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How to Make Friends with the Dark

Grace "Tiger" Tolliver and her mom June have always faced the world together, fighting to overcome adversity. They manage to survive on the money from June's jobs at Bonita's daycare, as the county Bookmobile lady, and by selling jams and jellies in the summer out of their Jellymobile. They are a "well-oiled, good-looking, and good-smelling … Continue reading How to Make Friends with the Dark

After the Fire by Will Hill – Review by Shannon Baer

Nerdy Book Club

BEFORE

Everyone has their own concept of what creates a family. For Moonbeam, it is her mom and the other members of the Holy Church of the Lord’s Legion. Set in Texas, the group resides on a compound just outside of town. They are a mostly self-sustaining group, and in the past have driven to the Outside to recruit new members. That, however, was before the arrival of Father John Parsons. The cult community becomes cut off from the world, save the weekly expedition for supplies accomplished by Amos. They seem happy, caring, and secure in their love for each other and the Lord’s love for them as they wait for their moment of Ascension. When the handsome and friendly Nate Childress joins the fold, Moonbeam’s life is flipped in ways she never thought could be hers.

AFTER

Moonbeam wakes to find herself in a locked psychiatric facility following the…

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The Hate U Give

We have a guest post from my student Alyssa T.! From Amazon: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the … Continue reading The Hate U Give

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

We have a guest post from my student Alex S.! From Amazon: Celebrity scientist Tyson's profound intellect is matched by his charm and wit. In this slim title, he attempts to explain some of the most complex astrophysics concepts in layman's terms. Readers should be prepared for a challenging yet edifying experience from the get-go: … Continue reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl

We have a guest post today from Addison M., a student in my class! From Amazon: It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he's figured it out. The answer to the basic existential question: How is it possible to exist … Continue reading Me and Earl and The Dying Girl

Beauty Queens

From Amazon: From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, a desert island classic. Survival. Of the fittest. The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, … Continue reading Beauty Queens

The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly

Today we have a guest post from a student of mine, Bailey P.! From Amazon: Experience the fantastic adventure filled with magical objects, secret sects, and life as we know it on the line! Mixing magic and physics, Ted Sanders has created an epic story that has the feel of classic fantasy but twists it … Continue reading The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly