The Story Sanctuary

What you need to know: One of my favorite books of the year. Unforgettable, hopeful, and beautifully told.

Published June 8, 2021 | 190 Goodreads Ratings

Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig

What you need to know: A reluctant reader critiques his aunt’s book, testing the stunts, discovering ghosts, and making new friends along the way. Hilarious and heartfelt.

Published September 22, 2020 | 209 Goodreads ratings.

Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

What you need to know: OMG. This book is hilarious and so sweet. I can’t say it any better than this clip from Goodreads: A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she’s the dead body.

Published April 20, 2021 | 221 Goodreads ratings.

Glitter Gets Everywhere by Yvette Clark

What you need to know: New friends and heartbreaking grief. New York City. Family relationships. I laughed and cried. So good.

Published May 4, 2021 | 397 Goodreads ratings.

The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson

What you need to know: Lyrical prose. Friendship, grief, and magic. Gorgeous storytelling. I’m so glad I read this one.

Published August 10, 2021 | 109 Goodreads ratings.

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

What you need to know: Quirky, unforgettable characters. Friendship, birds and found family.

Published June 1, 2021 | 86 Goodreads ratings.

Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston

What you need to know: A talented violinist with a gorgeous ‘fro she calls “the wooly mammoth” faces discrimination in her music program and finds a way to speak up about it. I loved the music references and relationships in this book.

Published: September 6, 2022 | 119 Goodreads ratings.

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

What you need to know: The follow-up to THE BAREFOOT DREAMS OF PETRA LUNA. A young Mexican girl building a new life in America in the early 1900s. Beautifully written and engaging.

Release Date: September 6, 2022 | 100 Goodreads ratings.

The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron

What you need to know: Inspired by BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE WATCHMEN. Vampires were supposed to be vanquished decades ago… but it looks like they’re back. Looks fantastic.

Release Date: September 20, 2022 | 279 Goodreads ratings.

Ghostcloud by Michael Mann

What you need to know: A kidnapped boy is forced to work in a power plant. Then he discovers a ghost who may be able to help him escape. Looks fresh and fun.

Release Date: September 27, 2022 | 162 Goodreads ratings.

Mary Underwater by Shannon Doleski

What You Need to Know: A hopeful (and at times heartbreaking) story of a young girl who decides to build a submarine and sail it across the Chesapeake Bay.

Published April 7, 2020 | 282 Goodreads ratings.

Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett

What You Need to Know: Three friends. Hundreds of rubber duckies. A town enthralled with its upcoming bratwurst competition. I laughed out loud!

Published April 14, 2020 | 269 Goodreads ratings.

Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo

What You Need to Know: The cover copy calls this one “folksy” and “fresh” and it totally is! I loved the southern feel of the town and characters, and the exploration of identity and magic in this book.

Published August 4, 2020 | 399 Goodreads ratings.

The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan

What you need to know: Anonymous letters lead a girl and a shapeshifting boy/crow on a journey to save their world in a mysterious place called Nowhere. This one totally blew me away. I loved Roda and Ignis so much.

Published: May 3, 2022 | 267 Goodreads ratings

Upstander by James Preller

What You Need to Know: Bullying. Secrets. An older brother’s drug use. A girl’s heartfelt quest to find her voice and speak up. A fierce, moving read that deserves way more than 55 ratings.

Published May 11, 2021 | 55 Goodreads ratings.

The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby

What You Need to Know: Identity issues and mental health challenges. A girl’s desperate quest to understand why she’s so angry all the time and how to be herself safely. Powerful storytelling by an incredible author.

Published May 10, 2022 | 329 Goodreads ratings.

Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni

What You Need to Know: Roosevelt cousins uncover family secrets in a world in which ghosts exist and can become deadly. A hauntingly perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction. I devoured this one.

Published September 1, 2020 | 178 Goodreads ratings.

Nowhere Better Than Here by Sarah Guillory

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Review to Come

What You Need to Know: A girl desperate to save her small Louisiana town torn apart by coastal flooding. Sweet southern fiction blended with bold activism. One of my favorite recent reads.

Published September 20, 2022 | 109 Goodreads ratings.

Flip Turns by Catherine Arguelles

What You Need to Know: A girl dealing with unwanted attention from a boy, an attack against her family’s business, and the pressure of competition on her swim team. Adventurous, family-oriented, and fun.

