Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book.

MRS. EVERYTHING follows sisters Jo and Bethie through their lives from the 1950s to the present day as they try to find their places in the world and in each others’ lives.

We all know and love Jennifer Weiner’s romance novels, and this book has a bigger scope and a broader message than anything she’s written before. It tackles the whole of the lives of women in America - the good and the bad - and the bedrock importance of sisterhood throughout those lives. It’s hard to even write a concise review because so much happens in this book.

About halfway through this book I began to think the story felt a bit predictable and that I could see each development coming. Then I realized it feels like I already know the story because I do. Every woman you know has gone through one, many, or all of the things experienced by Bethie and Jo. Even if you were never a closeted lesbian or never had an abortion or aren’t Jewish, or whatever, there will be some aspect of their lives that you know in your own life.

I really loved how each woman thought they knew what was best for her sister and tried to guide her down that path. Sometimes they were right and sometimes they were wrong and sometimes they only understood part of the story. But they were there for each other, eventually, right down to the end.

In VOX’s dystopian near future, a hyper-conservative presidential administration forces women to wear wristbands that only allow them to speak 100 words per day. When the President’s brother falls victim to a brain injury, Dr. Jean McClellan, The leading scientist in the field, is granted access - and language - to find the cure.

I can’t figure out how to discuss my feelings about this book without spoiling the last quarter of it, so I’ll warn you when we get there.

I found this book intensely chilling. Sure, the specific premise of 100 words a day is sort of goofily narrow, but the surrounding circumstances felt too close for comfort. The descriptions of how what began as a slow creep turned into an avalanche of religious authoritarianism when no one rushed to stop it was almost too much reality for me. I have been Jackie, screaming at people to march, and I have been Jean, trying to ignore it all.

SPOILERS! 🚨

VOX lost me in the last quarter of the book, though. The plot got muddy - who is double crossing who? I couldn’t track it. But my biggest beef was how, in the end, it was the men who saved the day. Petroski’s gun. Poe’s escape plan. Patrick disseminating the serum. While Jean and the other women literally sat at home and waited. Why? Did I miss something?

In this modern retelling of Antigone, a family of British Muslims discover their brother Parvaiz has run away to join a jihadi group, as his father did before him. His sisters, Isma and Aneeka, do everything in their power to bring him back.

I was unfamiliar with the story of Antigone, other than knowing it was a tragedy. And oh my god, is this book a tragedy. Every time you think your heart has been thoroughly stomped on, another awful development arises. I felt like I was reading this book out of the corner of my eye, the way you watch a horror movie when you know something terrible is coming.

The writing is just beautiful, especially the passages about grief. I’ve never read a book that so physically induces that feeling in the reader, and how it seems to close in on you from all sides.

While I did like the variety of perspectives, I wish we’d gotten more from some of the sections, particularly Isma and Parvaiz. I feel like I only got part of their story.

The exploration of masculinity in this book was fascinating to me, especially the way it was never quite addressed head on, and yet it drove so much of the plot.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that final scene. I’m trying not to cry just thinking about it now.

Thanks to Doubleday Books for sending me a free copy of this book.

In Northern Ireland in 1972, Jean McConville was abducted from the home she shared with her ten children and was never seen again. Expanding outward from this incident, SAY NOTHING explores the years of conflict known as the Troubles and the enduring secrets and traumas members of the IRA have dealt with as a result of the war.

I knew next to nothing about this era in Irish history before beginning this book. Keefe lays out the key players and events clearly - there’s a ton of information in this book but I never felt lost or unable to keep track of who was who, even when it seemed like everyone was a double (or triple!) agent.

Parts of the book read like narrative fiction, in part due to the easy flow of the writing, and part because the truth can be stranger than fiction. And “truth” is sort of a bendable concept here. Keefe talks about how memory can be unreliable and how we often distort or even invent memories we can live with rather than deal with the reality. Add that to the intense culture of secrecy in the ranks of the IRA, and you’re often left with several versions of the truth.

