April

They Went Left by Monica Hesse
Having read and loved Hesse's previous book, The Girl in the Blue Coat, I was intrigued by the premise of her latest historical fiction. Every WWII book seems to stop when the war is won, when the prisoners are released from the camps, when the soldiers head home. But what happened next? What happened to the sick and starving prisoners who survived the death camps, or the soldiers who didn't know where home was, or the families separated from loved ones? Hesse explores this idea in They Went Left, where Zofia, a survivor of the camps, searches desperately for her beloved younger brother. Zofia knows the rest of her family were all killed, but where was Abek? Her search takes her all over Eastern Europe, and ultimately to Germany. In Zofia's journey, I learned along with her the after effects of the systematic killing, of the gross experimentation, of the flattening of German cities, of the will to survive and create new families. This is a powerful YA story that led me to new thoughts and conclusions about this terrible time in our history.

These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card
This book is difficult for me to review as I am rather torn. Ostensibly about a multigenerational Jamaican family across the centuries, underneath it is a story of our racial history, where each character fits, who benefits and who is to blame, how slavery from hundreds of years ago impacts generations today. In other words...it's complicated. A fantastic narrator on the audio tells the story of Stanford Solomon, an old Jamaican man in Brooklyn, yet in reality he is Abel, a man who left a young family on the island. The narration veers off quickly into other points of views and other time periods, creating some confusion from me, as I searched for connection. Admittedly, I almost stopped reading, yet I was glad I didn't, particularly when Deb came into the picture, Deb who his the descendant of the slave owners, Deb who embodies white privilege that comes through history and forces the reader to see, truly see, the impact from centuries ago. This book is an incredible learning experience, yet not the most gripping reading experience, if that makes sense.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas
If you have read the Crown of Thorn and Roses series or Throne of Glass series, then you know this author. And if you haven't, you really should. I used to be you, saying "Nope, I don't read fantasy." But then I discovered YA fantasy - a world where the female leads kick ass, magic plays a pivotal role, and the bad guys get defeated. Right now, that's kinda a beautiful thing with the world upside down. This new adult series by Maas (arguably the most powerful YA fantasy writer of today), is the perfect escapism. It's got a murder to be solved, a hot angel (yes, there's angels and demons), a badass female lead, and friends that can turn into wolves. What else can you want???

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
If you read Station Eleven (huge hit a few years ago), you will know that Mandel's latest book has been highly anticipated in the book world. However, I was rather torn by it. It is a meandering look at a wide cast of characters, with the siblings of Paul and Vincent providing the axis upon which the story turns. There's a rich man with a Ponzi scheme, a dead mother, a down-on-his-luck investigator, brother Paul who is a video artist, and Vincent, the sister who searches for identity. Yes, it is beautifully written and I could admire that. However, each time I would get invested in an intriguing story line, the plot would shift and send me somewhere else. It does show our interconnectedness with one another, which is interesting, and admittedly I have thought about this book for longer than expected. Not a page turner for sure, but a thoughtful exploration on how the world and its people interact.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is hands down my current favorite YA author - he writes with such an authentic voice, he 'gets' teenagers, and he addresses issues of today with honestly and equanimity to both sides. In this book, two authors take on the story of two boys, one white, one black, and what happens when the black boy is beaten by the policeman brother of a white boy. Yeah, fire hot topic but told with such power, such grace. If I was still teaching, I would push hard to add this one to the curriculum. Highly highly recommend.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott
I'm not that big on graphic novels; they always strike me as being like the comic books of my childhood, but with more serious content. Yet this book is different. This is George Takei's (Sulu on the original Star Trek), story of his family and their life before, during, and after the internment camps in America during WWII. Usually, the graphic novels seem all about the illustrations. While these are wonderfully done, for me this book was all about the words and they are beautiful, powerful, heartbreaking. If you've never read a graphic novel, this one would be an incredible way to start.

