Welcome to Litsy!

This was a fun new portal fantasy adventure. Two children find a wall blocking their path to school and when they climb over it, they enter the Up-and-Under, a world with giant talking owls, girls that turn into crows, and a road that doesn't stay in place. Avery and Zib are complete opposites but must stick together to find their way home. I enjoyed the tension of their two personalities, esp Avery's rejection of anything that doesn't make sense.

This was a fun middle grade read. 2 kids are walking to different schools and are detoured because of road damage. So they have to turn around and go another way. They come across a giant wall that shouldn‘t be there and decide to climb over it and have an adventure.

This is a pen name for Seanan McGuire.

Classic Seanan McGuire (author shown is pseudonym), manages to inject enough pathos into what would otherwise be silly adventure stories so that they have the same weighty stakes for adult readers as for younger ones. Like the remixing of certain Alice in Wonderland elements, like tarot instead of playing cards for dangerous fantasy royalty. VERY glad there are more books in the Up& Under series! [No plans to read Middle game/Seasonal Fears.]

New gender just dropped: murder. 🪶

In all seriousness, I enjoy the underlying message being presented here about judged appearance vs true identity. YOU know who you are, no matter the conventions the world tries to pile on.

Maybe Britain should try that...

Cute

I loved Middlegame, but wasn't sure if I was interested in this spin-off. Turns out I was! It shares a fair bit of DNA with Cat Valente's Fairyland books, with a sliiightly less knowing narrator. On finishing it, I was irritated not to have the second book; I'd got really into it.

Avery and Zib are two extraordinary kids who live in two different, ordinary cities never meeting until one day something extraordinary happens and they both find themselves climbing a strange wall. What they find on the other side will launch them on the greatest, or worst, most fabulous, or not, adventure either one of them could dream or have nightmares about. Full of fantastic talking creatures, danger and adventure this is a fun read.

This book is so quotable!

Love. It.

(And, just for the record, I would love to accidentally fall or climb over wall into a fun adventure!)

Did I pick the book to match my breakfast or make a breakfast to match my book?!? 😬

Truthfully, I started the book last night-and it‘s fantastic—and generally could never match anything before coffee so the color coordination is sheer luck!

If you‘re a fan of Seanan McGuire and you haven‘t read this one, you might want to take a look at it. I‘m really enjoying it so far!

So this is the middle grade book series Seanan McGuire refers to in Middlegame, written under another pen name.

It‘s not a bad book, and as a kid I might have enjoyed it. But it‘s one of those books who‘s plot is essentially a quest to find the way out of a world accidentally fallen into. Not a trope I enjoy.

If you love Seanan McGuire, the writing is as good as her writing always is. And this cover 🥰.

Igor and Venkman: “it‘s too early!”

Here‘s my #WeeklyForecast, all for various reading challenges. We‘ll see if I stick with the plan. 💖

Another Seanan McGuire book, this time writing as Deborah Baker, the fictional author from Middlegame and this book is also the book mentioned in Middlegame. Confusing, yes. This was a “portal” story that would feel at home among the Wayward Children series. My selfie is an attempt to look like a playing card, the King of Spades/Clubs. Because there‘s a character in the book called The Queen of Swords. Yes I know it‘s tarot. Made sense in my head.

This Oz-like children‘s fairy tale began as cryptic epigraphs sprinkled throughout Seanan McGuire‘s mesmerizing novel Middlegame, and now McGuire has written it as a stand-alone. Though I didn‘t love it as much as Middlegame, it‘s interesting enough that I‘m curious about the sequel.🔸#septemberreads2021

4/5 for this one! This was such an interesting middle grade fantasy. I went into it without knowing anything about it. I was immediately pulled into the story. I just loved Avery, Zib and Crow Girl. I got a bit of Alice in Wonderland vibes which I loved.

A thinly veiled Wizard of Oz retelling with Seanan Maguire's (A. Deborah Baker) typical weird & slightly dark spin. I had a great time, though there are parts where the logic left & I found some frustration in the story. I loved the whimsical nature & the quirkiness of the characters. I appreciate the lessons about individuality taught through the narrative. The story does leave off very abruptly, but there is a sequel coming, so I let that slide.

Well I guess 6 out of 25 for January isn‘t bad 😅 Would have done better, but this quarter of classes is kicking my ass at the moment. But still, nice to see some squares filled in. Tagged book was one of my favs for the month. We‘ll see how February goes 🤪 #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

A really neat, quickly read, modern fairytale. I haven‘t read “Middlegame” yet (although I plan to) and still felt fully able to appreciate/understand the happenings of “Over the Woodward Wall.” The open nature of the ending is lovely, and each character—even the baddies—shines in their own way.

Such fairytale vibes! Feels like Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz and the Wayward Children series got together and spat out this book. The kids are endearing, the Up-and-Under magical and nonsensical and overall this was a great little novella-esque story to lose myself in for a couple of hours. Could definitely see it appealing to all ages. #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks This was my #bookspin pick for the month!

A intriguing book, I advise reading Middlegame alongside this book or either before or after 3.5/5 Read as part of the #popsugareadingchallenge2021

Such a grand adventure!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3194488709?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

My first #bookspin and #doublespin of the year! Both short, both doable (I think). @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

Two fantastic audiobooks in a row. My next is gonna have a lot to live up to. This one flew by. Terrific storytelling.

This new book by author Seanan McGuire, under her newest pen name, is aimed at middle grade students. The end of the book definitely leaves room for at least one follow-up book. Written similarly to the Wayward Children series, but less morbid, Over the Woodward Wall is a fun escape from reality. Avery & Zib are thrown into the adventure of a lifetime when they encounter an unexpected wall blocking their path on the walk to school one morning.

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Another beautiful fall day at the park! 💕📚

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Friday night book and cuddles! 😸💕📚 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #roxas

This spot is too buggy to enjoy in the summer, but during autumn it's my perfect reading spot! 😍📚💕

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It's such a beautiful fall day! Perfect for a walk and a book! 💖📚🍁🍂

"Everything was ordinary, and nothing was ordinary at all."

I love Seanan Mcguire's writing! ? This is a companion to her fantastic book, Middlegame!

#catsoflitsy #littenkitten #chaplin

https://www.luulit.com/product/over-the-woodward-wall-audible-audiobook-unabridg...

(New Release)

Writing as A. Deborah Baker, New York Times best-selling and award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces listeners to a world of talking trees and sarcastic owls, of dangerous mermaids and captivating queens in Over the Woodward Wall, an exceptional tale for listeners who are young at heart.

If you trust her, you‘ll never make it home….