This cover! The colors! The illustration! It's stunning.

Book cover fan alert: The illustration is by Ping Zhu (IG: @pingszoo) and the jacket design is by Emily Mahon (IG: @emilymahon_covers).

This intense family saga, set in the small, fictional town of Olympus, Texas, follows the Briscoe family and how the return of the prodigal son, March, throws all of the family members' lives into a tailspin. Yet, we learn, as the narratives of each character are revealed, that their lives have been pretty messy for a long time. Resentments, anger, jealousy, and codependency have festered, and the reverberations caused by March returning is like putting gas on many little flames.

With strong allusions to the characters and dramatic situations of Greek mythology (March has dogs named Romulus and Remus, Arlo and Artie are the Apollo and Artemis of the tale, one of the main brothers is "Hadyn," a mortician, etc.) Swann's novel peels back the layers of the Briscoe family members' lives (and secrets) through violent encounters, intense character debriefs (several chapters are called things like, "The Origin of Vera's Broken Heart), and one edge-of-your-seat moment that opens up the second half of the novel. Every Briscoe is complex--possessing charms and flaws--and the way they live with, love, and loathe each other makes for an intriguing and riveting character-driven narrative. And it's a clever way of reimagining Greek mythology drama in a small-town, modern-day setting.

Aside from a penchant for drama, I'm not sure that there was really a need for the Greek myth undertones, but it still made things fun. I enjoyed all the characters but found that the ones who were the most put-upon appealed to me the most (ah, my sensitive heart). If you're a fan of dramatic, family-themed sagas, definitely give this one a try.

Full disclosure: I tried numerous times to read the physical book of this and wasn't hooked enough to stay with it. So, when I saw it as the Audible Daily Deal, I thought I'd give it a try.

The audiobook hooked me. The narrator, Zeno Robinson, was terrific. Since the book is framed as a "how-to book" of sorts and the narrator, protagonist Darren, addresses the reader directly in certain parts, the reading aloud structure works really well here--and Zeno is amazing at it.

This book is quite the roller-coaster ride of a narrative. The protagonist Darren is a 22-year-old who lives with his mom in Bed-Stuy, New York, and is content to work at the Starbucks in a lobby of a Manhattan high-rise, spend time with his childhood sweetheart Soraya, hang with his friend Jason, and have as little ambition as possible.

One day, he ends up impressing a regular, Rhett Daniels--CEO of tech start-up Sumwun--and is offered a job as a salesman on the 36th floor. The atmosphere of Sumwun's office is chaotic, intense, and laser-focused. Darren's the only Black employee, and endures a Hell Week of training where the trainer, Clyde, seems to revel in tinging his training instruction with as many racist comments as possible. Soon, Darren has become "Buck," a business-obsessed salesman who his family and friends don't recognize. After tragedy strikes--for the company and for Darren personally--his job takes on a new mission and things get even more complicated and satirical.

I liked this one! The action--and intensity of the situations--keeps building and I was riveted. The critiques of start-up culture, racism, and self-help were on-point and Darren's voice was so well portrayed through Zeno's narration. This one will definitely keep you entertained while doing chores--it definitely did me!

If a person gets struck by lightning, they could (although it's rare) suffer from a skin irritation called "lightning flowers." A web of fern-like red marks bloom across the skin, caused by the transmission of static electricity along the superficial blood vessels that nourish the skin.

Standefer starts her memoir with a description of this mark and then reveals that she, at the age of 24, had to have a cardiac defibrillator implanted into her chest to keep her alive. Katherine--and her younger sister Christine--both suffer from a genetic heart-rhythm condition known as Long QT Syndrome, where the heart occasionally produces short, chaotic heartbeats. During these bouts, the person either faints or, if more serious, dies. Katherine's rugged life in Wyoming and work as a ski instructor are upended by this diagnosis.

This book chronicles Katherine's struggles with the American health insurance system, hospital/doctor care, and--through her queries about the work that goes into mining the minerals/materials to make the defibrillators--larger entities, including the corporations that operate the mines and just how much land (and livelihoods of the natives who use the mineral-rich land for food and sustenance) suffer for the development of today's tech. While iPads, etc. are "wants," Katherine's defibrillator is a "need," and she feels a certain responsibility for the environmental and personal damage caused by the mines. While discussing these issues, she also relates her personal experiences--the constant worry she'll do something to active the defibrillator, finding love amidst chronic illness, losing the ability to pursue the outdoors actitivites she loves, etc.

I enjoyed this one! Katherine read the audiobook, which made the story even more effective and I really felt for the challenging life she has to lead--and that it began when she was so young. If you enjoy personal stories of struggle married with issues of environmental and social justice, I suggest you give this one a listen.

Eye-opening, infuriating, educational, and hilarious, this book is a must for any white person hoping to learn more about the microaggressions (and major transgressions) of racism that Black people experience day in and day out in our country.

