Oh My Books!

Immortal Dark Shermon Kodi Publication date: March 10th 2025 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult The shadows awaken as darkness falls. And these shadows have fangs. Seventeen-year-old Bexis has survived the frozen streets of Coppejj by trusting no one but herself. With her shadow magic, she’s scraped by as a freelance thief, working for local gang lords and politicians. But when a routine heist goes horribly wrong, Bexis is branded with ancient magic, making her the target of a bloodthirsty spirit. Desperate for answers, she turns to an eccentric demon hunter. Together, they uncover a deadly plot by a sinister cabal, threatening to plunge the world into eternal night. As Bexis confronts her haunted past, she faces a grim choice: Embrace the shadows within, or lose everything she holds dear. To destroy the darkness, she must first become it. Add to Goodreads — EXCERPT: The job is simple. Enter the room unseen. Wait for Ajjan to distract the mark—a foreign ...

The Tea Dragon Society Series by Katie O'Neill Goodreads| Amazon The Tea Dragon Society After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own. The Tea Dragon Festival Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village, but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep. . . . But Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost. The Tea Dragon Tapestry Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclu...

Books to Read for Christmas: Young Adult Favorites The holiday season is the perfect time to indulge in some heartwarming and enchanting stories that capture the spirit of Christmas. For young adults, there’s a delightful selection of novels that blend romance, adventure, and festive cheer. Here are some must-read books to add to your holiday reading list that will bring joy and inspiration during this magical time of year. "Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle "My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories" edited by Stephanie Perkins "Dash & Lily's Book of Dares" by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan  ( my review here .) "The Afterlife of Holly Chase" by Cynthia Hand "A Christmas Carol" Graphic Novel Adaptation by Charles Dickens "Ex-mas" by Kate Brian "All Wrapped Up" by Holly Smale "Mistletoe" by Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, ...

Spooky Reads: The Best Books for Young Adults to Enjoy This Halloween Halloween is just around the corner, which means it's the perfect time to curl up with a spooky book that will send shivers down your spine. Whether you're into supernatural creatures, haunted houses, or eerie mysteries, there's a Halloween read for every young adult. Here are some of the best books to set the mood for a spooky season! 1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman A Halloween classic, The Graveyard Book follows a boy named Bod who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. With dark fantasy elements, quirky characters, and a touch of humor, Neil Gaiman's storytelling will transport you to a magical, eerie world perfect for Halloween. Why You’ll Love It : This book combines a sense of wonder with just the right amount of spookiness, making it an ideal read for young adults who want a thrilling but heartwarming story. 2. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs This hauntingly bea...

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas Goodreads  |  Amazon Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed? The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish. You should read first: Throne of Glass Crown of Midnight After reading  Crown of Midnight  and loving it, I was ready to...

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) - Sarah J. Maas Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend." From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. Then one terrible night,...

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) by Sarah J. Maas Published August 7th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Wes...

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valérie Zenatti Published April 1st 2008 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository I'm full of fear and full of hope writing to you like this. I've never written to someone I didn't know. It feels strange. I don't know if what I'm doing is good or bad, crazy or just eccentric, useful or pointless. When Israeli teenager Tal Levine decides to throw a bottle with a letter into the Gaza Sea, she has little idea what to expect. Against all odds, Tal longs to strike up a correspondence with someone on the other side -- to forge something positive out of the turbulent and troubled times in which Israelis and Palestinians live. But what kind of response might a Palestinian give to an Israeli girl? Tal is not expecting "Gazaman," the boy who retrieves her bottle on a Gaza beach: Gazaman, a thorny, sarcastic young man with a reluctance to reveal anything about his true identity; Gazaman, who a...

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol Published June 7th 2011 by First Second Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part. Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs. Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol. I've been reading a lot of graphic novels lately. This time I read Anya's Ghost and enjoyed it. I didn't know really what I was going to find, only a ghost. But I found Anya to be a rich character, embarrassed by her herita...

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore Graceling Realm #3 Published May 1st 2012 by Dial Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck's death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck's reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea's past has become shrouded in mystery, and it's only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle - curious, disguised and alone - to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past. Whatever that past hol...

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson Published May 12th 2015 by Harper Collins The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic." Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones. Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Instit...

What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young, female superhero, battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world. I loved  The Adventures of Superhero Girl ! It was such a fun book, I read it in just one sitting. The illustrations were cute and it went along perfectly with Superhero Girl. Superhero Girl was a funny character, she is in her early 20's and have some super powers, but is a little bit insecure and it doesn't help that in Canada there isn't a lot of crime....and that everyone loves her perfect superhero brother. This book makes fun of superheroes and super villains, and I just couldn't stop laughing. Superhero Girl faces ninjas with crowns, a marshmallow villains, an skeptical guy who doesn't believe she's a sup...

Doujinshi, otherwise known as independent manga in Japan, is rarely published in English. In fact, it's considered underground and quite exclusive in its home country of Japan as well. Let's Eat Ramen and Other Doujinshi Short Stories finally gives western readers an exclusive look at the elusive world of contemporary Japanese doujinshi manga. Let's East Ramen is a three-part tale of Saeki, a girl who loves ramen noodles. At last, she thinks that she has finally found the perfect ramen shop, but the problem is the shop is completely full of old regulars and she can't get in. Will the timid Saeki ever summon the willpower to reach out and get the ramen that she desperately wants? I used to read manga a couple of years ago, although I couldn't say I was a manga reader. I just read a few but really liked them. So I saw this one at NetGalley and wanted to try manga again, it has a couple of short stories, all sweet with a little bit of romance, and easy to read for...

I've heard so much about Ms. Marvel , all good things, and since I have been looking for a comic to read for a while this one sounded perfect. I started reading it with high expectations and at first I was a little bit disappointed...but then it got better. Maybe it was because it has been a while since I read my last super heroes comics, but it seemed like Ms. Marvel wasn't too depth. It's about Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American girl who feels like she doesn't belong. Her parents aren't very flexible and when they don't let her go to a party with boys and alcohol, she sneaks out and discovers she has powers. I don't think the 'essence' is too original, don't get me wrong, Kamala isn't a generic character and I'm very glad to read about other cultures, but ignoring that, she is just another girl with the same problems, taking illogical and irresponsible decisions (why?), that I keep finding in every YA reading. I don't remem...

Infinite by Jodi Meadows Newsoul #3 Published January 28th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books DESTRUCTION The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk. FLIGHT Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach. CHOICE The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all. With gorgeous romance and thril...

Phoenix Overture by Jodi Meadows New Soul #2.5 Published September 3rd 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books This breathtaking and lyrical novella captures a thrilling and momentous decision for a young man and the people he loves. Told from the perspective of Sam, the sensitive musician from Jodi Meadows’s Incarnate series, lifetimes before he meets Ana, Phoenix Overture is a story of love and loss, strength and courage, and facing the consequences of the hardest of decisions. Phoenix Overture offers existing fans a deeper insight into a favorite character and the intriguing history of Heart, while new readers will find a stunning introduction to this rich world and the romantic, captivating fantasy of the Incarnate series. In the wilds around the Community where Sam and his family have taken shelter, life is dangerous. Dragons, trolls, centaurs, and other monsters fill the world. The word comes from the council that everyone must leave and journey to rescue their leader, Ja...