May Reading

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West
To all the teachers in my life, you need to read this book - trust me. This book is like a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips, a pint of Chubby Hubby, and a bowl of popcorn...in other words, it is impossible to put down. Take a helicopter mom on steroids, an overly dedicated English teacher, a newbie who just wants to keep her job, a rebellious kid, an incompetent principal, and a worn-out husband, mix in a high school drama production, stir it into this book, and have a delicious time of reading:)

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
This is a difficult one for me to review, as I think I would have liked it better during a different time period. Set in the 1600's, Hargrave explores witch hunting, religious extremism, women's independence, love, as well as abuse, all taking place in one small village in Norway. Fascinating historical fiction based on real events, beautifully written and well executed, it was just a bit too 'gray' for me, a bit too sad, and with little lightness.

Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
This is a lovely story of sisters, of life as an 'other' in our country, of surviving grief, of reaching outside oneself to others, of how mental illness impacts an entire family, and a beautiful piece of writing. Not a plot driven story, but directed by the Dominican characters found within. Antonia is the center of this piece, rocked by the death of her husband, with a pregnant illegal immigrant to deal with, as well as her oldest sister with bi-polar disorder and the other sisters who try to alleviate her pain. I listened to this one and found the narration to be lovely, the story to be engrossing but not a page-turner thriller - definitely a good book if you are looking for Own Voices.

Forever is the Worst Long Time by Camille Pagan
Recommended to me by a book-loving friend, I am so glad this one showed up on my radar. I'm not even sure how to categorize it? Love story? Friendship story? Life drama? It is the story of Jim, a struggling writer, Rob, the best friend from childhood, and Lou, Rob's wife. As Jim has strong feelings for Lou, as Rob's marriage starts to unwind, as Lou struggles to find herself, the story takes some unexpected turns. It is not my typical fare, and I could not stop reading - engrossing story of what makes a family, the stones life throws into our life road, and how one dodges and weaves through time. Loved it:)

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
This book ostensibly checked all the boxes for me: unique setting (Nigeria), strong female lead (Adunni), inspiring themes about education, and well-developed characters. However, I definitely needed to read it during a happier time period. As Adunni is married off to an old man in her village, she searches for a future life with more hope. She is an amazing character, but this book was so drenched in sadness for me, that it was hard to read during our quarantine life. The broken English writing style is difficult to adjust to, but does add to the authenticity of the voice. Definitely a unique story to add to your TBR list.

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
Set in an assisted living home, a young girl climbs through the window of roommates and best friends, Duffy and Carl. Josie brings with her a plethora of troubles, all things that will not only get Duffy into grave trouble, but could get him kicked out of the best home he has had. This book was well-written, had some good humor in it, as well as some pointed messages about how we age, yet I had some major issues with some of the plot points. Getting clean and sober is a lot harder than sometimes imagined here in this story, and the Christian orthodoxy was too prevalent for me. I do think this book will resonate with many readers, just not for me.

More April Reading

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
After enjoying Hillier's previous book, Jar of Hearts, I was looking forward to her latest thriller; it did not disappoint. Once again taking place in my back yard of Seattle, Marin's four year old son disappears at Pike Place Market, an iconic Seattle location. One year later, we see the fallout of this tragic event, and we also see the clues start to unwind as we are introduced to Marin's husband, his lover, Marin's best friend, as well as a private investigator looking into her son's disappearance. I turned pages quickly, having to wait until the very end to see whodunnit - well done! My one and only complaint is...why does everyone have to be rich? It just got a little annoying to hear about the fancy house, expensive car, successful business, etc. It might have added more depth to story if somewhere there was a little struggle? But overall, very solid mystery.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
HOW have I missed reading this book for all these years?? This classic has always been an intention, but with all the time on my hands, it was time to finally dive into this 600 page classic. It involves two best friends, Johnny and Owen, following their lives from childhood to adulthood, the tragedy of a mother's death, the pains of being 'different,' school life that is uproariously funny as well as heartbreaking, and threads that tie together throughout. It was everything I wanted it to be: beautifully written, a compelling plot line, rich deep characters, pathos and humor, and literally, the most perfect ending ever. If you have never read this one, it is the perfect time to pick it up:)

Victim 2117  (Dept. Q #8) by Jussi Adler-Olsen
If you like the Scandinavian mysteries, this series is a perfect fit - and if you don't like super dark and gruesome (as they often are), even a better fit. Adler-Olsen is a Danish writer who has created a highly compelling group of detectives in Dept. Q in Copenhagen. In particular, the relationship between the lead detective, Carl Morck and his Iraqi sidekick Assad, is priceless, hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. While it is fun to start at the beginning of this series, it really is not necessary. And if you like to listen to books, it's a fantastic narrator - highly recommend if you're looking for a page turning mystery.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
I keep grabbing romantic comedies during quarantine, thinking I will be lightly entertained and forced to forget about all the terrible headlines each day. However, I also keep forgetting these kind of books rather make me gag. Buuuuuut, if you like this kind, this one is entertaining. Sloan is still grieving her fiance's death, Jason is a famous rock star, yeah they meet under funny circumstances and try to figure it out. Gag worthy for me but others seem to love it:)

The Burning by Laura Bates
The world of social media has created a window into everyone's private lives so what happens when a teenager's life is turned upside down through lies, bullying, and doctored videos? This young adult novel explores this world through Anna, a young British teen forced to move to Scotland when her school life in Birmingham becomes untenable. As she deals with her father's recent death and trying to adjust to a new school, Anna's past not only finds her, but the past of the small Scottish village and its witch trials do as well. This is a powerful story of a life that rolls out of a teenager's control, the scary power of social media, and a woman's ability to fight back. Loved it!

