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Yoga Books For Practitioners and/or Teachers In Training

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Last week, I wrapped up the final assignments of my yoga teacher training program. I didn’t write about this much, if at all, here on STACKED, in part because yoga has been such an intensely personal part of my life and keeping it as something almost entirely offline has been really important to me. But after a year of giving up a weekend every month to learn how to deepen my practice, as well as how to teach, I wanted to not only talk a bit about it, but also highlight some of the books I read along the way I think might be valuable for those who practice yoga and those who are thinking about or beginning a teacher training program.

My 200-hour training program had three required books, all of which were read in part or in whole:

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with commentary and translation from Sri Swami Satchidananda

Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar

 

The Key Muscles of Yoga by Ray Long

 

The sutras, I think, should be required reading for those with a long, dedicated yoga practice who want to go beyond the asana (pose) level. It’s the philosophy and system of beliefs underpinning yogic studies, and while it looks intimidating, it’s actually a good read. There are parts which are surprisingly funny, as some of the examples given about ideas are meant to encourage a little laughter for them to settle in. We spent a weekend reading this aloud and discussing it, and I found myself taking a lot from it for my own personal life, both on and off the mat.

The Iyengar book I didn’t really read. I browsed it and used it as a reference book, but one of the problems is that the plates and descriptions are useful from that sort of reference standpoint only. Iyengar is a tiny, muscular man, so there aren’t modifications offered for any of the asanas, and more, there are examples in there where he’s hyperextending which can be dangerous (especially for people like me who have are hypermobile and can hang out in the joints if we aren’t being conscious of engaging muscles — that can do some serious damage down the line).

Without question, Long’s reference on muscles was a necessary read. I didn’t quite “get” everything at first read, but I’ve read it a few times now, and each time, I gain a little bit more understanding of how the various muscle groups in the body work with one another. It’s really fascinating stuff once you have a baseline knowledge, and I know this is a book I’ll come back to again and again. Long has another book, The Key Poses of Yoga, which I’ve had sitting on my shelf for a while, and though I’ve heard it’s not as great as Muscles, I think I’ll spend some time with it to get a sense of how he approaches different asanas.

And that was it for program reading. I liked having a light reading list, in part because we had a nice, extensive manual from the teacher who’d provided a lot of information on asanas, on sequencing, and on other teacher-side things. Having little required reading meant that I had some time to explore other books, and more, that my teacher and fellow students in the program had an opportunity to explore what else was out there and share our hits and our misses.

Some of the books I found to be worthwhile reads:

Yoga Sequencing by Mark Stevens

This one was recommended by fellow classmates pretty early on into the training, and I picked it up immediately. I didn’t read it, though, until we were deep into talking about sequencing and how to build a coherent, logical, injury-free, and fun class. I read through it, cover to cover, and I made a lot of notes, but the most valuable part of the entire book is the reference guide in the back. There, Stevens has not only listed some of the most common asanas, but he talks about what muscles and joints need to be open and fired up in order to properly transition into the pose, and then he talks about appropriate counterposes for them.

We focused a lot of training on injury prevention, and having this guide has been so helpful. Why is it that it’s not necessarily great to transition from half moon to warrior 3? It has to do with the rotation of the hip joints — and the Stevens guide does a great job of offering what might make for better transitions instead.

This wouldn’t be a book I’d recommend to those looking to begin a yoga practice, but it might be one for those who have a regular practice looking to deepen it at home and/or for those planning to go through a teacher training.

 

Teaching Yoga by Mark Stevens

Another Stevens book, but this one was one I didn’t buy. I borrowed it from my teacher and read through it one morning while working the desk at the yoga studio. This is a really basic overview of how to teach, how to give solid cues, and some of the dos and don’ts to prevent injury and ensure solid alignment in asanas. One of the things Stevens really harped on in this particular guide was something I really appreciated, which was why it’s not a good idea to pull the flesh out from beneath your sitz bones in poses like dandasana.

