Who doesn't love a good heartwarming animal story? Except it's not that simple of a story. This is a story of war. This is an ugly, disgusting, depressing, TRUE picture of the Bosnian genocide of Muslims. It's war like you rarely are able to see it - through the eyes of someone who lived it. Amra is just like you. She goes to school and has dreams of going to college and falling in love. But daily she must witness random bombings, disappearances of her friends, and suffer hunger and constant fear. The cat that is never named thankfully walks into the whole mess of her life and literally and figuratively saves her family, with its peaceful and hopeful presence. A beautiful story and an education on what goes on in other parts of the world that we so easily ignore. 

“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

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. 

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.