Another winter has come and gone – although since I live in Massachusetts, it’s always possible for snow to make a sudden appearance until we hit the safety of May. But even I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever have a snow storm like the ones I grew up with again. But whether it’s just a coating of snow or a foot, snow days are always perfect for curling up with a book to read.
With that said, I hope you enjoy the first 2024 edition of The Minis: Book Reviews on a smaller scale, but still filled with lots of love.
Secrets of the Vampire: A Supernatural Sourcebook of Our Legend and Lore by Julie Légère, Elsa Whyte, & Laura Pérez
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Genre: Nonfiction, Vampires
Page Count: 80
But despite their cultural immortality, mystery still surrounds their shadowy origins. Secrets of the Vampire compiles every scrap of vampire lore into one essential volume, covering everything from famous vampires such as Count Dracula and his historical counterpart, to the vampiric aversion to sunlight and garlic and their supernatural abilities.
A fabulous find that I came across accidentally, Secrets of the Vampire is a great introduction to how the concept of vampires came to be in history, the religious influences, their birth in the literary scene with Dracula, and Carmilla, and then their sparkling revival in modern day pop culture, with illustrations that flow beautifully on every single page.
Secrets of the Vampire by Julie Légère, Elsa Whyte, & Laura Pérez is a joy to read both for fun, and if you’re looking for a great place to start a little vampire research.
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction
Page Count: 215
Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can carry out. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world—and to find out what exists beyond it.
Companion to The Giver, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry can be read as a standalone. Thanks to being on winter break, I found myself able to sink into Kira’s world and finish her story in a single day. Despite it’s small size, this story tackles corruption at every level as Kira finds herself unraveling dark secrets that the Council of Guardians has been keeping from the rest of their community.
Maybe it’s the style that it’s written in, but I had a feeling of nostalgia the entire time that I was reading that made the heavier moments lighter. While on the older side – although I use that word lightly since it was published in 2000 and I was born only a few years earlier – Gathering Blue is a coming of age book that’s a little heartbreaking, a little hopeful, and is a reminder for us – the readers – to be the change that the world needs.
To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker
Publisher: Point
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Pirates
Page Count: 320
With a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.
Thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I’ve always had a soft spot for pirate romances. Maybe it’s the escape from reality to another time period, those linen shirts that every pirate seems to wear that just appear otherworldly despite the constant grime, or the forced proximity that comes with being on a ship for months at a time. Either way, they’re a guilty pleasure of mine that I don’t read often enough.
Jade Parker spins a twist on the typical pirate romance when she makes Annalisa the captain of her own ship. To Catch a Pirate is a fast paced and clean romance with swashbuckling adventure as Annalisa finds herself caught between seeking the justice her family deserves, and following the truth that her heart already knows. To Catch a Pirate will make the perfect companion to warm your heart this winter.
Nearer Than the Sky by T. Greenwood
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Mental Health
Page Count: 320
In Arizona, faced with Lily’s hysteria and their mother’s instability, Indie slowly begins to confront the truth about her half-remembered past and the legacy that still haunts her family. And as she revisits her childhood, with its nightmares and lost innocence, she finds she must reevaluate the choices of her adulthood–including her most precious relationships.
Before reading Nearer Than the Sky by T. Greenwood, the only time I had heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy had always been in relation to Gypsy Rose, so I was extremely intrigued when I saw that this book would be exploring the syndrome. In alternating chapters, we revisit the past through Indie’s memories of her childhood, and follow Indie and her sister Lily down the present road as they try to understand the impact that their mother left on them.
Captivating and shocking, Nearer Than the Sky unveils a complicated legacy like a New England winter. When the storm is awake, it’s cold and dangerous. When it settles, you can’t help but be in awe of its quiet beauty.
Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Adventure
Page Count: 334
It’s 1689 and accused of being a witch in New England, Ruth Miner stows away on a ship to start a new life where no one knows of her past. Except for her childhood friend Owen, who has his own issues to worry about with King William’s War brewing between the French and English. When romance begins to bloom, Ruth and Owen find themselves in more danger than they ever expected.
First of all, can we talk about this cover for a moment? I absolutely adore it. It looks like the waves are about to come off the cover and I love how the lines are so rough and are continuously creating movement. If I actually had the space on my bookcase to have a book facing out to show off the cover, this would be the book I’d pick to display. Also, there are not one, not two, but FOUR detailed maps in the beginning of the book.
I didn’t want to put this book down at all, and was shocked with each twist and turn more times than I can count. It was full of adventure and romance, and brutal decisions that made me ache for Owen and Ruth. Full of sword fights and with danger around every corner, Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman transports readers back the grittier and harsher days of the 17th century where in order to survive, sacrifices had to be made.
The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Rom-Com
Page Count: 368
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.
Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.
There’s something to be said about reading a book that can make you reflect on your own life at the same time. Each time Samantha dresses for the part of being an up and coming socialite in Singapore, I found myself thinking about all the times that I used to play dress up and had to make the executive decision on whether or not wearing the feather boa would be too fancy. (Note: While I realize these might seem like two very different things, the act of putting on an outfit deemed “fancy” and pretending to be someone you’re not, whether it be in real life or for a childhood game, is the same exact thing. Also, the feather boa always ended up being worn.) And when Samantha wishes for something more, for a life not weighed down by constant bills or having to worry about what her family can’t afford, I empathized with Samantha and wanted to comfort her as everything comes crumbling down.
Kyla Zhao has created a character that is not only relatable and who we want to see succeed, but who also learns that the only way to have true happiness is to be true to herself, even if it’s the hard way. Full of glitz and glam, the power of friendship, and loving yourself as you are, The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao is this generation’s tale of rags-to-riches with a modern day twist.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Page Count: 317
Book 1 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series
You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.
And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…
After years of debating whether or not to make the giant blue leap, I finally did it. I dived into Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon and within a few hours, I was hooked. This book was so much fun and was a joy to read. Was it smutty? I’m surprised the snow wasn’t melting in some of those scenes. But I also loved getting to know all the different women, and how fiercely protective they are towards each other. I can’t wait to return back to Not-Hoth this spring.
Lindsay Stenico 