Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a queer immigrant coming of age story set in Corona- a neighborhood in Queens- in the 1980s. 

Razia is a Pakistani American girl who is religious, smart, and eager to please her family and friends. The vivid descriptions of childhood and life in the 1980s will resonate with many, even if Razia has little in common with you. The novel reads more like a connected short story collection, told in vignettes that build rich characters and a clear sense of time and place. 

This novel really shines in the second half, which I devoured in a day after spending several days getting to that point. The last few stories show Razia discovering her sexuality and how she will find a way to be herself in a conservative and semi-isolated community.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about this book, the slow build created the space for an ending that felt so open but also solid. This is the kind of book that I like to imagine being a classic in the future, it captures a time so we’ll and also the timelessness of not fitting the expectations of your family. Read this, please. 

How to Survive Your Murder is a YA thriller with ample horror movie references. It is twisty and well paced, and if you are a horror flick fan this will hit a lot of spots for you. 

I think this book is great, it just wasn't exactly the book for me because I don't love movies so many of the references flew over my head. I did suspect two of the major twists before they happened, but the final twist properly shocked me. This may be five stars for you if you like a fast YA thriller with movie nods. 

Frizzy is a younger middle grades graphic novel about hair, grief, and culture. Marlene is a middle school girl with naturally frizzy hair and each week her mom drags her to the salon to have it straightened. Marlene hates Sundays for this reason and feels constant pressure to look and act a certain way. 

This book is both accessible and approachable for young readers while also packing an emotional punch and tackling tough topics like "good hair," anti-Blackness, and how different people grieve. No words of mine could show you how beautifully this book is written and illustrated. Please, please read it or give it to a girl identifying young person in your life. 

Someone Had to Do It is a gritty cat and mouse thriller about Brandi, a young intern at a famous fashion house who envies the life of the it girl designer's daughter, Taylor. Told from the perspectives of Brandi and Taylor, this book has lots of sex and drugs and lots of envy. Taylor is desperate for her father's millions and the trouble starts when Brandi overhears Taylor saying she wishes her father was dead. 

You really shouldn't know more than that going into this book. It is a wild ride and so much fun. I'd give it five stars if there had been a little less sex in the first half; I was glad when that aspect calmed down in the back half. I really couldn't put this one down. If you're looking for a different kind of thriller with young characters and nasty secrets, give this one a chance. 

Big Swiss is both emotional and hilarious, totally bizarre and far fetched- yet somehow relatable. Greta works as a transcriptionist for a sex therapist named Om. Om is not the best therapist, but he's the only sex and relationship coach in town so he (and therefore Greta) see a lot of folks in the town of Hudson, NY. 

Greta becomes obsessed with Big Swiss, her nickname for a patient, through transcribing her sessions. Big Swiss has been married for over seven years, has never had an orgasm, and is carrying around some big T trauma that she claims isn't very important. When Greta recognizes Big Swiss' voice at the dog park, she initiates a wild friendship that morphs into an amorous affair. 

Everything in this book is it's own kind of train wreck. I have read valid criticisms of how this book romanticizes the behavior of "unhinged" white women. I didn't read this book as condoning Greta's behavior but I will say it is low on consequences, so keep that in mind if you decide to read it. I enjoyed this immensely as a well told story of two women finding some kind of love while keeping their own big secrets. I valued it for the entertainment value and quirkiness, not for depth or realism. If that sounds appealing to you, I think it's worth a read. 

And I highly recommend this on audio with a full cast and dual voiced therapy sessions that will have you laughing out loud. 

Hood Feminism is a brutally honest look at how white feminism leaves behind entire swaths of people of color. I have read a few books on this topic and I found Hood Feminism to be a standout in terms of cohesive organization, a balance of exposition, data, and anecdotes, and action items for readers. 

I think every white woman should read or listen to this book. I am by no means saying that reading one book on this topic is sufficient, but if you are only going to pick one this is a great choice. 

We are the Brennans was a fast and compelling family drama that focused on sibling dynamics in an Irish Catholic family. Told from multiple perspectives, the story begins with the daughter, Sunday, getting into a serious car crash in LA. Her emergency contact is her brother, Denny, whom she hasn't spoken to much since she moved away from the Northeast five years ago. 

Denny comes to Sunday's rescue and convinces her to come back home to New York. When she returns, we slowly learn what events drove her away and what feelings that created for the family and love that she left behind. This book is full of family dynamics, messy and realistic characters, and far more twists than I expected. Those aspects together create a well paced, enjoyable read even when the subject matter gets dark at times. 

I can't believe I put off reading this book for so long because of other reviews. If you have loved other family dramas, please pick this one up. The use of so many perspectives was so effective here, bringing us into to the strengths and flaws of each character and creating so much empathy in the reader. This book had me rooting for the Brennans, mad at the Brennans, and everything in between. I can't believe how Lange has packed such a special story into a tight 260 pages. This is well worth a read. 

The Surgeon is a twisty, tense medical thriller with legal elements. If you like medical dramas, I think this will appeal to you. 

Our main character is a well respected but also envied female surgeon. When she loses a patient in surgery for the first time, she experiences suspicion from her superiors and the local DA’s office. Was the death intentional? Was someone else at fault? 

There’s also a subplot about the surgeon’s husband who is running for mayor. Told from a second perspective, we learn about his infidelity and his lover’s avarice.   

It was well researched enough to impress me as a layperson, but I’m not a medical professional so I’m not sure if it holds up at that level of scrutiny. One major twist is partially revealed early on and that did a lot to hold my attention. The final twenty percent was twist after twist, Alice Feeney style. If you’re looking for a medical thriller, this might be worth a go.

 Weyward is a beautifully written, moving novel about generations of women in a family and their experiences and connections to each other over centuries. 

I loved the multitude perspectives, from a girl accused of witchcraft in the 1600s, to a woman in the 1940s, and a young woman in an abusive relationship in 2019. Each of the characters was so well developed and relatable. The slow build towards generational awareness in the more modern timelines and the subtle suggestions of magical realism were so well done. 

I think this is great for fans of historical fiction and anyone who loves a story about the witch panic or the power of women.