Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest

 Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl, 96 colorful pages

As my kids are all adults, I am far away from the children's book world. I checked this out because of the author/illustrator Phoebe Wahl. I have been a fan of her art for a long time, but haven't actually read any of her books. This was an enjoyable read. Will the story appeal to the under 6 set? I am not sure, but I loved the drawings. The more you study them, the more you realize how intentionally inclusive and detailed they are. That is Wahl's strength. Her images capture a world that is comforting, gentle, and welcoming. We could all use a little more of that. 

We Used to Live Here

 We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (2024), 312 pages

I blindly went into this book thinking it was a typical mystery. I am not sure how it even got onto my "to-read" list, but imagine my surprise when things started getting creepier and creepier. Unsettling even - especially when walking my dogs alone at night. I don't typically read horror, but it snuck in and, honestly, I found it pretty entertaining. 

The story follows Eve and Charlie as they renovate a newly purchased dilapidated house. The home comes with a lot of eerie baggage that culminates in visitors that (as the title states) used to live there. It is twisty plot that does rely on psychological tropes, but, who cares, as it fun to be scared a bit. 

I do want to give a shout out to the audiobook narrator Jeremy Carlisle Parker - she was fantastic and I highly recommend listening to it. 

Tailored Realities

 Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson, 428 pages.

This short-fiction collection contains the non-Cosmere short stories and novellas from Brandon Sanderson's entire writing history. Because these are the works that don't fit in his very wide fantasy universe, most of the stories here are science fiction. It is interesting to have a collection like this that contains as many novellas as short stories, and it gives the stories a lot of time to breathe. I also really enjoyed that every story was followed by a postscript that talked about both the story's inspirations and its publishing history. The novella "Perfect State" was a particular standout to me. I wasn't quite as impressed by this collection as his Cosmere universe short fiction collection, but I'm also a bigger fantasy fan than science fiction. This collection is still definitely worth a read. 

Divine Traitors

 So Let Them Burn and This Ends in Embers by Kamilah Cole, 816 pages.

Faron Vincent was 12 when she was granted the power of the gods to become the Childe Empyrean and fight the war to liberate her country. Five years later San Irie is free and Faron has spent the last few years frivolously using her powers and feeling purposeless. She is given sudden purpose again when her sister Elara ends up bonded to an enemy dragon, and Faron has to desperately try to find a way to sever the bond so she doesn't have to kill her sister. This desperation drives her to start something she can't stop, and the whole world may have to pay the price.

This Jamaican-inspired anti-colonial fantasy novel started pretty interesting. I liked the tension between Elara's plot at the dragon academy and Faron's attempts to uncover ancient secrets. Unfortunately, the second book was much harder to buy into, partially because many of the characters' actions were so unfathomably selfish. I also found the magic a little simplistic, especially given then real world countries with the thinnest possible coat of fantasy paint. If you're looking for a young adult novel where a young woman from a (formerly) colonized people has to go to a dragon academy run by her colonizers, set in a world with clearly identifiable real world countries, I would recommend To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose instead. 

The Silence of Our Friends

 The Silence of Our Friends by Mark Long and Jim Demonakos with art by Nate Powell (2012) 201 pages

This is semi-autobiographical based on events that occurred in Houston, TX in 1968. Author Mark Long's father was a television reporter who observed the pushback to SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) organizing Civil Rights protests on Texas Southern University campus. An organizer of the protests, Larry Thompson, his family, and all the African American community in the poorer Wards of Houston face regular racism from the white community. A brutal police response to a protest and a court case provide the climactic events to this conflict. Visually I really appreciate the design of the panels and speech bubbles on each page, the dramatic motion is strongly conveyed.

Automatic Noodle

 Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (2025), 163 pages

There is a lot to unpack in this short book. It is hard to even know where to begin, but I very much enjoyed the concept. A group of restaurant service robots in the not-so-distant future find themselves abandoned by their owners. They decide to take their future into their own hands and re-open the restaurant, but with better food. And they succeed! Except, as in real-life, there are those who want to spoil a good thing through their own xenophobia and biases. This is a thought-provoking look into the future of technology while also touching upon current day issues of immigration, economics, and resilience.

Bootblack

 Bootblack by Mikaël (2022) 128 pages

I enjoyed the realistic art. Ultimately Al is a kid who is so patriotic, claiming his American-ness, that he turns his back on his immigrant parents. When they die and he ends up an orphan on the streets of New York City in the '20s, he becomes a bootblack with a gang of young friends. He develops a young crush. He further develops his hatred for newer immigrants. He moves money for organized crime families. He goes to prison then gets out just before WWII. All these stories are told as flashbacks from G.I. Al serving overseas in Germany. There are some details from his life that connect in unexpected ways, but fate is cruel and his life ends ironically.

Gods of Jade and Shadow

 Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2019) 340 pages

I really enjoyed this fairy tale adventure. It begins with some Cinderella vibes, but quickly veers onto its own path. The setting of 1920's Mexico was fun. Our heroine Casiopea Tun, who restores Mayan god of death Hun-Kamé to life, has the perfect blend of personality traits to take us along on a quest. Casiopea and Hun-Kamé are magically linked for the duration of the quest. She is gradually dying and he is gradually becoming more mortal. It feels natural that they slowly fall in love too. Hun-Kamé's brother dismembered him and stole his throne decades ago. The quest is to restore Hun-Kamé's missing body parts and a necklace, then recover his throne, so his brother doesn't return the world to the old ways of blood sacrifice as tribute to the gods. On the cross-country trek, Casiopea meets many magical beings known to Hun-Kamé. It reminded me of Gaiman's American Gods, the book or the TV show.

The Last Remains

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths (2023), 361 pages 

The end. What else is there to write when a beloved series is over? I will miss the characters, the mysteries, and the history lessons. The series ends exactly how it should. Thank you Elly.

Man's Best

Man's Best by Pornsak Pichetshote, illustrated by Jess Lonergan, 160 pages

Earth is long dead and Dr. Winters has set out to find a new home for humanity, aided by robotics-enhanced animals Athos, Porthos, and Lovey. When giant robots attack their ship, the two dogs and cat are separated from Dr. Winters, and must fight through robots and strange alien lands to find her.

OK, have you ever wanted to read Homeward Bound set in space? If you have, this is the book for you! Honestly, that's really the best way to describe this fun, silly, and somehow still touching graphic novel. Crazy art, loving creatures, fun story. Give it a whirl!