So, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I really like humor and I’m likely to shy away from books that might seem depressing. I’d had more than one writer friend recommend Emery Lord books to me, and I’d been a bit leery when I read the descriptions, but I…
Young Adult Review
YA Review: MARIE ANTOINETTE: SERIAL KILLER by Katie Alender
Happy January! Sorry for the delay in putting up a review. I have been reading, but I’ve also been busy with some other news, as you may have seen from last week’s post. If you missed it, my debut book will be published in 2021! In any case, today’s review is for Katie Alender’s MARIE…
YA Review: PRIDE by Ibi Zoboi
It’s no secret I love PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. I believe I’ve made it pretty clear it’s my favorite book, between my post about the original book and posts about retellings (BOOKISH BOYFRIENDS, EPIC FAIL, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries). Well, it’s not going to stop because amazing authors keep writing new takes on it, and I…
BEHELD and A Few Other YA Books You Should Read
For the past few months, I’ve been posting some mini-reviews on Instagram (you can follow me there @michelleimason). As I don’t want those books to be neglected here on my blog, when I have a few built up, I plan to do a roundup like I’ve done in the past. So here goes. A few…
YA Review: LOVE À LA MODE by Stephanie Kate Strohm
I’ve read a couple books by Stephanie Kate Strohm now–in fact, IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU was one of my favorite reads in 2016–so I was thrilled when Disney-Hyperion approved my NetGalley request to read an ARC of LOVE À LA MODE. I mean, they’re attending culinary school in PARIS–this book checks off so many…
YA Review: MY PLAIN JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows was my favorite read of 2016, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting their next book. They call themselves The Lady Janies, so their three planned books are all about famous Janes–the first, Lady Jane Grey; the second, Jane Eyre; and the third, Calamity Jane. So,…
YA Review: ROYALS by Rachel Hawkins
When I finish a book with a huge grin on my face, it obviously deserves a review. But it’s more than that–I raced through Rachel Hawkins’s ROYALS in two nights, laughing out loud much of the time. I’m not surprised. I loved her Hex Hall and Rebel Belle series (and she’s also written a middle…
YA Review: HERE LIES DANIEL TATE by Cristin Terrill
As I sat in the airport, silently weeping at the fact I was leaving Disney World behind, I picked up a book for the first time since we’d arrived at the most magical place on Earth. (I think I could live there, guys. That’s how much I love Disney World.) Anyway, thank goodness for this…
YA Review: THE FIXER by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I’ve returned from Disney World, truly the most magical place in the world. I mean, my kids love it, but let’s be honest: half the Disney movies in our house belong to me. And where else can you meet Chewie? (Okay, yes, I could go to a Star Wars convention, but in my world, Disney…
YA Review: NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST by Ally Carter + Bonus Writing Tips
When I first read the Publishers Marketplace description for NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST–a gender-swapped YA Romancing the Stone–and that it was by Ally Carter, I didn’t even need to know anything more about it to want this book as soon as it came out. Lucky for me, Ally Carter had St. Louis on…
YA Review: BLOOD WATER PAINT by Joy McCullough
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen this tweet a little over a week ago: But a tweet really isn’t enough gushing for Joy’s book. I was trying to remember exactly when I “met” Joy, and so I turned to my email (where I keep EVERYTHING). Anyway, I was reminded that Joy…
YA Review: STRANDS OF BRONZE AND GOLD by Jane Nickerson
I came across Jane Nickerson’s STRANDS OF BRONZE AND GOLD on an agent website and decided to check it out. I’m so glad I did because it was the sort of book I didn’t know I was looking for but absolutely loved. I couldn’t put down this southern Gothic historical and was sneaking chapters during…

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