Mer is a drowser, or water mage, who has had to do terrible things in the name of her leader and his quest to take over other lands. She's run away and is trying to live her life on her own terms. Of course, the former spymaster finds her quickly, but wants her to assist him in a quest to bring down the kingdom. Chaos in the heist ensues, including references to the fey realm. What a great book about sacrifice and caring for others.

This is a powerful story about the last slave ship to America (the Clotilda) which was also an illegal ship. The reason I listed that it was complicated earlier is because it covers both the slaves and the lives of the people that brought them over. I didn't love the people who brought them over, but I loved learning about the slaves and how they managed to carve out a life for themselves. Some have said it is hard to keep track of everyone, but I didn't find it so. They all felt like distinct voices to me.

This book is about a boy with a stutter who wants to learn to dance. A classmate takes him under her wing. It's fine, but the art style wasn't really my favorite. Also, I realized I must only read tame manga lately because I was horrified by the upskirt shots. 

An enjoyable read--it's a selection of short queer fairy tales. I tend to like my stories to all have a bit more of a conclusion than was often indicated here. I did really love the art.

Winifred is adjusting to school without her two best friends. She meets two offbeat art students and starts to make new friendships with them. The only thing that threatens to ruin everything are the secrets that Winifred is keeping about her relationship with food and the voices in her head. I think many of us can relate to that relentless voice telling us that we are not enough, that our bodies are not right. This is powerful about a girl learning to love herself for who she is.

Brynn left St. Ambrose behind four years ago for Chicago. Now forced to move back, she has a chip on her shoulder and a determination to prove herself. She's going to help solve the murder of Mr. Larkin, a beloved teacher who was murdered just before she left. This puts her in the path of her ex-best friend Tripp and the popular kids at school.

This was fine? It's not my favorite mystery, but I could see it being popular. There are plenty of twists and turns. 

You don't hear a lot about Lost Girls in the civil war taking place in Sudan/South Sudan. In this book, Achut Deng tells us her story of her life in Sudan and fleeing the Civil War to eventually come live in the United States, and all that entails. It's powerful and heartbreaking. I also recommend listening to the NPR piece to get a sense of how COVID affected her life further. 

I think if anyone is interested in any aspect of fame--what drives us to achieve it, does it make us happier, how does it work? will find something in this book to love. Sundquist uses his own experience to personalize the information. I enjoyed it a lot. 

This book was disturbing and fascinating all at the same time. Two boys set out to do the perfect crime and are basically caught by a pair of glasses left behind at the scene. We do get a lot of glimpses at how their life was hard, but you also get the sense of how their wealth ultimately protected them. This case also made me remember the name Clarence Darrow, who I hadn't thought about in years. I listened to the audio, which was quite good. You do miss a few pictures in the book, but I didn't find that a detraction.