The biggest takeaway for me in this particular book, though, was something we ended up discussing a LOT, which was the precision of words we use while curing. Stevens talks specifically about words ending in “ing” and how they should be used as deepening cues, rather than as a means of communicating to students what they’re to do. So, if you’re going to cue something like baddha konasana (butterfly legs, as many know it), you would say “bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the side,” as opposed to “bringing the soles of your feet together and letting your knees drop out to the side.” The “ing” cues are better served as means of deepening. In the same pose, an “ing” cue would work better if you added “bringing your feet closer to your perineum may bring a stronger stretch.” In other words, the “ing” of cues are options, rather than the cue itself.

As a language nerd, this has been something I know has been committed to memory.

This, like the sequencing book, isn’t one I’d pass along to a beginning yoga student, and it likely isn’t one I’d recommend unless teaching is something you plan on pursuing. It covers a lot of basic concepts any teacher would learn in training, but it was a nice refresher and offered those small bits of wisdom for me to think about as I begin my teaching.

 

Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley

If there were a yoga book I’d recommend to everyone interested in beginning a practice, deepening a practice, or teaching yoga, it would be this one. I talked at length with Stanley about her book when it released earlier this year and I’ve yet to stop thinking about it. It’s part memoir, part guide to beginning a practice, but what makes this book stand out is that Stanley doesn’t look like your stereotypical western yoga practitioner. She has a larger body, she’s black, and she’s proudly queer. These are all part of her story, of course, but the part which really makes it stand out is how, when offering poses and sequences for readers to try, there are a variety of bodies modeling the asanas, as well as plenty of options to make the practice your own. Meaning there are prop options, that there are modifications, and there’s a general sense of welcoming anyone into the practice.

Stanley’s story is one that isn’t atypical of those I’ve met through yoga. She was going through hard shit in her life, and she found yoga to be a way to connect with herself and manage her life better. This was what turned me onto the practice, and it’s been a tremendous means of my learning how to manage my mental health and love and honor what my body can do right here and right now. It’s a story I’ve heard from other teacher trainees and from those who walk through the door itching to learn and practice.

One reason I think this should be required reading is that it’s a reminder that any body is a yoga body. That it’s essential to know that part of the job of teaching is reminding people to honor where they are right now, and to listen to the cues their bodies and breath are giving them every single day. My experience in yoga at my studio hasn’t been what is so frequently seen in the media. There are very few willowy, young, blonde women with fancy clothes and equipment. It’s a wide range of ages, of fitness levels, of bodies, of experiences, and that’s part of what makes yoga what it is — anyone can do it and take something powerful away from it.

 

 

Ayurveda was another huge component of my teacher training. It’s the sister science to yoga and focuses on eating and lifestyle choices to help keep the body and mind health and well. Ayurveda, like yoga, is a set of practices and tools, some of which will work for you and some of which won’t. But for me, it’s been really valuable in better understanding why some people act the way they do when they are acting out of line with their normal character. There’s simply an imbalance somewhere. An easy example: people become a little weird and spacey sometimes at the beginning of fall, and that’s simply because there’s a higher concentration of vata in the air (vata is the principle of movement). So it simply needs to be decreased by focusing on things which are grounding and slower paced to help balance that out.

We didn’t have any required reading for Ayurveda, but I read a few books the weekend we did the unit on it because I wanted to learn as much as possible. And I’ve found integrating some of these things to be valuable in my diet and wellness. Both of the books below would be accessible for the general reader.

 

Ayurveda and Panchakarma by Sunil Joshi

Written for Westerners, this was a really quick and clear guide to the basics of Ayurveda. It includes what to eat for your dosha, what to avoid, and how to find balance in any situation.

I ended up not reading the second half of the book on panchakarma, though it’s there for anyone who’s interested in the practice (which is, in basic terms, akin to doctors who practice western medicine but for doctors who practice ayurveda).