The trauma and PTSD these people dealt with was also handled quite delicately. They’re never let off the hook for their crimes, but it is an in-depth look at how fighting your neighbors in a decades-long paramilitary war leaves everyone with both emotional and physical scars.

THE STONEWALL READER is an anthology that draws from the New York City Public Library’s archive of personal accounts, interviews, and publications by and about folks involved with the LGBTQ movement before, during, and after the Stonewall riots.

This book small, but it’s packed with invaluable information and insights from folks on the front lines of gay liberation. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about queer history and still there were events, groups, and people I didn’t know about featured here.

I really appreciated the broad scope of included voices. This is not a book that puts wealthy cis white men at the center of the story. It spotlights the contributions of people of color, drag queens and trans people. It also openly discusses racism and bigotry within the movement in a way we often try to erase, especially during Pride month.

This book showed me how much things have changed, but also how much they stay the same. No one today would be unable to find a gay bar in NYC, but it’s still hard for trans people to access healthcare. One step forward, two steps back.

Thanks to Random House for the free advance copy of this book.

At 41, Toby Fleishman finds himself divorced and thrown into the world of dating apps. While he’s busy seeing a new woman every night, his ex-wife disappears. Toby is certain she abandoned him and their kids out of spite, but there are two sides to every story, even a marriage.

I was a little unsure going into this book, worried that it would be yet another literary novel about a middle aged man finding himself. But I know and love Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s feature writing, so I trusted her, and I’m so glad I did. This novel turns those other novels on their heads in a wonderfully messy and feminist way.

It’s revealed early on that our narrator isn’t a nameless omniscient, but Toby’s longtime friend Elizabeth. Taking the story from her perspective gives our view of Toby a slightly judgy, bitter tone that is deeply enjoyable. She loves her friend, but forces us and Toby to see the true consequences of his actions.

I really liked how this book meanders in and out of memories. It feels true to the way memory works - recollections popping up here and there, but perhaps not in a totally accurate way.

I don’t want to give away too much plot, because the way this book builds and then crumbles is masterful. I hope you’ll consider checking it out!

Mixed race teenager Scotch is out one night with her brother when suddenly a huge bubble of light explodes over Toronto. Her brother disappears and the Chaos erupts - strange creatures are running free, people's bodies are mutating, and sticky black entity threatens to devour Scotch herself.

This book sounds fantastic on the surface. Caribbean folklore blended with fantasy and anything could happen? Sounds great. And the Chaos portions of the book are great. It's like dadaist art on the page. There were several bizarre creatures and psychedelic images that I giggled out loud at. Unfortunately, the plot itself is muddled and thin. It seems like the author had a great idea for a short story and tried to stretch it too far.

A lot of threads are dropped or only partially explained, and I really had a hard time with the parts where Scotch is fighting back her own ableism and homophobia. They were heavy-handed and rushed.

I'd really like to try other books by this author because I know she's well loved among fantasy readers. Please give me your recommendations!

Thanks to Random House for the free advance copy of this book.

Recently widowed Evvie Drake spends all her time at home, and everyone presumes she is still grieving. When former MLB pitcher Dean moves into her spare room while he recovers from a career-ending case of the yips, they agree not to talk about these things...until they can no longer stay out of each others’ lives.

EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER is a love story, but it’s also a wonderfully empathetic meditation of grief and the ways it does (or does not) manifest for different people. It explores trauma and small town social structures and the joy of a new relationship, all with a healthy portion of snappy pop culture references.

I loved that Evvie was a complete person even when single, with her own likes and obsessions, yet never veering into Quirky Heroine territory. I also loved that her best friend is a man, Andy, and their relationship is as layered as any relationships between girlfriends in other similar novels.

Evvie and Dean’s relationship is sweet and romantic and corny in the best way. I loved that they really had to work for their relationship with lots of really getting to know each other rather than the book just assuming they were meant to be.

This book is the perfect balance of funny and serious, just the way life is in the wake of major upheavals. Also, if you’re like me and are often mentally shouting at characters to get thee to a therapist, this is the book for you.