One of the most unusual books I've ever read. I knew the title referred to an enslaved boy and I'd heard there was a flying machine, but I had no idea the journey on which this book would take me. I'd like to call them "adventures" but that's not really what they were. We travel with George Washington Black, a character you will grow to love and admire, from Barbados to Virginia, on to Nova Scotia, the Arctic, London and even Morocco. My goodness! There was no guessing what was going to happen next. It was an interesting and thought-provoking journey. The ending left me with a lot to think about, which is what a good book should do I suppose. 

“And listen to me love, when a woman risks her place, her very life to speak a truth the world despises? Believe her. Always.”

Have you been in the mood for both a heart-breaking and uplifting read? Here is a feminist story about an iconic painter who never received credit. This story is based on the life and legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi who struggled to be a painter for her talentless father, navigated womanhood without the guidance of her mother, and fought to speak her truth in a world that wanted to silence her. 

I love how the story is very colorful, as the book is told in verse and describes every detail as if you’re painting a picture yourself. The story also takes you down some dark paths, from the loss of her mother to reporting the man who raped her. My favorite part about this book is the presence of her mother and the stories she would tell Artemisia about strong women from the past. Her mother and the women from the stories are like angels sitting on her shoulder, giving her strength and advice as she walks this world alone. 

Artemisia was an amazing artist. Still to this day, we have no idea how many paintings she created. She did not receive any credit for the many that bear her father’s signature instead of hers. At first, I had no idea what this book was about nor did I expect it to have such a huge impact on me. I adore this novel and its lessons. I encourage anyone who wants a light read with a heavy plot to give Blood Water Paint a shot.

~Arri

Everyone should read this book. Period. This is the simplified, remixed version of Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning, a National Book Award book. Jason Reynolds just has a way with words and he is literally having a conversation with you, the reader, throughout the information-soaked pages. Every paragraph is a history lesson we were never taught in school. I quote from Reynolds' notes because this says it all: "...let's learn all there is to know about the tree of racism. The fruit. The sap and trunk. The nests built over time , the changing leaves. That way, your generation can finally, actively chop it down." Read this and learn. Not only is it educational, but it's also entertaining. How did he do that? 

Felids and Canids and Shrikes, Oh MY! Welcome to another fantasy world, where the Orcs are constantly at war with the rest of the world- the humans, the elves and the dwarves. And those three groups can't seem to get along very well either. Enter the Novice, Fletcher, the good guy orphan, who stumbles upon his special abilities to summon demons from the otherworldly ether. All those called to fight have a demon, like their pet, which they train to help them fight the Orcs. Fletcher ends up at a training academy where he meets friends who are interested in making the world a safer place, and enemies who would have him ousted...or worse. It's an intricate fantasy world almost rivaling Hogwarts. If you're into fantasy, you'll really like this one. And there are three more in the series to keep you happy. 

I love a good dystopian novel! It's fun to imagine what craziness will happen in the future. No one could have envisioned the pandemic, but here we are. No one could envision a future that needs a killing task force. But Neal Shusterman did. 

In this futuristic world, humans have figured out how to conquer death. No one dies, so to keep the population down, some people must be randomly chosen to be killed or 'gleaned'. There is a special task force entrusted with this job - the Scythes. To be a member is to be honored and feared. Two teenagers have been chosen to join, but only one can ultimately be the next reaper. Whoever doesn't win the "honor" must kill the loser. However, it might not be that simple. As one can imagine, the formerly organized and efficient gleaning system is experiencing some problems. You'll definitely want to keep reading the other two books in the trilogy.