A Year Without Home / V.T. Bidania

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
A Year Without Home
By: V.T. Bidania
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 432
Published: January 1, 2025
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: January 12, 2026 - January 19, 2026
Format: eBook / ARC		ISBN: 9780593697207

Eleven-year-old Gao Sheng’s beloved home sits on top of a hill in the highlands of Laos. Here she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick peaches straight from her family’s trees.

But when U.S. troops pull out of the Vietnam War, the communists will be searching for any American allies, like Gao Sheng’s father. If he’s caught, he and his family could be killed.

As the adults make frantic plans, Gao Sheng does what any good, oldest daughter would do: doesn’t ask questions or complain and watches over the younger siblings and cousins. Even though she wishes she could roll down the hill at home or run around like her brother.

After a treacherous voyage by foot, by taxi, and a canoe, Gao Sheng’s family finally arrive across the river at an overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand. As a year passes at the camp, Gao Sheng learns that home doesn’t technically mean the physical place and somewhere in between, she finds her voice.

In this novel in verse, middle grade book inspired by V.T. Bidania’s own family history the author shows the long, difficult journey many Hmong refugees faced after the Vietnam War and shines light on experiences of refugees around the world. 

I greatly appreciate Gao Sheng’s personal journey through this novel as well. As the oldest girl in her family (just even just her immediate family, but from her cousins as well), Gao Sheng was kind of forced to put her childhood away a lot sooner than her younger brother and it wasn’t really on her terms. But, she showed her family she could do more than just watch the kids and for her age and what she’s gone through, that was amazing.

Overall, this is an amazing book for middle grade and adults alike. There’s not a lot of books out there from the Hmong’s perspective, especially during the end of the Vietnam War. This book could bring up great discussions on refugees and being without a home.

*Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

James / Percival Everett

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
James
By: Percival Everett
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 303
Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Dates Read: January 2, 2026 - January 10, 2026
Format: Hardcover		ISBN: 9780385550369

Trigger Warnings: slavery, racism, racial slurs, rape, violence, murder

A reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told through the voice of Jim.

When Jim overhears he’s about to be sold and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can think of a plan to get his family together. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his abusive father. The two meet up while hiding and thus begin their adventure down the Mississippi River.

Full disclaimer, I have never read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but I know of the story and generally what happens in it because it’s kind of hard not to, especially growing up in Kansas and now living in Missouri and the fact that Mark Twain is highly talked about. I have, however, read Tom Sawyer, so I knew a little going into this.

I put off reading this because I read The Trees by Percival Everett and just remembered I needed to really focus on it to understand it all. And, I’m going to be honest, this book started off a bit hard to read because of the dialect written in it first thing and I didn’t know if I was ready for it. But, it reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi writers, P. Djélí Clark, and how I just need to not speedread it to fully enjoy it. I slowed down my reading and it finally “clicked” and I could enjoy it and appreciate it! Especially once you learn what that dialect really is.

I think one of the craziest parts of this was the blackface minstrel troupe… like, that was a real thing?? The history of racism really baffles me sometimes and what people had as “entertainment” back in the day would cause heart attacks nowadays.

Overall, I really enjoy this retelling/changed perspective of Huckleberry Finn. I don’t read a lot in this timeline but appreciate what this brought about freedom, race, and the enduring impact of slavery. 

Stoked for This: February 2026

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

I DID IT! IT’S THE 1ST TUESDAY OF FEBRUARY AND I DID IT!!

I know it’s not a crazy, amazing, super duper awesome thing cause I don’t think anyone really like, cares that much if I get this posted on the first Tuesday of the month or not, but it is something that I like to do… I have just always seemed to run out of time to get it done on the first Tuesday. Then, when that time passes, I feel like “it’s too late!” and then I don’t post (or post it near the last day of the month, like I did with January.

The phrase, “I’ll do better next month.” has been typed out by my fingers on this post pretty regularly and I’m sure at this point it’s lost any kind of meaning it once held, but I’m still gonna say it – I’ll do better next month! I know I’m going to be busy coming up. I’m a part of an ALA committee now (!!!!), I’ve got a lot of projects at work coming up, I may be doing some judging again this year, and I still plan on reading my minimum of 120 books, so… it’s a lot.

That all being said, I’m hoping I can get better at doing this post gradually over this next month and get caught up on my reviews from last month so things get posted regularly. If you see a lag in my posting, I’m sorry, just know I’m probably kicking myself to try and get something up!!

