In the early 1900’s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger.
Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January and richly imagined, a tale of impossible jounreys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow’s spellingbinding debut-step inside and discover its magic.
Review:
Have you ever gone into a book expecting one thing, only to realize it’s something entirely different? That’s exactly what happened to me with The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I had a very specific picture in mind after reading the synopsis, and the story turned out to be nothing like what I’d imagined. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
But let me be clear: I didn’t dislike the book. Harrow’s writing is stunning — lush, lyrical, and filled with imagery that makes you want to linger on every page. The concept of doors to other worlds was magical and haunting, and I adored the “story within a story” framework (I’m always a sucker for that). The early 1900s setting added depth and color, grounding the fantasy elements in a richly historical backdrop.
My biggest struggle was with January herself. At seventeen, she often felt older, yet her choices were frustratingly naive. She made mistake after mistake without seeming to learn from them—trusting the wrong people, mistrusting the right ones—and that tested my patience as a reader.
Final Thoughts
While it wasn’t the book I was expecting, it left me deeply impressed with Harrow’s talent and imagination. I would love to see how she develops her craft. Her lush writing is terrific, but I would love to see her develop her characters further. I will be sure to pick up her work in the future!
The Bird and the Blade is a lush, powerful story of life and death, battles and riddles, lies and secrets from author Megan Bannen.
Enslaved in Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom . . . until the kingdom is conquered by enemy forces and she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father across the vast Mongol Empire.
On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into an impossible love.
Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die.
Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of . . . even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart.
Review:
I first picked up this book through a Once Upon a Book Club subscription box. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love it—but since I’d paid for the box and wanted to open the gifts, I gave it a try. I’m so glad I did.
Bannen’s storytelling is stunning—lush, immersive, and woven in a way that doesn’t rely on straightforward chronology, yet flows seamlessly. The novel is based on a classic Chinese play (which I had never heard of before), and it’s refreshing to see a retelling that explores a time and culture rarely centered in Western literature.
Jinghua is a beautifully written heroine: resilient, layered, and forced to face impossible choices. Khalaf is equally compelling, a male lead defined by his sense of justice and integrity rather than brute force. Together, their relationship is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Instead of an instant spark, the romance grows out of kindness, deepens into friendship, and slowly blossoms into a love grounded in sacrifice and mutual respect.
This is exactly the kind of romance I love to see in YA—tender, believable, and powerful.
I highly recommend The Bird and the Blade to readers looking for a story that will sweep them away and break their hearts in the best possible way.
We have now come to the end. 2019 was an amazing reading year for me. I had so many books to choose from, but now it’s time to take a look at my top ten favorite books/series that I read in 2019!
1. Enchantée by Gita Trelease Still in first place is Enchantée! No other book this year wowed me quite as much as this magical retelling of the French Revolution. The lush writing and unforgettable characters completely stole my heart.
Trelease recently announced that the sequel won’t be released until 2021. While that was disappointing to hear, I admire her honesty—she didn’t want to rush the story and felt the original 2020 timeline wouldn’t allow her to do it justice. It took her three years to write Enchantée, so it only makes sense she’d want the same care for the sequel. Too often, follow-up books are rushed and lose their spark. So I’ll happily wait as long as it takes!
2. Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith For much of the year, it was neck and neck between Bloodleaf and Enchantée. In the end, Enchantée edged out by the smallest margin. Bloodleaf is a loose retelling of the fairytale The Goose Girl, and like Trelease, Smith takes the bones of a classic and spins it into something completely fresh.
I adored the magic system, but it was the characters—flawed, resilient, and deeply human—that made this book unforgettable. Their journeys of growth felt so authentic. The sequel comes out this summer, and it’s already one of my most anticipated reads of 2020.
3. The Lady Darby Series by Anna Lee Huber I started this series at the tail end of 2018 and spent 2019 happily devouring books 2 through 4.5. Lady Darby mysteries are consistently engaging, with wonderful historical detail and a heroine I adore. I still have more books ahead of me in this series, and I can’t wait to continue in 2020!
4. Stalking Jack the Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco This year I read the first two books: Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula. Both were excellent, but I have to give the edge to Hunting Prince Dracula. The atmosphere, gothic setting, and mystery gripped me even more than the first book. Books three and four are definitely on my 2020 TBR!
5. Sorcery & Cecilia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer This book was pure joy. A whimsical historical fantasy told through letters, it had me smiling the entire time I read it. The story itself is delightful, but what makes it even better is its unique origin—the book began as a letter-writing game between the two authors. If you don’t know the backstory, look it up. It makes the reading experience even more charming.
6. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton This was the most inventive book I read all year. A time-bending “whodunit” that blends the classic feel of an Agatha Christie mystery with a mind-bending fantastical twist. I couldn’t put it down. I’m eagerly waiting to see what Turton publishes next.
