A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Me: (holding a copy of A Man Called Ove): Hey, you really need to read this book. It’s great! Other Person: Thanks, I need a book. What’s it about? Me: A man who is trying to commit suicide. It’s really funny! Other Person: Uhhhhh, that’s okay. Actually, I don’t need a book right now. Ove […]
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin is the poignant story of Suzy Swanson and her attempts to comprehend a world that doesn’t always seem to make sense. Suzy has always been a bit of a nerd and maybe a bit awkward, but she’s always been able to rely on her best friend, Franny Jackson. […]
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Wolf Hollow, Lauren Wolk’s debut novel, takes place in rural Pennsylvania in late 1943. The story is told by Annabelle as she looks back in time to the year she turned 12 and “learned to lie”. This ominous start lets the reader know that there is going to be big trouble developing, and so it […]
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo is a bighearted tale told by 10-year-old Raymie Clarke whose world has just been turned upside down by her father who left her and her mother in the middle of the night for another woman. Like many kids in similar situations, Raymie thinks it is up to her to win […]
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season is a compelling and multifaceted story set on a geologically unstable and volatile “Earth”. Earthquakes and volcanoes are a constant threat and if severe enough can cause a fifth season, or extended winter, due to the amount of dust and ash sent up into the atmosphere. Tsunamis created by “shakes” can wipe […]
The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
I just finished listening to The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman. The narrator, Fiona Hardingham, an accomplished actress and reader, picked me up, transported me to Regency London and set me down among the aristocracy. It is 1812 and Lady Helen Wrexhall is 18 and ready to go out and live life to its […]