Thank you all who have read this far in my little ramble of personal life. I truly appreciate every single one of my subscribers who have kept this small little website going 🙂

Without any further ado, here’s some new releases coming out in Book World this February that I’m Stoked For.

February 3, 2026

A graphic novel about youth and censorship/banning of books. Based on a true story, a group of high schoolers in Chicago work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

Wake Now in the Fire

By: Jarrett Dapier & AJ Dungo

The author of my favorite middle grade novel about a small fox named Pax. This one is about an orphan in WWII who discovers his courage in time of war.

The Lions’ Run

By: Sara Pennypacker

A story about a family tasked with protecting a magical stone, the pohaku, generations ago. But as it goes through the hands of the generations bringing fortune to the well-intentioned and misfortune to the bad, it causes fractures in the stone that only returning it to the Hawai’i islands could help fix.

The Pōhaku

By: Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes

February 10, 2026

As a member of the Bills Mafia (NFL Buffalo Bills), I immediately jumped at reading a book about the cheerleaders. Though, fun fact (or not really fun fact): The Buffalo Bills haven’t had cheerleaders since 2014 after a lawsuit about their mistreatment. So, I’m not 100% when this is set, but it’s a mystery about a Bills cheerleader looking for her lost teammate.

The Jills

By: Karen Parkman

February 17, 2026

Six friends. Five parties. Twenty Years. In this novel, you read about a group of friends through the years after college as they go through life and reconnect.

So Old, So Young

By: Grant Ginder

A middle grade novel with dual timelines set in Paris – one during WWII and one in present time. The connection is a painting with a message attached…

Each and Every Spark

By: Claire Swinarski

My favorite soft witchy YA author has a new book out with a bit of a Beauty and the Beast retelling mixed with some frozen elements.

The Sun and the Starmaker

By: Rachel Griffin

Was anyone else told they had a “chip on their shoulder” as a young girl growing up or was it just me? In this nonfiction history read, the author chronicles a concise history from the colonial era to the Women’s March of 2016 demonstrating how women’s rage has forged coalitions and created political change through movements for women’s and civil rights and more, and how the past decade has created an inflection point for women and girls who have yet to experience rights equal to men’s in the United States.

Angry Girls Will Get Us Through

By: Rebecca Traister

February 24, 2026

A middle grade novel about 6th grader, Mariam, who is attending a Catholic School as she explores the Islamic faith as the only Muslim Arab in school.

Hail Mariam

By: Huda Al-Marashi

A cozy magical realism Japanese novel where you follow the seashell path along Tokyo Bay until you get to the Chibineko Kitchen, where a traditional Japanese meal can summon anyone you choose from your past, but only for as long as it continues to steam.

The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen

By: Yuta Takahashi

Translated By: Cat Anderson

Stoked for This: January 2026

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

I’m sooooo late on this, but I still wanted to post about the stuff that came out this month I was stoked for! I promise, I’m already working on February’s to be POSTED that first Tuesday IN FEBRUARY.

How do you like the new design above? Gotta love Canva huh?

January 6, 2026

For two decades, the Newmans have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch.

Meet the Newmans

By: Jennifer Niven

January 13, 2026

A middle grade novel-in-verse fictionalized memoir about the author’s family experience as Vietnam war refugees as they were forced to leave their home in Laos.

A Year Without Home

By: V.T. Bidania

January 20, 2026

A genre-exploding love story about a man who, in a moment of extreme stress, time travels to the year 1300 . . . where his modern problems are replaced by medieval brutalities…

Georgie Falls Through Time

By: Ryan Collett

Written in memoir‑style, this guide is for the restless, creative souls who crave a rebellious, self‑affirming roadmap to turn oddity into confidence, celebrating the messy, experimental journey of forging an original, non‑conformist life. With wisdom from misfit guides like Tony Hawk, Mark Mothersbaugh, Michelle “Estrojen” Steilen, Shepard Fairey, and many more.

Misfit: A Survival Guide

By: Sean Mortimer

You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train carrying very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.

The Elsewhere Express

By: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Gotta throw in a YA detective thriller with a teen podcaster in the middle of it all!

