2020-02-01 02:04
A River of Royal Bloodby Amanda JoyPutnam, 2019. 368 pages. Young AdultPrincesses of Myre don't inherit the throne; they earn it. The line of succession is decided by the Rival Heir traditio… Read More
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Provo City Library Staff Reviews Blog
provolibrarystaffreviews.blogspot.com
Books read and reviewed by the librarians at Provo City Library.
2020-01-30 17:39
Frankly in Love By David YoonG.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019. 406 pages. Young AdultFrank Li is Korean American, trying to live his own life while also meeting the expectations of his parents… Read More
2020-01-28 20:27
AllegedlyBy Tiffany D. JacksonKatherine Tegen Books, 2017. 387 pages. Young AdultWhen Mary was nine, she killed a baby. Allegedly. After spending six years in “baby jail,” she&rs&hell…Read More
2020-01-28 18:43
Don't You Forget About Meby Mhairi McFarlaneWilliam Morrow Paperbacks, 2019. 430 pages. FictionGeorgina is approaching thirty, but her life still hasn't taken off. She has been flittin… Read More
2020-01-23 00:00
Mother's Milk: Poems in Search of Heavenly Motherby Rachel Hunt SteenblikSalt Lake City, UT : BCC press, [2017]. 177 pages. Nonfiction.In this warm new collection of poems, Rachel Hunt Steen… Read More
2020-01-22 17:26
Love from A to Zby S.K AliSalaam Reads, 2019. 342 pages, Young Adult Fiction.Zayneb, a fiery and passionate girl with an activist heart, and Adam, a sensitive and introspective boy, both fin… Read More
2020-01-22 01:16
Slave Stealers: true accounts of slave rescues then and nowBy Timothy BallardShadow Mountain, 2018. 254 pages. NonfictionAlthough they have lived centuries apart, two stories come together a… Read More
2020-01-21 19:22
Sick Kids in Love by Hannah MoskowitzEntangled Teen, 2019. 317 pages. Young AdultIsabel is sick. But she’s not the kind of sick that is obvious. She still goes to school. She volu… Read More
2020-01-16 22:29
White Roseby Kip WilsonVersify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 358 pages, Young Adult.German Sophie Scholl isn’t happy about the ways her country is changing on the brink of war. She… Read More
2020-01-16 17:21
The Art of Being NormalBy Lisa WilliamsonFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016. 334 pages. Young AdultDavid Piper has always been an outsider with a big secret: since he was a child, David has wan… Read More
2020-01-16 16:18
HorrorstörBy Grady HendrixQuirk Books, 2014. 243 pages. HorrorWeird things are happening at the Cleveland branch of Orsk, a fictional budget version of Ikea. Employees find damaged and… Read More
2020-01-15 18:38
This Is How You Lose the Time Warby Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneSaga Press, 2019, 198 pages, Science FictionRed and Blue are highly skilled time travel agents who represent opposing side… Read More
2020-01-13 22:17
The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan by Jenny Nordberg Crown Publishers, 2014. 350 pgs. Nonfiction Journalist Jenny Nordberg invest… Read More
2020-01-08 21:52
Exhalationby Ted ChiangAlfred A. Knopf, 2019, 350 pages, Science FictionThis fascinating collection of science fiction short stories tackles questions such as, what is the nature of the univ… Read More
2020-01-07 03:22
Entertaining with Disney: Exceptional Events from Mickey Mouse to Moana! By Amy CroushornInsight Editions, 2019. 189 pgs. NonfictionDo you love all things Disney? Would your sister be t… Read More
2020-01-04 22:47
Skyward (Vol. 1): My Low-G LifeAuthor: Joe Henderson, Artist: Lee Garbett, Antonio FabelaImage Comics, 2018. 136 pages. Graphic NovelTwenty years after Earth's gravity mysteriously… Read More
2020-01-04 22:47
SkywardBrandon SandersonDelecorte Press, 2018. 528 pages. Young Adult.Spensa has always wanted to be a pilot. On her planet, pilots protect the last of humanity against constant attack, alie… Read More
2019-12-31 17:35
Hot Dog Girl By Jennifer DuganG.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019. 311 pages. Young AdultElouise (Lou) Parker loves Magic Castle Playland. The small amusement park has played a major role in her… Read More
2019-12-31 16:13
The Downstairs Girl By Stacey LeeG.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019. 374 pages. Young AdultSet in 1890s Atlanta, Georgia, Jo Kuan strives to work hard and make the most of her life. When she&rsq&hell…Read More
2019-12-27 23:54