Published September 13, 2022 | 86 Goodreads ratings.

The Plentiful Darkness by Heather Kassner

What you need to know: I read this book earlier in the year, and can’t stop thinking about it. It’s got some spooky magic, unforgettable characters, and possibly the best exploration of grief I’ve ever seen in a novel.

Release Date: August 3, 2021 | 237 Goodreads ratings.

Elsie Mae Has Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh

What You Need to Know: A vibrant deep south setting in the Okefenokee Swamp. A family business in jeopardy. Brilliant summer friendships. One of my all-time favorite middle grade books.

Published September 5, 2017 | 242 Goodreads ratings.

What are your favorite underhyped middle grade books?

Have you read any of the underhyped middle grade books on my list? Are any of these your favorites, too? What are your favorite middle grade books that deserve a lot more hype than they received? Leave a comment and let me know!

If you’ve read any of the books on this list, please take a moment and leave a rating and/or review on Goodreads or Amazon. This really helps authors, especially authors like these, whose books have been out for a bit.

A Very Belated Winter Wrap-Up

April 4, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Discussion Post, News and FunBehind-the-Scenes, Favorites, Goals, news, winter wrap-upKasey

A Very Belated Winter Wrap-Up

Spring has (maybe?) sprung, and here I am scraping together my winter wrap-up. It’s been a busy season! Read on to see the best books I read this season as well as my most popular posts. Finally, I’ll check in on the goals I set for the year and how I’m doing in meeting them.

Winter Wrap-Up Behind the Scenes News

Last year, I started working directly with several new publishers, which means easier access to more of the books I can’t wait to read. Which is good and bad? Because yeowza, my calendar has never been so packed.

I used to limit myself to three reviews per week, but last September, I increased that to four. In January, I increased to five reviews per week.

Honestly, this only works because I’ve been sitting on a backlog of about 40 reviews for backlist books I read sometime last year. Sometimes, though, I’ve needed to read four or five new books per week. I don’t think that’s a sustainable pace, so I’m trying to refine my process for deciding which books to review.

Changes in My What to Review Decision-Making Process

For a long time, I was really just reviewing whatever books looked interesting. I had few enough requests that this made sense and still left me wiggle room to add in backlist titles I couldn’t get review copies of or discovered after publication and wanted to read.

I’ve tried to have an eye toward reading diversely as I select which books to read, but there are definitely holes I would like to fill. For example, I don’t read very many books by Indigenous authors. Not on purpose. I just don’t often get asked to review them, and I haven’t been purposefully seeking them out. So I’m working on that this year.

Lately, though, that’s not the case, and I’m finding that I have to say no to books that look really great. The good news is that my blog viewership has grown enough (thanks to all of you!) that I have access to a larger selection of books. The bad news is that I can’t review them all!

One of the new things that I’m considering as I encounter books by authors I’ve read before is how those past reviews performed in terms of the number of views they received. This was super helpful last week when I was asked to review the sequel to SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF. When I checked the post performance for my review, I discovered it was one of my top ten best performing posts last year, and it’s in the top twenty for this year so far.

So I’d say the data indicates my readers would be interested in the sequel, so I eagerly accepted the book for review.

Winter Wrap-Up: Top Posts

Technically these are the top five best performing reviews for the first quarter of this year. What’s funny to me is that none of these were posted this quarter. I’m guessing people searched for reviews of RUIN AND RISING because of the release of the second season of the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix. The others have been high performing posts for a while, so I guess there aren’t really any big surprises here.

What’s interesting to me is that I’ve heard other bloggers talk about how their reviews don’t perform well over time in terms of clicks and views, but four out of my top five posts are reviews. (The other is this list of middle grade books I was eagerly anticipating coming out this past winter.)

One of the things that I do which probably helps my stats is to use a plugin that helps me strengthen my SEO for each post. (I use a free one called Yoast.)

Now that we’ve discussed what most of my viewers were reading this past quarter, let’s look at what I was reading!

Best Books I Read This Winter

Middle Grade Favorites

I read 26 middle grade books during the first quarter of this year, and there were some really great ones in that list. These four are my favorites. They’re the ones I still think about even weeks after I finished reading them. I loved the sense of community and celebration of amigurumi and boba tea in IT’S BOBA TIME FOR PEARL LI.