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
This was a tough one for me. It is the story of two women, Nina and Vanessa, a grifter named Michael, and a long con game. And I do mean looooong. As in 496 pages long. On one hand, the writing is fantastic: deep character development, beautiful syntax, thoughtful themes of privilege and destiny. On the other hand, it was about 150 pages too long for me, with too many extraneous details and a great deal of repetition (due to both women telling their side of events). Ultimately, I saw through the con before I was supposed to so it also wasn't much of a thriller to me. I know many people have loved this book, but the length just wasn't worth the underwhelming feelings I had when I turned the final page.

April Reading

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
On February 14, 1976, fourteen year old Gloria Ramirez gets into a truck with a young man and life is forever altered for a cast of characters in Odessa, Texas: the young mother who opens the door, the motherless child who yearns for companionship, the bitter old widow who gives the world the finger, the Avon seller who follows the rules set out for women, and so many more. All female, all living under the rules for what they should and should not do, say, wear, act, all dreaming of something better, something farther away, something that gives them value. This debut novel is stunning in its rawness, in the harsh reality of women's lives, in the bleakness of the setting, in the acceptance of their community's complicity, in the futility of the battle against racism, misogyny, in the hopelessness of the class divide, in the hatred of the Other. Best. Book. Of. 2020.

The Echo Killing / A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty
The cross-country friends I have made on Instagram have opened up brand-new book worlds for me. Here's a series I never heard of until a bookseller in Houston recommended it. I am now officially obsessed, and have ordered all three from our indie bookstore here in town. Set in Savannah, Georgia, the female lead is smart but complicated crime reporter with deep connections to the local police due to her mother's murder years ago. Each book has a page-turning, I-couldn't-figure-out-whodunnit storyline, a little romance, a sultry southern setting, and a fast-paced plot. If you're looking for entertainment, this series will do it and they're all out in paperback and available from Village Books:)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
I read the New York Times each morning, so of course I had to read a recent article of Ann Patchett's, author of The Dutch Girl, a favorite book of 2019. The title of the article? "Why We Need Life-Changing Books Right Now." And yes, this children's book by Kate DiCamillo was the focus of her article, the story of a lost rabbit, and his journey to find not only his owner again, but to learn how to love. So many followers commented on my IG post on this book, telling me it was their favorite childhood story, or their child's favorite read-aloud book. This magical tale of Edward filled a small hole in my heart where my daughters live, my girls who I miss so very much during this quarantine. I made sure I bought this book and have it on my shelf, for the next time I need healing. If would be perfect for any age four and above in your life - I cannot recommend it highly enough.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
Need a trip to a magical world to escape the one you're in? This new YA fantasy will do it, but be prepared; it is a mix of Harry Potter meets The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Yeah, it's pretty gruesome and violent, as the cast of characters weave their soul-crushing magic (literally) in order to save their island world. It is beautifully written, creative, and exciting, but yikes, rather bloody. Just be prepared.

Heft by Liz Moore
Having now read Long Bright River and The Unknown World by this extraordinary writer, I definitely had to go further back and pick up her book from 2012; it was another five star read. Switching between two viewpoints, we first meet Arthur, a morbidly obese, retired professor, who has not left his home in over eighteen years. Next, we meet Kel, a teenage boy whose mother once knew Arthur, and whose life has been fraught with neglect, drug use, mental illness. It is a tale of two human souls, each muddling around in the world, trying to find family, meaning, companionship. Highly recommend.

Out of the Easy by Ruth Sepetys
If you like historical fiction, this is the author for you; she has yet to disappoint me and she always gives me a look into a place and a time period of which I was ignorant. This time around, it is New Orleans, post WWII. Josie is a young woman, dreaming of college, selling books in the French Quarter, who cleans the local whorehouse, who has been 'adopted' by the madam and her driver, who has a mother who doesn't know what mothering is, and who gets pulled into a murder investigation. It is a fascinating book about a time gone by, and a heroic lead character.

A Rule Against Murder  (Inspector Gamache series #4) by Louise Penny
Looking for a comfort series in this time of quarantine? This is it, definitely, and this book is my favorite so far in the series. A family reunion, a statue who kills someone (yes, a freaking statue - trust me, it's creative), the cast of characters I have grown to love from the small Quebec town of Three Pines, and of course, the always adept Inspector Gamache, who always keeps me guessing until the very end. I have yet to figure out whodunnit before Gamache reveals it - that is my goal for this series:)

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.