I enjoyed this book about a ballerina recovering from a potentially career-ending injury in middle school. Maisie has a supportive family, although she doesn't entirely believe it. Her father died when she was a baby, but her stepfather, Jack, has treated her like his own since he married her mother. One thing I liked about this book was that Maisie is Native, and that's a part of her life, but it isn't the "issue" in the book. It explores life of Native people who live in cities, which isn't a perspective we see as often. Quiet and enjoyable.

Lily Hu is growing up in 1950s San Francisco, specifically the Chinatown area. She's realizing that she feels a little bit different, but isn't quite sure why. Through reading a pulp paperback novel at the pharmacy, seeing an ad in the paper for a male impersonator, and befriending Kath, she starts to realize that she likes other women romantically. She knows that this will be frowned upon in her community, but grows to stand up for herself. Lily has friends that well-rounded as well. You can feel the weight of her relationship with Shirley and how it is changing. A realistic but not without hope ending.

When I realized this was a book from 14 different perspectives about Japanese-American incarceration/internment in the United States during World War II, I was a little skeptical. Fourteen different perspectives? How was I going to keep them all straight? Chee makes it fairly easy. The writers have different styles, sometimes even different formats, and I really appreciated that. I also learned things about the camps, even though I thought I had a pretty good idea of what life was like. An excellent work.

Many people do not know about the Chinese laborers who were brought into the South to take the place of the freed slaves. This story takes place in 1890, a few years after that. It illuminates the way that they didn't fit into the white or black world. Jo is an excellent milliner, but is let go because of her race. This forces her back into being a lady's maid, for a girl she has never gotten along with. Jo and Old Gin live illegally in the basement of a printer's barn, an old Underground Railroad housing place. Lee does an excellent job of showing the tightrope Jo had to walk, as well as showing life in the South during Reconstruction. A lovely historical fiction.

This is the story of Kit, an old-soul child living in the Paradise Twin Cinema, and Nico, who is sent on a quest by her father. Both of them are living in apocalyptic times, where a "fly flu" has wiped out a lot of humanity. I was surprised I liked this one as much as I did. I've put off watching Station 11 on HBO because I'm just not ready, and I've put off other books too. But this one kept me and stayed with me. I think it's because of the mystery, and the character study in the book. I really liked it.

Space mystery! What does the AI really want? Why does Ambrose not remember the launch? Who is the other person on the ship? Where is Minerva? Why are there so many tasks to do? So many mysteries, and as they unravel, it's slightly horrifying and completely captivating.

Cas has finally escaped from prison and made his way home. His country has been at war for a long time, and an uneasy peace has been brought about by the marriage of the king of one country and the princess of another. But there are secrets hiding in this kingdom, and murders are happening, and a plague still goes on. It also discusses the importance of history, as well as how the people that live get to tell the history. I really enjoyed it.

This book is powerful, and hard. It portrays anxiety, specifically the kind of anxiety a Black man might face as a teen. The pressure to be a "provider," to look out for your family, to hold all your emotions and secrets inside, the casual racism-it's all there. Add in seeing your younger brother's death and it's just a lot. It took me a while to see the metaphor for anxiety and life as a Black man. I mostly saw it as super powers. But when I did see it, it made the story so much more powerful. This will stick with you.

I enjoyed this story about a child cooking with their grammy. I like the repetitive nature of how the child's arm and hands feel doing the activities, and I think it describes the food one would eat really well. The illustrations are bright and colorful too.

Such a cute book about what happens at night. Love Fox.