That Gillian McDunn’s latest book, WHEN SEA BECOMES SKY, moved me probably won’t surprise anyone who has followed this blog the last few years. I love her writing and the explorations of deep feelings she brings to the pages of her books.

MIRROR TO MIRROR surprised me with its beautiful celebration of sisterhood and individuality in its spare verse chapters. I loved getting the points of view of both of the twins and seeing the difference in how they viewed each other and themselves.

THE BOY WHO FOLLOWED HIS FATHER INTO AUSCHWITZ is a haunting, true story about a family fractured by World War II and the Holocaust. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book after I’d finished it. It’s definitely worth a read, and does a great job showing the destruction that happened to Jewish families both within and outside concentration camps during World War II.

Young Adult Favorites

I read 39 young adult books from January to March this year. Lots of them were really well done, so it was hard to narrow down to a handful of favorites.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect picking up MY DEAR HENRY, but wow, was it good. Kalynn Bayron really captured the vibe of the original story and delivered complex, tortured characters in Victorian England. It was so good. Definitely made me want to catch up on the books by this author that I’ve missed.

I WILL FIND YOU AGAIN was another wild card for me. The cover copy made me think a bit of WE WERE LIARS, which is one of my favorite books ever, so that was enough to get me to check it out. And let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed! I’ll definitely keep Sarah Lyu on my radar, because what a compelling, twisty story.

I’ve been a long-time Elizabeth Wein fan, so again, probably not a surprise to see STATELESS on my favorites list if you’ve been reading my reviews for a long time. I was really excited to see a book about a female pilot in the 1930s. Wein does an amazing job showing the tension between nations as Europe nears another World War.

Though it’s got kind of an understated cover, MISSING CLARISSA packed some serious punch. The pacing was perfect, and the characters were compelling enough to propel me through this one all the way to the final page. It’s a definite must-read for fans of ONE OF US IS LYING.

Goals Tracking

At the beginning of the year, I wrote this Top Ten Tuesday post outlining a long list of goals for this year. So how’s that going, you ask? Let’s take a super quick look…

Reading Goals

Goal: Read at least 150 books this year. Update: I’ve read 75 books so far this year, so I’d say I’ve made great progress on this one.

Goal: Say no when my calendar is full. Update: Hahahahahahaha! …. Yeah, this one is a work in progress.

Backlist Reading Goals

Goal: Read and review 3-5 timely classics, preferably by BIPOC. Update: I started both THE FIRE NEXT TIME by James Baldwin and THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros, so those I expect to finish this year for sure. I also finally read ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell, which only half-counts toward this goal, because it is definitely timely.

Goal: Read 3-5 backlist TBR nonfiction titles. Update: So far I’ve read one– ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, so that’s one.

Goal: Read 10-12 backlist TBR fiction titles. Update: I started CLAP WHEN YOU LAND, but haven’t finished it yet.

Bookish List Post Goals

Goal: Post 3-4 Top Ten Tuesday lists each quarter. Update: I posted six TTT lists this quarter. Win!

Goal: Post seasonal most-anticipated lists. Update: I’m on this. Just posted my lists for middle grade and young adult books coming this spring!

Goal: Post lists for monthly celebrations. Update: I did make a list for Holocaust Remembrance Day, but I totally missed both Women’s History month this month and Black History month in February. I’ve got an Earth Day post coming soon. Still a work in progress.

Writing Goals

I listed two writing goals in my original post (publishing another indie book for authors and finishing a novel of my own), and honestly, I haven’t really worked on either of these. Some family stuff has come up that’s made it necessary for me to table both those projects for now. I’m working on a short story currently, and would like to write some essays to sell as well. That seems more manageable right now.

What Would You Like to See More of?

Now that you know what I’m working on and what’s coming soon… what are the things you wish you could see more of on this site? Do you want more lists? More updates like this one? Are you interested in voting on what backlist books I read and review next? Leave a comment and let me know!

Review: The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder

February 14, 2023Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18curse, Favorites, friendship, Leslie Vedder, LGBTQIA+, Magic, Romance, Sleeping Beauty, The Bone Spindle SeriesKasey

The Severed Thread (The Bone Spindle #2)
Leslie Vedder
Razorbill
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Severed Thread

Which threads of fate will hold—and which will break?

Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestselling THE BONE SPINDLE, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and THE CRUEL PRINCE.

Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.

Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.

Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.

All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…

Set in a world of twisted fairytales, THE SEVERED THREAD combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.

My Review

Okay, this is easily one of my most-anticipated books coming out this year. I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, THE BONE SPINDLE, and was counting the days until THE SEVERED THREAD came out.

The first couple chapters were a little rough for me. I don’t know if there were a lot of longer sentences (It felt like that reading it, but I haven’t gone back to look.) or if the writing just took a minute to really find a strong voice and get me back into the characters I know and love.

Once I was a few chapters in, though, I was just as hooked on this story as I was the last one. I didn’t think it was possible to love Shane and Fi even more, but I completely did. Red and Briar Rose both grew on me more, too. I totally missed the Red Hiding Hood references with Red in the first book, but at some point in this one, I was like OHHHH. I see it now. (Can we have a Red backstory novella somewhere in the future??? I’d be completely in for that.)

At any rate. I loved the places this story went. I loved the things we learned about the characters, and I loved the setup for the third book in the series. It is, I believe, a trilogy, so the third book should be the last. So now I’m counting down the days until that one comes out!

If you enjoy fairytale retellings or high fantasy, definitely put this series on your list. I can’t recommend it enough.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Shane and Red, two women, are attracted to one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Briar Rose has a magic that’s connected to the Spindle Witch, a powerful witch who cursed his kingdom more than a hundred years ago, and still seems bent on its destruction. Fi has a curse mark on her hand which means that if she stays in one place for more than three days, harm will befall the people and places she loves the most where she is.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle violence. References to torture.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

2022 Reading Wrap-Up: My Year in Books

December 31, 2022Blogger's Favorites, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-182022, Favorites, graphic novel, Lists, middle grade, novel in verse, Wrap-Up, Young adultKasey

Here we are, at the end of another year. A lot has happened this year, and more than ever, I’ve found myself grateful for the opportunity to read and talk about so many great books. In my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up post, I’ll focus on some overall stats and list a few favorite books I read this year.

Wrap-up posts are something I struggle with in general, but I’m experimenting and hoping to develop a structure I like. I downloaded a book tracking spreadsheet from Kimberly at Addicted to Romance that I’m looking forward to trying out.

I discovered that I enjoy finding out reading stats of other bookish people and reviewers. Mara at Books Like Whoa on YouTube is probably my favorite for this. I love the way she breaks down and shares her reading stats. I’d like to work reading stats into my wrap-up posts. Not an overwhelming amount, just a few key things.

With all that in mind, let me share some of the high notes from this past year, including a breakdown of what I read, what I loved best, and what my faithful readers love best. Here’s my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up.

205 Books Read

That’s a lot of books. In 2021, I read 139 books, obviously I read a lot more than that this year. In fact, that’s the highest amount I’ve read since I’ve been tracking my reading habits on Goodreads. I made a few changes to my reading habits that I think contributed to me reading more. Here are the big ones:

I read more e-books on my phone. Sometimes it was just a page or two at a time while I waited in a parking lot. Those minutes added up.
I read more than one book at a time. This is tricky for me, but I can do it successfully if I’m reading different genres and/or age groups in different formats. For example, a nonfiction audiobook, a paperback middle grade historical, and an ebook young adult fantasy. Usually I only read two books at a time.
I take more breaks from reading. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it has really worked for me. I’ve given myself a lot more permission this year to spend evenings in other ways besides reading. Sometimes I chat on the phone. Sometimes I watch TV or play a video game. I thought taking time away would leave me running way behind on reviews and super stressed, but I’ve found it to be the opposite. (Thanks due to THE GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION by Brené Brown.)

So I read 205 books. What kinds of books were they?

Breaking Down the Books By Age Range

Middle Grade: 67

Young Adult: 131

Other – mainly adult crossover or nonfiction: 7

2022 Reading Wrap-Up: My Favorites

Now, the good part: my favorites! Every time I read an amazing book, I try to decide if I think it’s the one that will top my list for the year. This year, I read my favorite young adult book really early. Despite lots of incredible books that came later in the year, this one remained my top favorite all year long. Other books were late arrivals to my reading list and immediately topped my list.

