Category: Middle Grade

My Top Books of June

  1. I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
    I really enjoyed this book! Angel’s whole life revolves around The Ark, an insanely popular band. Jimmy used to love being in the band, but recently everything is just overwhelming. The two meet by chance at first, but eventually they learn from each other and find new lives. I really enjoyed this book!
  2. Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
    This book was so cute! Eleanor isn’t used to being happy or having good things, especially after what happened last year. But when she meets Pix, she finds herself being open to a new life with magic. This book was so sweet and I loved the plot and the characters!
  3. Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione
    This book was gorgeous! I loved the illustrations as well as the plot. Basil is such a sweet character and incredibly relatable! I loved learning about her adventures in (magic) culinary school as well as her adventures with her friends. It was a great book!
  4. Big Nate books by Lincoln Peirce
    Recently, I’ve been reading more relaxed/not as serious books and the Big Nate series is one of my favorites! Nate is just trying to have a fun time- at school and with his friends, but something tends to go wrong…though he’ll have a blast along the way. It was a super fun read!
  5. Out of the Blue by Jason June
    This book was perfectly sweet! Crest is a merman and so, to fulfill their quest, they must go to Earth and help a human. Sean agrees to get Crest’s help and the two embark on a spectacular journey. I really loved the characters in this book as well as the ending. It was a great book!

Top Books of January
Top Books of February
Top Books of March
Top Books of April
Top Books of May

Top Books of March

Here are my top books of March!

  1. Thirsty by Jas Hammonds
    This was such an amazing, well-written book. I loved Blake and Anita and the way that Blake learned how to grow and become a better version of herself as she found out who she really was. It was a heart-wrenching book, one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I totally recommend it to you!
  2. The Worst Perfect Moment by Shivaun Plozza
    This was such a beautiful book about death and the people who love you. Teagan has just died, and now she’s supposed to be living in her favorite memory forever. The problem is, Zelda, her assigned angel, has put her in her worst memory. As Zelda and Teagan go on a quest, everything starts to click into place. I really enjoyed this book!
  3. Five Survive by Holly Jackson
    This was an amazing murder mystery! When Red and her friends are trapped in a van during Spring Break, they don’t think it can get much worse than that. But there’s a sniper outside who won’t let them go until they reveal a secret. As the night goes on, enemies are made and secrets are spilled. I really enjoyed this book!
  4. The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
    This was also a great read! Bel and her dad have lived alone for 16 years, when her mom suddenly disappeared. Now, after they’ve all moved on, the last thing anyone expects is Rachel, Bel’s mom, to turn up again. But Rachel’s story doesn’t add up and doesn’t make sense. This was a great read!
  5. The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
    This was a really fun book! Jameson, Grayson, Nash, and Xander have always been competitive. But now, Grayson has to learn how to truly love and care and Jameson has entered into a game with even higher stakes. I loved reading this book and putting together all the puzzle pieces. I totally recommend it to you!

Top Books of January
Top Books of February

Top Books of February

Here are my top reads for this month!

  1. Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
    This was an incredible second book! I loved diving back into the world of Oath, except this time with a more direct view of the battle as we get to see Dacre, one of the leading forces and Enva, his opponent. It was beautifully written and I loved reading about Iris and Roman again. I really enjoyed this finale to the duology!
  2. Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer
    I really enjoyed this book! Jasmine needs to get out of California and into NYU asap. And she knows she can do it, but only if she becomes Senior-Class President. And it should be easy! But when her heritage is suddenly all anyone can talk about, she needs to pick between standing up for who she is and her future. I really enjoyed this book!
  3. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae
    I really loved this book! Zahru just wants adventure. So when she gets the chance to sneak into the palace to watch the Crossing, she’s more than ready. But she gets confused for a competitor, she’s suddenly thrust into a dangerous world filled with dangerous people. This book was really fun to read and I really enjoyed it!
  4. The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
    This book was amazing! Emry knows she’s good at magic, better than her brother. But girls are forbidden to learn or practice magic. When a summons from the king comes, to find his next court wizard, Emry leaps at the chance. I really enjoyed this book!
  5. Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah
    This book takes Agatha Christie’s characters and imagines them in a completely new murder mystery- this time in Norfolk-where a seemingly impossible murder has occurred. I really enjoyed this book and the new writing of Hercule Poirot!

