The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler

 

Eleven year old Mattie can read minds, her mom tells fortunes, her father is an illusionist and her brother can disappear.  They perform at fairs and carnivals.  They have always hidden the fact that their talents are real.  When they join a circus and their talents are threatened, it is up to Mattie to save the day.  There is magic, circus, and fun in this great children's book.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

I read this book in two days and one evening.  I could not put it down. I had not really ever been interested in the JFK story, despite having grown up in the Dallas area for most of my life.  However, just a few years ago, I learned that my grandma had dated Jack Ruby.  That piqued my interest in the event.  In this story, Jake finds that there is a way to travel through time and he is commissioned to go to 1963 and stop Oswald from killing Kennedy, but it will take some time and planning since the portal in time only leads to 1958 and time doesn't like to be changed. During that time, Jake, who changes his name to George, becomes a part of the past, but will he be able to change it?  Totally fantastic book.  Next, I plan to watch the TV series that is based on the book.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This book is like a very long description
of an acid trip.
Bees and honey
and swords and honey
and keys and honey
and owls and honey
and a bunny who is a girl who is a bunny
and cats and books and stories
and a starless sea
and a harbor
parties,
a dollhouse,
and dancing
and Max of the wild things
and video games
and I think, it is most likely, that
the owls are not what they seem
although that is another story.
Many stories in one story.
A mysterious underground
magical world.
Love stories.
"It doesn't feel real, but it does feel familiar."
A very long, sticky story of fantasy and mystery and honey.

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

I read this book during the Covid 19 pandemic and while it has a lot of science fiction elements in it, the political and cultural and religious elements are eerily close to what we see playing out right now.  In this book, the main character's  younger sister is the first of the "walkers", a growing group of people who are strangely sleepwalking across the country.  The CDC joins the group trying to determine the cause of the strange phenomenon, but some of the CDC members are later called away to deal with a pandemic which some people believe is caused by the walkers.  As the pandemic progresses, we see conspiracy theories, right wing militia groups, religious zealots and mass anarchy. It is a kind of creepy book to read during a pandemic.

This I Know by Eldonna Edwards

The story begins in the 1960s when Grace is 11 years old.  She has always known things that other people don't and she talks to her twin brother who died when they were born.  Her aunt calls it a gift, but her evangelical preacher father calls it witchcraft.  As the story progresses, Grace's gift, that she calls her "knowing" shows her things that help other people, but her father thinks it is satanic. The story follows Grace as her mother falls into depression after giving birth to Grace's youngest sister.  It is a touching story and I think people will enjoy it.

The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Eelia Sherman

This is a fun to read story about 12 year old Nick, who has run away from his mean uncle only to wind up as an apprentice to the Evil Wizard Smallbone whose enemy is a loup garou named Fidelou.  Nick learns magic and learns about his own self worth in this story.  It has excitement and magic and I think that middle school age children will enjoy it very much.

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Two high school girls, who only know who each other is because they have a class together, are thrust together when a high school football game turns into a riot with a shooting involved.  They escape together only to wind up in another riot as they attempt to locate Lena's boyfriend.