The Cruelest Month / A Rule Against Murder (#3 and #4 Chief Inspector Armand Gamache) by Louise Penny
A quarantine is the perfect time to get after the 15 book mystery series by acclaimed Canadian author, Louise Penny. It's like bingeing on Netflix, but this time I'm inside a small Quebec town called Three Pines, surrounded by character I know and love, and there's always a complicated mystery to solve. Note: I have not ONCE figured it out until Inspector Gamache reveals the murderer! Number 3 involves a murder at a seance, as in the woman was literally 'scared to death.' And Number 4 finds a family member murdered by a statue (I know, weird, but trust me, engrossing). These are great comfort books during an uncertain time in our world + the way she describes all the delectable food makes one want to head to the kitchen as well. Highly recommend if you're a mystery lover - you don't go wrong with Penny:) And yes, each can be read as a stand alone - it's not necessary to read them in order, but it is kinda fun to start from the beginning!

MARCH 3.0

A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
Irish author John Boyne (The Heart's Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky) is truly one of my favorite writers and it has little to do with the content of his stories. He writes with a golden pen, but not too verbose, he develops his characters deeply and forces me to care about them, warts and all, and he weaves his themes subtly, not smacking me in the face with life's lessons. In this older book of his, Boyne takes on the Catholic Church, as he tells of the last forty years in Ireland of the church's power, its abuses, its hierarchy, all through the eyes of one priest, Odran Yates. It is a gorgeous, heartbreaking, complex story that I read in two days. It pummeled my heart. I won't forget it easily.

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
This NYC-based YA writer has become a go-to author for me, having read four of his books in the last few months. This one shows us the life of Matt, a teenage boy who lives in a Brooklyn brownstone with his father, a mother dead of breast cancer, friends at school who no longer know what to say to him, and a sassy girl who drags him to a homeless shelter for Thanksgiving. And on top of all this, Matt chooses to work in a funeral home, thus he wears his black suit each day to school, before his work shift. This is a powerful story that addresses themes of loss, of love, a coming of age story that will resonate with any age.


The Unseen World by Liz Moore
If you read Long Bright River, then you know what a talented writer Liz Moore is. This is her previous book, focusing this time on a small, very unique family. We meet Ada Sibelius at the age of twelve, raised solo by her father David, who is a computer scientist in the early days of computing. Ada doesn't attend school; instead, her school is the lab with David and all his team, thus it is all she knows. However, as David starts to show signs of dementia, Ada's life changes dramatically. As the story unfolds, we see her life through snippets of time, as she works to unlock the code that David leaves her, to discover the secrets of both is life, and of her's. Brilliant writing, compelling story, unique plot line - highly recommend.

Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo by Louise Callaghan
This is the story of Abu Laith, an Iraqi man obsessed with animals for his entire life, now trying to save the few animals left in the city of Mosul, not a place a human wants to be in the last decade much less a group of animals. I listened to this book, with a wonderful narrator, and learned so much not just about this family, but also about the American and Isis battles in Iraq, how it impacted lives, and how it changed people forever. Abu Laith was a 'complicated' man; I question whether I would like him in reality. He is arrogant, pompous, dictatorial, and sexist. Yet he is also caring, compassionate, and willing to risk his life to save a couple lions and a bear. His wife is a crack up, who takes no crap from this man. If you're looking for a unique audio, this is it:)

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Gamache #3) by Louise Penny
I am slowly working my way through the entire Louise Penny mystery series, reading just one a month (otherwise, the number of them are overhwhelming!). They are a bit like coming home and putting on a comfy pair of slippers; you know the characters, you recognize the town, and you are always entertained. This time around, a woman has been 'scared to death' at a seance at the creepy old home in the middle of the community of Three Pines. Inspector Gamache also has some political problems of his own to deal with, as well as personnel issues on his own team. I did not find this one as compelling as the last two, but I will still march on and pick up #4 because they're still better than some of the crap, thin thrillers that populate the publishing world.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Trying to escape the world we are currently living in? Jump into this YA fantasy book - it's a good one:) As a baby, Elisabeth was dropped off at one of the 'Great Libraries' and raised to become a warden of the books, except these are not ordinary books. Instead, they are rather 'alive', as they contain all the creepy magic spells of the sorcerers who read them, and if you don't watch out, these spells escape and become monsters to be killed. And the sorcerers? Yeah, they have to sell a few years of their lives to a demon in order to obtain and keep their magic, so it's a bit of a conundrum. I told you it was an escape book - good stuff!

