Category: Fantasy

Book Review: Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Christian Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
Kait's Bookshelf Mark of the Raven
Cover art is copyright of Bethany House.

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving last week had an enjoyable week and long weekend with family and friends, reflecting on what you’re thankful for. I sure did. My hubby and I hosted dinner for twelve people which was exhausting yet wonderful! We had a houseful of family on Thursday and then Friday was for relaxing, reading, and online shopping. Did anyone grab any great deals? I’m definitely gifting books to some people this holiday season, but I can’t say which ones because those people read this blog!

Today I’ll be reviewing a Christian fantasy novel, Mark of the Raven. I love Christian-themed fantasy novels. The Chronicles of Narnia will forever be my favorite Christian fantasy series, but I was excited to see a new fantasy novel offered through Bethany House.

Continue reading “Book Review: Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse” →

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

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Thanksgiving week is always a favorite of mine. My hubby and I are hosting dinner on Thursday for the family, and it’s a real blessing to be able to provide a nice meal and family time for everyone. I look forward to the family gathering on Thursday, and I also look forward to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a glorious long weekend with nothing to do but – you guessed it – read! (and eat leftovers of course!)

But before I get cooking, I have a new review to share. Today I’ll be reviewing Legendary, the sequel to Caraval, which propelled me into an unputdownable magical adventure, just what I needed!

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Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Kait's Bookshelf Caraval

Each year on Veteran’s Day I find myself reflecting on my freedom and how grateful I am to the many men and women who have dedicated and given their lives to defending that freedom. I am so grateful that I can walk into a bookstore or library and pick up a book on just about any topic I please and educate myself. I can learn, read, and write what I please without fear of persecution or harm. It’s not lost on me how many other people, especially women, are not so fortunate in many parts of the world. So I would like to dedicate today’s post to Veterans, particularly my brother who is currently serving. Never forget.

Continue reading “Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber” →

Book Review: The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Book Jumper“The idea was ridiculous and at the same time…tantalizing. Until now I’d only ever visited the world of stories, that world that held such fascination for me, in my imagination. But if there was a way of entering it for real…”- The Book Jumper

July was a great month. Not only has summer been in full swing with hot temps and blue skies, but I got to take a week-long summer vacay to visit some family in the scorching southwest. Vacation time for me usually equals reading time, so I was thrilled to catch up on some reads that I’ve been meaning to get to for some time. One of those reads was The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser.

I’ll be honest, I totally judged this book by its cover! I first saw this book in a bookstagram post. In case you’re not familiar with bookstagram, it’s a popular hashtag used on Instagram for book-related posts. I follow hundreds of bookstagram accounts, and I love checking out what others are reading. So when I saw a book titled The Book Jumper with cover art of a young woman standing on an open book and what appeared to be a book character rising out of the pages, I knew I had to check it out!

Continue reading “Book Review: The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser” →

Book Review: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction

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Well, July is in full swing and that “summer vacation” feeling is in the air! I stated in my last post that I often gravitate toward middle grade and young adult books in the summer. I chose The Borrowers as my July book bucket list pick for this very reason. I figured that I would probably be in the mood for something light and imaginative, and I have wanted to revisit this childhood favorite for some time. It seemed like the timing would be perfect, and it was.

Continue reading “Book Review: The Borrowers by Mary Norton” →

April Book Bucket List: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Fantasy, Fiction

Gulliver's TravelsI vaguely recall watching a movie version of Gulliver’s Travels as a child that, I believe, starred Ted Danson as Lemuel Gulliver. What I remember from the film was a man journeying to different lands and encountering different kinds of creatures, including a land of miniature people followed by a land of giants. I always wanted to read the book the movie was based on, so I made it my book bucket list pick for April. I have always been drawn to fantasy stories, like The Chronicles of Narnia, and Gulliver seemed right up my alley.

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February Book Bucket List: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Children's Books, Disney, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

a wrinkle in time“’Well, then, someone just tell me how we got here!’ Calvin’s voice was still angry and his freckles seemed to stand out on his face. ‘Even traveling at the speed of light, it would take us years and years to get here.’

‘Oh, we don’t travel at the speed of anything,’ Mrs. Whatsit explained earnestly. ‘We tesser. Or you might say, we wrinkle.’” – A Wrinkle in Time

I chose A Wrinkle in Time as my book bucket list pick for February for a couple of reasons. One, I’ve wanted to re-read this book for years. When I picked it up this month, it had been at least twenty years since I’d read it. I remember it having a science fiction and fantasy feel to it, but I was fuzzy on the details. Two, I wanted to brush up on the book before the new Disney film version releases in March.

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Book Review: Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult

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There’s nothing quite like poolside reading. Sunlight dances across the water creating circles of light while palm trees create shadows that wave upon the pool’s floor. It’s relaxing and peaceful and…magical. There is just something about water, be it pool or ocean, that is magical. For me, it conjures stories of mermaids, magical lagoons, secret caves, and adventure. Luckily, I had just the book for my poolside reading this week. Continue reading “Book Review: Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster” →

Book Review: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

“Morrigan let Jupiter’s overcoat fall in a pile at her feet. Climbing onto the balustrade, she opened her new oilskin umbrella with shaking hands.

Don’t look down don’t look down don’t look down.

The air felt thin. ‘Step boldly,’ Morrigan whispered.

Then she closed her eyes.

And jumped.”

– Nevermoor The Trials of Morrigan Crow


November was a tough month with a very sad loss for our family. So I spent some time away from the blog and work to be with family. Even though I only reviewed three books in November, I am pleased to report that they were all books I enjoyed. For now, I’d like to talk about a new release that I’ve been waiting to read since early fall – Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow.
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Book Review: Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Posted on by kaitsbookshelf in Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

Nightmares

“I suppose you could say that nightmares and dreams help you clean out your brain. Every day you pack it full of thoughts and fears and hopes. At night, your dreams help you sort through the mess. Even when they don’t seem to make any sense, dreams and nightmares are helping you figure things out. That’s why the Waking World always seems so much brighter in the morning.” – Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic

The Sleepwalker Tonic is book two in the Nightmares! series by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller. I read the first book for last Halloween, so it seemed appropriate to pick up book two for this Halloween. I loved this book! I read it in two days. Yes, it’s a book for young readers and most older readers like myself will be able to get through it quickly. But I finished it so quickly because I just couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the first Nightmares! book because of the underlying message to kids about the importance of facing their fears. Well, book two offered up a new lesson. The importance of dreams.

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