I Don’t Wish You Will

By: Jumata Emill

This novel begins with an uncle dead and his tween niece’s private confession to the reader—she and her sister killed him, and they blame the British. It’s not YA though, regular fiction and set in the 1980’s!

How to Commit Postcolonial Murder

By: Nina McConigley

January 27, 2026

The Great Gatsby meets the Harlem Renaissance in this YA Queer retelling with a slow burn romance.

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay

By: Ryan Douglass

A middle grade novel-in-verse about the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California (and you know how I love me a novel-in-verse).

Eureka

By: Victoria Chang

She and Her Cat: Stories / Makoto Shinkai, Ginny Taplet Takemori (Translator), Naruki Nagakawa

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
She and Her Cat: Stories
By: Makoto Shinkai, Ginny Taplet Takemori (Translator), Naruki Nagakawa
Genre: Short Stories
Number of Pages: 144
Published: January 23, 2024 (1st Published June 21, 2012)
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Dates Read: December 31, 2025
Format: Paperback

She and Her Cat is a collection of four interrelated short stories about four women and their feline companions.

Of course I grabbed this book. It’s not only about cats, but the cover alone has a woman reading in her bed with her cat on her chest (which is literally how I read this book myself).

The first story is about Chobi and being rescued from a soggy, wet box in the pouring rain by Miyu. Chobi cares about his human more than anything and watches over her as she goes through the ups and downs of a relationship. He loves her so much that he even calls her his girlfriend! When Miyu is heartbroken, Chobi is stressed he can’t help her, but he knows he can live his days by her side and everything will be okay.

The second story is about Mimi, a stray cat who was abandoned as a kitten. She was the runt of the litter and hard of hearing, but she’s determined to make it on her own. She meets Reina, an art student who is struggling on her own. We also meet a few more neighborhood cats, Kink Tail, whom Mimi has a romantic encounter with (after Chobi denied her since he already had a girlfriend). 

The third story is about Aioi and Cookie, Mimi’s kitten. Aioi is grieving the loss of her best friend, Mari, and her mother gets her the kitten, Cookie, to keep her company. At first Aioi’s grief is all consuming, but Cookie wiggles her way into her heart.
She and Her Cat are about the comfort a pet, especially a cat, can provide and how adopting a stray will not only change your life but theirs as well. I loved how they were all connected and how cats from one story would show up in another. Any cat lover is bound to smile while reading these stories.

Between Snow and Wolf / Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Between Snow and Wolf
By: Agnes Domergue, Hélène Canac (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 88
Published: November 16, 2021
Publisher: Magnetic Press
Dates Read: December 30, 2025
Format: Hardcover

Lila lives with her father on a snowy island where he has protected her from a curse and a demon. One day, when he is away for longer than originally planned, Lila decides to go looking for him, even though the snow scares her. Once outside, she discovers a forest asleep under all the snow and is populated by spirits and a white wolf.

I legit grabbed this graphic novel off the shelf at Barnes & Noble and then never let it go. The art definitely took my attention for its Studio Ghibli likeness but also I loved the color pallets (I am a sucker for when a character’s hair color is naturally a unique color like purple). 

Some of the dialog was a little choppy, especially from the statues, which I know are supposed to be the haikus but it didn’t ever really catch on to it easily.

I’m not sure of the Japanese fairy tale this is inspired by, but it is about a courageous little girl who, though she’s scared, faces her fears with the help of her frog friends.

Overall, still a cute and adorable story with beautiful art that anyone needing a cozy read would enjoy.

Serial Killer Support Group / Saratoga Schaefer

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Serial Killer Support Group
By: Saratoga Schaefer
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Number of Pages: 320
Published: March 18, 2025
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Dates Read: December 2, 2025 - December 29, 2025
Format: eBook

When Cyra’s younger sister, Mira, is murdered, Cyra knows better than to expect justice from the police department. So when the connection is made that it may be a serial killer, Cyra knows she must take the investigation into her own hands.

Using insider information, Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one herself, Mistletoe. By pretending to be one of them, Cyra hopes she can find the person who ended her sister’s life. But, the deeper she goes into the world of the serial killers, the harder it is to keep hold of who she truly is. 

I had to kind of remind myself to enjoy this and not think too technical with how Cyra was going about her secret identity and the group of serial killers. It also had a hard time believing that serial killers wouldn’t talk about their kills – shoot we all know a lot of killers end up getting caught because they talk about it, or have to get their own credit and it not be given to someone else.