Amber is a comedian, host of her own show on Peacock TV, and a writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers. She lives and works in New York City, but is from Omaha, Nebraska. Her sister, Lacey Lamar, still lives and works in Omaha. After years of the Ruffin family regaling friends and family with stories about the many (MANY) instances of racism Lacey has experienced, Amber and Lacey thought it would be helpful to put them into a book. Thanks to Lacey's copious note-taking, she had a packed journal to pull from. As she and Amber mention many times throughout the book, the stories in the book are just the tip of the iceberg. And what a tip it is.

Whether it's Lacey dealing with outright hostility by white storeowners while trying to buy donuts to being used by her elementary school art teacher as the model for "how to draw negros," each story is, at turns, funny (Amber's a hilarious narrator) and enraging. And, as a white woman, I will admit, some were educational as well. Location is definitely part of the issue, as the racism that Lacey experiences in Omaha is much worst than what Amber experiences in New York. Yet, the throughline is the same--it's 2021 and racial stereotypes and the racism they engender are thriving in America, especially Omaha, the 44th largest city in the United States.

At only five+ hours, this is a quick listen and yes, even with such a serious subject, very funny at times. Amber does most of the narration, but Lacey chimes in every now and then. Their sisterly rapport is funny and sweet. Whether you're a white ally looking to expand your worldview or someone who thinks racism isn't as prevalent as you hear in the news and read on social media, this book is essential. Racism won't be eradicated until all of us learn more about what Black Americans deal with every day and how inaccurate stereotypes are. This book is a great place to start.

Piper Parrish lives a quiet but fulfilling life on Frick Island, a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. After her fisherman husband Tom goes missing in a storm and is presumed dead, Piper shocks the townsfolk by interacting with Tom as if he is still alive. A close-knit group, the Frick Island residents hate to break her heart, so they go along with it. When Anders Caldwell, a journalist for a small-town paper, ends up on the island to cover its annual Cake Walk fundraiser, he's shocked to see everyone going along with Piper as she talks to a husband who isn't there. As he learns more about the island and grows closer to Piper, he's conflicted about what to do, especially when his podcast What the Frick? about Piper's invisible husband goes viral.

I'm conflicted about this book. I enjoyed it, but the romance, storyline, humor, and characters just didn't gel enough to make it a standout for me. Anders is charming, in a klutzy, Clark-Kent kind of way. But, I don't feel like we saw/learned enough of Piper to really warm to her. Instead of showing us how wonderful she is, we're told over and over how much the townspeople adore her, even while she seems to be in a full blown mental crisis that they just ignore. I didn't see the twists coming, so that was a plus. Still, the romance between the two was lukewarm, particularly because Tom's death isn't 100% certain. Plus, a detail about Tom is revealed rather late in the story that makes it seem like it was just added in to make Piper's attraction to Anders less questionable. The townspeople are charming in a cranky, stuck-in-their-ways way, but their hearts are revealed too late to really enjoy their addition to the story. Overall, this was an interesting storyline with sweet, small-town characters, but I was definitely was left wanting more in the romance dept.

Much thanks to @NetGalley and #BerkleyPublishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book speaks to so much of what I love about reading, writing, and life that it was hard for me to put down. What an emotional, captivating read!

Esme is the daughter of a lexicographer who is working to compile words for the first-ever Oxford English Dictionary. While young, she joins her father in the Scriptorium, a garden shed/work area where a staff of "dictionary men” research and edit the volume’s entries.

Young Esme stays quiet on the floor beneath the word-sorting table. One day a slip with the word "bondmaid" falls and she picks it up, curious about what it means. This one word sets the stage for Esme's lifelong quest to discover “the words of women.” Words that were misplaced, partially defined, or discarded by the male staff. Esme's life, with its joys, tragedies, heartbreaks, and challenges, are all in some way affected by her love of words and her goal of making sure the words of women became part of history.

She relies on her friends from all walks of life--aunt Ditte, maid Lizzie, or the unkempt Mabel at the town market--to supply words for her secret project. "Knackered," doesn't just mean tired. It also means what a lifelong servant like Lizzie feels when she's working, from sunup to sun down, in service of others.

This novel also explores Esme's roles as daughter, mother, wife, and friend and how she navigates these to grow from an inquisitive child into a quiet yet powerful woman. Williams weaves in both England's early 1900’s suffragist movement and WWI into the narrative.

I loved reading about Esme's life, her passion for words, and the way she made her distinct mark on the issues that stirred her soul. If you're a fan of female-centered coming-of-age stories that entice with themes of literature, romance, feminism, history, and friendship, give this book a try. I think you'll love it as much as I did.

P.S. The author's note at the end also reveals what parts of this fictional tale are based on historical fact. It's intriguing to see how Williams was able to so deftly include many tidbits pulled from real life.

This book has been blurbed as "Get Out Meets The Devil Wears Prada." I have to say, it's pretty spot-on!

