Shark Feed

If You Loved ‘The Pagemaster’ and ‘The NeverEnding Story,’ Read ‘Edwin and the Quest for Drow’ by Gordon C. Allan Next!
One of my favorite tropes in middle-grade and young adult stories is the concept of the main character loving one of their parents but not being particularly close to them... so when that parent dies or disappears, the main character toils with missing and grieving...

Yay! The First Issue of Lit Pup Magazine Is Here!
Happy weekend, readers, writers, and shark fans! And welcome to the kids, teens, parents, teachers, and librarians we may not have seen here before! Welcome to all of you! I am so pleased to announce that, after several years of planning and accepting submissions, the...

The ‘Charlie’s Story’ Series: Let’s Give Octopi Another Look
When I first discovered Cyanea by Ann R. McNicol and then realized it was the fourth book in a series, I quickly immersed myself in the world of these books—and I am so grateful I did!...
Latest Book Reviews
Learn How the Mind Works to Slow Down Time, Enjoy Life, and Make the Most Out of the Hours in Your Day with Jean Paul Zogby
Slow Down Time: The Power of Time Perception by Jean Paul Zogby looks at how we see and process time. As Einstein said “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours....
What Makes a Villain? A Review of ‘Verity’ by Colleen Hoover
This review contains spoilers of Verity by Colleen Hoover. Content Warning: Abuse, Death, Mental Health, Violence, and Sexual Assault Exploring Character Intent and Actions Many books craft a story with a clear villain and a hero, providing the reader with a...
Make a Joyful Life in 30 Days with ‘The Joy Plan’ by Kaia Roman
The Joy Plan by Kaia Roman outlines a 30-day experiment where the author concentrates solely on joy, quitting complaining, and stopping worrying! She puts the results of the experiment into this book. It’s easy to read, fun, joyful—and super inspiring. The book starts...
Congratulations to Han Kang for Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature!
Happy Friday, readers, writers, and shark fans! We're very excited to share that the results are in for the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the winner is none other than the incredible Human Acts author, Han Kang. The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024 is awarded...
If You Loved ‘The Pagemaster’ and ‘The NeverEnding Story,’ Read ‘Edwin and the Quest for Drow’ by Gordon C. Allan Next!
One of my favorite tropes in middle-grade and young adult stories is the concept of the main character loving one of their parents but not being particularly close to them... so when that parent dies or disappears, the main character toils with missing and grieving...
The ‘Charlie’s Story’ Series: Let’s Give Octopi Another Look
When I first discovered Cyanea by Ann R. McNicol and then realized it was the fourth book in a series, I quickly immersed myself in the world of these books—and I am so grateful I did!...
A group of sharks is called a shiver.
Our Creative Highlights
Creative Highlight: “Listing”
Happy Wednesday, readers, writers, and shark fans! In response to our "We're Making a List" writing prompt, Julie A. Dickson wrote this wonderful poem, "Listing," which also went on to appear in Issue 1 of Lit Shark Magazine. Here is Julie's poem, recreated as a...
“Follow your artistic obsessions mercilessly.” – Franz Kafka
Latest Author Interviews

Dickinson & One-Thousand Rages: An Interview with ‘Armed to the Teeth’ Poet, Ellen Hirning Schmidt
Happy Thursday, readers, writers, and shark fans! We love celebrating our Lit Shark community here, so we are excited today to share Ellen Hirning Schmidt's latest poetry collection, Armed to the Teeth. Ellen graced us with her presence in Issue 2 of Lit Shark...

This Charming Equestrian Thriller Has Surprises at Every Turn, Even for the Author
How many lives can one woman save in one romantic equestrian thriller? Well, Betty Briggs pushes the envelope in her novel, Pressure Point, in which Stephanie receives a letter from her ultimate nemesis, who mocks her with the kidnapping of her future adoptive...

Anne Hathaway Fulfills the Boy Band Fantasy of Our Dreams in ‘The Idea of You’
Happy World Book Day, readers, writers, and shark fans! To celebrate, we're sharing a fun book that will be available to watch early this May. Our Editor-in-Chief was invited to attend an early viewing event of the film adaptation of Robinne Lee's 2017 romantic...