What I especially appreciated about this book was that it’s written by a practitioner in a way that explains how logical and intuitive ayurveda is. It makes sense of a lot of the new and emerging research that western science has found about the best ways, times, and foods for eating, except it’s based in a 5000 year old practice. I loved finding those connections and ah ha moments, and I’ve been able to implement a lot of ayurveda practices into my own diet.

 

 

The Ayurveda Way by Ananta Ripa Ajmera

I bought this one because it was inexpensive and looked really pretty. This is definitely a book that would work well for those new or interested in ayurveda but who might be skeptical about the reality of incorporating it into their lives. Ajmera has put together short ways to live in tune with ayurveda, along with the whys and hows, and a variety of recipes and gorgeous images. It’s a very pretty book, as well as one that’s practical.

What I appreciated is that because of the shortness of the tips and ideas, I could bypass what I knew what wouldn’t work for me. And rather than write it off as something weird or strange, I could literally see how Ajmera found the practices useful and powerful and accept that just because it doesn’t sound realistic for me, that doesn’t mean it’s not realistic for others (there are, I should mention, certain ideas about how tasks and activities should happen in the morning and in what order, which for me, are totally out of the question but for many others, might be perfectly workable and life-changing).

I would peruse this one at a library and then decide whether it’s worth the cash unless it’s on sale. I think I got it for under $10, which was worth it to me. And if this book piques your interests, the one above certainly will take you even further in depth.

 

On My To-Read

A few books that I’m itching to read post-training to help deepen my understanding and education include the following. I’ve pulled descriptions from Goodreads.

 

Curvy Yoga by Anna Guest-Jelley

Have you wanted to try yoga but wondered if it was for you? Or perhaps you were uncertain whether you could carry out the poses? As the creator of a body-affirming yoga phenomenon that embraces people of all shapes and sizes, Anna Guest-Jelley has written an encouraging book that is about to become your go-to resource. In Curvy Yoga®, she shares stories about body shaming with poignancy and even sometimes with humor. Guest-Jelley also reveals how things started to change once she found yoga—the last thing the self-declared non-athlete ever thought was possible. In addition, Guest-Jelley shares how yoga can help you connect with your body and why accepting your body doesn’t mean giving up on it. Finally, in the appendix, she presents a series of pose instructions and options to make yoga work for your body—not the other way around.

I listened to Guest-Jelley on the Creative Super Powers podcast and not only did I love her story and background with yoga, she talked about how teachers might consider beginning their asana cues with the most supportive version before moving deeper. Though I learned a lot about modifications and prop use and believe in them, the idea of starting there never occurred to me, and it’s given me a lot to chew over, especially as I want to create a space welcoming to all bodies.  

 

Yoga Bodies by Lauren Lipton

Artfully capturing yoga’s vibrant spirit, Yoga Bodies presents full-color yoga-pose portraits of more than 80 practitioners of all ages, shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and skill levels–real people with real stories to share about how yoga has changed their lives for the better. Some humorous, some heartfelt, others profound, the stories entertain as they enlighten, while the portraits–which joyously challenge the “yoga body” stereotype–celebrate the glorious diversity of the human form. Handsomely jacketed and richly visual inside and out, Yoga Bodies is a coffee table-worthy contemplation, a meaningful gift, and a source of endless inspiration for anyone seeking fresh perspectives on how to live well.

I’ve had this sitting on my shelf and really need to take an afternoon to peruse it because I know it’ll be a gorgeous reminder of how yoga is for every body. 

 

The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi

Yoga is well known for its power to create a healthy body, but few realize the emotional and spiritual benefits. In The Secret Power of Yoga, world-renowned Yoga expert Nischala Joy Devi interprets Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the principles at the basis of Yoga practice, from a heart-centered, intuitive, feminine perspective, resulting in the first translation intended for women.

