A mix of magical realism, fantasy, mystery, and family drama, this enchanting novel has a little bit for everyone. After receiving bird-delivered notes from the family matriarch, Orquidea Divina, the Montoya family gathers at her home in Four Rivers, USA, to find out what she will be leaving them when she dies. Orquidea is a five-time married woman who lives in a magical house. When her large family gathers, they're astounded to see that she's started to turn into a tree. Before dying, she warns her family that a shadowy force from her past is coming for them and they need to "take back their power" to defeat him. Through two timelines--Orquidea's childhood and the lives of two cousins from her family--we learn about how Orquidea ended up in Four Rivers and also how a choice she made in the past has serious reverberations for her family in the future, particularly her grandchildren Rey and Marimar.

This story intrigued me from the start, especially with the magic-infused storyline and the mysterious character of Orquidea. It was a bit slow to get started, but once Rey, Marimar and crew were on their way to Ecuador to learn more about Orquidea's family and life, things picked up and I was immersed in the "who is the Big Bad" storyline. The characters are complex, the locales (and descriptions of the food, structures, and magical entities) are vivid, and the magical aspects of the story are engrossing. I really enjoyed how the main characters' personal growth was tied to the discovery and acceptance of their magical family, particularly the grandmother they truly did not know. I'm looking forward to more adult stories from this talented author!

Wang’s memoir tells the gripping story of her childhood as an undocumented Chinese immigrant living in New York City. It’s told from the perspective of her young self. Done this way, this memoir juxtaposes Wang's inherent childhood innocence--the innocence children possess regarding lack of knowledge and world experience--with the harsh realities she experiences. Told this way, the racism and challenges her family faces—work in sweatshops, cockroaches in their shared kitchen, language barriers, a Secret Santa at school where Qian's gift is one much less expensive than the $10 limit—are particularly stark. Yet, even as a child, the terrifying undercurrent of deportation still affects her. It’s a constant threat and heightens the emotions and tension throughout the narrative.

Wang’s memoir is immersive—you can virtually hear the click of the cockroaches with her vivid description—and you can feel when her innocent joy is trampled. Her use of Chinese and childhood terms of endearment help with this authenticity as well.

I loved this memoir. Its ultimate juxtaposition--America known as a "beautiful country" versus the realities and racism Wang and her family faced coming here is hard to read about (by a progressive white women like me!), but also a call to do better. I'm so amazed at how she triumphed with education and becoming a writer. Everyone needs to read this, learn from it, and take action to make our country do better.

Dawn Turner, a former journalist for the Chicago Tribune, chronicles growing up in the Bronzeville section of Chicago with her sister and her best friend, Debra. While sharing stories about their childhoods in this part of Chicago—a Black community born of formerly enslaved people coming north during The Great Migration—she highlights the divergent path her life took, compared to those of her sister & her best friend. It’s all set against a post-civil-rights time when the hope Black Americans had for long-lasting systemic changes was dashed with stark realities. For every triumph, there’s tragedy. For every heartache, there’s joy. For every challenge, there’s hope.

Turner’s searing prose pulls you right in and doesn’t let go. You feel as if your friend is sharing her life in intimate, vividly descriptive detail. Turner's heart is laid bare on these pages and it’s a stunning literary achievement. Best of all, her messages of hope, home, family, redemption, faith, and, ultimately, love are ones everyone can relate to.

I loved this and highly recommend reading it! Even if you're more into escapist books, this memoir is a must for anyone who loves stories that celebrate the lives of women, especially women of color.

Thanks @this_is_edeweiss and @simonbooks for the free copies in exchange for an honest review.

This book! I don’t usually read crime/thriller books, but I’d heard great things about this one, so I took the plunge. It’s terrific, easily one of the best books I read this year.

Two ex-cons, Ike and Buddy Lee, team up for vengeance after their sons are brutally murdered. Ike, a Black man who’s gone legit with a landscaping business after spending seven years in jail, and Buddy Lee, a white man who’s been in and out of jail, both had fraught relationships with their sons as they didn’t accept their lives as a gay married couple.

While trying to find out who killed their boys, these two characters deal with everything from racism to bigotry to white supremacist violence. In SA Cosby’s deft hands, every issue is explored honestly and openly. Although it’s violent, the gravitas that Cosby brings to this buddy comedy/crime tale is revelatory and poignant. Hope, change, and redemption are possible, even in the most horrific of circumstances.

I loved this book! It’s fast-paced from start to finish and is an emotional powerhouse. I highly recommend it. Easily one of my favorites of the year!