Reading, Writing, and Me

To Kill A Kingdom  by Alexandra Christo (342 pages) Overview: In a refreshing twist on The Little Mermaid  that perfectly twists in elements of Greek mythology with the traditional story along with elements that are wholly Christo. We learn to navigate both the under ocean depths of the cutthroat, savage siren kingdom and the tedium of the Midisean kingdom and the fine line their future king walks between pirate and prince. While both siren, Liara, and pirate prince, Elian, have found delicate balance in their life between what they want and what they need, when their world come crashing into one another, they will have to redefine everything they thought they knew to make sense of their new reality. Overall: 5 I'm going to start this review with a little story/disclaimer. I don't read fantasy. It's not that I actively avoid it. I was even an avid fantasy reader back when I read middle grade, but nothing has caught my eye in the genre lately. That was until I saw Christ...

Puddin'  by Julie Murphy (May 8) Overview: Told from both Millie and Callie's prospectives, Puddin' , a companion to Julie Murphy's wildly successful novel, Dumplin' , brings a heartwarming story about dedication and friendship. Millie and Callie are brought together when Callie's dance team trashes Millie's uncle's gym because the gym had to pull the team's sponsorship money. When Millie identifies Callie on the security footage, it is decided that Callie will work at the gym with Millie to pay off the extensive damages caused to the gym. Though the fallen queen bee and the bubbly, self proclaimed fat girl don't seem like they could ever be friends, the many hours spent together cause them to learn that the other has more to offer than what appears on the outside. Overall: 4.5 Characters: 5  I thought the duel narrative structure worked really well here. Millie, with her optimism, organization, and drive is hard to not love. She wants to h...

Dumplin'  by Julie Murphy (375 pages) Overview: Willowdean "Dumplin'" is fat. It's something that she's come to accept about herself even after years of fad diets enforced by her mother and bullying at school. Aunt Lucy certainly helped with her self acceptance, and in cultivating her love of Dolly Parton, but Will is left rudderless after Lucy has a sudden heart attack. To reclaim a bit of confidence she'd lost, Will signs up for the Clover City Pageant. Though she's not the typical beauty queen, Will and her group of friends get to put their own stamp on her mother's beloved pageant. Overall: 4  Characters: 4  I like Willowdean. She lives in the place most of us do on the fine line between insecure and confident. Murphy does a great job building a crew of characters around Willowdean. It was fun to revisit the cast after I'd read Puddin' , Murphy's forthcoming companion novel. Plot: 4 While this book is mainly billed as being ab...