The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin - this is a YA fantasy that tries to be a few different things. While I think it was okay, I'm not sure it fully succeeded in being all the things it wanted to be.
So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder - I almost DNF'd this book, I really didn't like the characters and they just didn't speak to me. I did end up finishing it, but I'm not sure it ever felt satisfying to me.
Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 8 by Beth Brower - this one got a little darker as we get more of the characters' backstories. I love this series and can't wait for Book 9 to come out.
Kin by Tayari Jones - oof, this was a good book and a hard story. The two young girls, growing up as "cradle friends," go on separate paths that also reconnect. Definitely recommend this one.
The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison - a sliding-doors kind of "what if" story. It was good, not great, but it's always fun to explore the path not travelled.
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - Whoa, I did not expect this one. It has been very "buzzy" so I picked it up to see what was going on, and man, was it a dark side of the influencer world...very thought-provoking and I am still thinking about it.
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer - I thought I knew what I was getting and I wasn't mad about it...and then I got something even better. This book was such a fun ride!
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser - A retold Cinderella, from the eyes of the stepmother. I liked the opening, thought the middle dragged, but definitely appreciated the ending and how it really redeemed the story.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger - A family drama? a discussion of AI ethics? Yes and yes, and I thought it tried to do both...I wish, perhaps, it had only done one. I really wanted to know more about the middle child's bot "friend" and how that played into the whole story...it felt a little lost. A worthwhile read, very thought-provoking.
When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin - what can I even say about this heart-wrenching and grief-filled testimony of the worst possible situation a family can go through. Rachel, thank you for this book, and for opening your heart to all of us, as you shared Hersh with all of us.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub - I loved one of her earlier books, but this one just seemed a little pointless to me. I appreciated the nostalgia element of it, but I didn't really "get" this book.
Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin - Beautiful writing and a hard story - but also a powerful one about how ambition doesn't always translate to good relationships. I wonder who recommended this to me?
Where I've been...