I’m including a favorite from middle grade, young adult, nonfiction, and backlist plus some other categories with standout books.

Favorite Middle Grade Book I Read in 2022

Ravenfall
Kalyn Josephson
Delacorte Press
Published September 6, 2022

How I acquired the book: Review request from the author. ARC on NetGalley.

This book took me completely by surprise in all the best ways. I loved the sentient hotel. The cat-who-is-not-a-cat. The unpredictable magic. And the friendship between Annabella and Colin. It’s perfect and amazing, and I can’t wait to read more by Kalyn Josephson– I’ve already purchased her YA duology. Super excited about that!

Favorite Young Adult Book I Read in 2022

The Bone Spindle
Leslie Veddar
Razorbill
Published January 11, 2022

How I acquired the book: ARC on NetGalley (I purchased a finished copy later.)

THE BONE SPINDLE is also one of my favorite books of 2022. It’s a gender-flipped retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I’m so hooked on the story and characters. You’ve got Fi, the treasure hunter who accidentally forged a magical connection with a sleeping prince; Shane, the mercenary who carries a battle axe– don’t mess with her! And Briar Rose, the prince under a sleeping curse who hopes his magic combined with Fi’s wits can break the curse that’s kept him asleep for one hundred years. I cannot wait for the sequel, THE SEVERED THREAD, which comes out in February 2023.

Favorite Nonfiction Title I Read in 2022

Pirate Queens
Leigh Lewis
Illustrated by Sara Gomez Woolley
National Geographic Kids
Published January 11, 2022

How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from the publisher.

I kept seeing this book all over Twitter, so I was super excited when a publicist offered me a review copy. Before reading this book, I had NO IDEA there were so many powerful pirate ladies. I loved the exploration of history surrounding each pirate leader and the context which allowed me to compare what they’d done to other pirate leaders of their time (or any time). Another great thing about the book is that it doesn’t glorify the pirate life. Many times the book calls attention to how these pirate fleets treated others and the harm they did.

Favorite Backlist Title I Read in 2022

Cattywampus
Ash Van Otterloo
Scholastic Press
Published August 4, 2020 (PB February 1, 2022)

How I acquired the book: pre-ordered the paperback version.

CATTYWAMPUS was another book that I felt like I saw everywhere when it came out in 2021, but I hadn’t had a chance to read it until this year. I picked up a paperback copy in one of Barnes & Noble’s pre-order sales, and loved every single page. It’s a wild, fun story packed with magic, mayhem, and heart. A total must-read.

Favorite Novel in Verse I Read in 2022

The Ghosts of Rose Hill
R. M. Romero
Peachtree Teen
Published May 10, 2022

Review | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

How I acquired the book: received a finished copy from publisher.

THE GHOSTS OF ROSE HILL is a novel in verse about a biracial girl (Latine and Jewish) who meets a ghost boy in a graveyard in Prague. She vows to break the curse that holds him, though doing so may mean losing him forever. It’s haunting, romantic, and unforgettable. I love the writing. In fact, there’s currently a quote from the book on my fridge.

Favorite Graphic Novel I Read in 2022

The Legend of Brightblade
Ethan M. Aldridge
Quill Tree Books
Published March 1, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

How I acquired the book: purchased. Ethan Aldridge is an auto-buy author for me.

I’ve been a fan of Ethan Aldridge since I read THE CHANGELING KING, and this book only further cemented my admiration for his work. His worldbuilding is fantastic. I love the expressions on his characters’ faces. While this color palette is a lot different than his other work, I loved the way the colors worked in support of the story. Also, a band of bards fighting with magical music?! YES. As soon as I saw that premise, I knew I had to have this book. It’s so much fun.

Favorite Book Outside My Comfort Zone

It Looks Like Us
Alison Ames
Page Street Press
Published September 13, 2022

How I acquired the book: ARC from publisher.

I don’t usually read horror, but this one had me completely hooked. It’s set in Antarctica in a research station, so kind of a closed environment. An alien or infection begins infiltrating the group of teens doing a volunteer project there. They have to stop it in order to survive. I loved the relationships between the characters and the way those relationships were challenged by the thing infiltrating their group. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Your Favorites

One of the most fascinating things about blogging this year has been watching my statistics and tracking what my readers are most interested in. Here is a sampling of some of the most interesting data.