Devi’s simple, elegant, and deeply personal interpretations capture the spirit of each sutra, and her suggested practices offer numerous ways to embrace the spirituality of Yoga throughout your day.

This book was sitting in the waiting area at one of the studios I visited during my teacher training (because I did try out some other local studios to explore other teaching styles and methods) and it immediately caught my eye. I bought it but haven’t looked at it yet. As I itch to learn more about the power of the Sutras, this sounds like a perfect companion for doing just that. 

 

The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, The Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga To The West by Michelle Goldberg

Born into the minor aristocracy (as Eugenia Peterson), Devi grew up in the midst of one of the most turbulent times in human history. Forced to flee the Russian Revolution as a teenager, she joined a famous Berlin cabaret troupe, dove into the vibrant prewar spiritualist movement, and, at a time when it was nearly unthinkable for a young European woman to travel alone, followed the charismatic Theosophical leader Jiddu Krishnamurti to India.

Once on the subcontinent, she performed in Indian silent cinema and hobnobbed with the leaders of the independence movement. But her greatest coup was convincing a recalcitrant master yogi to train her in the secrets of his art.

Devi would go on to share what she learned with people around the world, teaching in Shanghai during World War II, then in Hollywood, where her students included Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo. She ran a yoga school in Mexico during the height of the counterculture, served as spiritual adviser to the colonel who tried to overthrow Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, and, in her eighties, moved to Buenos Aires at the invitation of a besotted rock star.

Everywhere she went, Indra Devi evangelized for yoga, ushering in a global craze that continues unabated. Written with vivid clarity, The Goddess Pose brings her remarkable story—as an actress, yogi, and globetrotting adventuress—to life.

I’ve checked this book out from the library approximately ten times but haven’t yet found the time to dig in. I am so curious about the woman who brought yoga west, in part because yoga was a practice by men for men at its roots, so any of the feminist history is something I will be enjoying.

 

The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope

While many Westerners still think of yoga as an invigorating series of postures and breathing exercises, these physical practices are only part of a vast and ancient spiritual science. For more than three millennia, yoga sages systematically explored the essential questions of our human existence: What are the root causes of suffering, and how can we achieve freedom and happiness? What would it be like to function at the maximum potential of our minds, bodies, and spirits? What is an optimal human life?

Nowhere have their discoveries been more brilliantly distilled than in a short–but famously difficult–treatise called the Yogasutra. This revered text lays out the entire path of inner development in remarkable detail–ranging from practices that build character and mental power to the highest reaches of spiritual realization.

Now Stephen Cope unlocks the teachings of the Yogasutra by showing them at work in the lives of a group of friends and fellow yoga students who are confronting the full modern catastrophe of careers, relationships, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Interweaving their daily dilemmas with insights from modern psychology, neuroscience, religion, and philosophy, he shows the astonishing relevance and practicality of this timeless psychology of awakening.

More info on the sutras and the philosophy behind yoga beyond the asanas is going to continue to be an interest of mine. 

This Week at Book Riot

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I’ve been taking care of a ton of business off the internet the last couple of weeks, and one of the consequences of that was forgetting to do a Book Riot round-up here last week. But never fear — it just means a bigger round-up this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week brought a new episode of the Hey YA! podcast. Eric and I talked about how we talk about reading YA books, about good and not-so-good “meets” pitches, and we wrap up the show recommending a bunch of horror reads. Listen in!

Romance Round-Up

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It’s been a while since I’ve read a romance novel, and I was feeling in the mood the past week, so I knocked out two from a couple of authors I tend to enjoy: Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare.

A Scot in the Dark is the second novel in the Scandal and Scoundrel series by Sarah MacLean. The first was the similarly punny The Rogue Not Taken, and because I love a good pun (understatement of the year), I was already inclined to love this series. Nothing will ever match my love for MacLean’s Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover, but this series has been pretty solid so far.

