~August's Pick~

I can't believe it's already the start of September! Did anyone else's summer go by incredibly fast? The end of summer can be bittersweet, but I'm certainly excited for fall!

For this month's pick, I have selected A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano.

I'll be completely honest, the 1800s and ballet are not two topics I seek out when finding books to read, but the cover drew me in right away and I was very (very) pleasantly surprised. This book was incredible. Utterly incredible. I didn't even have words to process it for days after I'd finished.

Set in 1838, it perfectly encompasses and engulfs you into the historical world of London's theaters in the early 1800s.

Every ballerina around London knows the haunting story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theatre. And every ballerina is aware that romantic relationships within theatre always end in tragedy. Despite hearing the warnings all her life, Ella Blythe wants nothing more than to dance. When she’s accepted into the Craven Street Theatre, she’s determined to rewrite the ending of her own story differently than the fate of the ghostly ballerina. But life at the theatre is far harder than she anticipated, especially when haunting mysteries lurk behind every corner, throwing off everything Ella thought she knew about her past and her own connections to the mysterious tragedy. When her only goal is to dance alongside the principal dancer just as she'd once done in secret, it’s the most unsuspecting person that comes alongside her, not only to help her with her performance, but to find the answers she so desperately desires.

I cannot say enough about this masterpiece of a book. The time it was set in, the ballet, it was all so aesthetically pleasing and vividly descriptive. This book kept me hooked from page one till the end and I spent many late nights whispering one more chapter. The chemistry between Ella and (I won't spoil;)) was unmatched. And the plot twist at the end had me audibly gasping.

The aesthetic was enrapturing, the characters alive and entrancing making it one of the best books I've read this year. If you want a beautiful, poetic book that keeps you on your toes (no ballet pun intended) I would highly recommend The Midnight Dance.