The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Last year, I reviewed Naomi Novik's first book in the Scholomance series, A Deadly Education. I was eager to plunge again into the complex world of a closed-system school for burgeoning wizards, and the second in the series, The Last Graduate, did not disappoint.


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Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

Schizophrenia has had a long, torrid history in the world of mental illness. As a disorder that manifests in a wide range of presentations and is only partially understood, it is also a fascinating peek into the complexity of the mind.


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Seven Unmissable Books from Molly

From Victorian London horrors to magical realism, here are a few books from Steven Johnson, Shaun Tan, Aimee Bender, Vivian Shaw, Alexander Dumas, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tara Westover that I think are unmissable.


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March is National Craft Month!

In 1994, the Craft & Hobby Association created National Craft Month to help people rediscover and learn about the benefits of crafting. Dabble in a fun new hobby, or pull out those trusty old needles, hooks, threads, paints, and spatulas for some fresh experimenting. Get started with dozens of crafting ebooks at hoopladigital.com if you prefer physical books try some from the library catalog.


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Super Simple Hand Lettering Projects by Kiley Bennett

What I love most about this book is how practical it is. You don't have to be a master hand letterer or go buy a bunch of fancy tools - Kiley Bennet shows you how to use multiple art mediums to add personalization and charm to gifts and projects with basic materials and things you already have on hand.


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Anthony Horowitz Mystery Venn Diagram

Mom mom Karen and I each read an Anthony Horowitz novel to compare plot details. Of Magpie Murders, my mom says, "It was decent. I would recommend it to someone I knew likes manor house English murder mysteries." I liked the quirky way of telling the story in The Word is Murder, and the development of the narrator's thought processes and opinions. I found the actual rationale for the murder to be a bit disappointing, but enjoyed the red herrings and the storytelling a great deal.


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Beaucoup Fish by Underworld

When I was in college for my undergraduate degree, I had an incredibly tough first year. I would go to the park near my dorm, lie on the grass and stare up at the trees and listen Beaucoup Fish by Underworld on repeat, on my discman (remember those??)


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Animal Tails, Human Tales

Charming animal characters can be a lovely stand-in for the humanity in all of us. Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad in The Wind and the Willows, our WE ALL READ book selection, express all kinds of human sentiments and behaviors.


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Shades of White from Country Living Magazine

If you have never thought of white as a complex color, think again. Shades of White explores the versatility of this timeless color in the home setting. With breathtaking photos of rooms whose only common denominator is the thoughtful use of the color white, the book is broken out into four styles: rustic, classic, vintage, and modern.


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Whimsical Stitches by Lauren Espy

I'm the kind of person who thinks eyes and a smile make any inanimate object instantly adorable and irresistible. If that speaks to you (or your inner child) you will delight in every page of Lauren Espy's Whimsical Stitches: a Modern Makers Book of Amigurumi Crochet Patterns.


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