Beautiful, orphaned, rich Lillian Hargrove met a talented artist and fell in love with him, happy to serve as his muse, thinking they would soon become engaged. She even sat for him nude; he promised the portrait would be just for them. But he lied, and he announces to the entire ton that he plans to reveal his work, “the greatest nude of our time,” at a special exhibition, at which point Lily knows she will be ruined. She’s well on her way there anyway, since all of society knows she is the subject of the painting. Then Alec, the new Duke of Warnick and still Lillian’s guardian (despite the fact that she’s well into her twenties) arrives in town, determined to help her recover from the scandal by marrying her off to a kind, respectable man. Alec is a Scot and wants nothing to do with the dukedom, which he was seventeenth in line for. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs.

Alec and Lily’s story is lovely. Lily insists on only marrying for love, and Alec insists he’s unworthy of her love, even after the two realize how they feel about each other. Like many of MacLean’s heroes, Alec has a heart-wrenching backstory that amply explains his seemingly irrational behavior. Lily herself is incredibly strong. She’s angry that she cannot just do what she wishes with her own money, and she’s angry that Alec is trying to prevent her from simply leaving the people who whisper about her and going to live somewhere else. She knows what people say about her, and she’s not entirely unashamed, but she’s also not really that apologetic about it, and she doesn’t have to be. She took a man she loved at his word, and the painting itself is truly lovely. MacLean calls this her sex-tape book, and the modern equivalent is something like that. Witnessing Lily and Alec fall in like, then love, then work through their respective troubles (sometimes apart, sometimes together) to achieve their happily ever after is incredibly satisfying. This is another winner from MacLean. (Justine Eyre narrates the audiobook, and while she’s still one of my favorite narrators, I thought her voice for Alec was pretty bad this time. I would probably recommend sticking to the print version.)

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare shows that Dare just gets better with each book. Her early novels were a bit rough, but each subsequent novel has improved upon the last, and this is one of her best. It’s also one of her funniest, and I’ve always been a sucker for funny romance novels (Julia Quinn is the author who first hooked me on romance).

Charlotte Highwood has cornered Piers Brandon, the Marquess of Granville, in the library to tell him that she does not intend to marry him, despite what her notorious matchmaker mother might want. Except they are alone in the library, and when someone opens the door, Charlotte and Piers duck behind the draperies so they’re not spotted. It doesn’t matter that they were only talking; if they were discovered alone, people would assume the worst. The person who walks into the library is actually two people, and they soon commence upon a tryst upon the desk as Charlotte and Piers listen on, horrified (and amused). When a child alerts the adults at the party to the fact that there are strange noises coming from the library (“Murder!” he screams repeatedly), Charlotte and Piers are the only ones found inside, as the two lovebirds have already vacated it.

The adults know what the sounds mean, and it would seem that the only way to save Charlotte’s reputation is to marry Piers. Except that’s really not what Charlotte wants (at least not yet, as our two leads haven’t fallen in love). So she decides to find out exactly who was having a grand old time in the library, with just a couple of clues to go on: a unique perfume scent in the air and a fancy garter embroidered with a capital C. Piers had his own reasons for being in the library that evening – he’s a spy for the British crown, and while he wants to do the right thing by Charlotte and marry her (he’s falling for her, after all), he knows it would put her life in danger. But the two cannot seem to keep apart from each other, of course, and as Charlotte thinks she grows closer to the identity of the “tuppers,” there are also strange events that could be interpreted as attempts upon her life.

The mystery in the book is a light one, and not the primary focus. It’s mainly used to generate laughs, and it excels at this goal. The solution to the mystery lovers’ identity is a lovely one and a genuine surprise; Charlotte and Piers’ happily ever after is no surprise at all. Dare’s hero and heroine aren’t nearly as tortured as MacLean’s, and this is a much lighter read as a result. There’s a bit of danger, but mainly this book is just plain fun. Highly recommended.

Debut YA Novels of October 2017

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It’s time for another round-up of debut YA novels of the month — here’s what we’ve got for October.

