Author Archives: Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

MMGM Review: A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

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A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

A Year Without Home
V. T. Bidania
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published January 13, 2026

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About A Year Without Home

A poignant middle grade novel in verse about a Hmong girl losing and finding home in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. For fans of Jasmine Warga and Veera Hiranandani.

For eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, home is the lush, humid jungles and highlands of Laos. Home is where she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick ripe peaches from her family’s trees.

But home becomes … Continue reading →

2025 Goals Recap: Stats and Updates

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2025 Goals Recap

2025 Goals Recap: Stats and Updates

2025 was a frustrating one for me as a book blogger, if I’m honest. Like, I read some amazing books. That was great. But I also faced some health challenges that left me feeling way behind schedule for most of the year. Not so great.

By the time I hit September/October, I was months behind, struggling to get caught up reading the books I’d promised publishers that I’d get to by release dates that had long since swept past me. I finally caught up in mid-December and finished the year reading a few 2026 titles. Better late than never, I guess!

I set my overall reading goal for 2025 at 200 books, which … Continue reading →

Review: Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

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Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

Garlic and the Witch
Bree Paulsen
Quill Tree Books
Published September 6, 2022

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About Garlic and the Witch

Bree Paulsen’s brave little protagonist, Garlic, is back in this charmingly illustrated standalone companion to Garlic and the Vampire, serving up another tale of friendship, magic, and self-discovery. Give both books to readers who fell in love with Tidesong or Witch Boy!

Garlic loves spending time with Witch Agnes, Carrot, and her new friend, the Count, who has proven to be a delightful neighbor to the village of vegetable people rather than a scary vampire. But despite Agnes’s best attempts to home-brew … Continue reading →

Review: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

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This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This is Not a Test: The Definitive Edition with Please Remain Calm
Courtney Summers
Inky Phoenix Press/Bindery
Published January 13, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This is Not a Test: The Definitive Edition with Please Remain Calm

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High, but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months … Continue reading →

December 2025 Reading Recap

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December 2025 Reading Recap

December 2025 Reading Recap

Well, it took me all the way until December, but I finally got caught up on the reviews I promised to write for this year! I feel like I spent all year in a desperate scramble, and it feels so good to now look ahead rather than behind. The bulk of the catching-up efforts happened in October and November. By the middle of December, I was able to move on and start reading books coming out in 2026. Imagine!

This month, I focused on finishing up the 2025 releases I agreed to review, but I still managed to slip a few backlist titles into my reading, too. One of the books I read … Continue reading →

Review: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

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Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

Beth is Dead
Katie Bernet
Sarah Barley Books
Published January 6, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Beth is Dead

Beth March’s sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer—until they begin to suspect each other—in this debut thriller that’s also a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved classic Little Women.

When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.

Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the … Continue reading →