March 2.0

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
Having read eight of Bohjalian's previous books, I am obviously a fan. He is an eclectic writer, using historical fiction, mystery, and even dystopia in creative ways. His latest is another winner for me, combining medical disease that plays on topical fears, as well as a mystery involving a foreign country, some creepy bad guys, and...rats. Trust me on the rats. Alexis, a young doctor, is in Vietnam for a bike trip with her boyfriend, Austin. When Austin disappears, the breadcrumb path of secrets begin to appear in disconcerting and troublesome ways. Be patient, as the pieces are meticulously put together, but once the action begins to gel, you will not be able to put this book down. 


The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
I do love a multigenerational family saga, and this one does not disappoint. It follows a Vietnamese family from the 1920's, to the Vietnam of today: through the days of colonial rule by France, the rise of the communist party, the land reform that killed millions, the American War, and the reconciliation of the two Vietnams. I was so invested in the grandmother's story of her childhood and the challenges to survive with six children in her young adulthood; there were times I had to put the book down as my heart was breaking, but I could not set it aside for long as I was compelled to see how history would impact each member of this family. For lovers of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, for readers who want to see history come alive, for people who are curious about Vietnam or are planning to travel there, for lovers of beautiful writing, for all people who see books as a window into our past and future, this book is for you. 

The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James
I would call this one a ‘throwback’ to my younger self, when I was obsessed with romantic, mysterious gothic novels that took place in the wilds of Cornwall. It has a dark and mysterious man who needs a governess, a naive and gullible young woman, a manipulative witch from the past, a smart career woman of today, a hot friendly neighbor, all mixed together to create a mystery that must be solved. Yep, all the pieces of yesteryear. It did the trick and made me turn pages, but I did have to stop myself from sighing over the melodrama yet... That’s the Point!

A Fatal Grace (#2) by Louise Penny

Yes, I have become what's called a Penny Pusher: a lover of the Louise Penny mystery books about a small village outside Montreal, its quirky residents, and a very intelligent detective, Inspector Gamache. If you like a good mystery, I highly recommend this series. In book two, a woman is literally electrified from a chair - yep, only in Texas can that normally happen, as Louise would say. But here it is a detestable woman named CC, and as Gamache tries to hunt down the killer, he discovers all kind of intriguing secrets and more compelling characters. If anything, I found Book 2 even better than Book 1.

The Bear by Andrew Krivak
This is what I would call an old throwback to tales of old, a story of a man and his daughter, the last survivors on Earth, as they wander through the natural world, trying to not only survive, but to be good to the Earth that sustains them. I listened to this short, four-hour tale and was not only intrigued, but have been rather haunted by it ever since. No idea what it would be like in page form, but the audio was quite unique and compelling.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Mom has Munchausen by proxy, pretty much wrecks her daughter's childhood. Child, Rose Gold, lets mom live with her post-prison sentence to enact revenge. That about sums it up. I just could not connect with either character (which I guess is good?!), but I also found little engaging about either of them; both seemed quite one-dimensional and static to me. The writing style was more young-adult, which is fine if it is marketed that way. I am sure some people will love this family drama, but it just was not my style. Thanks to Goodreads for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

