Killing Me starts with immediate action as the main character is captured by a serial killer
outside her college apartment. Amber wakes up later to a mysterious woman rescuing her,
and our adventure with a crew of unique characters is off and running.

Amber finds herself a little further from Johnson City, TN with no idea who rescued her and the realization that she must leave before
cops start asking questions. Soon enough, Amber is in Las Vegas meeting a ragtag cast of new friends in the motel scene. But the mysterious stranger who saved her
keeps sending texts and Amber will demand answers. The endearing characters end up working as an unlikely team to catch a prolific
serial killer in this funny novel perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan series.

I liked this one from the first page. My favorite parts included the rich cast of characters that society tends to ignore, the distinct personalities they each had, and the easy to
consume writing style. I was less of a fan of the pacing around the middle, but I think that story
building may pay off in the sequel- which I will definitely pick up! I hope you'll give this one a chance when it releases next year or request it
now if you're on NetGalley. Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

 When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler was an outstanding middle grades historical fiction novel. This book is told from the perspectives of three friends in Vienna beginning in 1936 and follows them through the end of the war. 

I picked it up after reading a rather long WWII novel, I wasn’t really in the mood for it but ended up finishing it quickly- a testament to how powerful this story is. Max, Elsa, and Leo have the best day of their lives at nine years old at the fair. In a serendipitous turn of events, they met a lovely couple from the UK. Leo and Elsa are Jewish and this novel expertly shows the gradual way the Nazi regime targeted Jews. Leo and Elsa‘s family both try to escape but they are not all successful while Max‘s family becomes enrolled with Nazi party. From the perspective of a former teacher, I think one of the greatest strengths of this book is that it shows how slowly the Nazis turned people against the Jews and gradually took more and more away from the Jews, ending in death camps. 

I loved the interwoven perspectives of these three best friends. Ultimately the story is heartbreaking, just as you would expect. This is a powerful book about the dangers of fascism told in a way that middle grade students will truly understand and be able to relate to. I think adults can definitely enjoy this one as well. And if you are a parent or educator, I think this book handles the trauma of the Holocaust with honesty and respect and as well as in an emotionally manageable way for young readers. 

I was completely unfamiliar with Simu Liu before hearing about this memoir. He is the star of Marvel's first Asian super-hero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This memoir tells his story
of being a Chinese immigrant, his struggles with family and their expectations, the hardships of being an unsuccessful accountant, and becoming a TV star, and
landing the role of a lifetime.

Simu begins with his earliest years when he lived with his grandparents so that his parents could focus on their educations. He also shares all of the trauma of going to live with his parents later, their anger, violence, and toxic expectations of a good child. 

Later, we learn about his experiences in college and as a young professional failing in his chosen field. I enjoyed the stories of how Simu landed in acting and the effort he threw in to make it his life’s work.

The lasting pain of his parent’s abuse is woven throughout this memoir, so proceed with care. This is a beautiful memoir, with more honesty and raw emotion than I’ve experienced in most of this genre. If that sounds intriguing, this is right up your street.   

I think this poetry collection confirmed that Rupi Kaur isn’t my cup of tea. However, her short and succinct poems do appeal to many and her writing style is accessible. 

This collection was organized into four main sections. I felt the organization was strong and cohesive at first, but then towards the end the poems felt more random and less centered on the chapter’s theme. 

Much of the collection focuses on experiences with sexual assault and abuse as well as toxic relationships. While I think it is written about with care, proceed with caution. 

The Trees by Percival Everett is a book that accomplishes more than its description suggests and does so in a way that balances entertainment with social commentary. 

You may know that this book is about the history of lynching in the American South. From the first few pages, we learn about gruesome murders of white men with a horribly beaten black man at each- yes the same dead black man is at two different scenes. The local police force in Money, Mississippi is woefully inept so two black officers are sent in from the MBI. They investigate as the string of strange murders continue and spread. 

Honestly, I was worried that this book would be a little too cerebral for me but it is totally accessible. Everett writes hilarious dialogue to juxtapose such a heavy topic, and his short chapters propel you forward. My only complaint is that I wanted more from the ending, however I truly see this book as art and political statement. I respect the author’s decision to end it the way that he did. 

I encourage you to give this book a chance even if it’s outside of your normal comfort zone. I think this book completely deserves its spot on the Booker Prize long list and having only read one other book, on the list this year, I think it has a significant chance to win the prize.

I read this after seeing it in a few places, not knowing anything about the author. I’m a big fan of memoir and I enjoy learning from the perspectives of disabled people. 

Nyle DiMarco is clearly a talented communicator, as this book shows from the introduction to the conclusion. He does an amazing job explaining how ASL will be interwoven with written English in the book and then launches into an at times emotionally excruciating and at other times endearing and sweet memoir. I am only colloquially familiar with America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars but I truly enjoyed the chapters about those experiences and how Nyle had to advocate for himself and the deaf community on those reality shows. 

Another highlight of this book was how honestly and in vulnerable detail, Nyle explained his journey with his sexual identity. I think anyone who enjoys celebrity memoir would love this book, but it brings so much more than that. It is eye-opening for those of us who are hearing and does speak a bit to some ways we can dismantle ableism and treat others with respect. If you were a fan of True Biz, pick this up immediately. 

I picked this book up in a free tiny library in my neighborhood. The title was familiar but I didn’t know anything about it. The Alice network is historical fiction set in World War I and Post World War II. The timeline and point of view alternates between Eve in World War I and Charlie in 1947. 

Charlie has found herself pregnant and with no male prospects and she is desperate to find out if her cousin Rose is still alive after not hearing from her in over three years. She meets Eve at the beginning of her search and then we very slowly discover how these two very different women of different generations are so connected. 

I rarely read such long books, so it says a lot that I stuck it out through this one with its very slow pace. I just love the characters that Kate Quinn created. I definitely recommend this book if you haven’t read it and you are open to a long, slow moving read that has rich character development set in a historical context. 

Bend Toward the Sun is a wonderful, realistic romance that you won’t want to put down. I listened to this on audio and it has two narrators, one for Rowan and one for Harry. They both do a phenomenal job bringing this book to life.

Rowan is a botanist who has just found out that the data from her thesis has problems, and Harry is a obstetrician who has recently decided to take a leave of absence from medical practice. When they meet, there is an instant attraction but what I loved about this book was the very realistic timeframe for their relationship. This is not instalove. As the relationship grows, Rowan is clear that she is looking for no strings attached and not an emotional connection. Harry feels the complete opposite, he only wants to be all in. It takes time and a lot of steamy scenes for these two to figure it out but when they do it is just beautiful.

This is absolutely by far my favorite romance book. I don’t read a lot in this genre and when I do I am quite selective. I am so glad that I read this book and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Publishing Group for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.