Wings:
by Aprilynne Pike

So, many of you already know that my wife's authorial debut hit #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List for Children's Chapter Books. Am I proud of her? Indeed I am. Has this been an incredibly positive experience for our family? Yes, it has. Am I an impartial observer in the process? Not by a nautical mile.

But who is? Neutrality is the grand illusion of Western thought. One is never truly impartial. Furniture is impartial. Rocks are impartial. But people? People are inevitably biased. Everyone who judges Aprilynne's book does so with their own set of biases, and I see no reason to privilege theirs over mine. If you think my opinion is somehow inferior because I have a stake in Aprilynne's success, then stop reading now. And if you're still reading anyway, go get someone to slap you in the face until you stop feeling so smug and self-important. I'm not here to assuage your confirmation bias. I'm going to tell you why my wife's book is awesome, and along the way I'm going to say some interesting things about the writing community.

Stardust:
by Neil Gaiman

The first thing I ever read by Gaiman was Sandman; the second was American Gods. Both are fabulous, and may or may not be reviewed here someday. Gaiman is a master of the language and (by all indications) a nice guy to boot, so it is with great pleasure that I recommend his modern fairy-tale, Stardust.

His Dark Materials:
Northern Lights/The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass
by Philip Pullman