Lovely Warby Julie BerryViking Books, 2019. 480 pages. Young AdultConfronted by her jealous husband, the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, pleads her case before the gods with a story of her… Read More
2019-12-27 00:12
Travel Home: Design with a Global Spirit by Caitlin Flemming and Julie GoebelAbrams Image, 2019, 286 pgs. NonfictionExplore the homes of 20 sophisticated designers who are deeply influe… Read More
2019-12-18 22:36
Royal Target (Royal #1)By Traci Hunter AbramsonCovenant Communication, 2008. 257 pages, RomanceWhen CIA agent Janessa Rogers meets the royal family of Meridia on assignment, she expects to u… Read More
2019-12-18 00:15
The Turn of the Keyby Ruth WareScout Press, 2019, 336 pages, MysteryRowan Caine has a perfectly good job in London, but when she learns of a live-in nannying position with an overly generous… Read More
2019-12-16 23:32
Truckus Maximusby Scott PetersonFirst Second, 2019. 288 pgs. Young Adult ComicsIn a near-future world where the Roman Empire still reigns supreme, modern-day gladiators race monster trucks o… Read More
2019-12-14 18:36
ThunderheadBy Neal ShustermanSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. 504 pgs. Young AdultIn this sequel to Scythe, Citra, now known as Scythe Anastasia, gleans with care and comp… Read More
2019-12-14 00:03
The Lost Girls of ParisBy Pam JenoffPark Row Books, 2019. 377 pgs. Historical FictionGrace Healey is late for work and rushing through Grand Central Terminal when she finds an abandoned suit… Read More
2019-12-13 21:34
American RoyalsBy Katharine McGeeRandom House Books, 2019. 448 pages. Young Adult FictionWhen America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. As we a… Read More
2019-12-13 19:48
Spin the Dawn By Elizabeth LimAlfred A. Knopf, 2019. 392 pages. Young AdultMaia Tamarin is the only daughter of a renowned tailor. Tailoring has long been considered a male profession, so wh… Read More
2019-12-12 22:42
Kindred By Octavia E. ButlerBeacon Press, 1979. 287 pages. FantasyIn 1976 California, Dana is a regular African-American woman, happily married to her white husband, Kevin. Though some famil… Read More
2019-12-10 21:36
10 Blind Datesby Ashley ElstonHyperion, 2019, 327 pages, YA FictionSophie is actually excited that her parents won’t be home for Christmas this year. It means she can spend more time… Read More
2019-12-10 02:26
Geronimo: His Own Storyby Robert M. Utley, GeronimoYale University Press. c2012. 348 pages. Biography.Renowned for ferocity in battle, legendary for an uncanny ability to elude capture. fear… Read More
2019-12-10 01:40
Murder in Mesopotamiaby Agatha ChristieBerkley 1936. 228 pages. MysteryWhen nurse Amy Leatheran agrees to look after American archaeologist Dr Leidner’s wife Louise at a dig near Hassa… Read More
2019-12-09 22:30
Ready, Set, Go! : A Gentle Parenting Guide to Calmer, Quicker Potty Training by Sarah Ockwell-SmithTarcherPerigee, 2017. 191 pgs. Nonfiction If you are thinking about potty trainin… Read More
2019-12-09 20:31
Cosmoknights, Volume 1 by Hannah TemplerRandom House, 2019. 216 pgs. Young Adult ComicsPan’s life was very small. She worked at her dad’s body shop, snuck out with her frien… Read More
2019-12-08 00:06
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Timeby Mark HaddonVintage Contemporaries, 2004. 226 pages. Fiction For 15-year-old autistic savant Christopher, interacting with people is a chal… Read More
2019-12-06 17:56
C.S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdomby C.S. Lewis; compiled by Andrea Kirk Assaf and Kelly Anne LeahyHampton Roads Publishing, 2018. 400 pages. NonfictionThis book is a collection of quote… Read More
2019-12-04 16:58
Whisper Networkby Chandler BakerFlatiron Books, 2019. 345 pages, Fiction.Truviv, Inc seems, on the surface, like a great place to work. However, there’s a toxic culture underneath that… Read More
2019-12-03 01:10
Foundrysideby Robert Jackson BennettCrown. 2018. 503 pg. Fantasy.In this book, Robert Jackson Bennett has crafted a world where magic brings objects to life. Each object is programmed throug… Read More
2019-12-03 00:52
XxxHolic 1by CLAMPDel Rey, 2004. 194 pgs. Young Adult Fiction Watanuki sees spirits, and they haunt him aggressively. As he is running from a particularly frightening vision, he stumbles… Read More
2019-12-03 00:38
