Based on the Broadway play which is also being turned into a movie, Dear Evan Hansen is a story about how a misplaced note can alter the lives of many people. TW: Teen suicideSeventeen-year-old Evan Hansen doesn’t have any school. When a letter he wrote to himself as a homework assignment from his therapist lands in the hands of a grieving family, he is given the chance to feel like he belongs to something. But is belonging worth secrets and lies he’ll have to keep?
Lila Macapagal recently moved back home after a nasty break-up to help her aunt and grandmother run their restaurant, which is at risk of being closed. When an old classmate and local food critic dies suddenly at her family’s restaurant, Lila becomes the prime suspect in the investigation. She suddenly has to solve the case in order to clear her name and save her family’s restaurant.
Adobo and Arsenic is a fun cozy-mystery with a diverse cast of characters. Cozy mystery books are lighter mystery stories that don’t have a lot of violence and tend to have food or animal themes. This story was also a quick read, only taking me about two days, and is the first book in a new series. (The second book sounds like it’ll be good as well!)
Nine strangers sign up for a ten-day health retreat at the Tranquillum House, a resort that promises to change visitors’ lives. Some like Frances go to improve their health and lose weight, others go for the spiritual aspect or for reasons unspoken. The question guests will all be asking is whether Tranquillum House and its owner really fulfill their promises? And are these nine guests willing to pay the costs?
Though Nine Perfect Strangers started off a little slow as the author introduces all the characters and setting, it picked up as things took a turn for the darker. Moriarty sets readers up for a good psychological thriller.
After her job at a New York publisher doesn’t work out, aspiring novelist Florence Darrow lands a job as the assistant to Maud Dixon- a mysterious but acclaimed writer. This appears to be the perfect opportunity in which Florence can work and form a mentorship. But when the two women venture on a research trip to Morocco for Maud’s next book, a car crash sets in motion a series of events that have Florence wondering who is Maud Dixon? Did she ever really know her boss?
Who is Maud Dixon? is a well written thriller that will leave readers wondering how far one woman will go to achieve her dreams. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded over time but recommend paying attention to the prologue.
A collection of personal essays by John Green on items, places, and phenomena that have taken place during the Anthropocene, the current geological age we are living in. These range from Dr. Pepper to sunsets to a hot dog stand in Iceland. The book stems from the podcast John creates with his brother under the same name, The narration has the feel of a conversation, making it an easy nonfiction read, and has a similar writing style to his other books, which is what I liked about it. I also enjoyed the personal anecdotes John Green throws in each section.
The once great nation of Ravka is surrounded by enemies and cut off from other parts of the world by the Fold- an enveloping darkness in which flesh-eating monsters hide in waiting for ships that try to pass through it, making any attempts fruitless.
Alina Starkov grew up an orphan and with no other prospects, joined the army . When her regiment is attacked while trying to cross the Fold, her dormant power emerges in time to save her friend from imminent harm. Once her power reveals itself, Alina is whisked off to court to train with the Grisha, other magically gifted warriors. But not everything in the Grishaverse is as it seems and with great power, comes even greater responsibility.
Without going too much into detail about this book for fear of spoiling details, I really enjoyed Shadow and Bone. Bardudo quickly pulls readers into the world of the Grishaverse and leaves you on the hook at the end of the novel, setting the scene for the sequel in a way that has similar elements to other dystopian novels but is also unique to Shadow and Bone. As a bonus, if you like this book and its sequels, Leigh Bardugo has other series set in the Grishaverse and Netflix recently made Shadow and Bone into a t.v. series on their site.
Linh and Bao’s parents have owned competing Pho restaurants across the street from each other for years. The two teens and their families have avoided each other at all costs. That is until a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao together and sparks start to fly. They wonder why it took them so long to connect before remembering their family feud.
A Pho Love Story is a fun ya rom-com with hints of a modern-day twist on the Romeo and Juliet-esk story.
In 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days, with her car found abandoned. A national manhunt of unprecedented scale ensued with people across England claiming citings. Her husband caught in the crosshairs, everyone wanted to know where was Mrs. Christie?
Though Mrs. Christie claimed amnesia and never revealed what happened or where she was during those eleven days, many people have speculated and written about it over the years. Marie Benedict writes a great (fictional) story of what could have happened and how Christie could have had a hand in the ordeal. The story reads like a classic Agatha Christie novel and does Christie justice. I will say that this novel starts off a little slow and may take readers 50-75 pages to really get into, but once you do, you won’t be disappointed. And you don’t need to have read any of Agatha Christie’s books to read this one, though it may make you want to after.
London 1660s: Ester Velasquez is an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for her blind rabbi in the years before the bubonic plague when he can find no male to do the job. London 2000: Helen Watt is an aging historian and professor, who along with her graduate assistant, Aaron Levy, is invited to assess a cache of 17th century letters found during the renovation of a historic house. The letters, written by Ester, are a groundbreaking discovery that could change the two scholars’ lives.
Told from both Ester and Helen’s perspectives, The Weight of Ink tells the story of two women separated by centuries but somehow drawn together through letters and their shared struggles of the heart and mind. Throughout the story, Kadish gives each woman an equal voice and draws readers in with their stories and the challenges they have to overcome.
Alice has spent most of her life moving from place to place with her mother to escape the ‘bad luck’ -as her mother calls it- that always seems to follow them no matter where they go. Though Alice never knew her grandmother, the woman wrote a dark fairytale book Tales of the Hinterland years ago that has amassed a cultish following. When Alice’s mother is kidnapped by someone claiming to be from the Hinterland, the bad luck takes a turn for the worse. Teaming up with a fellow classmate and Hinterland fan, Ellory Finch, Alice embarks on a journey to find the hinterland and her mother. But she may find more than she goes looking for.
Melissa Albert spins a dark story with fairy tales unlike the ones you grew up with as a child. I was initially drawn in by the air of mystery around certain characters and how the author jumps into the story. For those who enjoy The Hazel Wood, there are two more books in the series, one of which is the actual Tales from the Hinterland.
