Poseidon's Academy by Sarah A. Vogler ~ a Review

by MK French

Over sixteen hundred years ago, humans banded together to kill the gods that had been using them. The gods' powers then rained down onto humanity, so that they could wield those powers for themselves. There is a prophecy that the gods will return, and one with the power of Zeus will control lightning and save the world. Hailey Woods is the first person born with the powers of Zeus in a century, but she's thirteen years old and hardly knows how to handle the power she does have. She enrolls in Poseidon's Academy, an underwater school that is very exclusive. The benefit of being underwater also means that Hailey can't use her power or be harassed to put on a show, allowing her to feel like a normal teenager. However, she overhears nymphs plotting against the human students and will do what she can to stop them from enacting the prophecy.

Bess and Frima by Alice Rosenthal ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Miracles of the Swan's Reflection by Rose S. King ~ a Review

by MK French

The crown prince Taj and the warrior Neriah are joined by three other warriors chosen by God to protect the various worlds of Creation. The fallen angels Bartholomew and Apollo had caused the shattering, which is now felt across realities, and are searching for the shards that give life to each world. Bartholomew is hoping to collect them, creating a holy weapon that can tip the balance against God. In addition, he had cursed Taj and Neriah so that they don't remember their prior lives when they're reborn in new worlds, which makes it more difficult to fight the fallen angels.

Literary Realism and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary

by Donna Huber

Madame Bovary is the first translated book I remember reading. It was part of my summer reading list in high school and I really enjoyed it. Whenever I think of Madame Bovary, I remember the wedding bouquet. Perhaps in Emma, I saw my own ideas of romance being overly influenced by the novels I read.

Today, I thought I would share some background information on Flaubert and Literary Realism as well as digging a bit deeper into some of the literary themes and devices used in Madame Bovary.

White Stag by Kara Barbieri ~ a #YALit Review

by MK French

Janneke is the last child in a family of daughters, so she was raised instead as a boy would have been, hunting and tracking. As a result, she escaped the slaughter in her village but was still taken captive by Lydian. She is forced to be the thrall to his nephew Soren, who later uses the hunt for a new king after the Erlking's death to draw her further into his world. The two grow closer through the battles, and eventually, a choice has to be made in order to save both the world of monsters and that of humans.

New Women's Fiction Books for January #MondayBlogs

by Susan Roberts

There are some really great women's fiction novels coming out this year. Here are 4 that come out this month that you don't want to miss.

The Island of Always by Stephen Evans ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

The Island of Always by Stephen Evans is my first book of 2019 and it was a good one.