Fantasy/Science Fiction 

Thus far, Princess Shiori has successfully managed to hide her magic from all around her.  Magic is forbidden and none but her brothers know about her powers.  But while attempting to avoid her betrothal ceremony, Shiori accidentally reveals her magic to her stepmother, and also discovers that her stepmother has some dangerous powers of her own.  It’s a costly mistake and one that leaves Shiori banished from the kingdom and cursed to complete silence. Her six brothers are cursed to turn into cranes every day, painfully returning to human form each evening. The slightest utterance from Shiori would be certain death to one of her brothers.  Now the banished and silent princess must find a way to rescue herself and her brothers.  She will have to dig deep to find the strength to carry on, and she will have to learn to trust some unlikely allies along the way.  This is a beautifully imagined fairytale retelling with East Asian folklore woven in.  A must read for fantasy fans. 

Estranged siblings Isaac and Bellatine Yaga--one a charming con artist and the other a hardworking woodworker--are unexpectedly reunited when their twice-great grandmother passes.  The inheritance they receive is both a shared and unexpected one: Thistlefoot, a living house with chicken feet.  The two decide to take their new house on the road with a travelling puppet act, but soon find themselves caught up in Thistlefoot’s history when an entity called the Longshadow Man begins tracking them down.  With vivid prose and a unique magic system, this local Vermont author’s book explores the idea of inheritance, be it a physical item or a family history. 

Teenager, Bri, has a special gift - with the touch of her hand and the power of her mind, she can grow plants from seeds to full bloom in a matter of seconds.  It’s a powerful gift, but one that she has yet to fully learn how to control.  So when her aunt passes away and leaves her estate in upstate New York to Bri, her moms think this might be the answer they’ve been looking for.  On the rural estate, Bri will have an opportunity to practice her powers and fine-tune them.  But the dilapidated home and surrounding grounds quickly show themselves to be holding onto some sinister (even deadly) secrets - not least of which is a walled garden in which grow some of the deadliest plants known on Earth.  Bri will have to uncover the mysteries behind the estate and find a way to become one with her powers if she’s going to battle the dark secrets that threaten her and her family in their new hometown. 

Lipan Apache tales and storytelling style form the foundation for this tale of two characters from different worlds coming together.  Nina is a Lipan Apache girl in our world, Oli is a shapeshifting cottonmouth in the realm of spirits and monsters.  These two worlds have been separate for many decades, but when Oli needs to uncover a cure for his ailing friend, and Nina needs to save her family’s home and traditions, the two worlds collide in unexpected ways…and there are some who will do anything to keep them apart.

Linus Baker likes rules and order and that makes him a perfect fit for his job in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth where he is tasked with inspecting orphanages and homes for these unique children. But when Upper Management sends Linus to an island that houses particularly dangerous magical children, Linus is forced to confront the cruelty of the system within which he works. Every assumption Linus had made about the orphanage's caretaker and the eclectic group of children living on the island is called into question. His orderly life suddenly becomes very messy, but it might be the best thing that has ever happened to him. 

Half-dead on a ship bound for the Arctic, Victor Frankenstein recounts his life, from his tragic early years to his disastrous experiments in resurrecting the dead.  After deeming his newborn creation a failure and abandoning him, Victor must make his way through life with the fatal consequences of his actions always one step behind him.  This 1818 novel, written when Mary Shelley was 18 years old and considered to be one of the first science fiction novels, explores ambition, life, and what truly makes a monster. 

Nancy has recently returned after disappearing for several years, and is none too happy to be back.  People won’t believe her when she says she left through a door to another world, and came back the same way– that is, until she arrives at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children.  While this house of fellow travelers first appears to be a safe haven for people like Nancy, her arrival soon marks a dangerous turn in the home.  As danger grows nearer, it’s up to her and her fellow schoolmates to uncover the truth behind these tragedies and to maybe -just maybe- find the door that leads to home.  This is a wonderful book for those who wonder what happened to those who fell down rabbit holes or walked through wardrobes after they returned home.