Book Recommendations - Backlog Edition! [by Keilani McConnell]

I'll be sharing some recommendations for books I read each month! This month will be ones that I've read semi-recently as well as in January of this year and next post will be for any that I read in February that I would recommend. No real theme, but I tend to gravitate to upbeat or optimistic reads in the fantasy genre, so most of those will be from there, but each genre will be listed next to the book. I'll also be sticking with ones that are appropriate for all ages (so no sex scenes/gore/etc).

Novels

The Kamogawa Food Detectives Series by Hisashi Kashiwai: Modern-day short mysteries without serious crimes with a cozy food back-drop. Lovely descriptions of food.

Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono: Light wholesome fantasy with very low stakes and kind characters throughout.

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe: Children's fantasy in a wonderful setting with a main character that I rooted for all the way to the end. 

Graphic Novels

Mapmakers Series by Cameron Chittock and Amanda Castillo: Fantasy with a unique magic system, wonderful characters, and traveling to different areas.  

Pepper Page Saves the Universe! by Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones: Unique sci-fi plot with a focus on friendship and finding one's place in the world with a very likeable protagonist.

With a Cat and a Dog Every Day is Fun (Series) by Hidekichi Matsumoto: Cute slice-of-life comics with adorable art and relatable situations.

Lunar Boy by Jacinta Wibowo and Jessica Wibowo: Very thoughtful sci-fi in a beautiful setting focusing on interpersonal relationships.

Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer: The most accurate portrayal of a modern-day music camp I have read so far, showing the struggles young musicians have with a focus on burn-out and perfectionism.

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz: Fast-paced fantasy romance with very distinct characters and developed side characters.

Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen: Absolutely adorable, kind characters, wonderful humor, and excellent pace with a lot of variety.

Have you read any of these and if so, what did you think? Feel free to comment below any that you would recommend as well!