Your Favorite Review

You’ve Reached Sam
Dustin Thao
Wednesday Books
Published November 9, 2021

How I acquired the book: ARC from publisher.

YOU’VE REACHED SAM is by far my most popular review with more than 6,500 views this year alone. I don’t quite know how that’s possible. It’s my top performing post almost every month, which is pretty wild. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine, to be honest. I liked a lot of things about it, though, and I’m excited to see Dustin Thao’s next book. WHEN HARU WAS HERE is supposed to come out until December 2023.

Your Favorite List

26 Stories Inspired by Asian History, Folklore, or Mythology

Originally posted July 23, 2020

I’m a little bit embarrassed about this post? I wrote it before I learned of the controversy surrounding the filming of a live-action Disney movie, so my first version celebrated the movie coming out and offered a list of books by Asian authors, inspired by Asian history, folklore, or mythology to read while waiting for the movie’s release.

After learning more about the filming and some comments made by actors, I updated the post so that it focused on reading these books as perhaps an alternative to supporting the movie. I still think the original title is… weird? Awkward? It doesn’t quite say what the list truly is.

At any rate, it’s been a really popular post with more than 5K views since 2020, and about half of those from this year. I’ve started an updated list that includes more recent releases, but there are SO MANY BOOKS to include (yay!) that I haven’t finished it yet. Probably it’ll need to be a two-part list, too, with middle grade and young adult posted separately.

Most Discussed Post on The Story Sanctuary

Most Discussed Post on Twitter

Best Middle Grade Books I Read in 2021

Over 9K Twitter Impressions.
9 Comments. 8 Retweets. 41 Likes.

I’m not very engaged on social media these days. It’s so much just keeping up with my blog, reading, and making sure reviews get posted when they should be. So these stats probably aren’t very impressive to someone with a regular Twitter plan, but they kind of blew me away. I have Middle Grade Twitter (my favorite twitter!) to thank for the love on this post.

2022 Reading Wrap-Up: Overall Stats and Goals for the Year

This past year was the best my blog has ever had. I more than doubled my visits and page views over my totals for 2021 with about 202K page views and 131K visitors for the year.

One of my goals was to post seasonal reading lists, which I did pretty consistently. Sometimes I posted one list with both YA and MG titles, and sometimes I posted separate lists, depending on how many books there were between both categories. This summer, I began doing recap posts, tracking how many books I read from my anticipated list and which books turned out to be my favorite. I loved doing that, so I’m definitely planning to continue that.

I’ll talk about my goals for 2023 in a Top Ten Tuesday post after the New Year, so more on that in the other post!

What’s in your 2022 Reading Wrap-Up?

Let’s talk about your favorites. Favorite book you read this year? Favorite post you read or wrote for your own blog?

Or feel free to tell me about your favorite part of my 2022 Reading Wrap-Up, too! I’m very much still experimenting with my recap format, so I’d love to know what parts you find the most interesting or things you wanted to know that I didn’t share.

Best wishes to you all as we head into the new year. May your bookshelves be full of fantastic chapters yet to be read. May you find the right book at exactly the right time. And may your journey be filled with great friends, both on the page and in your life.

Kasey’s Bookish Holiday Wishlist

December 8, 2022Blogger's Favorites, Lists, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Christmas List, Christmas shopping, Favorites, wishlistKasey

My Bookish Holiday Wishlist

I didn’t realize until a few years ago how much the holiday season stirs up feelings of dread for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of the holiday events and celebrations. There are moments I look forward to. Christmas morning with my family. Quietly contemplating the long ago night that a tiny child who would change the world was born in a manger. Those are meaningful times for me.

But the hustle. The shopping. The decorating. All the pressure that comes with seeing all the people in a few short days. We have a big family and some relationships and events are, well… a bit challenging. It’s a lot.

At any rate, I didn’t realize how stressed I was about Christmas until the year that I lost a baby just a few days before the holiday. Somehow that terrible grief unmasked some of the other things I’d been feeling for a long time.

My family is great. My mom and my oldest daughter keep asking me how they can make the holiday season a little easier, and I really appreciate that. (For my teenage daughter, the number one answer is: GIVE ME A CHRISTMAS LIST!)

