Review: The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught

The Baker and the Bard by Fern Haught

The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure
Fern Haught
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 5, 2024

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About The Baker and the Bard: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure

Author-artist Fern Haught weaves an enchanting, gentle fantasy tale of friendship, determination, and respecting nature in their debut graphic novel.

Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger places an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley’s pet snake, Fern) set out on a … Continue reading

Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Leigh Dragoon, and Kit Seaton

Brightly Woven
Alexandra Bracken
Adapted by Leigh Dragoon
Illustrated by Kit Seaton
Disney Hyperion
Published February 2, 2021

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About Brightly Woven

A graphic novel about discovering your own power.

Extraordinary things just don’t happen to fourteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabil, a talented weaver who dreams about life outside of her tiny village. But that all changes when a mysterious young wizard named Wayland North appears and asks for Sydelle’s help. He’s got a shocking secret that could stop a war between kingdoms-if he can reach the capital with the news in time. North needs a navigator who can mend … Continue reading

Review: Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

Garlic and the Vampire
Bree Paulsen
Quill Tree Books
Published September 28, 2021

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About Garlic and the Vampire

A farm-fresh debut graphic novel starring a heroine who is braver than she realizes.

Garlic feels as though she’s always doing something wrong. At least with her friend Carrot by her side and the kindly Witch Agnes encouraging her, Garlic is happy to just tend her garden, where it’s nice and safe.

But when her village of vegetable folk learns that a bloodthirsty vampire has moved into the nearby castle, they all agree that, … Continue reading

Review: Call Me Iggy by Jose Aguirre and Rafael Rosado

Call Me Iggy by Jose Aguirre cover shows a girl with a cross-body bag and a boy with a hoodie and backpack.

Call Me Iggy
Jose Aguirre
Illustrated by Rafael Rosado
First Second
Published February 13, 2024

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About Call Me Iggy

Ignacio “Iggy” Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy’s world is spun around. But Marisol as too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol … Continue reading

Review: The Awakening Storm by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong

The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1) by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong cover shows a girl with dark hair and a backpack. She stands in an alleyway between two tall buildings. A blue water dragon is looped around her body. Other dragon tales extend from a few of the windows of the buildings around her.

The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1)
Jaimal Yogis
Illustrated by Vivian Truong
Graphix
Published September 21, 2021

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About The Awakening Storm

Grace and her friends must protect a newly hatched dragon from mysterious evildoers.

When Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and … Continue reading

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Best New-to-Me Authors of 2023

2023 was such a wild year for me, reading-wise. I feel like I spent all year struggling to throttle back my review commitments while simultaneously wildly self-sabotaging every time a publisher sent me a new catalog offering review copies of books I desperately wanted to read. Too many good books is one of my favorite problems to have– except when it adds real stress to my life. It is a wonderful problem to have because you’ve discovered new authors you love, which I absolutely did. In fact, today, I’m sharing a list of the best new-to-me authors of 2023.

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a … Continue reading