In the summer of 2003, just before I entered the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, I took a weeklong poetry workshop with Derek Walcott. It was held not on campus but in a drab room of a midtown Kingston hotel. Until then I had only seen his image in black-and-white photographs, and now […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/10/21/far-away-naipaul-walcott/
Narrated by Whitney Johnson, Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the seventh novella in the Wayward Children series. Where do children go when Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children can’t save them? Why they go to Whitethorn Institute. Travel with Cora as she attends Whitehorn.
Where the Drowned Girls
by Seanan McGuire
Series: Wayward Children #7
Narrator: Whitney Johnson
Length: 4 hours and 31 minutes
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.
There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
And it isn’t as safe.When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.
She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming…
{
“@context”:”https://schema.org”,
“@type”:”Review”,
“datePublished”: “2022-10-21T05:00:00+00:00”,
“description”: “Narrated by Whitney Johnson, Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the seventh novella in the Wayward Children series. Where do children go when Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children”,
“publisher”: {
“@type”: “Organization”,
“name”: “Caffeinated Reviewer” },
“url”: “https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/where-the-drowned-girls-go-by-seanan-mcguire.html”,
“itemReviewed”: {
“@type”: “Book”,
“name”: “Where the Drowned Girls”,
“author”: {
“@type”: “Person”,
“name”: “Seanan McGuire”,
“sameAs”: “http://www.seananmcguire.com/” },
“isbn”: “” },
“author”: {
“@type”: “Person”,
“name”: “Kimberly”,
“sameAs”: “https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/” },
“reviewRating”: {
“@type”: “Rating”,
“ratingValue”: 4,
“bestRating”: “5”
}
}
It’s easy to see why Where the Drowned Girls Go was the 2022 Hugo Award Winner for Best Series. Once again, Seanan McGuire delights us with another atmospheric tale about children and doors.
Cora Miller, whom we met in Beneath a Sugar Sky and whose story continues in Come Tumbling Down, is struggling. Despite protests, she is transferred to the Whitehorn Institute. It isn’t as welcoming as Eleanor’s school, in fact, it is the opposite in every way. Cora wants nothing to do with doors, she wants to forget and believes the Institute will help.
Many will relate to Cora. Indeed, if you didn’t quite fit in as a child or fell outside the norm, you will sympathize with her. This wasn’t an easy listen as we explore diversity, fear, acceptance and the struggles to find our place. Cora is bullied and teased. Here, the girls are suppressed and forced to lie to themselves.
We witness Cora once again pick up the mantle of hero. She also learns she cannot do it alone. While not my favorite of the story, I will admit I couldn’t stop listening. It tied to the series, reinforcing the messages of finding one’s self and of working together.
Once again, I am left impressed by McGuire’s storytelling ability and the worlds she creates.
Whitney Johnson does an excellent job of bringing voice to Cora and setting the tone for the story. I’ve enjoyed listening to the series and recommend them in audio format.
Amazon | Audible
Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire takes us to the other institute for children #WaywardChildren #Audiobook #Fantasy
Click To Tweet
Seanan McGuire is a native Californian, which has resulted in her being exceedingly laid-back about venomous wildlife, and terrified of weather. When not writing urban fantasy (as herself) and science fiction thrillers (as Mira Grant), she likes to watch way too many horror movies, wander around in swamps, record albums of original music, and harass her cats. Seanan is the author of the October Daye, InCryptid, and Indexing series of urban fantasies; the Newsflesh trilogy; the Parasitology duology; and the “Velveteen vs.” superhero shorts. Her cats, Lilly, Alice, and Thomas, are plotting world domination even as we speak, but are easily distracted by feathers on sticks, so mankind is probably safe. For now.
Whitney Johnson is a voice actor who works with creators to bring stories to life. From audiobooks to characters for video games and audio dramas to e-learning, she brings a clear, energetic, and engaging voice that connects with listeners.
