The Holdout was exactly the book I was looking for when I first picked it up. So far this year, I have been underwhelmed by the thriller and mystery books I have read, but this title was fantastic. It has everything I love in a book from this genre including murder, courtroom drama, and a twisty plot. Every time you think you know what is going on, a major plot twist occurs. Overall, I was blown away by this story and Moore's writing. I cannot wait to read another piece from him!

After loving A Good Girl's Guide to Murder last year, I knew that I would read its sequel as quickly as I could obtain a copy. I decided to listen to both books as audiobooks and I am glad I did. Both titles have portions where the format is a true-crime podcast. During these parts, the books have a full cast of voice actors, which is super fun to listen to. If I had to compare them, I did like the first book a little bit more. I thought the mystery Pip was solving was more interesting, but I am curious to see what our amateur detective stumbles upon in the third book of this series. Overall, Good Girl, Bad Blood is a fast-paced, mysterious YA novel that I believe readers of all ages will enjoy!

The Wedding Date has been on my radar for a long time. However, after reading this title, I realized how repetitive the plot was. The love interests, Alexa and Drew, pretty much spend the entire book either fighting or having sex. Now, does that mean I won't read the next book in the series? Of course not. Especially because it focuses on Carlos, Drew's best friend, who was my favorite character from this story. Hopefully, it will have a more interesting series of events.

I'm convinced John Marrs can do no wrong. He is one of my favorite authors of all time and his writing is so consistently good. This title, The Minders, is set in the same world as The Passengers and The One and contains information from both books, so to really get the full reading experience, I would recommend you read those two titles first. As always, Marrs flawlessly weaves science fiction elements into this suspenseful thriller and I could not put it down. I went back and forth on what I should rate the book and decided on 4/5 stars, only because it took some time to understand what was happening in the beginning. If I rated with half stars, this title would have definitely received a 4.5-star rating.
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I'm afraid that my expectations for this title were too high. When I saw Outlawed being marketed as a feminist western, I knew that I had to get my hands on it. However, I never really felt connected to any of the characters (including Ada, the protagonist). With that being said, I do want to commend North, the author, on her ability to create the settings for each scene. Her descriptions of the places Ada goes throughout the book were extensive and I could really visualize each town, camp, jail, etc. Finally, the ending was so abrupt! It almost felt like the author didn't know how to end the book and just settled with a conclusion that didn't give much resolution. I am curious as to whether or not there will be a sequel to this title in the future. The novel could easily be expanded upon due to all the loose ends the author leaves.

I am struggling to write a review for this title. Hillbilly Queer is a memoir written by J.R. Jamison that touches on many topics, including the severe political divide currently in the United States. Jamison's family, like many American families, has members who fall on each end of the spectrum. In this case, Jamison is a gay man who is very left-leaning politically and his father is more conservative. The memoir unfolds during the 2016 election season as the two go on a trip to his father's hometown for his high school reunion. The author is trying to understand and accept that his father is planning to vote for Donald Trump - a candidate who is not LGBTQ+ friendly (that might be an understatement) among other things (racist, sexist, an accused sexual abuser, xenophobic, etc.). Here's why this review is difficult to write: this is a nonfiction account of Jamison's experience with Trump supporters as a gay man. I do not think it's appropriate for me to invalidate his story and I am glad that he was able to write this memoir. However, something about this book did not sit right with me. Maybe it was because I read it five years after the events occurred, just months after Donald Trump left the white house leaving the country in shambles. This memoir encourages readers to reach across the political aisle and embrace those who hold different views than us. Which is great in theory. But is it realistic at this time? Just something to consider if you decide to pick up this title...
(PUB DATE: 05/11/2021)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Nic Stone, the author, prefaces this story with a confession. She didn't plan to write this sequel. Instead, she saw how young black readers interacted with Justyce, the protagonist in the first book, and wanted to give them a more relatable main character. Justyce attended a private high school, had a strong black male role model in his life, and eventually got accepted into an Ivy League school. That is not the norm for black teenagers in the United States and Stone recognized that. That is why this book was created. Dear Justyce focuses on Quan, an incarcerated black teenager, who grew up in a less than desirable home (to put it lightly). After getting involved with a gang-like group, Quan ends up confessing to a crime he didn't commit. He uses the same strategy Justyce does in the first book by writing about his reality, but instead of writing to a deceased Civil Rights leader, he writes to his friend, Justyce. I loved this sequel and think Stone did a fantastic job once again highlighting the realities of being a black teenager. If you read YA literature, you must add this one to your list.

Compared to other books I have read of the same caliber, (think I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown or Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay), this book was brutally honest. I would never argue that Brown or Gay write in a way that will prevent discomfort, but Brittney Cooper truly goes out of her way to express that she is writing the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She doesn't hold back on any of her ideas or opinions in this collection of essays and I commend her for that. If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend going that route with this one because Cooper herself is the narrator. The passion that she has for the topics she writes about is undeniable when hearing her actually speak her written words

The Bluest Eye is a devastating story. While short in length, I found myself taking my time while reading this novel. Compared to her other books, Morrison's writing in this one is so emotionally charged and difficult to read. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone, no matter their race, gender, or socioeconomic status should read this title. That is all that I have to say about The Bluest Eye. Some books are just so powerful that writing an "all-encompassing" review is impossible. This is one of those books.

I picked up this title after seeing glowing reviews of Kwan's writing. While the discussions of class and racism kept me engaged, it was really the satirical elements of this novel that saved it from a lower rating. This is because I did not really like any of the characters in this one. They all seemed very flat and the lackluster plot did not help round out their identities. I found the footnotes to be humorous, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this title to other readers.