One of the funny things about being a bookish person is that people don’t generally give me books for Christmas. I suppose that’s partly because they don’t know which ones I’ve already read and what I might be looking forward to. It’s hard to keep track, I get it. (I’d be lost without my spreadsheet and Google calendar.)

But just in case anyone who loves me is checking out my blog posts and hasn’t finished their shopping yet, let me share a few of the bookish things I would love to find under the Christmas tree this year.

Books I Want for Christmas

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

What you need to know: Two sisters who join the staff of a magical, traveling hotel and learn it hides dangerous secrets. I’ve heard so many great things about this book.

Release Date: April 5, 2022

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

What you need to know: Described as a love letter to Syria and its people. Speculative and set during the Syrian revolution. A girl desperate to flee until a fateful encounter makes her consider what it would take to fight for Syria’s freedom instead. I’ve heard incredible things about this book.

Release Date: September 13, 2022

The Honeys by Ryan LaSala

What you need to know: A twin’s sister dies under horrific circumstances, and he will do whatever it takes to find out why. I’m not usually brave enough to read horror, but I’ve had really good experiences with the couple horror books I’ve read this year. And this is RYAN LASALA. I adored REVERIE. I’m all in.

Release Date: August 2, 2022

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

What you need to know: A young Romanian writer forced to betray everything he believes in by informing on those he loves joins the revolution to fight for freedom. It’s Ruta Sepetys, y’all. I am really excited about reading this one.

Release Date: February 1, 2022

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An ogress who secretly delivers gifts to the town. A missing orphan. A smooth-talking mayor who’s very good at pointing fingers. I loved THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, and this story looks just as magical and wonderful. I’m all for a book about the power of generosity and love.

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl with powerful magic she must keep secret teams up with friends to preserve the balance of magic in her world. I remember people raving about this series, but I never read it. Now I’ve read and loved THE LUMINARIES and I need more Susan Dennard in my life, please, thanks.

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Bone Weaver by Aden Polydouros

What you need to know: A girl travels a war-torn country in search of her sister when she discovers her own magic and becomes swept up in the war. I really wanted to read this when it came out, and just wasn’t able to fit it into my calendar. I read a sample chapter and must have more.

Release Date: September 20, 2022

The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder

What you need to know: Second book in the Bone Spindle series, a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling and my top favorite book of 2022. Yes, this is a pre-order. I can’t help myself. I want this one really, REALLY bad. It’s at the very top of my Bookish Holiday Wishlist!

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Bookish Stuff on my Bookish Holiday Wishlist

This Metal Fox Bookmark on Etsy

I recently got pre-ordered a book and received this gorgeous metal peacock bookmark as a pre-order thank you. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love the idea of a metal bookmark. They’re a bit expensive, but so pretty.

This Drink Coffee, Read Books, Dismantle Systems of Oppression Shirt

I like bookish shirts, and I have a couple. This one made me laugh (only a tiny bit maniacally).

I was looking for a shirt that says “I’m with the Banned” but all the shirts that I saw included a certain boy wizard book that I’ve decided not to promote, so I feel a little weird about having it in a shirt.

One of These Resin Bookmarks

I love these resin bookmarks, too. I don’t think I would put my name on it, though. They’re pretty enough just plain, I think!

This Six of Crows Hand-Stamped Ring

SIX OF CROWS is one of those books I still can’t forget. I love the idea of having a “No mourners, no funerals” ring.

What’s on your Bookish Holiday Wishlist?

Are you hoping to find books or bookish things as you unwrap holiday gifts this year? What’s at the top of your wishlist?

Are you buying bookish gifts for someone you love? What books or bookish things are you giving this year?

Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Reading Recap

December 6, 2022Blogger's Favorites, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18Best Books, best books of 2022, fall 2022, Favorites, Reading List, reading recapKasey

Best Books I Read in Fall 2022 – Reading Recap

This is a relatively new thing I’ve been trying out. I’ve been posting most-anticipated reading lists for the season, with my most looked-forward-to new young adult and middle grade releases and why I’m excited about them. Then at the end of the season, I post a look back at the list following up. How many books from the list did I actually read? Which were my favorites? So. Here we are with a list of the best books I read in fall 2022. Let’s get to it!

