Where do words come from? Who determines what a word means? If you've ever pondered these essential questions of language, this children's book is perfect for you regardless of age. Frindle by Andrew Clements is about a fifth grade teacher and her class, and how one student, Nick Allen, decides to introduce a new word and make it so. One day he calls a pen a "frindle" and the games begin. His teacher wants him and his friends to show more decorum and respect for the English language, but Nick cannot be deterred. In this short but impactful story, Nick and his teacher find out they have more in common than they thought and learn about the power of determination and language. This is a must read! 

The Last Night at the Telegraph Club is an excellently well researched and beautifully written novel about Lily Hu, a Chinese American teenager in San Francisco in the 1950s. The Telegraph Club is a lesbian night club that becomes very important to Lily as she explores her queer identity. 

Helped along by her friend Kath, Lily finds there are many men and women who feel the way she does. There is a lot of time spent exploring Lily's inner thoughts- her slow discovery that she is not like her peers, finding any semblance of peace with that, and then finding friends and developing feelings for a woman. All of this happens to Lily during a time when it is criminal to be gay and with the added tension of being a Chinese American during the Red Scare. Lily has to worry about the fate of herself, her parents, and her relatives in all of her decisions. 

My criticism of this book is that I felt some parts were expounded upon too much at a cost to the pacing and flow of the story. I found the first quarter and the last quarter to be just perfect, and with an ending that took my breath away- I do recommend this book. 

Take it Back is a legal crime thriller about Zara, a Muslim identifying lawyer, and her client, Jodie, a sixteen year old white girl with facial deformities. Jodie accuses four Muslim boys of rape, and Zara decides to defend her- putting Zara in the difficult situation between believing women and antagonizing her religious and cultural community. 

Throughout the story, Jodie's story changes as does the story of the four boys. Zara is wracked with guilt about who to believe and how to do the right thing as a human and as a barrister. I thought Kia Abdullah wrote to these nuances beautifully.

I found a bit of the middle slow, but then once the trial began the pace picked back up. If you enjoyed The Night Swim by Megan Goldin, I think you'd like this one as well. Be forewarned, there are some descriptions of sexual assault. Handle with care, but this is an excellent and respectful novel about the difficulties in a rape case and the emotions faced by everyone involved. 

Blacktop Wasteland is a fantastic, character driven and thrilling heist novel by SA Cosby. This is my third book from the author and my least favorite, but all three of the books are phenomenal! It's like choosing between your favorite foods at Thanksgiving, there can be a standout but it doesn't mean second and third place are anything less than wonderful. 

In this book we meet  Beauregard “Bug” Montage. He is an honest mechanic barely staying afloat with his garage and now things have taken a desperate turn financially. He finds himself tempted to return to his uncle to do some illegal work for a big payout. Uncle Boonie has quite the job to offer and the rest of the story follows Bug fighting his inner ethical monologue and his desire to provide for his family. 

This book had me hooked for every moment, except some of the car chases and a little bit of the fight scenes. That's just personal preference. I love the way SA Cosby explores race, racism, interracial relationships, poverty, and universal human struggles. I cannot recommend his books highly enough, and the audiobooks have one of the best narrators I've ever heard. A big bonus for this audiobook was an interview with SA Cosby himself at the end, listen just for that if you prefer to read physically!  

After very much enjoying Amen Maxine, I gave the second books in the Jolvix episodes a try. Faith Gardner is a talented author, her stories develop strong characters and her ideas are fresh. Violet is Nowhere is a slow paced, character driven sci-fi mystery. 

Violet has been kidnapped and taken to a secluded cabin and given a phone that can only dial one number. She has one week to figure out her connection to the person who answers that number, or she dies. As Violet gets to know Bud over the phone, we learn the backstories of each of these relatively young people- their traumas, their joys, their hopes for the future. Bud is initially skeptical but he comes around to doing anything he can to save Violet. 

Again, this is a slow paced book. It is very different in style than Amen Maxine, but the twist is fresh and worth getting to the end for. I'm eager to read the third book soon! 

The Naturals is a surprisingly dark YA thriller. To give away very little, it is about teenagers with exceptional skills who are recruited by the FBI. The FBI use their unique and varied skills to solve cold cases. 

With a dark and observant female MC with a dead mother, this book plays on some familiar tropes. I thought I knew where it was headed and I was really surprised by the ending. 

Overall a fun and fast read and I plan to read #2 in the series. 

If you’ve been waiting for the next book from William Landay after the acclaimed Defending Jacob, here it is. All That Is Mine I Carry with Me is a powerful novel of suspense and family tragedy with deeply flawed and well developed characters, multiple perspectives and writing styles, and the strong twists you expect.

This novel follows the story of a family whose mother and wife disappears one day in the 1970s. We first read from the perspective of an author who has been struggling with writers block and is now working on a manuscript of this tragedy that he witnessed first hand as a family friend. Next, we hear from Miranda- the youngest of the three Larkin children and the first to notice Jane missing.

The novel is written in long, lush chapters but the pace is wonderful. Landay also changes his writing style with the narrator changes, as we later read from dead Jane and then one of the two sons, Jeff, fifteen years later.

As the murder still remains unsolved, we then travel to 2017. The ending is poignant, emotional, and punchy. I love how Landay brought aging and caregiving into this story, making it truly reflective of family tragedy and what it means to live with a trauma over time. 

I couldn’t put this one down. Landay weaves in courtroom and lawyer drama but more from a behind the scenes look than in Defending Jacob. This book is also shorter and more evenly paced. I think this is the character driven thriller everyone should pick up this year. 

I’m Still Here is a powerful, honest memoir about being black in a white world. Brown describes situations throughout her life that are filled with racism and micro aggressions even from people with “good intentions.” 

This book hooked me in quickly and kept me listening intently even when the text was dark and overwhelming. We hear about everything from the casual racism of many office jobs to intense fears traveling in a black body to the failed and surface level attempts of white churches to repair with the BIPOC community. 

A significant portion of this book focuses on Brown’s Christian faith and her examination of white Christianity is scathing, but also honest, helpful, and hopeful. She often reflects on Jesus and the end of the book reads like a sermon and a prayer. I do not identify as religious but I grew up in white churches so I found this important and enlightening, even though I do not share all of her beliefs. 

Do not read this book to feel better about whiteness and equality in the modern era. Read this book to learn humbly and begin to understand a perspective that might not be your own. 

Wow, I read this book almost a month ago and it is living rent free in my head. You may be aware of the 2022 film adaptation, and I have not seen it so this review will not offer comparisons. My Policeman is a gripping, deeply emotional story of a man who is in love with a man and married to a woman in 1950s England. At that time, inversion (homosexuality) was a crime and it was hotly enforced by eager police offers. Tom is a policeman and in a way he is a main character, but in this book we read from the perspectives of his lover Patrick and his wife Marion. 

Tom and Patrick have instant chemistry, even if Tom is in denial about it for some time. I loved the tension and build up of their relationship. At points in the beginning, this book is downright steamy. But oh dear reader, how the mood changes. 

Marion is aware throughout their relationship that Tom is not like other men, even receives helpful warnings about this. She knows Tom and Patrick are intensely deep friends and that sharing Tom is part and parcel for their "happy" relationship. 

Unfortunately, we must circle back to the societal and legal situation of the time. There this book takes a dark turn and becomes emotionally devastating. And I guarantee the ending will leave you with many emotions and little resolution. In this case, I think that was intentional and brilliant. If you are ready to be emotionally crushed and feel all the things, pick this one up as soon as you can.