Why am I passionate about this?

Well, truly, who doesn’t want to live inside of a magical castle? A few years ago, I was lucky enough to become the owner of a crumbling Victorian house. It was in bad shape—a hoarder had lived there before with lots of cats and also, somehow, rats?—but the place had “good bones.” My husband and I were determined to scrape away all of the rot and give it new life—all while I was writing my middle-grade novel. Now that both projects are done, I truly feel like I live in an enchanted space.


I wrote...

The Girl Who Kept the Castle

By Ryan Graudin,

Book cover of The Girl Who Kept the Castle

What is my book about?

Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. Faye, the daughter of West’s groundskeeper, is charged with…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Nevermoor

Ryan Graudin Why did I love this book?

I bought this book for my niece for Christmas but found it difficult to wrap it because I was so immersed in the world Jessica Townsend conjured! Morrigan's main character has such a wry and endearing voice, and I loved following her on her adventures!

I especially loved the Hotel Deucalion, with its shifting rooms and smoking lounge filled with different flavors of mist—it felt like an utterly charming place to stay. Ultimately, this book was a lovely, magical escape!

By Jessica Townsend,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Nevermoor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination.

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters…


Book cover of Howl's Moving Castle

Ryan Graudin Why did I love this book?

I must confess that I watched the movie version of this book before I read it—but I adored both versions so very much. Diana Wynne Jones has long been a favorite author of mine. Her writing is cleverly cheeky.

This is one of her most popular works, for good reason! Who doesn’t love a grumpy wizard and a deal-making fire demon? Not to mention an enchanted castle that moves around the countryside!

By Diana Wynne Jones,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked Howl's Moving Castle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Now an animated movie from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, the oscar-winning director of Spirited Away

In this beloved modern classic, young Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell...

Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls...

There Sophie meets Michael, Howl's apprentice, and Calcifer…


Book cover of Starling House

Ryan Graudin Why did I love this book?

The titular character in this book is, in fact, a house, and it has quite the personality! With hidden passages, winding halls, and secrets beneath the floorboards, this mansion is the perfect backdrop to a haunting tale about magic and legacy.

I loved the tales within tales that Alix E. Harrow wove inside the narrative: this book is a Southern Gothic classic for the 21st century.

By Alix E. Harrow,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Starling House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

'Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent' - Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

Step into Starling House - if you dare . . . Alix E. Harrow reimagines Beauty and the Beast in this gorgeously modern Gothic fantasy, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Naomi Novik.

Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it's best to let this ill-omened mansion - and its last lonely heir - go to hell. Stories of the house's bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the…


Book cover of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Ryan Graudin Why did I love this book?

I am a huge fan of Roshani Chokshi’s work—but she outdid herself with this book. The writing is thickly luxurious, and the House of Dreams, where much of the story takes place, feels like it sits at the borders of a fae otherworld. The magic is palpable. And deliciously foreboding.

By Roshani Chokshi,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Last Tale of the Flower Bride as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Gorgeous and ornate' Holly Black

'Lingers like a fever dream' V.E. Schwab

Do not look. Do not ask. Do not pry.

A sumptuous, gothic story about an obsessive female friendship cursed to end in tragedy, a marriage unraveled by dark secrets, and the danger of believing in fairy tales - the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Castenada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed…


Book cover of Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Ryan Graudin Why did I love this book?

I probably read this Beauty and the Beast retelling nearly ten times when I was a teenager—McKinley takes a well-known classic and puts her own twist on the tale. Beauty is not beautiful in this version, but that only makes the rest of the story more brilliant.

I loved exploring the Beast’s enchanted castle and watching their love story unfold as if for the first time. Of course, the magical house only makes it more of a joy to read.

By Robin McKinley,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Beauty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries. This is another spellbinding and emotional tale embroidered around a fairytale from Robin McKinley, an award-winning American author.


Don't forget about my book 😀

The Girl Who Kept the Castle

By Ryan Graudin,

Book cover of The Girl Who Kept the Castle

What is my book about?

Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. Faye, the daughter of West’s groundskeeper, is charged with the unfortunate task of informing the wizard that he is now a ghost who has lost all magical powers. To make matters worse, the enchanted castle of Celurdur—the only home Faye has ever known—will fall apart at the next new moon if its foundation spells can’t be renewed.

After accepting his demise, West hosts a competition to choose his successor. But a servant of the evil Shadow Queen sabotages the contest and is set on destroying not only Celurdur but the entire kingdom of Solum. It is up to Faye to stop him with her broom and mop.

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By Bethanie Murguia,

Book cover of Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage

Bethanie Murguia

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Discover a new early middle-grade graphic novel series full of humor and heart about a lovable dog, her favorite human, and their pawsome pack in this unforgettable friendship story. Though Thunder wants to be good for Sage, she’s having a rough time stopping herself from doing things she knows are wrong – like barking, digging, and chasing suspicious furballs. She’s shocked when her inner Wolf appears and reveals the truth behind these irresistible impulses. It’s all because dogs are really wolves! The big question is: Will Thunder choose to be a loyal pet to Sage, or embrace the wild animal…

Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage

By Bethanie Murguia,

What is this book about?

Thunder the dog likes to take naps by the sunny window, sniff around for hidden treats, play fetch, and get cuddles from her favorite human, Sage.

Though Thunder wants to be good for Sage, she's having a ruff time stopping herself from doing things she knows are wrong - like barking, digging, and chasing suspicious furballs around the yard. She's shocked when her inner Wolf appears one day and reveals the truth behind these irresistible impulses. It's all because dogs are really wolves! (That is, they're descended from them.) The big question is: Will Thunder choose to be a loyal…


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