7. The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys Sepetys never fails to impress me. She shines a light on overlooked corners of history, and this book—set in post–Spanish Civil War Spain—was no exception. I’m ashamed to admit how little I knew about this period, and Sepetys opened my eyes to its lingering impact. Every time I read her work, I come away with not only a moving story but also a reminder of how much history still hides in the shadows. I’ll read anything she writes.
8. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson This was another unforgettable historical fiction read. It follows Cussy Mary, one of the last “blue people” of Kentucky, who also happens to be a traveling librarian. Prejudice, isolation, resilience, and the power of books all come together in a deeply moving story. The audiobook is especially wonderful.
9. The Sixth World Series by Rebecca Roanhorse Both Trail of Lightning and Storm of Locusts blew me away. These post-apocalyptic, Navajo-inspired fantasy novels combine myth, gods, and clan powers in a world that feels truly original. They’re fast-paced, gritty, and unlike anything else I’ve read. I can’t wait for the third installment!
10. The Verity Kent Series by Anna Lee Huber Clearly, Anna Lee Huber had a strong showing for me this year. While I slightly prefer her Lady Darby series, the Verity Kent books are excellent in their own right. Set in post–WWI England, they follow a former secret service agent navigating mysteries in a world still haunted by war. Huber’s research and attention to historical detail are remarkable, and Verity herself is a strong, layered heroine.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it—my top 10 reads of 2019! This year was full of unique worlds, unforgettable characters, and books that stayed with me long after I closed the covers. I can’t wait to see what stories capture my heart in 2020.
Honestly, every season is a season for reading—but there’s something extra special about fall. Maybe it’s the chill in the air, or the way shorter days invite you to curl up inside. Whatever it is, autumn seems tailor-made for sinking into a dark, luscious story in a way that summertime just can’t match.
When I started pulling books from my shelves to make a fall TBR, I ended up with far too many. My stacks quickly grew into a delightful mix: Agatha Christie–style whodunits, gothic historical romances (bonus points if there’s a fantasy twist), anything set in Victorian London, cozy contemporaries that feel like pumpkin spice lattes, eerie ghost stories, and some odd little titles that just felt like fall reads.
Will I get to them all? Absolutely not. Will I try anyway? Of course.
And that’s the paradox of every bookworm’s life. The consolation is simple: if I did manage to devour all of these titles this season, what would I have left to savor next fall?
Some of these reads will carry me into the winter months, too—but I firmly believe certain books are best saved for autumn. They belong to the season of colorful leaves, cozy scarves, pumpkins on the porch, and nights that beg for a blanket and a good story.
August? Not so much. I haven’t read one book all the way through in weeks, and it’s driving me a little crazy.
Sure, the start of the month was busier, and summer pressure is real—but nothing is grabbing me. And it’s not like I don’t have books. I feel like I have hundreds of unread books staring at me right now. Maybe… that’s the problem.
Too many books, not enough me Sometimes I forget I’m just one person (especially when it comes to buying books… or hitting a buffet). I look at my shelves and feel like I should be reading them all at once. But I can’t.
Yes, I can multi-task with an audiobook here and a novel there—but wanting to read twenty books at once? Across different genres and age ranges? Absolutely ridiculous.
My reading life in a nutshell
Historical fiction and fantasy are my top loves, across adult, YA, and middle grade.
Retellings? Count me in.
I’m in multiple book clubs.
I read for work.
And of course, I have my personal list.
It is, frankly, a little ridiculous.
The slump struggle Right now, I feel a bit defeated. My brain keeps asking, “How will you ever catch up?” Simple answer: read. But I can’t seem to stick with a book. I’ve picked up at least five and put them down again.
Has this happened before? Yes. Will I get through it? Absolutely.
In the meantime, I feel the wasted moments slipping by—the moments I’m not reading. So, what’s a book lover to do when they have no energy for the thing they love most?
Making the most of a slump
In the meantime, I’ve found that diving into other book-related activities really helps. Booktube and Bookstagram are my go-to whenever I can’t muster the stamina to read but still want to immerse myself in the bookish world.
I also keep trying new books. Eventually, something will stick and get me back into the groove. I have to remind myself: having too many books isn’t a bad thing. It’s just more opportunities. Everything in its own time.
Our lives are never perfect. As much as we’d like, we can’t plan out everything—the universe just doesn’t work that way. When you hit a reading slump, don’t be afraid to explore other interests for a while. Don’t worry—you’ll enjoy reading again. And when you do, you’ll find yourself savoring the joy of books even more than before. Which, weirdly, makes the slump completely worth it.
A guide to finding the right book at the right time
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! A place where books and moods meet. Here, I’ll be sharing the stories I read and the ways they find me: as comfort on difficult days, as adventure when I’m restless, as joy when I need light. This is part reading journal, part cozy gathering space, and I’d love for you to join the conversation. After all, the only thing better than reading is sharing it with other book lovers.
The Book Nook 