How many books from my Most-Anticipated Fall Reading List did I actually read?

I created two separate posts to talk about upcoming fall books, one for middle grade and one for young adult with 37 books total. This time, I managed to read all the books on my most-anticipated lists plus about 15 others that are a combination of last-minute requests or books from earlier in the year that I finally managed to read. Here are a few highlights from those 15.

Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Review to Come

What you need to know: This graphic novel was longlisted for the National Book Award and tells the story of Olympic Medalist Tommie Smith as he lifted a black-gloved fist to protest the treatment of Black athletes in the United States.

Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White

What you need to know: I’m not usually a horror girl, but so many things about this book hooked me. The post-apocalyptic setting. The escape from a traumatic, abusive cult. Love in the midst of pandemic and disaster. I loved it. Though I was eagerly looking forward to this one, somehow it didn’t make it onto my most-anticipated list.

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R. M. Romero

What you need to know: This has been a great year for me with reading novels in verse, but this one is my favorite of all. I loved the magical Prague setting. The sweet, slow burn romance. It was all beautiful and fantastic.

Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by Familiar Authors

In the last few months, I read 15 books by authors I’d read before. Brigid Kemmerer (9 books) and Courtney Summers (6 books) are the authors I’ve read most. For most of the other authors on the list, I’ve only read one book by them before this fall.

Here are my favorite YA, MG, and nonfiction titles from all the books I read by familiar authors.

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

What you need to know: Honestly, I liked this one even more than THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END. I think it perfectly celebrated its predecessor and brought entirely new ideas and characters into the Death Cast world. This was a total win for me.

The Other Side of the River by Alda P. Dobbs

What you need to know: I really enjoyed Dobbs’ debut novel and the first book about Petra Luna, but this one is even better. I loved the community she weaves around her and the surprises those connections bring.

The Antiracist Kid by Tiffany Jewell

What you need to know: I think this is the only nonfiction title by a familiar author that I read this fall. I love that this book makes justice and activism accessible to kids. It was a very easy read and very encouraging.

Best Books I Read in Fall 2022: Favorites by a New Author or Author New to Me

The majority of the books that I read this fall were by authors who were new to me. Some of them were debut authors, which is always exciting. You never really know what you’re going to get with a debut, so I feel like when a debut is amazing, it’s all the more awesome to feel like you’ll get to follow that author’s writing right from the beginning.

Some of the authors who are new to me are authors I’ve really wanted to try for a long time. For the first time this fall, I read books by Crystal Maldonado, Justina Ireland, Dean Atta, and Susan Dennard. All of them are authors I’ve heard amazing things about and just hadn’t managed to read yet. My reading list only gets longer the more great authors I discover!

At any rate, here are my favorite books by authors I’d never read before this fall. I chose one each for YA, MG, nonfiction, and backlist books.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

What you need to know: I don’t know what I expected going into this book, but I was completely blown away. The forest is creepy and the small community feels so real with its prejudices and complex connections. And… ugh Jay. (I loved Winnie and Jay!)

Ravenfall by Kalynn Josephson

What you need to know: I adore this book with its cat-who-is-not-a-cat and its sentient inn filled with a magic-wielding family. And the boy on his own looking for answers. This was the book I didn’t know I needed.

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer

What you need to know: I had heard really great things about the adult version of this book, so when I saw that there was a young adult version, I jumped at the chance to read and review it here. I loved the introspective questions, the history and ecology lessons woven together in perfect harmony.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Review to Come

What you need to know: A beautifully written novel in verse following a biracial gay boy as he comes of age in London and discovers drag.

Book that Surprised Me the Most

Reading a lot of new authors gives me a LOT of room to be surprised by a book, and I love that. I do enjoy the security of reading a book by an author I’m familiar with and having a really high likelihood that I’ll enjoy the book. But I also like to gamble and see what other voices are bringing to the book world. This season, I’d say that gambling more than paid off because several books completely blew me away in ways I couldn’t have predicted.

It Looks Like Us by Allison Ames

What you need to know: Did I mention that I’m not usually into horror? I couldn’t get enough of the Antarctic setting. The tenuous friendships disrupted by an alien or infection. Also, there’s a wildly rich, rocket launching, electric car manufacturing guy named Anton Rusk. Lol.

Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston