I’ve tried physical and audio. This book isn’t for me. 

For fans of the Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, The Grace Year is a must read. 

Tierney James is 16 and that means it is time for her grace year, a time when all girls of that age are taken out of the County and into the wilderness to survive their together. No one speaks of the grace year, so it holds myriad secrets and terrors. Everyone knows poachers seek to capture and kill the grace year girls, and some people seek homeopathic medicine made from the bodies of grace year girls who died. In short, the year facing Tierney is a true nightmare. 

Tierney has been raised "like a son" by her loving father, so she hopes to be more equipped for this challenging isolation than the other girls. In a society that controls women and values men, the only way a woman can gain status is to marry and bear sons. Tierney doubts anyone will choose her as their bride in the ceremony before the grace year begins, but is she right?

Once they are in the forest, will Tierney survive? How many of the girls will die and what sanity will remain at the end? The Grace Year is a book I both could not put down and did not want to end. The ending still haunts me and I hope and pray for a sequel. I even procrastinated about writing this review because it is a way of coming to terms with this book being over. It sits on my shelf now and I am sure I will reread it someday. Kim Liggett is an impressive author, layering in so much meaning and commentary throughout this novel; I know I will notice even more genius in it on a future reading. 10/10. Do not delay. Read immediately. 

Katrina Kim is broke, isolated, and has a crappy job. And she swears she is not a stalker, but her behavior doesn't really back that up. Liar, Dreamer, Thief drew me in quickly with Katrina's descriptions of alternate worlds and travel between them. So much of Katrina's post college experience is very relatable- underemployed, struggling, ashamed. The way the author layered this with a mystery and with messages about mental health was really enjoyable. 

So Katrina is *not* stalking a coworker at her temp agency named Kurt. But when something terrible happens to him, she decides to investigate. I paid very close attention to this audiobook, and I can't spoil this book because I don't fully understand what happened at the end- but I think that's the point? I kind of love the ambiguity Dong leaves about some aspects of the story. I think it's very intentional. 

So you know, don't pick this up if you want a straightforward mystery, or a thrilling mystery, or a "normal" book. Pick this up if you like weird, you're in the mood for a slightly meandering mystery with a very different kind of semi-reliable narrator. Give it a try if you're open to something out of the box, and if you go in with those expectations I think you might really like it! 

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing is about a husband and wife who find their marriage getting stale after many years together and raising two teenage kids. The solution is murder. Told from the husband's perspective, the story starts with him vetting a potential victim. We quickly learn that he's keeping secrets from his wife, Millicent. And as the story progresses, Millicent has secrets of her own. 

I expected this book to focus much more on the potential victims of the couple or on the couple's twisted dynamics. I was surprised how much of the book focused on the two children. I did see the main twist coming and predicted it correctly, and setting aside a few minor criticisms I considered this a fun read. Samantha Downing's writing is easy to read and her pacing is good. 

I think if I had read this a few years ago, I would have liked it more but as it stands now I read so many thrillers that this didn't surprise me at all. I nitpicked a few things like inconsistent descriptions of Millicent's hair and a page where in one paragraph Millicent puts dinner in the oven and then in the next paragraph dinner is chicken noodle soup (Who cooks that in the oven?). So I guess I'm not not recommending this one? Solid middle of the road, quick read. Not too scary, but some descriptions of body torture. 

Iris is a middle schooler in the 1980s in NYC when her life is turned upside down by the death of her father. She has already been through the challenges of divorce, and now she has lost her father and poetry partner to AIDS. 

Surrounded by fearful people who don’t understand the disease, Iris faces emotions and fears that seem insurmountable. Through her grief, Iris looks back at poems written by herself and her father when he was alive. He was an English professor at NYU and it was a tender way they communicated together. It lends such a sweetness to this novel. 

Full of historically accurate information about the AIDS crisis in the eighties, this book tells a beautiful story and teaches readers too. I loved all of the characters and the symbolism behind the title. The end was so moving. If you like middle grades or have a young reader, get your hands on this book! 