    Top Books of January

Top Books of the Year

  1. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
    This was such a good book! Teo is just a Jade, so he’s ready to sit back and watch The Sunbearer Trials while the Golds participate. But when he and another Jade get selected, suddenly his life is torn apart. Teo has to learn to believe in himself and who his real friends are while trying not to get last and be sacrificed. This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to read the next one!

    I really enjoyed this book because of all the representation and the way that mythology was re-imagined.

    Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith
    This was such an amazing book! We get to see 3 different perspectives, Mary’s and her parents’. I loved the style of writing and the way poetry was eloquently used to tell the story of a French-Greek girl struggling to fit in. The author also included many beautifully written lines that still stick with me. It’s an amazing book!

    I really enjoyed this book because of the amazing writing and the quotes that stuck out to me. It was a great read told between dual perspectives.
  2. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
    This was such an amazing book! I’d heard about it for a really long time and so when I was able to get it, I was really excited! This book is about Queen Clytemnestra, one of the most infamous characters in Greek mythology, as she murdered her own husband after watching him kill their daughter as a sacrifice. I loved the way Clytemnestra was portrayed in the book, especially as we got to see her early years and how that led up to who she is. It’s a great story!

    I especially enjoyed this book because of my love for Greek Mythology, especially the character Clytemnestra. I’d heard of this book for a while before it’s publication and I was so happy to be able to get it once it released and it definitely lived up to my expectations.
  3. Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear
    I adored this book! It takes the tale of Medusa, one that’s been told many, many times, and reimagines it from the perspective of her two sisters- Stheno and Euryale, who remain virtually unheard of. It takes the story of the Gorgons from the very beginning- since they were born. We learn who they were as they grew up- what made them happy, how they each changed to fit their environment, and so on. I really enjoyed this book and totally recommend it to you!

    Medusa is another character in Greek Mythology who’s often painted as the villain and there have been so many retellings of her story. This one was one that I hadn’t seen before and it instantly captivated me.
  4. Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
    This was an amazing book! I loved the way that Adina grew, as she chose to make her own destiny and rules instead of falling in line with tradition. I loved the whole story and the stereotypes that it turned on its head. It was an amazing book and I totally recommend it to you!

    I loved the diversity of this book and the idea of making your own life- which was what this book was all about! It was filled with high stakes and competition and I really enjoyed it!
  5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
    This was such an amazing and fun book, filled with dragons and daring. I really enjoyed the premise and the book didn’t disappoint! Reading about Violet was incredible and I enjoyed her journey with her dragons, Adarna and Tairn, the whole time. This was a great book!

    This book was amazing to read, especially with all the worldbuilding! It was a perfect blend of fantasy and romance and I really enjoyed it!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September and October: click here
Top Books of November: click here
Top Books of December: click here

Top Reads of December

  1. Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado
    I really enjoyed this book! It was an amazing horror read, with a hidden villain that was incredibly satisfying to take down. I loved reading about Raquel and her journey to save her mom and her crush’s cousin. But what seems like just myth and legend turns out to be very, very real. I really loved this book and the way that each character was fleshed out. It was an amazing read and I totally recommend it to you!
  2. Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
    This was such a mystical book in which magic thrives. I loved reading about Kel and Lin and the way that they choose who to trust and who to believe in and if they can believe in the deals of the Ragpicker King, the criminal leader of the city. I really enjoyed this book and the way that the plot and characters were written. It’s a great book!
  3. The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
    This was the final book in the Truly Devious series and it was amazing to read! Stevie has solved the mystery. The one that no one has been able to solve or even come close to uncovering. However, this victory comes when a series of murders has been attacking her own present-day life. I really enjoyed the final book in this trilogy and the way that it ended. It was such a great read!
  4. The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma
    This book was perfectly mysterious and I really enjoyed it! We got the story from multiple perspectives- Elena, the crown princess, Leo, her father, Yassen, her guard, and many others. It was an amazing book and I loved getting to know all the characters. I really enjoyed this book!
  5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
    This was such an amazing and fun book, filled with dragons and daring. I really enjoyed the premise and the book didn’t disappoint! Reading about Violet was incredible and I enjoyed her journey with her dragons, Adarna and Tairn, the whole time. This was a great book!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September and October: click here
Top Books of November: click here