March

The Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

They say football is a game or inches. However, life itself seems to be a collection of small yet surprisingly monumental decisions. How would life have changed if...I didn’t take that class, move into that house, stop by that coffee shop, cross that sidewalk, form that friendship, etc etc etc. This book, and the point of view from which it is told, takes that thinking to an entirely new level and makes one think hard about each life choice. Valerie doesn’t like her new neighbors (they built an enormous house and pool area that wrecked the root system of her 80 year old oak).  Valerie’s son Xavier has his whole future in front of him with a college music scholarship for classical guitar. Julia grew up in extreme poverty and chaos; she loves her new swanky house. Julia’s daughter Juniper is a teenage girl who is growing tired of the strict parental controls. Her stepfather, and Julia’s husband, is always looking for an angle in life, struggling to control his impulses. Stir all these people together, add issues of race, class, money and boundaries, sprinkle in a provocative voice telling the story, and you have a book that will shock you, rip your heart into pieces,  make you think long and hard about American culture and the direction of our country. This book should explode into the publishing world.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
The author of The Dinner List is back with another un-put-down-able book. Here's the premise: Dannie, a hard-charging corporate attorney, engaged to a the man she loves, falls asleep one night, and when she wakes, it is five years later, a new man in a different apartment. Stuff happens that freaks her out. When she wakes, from this dream-like reality,  Dannie cannot get this image out of her head and the changes it wreaks in her life are monumental because...wait for it...that new man? Yeah, come to find out, itt's her best friend's new love. I think I make this premise sound silly, light, fluffy, but this book is absolutely not. It tells of a deep and abiding friendship, of how we arrange our lives to meet certain expectations, of how we love and what we will do for that love, and of the influences that push us to our destinies. I read this one in just 24 hours, staying up well past midnight because I kept saying, "just one more chapter." It is that good. The next time you want an addictive read, pick this one up - you won't be disappointed.

Chances Are... by Richard Russo
While many of you may be fans of Russo's Pulitzer Prize winner, Empire Falls, I loved his humor in his book Straight Man and I never picked up this 2019 book of his - not sure why. Maybe the content - I mean, what do I have in common with three old men, hanging out together for a reunion weekend on Martha's Vineyard? Honestly, not much but it did not matter. Russo is the most talented writer and he pulled me into his story of these three men and their friendship with a unique young woman, weaving family drama, heartache, and mystery together in a way that amazed me. The beauty of the island and Russo's words made this a delicious read. 

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

I thoroughly enjoyed this writing duo's past books (The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl) - fast-paced, intriguing thrillers. Their latest is a bit of a miss for me. The premise itself is a rather implausible - girl witnesses subway suicide, gets drawn into influential friend group, things go south. There's just too many characters to keep track of + they're one-dimensional women, with little reason for me to feel invested in their lives. Even the main character, Shay, who is the suicide witness, is unappealing and rather flat. I did turn pages quickly, wanting a satisfactory ending that just did not come. Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If We Were Giants by Dave Matthews, Clete Barrett Smith (Contributor), Quentin Regnes (Contributor)
Intriguing idea, putting together a famous musician (Matthews) and a popular children's author from my home town(Smith) so how could I not read it? The premise is a lovely, heroic tale of a little girl named Kirra, a mistake she makes, and the life-changing consequences it has not only on her life, but on many others. It is also the story of how we must live with nature, not against it, and how we need one another to survive. I loved the characters and the plot line, which built tension well and kept moving forward. My one concern is who is this written for? The syntax and vocabulary are too high level for it to be a middle reader, yet the plot line veers more towards upper elementary and middle schoolers, not high schoolers.  I also found it to be quite long for a younger reader to handle. It would, however, be a fantastic read aloud for anyone third grade or higher. Thanks to Net Galley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

February 3.0

The Holdout by Graham Moore
If you like a good legal thriller, this is your book! Maya is a successful criminal defense attorney, working in Los Angeles, but ten years ago she was the infamous juror who convinced the rest of the eleven jurors to set free a young black man accused of killing a white teenage girl. Switching back and forth between the trial time of 2009, and her current life where she is accused of murdering one of the former jurors, yeah...this book keeps you turning pages. I've read so many mysteries that often I have it figured it at some point, but not this book. It is a well-written, thoughtfully constructed story - highly recommend. (And if you like historical fiction, his previous book The Last Days of Night, was fascinating as well - a legal battle amongst Edison, Bell, and Tesla)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
HOW did I miss this group growing up??? I don't even remember it on my radar as a kid, but maybe because my face was buried in Nancy Drew, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Betsy, Tacy, and Tib? Regardless, this is a classic for a reason, and if you've never read it, it is worth your time. It is the story of the American dream in the days of old, of deprivation and hope, of sacrifice, of family, of love. Francie Nolan leads this story, the child of Irish and Austrian descent, growing up in the tenements of Brooklyn, seeing her Irish tenor father descend into alcoholism, watch her mother fight for her children's education, experience the death of her own dreams, and the birth of new ones. I dare anyone to read this and not feel this young girl's life, deep within your heart.

Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad
This is a short book meant to be used in a classroom, so no, not the best listen, but some great learning on racism, white privilege, etc. It is often a very uncomfortable book, as it forces one to look at our own biases and past actions, to reflect upon our behavior and prejudices and ways to change it. But more importantly for me, it gave me explanations on WHY we should change it. Each chapter ends with journal reflection questions, that were impossible to complete when listening in a car but would be a fantastic exercise if I was still teaching. So, to all my teacher friends, this is a book that would be highly useful in any classroom.

The Yellow Bird by Jennifer Rosner

Having won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and excited to read a different story of WWII, I was ultimately left a bit disappointed. A mother and her little girl hide from the Nazis in Poland, forcing the parent to make untenable decisions about their future. The story involves an imaginary bird, music, and well-researched history about how Jewish children were hidden during the Holocaust. Yet I found myself wanting more - more tension in the beginning, more depth to the characters, less descriptive details. I did find the final third of the book to be more compelling, and appreciated the realistic ending.

The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons
This is a weird book; there's no other way to describe it. Or maybe quirky, but that's too milk toast. How about ghost porn? Yeah, I told you it's weird. Three characters: a young man who dies, but can't cross over; the quirky girl he falls in love with, and a third young man who gets between their hot sex life. Yeah. Weird.

Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
Because I'm traveling to Edinburgh this spring, I was told to read this mystery series as it all takes place there. Starting with the first book was perhaps not the best choice. Somebody's killing off young girls, and it's a slooooooow march to finding out who, as the author takes lots of time to introduce us to this grizzled, tortured detective. I can see the potential for the series, so perhaps I'll check out the most recent, but this one was marginally written and rather boring.

February 2.0

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Who hasn't wanted a 'do over' in life, the idea of Groundhog Day, going back and getting it right? But what if your life was all mixed up, waking up each New Year's Day in a new year, but not exactly in the right order? As in, your 21 year old brain in your 40 year old body, or returning to 1982 when you had just been in 2015? That is what happens to Oona, as chapters shows us her life out of order. Each New Year's Eve party brings Oona a new year, a new age, new problems, new desires, new people, and new learning. The one constant in her life is her mother, a colorful character who makes sure that any life philosophy is not dripping in saccharine sweetness, but based in humor and authenticity. I could not stop turning pages, waiting to see where Oona's life would take her next and kept imagining all the 'what ifs' of my own life. This is a fun read, but it also makes one stop and consider our own life choices. This would be a fantastic book club choice as the options of discussion roads are endless.

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
If you want to be profoundly moved, enlightened, and inspired, read this book and then put it in everyone's hands you know. "If you believe poverty is a choice, then you try to stigmatize and punish it, rather than focusing on interventions to ease it." In this book, the husband and wife writing team delves deeply into American despair, exploring the causes as well as some solutions. "More children die each year in the United States from abuse and neglect than from cancer...We shrug as millions of children undergo trauma in ways that harm and unravel our social fabric - and then we blame the kids when things go wrong. Some species eat their young; it turns out we are one of them." Yes, this book will break your heart, yet it will also educate you, make you question what you thought you knew was right, and force you to examine old biases. It will also show you heroes who gave their abusers grace and others who healed their own heartaches by healing others. This book is a must-read for all Americans, especially for those who will vote in 2020.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Sage of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
"If some of what follows challenges what you have come to believe about Churchill and this era, may I just say that history is a lively abode, full of surprises." Erik Larson is the master of taking a period in history, juicing it up with details of people and happenings behind the scene, and making the reader think about that history in a new light. This book is another humdinger that will make your jaw drop, will have you saying 'wow' out loud, and write down inspiring quotes over and over again. For instance, "...when I remember all that has gone wrong, and remember also all that has gone right, I feel sure we have no need to fear the tempest. Let it roar, and let it rage. We shall come through." Damn, this man could lead and inspire, like no other yet he was far from perfect. (he's got some quirky personal habits, that's for sure, and his well-known racism and elitism is quite disheartening)  This book tells the story of that first year, the worst year of the Blitz, where thousands died, women and children and ordinary people, who all stood on the side of the Channel and told Hitler NO. I absolutely loved this book and anyone who loves history will as well.

