The latest installment in the Vorkosigan family drama is the quietest and gentlest book in the series to date. Three years after Aral's death the sharp edge of Cordelia's grief has begun to wear down, though she is still followed everywhere by memories of him. Aral Vorkosigan was mourned in public by the empire, but in private he was painfully remembered by one man in particular. Oliver Jole was Aral's other great love, and Cordelia decides that the time has come for her and Oliver to see if more than just Aral connected them. I am still in awe of Bujold's multifaceted world, but this book lacks some of the energy and delightful plot twists of the earlier books in the series.

In possibly the strangest mystery yet in Tackleford, an unpopular new student (who eats only raw onions) begins converting every student in Griswald's Grammar school into- a friend? A minion? Only Shauna seems unaffected by this bizarre onion cult and it is up to her alone to save Charlotte, Jack, Sunny, Linton and Mildred- but from what?

The kids are growing up. Hazel, separated from her parents but safely hidden (for now) in a prison-like POW camp with her grandmother, is now in elementary school. Meanwhile, Prince Robot and his son eke out a living on the moors. This book contains all of the splashy shocks of the earlier series but some of the tension is beginning to defuse, simply because the cast is growing so large. There were a few characters that never appeared in this volume at all- I missed Sophie and the Lying Cat especially.

This gory fantasy series follows Maika Halfwolf, a teenage surviver of the recent war between humans and her race, the Arcanics. Maika is haunted by the mystery of her mother's death, and so willingly allows herself to be captured by a sect of human witches to seek out information. These witches butcher Arcanics for the power drains from their deaths, but Maika has another power lurking in her blood as well. A demon is growing insider of her body and it hungers for destruction. This comic is beautifully drawn, but somewhat dark and angsty for my taste.

A foggy, haunted story of sisters, support and rediscovering traditions. Sweeter and less sad than I expected.

If you ever wondered about how Steven never seems to attend school... this story explains why.

This was the last book that Terry Pratchett wrote and it wasn't quite finished when he died. But oh how glad I am to have it. It concludes Tiffany Aching's story begun in The Wee Free Men, but it also serves as a last appearance for many well-known names of Discworld, all of whom get a chance to react to the death of one of the most beloved characters of all.

I read this book directly after reading Coates' essay "A Case for Reparations" and the two complimented each other very well. They place around the same theme- the extreme strength of racism in the US and how is destroys the livelyhoods and lives of black Americans at an astonishing rate. This book is much more personal than the essay though. It is framed as a letter from the author to his son, and chronicles his intellectual journey in questioning race and racism. It was a very timely read in light of the recent election, and I highly recommend it.

This is one of the best comics I've ever read. I am so, so impressed with what Congressman John Lewis, writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell have created together. This is a very text-heavy story but Powell balances out pages full of famous speeches with quiet moments- sometimes moving, sometimes devastating. The morning of the Selma march gets a full page, as does the murder of two drives who were ferrying marchers back home once it was over. This book covers many well-known events including the assassination of JFK, the election of Lyndon B Johnson and the signing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. This comic made these events feel more real and immediate to me than any other book I've read about that era. But this book isn't just history. Some of Johnson's speeches feel as if they could have been given yesterday. The Voting Rights Act still needs desperate defense. This book was written during an Obama administration; under a Trump administration we may well need it as a guide-book on how to protest in the face of indifference and danger.

Hilda's mother knows that her blue-haired daughter goes on adventures and talks with magical creatures. But sometimes she's just wants Hilda to spend some time at home! After a fight and a grounding, Hilda is sucked into another dangerous magic realm but THIS time her mother comes with her. The longest Hilda book yet and the first one to end on a major cliff hanger.