Finding me by Viola Davis was a memoir that I really looked forward to. I love her work as an actress and I could tell that this would be a raw and honest look at her life. I was surprised to discover how much Davis went through to get to where she is today. It was a very heavy read and she has an incredible amount of understanding and forgiveness for the trauma that has been a part of her life. She makes it clear that this has been a very intentional process, she has not arrived where she is without significant internal effort and the help of therapy.

Because of the traumatic content, this was a book that I had to read slowly and intentionally alongside other books that were less overwhelming. By the end, I was so glad that I read it and I loved how Viola Davis concludes her memoir. If you are ready to hear someone really tackle an exceptionally difficult childhood and how they healed and made a different path for themselves, I highly recommend this book. 

After loving They Never Learn by Layne Fargo, I decided to try her debut novel- Temper. 

This novel is about a small circle of characters- Kira and Spence, best friends who both work in acting, and Joanna and Malcom, a duo who run an independent playhouse in Chicago. Kira tries out for the latest production by Joanna and Malcom and gets the female lead in a 2 person play after a very strange series of events. Malcom takes the male lead and the strange aspects of his personality begin. Is he controlling? How does he get such stellar performances? What are these whispers about how evil he is? 

The novel is written in the alternating perspectives of Kira and Joanna. One criticism I have is that the voice was so similar that it was sometimes hard to tell their chapters apart. I did enjoy the short chapters. 

The novel works towards the obvious conclusion of the play opening. By then, tension is at a fever pitch. Kira is realizing she is lost in Malcom’s control and nobody knows how it will end. 

Overall, this was an above average debut but I much preferred Fargo’s sophomore novel. 

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was absolutely immersive. It is read by a VERY full cast. At times it felt like a well acted TV show, and it was so easy to picture the characters. 

In Good Talk, Mira Jacobs begins with a difficult conversation about race that she had with her young son. Mira is South Asian and her husband is Jewish. Much of this memoir is about navigating her life, her relationships, and parenting in a biracial family. As the story continues, Mira travels back in time to share experiences ranging from being a young adult in the 90s to 9/11 in NYC to the 2016 election as a person of color. 

This book is hard hitting; you will definitely laugh and you will probably get teary and angry too. Please get your hands or headphones on this phenomenal and important book as soon as you can. 

This graphic novel is about Aster, a boy who wants to learn witchcraft. His magical family insists that men must learn shapeshifting and witchcraft is only for women. 

As Aster is facing this identity crisis with his family and peers, he meets and bonds with a non-magical girl named Charlie. Charlie gives Aster a place to be himself and encourages his magic, and he needs this confidence to face the demon who is kidnapping boys from his magical family. 

This story builds a lovely little fantasy world and addresses being gender nonconforming in a creative way. I think it’s a great middle grades graphic novel. 

First, this book is NOT a thriller. It is better described as a YA contemporary with a mystery element. Going into this book expecting a thriller really hampered my experience, but by the end I had accepted what it was and really enjoyed the story. The Scrabble references are super fun and word nerds will like this one. 

The protagonist of the story, Najwa, is returning to her first Scrabble tournament since her best friend died at this tournament last year. It has been a year beset with grief and Najwa doesn’t feel ready for this step, but everyone around her is pushing for her to make progress and get back to some of her normal activities. As the tournament begins, someone starts posting on Trina‘s Instagram account, but wait a minute! Trina is the girl who died. What is going on? And what do these mixed up letter clues mean?

The mystery was a slow burn but it did keep me going as a reader through the very slow first two thirds of the book. If you go in expecting a slow ride, I think you’ll enjoy the character building and the dynamics between a set of friends who all want to win at Scrabble but who, like many teenagers, feel awkward in social situations. 

The pace quickens in the final 30 pages of the book. I wish some of that plot action had been spread out in the back half to keep us engaged with more tension. Overall, this book is an intelligent look at grief and how each of us handles it differently. 

Blood Sugar is a character driven novel about Ruby Simon who has murdered three people. But is she a serial killer? She experiences emotions and has empathy for others. She’s a well respected therapist! As the book begins, Ruby is suspected of murdering her husband but this is one death she’s not responsible for. 

This novel is told in alternating timelines, explaining the murders in Ruby’s past and her current situation as the suspected wife. As the reader, we learn more and more about Ruby through these flashbacks. The character development here is really strong, and not just for the MC. Even minor characters were fleshed out and dynamic. You’ll meet the college best friend, the high school girlfriends, the troublesome mother in law, and many other memorable characters. 

This is not a traditional thriller and I recommend it for that reason, and for the truly interesting character development. At the end of the novel, there is a twist and a satisfying ending but don’t go into this one expecting twists left and right. If you’re ready for a change of pace and some moral ambiguity, pick this one up. 

Loathe at First Sight is a lighthearted contemporary that combines a slow burn romance with changing female friendships and various challenges that women and women of color face in the workplace. 

The main character, Melody, is an Asian American woman working at a male dominated video game developer. She is surrounded by  patriarchal men who are easy to loathe and make it seem like her respect may never come. There is one man on the job that seems to value and admire her, but would it be a violation of ethics and company policy to pursue him? 

As the novel progresses, Melody faces serious problems when a game she has created is leaked to online trolls. The author does a great job discussing this important safety issue without being too heavy handed. 

Overall this a spice free contemporary romance that incorporates so much of Melody’s life, not just pining for a guy. I loved the female friendships, the family dynamics, and the humor. If you like a slow burn, realistic MCs, and a female identifying character facing a male dominated field, pick this one up! 

Seance Tea Party is one of the most charming graphic novels I have picked up. In essence it is a story about a tween girl, Lora, who still feels like a kid and is in no hurry to grow up. Her friends are jumping into the teen world and she feels left behind. 

Then Lora meets Alexa, a friendly playful ghost. Their friendship grows, but then as is always the case they each must grow as individuals and that is where this graphic novel weaves in meaning and a lovely statement about what it means to grow up and how we can all retain some of the magic of childhood if we choose to. 

If you are a fan of fun illustrations, middle grade stories with humor and depth, or a not so spooky ghost story, then this is a must read!