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckby Mark MansonHarperOne. 2016. 212 pg. Nonfiction.Despite what the title seems to imply, Mark Manson does not teach you how to not care about the world aro… Read More
2019-12-02 21:26
Wayward Sonby Rainbow RowellWednesday Books, 2019. 368 pages. YA FictionIn this second installment of the Simon Snow Series, Simon must come to terms with losing his powers, though not his d… Read More
2019-12-01 00:40
Charlotte's PromiseBy Jennifer MooreCovenant Communications, Inc., 2019. 218 pgs. RomanceCharlotte's life was ripped apart when the Creek Indians attacked her family. Her parents were killed… Read More
2019-11-27 20:43
The Garden of Small BeginningsBy Abbi WaxmanBerkley, 2017. 368 pages. FictionLilian Girvan has been reeling ever since her husband died in a car accident three years ago. Now raising h… Read More
2019-11-22 23:54
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Storyby Jacob TobiaG.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019. 319 pages. NonfictionThe publisher describes this book as "a heart-wrenching, eye-opening, and giggle-inducing memoir a… Read More
2019-11-18 23:50
Are You Listening?By Tillie WaldenFirst Second, 2019. 320 pgs. Young Adult Comics.Bea is on the run, leaving behind her family and home. And then, she runs into Lou. Lou is also running awa… Read More
2019-11-16 18:26
The Heart of a VicarBy Sarah M. EdenCovenant Communications, 2019. 268 pgs. RomanceHarold Jonquil has always felt the desire to be a vicar but he isn't connecting to his congregation and is… Read More
2019-11-15 18:29
Ayesha at Lastby Uzma JalaluddinBerkley, 2019, 351 pages, General Fiction/RomanceAyesha dreams of travelling the world, becoming a poet, and marrying for love instead of getting an arranged… Read More
2019-11-14 02:16
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy Leagueby Jeff HobbsScribner, 2014. 406 pages. NonfictionThis book details the life of an intellig… Read More
2019-11-13 21:53
A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons by Ben Folds Ballantine Books, 2019. 336 pages. BiographyFans of Ben Folds’ beloved and sometimes unconventional mu… Read More
2019-11-12 01:22
This Is How It Always Isby Laurie FrankelFlatiron Books, 2017. 327 pages. FictionThis novel is about the way it always is: "change is always hard and miraculous and then hard again; parentin… Read More
2019-11-11 22:58
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creekby Kim Michele RichardsonSourcebooks Landmark, 2019, 320 pages, Historical FictionAs a librarian with the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Cussy Mary C… Read More
2019-11-11 21:56
Mike by Andrew NorrissScholastic Inc, 2019. 240 pages. Young Adult.15 year old Floyd is a rising tennis star, on track to playing in major tennis championships around the world. His par… Read More
2019-11-08 01:32
Monday's Not Comingby Tiffany D. JacksonHarperCollins, 2018. 464 pages. Young AdultShe's missing. How can Monday be missing? Her best friend Claudia just saw her. But she wouldn't miss the f… Read More
2019-11-08 00:04
Resistance By Jennifer A. NielsenScholastic Press, 2018. 385 pages. Young AdultIn 1942 Chaya Lindner is a Jew living in Nazi occupied Poland. When her family starts to fall apart, Chaya uses… Read More
2019-11-07 19:59
Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1) By Kat ChoG.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2019. 424 pages. Young AdultMiyoung is a gumiho, one of Korea’s legendary nine-tailed foxes that appe… Read More
2019-11-04 23:37
Beautiful Music for Ugly ChildrenBy Kirstin Cronn-MillsFlux, 2012. 271 pages. Young AdultGabe is just like any teenager in his Midwest town, struggling to navigate high school, a job, his pa… Read More
2019-11-04 16:00
The Call of the Wildby Jack LondonNew York : Macmillan ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International, c1994. 127 pages. Fiction.The adventures of an unusu… Read More
2019-11-02 22:33
Naturally Tan: A MemoirBy Tan FranceSt. Martin's Press, 2019. 267 Pages. BiographyEven if you don't watch Netflix's Queer Eye (and you should - it's so fun!), you'll enjoy getting to know on… Read More
2019-11-02 19:36
The Nocturnal Brainby Dr. Guy LeschzinerSt. Martin's Press. 2019. 353 pgs. Nonfiction.Dr. Leschziner, a consulting neurologist to three different hospitals in the UK, takes you through some… Read More
2019-11-02 19:24
