AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: LAINI TAYLOR

Laini Taylor is the young adult author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy.  This series opens with the story of Karou, an art student at a Prague boarding school.  Karou carried a sketchbook of hideous monsters, chimaerae, that form the only family she has ever known.

If you are interested in learning more about Laini Taylor and her work, visit her website at http://www.lainitaylor.com/

Here is a list of some of Laini Taylor's novels.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Days of Blood and Starlight

Dreams of Gods and Monsters

Strange the Dreamer Series:

Strange the Dreamer

Muse of Nightmares (to be released in October 2018)

If you are a fan of Laini Taylor, then you might enjoy some of these novels as well.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Reader by Traci Chee

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnolly

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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IRON HEARTED VIOLET

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Regan Barnill tells the story of Princess Violet.  She is plain, reckless, and clever, especially when it comes to storytelling.  One day, Violet and her friend Demetrius come upon a hidden room and encounter an odd and forbidden book.  This book tells the story of an evil being that has been imprisoned in their world.  As changes begin to occur, Violet, Demetrius, and an old dragon may be the key to save the kingdom.

Kelly Barnhill is the author of multiple novels, including a Newbery Medal winner.  A list of her novels is below.

Iron Hearted Violet
The Witch's Boy
The Mostly True Story of Jack
The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Newbery Winner)

If you enjoyed Iron Hearted Violet, you may want to try some of these read-alikes.

Night of the Ninth Dragon by Mary Pope Osborne - Jack and Annie receive a mysterious note inviting them to Camelot.  Once in Camelot, they must find a lost dragon.

The Wide Awake Princess by E.D. Baker - This is the story of Annie, the younger sister of the princess who is known as Sleeping Beauty.  Annie is immune to the magic that causes the rest of the castle to fall into an enchanted sleep, so she sets out to find a way to break the spell.

Storybound by Marissa Burt - Una Fairchild comes across a mysterious book buried in her school library.  Upon opening the book, she finds herself transported into the land of Story.  The land of Story is a world filled with heroes, villains, and other fairy-tale characters.  While there, Una must figure out why she has been written in before someone discovers that she doesn't belong there.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - In this story, Meggie learns that her father, a man who repairs and binds books for a living, can read fictional characters to life.  One day, one of these characters abducts Meggie and her father and tries to force her father into servitude.


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WINSTON CHURCHILL

This month our book club is reading Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard.  This book tells the story of the Boer War, Winston Churchill's capture and escape, and Churchill's development in his early years.

If you enjoy Candice Millard's writing style, you may want to check out one of her other books:

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

If you want to read more about Winston Churchill, then give one of these books a try:

The Last Lion by William Manchester (3 volumes)
Ministers at War: Winston Churchill and His War Cabinet by Jonathan Schneer
Winston and Clementine: the Personal Letters of the Churchills by Winston Churchill & Clementine Churchill
Franklin and Winston: an Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham
Churchill: a Biography by Roy Jenkins

Or, check out one of these movies!
The Darkest Hour
Churchill

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: AVI

This week we are taking a look at Avi.  Avi is a prolific children's and young adult author.  He has won the Newbery Award, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, Christopher Award, Anne Zarow Award, and Boston Public Library Literary Light.  

Avi has written over 50 books in his career, and we are not including all of them in this blog post.  The books listed below are some of his most recent work along with his award winning and award nominated works.

For more information on Avi and his work, visit his website: https://www.avi-writer.com/index.html

Crispin: the Cross of Lead - This is the first book in the Crispin series and a Newbery Award winner.  The first book introduces you to an orphaned peasant boy in 14th century England.  He is falsely accused of theft and murder.  As he flees his village, he meets a juggler who holds a dangerous secret.  

Poppy - This is the story of a mouse named Poppy.  She wants her family to move next to a large field of corn that will be big enough to feed them for years.  However, Mr. Ocax, the owl, has other ideas.

Sophia's War: A Tale of the Revolution - The year is 1776, and Sophia Calderwood has just witnessed the execution of Nathan Hale, ordered by the British army.  She is horrified by the event and decides to do what she can to help the Americans.  She is eventually recruited as a spy and learns that someone in the American army might be switching sides.  

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - The only female, and only passenger, on a transatlantic flight, Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous crew.

The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts - An adventure story full of highwaymen, pickpockets, and criminal masterminds, this novel takes place in England in the 1720s.  Oliver Cromwell Pitts wakes up to find his father missing and his home flooded by a storm.  As Oliver sets off to follow the trail of his father, he encounters thieves, adventurers, and treachery.

Nothing but the Truth: A Documentary Novel - Philip Malloy can't join the school's track team due to his poor grades in English class.  He is convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, so Philip decides to try and get transferred out of her class.  He breaks the school's policy of silence during the national anthem by singing along and ends up as part of a national news story.

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