The Last Grand Duchess

Turnbull, Bryn. The Last Grand Duchess. digital. 2022. 

Rasputin and Anastasia have long captured the world's imagination and are often the first two figures thought of in the doomed Romanov family. Bestselling author, Bryn Turnbull flips the script however, and instead focuses on the eldest Romanov child, Grand Duchess Olga Romanov, in this moving historical drama. Olga comes of age as a young woman during a very tumultuous time in Russia, her family's way of life is on the way out and she is struggling to come to terms with her family's place in it. The Russian people love her and her family, they are just and fair rulers, aren't they? As war looms, Olga and her sisters trade the glittering palace life for nursing and do what they can to help the wounded soldiers, but will it be enough for the Russian people. Equal parts gleaming and romantic, readers cheer on Olga's romantic exploits, while hoping that she will somehow escape her fate. The Last Grand Duchess slowly gets darker and gloomier, as the tragic end that readers know to expect, creeps closer. Expertly narrated by Mary Jane Wells, whose cadence and accent lends itself well to the esteemed Romanov court. A new take on an overtold and tragic story. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things

I'm a big fan of Greek mythology and I loved that this poetry collection was an ode to Persephone. This collection honors both her soft side as a goddess of spring and her fire as the Queen of Death. The poems alternate in their fierceness and sweetness. Another great collection from Amanda Lovelace filled with beautiful prose and illustrations. 

Shine Your Icy Crown

Exceptional as always. Amanda Lovelace's poetry is empowering, insightful, and savage in the best possible way. Her poems are short, to the point, and will stick with readers long after the book is finished. The illustrations are also beautiful and add to the book. This is the second collection in the "You Are Your Own Fairy Tale" collection and I can't wait for the third. They keep getting better! 

Break Your Glass Slippers

I am sucker for all of Amanda Lovelace's poetry and I thoroughly enjoyed her take on Cinderella. Empowering and lyrical her short poems about taking the reins and finding your inner fairy godmother, will resonate with lots of readers. I thought the illustrations were also beautiful and added to the collection. I look forward to reading the others in this series - fairy tales can be empowering if we learn to look at them through another lens! 

Unwrap My Heart

Ridiculous and funny, this young adult action "romance" is perfect for fans of zany humor and The Mummy. Sofia is just an average not so popular high schooler. She has one good friend and an overzealous dad, life is just peachy keen. That is, until she meets Seth, the school's newest hipster. He's skinny, gaunt, and covered in bandages, Sofia's heart is in overdrive. The two find themselves working together on a class project and the world will never be the same. Literally, they may have to save it. Also, Seth is a mummy. Can you kiss a mummy? Can you do "other things" to a mummy? These are burning questions that Sofia has. Over the top and fun. Not your average teen romcom. 

The Lady of Galway Manor

Annabeth De Lacy and her family have been sent to Galway to keep an eye on the Irish rebels. Without the English court to keep her entertained, Annabeth convinces her father to let her apprentice at a local jewelry shop. Annabeth is enthralled with the Claddagh design and it's meaning and she finds herself falling for Irish customs and ways of life. The only problem is that is putting her at odds with her English family who view the Irish as beneath them. The jewelry shop owner's son, Stephen, is an attractive young man with big dreams and a hatred of the English. He is initially appalled at having to take his new English landlord's daughter under his wing and show her the ropes of the business. Soon however, he finds himself falling for her and she for him. Can they place their prejudices aside and see what is right in front of them? A moving historical romance that inspirational readers will love. 

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century

Fu, Kim. Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. digital. 2022. Penguin Random House Audio. 

Twelve impossibly unique tales make up this short story collection of things that go bump in the night, that lurk in the shadows, and cavort in the daylight. Each short story introduces a different "monster," yet none are related or linked. The stories take place in our modern world; at a vendor show, a suburb, a dinner show, an old house. Kim Fu delights in giving readers monsters that defy expectations - they are wholly new and imaginative - the term monster is at times, loosely applied. A career woman can only fall asleep at night if she is visited by the sandman, a haunted doll that gives nightmares to neighborhood children, a girl on the brink of puberty sprouts wings on her ankles to the delight of her friends, and a bug infested house that steadily grows more and more unstable. Narrated by Piper Goodeve and Sean Patrick Hopkins whose calm, earnest deliveries make the stories even more intense. Thrilling, sexy, scary, and daring; Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century is a gem of a short story collection. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN