Author: Alisha Helms

Slow Dance / Rainbow Rowell

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Slow Dance
By: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 400
Published: July 30, 2024
Publisher: William Morrow
Dates Read: July 3, 2024 - July 17, 2024
Format: ARC / Paperback

Back in high school, everyone thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together – everyone but Shiloh and Cary, who were just best friends.

Now, it’s been fourteen years since Shiloh’s talked with Cary. She’s been married, had two kids, and then divorced. She’s also moved back in with her mom and living in the same house she grew up imagining running away from.

When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all she can think about is whether or not Cary will be there. Would he even want to see her?

I’m going to start off by saying I don’t read a lot of romance – adult or YA, and if I do, that’s not usually the main focus of the story. But, I love Rainbow Rowell and will always read anything she writes so I was all about giving this one a chance.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Shiloh’s. I found her incredibly annoying and I honestly don’t know how Cary put up with her half the time, especially when she would continue to mess with him after he clearly told her to stop (if someone continuously poked me or tugged on my hair, I would have stopped speaking to them so fast). Shiloh’s kids were fun!  I adored Cary but wish his character was a little more flushed out. We got a few pieces about his not so great childhood, but sometimes he would do things that I wish I had a better understanding of his background to then understand why he did what he did.

Overall, I’m still going to recommend this book. To me, it’s on the “softer” side of the romance – fluffy if you will; there’s nothing majorly spicy in it, definitely more cutesy with that “just get together already” vibe.

*Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Witch House / DeAnna Knippling

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The Witch House
By: DeAnna Knippling
Genre: Middle Grade, Horror
Number of Pages: 213
Published: February 25, 2024
Publisher: Wonderland Press
Dates Read: June 29. 2024 - July 2, 2024
Format: eBook

There is a witch in town and she’s causing trouble. Jayla and her new friend, Lola must work together to save both of their families from being replaced.

This book is definitely a bit different – almost experimental in a way to be honest. It’s told in alternative journal entries between Jayla and Lola and sometimes it’s real entries and sometimes they’re fake. With all that, sometimes I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but that was kind of the whole point (it’s even mentioned at the end that they know it’s confusing, but it’s how it happened).

There were scenes where it was a little confusing what was happening, but if I slowed down a bit and read it – even if it was a faster paced scene – I could “see” everything (and all the horror).

Overall, I think Middle Grade readers will really enjoy the engagement this novel has – adults will too, but Knippling does an excellent job at writing for her audience for sure.
*Thank you LibraryThing and DeAnna Knippling for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (I’m sorry it took me a minute to get to it!!)

Stoked for This: July 2024

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I know. I know. I didn’t get around to June’s :/ I had a chunk of it done, but by the time I could actually put time into it, it was halfway over and I didn’t think anyone would want to know what I was stoked for in the past… I don’t know, maybe I should have still posted it? I know a lot of people don’t really read this – that this is more for myself. But I need to do better at remembering to actually get this done – cause here I am at 11 am Tuesday morning, trying to get this together 🙂 Still a work in progress I guess haha.

Anywho – this month is really going to hone in on female rage. What’s the rage level?? Read on to find out! ◡̈

July 2, 2024

49 Miles Alone

By: Natalie D. Richards

Why am I stoked for this release?

Two cousins go out on a hiking trip in the Utah desert to rekindle their relationship. While out, they run into a couple, Finn and Riley. They hear the couple argue in the middle of the night and Riley running off into the wildness with Finn chasing her. With their supplies dwindling, the girls try and find Riley before Finn does.

This is marked as YA, but I don’t know if it could technically be New Adult based on a few things (I’ll let you know when I read it!).

This just sounds like it could be an adventure – and of course, hiking in the desert in this heat right now wouldn’t be too hard to imagine!

Age 16

By: Rosena Fung

Why am I stoked for this release?

The first sentence of this novel is this: “A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about three generations of mothers and daughters passing down and rebelling against standards of gender, race, beauty, size, and worth…”

Like – how could you not be excited for that?!

As we know, I love me a good feminine rage book – and make it, what looks like, will be a beautifully drawn graphic novel too?? YES.

The Night Ends with Fire

By: K.X. Song

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is inspired by the legend of Mulan, so I have high hopes for this – especially since the last book that told me that, gave me a big let down and I was so bummed.

So, I may be holding this higher standards, but this one is getting good reviews!!

Another kind of feminine rage if you will – or rather, proving the fact that women can do most things men can do too..

July 9, 2024

The Confidence Games

By: Tess Amy

Why am I stoked for this release?

Okay, this one is a little outside my usual read for sure; a mystery thriller.

But, it’s two female con artists – who only swindle men, and only ones who deserve it – must pull off the ultimate heist! Reminds me of that all female Ocean’s 8.

The Spellshop

By: Sarah Beth Durst

Why am I stoked for this release?

THERE IS A MAGICAL SPIDER PLANT IN THIS! I have a freakin’ spider plant tattoo because I love them so much.

This is also said to be “like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic”.

God, that just sounds magical and maybe the perfect escape from this dang heat we’ve got going on!

July 23, 2024

Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect

By: Hilda Eunice Burgos

Illustrated By: Siara Faison

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is totally for the younger crowd – but I’m here for the cat.

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky

By: Josh Galarza

Why am I stoked for this release?

Though the title of this YA novel is funny – this one will be nothing of the sort. It’s going to deal with anxieties, eat disorders, parents with cancer, and a whole lot more.

It’s going to probably rip my heart out, but sometimes you just need a book to destroy you.

Slow Dance

By: Rainbow Rowell

Why am I stoked for this release?

