I stole this from my daughter’s shelf cuz I was in the mood for a graphic novel. The imaginary characters were so adorable and unique, I loved the subtle details of gender equality and diverse relationships, but had to reread a bit to understand the world building and lore - felt as if there could have been more detail and depth.

I have now completed reading all of Emily Henry’s contemporary romance novels, and it would seem I saved her first as the best for last.
Since I am super late to the party, I don’t think any type of plot synopsis is in order. I will say, compared to her other contemporary romance novels, I enjoyed the side characters the most in this book, the heavier themes (like grief, which she usually includes in her novels) were though provoking and nuanced, I loved the premise of two writers swapping genres, and the miscommunications were usually short lived!  the characters actually talked to each other!
As always, Henry’s humor slays me and I wish I could be friends with her IRL. She imbues that hilariously funny and vulnerable personality into all of her characters, and that’s (one of the reasons) why her books are so fantastic - you just want to be BFFs with the main character. I pretty rarely read romance, but I will always read her romance novels! Counting the days until Funny Story!

The jumping back and forth in time frustrated me a bit, but I was immediately drawn into Elliot’s story. So terribly heartbreaking, the way he was treated (by the industry and certain family members) and how it affected his health and well being. Trans youth desperately need our support. I’m so glad he found the courage to write this book and is in a more peaceful space.

Thank you @netgalley and @hogarthbooks for the complimentary advance copy of Happiness Falls!
I loved Angie Kim’s debut, Miracle Creek and it was one on my favorite books of 2019 list. With a lot of rave reviews and hype, I went into happiness Falls with high (too high?) expectations. The narrative immediately grabbed my attention - the pace of events unfolding after the father’s disappearance was absolutely frenetic, with variable after variable in thrown in to keep me guessing as to his whereabouts. Yet it began to feel bogged down pretty quickly, and I ended up resentful-reading it.😆
Initially, I thought the uncovering of the victim’s ‘happiness quotient’ research/happiness as something scientifically quantifiable was interesting but ultimately, it ended up feeling like an overdone red herring. Way too much word count was dedicated to this topic when the other scientific discourse was more fascinating and pertinent: the ways in which we communicate, the fascinating advances in language technology for people with impaired motor function, and how we judge people differently based on means and capabilities of accessing language.
I also think the story would have flowed better with multiple points of view, or at least an entirely different character’s point of view. Mia’s thoughts were all over the place, tedious and frustratingly self centered. Sure she’s young and that’s par for the course, but it was difficult to understand why the author chose her voice alone to move the story forward.
Lastly, I am NOT down with ambiguous endings. That’s all I’ll say about that! I would absolutely read another of Angie Kim’s novels, this one just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to @atriabooks for the advance @netgalley copy of The Great Transition! Given how much I enjoyed dipping back into a little sci-fi earlier this year (with The Ferryman) and all of the buzz around this book, I had to put in a request. And I’m so glad I did, this was an impressive debut.
Cli-Fi is not for the faint of heart these days, and this book was no exception. Especially while heading into wildfire season here in the Pacific Northwest, and seeing fires affect the rest of the country earlier this summer, it’s mildly terrifying, though ultimately hopeful (if we could just figure out a way to value people over corporate profits).
 The author makes excellent use of each character to explore the different political facets of climate change: the cynical and extremist mother, the optimistic and hopeful father, and the daughter taking it all in to forge a path forward of her own. At times the missives from her mother, illustrated through interviews for a school report, become a little repetitive and didactic. But it was a clever storytelling device - provocative and illustrating how the ‘Transition’ came about.
This is an excellent mash up of genres: thriller, sci-fi, dystopian, and family drama. The ending felt somewhat open ended, so I am curious (and hopeful) to see if there will be a follow up!

Thank you to @bibliolifestyle and @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy of Mika in Real Life! New in paperback on August 8th, this novel is an excellent summer read.
Though it explores some heavy topics (first generation immigrant experience, adoption reconnection, sexual assault, fraught mother daughter relationships) the tone is refreshingly lighthearted.
The plot went in unexpected ways, sometimes unrealistically so, but I flew through the pages and couldn’t help but root for Mika in her journey of confronting her trauma and having her postponed coming of age.

“How mothers see their daughters as echos, as do-overs, as younger versions of themselves who might have the life they didn't or have the same life as they did, but better. But children aren't second chances, Mika realized with a start. It was unfair for Hiromi to believe her desires should live inside Mika. Children are made to take a parent's love and pass it along.”

Yellowface was every bit as propulsive and razor-sharp as the huge hype surrounding it has indicated! I was hesitant to pick it up, because Babel was just too dense for me to really enjoy, despite its excellent prose, themes and story. Thankfully this was my Evergreen Readers book club selection for July!
This novel is so different from R.F. Kuang’s previous work, zippy contemporary fiction vs complex high fantasy/sci-fi. I am in awe of her range. It is immediately attention grabbing, and a story I just couldn’t look away from. The plot at first reminded me of A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne. But Yellowface is so deep into the current zeitgeist, I felt myself nodding along at the clear references she was making to the publishing world and the obvious similarities to the publication of a certain novel with the initials A.D. 😆 
“I occupy that curious space where the fraction of the reading population that’s constantly online hates me, but the rest of America’s book buyers don’t.”
This line made me wonder if the average (i.e. not terminally online) person will understand the satire of this book, and actually sympathize with the protagonist! Juniper is AWFUL, but her every thought and action feels plausible. The racism, micro aggressions, entitlement, and cultural appropriation that is so commonplace is laid bare. I am quite curious as to how the machinations of this manuscript moving forward through the publishing world (that is eviscerated within) went down. Absolutely a perfect novel for book clubs and anyone who loves to talk books!

It’s always great to revisit Nantucket through Hilderbrand’s eyes, and this novel was no exception. I quite enjoyed having some midlife aged women as the protagonists. Although at times, it felt a little cringe and try-hard with hitting on all the contemporary issues in a ‘Sex and the City/And Just like That’ kind of way… Overall a fun and sweet read.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe was an absolute delight! I am choosy about fantasy novels, as I usually only pick them up as a palate cleansers or if the reviews pique my interest. In this case it was the former, but really ought to be the latter because Emma Törzs debut is getting buzz, but not enough!
This bookish magical story about two estranged sisters dealing with the aftermath of their father’s mysterious death, and his hidden library of spell books, was absolutely enchanting. There’s old money gothic mansions, dark academia, magic mirrors, secret doorways, protective wards, a heist, narrow escapes, a dash of romance, shocking betrayals and unexpected loyalties. Fun fun fun! 
It has similar vibes to Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic or Sarah Addison Allen’s books: accessible and engaging magical realism. 

“...she sometimes felt so alone she worried she might vanish like the ink in an overused book. But here, with wildlife all around her and magic sweet in the air like good cider, she felt her lines and colours returning, her edges darkening, her core filling in.”

A great graphic memoir, and this is my periodic reminder that if you are hesitant about picking up a graphic novel or memoir, you really MUST give them a try! I particularly love memoirs in this format. There’s something visceral in a visual medium which conveys emotion in a way words alone cannot.
This is an account of the author’s two years working in the remote Canadian oil sands, surrounded by mostly lonely men, and trying to pay off her student loans. I loved the juxtaposition of these enormous machines against the backdrop of the beautiful countryside and the simple cartoon like people, but with the most endearing facial expressions.
Many topics are covered in the narrative: environmentalism, indigenous peoples rights, social and financial inequalities. But above all, this was a story about sexual assault and misogyny. So just a fair warning on that front.
I also was reminded about how little I know about the culture and history of our neighbors to the north, and I was glad to learn more. Recommend!