This round-up includes debut novels, where “debut” is in its purest definition. These are first-time books by first-time authors. I’m not including books by authors who are using or have used a pseudonym in the past or those who have written in other categories (adult, middle grade, etc.) in the past. Authors who have self-published are not included here either.

All descriptions are from Goodreads, unless otherwise noted; I’ve found Goodreads descriptions to offer better insight to what a book is about over WorldCat. If I’m missing any debuts out in October from traditional publishers — and I should clarify that indie/small presses are okay — let me know in the comments.

As always, not all noted titles included here are necessarily endorsements for those titles. List is arranged alphabetically by title, with pub dates beside them. Starred titles are the beginning of a new series.

 

Among The Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz (10/3)

World War Two has shattered Valka’s homeland of Russia, and Valka is determined to help the effort. She knows her skills as a pilot rival the best of the men, so when an all-female aviation group forms, Valka is the first to sign up.

Flying has always meant freedom and exhilaration for Valka, but dropping bombs on German soldiers from a fragile canvas biplane is no joyride. The war is taking its toll on everyone, including the boy Valka grew up with, who is fighting for his life on the front lines.

As the war intensifies and those around her fall, Valka must decide how much she is willing to risk to defend the skies she once called home.

 

 

Beasts Made Of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (10/31)

In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt.

Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family.

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves – and his own life.

A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.

 

The Breathless by Tara Goedjen (10/10)

No one knows what really happened on the beach where Roxanne Cole’s body was found, but her boyfriend, Cage, took off that night and hasn’t been seen since. Until now. One year—almost to the day—from Ro’s death, when he knocks on the door of Blue Gate Manor and asks where she is.

Cage has no memory of the past twelve months. According to him, Ro was alive only the day before. Ro’s sister Mae wouldn’t believe him, except that something’s not right. Nothing’s been right in the house since Ro died.

And then Mae finds the little green book. The one hidden in Ro’s room. It’s filled with secrets—dangerous secrets—about her family, and about Ro. And if what it says is true, then maybe, just maybe, Ro isn’t lost forever.

And maybe there are secrets better left to the dead.

 

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani (10/24)

Taja Brown lives with her parents and older brother and younger sister, in Houston, Texas. Taja has always known what the expectations of her conservative and tightly-knit African American family are—do well in school, go to church every Sunday, no intimacy before marriage. But Taja is trying to keep up with friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, first everythings. And she’s tired of cheering for her athletic younger sister and an older brother who has more freedom just because he’s a boy. Taja dreams of going to college and forging her own relationship with the world and with God, but when she falls in love for the first time, those dreams are suddenly in danger of evaporating.

 

 

 

 

*Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski (10/10)

THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: You must be gifted. You must be younger than twenty-five. You must be willing to accept the dangers that you will face if you win.

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Gupta’s entire life has been leading up to this—the opportunity to travel to space. But to secure a spot on this classified mission, she must first compete against the best and brightest people on the planet. People who are as determined as she to win a place on a journey to the farthest reaches of the universe.

Cassie is ready for the toll that the competition will take; the rigorous mental and physical tests designed to push her to the brink of her endurance. But nothing could have prepared her for the bonds she would form with the very people she hopes to beat. Or that with each passing day it would be more and more difficult to ignore the feeling that the true objective of the mission is being kept from her.

As the days until the launch tick down and the stakes rise higher than ever before, only one thing is clear to Cassie: she’ll never back down . . . even if it costs her everything.

 

The Devils You Know by MC Atwood (10/3)

Plenty of legends surround the infamous Boulder House in Whispering Bluffs, Wisconsin, but nobody takes them seriously. Certainly nobody believes that the original owner, Maxwell Cartwright Jr., cursed its construction—or that a murder of crows died upon its completion, their carcasses turning the land black. If anyone did believe it all, there’s no way River Red High would offer a field trip there for the senior class.

