From the very first page, Lies We Sing to the Sea will bring you to the edge of your seat. Inspired by The Penelopiad inspired by The Odyssey, Underwood tells the forgotten story of Mathias, one of the twelve maidens hanged in Ithaca to appease Poseidon with the power to manipulate water. Since then, Ithaca hangs twelve maidens to satisfy Poseidon every Spring, and the story Underwood sets out to tell begins with Leto’s hanging. A young, oracle girl who, upon her death, ends up at Pandou, where Mathias has spent centuries finding and cleaning the hanged girls, Leto sets out to end Poseiden’s curse. How does she end the curse? By killing Melantho, the prince of Ithaca, of course– he must die at her hands in the sea– so Leto pretends to be his princess in waiting. In this incredible epic, jealousy, loss, and a desire to change the system inspires all three characters to go on an unpredictable journey where the stakes couldn’t be higher. With some of the most descriptive writing and imaginative descriptions of mythical creatures and places that can only exist in Greek mythology, Underwood perfectly modernizes a classic story with a feminist spin through complex female relationships. Of course, Leto falls in love with Mathias and Melantho on this journey and, naturally, they both fall in love with her. A doomed bisexual love triangle, Lies We Sing to the Sea is a must for readers who have been looking for a sapphic Percy Jackson story, however, it can be enjoyed by all, regardless of age or Greek mythology experience. 

A heartfelt graphic novel for young readers and lovers of magic, books, and diverse representation. Mooncakes is about Nova Huang, a Chinese-American teen witch whose grandmothers’ own a witchy bookshop in a small New England town. When her best friend spots a white werewolf near the woods, Nova is determined to find out what’s going on, but upon arrival sees her nonbinary childhood crush, who is also part werewolf, Tam Hang, fighting a horse demon. Lost for years as a werewolf, knowingly the only one who can defeat the demon, they hesitantly ask Nova for help, fearing they’ll be a burden. Of course, Nova is eager to help and the two of them get to work doing research in Nova’s grandmothers’ bookstore to figure out how best to defeat the demon. All the while, their love is rekindled and they bond over their feelings of loneliness– Nova’s caused by her being hearing impaired and wearing hearing aids, and Tam’s caused by… well… the fact that they're a werewolf. The story is about them discovering their individual callings and dealing with complex family histories and dynamics. This story is quite precious, with gorgeous illustrations that celebrate wholeness and have a purple tone, plus dozens of adorable, furry friends (including a cat who may or may not sort of save the day!). This book is perfect for fantasy lovers and people who believe in love; for those seeking sapphic and enby representation, as well as disability and Asian rep. Guaranteed to fulfill your craving for powerful, yet wholesome witchy stories. 

I had a hard time staying engaged with this text, finding myself zoning out or getting a little bored at times. Nonetheless, Irby's writing is original, humorous, and relatable. She's complex and honest and there were moments I was laughing out loud on the DC metro reading this book. 

What a beautiful, powerful story. I knew little of Davis aside from seeing her in her trailblazing roles, but this book (that I listed to as an audiobook and is narrated by Davis herself) was harrowing and inspiring and stunning. Davis's early life was one of true poverty, unlike any I've seen or read about before. She quite literally works her ass off and works her way up by learning, practicing, and being tenacious. I don't even know how to describe the beauty of this book and Davis' life coming in to her fame. It didn't happen over night and her specific and personal criticisms of racism and colorism in Hollywood and society in general is poignant and not one someone without her lived experiences would make. An absolute must read. 

Wow, I never thought I would read a book that so accurately and eerily describes my own boarding school experience from the athletic center to the weirdly close relationships with faculty to the isolation of being a scholarship kid. I was super excited about this book because I loved The Great Believers and honestly, this lived up to the hype. While it was a bit longer than I think necessary and it definitely slugged a bit in the middle and I didn't much care for the like talking to the killer/talking to the reader narrative, I thought this book was incredible. The characters were compelling, the mystery left me on the edge of my seat, and the way Makkai brought the boarding school scene to life was incredible. The sapphic and trans representation were an amazing inclusion. There was so much wonderful commentary in this too. Criticism of the criminal justice system, specifically of racism among cops, analysis of the #MeToo movement and cancel culture, and a critical look at true crime obsession- all of this culminated to not only a well done story, but a long overdue one. I highly highly recommend I Have Some Questions for You. 

Emily Henry does it again with this cute cheeky romance about a formerly engaged couple when they're forced to live the glory days with their friends at a beach house they have years worth of memories at. Henry is a superb romance writer and while it isn't my preferred genre, especially when its straight, I can't help but swoon a little. I also really appreciated the sapphic rep- whether from personal experience or through research, Henry clearly put a lot of care and thought into that relationship and I loved it. Now I want a romance novel about them specifically.