The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin
You know when you need that entertaining read, but not saccharine sweet or too fluffy? This is the book that will satisfy that desire. When a hospital network decides to stop treating gay or transgender patients, the action begins. Georgia, a doctor who bucks the stereotype and is a female urologist, and  Jonah, the gay family doc who's losing all his patients due to this new rule, have been friends for a decade.  Through questionable relationships, the loneliness of  being perceived as different, the complexity of their childhood pasts, and their tendency for stupid silly humor, Jonah and Georgia are simply the best of friends and each other's chosen family. And when Georgia meets her soul mate in Amsterdam, she finally starts to see a future that includes love that might last. But of course the feces hits the fan back home when Jonah and the 'religious freedom' movement begins to hurt their patients and the doctors themselves. I could not stop turning pages of this book; the author's voice is so engaging and the characters so compelling that I felt like I was in the middle of a familiar world, yet one that I wanted and needed to be fixed. Ultimately, this is a story of friendship and love, that also has a few things to say about the direction of 'religion,' the relationships among doctors in their world, and the terrible hurt that comes from hatred directed at people that society perceives do not 'fit in.'

The Dark Corners of the Night (Unsub #3) by Meg Gardiner
Do you like the television series Criminial Minds or Mindhunters? If so, you will like Meg Gardiner's Unsub, of which this is book number three. Do you need to read the previous two to enjoy this one? Nope - but it doesn't hurt. This time around the story is set in urban Los Angeles as the Midnight Man terrorizes the city, killing parents but leaving the children alive. FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix is back with her team of investigators, trying to unravel whodunnit. While I enjoyed this one, it was not as good as previous books, in my opinion. The characters seemed more shallowly developed, maybe because they were so complex in earlier books? I was completely engrossed in the hunt for the killer, particularly in the geographical profiling which was fascinating, but at times the story gets stuck in the weeks of the psychological aspects and the chase in the end...good grief, it just went on and on and on. Ultimately, I was satisfied - just thought perhaps a little more editing could have made the story more tight and crisp, which is what I love about a good crime novel.

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
Having enjoyed other thrillers by Kubica, I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of this one. Told through a variety of characters, it is the story of a young family in disarray. Rocked by infidelity and school expulsion, Sadie and Will move their two children up to a coastal island of Maine where Sadie works as a doctor, Will teaches college, their two boys try to fit into their new school lives, and Imogene, Will's niece who lives with them, all try to heal their numerous wounds. The perspective changes our viewpoint of the characters and makes us wonder...who is a reliable narrator, who killed the next door neighbor, and what happened in the past to create this chaos? My problem with the story, ultimately, was that it all felt a bit messy for me - some implausibility of plot twists, some "I saw that coming" story lines, thinly drawn characters were motivations were not fully developed (except for Sadie), and writing that just did not compel me to want to keep reading. I finished it, but ultimately was left unsatisfied. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

February

Things in a Jar by Jess Kidd
Oh my, this is a weird and wonderful book, full of weird and wonderful characters: Bridie, the red-headed Irish detective who can 'read' the dead: Bridie's seven foot tall maid rescued from a circus; the disreputable freak show owner who will do anything for a new specimen; the snake woman with a heart of gold; the titled father missing his 'child,' and Christabel, the 'child' in question who Bridie must find/rescue/release? The underbelly of Victorian England is not pretty - it is dirty, ugly, dangerous. It is a place where freak shows will kidnap children to put on display, where people wind up dead due to medical experimentation, and where things in jars can cost a pretty penny. Jess Kidd is an extraordinary writer who takes all these weird and wonderful ingredients and mixes them into a spectacular story.

