Kass Baptiste is newly engaged to her fiancé Murray Sedgemont, and their next adventure is an engagement party back in North Carolina at the home of Murray's parents. Kass doesn't know much about Murray's family, but she soon learns that they are beyond wealthy and that her mother-in-law is a force to be reckoned with. 

When the night of the engagement party to rival any society wedding comes around, everyone's eyes are on Kass, the stranger with no apparent social standing. And then when someone dies, Kass is thrust into suspicion. 

Full of red herrings and secrets left and right, this one kept my attention as I listened to the skilled narration. I did guess some of the twists, but there was plenty that surprised me just enough. If you like the different worlds trope in a thriller and the wedding or large party setting, this one is a fun read.  

The Night Raven is a sweet but dark middle grade novel about an adolescent orphan in Sweden who ends up on the trail of a serial killer. 

You're thinking, "How could that be sweet?" and I hear you. There are some amazing main and side characters here that shine through the dark, mysterious setting and plot. You'll just have to pick it up to discover the sweetest unlikely friendship I've read in a long time. 

My only complaint is that I would have liked a little more at times, but I recognize that it's the first in a series of (currently) six books so I just have to keep reading. This book is perfect for a middle grades reader who wants to fly through a book and wants a little bit of edge and darkness with their lovable orphan trope. 

The title might put you off, but if you have a kid that is more intense than their peers and everything (or just some unexpected things) is a battle- you need to read this book. 

I wasn't sure what I'd gain from this book as an educator and as a parent that has read and worked hard on respectful, positive parenting skills. I already knew a lot about showing empathy and changing the wording that many of us default to. I learned even MORE from this fantastic book. I was able to quickly notice a difference in my child when I started using these communication strategies. I'm looking forward to applying them consistently moving forward and recommending this book to educators that I work with. 

Charlie Barnes is a man in his late sixties who has lost his shirt in the 2008 crash and he's been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sounds like a real bummer, doesn't it? Well fear not, this book is hilarious, tender, and sharp as a tack. 

Told as a history of the man, we learn so much about all of the failed jobs (and marriages) that brought Charlie Barnes to 2008. We learn about what motivated him and who he loved, and while you think you can guess where this book will head- I almost guarantee you won't guess correctly. 

The audiobook is narrated by Nick Offerman, so don't miss that if you like a good listen. I loved this book, I can't say anything near as intelligent as what Joshua Ferris has presented in this novel so just read it. 

The Intern is a smart legal thriller focusing on Madison Rivera who lucks into an internship for Judge Kathryn Conroy, whom she has idolized for years. Madison comes from a single parent home with a mother who struggles to get by and a younger brother that has a tendency to get into trouble. Madison makes a dangerous choice to hide something crucial on her employment paperwork, but it turns out Judge Conroy has secrets too. 

I loved the immediate tension and quick pace of this book, as well as how Campbell weaves in flashbacks to build her characters. I felt so invested in how this story would end, to the point that I read it faster than most thrillers that tend to be shorter. Don't let the length deter you on this one if you like a legal drama. 

While I wouldn't comp this to Defending Jacob by William Landay or The Boy's Club by Erica Katz, I do think that those books are good indicators of if you might enjoy this one. I'm so glad I read it and I think it deserves lots of readers. 

The Leftover Woman is a genre bending, tight and concise novel by Jean Kwok. I was amazed at what a detailed story Kwok weaves in under 300 pages, blending characteristics of literary fiction, mystery, and family drama. At times I thought I knew where this plot was going, but I certainly did not. 

Told from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant without papers and the high powered publishing editor who adopted a Chinese daughter, this story pulls on heartstrings and keeps the tension taut throughout. How Kwok stays on that tightrope was very impressive. 

I recommend this book to almost anyone because it blends so many genres and creates deep, dynamic characters that you feel for but can't consistently agree with while moving towards a plot crescendo that you can feel viscerally. 

I'd suggest going in relatively blind, but expect themes around the one child policy of China, adoption, fidelity, and how far a mother will go for her child. The Leftover Woman is well deserving of a spot on your TBR. 

All You Have to Do Is Call is an incredibly moving historical fiction novel about the true Jane Collective, an underground abortion clinic that operated in Chicago in the early 1970s. If a woman is in trouble, they call Jane. 

Jane is and was a fully woman operated system supporting women by offering very affordable, safe abortions at a time they were illegal in Illinois. This story follows Veronica, co-founder of Jane, Patty, her best friend since childhood, and Margaret, a new English professor seeking connection and trying to find her place in a patriarchal university. Each woman has their own relationship challenges and the character development is truly impressive, both in it's detail and how it draws the reader closer and also in how Maher keeps the pace quick and the story doesn't ever feel bogged by down by the large cast. 

I was a bit nervous to pick this one up because I worried about the emotional toll it might take on me. While I did cry, it wasn't at the points I would have expected, and Maher has written this with beautiful balance between the devastating and joyful parts of being a gender that has always, always been under the control of men. 

I could have walked away from this one easily calling it among my top reads of the year, but the author's note cements its top tier status. Maher tediously researched for this book for several years and put so much consideration into all aspects, including intentional Black characters and situations to challenge the privilege of many of the white women in this story and of the era (and now). 

It is a travesty on so many levels that this book is as timely as it is in this present moment. I can only say it is a must read, because we must acknowledge how far we have come and what is at stake without safe, legal access to reproductive health of all varieties. This book is going to live rent free in my head and heart for a long, long time. 

Bookshops and Bonedust is an excellent prequel to Legends and Lattes. I would recommend reading L&L first, but I think you could follow this easily without doing so. In this book, we get some of Viv's backstory from before opening a coffee shop in a small magical community that has never heard of the divine beverage. 

Viv's mercenary career is not going well and after a significant injury, she has to lie low at a bookshop. While there, she makes new friends but adventure doesn't stay away just like Viv's desire for it continues despite a broken leg. This story is full of fun, quirky characters, a bit of love, and a lot of adventure and found family. 

The icing on the cake is the incredible audiobook narration by the author! I was shocked at his incredible vocal abilities and the range of voices he performed, especially since I read an e-book of Legends & Lattes. If low stakes fantasy is your bag, put this on your TBR.