Five very different seniors on the trip—Violet, Paul, Ashley, Dylan, and Gretchen—have reasons beyond school spirit for not ditching the trip. When they’re separated from the group, they discover that what lies within Boulder House is far more horrifying than any local folklore. To survive, they’ll have to band together in ways they never could have imagined and ultimately confront the truths of their darkest selves.

 

 

Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis (10/3)

Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won’t admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he’ll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn’t show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

 

 

 

 

*Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (10/10)

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins–sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

 

 

 

Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott (10/10)

Right before Sadie died, she begged her sister, Ruby, to do the one thing she could never do herself: Find the treasure on Gray Wolf Island.

With just a mysterious treasure map as a guide, Ruby reluctantly allows some friends to join her on the hunt, each of whom is touched by magic: a boy allegedly born to a virgin, a girl who never sleeps, a boy who can foresee his own death, and a boy with deep ties to the island. Each of them is also keeping a secret—something they’ll have to reveal in order to reach the treasure.

As the secrets come to light, Ruby will have to decide: Can she make peace with her friends’ troubled pasts and continue to trust them? Can she forgive herself for doing the unspeakable? Deep in the wilderness of Gray Wolf Island, Ruby’s choices will determine if they make it out with the treasure—or merely with their lives.

 

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez (10/17)

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

 

Kiss Me In New York by Catherine Rider (10/3)

It’s Christmas Eve at JFK in NYC.

Charlotte is a British student, waiting for a flight home after the worst semester of her life. Anthony is a native New Yorker, surprising his girlfriend at the airport after three months apart. Charlotte has just been dumped, and Anthony is about to be dumped, right in the middle of the holiday crowd.

Charlotte’s flight is canceled when a blizzard blows in, and Anthony can’t bear to go home. So, they set out into the city together, clutching a book Charlotte picks up in the airport gift shop: Ten Easy Steps for Getting Over Your Ex. For this one night, they’ll focus on healing their broken hearts … together.

Step-by-step, the two struggle to put the past behind them. But the snow is so enchanting, and the holiday lights are so beguiling, that soon their shared misery gives way to something else. Soon, they’re not only over their exes — they’re falling for each other.

Then a subway ride splits them up by mistake. Will they reunite before Charlotte’s flight leaves New York forever?

 

*The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli (10/3)

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

 

Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster (10/10)

Sev is branded with the mark of a criminal—a star burned into her hand. That’s the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.

Now her mother’s body is displayed above Traitor’s Arch, kept in a paralyzed half sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev is forced to do hard labor to prove that she’s more valuable alive than dead.

When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev’s only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person—Howl, the chairman’s son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can’t help but wonder if he knows more about her past—and her mother’s crimes—than he lets on.

But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev’s life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.

 

Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevingne

Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Naima and Rose are like anyone their age: figuring out who they are and trying to navigate the minefield of school and relationships. Life isn’t perfect, but they’re united by their love of music and excited about what the future holds for their band.

That is until Naima dies in tragic circumstances, leaving behind only one word. ‘Sorry’.

What awful truth was she hiding? What dark secret was lurking behind her seemingly sunny persona? And how did Red, the self-styled protector of the group, fail to spot the warning signs?

While Rose turns to wild partying and Leo is shrouded by dark moods, Red sets out to uncover the truth and find out what – or perhaps who – was responsible for Naima’s death.

It’s a journey that will cause Red’s world to crumble, exposing the dark and dangerous truth behind the fragile surface of their existence. Nothing will ever be the same again, because once a mirror is shattered, it can’t be fixed.

 

*Select by Marit Weisenberg (10/3)

Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface—dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.

Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him—John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life?

 

Us Kids Know by JJ Strong (10/24)

Siblings Brielle and Ray O’Dell are lost. Anxious. Restless. Bullied at his Catholic school for being small and timid, Ray wants to be someone people respect or, even better, someone people fear. Meanwhile, Brielle—whose “popular” status feels tenuous at best—knows that something is off about her friendship with the shiny, happy, sophisticated blond girls on her field hockey team. They don’t really understand Bri, and if Bri is being totally honest, she doesn’t really understand them either.

