Hidden Pictures is a solid, entertaining thriller with paranormal elements. You may have heard that it is about a five year old who starts drawing very creepy pictures, ones that seem to depict a murder. That definitely sounds like a cliche trope with room to fail, but I think this book delivers a pretty solid experience. 

The main character is recovering from addiction to OxyContin. She finds it hard to get a good job, but she stumbles into a well paying nanny job. Don’t worry, this isn’t an unreliable narrator. Drug addiction is written about in a respectful way here, it is part of the plot but it doesn’t come across a gimmick. The story never drags but there is certainly time devoted to building the MC’s character in the middle of the book, more time than in many thrillers. 

I won’t tell further into the plot because if you want to read this I think knowing less is helpful. I will say that the epilogue is exceptionally long, but I enjoyed the further character development and resolution that it offered. Overall, this is a pleasurable paranormal thriller. 

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry is one of the sweetest novels I’ve ever read, and I read a lot of books. It usually takes a little while for me to get drawn in but Zevin created characters from the very beginning that made me want to know more. 

AJ is a widow, alone and drinking too much, running the bookshop he bought with his wife. Through a series of events, people come into his life to build a beautiful family and circle of friends. 

This book made me feel so warm and fuzzy, and there were a few tears as well. Zevin created an amazing cast of truly rich characters in a short 250 pages. This book is a lot of magic in a small package. I will be recommending this to everyone. 

Legends and Lattes is exactly as described, high fantasy and low stakes. It is the relaxing and charming character driven novel I didn’t know I needed. 

Viv is an orc who has decided to lay down her sword and open a coffee shop in a town who has never heard of this delicious beverage. Viv soon employs Tandri, a succubus, to help her in the shop. This book is full of wonderful characters and just a few of less honorable intentions to keep it interesting. 

Fantasy isn’t in my wheelhouse so I was surprised to love this book as much as I did. I recommend it to anybody who wants to relax with a good story that reminds us of what can be good all while lost in another world. 

This was an informative book by a comedian with autism. I learned a lot and would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about interacting with folks who are autistic. 

McCreary really emphasized that autism is different for every person. He balanced individual stories with unifying information about ASD. I learned some vocabulary from this memoir and his descriptions of his experience will help me to have empathy in the future. 

I felt the book wrapped up a little quickly, but McCreary even says him self that writing an epilogue was a challenge and even quite presumptuous at the age of 22. I think this is worth the read. 

Nightcrawling is an impressive debut novel, especially when you consider it was written when Mottley was an undergrad student. 

This is the story of a 17 year old Kiara in Oakland who stumbles into prostitution when life hands her absolutely garbage options. To make matters worse, she is quickly picked up by the Oakland PD and ends up being used as one of their personal prostitutes. 

The novel’s plot focuses on a trial involving Kiara and the OPD and Kiara’s relationships with a best friend, her brother, and her mother. They each have their own baggage that contributes to Kiara’s emotional state. And the trial is emotionally overwhelming, making her significantly afraid for her personal safety.

This book is emotionally compelling and I enjoyed it immensely while reading. However, as I ruminated on the story after finishing I noticed some areas that I wish had been more fully fleshed out. I did not like how the storyline with Kiara’s mother concluded; it felt simplistic and unbelievable. I also felt that the end of the OPD storyline was insufficient. I think some people will read this book and see it as representative of the experience that women in poverty have in prostitution and I don’t think it should be interpreted as such. It is a novel, and it’s not a work of nonfiction. It is especially not a work that depicts the graphic realities often faced by sex workers. 

So I recommend this book if you want a really sad, emotional read but make sure you’re ready to view it as what it is. Fiction can be great to learn from and it can contribute to our empathy for others, but it is not a replacement for broader, factual learning.