Book Banter: February 2024

 There are affiliate links in this blog, that when you click and purchase items, I will receive commission at no cost to you.

Reese knows that reading is my jam, and she's always telling me, "You really should read this book!!!" after finishing something in her classroom. She's not as avid a reader as I am, so I try to take on some of her suggestions so we can chat. The series she most recently recommended, she has devoured. The Fairy Tale Reform School series includes 6 titles, and she's read 5 of them since December. Seeing her love this series, I knew I had to try it out, and I'm glad I did. 

If you're a fan of Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, or even the movie Malificent, you'll enjoy the series. I'm a sucker for taking a traditional story and looking at it from a different point of view. The series is based on Cinderella's (aka: Princess Ella's) stepmother opening a reform school for students who are on the pathway to becoming a villain, and teaching them how to turn their situation around. A small group of kids from the village are sentenced to Fairy Tale Reform School (FTRS) and find they have more hero qualities than they thought. Headmistress Flora (Ella's stepmom) is joined by Madam Cleo (the mermaid who tortured The Little Mermaid), Harlow (aka: the Evil Queen who poisoned Snow White) and Mr. Wolfington (Red Riding Hood's wolf nemesis), in teaching classes at FTRS and showing students they can change their life for the better. I'm on book three of the series now (Tricked), and I've enjoyed the cameos from all the fairy tales that are so loved...evil villains and traditional characters alike.

My rating: (the series) 5 out of 5 pages. 

Besides a sucker for fantasy and fairytales, I'm also an amateur detective who loves to solve mysteries. The Thursday Murder Club  is a quick and enjoyable read, so I've opted to continue reading the series. I can't express how cute it is to read about four, British octogenarians take on today's crimes and deliver the rightful punishment with the help of local PD. Each character brings a style and spunk the each case - Elizabeth, the former MI6 agent; Ron, the once fiery union boss; Ibrahim - intellectual psychiatrist; and, newest to the team, Joyce - former nurse who has a knack for knowing more than she lets on. Their personalities are quirky and entertaining, while the cases they have solved are just interesting enough, but don't make you think too incredibly hard. Enjoyable read for sure...added bonus if you're an anglophile. 

My rating: (the series so far) 4 out of 5 pages. 

I hope you've had time to start the year off with good books and new series. Please share your recs with me - my Goodreads bookshelves are always growing!