I did like when the serial killers talked about themselves, but I still had a hard time remembering who was who.

<spoiler> The fighting that Cyra learned to protect herself ultimately ended up being what saves her was predictable because how else would she have beat a much bigger and stronger man </spoiler>

Overall, this is a fun premise of a book, but characters outside Cyra fall slightly flat and it is a bit predictable.

The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1) / Carlos Sánchez

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
The Tale of a Thousand Faces (Rune #1)
By: Carlos Sánchez
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 144
Published: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

Chiri and best friend Dai live in an orphanage right next to the deep, dark forest. On a scavenging mission to find new ingredients for her culinary experiments, Chiri lands them in the secret kingdom of Puddin’, a hidden place plagued by the Thousand Faces Monster and inhabited by all sorts of magical creatures. Befriending witches, bards, ogres and sorcerers, can the friends make it back to the human world and, more importantly, can they evade the darkness that awoke upon their arrival?

When I heard this graphic novel had a Deaf character who used sign language, I immediately requested it for our collection at the library. Then, I actually read what it was about and got even more excited about reading it!

This did not disappoint me in the slightest! I gave it five stars and immediately put it (and volume 2) in my Amazon cart to purchase when I have some extra funds. 

Gorgeous artwork that reminded me a bit of Studio Ghibli with a pink, yellow, and purple-y color pallet that just makes everything pop. There’s all kinds of stuff in the background, including Runes that the author shows you how to decode in the back of the book (so you can always read it twice to see what the messages say!).

This has been one of the greater graphic novels I have read where the portrayal of a Deaf character was done well. I’m more fluent in ASL over BSL (which is what some of the signs are based off of), but I could still pick up some stuff here and there. And a little tidbit without giving away anything in the book – knowing sign language is a superpower!

Overall, I’ve already been showing this off to all of my artsy friends so they can enjoy the artwork within the pages, but also all of my fantasy graphic novel readers I feel like would also enjoy this because world building is super fun!

The Love Report (Volume 3) / BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
The Love Report (Volume 3)
By: BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 112
Published: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Hippo Park
Dates Read: December 26, 2025
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Grace has decided to confess her feelings to Abe. But when she shows up to tell him, she overhears him on the phone with someone who cannot be “just a friend”. Grace teams up with Lola to investigate who the mystery girl is and they immediately go to Charlie, the girl who knows everybody’s business. But Charlie has her own secret: she’s dating Abe!

I’m not one to usually care too much about romance, especially in young adult / middle grade, as a thirty-three year-old woman, it’s not my story. But I picked up the first volume of this series simply because of the cover and the beautiful artwork, and even though it has a heavy focus on romance, it’s not only about romance. In this particular volume, Abe actually deals with believing he’s “ugly, but nice”. New student Gabriel talks to a figment of his imagination and of course gets bullied by Sean for it. When Adele gets her period for the first time and has horrible cramps, a male physical education teacher makes a joke of it and refuses to believe her pain. There’s an “ugliest couple” contest going around (run by Sean). Collette even sends a risky photo to Sean, who uses it as blackmail against her.

Besides the amazing artwork and beautiful color pallet, this graphic novel is more than just romance, so don’t let the name scare you off!

Overall, I enjoyed how this book really focuses on the tween drama of “first” loves. Of course, it is with a bit of a French twist, so it’s a slightly different viewpoint than America, but still fun and enjoyable. Readers who like Raina Telemaier would also enjoy this as well.

Nights with a Cat (Volume 6) / Kyuryu Z, Stephen Paul (Translator), Lys Blakeslee (Letterer)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Nights with a Cat (Volume 6)
By: Kyuryu Z, Stephen Paul (Translator), Lys Blakeslee (Letterer)
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 128
Published: May 22, 2024
Publisher: Yen Press
Dates Read: December 26, 2025
Format: Library Book / Paperback

An adorable and sweet manga about living with a cat, even one that’s technically not even yours.

Fuuta is a bit wary of his sister’s cat when they first move in, but Kyuruga quickly establishes Fuuta as their favorite human and P-chan as the “substitute human”.

This manga talks about all the fun things that happen living with a cat: ways to pet a cat, methods a cat uses to ask for attention, places cats love to sit, toys cats love to play with, and many more.

Anyone who loves cats will love this manga and those who ever wondered what living with a cat really is like.