MADreads Reviews

Ally Condie had a major hit years ago with her young adult Matched trilogy, and has been a mainstay of the children’s and young adult lists since. The Unwedding marks her adult debut, an entry into the crowded thriller/crime field. Happily, The Unwedding is a winning effort, infusing one of the most traditional of crime sub-genres—the locked room mystery—with a subplot of grief and coping through tremendous loss.

The day has begun and the world is full of noises, lights, sounds, and feelings. The alarm clock is loud, the sun is bright, and the shirt is too itchy. Our main character is struggling and experiencing sensory overload. How will she navigate her day when the world is so loud, bright, and overwhelming?

The grownups in her life allow her to self-regulate and tell them what she needs. Slowly, our main character is able to have a gentle hug, quiet time, and personal space in a dark place surrounded by comfy things.

Eddie Winston is an unexpected romantic hero at 90 years old. He's making some changes and finding his groove. He works in an English secondhand shop in Birmingham sorting through donations.

Sherry Thomas' new mystery is set in a public library in Austin, TX and you can probably guess how that was instant literary catnip for me.

David Macauley, a celebrated illustrator of non-fiction books such as Cathedral and The Way Things Work, applies his knack for drawing complex structures in this gorgeous, heart-wrenching celebration of an aging plasterer, Angelo. 

The story follows Angelo as he restores the facade of a massive cathedral and reluctantly befriends a wounded pigeon named Sylvia. Angelo's declining health makes for a melancholy tone, but Sylvia's lighthearted antics and the warm, chaotic illustrations of Italian vistas give the story an incredible range. 

Every month Madison Public Library hosts a variety of book discussions and each of them warmly welcomes newcomers.

Makiia Lucier wowed me a few years ago with a book I've re-read many times. Her Year of the Reaper  was set in a fully realized fantasy world and featured a flawed, but honorable, protagonist facing impossible choices with much grace and compassion. Since reading it, I've been eagerly waiting for Lucier's next. And here it is.

“Why be one of many when you can be one of a kind?” Pa Sheep asks Sheepy as they choose his Halloween costume. Sheepy will not be dissuaded.

Greetings, readers. September has something of a valedictory air to it, as the close of summer and the waning of the year, but for the publishing world, it’s 

They are short and rewarding and you will feel accomplished when you're done.

In a battle between the blustering north wind and the warm shining sun, who do you think would win? Would anyone win? In this Aesop's fable, re-imagined by author/illustrator Philip Stead, three sisters go out in their patched-up coats—colored yellow, blue, and red—to take a walk before the weather changes. At first, the sun shines sweetly upon them, but then the grouchy north wind takes over, blowing cold, harsh air across the sisters' path and the whole world! Will the north wind manage to turn the sisters' coats to rags after all? Or will the sun's rays prevail?

A bit ago I read Emma Southon's A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and loved the deep dive into how murder and assassination were viewed in ancient Rome. Not long after posting that review I heard about another book about ancient roman history. The podcaster mentioned how much they'd enjoyed a biography about Agrippina, a woman who was a descendant of Julius Caesar. She was also a sister, niece, wife, and mother to three other emperors.

Though Berney's novel is called Crooks and centers on folks who aren't shy about bending (or breaking) the law, it's not really a crime novel.

This is the last completed work from beloved picture book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola.

Every month Madison Public Library hosts a variety of book discussions and each of them warmly welcomes newcomers.

Cozy has been a hot sub-genre in fantasy fiction in recent years. And I've been happy it's so. I'm equally happy when I find a cozy science fiction novel (and yes they do exist).

Nicola Bridge can be excused for wondering whether all the decisions she has made have been mistakes.

If you've always wanted to try birdwatching with your kiddo but are not quite sure how to start, this is the book for you!