The Feminist Bookworm

Sorcery of Thorns is about a girl named Elisabeth, who is an apprentice librarian. Except she isn’t training to be an ordinary librarian; she’s training to be a librarian for dangerous and magical grimoires created by sorcerers Elisabeth has long been told are evil. At the start of the novel, the great library where Elisabeth works is sabotaged, and she is accused of being the saboteur. In the capital, Elisabeth finds an ally in Nathaniel, a famous sorcerer, and his demonic companion, Silas. Together, the three of them become intertwined in a centuries-old conspiracy that may result in not only the destruction of all the great libraries, but the entire world of Austermeer. Sorcery of Thorns is Margaret Rogerson’s sophomore novel; her first was a slimmer fantasy book called An Enchantment of Ravens . An Enchantment of Ravens received mixed reviews from the YA community; there were those that loved it and those that were disappointed by it. The main crit...

**This post is sponsored by Algnoquin for the release of Bright Burning Stars by A. K. Small ** I was a ballet dancer for 15 years, so it is no surprise that I loved A. K. Small's debut novel, Bright Burning Stars , about two ballet dancers, Marine and Kate, at a prestigious ballet academy in Paris. BBS explores the dark side of the ballet world, and the pressures that come along with it. A. K. Small tackles issues such as eating disorders, mental illness, and body shaming in such a profoundly touching way. Although it is a book best suited for older teens/YA readers, I highly, highly recommend Bright Burning Stars ! I gave it 5/5 stars, and I can't wait to see what A. K. Small does next! A. K. Small, also known as Angela, so kindly agreed to do a Q&A with me about books and ballet! As a former ballet dancer, how many of your own experiences went into crafting Kate and Marine’s story? I think quite a few. It was a combination of watching a lot of dance while...

I can't believe the first quarter of 2019 is done! I read so many amazing books this winter, and I am so excited to share my top 5 reads from the months of January, February and March! #5: New Kid by Jerry Craft This book is such a gem! It's a middle grade graphic novel about race and privilege and moving between metaphorical worlds. The art is amazing and the message is beautiful, and I cannot recommend it enough! I saw so much of myself and my little brother in this book, as we live in a condo and went (little bro still goes) to a suuuuper white prep school with kids with private beaches in their backyards. LOVED this book, Jerry Craft is a genius, and I cannot wait to meet him at ALA! #4: Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller I am just so glad this book exists. It is heartbreaking and angering, but so feminist and so necessary. It takes place in Texas in 2014, and we follow a girl from Texas who has to go on a road trip with her friends to seek out an a...

For the month of April, I read 9 books. That's a pretty decent number, but I read one book twice and the majority of the books I read were three star books, so in hindsight, I didn't have all that great of a reading month. But I'm still really excited to discuss the books I read! Here they are, in order of least favorite to favorite! Just a quick reminder, for my wrap-ups, I will simply be discussing my thoughts on the book, and summaries will not be included. However, Goodreads links to every book will be present! The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin This book was incredibly well-written, thought-provoking, and important. I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author, and it was phenomenal, especially with all the different Jamaican dialects. However. I had to read this book for school. So I didn't pick it up of my own volition, and I really didn't enjoy reading it. I also felt like the audiobook took FOREVER; I felt like I had to ...