What We're Reading: December 2023

"I just had to read this in preparation for the film adaptation coming out in November. I haven't read The Hunger Games in many, many years, but Collins dragged me right back to Panem for this new story. I usually don't read prequels, but I enjoyed the characters, worldbuilding and lore. The fast pace was just what I needed to get out of a bit of a reading slump -- I devoured this book in just under a week. Highly recommend for Hunger Games fans." - Abigail W., Broadneck Library

"Blight Harbor is not short on ghosts, in fact, it's the 7th most haunted town in America. Everyone is well acquainted with their resident ghost(s) and continue on with their lives mostly unaffected. Evie Von Rathe is a 12-year-old girl that moved to Blight Harbor with her Paranormal Advice Columnist aunt, Desdemona (Des) shortly after the disappearance of her parents. She's made Blight Harbor her home and has built an unbreakable bond with her aunt. Strange paranormal happenings begin to occur at the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town in which Des feels responsible to investigate. When Des goes missing, Evie knows that she will have to muster every bit of courage, strength, intelligence and heart to find her aunt and rescue her from The Clackity, a creature of darkness that made a "very good and fair deal" to return her aunt in exchange for the ghost of serial killer, John Jeffery Pope. Evie will have to face hungry witches, a memory thief, penny-eyed ghosts and the ghost of Pope himself. She can only rely on herself with the help of her small, shadow bird friend to get her aunt back.

Incorporating elements reminiscient of "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and "Coraline," "The Clackity" masterfully weaves whimsy, mystery and horror into its eerie world, making it a solid choice for a middle-grade audience. Fans of authors like Neil Gaiman and Katherine Arden, as well as those that enjoyed "Paranorman" and "Monster House," or anyone who enjoys a good, spooky story will undoubtedly enjoy the narrative." - Mackenzie N., Library Headquarters

"This is a clever satire about an island named after a man believed to have come up with a sentence using all 26 letters in the English language. After many years, the tiles holding the letters begin to fall and the tyranny of the local government mandates these fallen letters are not to be used in any way. Dystopia at its finest when freedom of speech is on the line. Not only is this story about the falling letters, but it is also told through handwritten letters that many on the island use to communicate with one another. This is an excellent book to pick up if you enjoy a book of humor, vocabulary, epistolary works, dystopia and a fun word challenge to wrap things up." - Cortney G., Odenton Library

"In this sequel to "The Serpent & The Wings of Night", Oreya's life is thrown into complete chaos when she is betrayed by her partner in the Kejari and left to mourn what was left of her family. Oreya is known as the king's human daughter to Vincent, the vampire king. After surviving the Kejari, a battle to the death with numerous vampires, Oreya discovers secrets and conspiracies that rocks the very foundation of their society and her life as she knows it. Being held captive in her own castle, Oreya has to discover her former ally, Riahn's, intentions for her and what secrets her father kept from her to bring order back to Sivrinaj and her kingdom.
This sequel falls prey to the trope many romance novels do where the protagonist refuses to listen to the romantic interest. For those that enjoy enemies to lovers and misunderstanding tropes, this is the book for you. The first book was far more steady in relationship building as this one is frustrating. However, the payoff is worth it. It has some spicy romance scenes, so reader beware.
If you're a fan of those romance fantasies that are all over BookTok, and you like vampires, this one is for you." - Mackenzie N., Library Headquarters