Nella Rogers is a 26-year-old editorial assistant who's been working at Wagner Books in New York City for two years. While relatively happy with her job, she's also had trouble getting her bosses to take diversity seriously. As the only Black employee at Wagner, she's tried to hold Diversity Town Halls, but after they are no longer mandatory, none of her fellow employees show up. A hope for a more diverse publishing house--both its employees and the books it publishes--becomes more of a possibility when a new Black girl named Hazel is hired. Nella's hopes of warming to Hazel and working together to bring an enlightened sensibility to Wagner are soon dashed when Hazel becomes the office star and Nella becomes the office pariah. One particular issue is the adverse reaction Nella gets after giving feedback to one of Wagner's biggest authors about the racial stereotypes inherent in his new novel. Then, the notes start coming. "LEAVE WAGNER NOW," the first says. Could Hazel be behind the missives?

The politics of race in a place of business, in particular a publishing house, is the theme running through this book. How Nella has to consistently work twice as hard as her white colleagues to get ahead is the one thread of the theme, while the behind-the-scenes nuggets about how publishers navigate deciding to publish (or more likely not) books by Black authors is the other. Like general issues of racism, these two threads run the gamut from migroaggressions to blatant racism. FYI: Zakiya worked at a publishing house before leaving to write this book, so I'm sure there's many truths in it. One example: How editors put African authors ahead of African-American authors and consider publishing the former "enough" when it comes to "being diverse."

About halfway through the novel, the narrative goes OFF THE RAILS...but in a good way. Suddenly, these real issues of racism and lack of diversity veer into horror territory and Nella's inner turmoil becomes even more fraught as she tries to navigate the sinister forces at play. Who really is Hazel? Why does she seem to immediately get the respect of Nella's bosses, while Nella has had to work for it and still comes up lacking? And who is imploring her to quit her job?

Harris does a wonderful job with this debut! It's engaging, revelatory (I knew publishing had a diversity problem but some of the microaggressions mentioned here were especially galling), clever, twisty, and fun. Highly recommend!

This YA book is amazing. Easily one of the best books I've read this year.

I listened to this book but also have the hard copy. First, the narration is spectacular. It's done by actress Isabella Star LaBlanc. Her variations of accents--especially the differences between young-adult Daunis and her Native elders is precise and impressive.

A mix of YA coming-of-age, mystery, thriller, romance, #ownvoices, and fake dating, this story is a tour-de-force. While the engrossing main mystery plays out--who in the Ojibwe community is potentially lacing meth with potent hallucinogenic mushrooms to create a lethal new drug that is killing Native kids--we learn about the narrator, 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine Firekeeper. Daunis is the daughter of Grace Fontaine, a member of the richest white family in town and Levi Firekeeper, a legendary hockey player from the local Ojibwe community. Daunis's birth rocked the town and continues to reverberate for Daunis today, as she struggles to reconcile her Native ethnicity with her life as a young woman on the cusp of venturing out to college in hopes of being a doctor. Yet, she's drawn into both the FBI's investigation of the meth operation and an attraction to the mysterious yet charming Jamie, the new recruit on her brother's hockey team.

This story grips your attention from the start and never lets go. Daunis is a thoroughly engaging character whose first-person narration resonates with heart, humor, fear, warmth, and complexity. Her romance with Jamie is equally compelling, as is the truly twisty, edge-of-your-seat mystery. The supporting characters are expertly drawn and entertain and engage, while helping to move the story along.

I especially loved how well information about Native American culture is organically interspersed throughout the narrative. Particularly fascinating were stories about how nature and the properties of its plants and resources inform Native American beliefs about life and the afterlife. It helped me form a new appreciation for the natural world around me (other than getting annoyed when mosquitoes ruin my outdoor reading time!).

Whether you're a young adult, adult, or middle-aged bookworm like myself, I highly recommend this original, bold, incredible book.

My first piece of official #BookMail! Thank you, Turner Publishing for taking a chance on a #bookstagrammer with less than 2,000 followers. I appreciate it! And what a book to get!

I think this book stands out for what’s not in it. No Earth-shattering twist. No ghosts. No sci-fi storyline. No childhood trauma. No coming-of-age. No “gotcha” moment. Just the stories of fictional-yet-still-relatable people dealing with an all-too-real issue: a mass shooting.

Hooper’s deft ability to capture the authentic voices of the humans on all sides of this tragedy—the victims, the relatives of the victims, the injured, the mother of the shooter and yes, even the shooter—is quite something to read. While some people only get a chapter (the victims “speak” in a single chapter that leads up to their death and we get one chapter that shares the content of the shooter’s angry journal entries), others get more, with the focus on three women—Joyce, the mother of the shooter; Tessa, the bartender at the bar where the shooting happened; and Angie, the wife of a man who was injured and is now in a coma. Hooper tells the story of how these women cope with the trauma. Each character is complex and Hooper expertly shares their fears, joy, sadness, and questions. As with everything in life, nothing can be tied up with a neat bow, but life goes on after tragedy and the humans here grow, survive, suffer, and heal as best as they can with time. Hooper tells the stories of these women with authentic, open-ended, and hopeful grace. Highly recommend.

I will say, if you’re looking for a “beach read” or an “escape” book, this is not it. But when you’re in the mood for an affecting, powerful, character-driven story that offers a glimpse into what could ideally be a slice of true American life, this is it. This is an engrossing story told by a talented writer who is adept at sharing the human experience, good and bad.

Thanks again to @Turnerpub for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.