Entertained by the Sparkle Dungeon, music-based world building, but the plot lost me at alien punctuation marks. Everything from there on (so like ¾ of the book) was a downward plot spiral of absurdity. Love a little absurdity in a book, but Moore took it to a next level kind of absurdity where you aren't really sure what is happening anymore. What is trying to destroy earth? How is anyone becoming God? 2 out of 5 for spunky lesbian protagonists and letting Isobel keep that glittersteel jacket, but everything else...meh.

A classic Star Trek romp through alien skies with deep moral questions. Always interesting to see how the characters translate from screen to page, especially in a franchise with so many overlapping iterations of certain characters, and I think Miller did a great job keeping in tune with the mood and tone of the Strange New Worlds show while also exploring more facets of Chris Pike (namely, of course, his love of horses) and his team. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book once I stopped reading for plot and started reading for little moments. After adjusting to the slower speed, the cozy vibes were unexpectedly comforting. Baldree's descriptions of food items were definitely the highlight...I am right with Tandri on the out of body experience of a chocolate croissant.

Weird little novel in the most wonderful way. Leichter's control of language is beautiful and poetic, pulling you into an unexpectedly thoughtful story of how we measure and qualify the space we take up in this world.

How do the Knights of the Round Table handle themselves against a peril not so corporeal as a dragon or a demon or another loud guy with an army? How do the Knights of the Round Table handle themselves when their old style of heroism is no longer needed?

Once you get past the doom-and-gloom of Lee's Arthurian re-telling mixed with socio-political commentary on climate change, this story of finding heroes in unlikely places (refugee camps, Welsh kingdoms, or crawling out from under a tree, perhaps) follows through with an uplifting message of hope in the face of desolation-- "The weight that would be crushing becomes bearable when it's spread over ten or twenty shoulders. When it's spread over a hundred shoulders it becomes featherlight. It becomes easy to overturn."

I really enjoyed Lee's adaptation of the Arthurian characters and his writing style reminiscent of some of those original medieval texts while still feeling all his own.

A heartfelt, found-family story exploring the duality of power and how we choose to use it: good or bad, right or wrong, to help or to hurt. Dawson does not shy away from the darker nuances of this world, letting the characters make their own mistakes. While I felt some parts of the plot (a lot of time jumping in different directions) were a little clunky, Dawson ultimately delivered a beautiful story of hope and how it changes us for the better, if we let it.

No one does beautifully illustrated, thought-provoking, solemn-yet-hopeful meditations on the human condition quite as masterfully as Oliver Jeffers: where are we now, where did we come from, and where are we going...or rather, where do we want to go? With artwork as deep and moving as the prose, you'll want to sit with this one for a while.

This book is summed up in one poignant quote: "worry is a straitjacket, and so is love."

Blum's masterfully crafted tale of a mother-daughter relationship steadily pulls you under the water of their estrangement. Told in non-linear vignettes, the narrator over analyzes and dissects and drowns in the moments that make up her daughter's life, both big and small, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. She never quite settles on an answer, instead rattling around a larger question: can love ever be pure, or does it always carry consequences?

Never knew I needed a book to combine my love of college hoops with my love of the Home of the Worlds Greatest Food Skyline Chili until it fell right into my lap. Bishop seamlessly combines the generational rivalry of hometown basketball with the down-to-earth drama of middle school friendships, introducing us to two teenage characters that jump off the page- not afraid to be themselves, pursue their dreams, and work hard for them. This fun middle grade read has it all, even a dunking nun. 4.5 stars only because they picked Graeter's over UDF as ice cream of choice (c'mon Jenn).