The Philosopher's Flight (Philosophers #1)by Tom MillerSimon & Schuster. 2018. 422 pg. Fantasy.In Robert Weekes' world, magic is feminine. Almost all magic, or empirical philosophy… Read More
2019-10-30 00:47
The World of Lore: Dreadful PlacesBy Aaron MahnkeDel Rey, 2018. 329 pages. NonfictionDo you ever visit a place and get *that* feeling? In-explainable, unsettling, and dark? This book takes t… Read More
2019-10-29 23:52
Meet CuteBy Helena HuntingForever, 2019. 384 pages. RomanceKailyn Flowers was a calm, collected law student until the day she literally tripped over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she grew… Read More
2019-10-29 02:04
White Birdby R.J. PalacioAlfred A. Knopf, 2019. 220 pgs. Young Adult Comics In this graphic novel continuation of R.J. Palacio’s Wonder story, Julian the bully, continues to lear… Read More
2019-10-28 18:41
Skeleton Keys: Workplace HauntingsBy John KlannSchiffer Publishing, 2016. 143 pgs. NonfictionIf you grew up reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books or you saw the recent film adaptat… Read More
2019-10-24 23:31
The InstituteBy Stephen KingScribner, 2019. 561 pages. FictionOn a quiet night in suburban Minneapolis, Luke Ellis is taken from his home and his parents are murdered. He wakes up in a room… Read More
2019-10-24 15:45
Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imaginationby J.K. RowlingLittle, Brown and Company, 2015. 80 pages. NonfictionIn 2008, J.K. Rowling was asked to g… Read More
2019-10-24 00:12
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life & Freedom On Death Rowby Anthony Ray HintonSt. Martin's Press, 2018. 255 pages. Biography"On April 3, 2015, Anthony Ray Hinton was released from pris… Read More
2019-10-22 16:30
Girl Gone Viral by Arvin AhmadiViking 2019. 402 pages. Young AdultIn an imaginative near future not too different from our own, coding wiz Opal Hopper must become the internet’s next b… Read More
2019-10-22 15:36
Over the Top by Jonathan Van NessHarperOne 2019, 288 pages. BiographyJonathan Van Ness has risen to fame through Netflix’s popular reboot of Queer Eye, but his success has been hard fo… Read More
2019-10-18 17:34
The Raven Towerby Ann LeckieOrbit, 2019, 416 pages, FantasySummoned back to the city of Iraden from the Front, Prince Mawat and his assistant Eolo are stunned to discover that Mawat’s… Read More
2019-10-16 18:45
The Stranger Diariesby Elly GriffithsHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019, 338 pages, MysteryHigh school English teacher Clare Cassidy may know more about Gothic writer R.M. Holland than anyone e… Read More
2019-10-14 02:49
Small Great Things: A Novelby Jodi PicoultBallantine Books, 2016. 470 pages. FictionRuth, a labor and delivery nurse, is charged with a serious crime even though she is innocent. But, is she… Read More
2019-10-10 16:09
With the Fire on Highby Elizabeth AcevedoHarperTeen, 2019. 392 pages. Young AdultEmoni knows that as a teen mom, odds are stacked against her. So she works hard, at school, her job, and at r… Read More
2019-10-10 01:59
Cannery Rowby John SteinbeckPenguin Books. 2002. 181 pages. Fiction.The "story" of Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed yet resourceful me… Read More
2019-10-09 22:50
Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guideby Karen Kilgariff and Georgia HardstarkForge, 2019. 300 pages. NonfictionThe creators of the hit comedic true crime podcast (i… Read More
2019-10-05 19:16
Red Rising (Red Rising #1)by Pierce BrownDel Rey, 2014. 382 pages. Science FictionDarrow, a Red Helldiver whose sole responsibility is mining Helium-3, a gas mined on Mars that is used in th… Read More
2019-10-05 17:58
Reworkby Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonCrown Business, 2010. 279 pages. Nonfiction.It's easy to get bogged down as a new business owner. You have so many things to manage while try… Read More
2019-10-04 00:42
The Halloween TreeRay BradburyNew York : Knopf, 2007. Young Adult Fiction. A group of children and a "spirit" go back through time to discover the beginnings of Halloween.This book has… Read More
2019-10-02 20:43
A Song for the Starsby Ilima ToddShadow Mountain, 2019. 296 pages. RomanceMaile has lived an idyllic life on the island of Hawaii but things start to change when the explorer James Cook and… Read More
2019-10-01 20:20
Children of the Sea 2 by Daisuke IgarashiViz, 2009. 314 pages. Graphic NovelUmi is distressed over Sora’s disappearance, and no one knows how to help him or how to find Sora. Jim… Read More