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Source
Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/where-the-drowned-girls-go-by-seanan-mcguire.html
There are so many holidays that it can be quite overwhelming to celebrate them all and learn about them. In Kittens Learn About Holidays by Shan Frazier, we are introduced to a group of loveable kittens who have just been adopted and need to get up to date with society’s holidays to be able to fully embrace their new lives. This educational story is filled to the brim with small bits of information I feel like we all should know, but one would be a liar if they dared say so. I found an abundance of newfound knowledge in every holiday introduced and now feel completely informed, as should these kittens.
The illustrations are just adorable and extremely delightful and depict each holiday perfectly. The dedication at the beginning of the book was so incredibly sweet that I could relate instantly to the author. Having a parent that goes above and beyond for special occasions or celebrations are memories that we cherish for a lifetime and tend to pass down as tradition.
Young readers who pick this book up will gush over the cute tiny felines and swallow up all the acquired facts strewn throughout. I just know my own children will love all the items and decorations on each page and we will have nonstop conversations over them. This turns a cute story into the perfect one for learning together and starting conversations about different cultures and religions. I feel the book was well thought out, researched, and expertly written.
Kittens Learn About Holidays is a beautifully written picture book that will educate and entertain children with details about their favorite holidays and teach them about new ones. This multicultural children’s book would be the perfect addition to a classroom and home to share with kids.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B0B7PSHK8T
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/21/kittens-learn-about-holidays/
Margaret’s Story by Annette Creswell is a captivating and intriguing story about loss, trauma, toxicity, mental illness, the effects of adoption, and the lifelong pursuit of happiness in the lives of a highly dysfunctional family. Creswell does an impeccable job of illustrating how mental illness and trauma affect a family and the life following thereafter. Margaret’s Story is brilliantly beautiful, intermingled with life and loss, and daringly bold in its complicated plot lines. This insightful novel sheds light on how the actions of people always yield results— for better or worse.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It made me evaluate how my relationship with my family directly affects the decisions I make. It also gives me perspective on how others deal with dysfunctional families. Margaret’s Story revolves highly around family and how intertwined relationships become with lifelines and decisions. This book was intriguing and truly made me think. The story itself was captivating and kept me wanting more. The characters were relatable and rich in personality, and the plot was thick with twists and turns.
This book deals with difficult topics sheds light on things that are not talked about or considered taboo and has a beautiful story that one can return to. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a family, deals with mental illness, and has a history of trauma. This recommendation is not based on the topics of these potential triggers; rather, it is based on how these are dealt with and can open up doors for opportunities.
Margaret’s Story is an emotionally charged family saga novel that touches on family life’s messy and complicated aspects. This book is highly recommended, and readers will find themselves invested in the story, wanting more until the end.
Pages: 190 | ASIN : B0BBW696N8
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/21/margarets-story/
Have you ever wondered what Christmas was all about? Why do we get presents and celebrate with our loved ones? In Christmas Begins with Christ by Gina Kirkland, we are taken on a beautifully magical explanation of the meaning of Christmas. The story is told through poetic prose and charms you quite thoroughly from your head to your toes.
The author does a splendid job incorporating the Christian faith along with other non-religious traditions that all play along in the celebration of Christmas. The illustrations by Marissa Napolitano are so magical and whimsical that, as an avid reader, I found it hard to turn the page. The characters and backgrounds were awe-inspiringly gorgeous and added to the rhythmic tone of the author’s words.
This is a perfect story not just for young readers but adults as well. It truly felt like Christmas to me, and it would be a great addition to my own family’s holiday reading library to get us in the spirit. The dedications from the author to her family were tear-worthy and left me blurry-eyed before I even started the story. I am so glad she was motivated to write this book because it was simply meant to be. It’s like when you read an amazing book and just know it was fated to be written, and you can’t stop recommending it. This is one of those books. It was dazzling from start to finish. I look forward to reading more books from this author and undoubtedly adding them to my family’s reading library.
