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Reviews by Andrea B. (PA)

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The Magician of Tiger Castle
by Louis Sachar

A Pinch of Courage and Cup of Love (4/20/2025)

The Magician of Tiger Castle is an enchanting and creative story in which the referenced magician's determination and skills wage war against evil and injustice. The ensuing adventure involves characters with unique gifts and traits enduring harsh conditions in a struggle …more

The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen (9/15/2023)

In this story, two orphaned witch sisters living in isolation are left without a guardian once again and choose to face their futures in drastically different fashions. Brimming with elemental power and boiling with tension-building contrasts, their earthy tale is one that …more

The Montevideo Brief: A Thomas Grey Novel
by J. H. Gelernter

Arrr! Thar Be Booty Beneath All the Details (4/24/2023)

The Montevideo Brief is an adventure tale bursting with early nineteenth century colonial intrigue, naval history, and recreational culture. Unfortunately, the story is so overly focused on accurate details that it feels contrived and leads to distraction. While not the …more

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel
by Laura Imai Messina

The Mourning After (1/14/2021)

On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered a natural catastrophe that wreaked havoc throughout its communities. The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is an uplifting tale that not only describes the event's monstrous ferocity and vicious cruelty but also examines the toll that …more

Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (8/31/2020)

Piranesi is the sole caretaker of a very unusual realm. Most of the time, he sets about mapping and observing the world's features in his journals. Twice a week, he meets with and relays his findings to a visitor known as "The Other," a man who is eager to unearth a special …more

Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas

A Gothic Feast for the Imagination (3/15/2020)

This is a very dark and hazy tale laden with sex, food, and drink. More specifically, it is a story about a rigorous and innovative college experience that promises personal improvement. Applicants to this school, Catherine House, undergo extensive evaluations and must meet …more

My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing

A Lovely Concept (11/1/2018)

While the blurb's concept is intriguing, I do not think that its description of this book as a iDexter/i meets iMr. and Mrs. Smith/i cross is entirely accurate. The story does involve a married couple and multiple murders, but it lacks the same conviction and magnetism. The …more

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Book Jacket — Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Praised by *Parade* and *The New York Times Book Review*, this debut features a 1960s scientist turned TV cooking star.

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