Mercy House by Alena Dillon
Evelyn was 'given' to the Catholic Church by her father, in return for her brother's safe return from WWII. Trained as a nurse, and now in charge of Mercy House in Brooklyn, a refuge for abused women. Sounds so ordinary, doesn't it? But you've never met a woman like Sister Evelyn, who will face down any dangerous situation in order to give someone a hand up, who has faced demons in her religious life, and who now faces the fight of her life as a bishop of the church looks to shut her down. I fell madly in love with Evelyn, and each of the young women who live at Mercy House: the sassy prostitute, the gentle girl who escaped her abusive home, the tough girl whose drug-dealing boyfriend terrorizes the house, and a quiet girl who knits. The women in this House will give you inspiration that yes, right matters, honor and truth matter, and good wins.

Still Life by Louise Penny
As a lover of a good mystery, how have I missed the famous Louise Penny? Still Life is the first in her long series about Inspector Gamache, in Three Pines, Quebec. A retired teacher, beloved friend and all-around lovely human, goes out for a snowy walk and winds up killed by an arrow. Whodunnit? Gamache and his team come to the scene, a small town outside of Quebec, where everyone knows each other; it is peopled with intriguing characters such as the son of the wealthy landowner, a famous sculptor, the gay owners of the local diner, the cranky old woman who speaks home truths.  Louise Penny is a master at plot construction, character development, and tension. I could spend weeks in Three Pines, and plan to as I slowly work my way through this series. Highly recommend if you like a captivating mystery:)

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Do you ever need a palate cleanser of a book? When the news gets too disheartening, the weather Is just plain ugly, and life looks rather bleak? If so, I highly recommend this one. It's not my usual genre (yep, sweet romance - who knew?!) Sam and Tate meet in London as Sam is a college student, and Tate is about ready to begin her life at Sonoma State. A hidden secret in Tate's life throws her into the world spotlight, and fourteen years later she and Sam find themselves on the same film location...you can see where this is going, right? Yet it didn't matter - it is a sweet, well-told tale of young love, betrayal, family secrets, and hope in the future. Just what I needed, at this moment in time:)

Middle England (Rotters' Club, #3) by Jonathan Coe
Do you ever wonder, as I do, what the hell happened in this world a few years ago? European countries turning right-wing nationalist, England saying 'good-bye' to the post WWII world of the European Union, and America electing a reality tv star to occupy the oval office? Well, this book will explain it all. It follows a middle class English family, living in Birmingham and London, from 2010-2018, covering the influence of Brexit from beginning to end. Yet, it is not political, per say; it is a deep dive into family/friend relationships and how our shifting views of immigration, the economy, the government, all play into our feelings for one another. It is snarky, witty, informational, highly addictive. Middle England won the Costa Award of 2019, best book written in the UK - well deserved.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer
Did you read A Curse So Dark and Lonely? Do you like YA fantasy? Books that take you away to another world? If so, this series is for you. I like the fact that it has one foot in real life (ie. Washington DC, where the real-world characters originate) and then the fantasy world of Emberfall. In the first book Curse, it's basically a Beauty&the Beast retelling, but with a girl who deals with cerebral palsy and who gets very good at knife-throwing. Yeah, I kinda loved Harper. But in this spectacular sequel, the story focuses more on Grey, the head of the Guardsmen who disappears at the end of Book 1 and has a few secrets to deal with this time around, as well as a new love interest. This is literally the best escape from the dreary world of impeachment, corruption, and medals of freedom being given to racists. Highly recommend!

How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
An award-winning and talented poet, Saeed Jones grows up as a poor black boy in the south, and on top of that, he is gay. Between Saeed's own challenges, combined with his family's dysfunction and health issues, this should have been a compelling read. However, I wanted to hear more about Saeed's own struggles in his childhood and youth, and those seemed skimmed over to me. Too much on his sexual experiences, some involving rape and abuse, and some jumping around with time lines lost me. Beautiful writing, but a memoir that missed for me.