Genre: YA Magical Realism

ARC Review:  For Girls Who Walk Through Fire by Kim DeRose

ARC Review: For Girls Who Wal..

Posted September 4, 2023 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 4 Comments

Blurb: Those who would suppress and destroy you stand not a chance when confronted with the power that lies within these pages . . .  Elliott D’Angelo-Brandt is sick and tired of putting up with it all. Every week, she attends a support group for teen victims of sexual assault, but all they do is […]

The DNF Report #18 – May 2023

The DNF Report #18 – May 202..

Posted June 3, 2023 by Lisa Mandina in The DNF Report / 8 Comments

Continuing this as a monthly post, even if I end up with none. This month though I ended up with a few, although technically some were barely started. We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado My thoughts: I was a little disappointed in this one, as I had enjoyed the other book I read by […]

The DNF Report #17 – April 2023

The DNF Report #17 – April 2..

Posted April 30, 2023 by Lisa Mandina in Review, The DNF Report / 10 Comments

Continuing this as a monthly post, even if I end up with none. This month I really only had one, although there is a possibility I kind of DNFed another audiobook. Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker My Thoughts: So, I got started late on reading this. And while there was some interesting magical things […]

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway:  Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway..

Posted September 21, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Blog Tour, giveaway, Review / 16 Comments

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS by Jenna Evans Welch Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway! Find it:Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a poignant […]

ARC Review:  All Signs Point to Yes – A Love Story for Every Sign

ARC Review: All Signs Point t..

Posted May 31, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 4 Comments

Blurb: A literal star-studded anthology that delivers a love story for every star sign straight from the hearts of thirteen multicultural YA authors. A haunted Aquarius finds love behind the veil. An ambitious Aries will do anything to stay in the spotlight. A foodie Taurus discovers the best eats in town (with a side of […]

L-L-L-Little Reviews #40: Two Bookish First Reviews

L-L-L-Little Reviews #40: Two ..

Posted May 30, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 6 Comments

Since Bookish First is mostly sending out finished copies, I don’t usually get them in time to fit the reading and review into my blog schedule. So I am a little bit behind on these two, one came out in mid-April, the other mid-May. Flirting With Fate by J.C. Cervantes: My Review: This was a […]

ARC Review:  Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe

ARC Review: Bright Ruined Thi..

Posted February 14, 2022 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 8 Comments

Blurb: The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, […]

ARC Review:  The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton Smith

ARC Review: The Witch Haven b..

Posted August 30, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 1 Comment

Synopsis: The Last Magician meets The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy in this thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy following a young woman who discovers she has magical powers and is thrust into a battle between witches and wizards. In 1911 New York City, seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell spends her days as a seamstress, mourning the mysterious death of […]

ARC Review – A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope by Patrice Caldwell (Editor)

ARC Review – A Phoenix F..

Posted March 8, 2020 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 4 Comments

My Review: I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this from the publisher at the AASL conference last November. I was very excited to read it because of all the hype around it, as well as how I believe it is something perfect for the students at my school. Overall it was […]