July 2.0

 The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry

Take the multiverse of Dark Matter, mix it with the time traveling serial killer of The Shining Girls, and put it all together with the wild brain of the author of Lexicon, and you've got a helluva ride in this new book from Max Barry. Madison, aka Maddie in some worlds, has multiple career choices, the same tired ex-boyfriend, and the same creep following her around, just waiting to stab her to death. Felicity, erstwhile political reporter, falls into the coverage of her first murder and the hunt across the multiverse commences. Don't even try to figure out all the worlds, the signs, the clues, the mind-bending chases across worlds - just sit back and enjoy the ride because it is AWESOME!

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Part of the Truly Devious YA mystery series, this book stands alone, so if you need a quick unhealthy snack, pick this one up - I dare you to be able to put it down! It's a delicious little mystery, involving a summer camp and every hilarious trope of the famous 80's slasher movies. Johnson's ability to do tongue-in-cheek and laugh at her own plot twists is genius, as is her development of an entertaining and eclectic troop of characters. Feel free to start with this one, and then backtrack and do the rest of the trilogy; these books are just plain FUN!

Falling by T.J. Newman

Written on the napkin during a flight, this debut by a former flight attendant is chilling, suspenseful, and all together impossible to put down. Not since Gone Girl have I been tempted to just go buy the book when I was listening to the audio, because I could not listen fast enough. Yes, my dog got extra long walks and I might have made two batches of cookies just so I could finish this audio in 24 hours! As far as the actual plot goes, think airlines pilot put in a REALLY bad position, the ultimate rock-and-a-hard-place, and enjoy the heart-clenching ride. (PS skip the prologue - it's gory and completely unrelated to anything in the book - it was just weird). 

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

If you are up for an epic saga, that marches across the aviation history of the 20th century, then this book is for you. However, strap in because it's a looooong ride, as in over 600 pages. Shipstead's writing is sublime as she explores the life of Marian and Jamie Graves, twins abandoned by parents, raised by their uncle in Montana, both dreaming, searching, finding unique lives as an aviator and an artist. Spliced into the story is the modern day take of an actress enmeshed in pop-culture controversy while playing the fictional Marian Graves in a film. The intertwining of these two stories was at times, awkward for me, but ultimately, I think I understood the reasoning behind it. Is this book 150 pages too long? Yes, it was for me. Was it worth? Also, Yes, it was for me; I loved the female-centric focus, the push and pull society puts on women who want to soar above the men, the strength and weakness it takes to be different, the loneliness of those choices. 

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-lyimide

This YA debut novel is a a combo of satire and social commentary, amidst a high school mystery and I LOVED it! This new young author sets the scene at the very start, as we meet the private school prefects during the beginning year assembly; the focus stays on Chiamaka, a wealthy young Black teen who's all about staying at the top of the popularity hill, and Devon Richards, a young gay Black teen whose single mom has worked three jobs just to keep him in this 'special' school. Soon, these two teenagers will find out how 'special' this school is as this roller coaster ride takes off through the history of white supremacy, privilege, and secrecy. This was a hard one to put down, stating some hard truths, providing some uncomfortable moments, and a lot of tension as each rabbit hole gets explored.

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

I was super excited by this new fantasy debut, intertwining the idea of climate change and the society of witches. Yet, ultimately, I was rather disappointed. The plot focuses on a society of witches who each have magical power connected to a season; the main character, Clara, though, is an Everwitch who can call on all the power of the seasons, no matter what time of year. There's some tension over climate catastrophes, the humans (aka shaders) who want to ignore it (hello GOP), and a little romance with her fellow student. However, the world-creation was a bit weak for me, and some thin plotting did not help. Sadly, this was not my favorite.

Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

I was not a 'theater kid' in high school; my school was so crappy I'm not even sure we had a drama program??? But as a high school English teacher, the drama kids were always some of my favorites and this book played right into that theme. Focused around two couples, we watch their lives unfold with the small theater group named Good Company used as the backdrop. What I loved about this book was the interplay of their lives, with all the messiness of marriage, parenting, careers, health issues, and friendship; I thought Sweeney nailed that. While the middle dragged a bit for me, if you love theater, family drama, and character-driven stories, I suspect you will like this book as much as I did.