2019-10-01 20:05
They Called Us EnemyGeorge TakeiTop Shelf Productions, 2019. 204 pages. Graphic NovelTakei is typically known for his work on the original Star Trek series as Hikaru Sulu. What fewer p… Read More
2019-10-01 19:58
Midnight at the Blackbird CafeHeather WebberForge Books, 2019. 336 pages. FictionAnna Kate's grandmother has died, prompting her to travel to the small town of Wicklow, where Granny Zee live… Read More
2019-10-01 19:55
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War IISonia PurnellViking, 2019. 368 pages. NonfictionVirginia Hall was born a Baltimore socialite, but so… Read More
2019-10-01 19:53
The Anatomist's ApprenticeTessa HarrisKensington Publishing Corporation, 2012. 310 pages. MysteryDr. Thomas Silkstone is a young anatomist from Philadelphia, visiting England to study under… Read More
2019-09-28 02:34
Angelfallby Susan EeSkyscape, 2012. 288 pages. Young AdultPenryn's life has never been easy, but things got a lot harder once the angels came seeking vengeance for archangel Gabriel's death… Read More
2019-09-25 22:47
Children of the Sea. I by Daisuke IgarashiViz, 2013. 316 pages. Graphic Novel When she was younger, Ruka saw a ghost, which disappeared in a sudden light, in the water at the aquar… Read More
2019-09-25 22:16
Pumpkinheadsby Rainbow RowellNew York, New York : First Second Books, 2019.209 pages. Young Adult.Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends. Every autumn, all through high school, they've wo… Read More
2019-09-25 02:12
A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identitiesby Mady G. & JR ZuckerbergLimerence Press, 2019. 94 pages. Nonfiction"Every person is worthwhile and valuable in their own way!" T… Read More
2019-09-24 22:23
Finale (Caraval, #3) By Stephanie GarberFlatiron Books, 2019. 478 pages. Young AdultLegend now sits on the throne, but the newly released Fates are running amok, bringing chaos and fear to t… Read More
2019-09-24 02:41
Imperfect: A Story of Body Imageby Dounya AwadaZuiker Press, 2019. 95 pgs. Young Adult ComicsDounya Awada is a 24-year-old devout Muslim and is very much alive. But just a few years ago, she… Read More
2019-09-18 16:38
Four Dead Queens By Astrid ScholtePutnam’s Sons, 2019. 413 pages. Young AdultIn the land of Quadara, four queens rule in tandem, one over each of the four quadrants. Keralie makes her… Read More
2019-09-18 16:30
All You Need Is KillHiroshi SakurazakaVIZ Media LLC, 425p, Graphic Novel, Science FictionAll You Need Is Kill is the source material for the Tom Cruise / Emily Blunt, Science Fiction, A… Read More
2019-09-16 16:04
One of Us is Lying By Karen M. McManusDelacorte Press, 2017. 360 pgs. Young AdultFive high profile teens walk into detention, but only four walk out alive. Simon, the creator of Bayview High… Read More
2019-09-13 23:25
Super Late Bloomer By Julia KayeAndrews McMeel Publishing, 2018. 158 pgs. Graphic NovelJulia Kaye made short comics documenting the early period of her gender transition. This touching and p… Read More
2019-09-13 17:18
The Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American Westby David Wolman and Julian SmithWilliam Morrow, 2019, 242 pages, NonfictionChey… Read More
2019-09-12 18:03
Hope and Other Punchlinesby Julie BuxbaumDelacorte Press, 2019, 306 pages, Young Adult FictionOn Abbi Hope Goldstein’s first birthday, she became a national treasure. On that day, Sep… Read More
2019-09-11 16:57
Forward Me Back to You By Mitali PerkinsFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019. 432 pgs. Young AdultKatina King is strong, skilled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and stands up for herself. When a traumati… Read More
2019-09-10 20:19
I Am Still Alive By Kate Alice MarshallViking, 2018. 314 pgs. Young AdultAfter a car crash takes her mother’s life, Jess bounces around in foster care until her father can be contacted… Read More
2019-09-10 16:39
Figuring by Maria PopovaPantheon Books, 2019. 578 pages, NonfictionIn Figuring, Popova introduces readers to a smattering of interconnected historical figures, from astronomers to sculp… Read More
2019-09-10 16:03
Barely Missing Everything by Matt MendezAtheneum, 2019. 306 pages, Young Adult FictionJuan dreams of basketball stardom to lift himself and his struggling mother, Fabi, from poverty. Hi… Read More
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