Top Books of November

  1. Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson
    This was a great murder mystery told in 2 different time periods- one in the “present day” and one from when the murder happened. I really enjoyed the plot and the way that we got to see so much of Stevie’s real character. It was a super interesting story and I totally recommend this series to you!
  2. The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
    This is the second book of the Truly, Devious trilogy and I enjoyed it just as much as the previous book. In this book, we can see how close Stevie is to her friends and the way that she struggles
  3. The Agathas by by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
    This was another great murder mystery! Iris and Alice never asked to be paired up, in fact the two are almost exactly opposite. But the disappearance of one of Alice’s ex-friends connects them both as they know they have to figure out who did it because the police certainly aren’t going to do anything. I really enjoyed the way that we not only got to learn about the mystery but also how
  4. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
    I really loved this book! When Izzy contacted her dad, she wasn’t expecting to make contact with the crown prince of Japan. But when her home gets swarmed by paparazzi and bodyguards, she has to adapt to her new life in Japan. Izzy is such a sweet character and I loved seeing how she adapted to fit in a completely new world with new friends and threats. I really enjoyed this book!
  5. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
    This was such a magical book from the very beginning! Iris’ brother is on the war front and all that comforts her is writing letters to him. Letters that he’ll never get, that he’ll never read. But when someone writes her back, they open up their hearts to each other. I really enjoyed this book and the settings. I cant wait to read the next one!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September and October: click here

Top Reads of September and October

Here are my favorite books for September and October!

  1. Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
    This was an amazing book! I loved the way that Adina grew, as she chose to make her own destiny and rules instead of falling in line with tradition. I loved the whole story and the stereotypes that it turned on its head. It was an amazing book and I totally recommend it to you!
  2. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
    This is an amazing retelling of Medusa that looks at her story from different perspectives. We get comments not only from Medusa, but from crows, her decapitated head, Perseus’ mother, and so many more. It’s a great book and I enjoyed it a lot!
  3. Thin Air by Kellie M Parker
    This was a great murder mystery! Emily was just expecting to compete with 11 others for a prestigious scholarship. But when she boards the flight, things fly into action as someone is almost poisoned and mysterious envelopes with three very real secrets are placed in front of everyone. As more and more people start dying, it becomes a race to figure out who the murderer is. I really enjoyed this book!
  4. Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear
    I adored this book! It takes the tale of Medusa, one that’s been told many, many times, and reimagines it from the perspective of her two sisters- Stheno and Euryale, who remain virtually unheard of. It takes the story of the Gorgons from the very beginning- since they were born. We learn who they were as they grew up- what made them happy, how they each changed to fit their environment, and so on. I really enjoyed this book and totally recommend it to you!
  5. The Chalice of Gods by Rick Riordan
    This was a great book that continued on the Percy Jackson series! In it, we got the original trio- Percy, Annabeth, and Grover- going on another quest to retrieve the god Ganymede’s chalice so that he will write Percy a recommendation letter. It was a great, funny book and I enjoyed it a lot!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here

August Top Reads

Sorry that this is such a late top reads! Here are my favorite books I read in August.

  1. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
    Over the summer, I watched a lot of Studio Ghibli movies and decided to read the book that inspired one of the most famous ones. I really enjoyed the book and the vivid descriptions that went into make all the characters, especially Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer stand out. I enjoyed the book-to-movie adaptation, though I was surprised by how it was changed quite a bit. Either way, they were both amazing!
  2. Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
    This was an incredible book about the role of women in Greek myths! Throughout history, women have gotten overlooked and villainized, but in this book, their true stories come to light. We learn more about who they really were and how they’re been represented through history. We get to read about Pandora, Helen, Clytemnestra, Jocasta, The Amazons, and many more. I really enjoyed this book!
  3. Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
    This was an incredibly touching book about a girl just trying to figure out how she fits in a world where romance surrounds her. Along with her mom’s own struggles, Lizzie has to learn who to trust and who listens to and supports the real her. I loved Lizzie’s journey throughout her life and the way that she meets so many people, some supportive, some not. It was a great read and I totally recommend it to you!
  4. Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall
    I loved the idea of this book! Every 13 years, 3 kids, all born on Halloween, all marked with a mysterious birthmark in the shape of a key, are taken. Eleanor has just moved to Elden Eld and her life begins to get weirder immediately, starting with seeing demonic creatures that no one else can see except her two newest friends- the two other kids she’s taken with. I loved the puzzle-element of this story and the way it was told! It’s a great read.