The Game of 2,000 Words & Other Tips from R.L. Stine
Happy Tuesday, readers, writers, and shark fans! We love Motivation Mondays and Tuesday Tips around here, so today, we thought we'd share an interesting series of tips from Goosebumps YA horror author R.L. Stine. We recently sat in on an interview between some of the...
The Feed

If You Loved ‘The Pagemaster’ and ‘The NeverEnding Story,’ Read ‘Edwin and the Quest for Drow’ by Gordon C. Allan Next!
One of my favorite tropes in middle-grade and young adult stories is the concept of the main character loving one of their parents but not being particularly close to them... so when that parent dies or disappears, the main character toils with missing and grieving...

Yay! The First Issue of Lit Pup Magazine Is Here!
Happy weekend, readers, writers, and shark fans! And welcome to the kids, teens, parents, teachers, and librarians we may not have seen here before! Welcome to all of you! I am so pleased to announce that, after several years of planning and accepting submissions, the...

The ‘Charlie’s Story’ Series: Let’s Give Octopi Another Look
When I first discovered Cyanea by Ann R. McNicol and then realized it was the fourth book in a series, I quickly immersed myself in the world of these books—and I am so grateful I did!...

A Boater is Born: An Unexpected Turn with the Long Island City Community Boathouse
On a warm June evening in 2018, I showed up for my first canoe trip as a member of the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse (NBCB). I greeted the other members and the trip leader, selected my paddle and life jacket, listened to the instruction details for the outing,...

Celebrating Mark Z. Danielewski: A New Novel and 25 Years of ‘House of Leaves’
Readers, writers, and shark fans, rejoice! In a remarkable dual celebration of literary innovation, cult author Mark Z. Danielewski marks the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking novel, House of Leaves, while simultaneously announcing the forthcoming release of his...
10 Top Titles
Answers in the Pages by David Levithan
Answers in the Pages by David Levithan Yearling Books: September 5, 2023, 192 pages ISBN-13: 978-0593484715 "A bold, timely novel about speaking up and coming out as parents lobby to ban a beloved book from the school curriculum by New York Times-bestselling author...
Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh
Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh Harper Muse: January 9, 2024, 352 pages ISBN-13: 978-1400233946 "The Titanic was only the beginning. What she survived has become legend. "Violet Jessop is Miss Unsinkable. "After her mother becomes too ill to work, the responsibility to...
Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever
Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever Sharks - The Ocean's Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians SanFran Books: April 24, 2020, 336 pages ISBN-13: 978-0062880338 "In this remarkable groundbreaking book, a documentarian and...
Shark by Paul De Gelder
Shark: Why We Need to Save the World’s Most Misunderstood Predator by Paul de Gelder For Shark Week, Seaspiracy, and Conservation Fans Mudlark Books: January 17, 2023, 240 pages ISBN-13: 978-0008529666 "From shark attack survivor to the shark’s biggest advocate, Paul...
Santa Shark: A Great White Christmas by Mike Lowery
Santa Shark: A Great White Christmas by Mike Lowery Orchard Books: October 3, 2023, 32 pages ISBN-13: 978-1338803952 "Here's Santa as you've never seen him before -- get ready for a hilariously, fintastic underwater holiday story, from New York Times bestselling...
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers: September 27, 2022, 400 pages ISBN-13: 978-1524741006 "From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl comes the richly imagined story of Valora and Jamie Luck, twin...
Someone Somewhere Maybe by Sophie Diener
Someone Somewhere Maybe by Sophie Diener Griffin: September 26, 2023, 176 pages ISBN-13: 978-1250892713 "For fans of Rupi Kaur, Cleo Wade, and Amanda Lovelace, Someone Somewhere Maybe speaks to the joys and sorrows of finding your way as a young woman today. "Poignant...
Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth
NOTE: We've included this book because it's an incredibly interesting read, but DO NOT let the title tell you everything. There is so much more to this book than its title and subtitle. We're here to end the stigma around sharks, not to perpetuate it, and despite its...
Chasing Shadows by Greg Skomal and Ret Talbot
Chasing Shadows: My Life Tracking the Great White Shark by Greg Skomal and Ret Talbot William Morrow: July 11, 2023, 368 pages ISBN-13: 978-0063090835 “At last: the story of tracking the ocean’s most charismatic and controversial predator, compellingly told by the man...
How to Fight Book Bans and Censorship by Book Riot
How to Fight Book Bans and Censorship by Book Riot Book Riot: February 1, 2023, 214 pages ASIN: B0BT8L8YL3 "Fight back against book bans by learning the history of book bans, why the freedom to read matters, and what strategies you can take to combat censorship...