Christmas Begins with Christ is a magical Christian-based picture book teaching children about the meaning of Christmas. This educational story will entertain and enlighten young children as they follow along through the pages.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0BD7C5QRJ
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/21/christmas-begins-with-christ/
The beauty about Gary Evans and his book SOL: Still Our Lions – The Rise, Fall and Renaissance of Detroit and its Pro Football Team is that you do not need to be a football fan, or even a sports fan, to enjoy his introspective book. The author writes in a way that is moving, and every sentence he pens is more attention-grabbing than the former. His way of expressing his thoughts on the subject matter is well thought out and stated directly. Gary Evans writes from the heart, and that is what makes his writing so appealing. He is authentic and candid in all he writes about. In between the sports discussions, readers get life lessons that the author shares while telling his story and the stories of others.
This informative book is about the Detroit Lions team in the NFL. The author writes about the football team’s history, major events, wins, losses, relationships with fans, the community, and everything in between. Gary Evans chronicles forgotten events, little-known heroes, and the role sports play in communities. The author explains how he believes sports loyalty works, writing that the Detroit Lions were loved through both their accomplishments and failures. The rise of the team, the challenges, and the goals achieved are what make the Detroit Lions special. Reading from a fan’s point of view is the magic in the entire book.
This book may focus on sports, but as you read on, you see that other themes arise. The other themes are politics, family, freedom and independence, race relations, policy making, and love. I appreciate that the author compiled notes about unheard-of history icons as he shared inspirational tales in his narrating. Reading this book gives one a feeling of nostalgia, even if not from the area being written about. The author has created an entertaining book that will give readers an appreciation of history and get them to see sports competitions in a different light.
Apart from learning about football as a sport and the Detroit Lions, the author also enlightened the reader on how to preserve culture and how to build a community with people that share the same interests. At the start of every chapter is a quote from historical icons. Two of my favorite quotes are “Time Slips away, leaves you with nothing, mister. Just stories of glory days,” by Bruce Springsteen, and “There is a fine line between honoring the past and losing yourself in it” by Eckhart Tolle. The lessons about life doubled with the impeccable storytelling skills make this book an interesting read. The reader gets to reflect on the past and appreciate the present.
SOL: Still Our Lions is more than a sports history book; it is a well-crafted and deeply thoughtful look at how sports impact and influence the communities they are part of. More than just a game, football is an avenue to bring people together that would otherwise not cross paths.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0BBKYW3XG
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/21/sol/
In Scamper and the Magic of Appreciation by Michal Y. Noah and Loren Noah, we are taken on a journey by Scamper, the squirrel who allows us to see the beauty in everyday little moments and to appreciate all we have around us.
The poetic prose of the story from start to finish is impressive. Just like the author’s note at the beginning of the story, we read impactful words of empowerment and feel motivated by every word throughout. The illustrations by Favreau are enchanting and sweet, literally beaming joy from every page.
I agree with the author about the importance of empowering young children and knowing their happiness and self-worth are in their own minds. I believe we sometimes forget as parents or caretakers how critical it is for an adolescent mind to learn the value of self-esteem and tend to only teach our children to just be ‘good kids.’ This book helps me remember that although, yes, we want our kids to behave nicely, especially around other people, to be good to themselves and enjoy life is just as equally relevant.
I would recommend this book to anyone with children or even someone who is looking for a confidence boost or great motivational quotes. The story has loads of them strewn about its length. This quote in particular, “Above me a blank canvas, a sky that’s clear and blue; On it I can paint my dreams, each day I will start anew.”, fills me with such hope and rapture that I will very likely repeat that as a morning mantra from now on.
Scamper and the Magic of Appreciation is a beautifully written picture book that encourages children, and adults, to look for the beauty within themselves. This children’s book is empowering as well as entertaining and will be a book that the whole family will want to read more than once.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 0996775757
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/21/scamper-and-the-magic-of-appreciation/
Real life spooky stories to read this Halloween
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/interviews.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light
Real life spooky stories to read this Halloween
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light
Watchlist: mysteries and thrillers coming to a screen near you this fall
Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light