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here

Top reads of July

Here are my top reads for July!

  1. The Sun and The Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
    This was an incredible book! I’d always adored Nico and Will’s relationship in the Heroes of Olympus series, so I was really excited when I heard about this book. Nico and Will are adorable in this book and I really enjoyed the way the story progressed. I also liked the way Nico’s grief and trauma were addressed. This was a great book!
  2. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
    This was a great book! I haven’t read the Cruel Prince series yet, but, while being set in the same universe, this book was still understandable without prior knowledge. I loved the queer and the relationship between Hazel and Ben. I really enjoyed this book!
  3. Connect the Stars by David Teague and Marisa de los Santos
    I really enjoyed this book! Audrey can tell when anyone is lying and Aaron can remember everything he’s seen. Both of them don’t fit in at their schools, but when their parents send them to a wilderness camp, they find each other. The two also make friends with Kate and Louis and the group face the challenges together. I really enjoyed this book!
  4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
    This was a great book! I enjoyed the descriptions of the circus and the way we got many POVS showing us how different people experience it. The descriptions were detailed and I loved how it all tied in at the end. The characters were also intricate and I enjoyed getting to read about them. It was a great book!
  5. The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
    This was an amazing reread! 4 siblings and none of them alike, yet they have to journey together to find the mythical Ivory Key. They each have different reasons for wanting it, but if they fail, they could all lose everything. I love the characters so much and the plot twists along the way. I really enjoyed this book!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here

Top reads of June!

Here are my top books of June!

  1. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
    This was such a perfect ending to a series I had enjoyed a lot! I’ve enjoyed this book series for a while and I have been so excited to read the last book! The Hawthorne Mansion is almost Avery’s, but she has one more year to get through. When a visitor turns up at the Mansion, Avery doesn’t know whether to trust them or not, but misplaced trust could hurt them all. This book was incredibly written, with an amazing plot filled with puzzles, riddles, and mysteries- just like the whole series. I totally recommend this series to you!
  2. The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea
    I loved this book so much. It’s a great re-read about different kids who deal with different thing in life. They have nothing in common until they are placed together in Mrs. Woods 6th grade class. Even then, at the beginning, they are reluctant to work with each other, but as the time for the statewide tests draw closer, they learn to trust each either and how to be a good team. This book is so emotionally touching and I loved all the ups and downs. The characters are also really great. I totally recommend this series to you!
  3. The Ivies by Alexa Donne
    This was an incredible murder mystery! Olivia is part of the Ivies, a group of high school students who would do anything to get into the Ivy League schools they want. But when one of the Ivies is murdered, Olivia starts to question her friendship and everything she knows. I really enjoyed this book and the way the characters were created! There was a lot of layers and I enjoyed reading through them all. This is a great book!

  4. Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
    I adored this book! It’s another re-read from an amazing author. Similarly to The Perfect Score, kids who normally despise each other are forced to be in their 6th grade class together. I loved exploring each of their unique personalities and characteristics! Soon, tragedy befalls the class and they each have to learn how to cope with their grief while still caring for everyone. This was an incredibly book and I totally recommend it to you!
  5. Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton
    This was an incredible book! Saoirse is used to telling lies to survive. It’s how she climbed to the top of training and gets offered a job to be a guard to the Prince. But being a siren is dangerous, especially when all the prince’s guards are on the hunt for a beautiful woman who just happens to be Saoirse in disguise. This was an amazing book and I totally enjoyed it!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here