When storied delinquent Cullen Hickson enters the orbit of the O’Dell siblings, though, everything changes. Brielle and Ray find an alluring, addictive outlet in Cullen, who opens their eyes to a world they didn’t know existed. For Ray, that means experiencing the singular thrill of small-time crime—from breaking and entering to grand theft auto—while Brielle quickly dives into an all-consuming romance with the enigmatic upperclassman.

But as Brielle and Ray find themselves more and more entwined with Cullen’s antics, the once-thrilling experiences begin to feel increasingly dangerous, culminating in a life-changing event that shakes the teens to their core.

 

The Wicker King by K Ancrum (10/31)

When August learns that his best friend, Jack, shows signs of degenerative hallucinatory disorder, he is determined to help Jack cope. Jack’s vivid and long-term visions take the form of an elaborate fantasy world layered over our own—a world ruled by the Wicker King. As Jack leads them on a quest to fulfill a dark prophecy in this alternate world, even August begins to question what is real or not.

August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth.

Thriller Roundup

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I’ve been on a huge adult thriller kick lately, likely stemming from my love of The Girl on the Train, which I read last year. Nothing I’ve read since (including Paula Hawkins’ follow-up) has quite lived up to that experience, but there have been a lot of entertaining books nonetheless. Here are a few recent ones.

 

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Anne and Marco are attending a party at their next door neighbors’ house, and they’ve left their six month old baby daughter at home because the neighbors have requested no children. Marco says it will be fine – they’ll have the baby monitor on them, and they’ll take turns going to check on her every half hour. Except when Anne goes to check on her just after midnight, she’s disappeared. What ensues is a twisty page-turner where everyone has secrets – Anne and Marco, Anne’s parents, their next door neighbors, and others – and the truth behind who took the baby is just the tip of the iceberg. This isn’t the most sophisticated thriller out there – you’ll probably guess at least a few of the twists before they happen, but don’t worry, there are more to follow – but it’s supremely entertaining. I look forward to seeing what Lapena writes next.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware is really, really good at writing thrilling mysteries. Of the authors I’ve read in my pursuit to match The Girl on the Train, she comes closest. In a Dark, Dark Wood is her first book, and it’s a total winner. Nora has decided to accept Clare’s invitation to attend her hen night (think bachelorette party for Brits), despite the fact that she hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and they parted badly. The party is in a remote cabin in the woods with no cell service (of course), and right away, strange things start happening, the first being that Nora discovers Clare is marrying Nora’s high school boyfriend, James. Ware has created a cast of interesting, dynamic characters, some of which you’ll like and some of which you won’t, and her plotting is top-notch, plus the atmosphere can’t be beat. It’s pure joy to see the way everything comes together – you won’t be able to quit turning the pages. This is a true marriage of mystery and thriller, just the way I like it.

Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

Grace thinks she’s found the perfect man for her. Jack is handsome, kind, charming, and adores her teenage sister, who has Down syndrome and will need to live with them once she turns 18 and is no longer able to stay at her special school. Once they marry, though, everything changes (as you knew it would). Jack isn’t at all who he pretended to be, and he has plans for Grace and her sister that will make your skin crawl. At times, Jack is so completely evil that it’s difficult to suspend disbelief while reading, but this also makes the ending doubly satisfying. Paris tells her story in two parts – before, when Jack is wooing Grace and they are first married, and after, when the new dynamic is completely established and Grace is a total prisoner in her own home, trying anything she can think of to save her and her sister. It’s a difficult read at times, but it’s also impossible to put down, and you can be comforted by the fact that in stories such as these, the villain always gets his comeuppance. While the other two books I review in this post are mysteries as well as thrillers, there’s no real mystery aspect to this one.