Another week, another round of reviews! Our booksellers have got suggestions ready to go to get you through the upcoming polar vortex temps. Grab a blanket and a warm drink and cozy up with some new reads!
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
Excited to read the latest from Kristin Cashore and return to the world of Graceling. Even though Winterkeep is the fourth book, and many familiar characters reappear, it completely stands alone from the previous three books. Winterkeep is a fantasy story with plenty of adventure and drama. But it also has powerfully realistic themes of sex & love, politics & power, environmentalism & empathy, war & man’s inhumanity to man, and social class disparities. It is very easy to draw parallels between the fantasy world and the real world. Sophisticated, thoughtful, and surprising, Winterkeep is a page-turner that made me slow down to savor the lyrical prose and appreciate the intricate story crafted by Cashore. Fabulous rec for Laini Taylor and Megan Whalen Turner fans.
— Ellen
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
The Ex Talk is an absolute GEM of a romance. You may have seen many a fake dating setup – but have you ever read about fake exes? Our leads have to pretend to be exes for a new podcast that they hope will boost their careers, but as always happens in romance, it’s not going to be that simple and real feelings start getting in the way. In addition to having delightful characters and a delectable romance at its center, this book is also a love letter to the Pacific Northwest, public radio, and podcasts – ingredients that combine for a wonderfully cozy and bubbly concoction of a book.
— Olivia
The Knockout by Sajni Patel
This book stood out to me as something I had to read since I trained in Muay Thai for a few years, and Patel has perfectly captured the love for a sport, for training, for technique. I always had to navigate people seeing martial arts as violent and it really touched my heart to read about Kareena’s passion for the strategy and elegance of the sport. Kareena also must navigate her relationship with the desi community in Texas: not being feminine enough for what’s expected of her, not being devout like others around her, and her parents not wanting to pressure her to be a part of that community. All these complications and how one person’s dream can bring people together made for such an incredible, inspiring story about a girl who discovers that being true to yourself is the strongest thing you can be. …and I’m always weak for flirting that’s mostly bickering ??
— Gina
Can’t wait till next Wednesday? Find more books and reviews like these on our website at BookPeople.com!
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