Black Flamingo is a novel in verse about Michael, a mixed race boy growing up in England. Michael’s father is Jamaican and his mother is Greek Cypriot. We begin the story with Michael at around age 7 and follow him to his freshman year of university. 

Michael quickly notices he is different from other boys his age. As this awareness grows into understanding his queer identity, he faces challenges within his family and with his friends. The story of a real black flamingo becomes a symbol for his experience and he turns it into a poignant analogy that you must read. 

I have no criticism for this story, it is heartfelt, beautiful, and so special. I love how the poetry grew in depth as Michael grew. The attention to character growth was wonderful, from Michael to his mother to his best friend. This is a really special book that I think everyone will love. 

Are you in the mood for a creepy, weird novella with a historical setting and social message? If you are ready for a weird book, I think Ring Shout is well worth considering. I am not a horror reader but I couldn't stay away from this premise-  Maryse Boudreaux, a young Black woman in the 1920s, hunts to kill Klu Kluxes, actual monsters that are created by white supremacy and hatred. 

Maryse is a total badass, carrying all manner of weapons she is out for blood and will not stop until these monsters are dead. The body horror elements aren't overwhelming and the author does a great job of moving on from them quickly, which was just right for my horror tolerance. The poignant statements about how powerfully hate can transform people are woven in nicely, so that they resonate rather than come across as cheesy or heavy handed. 

You'll have to pick up this quick read to find out if Maryse can stop the Klu Kluxes before their damage is beyond repair and to find out more of her excellent backstory. The audiobook is exceptional if you enjoy listening. I can't wait to read from this author again. I hope you'll add this to your TBR!

River Sing Me Home is an excellently well researched historical fiction novel about slavery in the Caribbean in the early 1800s. Rachel is a slave in the 1830s when the end of slavery is announced, but all slaves are forced into apprenticeships essentially continuing their bondage. To her own surprise, Rachel is so dismayed by this news that she decides to run away from her plantation and go searching for the children she has lost to the slave trade. 

Rachel has been the mother to 11 children, five of whom were sold away from her. River Sing Me Home tells us the story of how she finds what happened to each of them and the sweet and bitter reunions she has. I found the character development somewhat lacking, but I do think that must have been a decision to keep the book at an accessible page length and to keep the story moving forward. Still, I found myself bored at time and wishing for more connection to Rachel and those around her. I did love Nobody and his character made the story much richer for me. 

Another criticism I have is the believability here of Rachel to not be found by slave catchers and to find her surviving adult children. I realize we suspend our disbelief frequently as readers, but this was just a bit more than my heart could suspend. I also found the positive outcomes for most of her children very optimistic given the tragedies and horrors of slavery. 

Criticisms aside, the book kept me reading and I loved the descriptions and imagery. I enjoyed learning more about slavery in the Caribbean and I would love to read the next book from Shearer. This was an impressive debut and I do recommend giving it a try if you enjoy historical fiction. 

The Body is Not an Apology is truly the book every human needs. The subtitle indicates the message about self-love, but Sonya Renee Taylor does an immaculate job of clearly explaining how self love leads to accepting and loving others and how it is an inherently radical and political act as well. 

If you are struggling with body image OR if you are not, read this book. It explains so clearly and easily how accepting ourselves and getting away from shame culture can change so many other parts of our lives and greatly benefit society. 

Taylor argues that loving yourself is the first step in effecting change and being a better person. You'll have to read to discover all of the wisdom in this book and the data and examples that make it so compelling. 

Finna is a science fiction novella set in an Ikea-like store. When an elderly customer disappears, the store employees find out that wormholes frequently occur at their big box store chain. Ava and Jules are the unfortunate two who are selected to travel into the wormhole, risking their own lives, to find the elderly shopper. Corporate demands it. 

To add insult to injury, Ava and Jules just broke up. The author does an excellent job explaining their relationship dynamics and what led to their breakup, highlighting the challenges Jules faces as nonbinary in a retail position, and criticizing capitalism and worker exploitation in a fun, swiftly moving story. 

I loved this book and I'm not a typical sci-fi reader. I think it's a unique and fun story, and I hope you'll give it a try!