Barstons Child’s Play — Favorites

“Getting to listen to the author herself read her poetry, which are clearly a testament to the spoken word and the art of slam, is absolutely the best way to devour this novel-in-verse. Acevedo puts everything into her words, and no one else could do them justice the way she does herself. Despite possible age/cultural/religious differences, any listener will immediately relate to this teenage girl desperately trying to both find herself and her voice, and live up to her family's expectations.”

“If you are at all into video games or the 1980's you are going to love Ready Player One. In a future where people often prefer to live in virtual reality than the real world, the man who invented The Oasis is one of the most famous people in the world. Inside the Oasis you can travel from planet to planet, go to school and live out your wildest dreams. But when he dies and leaves his fortune to whoever can find his "easter egg" hidden inside The Oasis - the challenge begins. I'm not even a huge fan of video games and thought this book was a lot of fun. I listened to the audio book read by Wil Wheaton which was great.”

“This book made me cry. I felt so deeply for Sadie as she goes in search of the man who hurt her sister. Sadie goes on a journey from place to place, fighting against her severe stutter along the way, all to find one man. I think the framing of this story was PERFECT. The author splits the narrative between a radio presenter, West McCray, as he investigates Sadie’s disappearance, and the first person perspective of Sadie herself, as she hunts down her sister’s killer. If you like gripping, emotional reads, don't miss this one.”

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be.”

“Nevermoor is The Unwanteds meets The Apprentice Witch, with a splash of Alice in Wonderland and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Seems like the perfect book right? This book weaves together a magical tale of cursed child, Morrigan Crow, who manages to escape her fate while traveling to alternate world. But how long can one really escape their fate? Morrigan must successfully complete every task to join the Wundrous Society, or risk being sent back home. I loved this adventure, and am sure that you will too!”

“For my first sci-fi book, this was recommended for me. I was NOT disappointed!”