like a broken record when it comes to this one but I'll say it again: this is some of the best world building I've come across in my many years of reading fantasy. You can read my review of the first one here. This is one of those series that I just happened to stumble upon and then fall totally in love with (don't you love when that happens?) I cannot wait for the final installment!

The City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte // This is another (unfinished) series that I've really enjoyed so far. It's not terribly complicated but the cast of characters is really quirky and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R. R. Martin // Also a no-brainer for this list. This is an epic series that I watched on TV before I started the books, and although I'm not usually a proponent of TV-before-book, in this case it helped me to visualize the enormous cast of characters that span these books.

Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Series by Ransom Riggs // I've only read the first in this series (the third just came out recently) but it's one that's stuck with me since. I recently bought the second and have been saving it for those cooler, darker days.

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I made this list with older audiences in mind, though I believe a few of these are classified as young adult series. I've stumbled upon a few more series that I want to dive into before the year is over, so keep an eye out for those as my favorite reading season commences!

If you're a lover of children's lit, you might also want to check back here on Thursday for a little surprise!

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Happy Reading!

-Madeleine-