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The Beholder by Anna Bright

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The Beholder by Anna Bright
Format: Book
Who’s It For: Teens and Adults

Selah was devastated when Peter publicly rejected her proposal to make him her prince, her husband.  Didn’t he know how much she cared for him?  Before her private tears were dried, Selah’s stepmother Alessandra, whom she silently dubbed her “smother,” had a plan laid out for the Council.   Selah would leave her home and her ailing father.  With a company of protectors and advisors, Selah would set sail across the Atlantic to meet four potential suitors from very different lands.  She had to choose wisely to make a good political alliance.  Would love even be a possibility?  Would Selah ever return home?  Was her dear father dying?  Selah realized the gravity of her pending decision. It would impact her, her family, her country.  And what secrets was her crew hiding about her ship, The Beholder?  Was there more at stake than met the eye?

I enjoyed this historical fantasy.  It often paralleled fairy tales and mythology, such as Cinderella, Snow White, and The Odyssey.  I’m looking forward to its sequel, The Boundless, in 2020!

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A Princess in Theory

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A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Format: Digital Audiobook, Book
Who it’s for: Adults

This is book one in the Reluctant Royals series, and it features Naledi Smith and Prince Thabiso of Thesolo. Unbeknownst to her, former foster kid Naledi was once betrothed to Prince Thabiso. But, as an orphan with no recollection of her parents or hometown, when she starts receiving emails from Likotsi, assistant to His Royal Highness, she assumes she has been targeted by scammers.

After receiving an unfavorable email response from Naledi, Thabiso intends to confront Naledi and demand an explanation for her parents’ insolence in leaving the kingdom of Thesolo. When Thabiso realizes that Naledi has no idea who he is or who she really is, he decides to shrug off his royal duties in exchange for the opportunity to be a commoner.

What follows is a romantic and passionate courtship that reads like a Disney fairytale, with a touch of humor. Find it in the catalog. 

Book: The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty

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Book: The Traitor’s Kiss
Author: Erin Beaty
Who’s It For: Teens and Adults

Sage Fowler knew she wasn’t marriage material. She was independent and outspoken. And as Madame Rodelle, the Matchmaker, confirmed, her looks, though pleasing, would not dazzle men. Sage didn’t want to disappoint her guardian, Uncle William Broadmoor. Yet, Sage would not be chosen as a Concordian bride. Ironically, Madame Rodelle wanted Sage as her apprentice. “Matchmaking is primarily a task of reading people, collecting information, and piecing it together.” Sage was to ferret out information from the soldiers who escorted the brides to be. Which men would best suit which Concordian brides?

Meanwhile, Captain Alexander Quinn was on a mission too. He and his men needed to safely escort the brides to Cambria, traversing the land that seemed to be infiltrated by the enemy Kimisara. Moreover, he needed to protect the prince, his cousin, Rob. And who was Lady Sage Broadmoor, the inquisitive one who seemed adept at collecting information from his soldiers? Could she help him in his cause? When Sage befriended soldier Ash Carter, promising to teach him to read, Quinn wondered, who is spying on whom?

This book kept me entranced with its blend of history, romantic suspense, and a surprise identity.

Here’s the book!

Rulers of the Playground

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Submitted by Mr. Eric!

What’s better than playing at the playground?  Being the undisputed ruler of the playground, of course. In Rulers of the Playground, written and illustrated by Joseph Kuefler, a young boy named Jonah crowns himself king of the playground by climbing to the top of the highest slide and proclaiming, “Promise to obey me and I’ll let you play in my kingdom!” And since his kingdom had some pretty sweet slides, everyone pinky promises to obey him completely. There is a golden period of peace in Jonah’s kingdom until… a girl named Lennox decides to claim half his kingdom (the half with the best swings) for herself. Some of Jonah’s followers decide to cross their hearts and live under Lennox’s rule. As you can imagine things escalate from there with neither one of the young rulers happy with their circumstances. At its core this is a story about how heavy one’s head gets when it wears a crown, and that playing with others is more fun than bossing them around. See this book listed in our catalog

The Princess and the Pony, Black Cat White Cat, and Traveling with Your Octopus

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!
On Tuesday I shared some of my favorite non-fiction picture books of the year so far. Today I want to share some of my favorite fiction picture books of the year so far! Here they are:

Meet Princess Pinecone in The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton. She lives in a kingdom of warriors! And for her birthday she always gets… cozy sweaters… which are… not very warrior like… So this year she’s made it very clear she wants a cool warrior horse. But what she gets instead is this pony. And as you can probably guess, this pony is kind of slow and dumpy (and gassy as it turns out), and just not what she wanted, BUT she takes him to “The Great Battle” anyway and… they end up being voted Most Valuable Warriors of the Day! I’ll let YOU find out how Pony saves the day, and how it celebrates, but needless to say it’s adorable! See this book listed in our catalog

Black Cat, White Catby Silvia Borando has got the best twist ending of the year hands down. It’ll be hard to beat anyway. This book totally lulls you into thinking it is just a story about a black cat and a white cat. The black cat only comes out during the day, and the white cat only comes out at night. Black, white, day, night. But then it has this amazing ending I’m obsessed with! I’ve been comparing it to the picture book equivalent of a Rickroll. I won’t spoil it for you, but kids who love “silly” books will eat it up. See this book listed in our catalog

International travel can of course be a mind opening and life enhancing experience. And who wouldn’t want to bring their beloved pet octopus along for the trip? But traveling with your octopus can be tricky! Luckily there’s this practical guide book, Traveling with Your Octopus by Brian Kesinger, with great tips and suggestions. For example, “Octopuses are known to be voracious readers, so it is recommended that one piece of luggage be devoted entirely to literary cargo.” What great advice! See the amazing places you can go with your octopus in this amazing book! See this book listed in our catalog

Interstellar Cinderella

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Submitted by Ms. Sara!

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood is true to most of the elements of the original fairy tale, but this Cinderella is a girl living in outer space who dreams of fixing rockets. She spends her time fixing robot dishwashers, but she studies rocket ship repair every night. When Cinderella is forbidden from attending the Royal Space Parade and Gravity Ball, Murgatroyd the mouse calls on the fairy godrobot, who gives Cinderella a new space suit and a power gem to power her rocket…but only until midnight. On the way to the parade, Cinderella spots the prince, whose rocket ship has broken down. She fixes his ship and they ride to the Gravity Ball together. At midnight, Cinderella has to leave, but she drops her socket wrench. The prince searches far and wide for the owner of the wrench and when he finally finds her, this Cinderella ends her story with a bit of a twist on the classic version. With Cinderella re-imagined as a smart, independent girl, and rhyming text that adds to the classic feel, kids and adults alike will enjoy this fractured fairy tale that proves with a bit of determination, your dreams can come true! See this book listed in our catalog