The day I’m not excited for a Rainbow Rowell novel, I’ll probably be dead.

This is an adult romance where two best friends from high school, who everyone thought would end up together, find each other again after fourteen years without speaking to one another.

Also – I have a signed copy of an ARC of this thanks to my beautiful Readers Services Department I work with.

The Lost Souls of Benzaiten

By: Kelly Murashige

Why am I stoked for this release?

“A young outcast transforms into a robot vacuum”

Okay. Okay. I thought WTF when I first read that too – but my friend Lucy (we worked together is the RS Department) picked it up for me at PLA cause she thought I’d like it.

It’s about friend breakups and being human.

I’m sure I’ll have quite a few feels about this after reading it too.

Your Letter

By: Hyeon A. Cho

Why am I stoked for this release?

After transferring schools due to bullying, Sori’s new school seems like it may just be a repeat – until mysterious trail of letters leads her on a magical scavenger hunt.

So this is a Manhwa (Korean Manga; it’s set up like manga, but read left to right like English). I’ve actually only read one other Manhwa before, so I’m excited to read another one.

July 30, 2024

Pink Glass Houses

By: Asha Elias

Why am I stoked for this release?

Two reasons I’m stoked for this.

1. Elite Elementary School PTA Moms. My parents were huge PTA parents while my siblings and I were in elementary school. My mom was the treasurer and secretary and my dad did a lot of the physical work (he also made Fun Night activity stuff that, as far as I’m aware of, is still used today).

2. One of the mom’s is from Wichita, KS – which was where we use to go to “be in a bigger city” while we were in Salina. Totally use to make a shopping trip before school started with my Grandma down there.

That’s it haha. Mostly into for how ridiculous the rich can be.

Sugaring Off / Gillian French

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Sugaring Off
By: Gillian French, Caitlin Davies (narrator)
Genre: YA, Thriller
Number of Pages: 352
Published: November 1, 2022
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Dates Read: June 20, 2024 - June 23, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Left partially deaf by an early childhood tragedy that ended with her father incarcerated, seventeen-year-old Owl lives with her aunt and uncle on their maple sugar farm. Owl and her aunt and uncle never speak of the attack that brought her to them, but Owl is perfectly content with hiking the steep forested acres surrounding their farm. After meeting a stranger trespassing among the maples, Owl’s sheltered life is blown wide open by Cody – the new farmhand hired to help with the sugaring off. 

Cody seems to see her, the real her, and the duo challenge each other. But, when Owl learns that Cody always seems to head towards self destruction, she must reevaluate their relationship at the same time her father is released from prison and requesting contact. When a motiveless murder draws attention to Cody, Owl realizes that Cody is in far more serious trouble than first realized – and he’s brought it up the mountain.

This book deals with a lot more than the description gives off truthfully (much like life), such as Owl trying to figure out how to best utilize both the help from her ASL tutor at school, and using ASL in general. The author also did an excellent job at showing how someone who is partially deaf might feel. Including how Deaf she is. Owl also deals with attempting to figure out how a new romance can teeter the balance of other relationships.

My only thing is – I wouldn’t really market this as a mystery. It can definitely be a thriller, but any “mystery” that was happening in the novel, I feel like readers were given enough information to piece everything together rather quickly.

I really enjoy Caitlin Davies as a narrator. I think she did an amazing job at the different voices and the pacing.

Overall, I loved being inside Owl’s head during this journey. I’ve got another book to add for my Rep: Deaf or Hard of Hearing character titles.

The Love Report Volume 2 / BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)

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The Love Report Volume 2
By: BéKa, Maya (Illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 200
Published: February 13, 2024
Publisher: Hippo Park
Dates Read: June 16, 2024
Format: Library Book / eBook

Grace and Lola are back to uncover more truths about romance and friendship in volume two of The Love Report. Grace tries to find balance with her parents’ split, but dividing her time between two different homes can be a headache. Lola and Grace help Adele find a place to stay, and Lola wants to help Felicity after one of the boys starts harassing her.

Summer comes just in time for the girls where it brings them to the island of Sardinia where they continue to discover the ins and outs and relationships.

The Love Report series focuses on girls in middle school (the grade they’d be in in America – though it’s set in France) as they navigate those first love butterflies and wonder. It’s really sweet. I absolutely love the artwork and the characters are genuine and realistic. Topics of bullying, divorce, step parents, and self image are talked about in this novel that are written appropriately for the age group it’s targeting.

This is one of those graphic novels that I will definitely be trying to get my hands on physical copies one of these days. The girls’ style is very French and you can see that within the panels (it just makes me smile).

Overall, I can see myself recommending this series to those who just love the cutesy, coming of age romances. I will be waiting anxiously for the third book.

Telephone of the Tree / Alison McGhee

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Telephone of the Tree
By: Alison McGhee
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 208
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books
Dates Read: June 15, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Ayla and her best friend Kiri have always been tree people. Neighbors and family know they can most likely find them within the branches. But right now, Kiri has gone somewhere far away and Ayla can only wait in the branches of her birch tree for her friend’s return.

Then, a mysterious, old-fashioned phone appears on Ayla’s tree. Where did it come from? And why are people showing up to use this phone to call their passed loved ones?

All Ayla wants is for Kiri to come home. Until then, she will keep Kiri’s things safe, her nightmares to herself, and she will not make a call on that telephone.

As a child who lost her dad at the age of twelve (three days into my seventh grade school year), a telephone in a tree to call him would be amazing, so of course, this made me tear up quite a bit.

This is a quick read. It’s broken up in kind of a novel-in-verse type of way, but not being fully a novel-in-verse. I’ll probably still rope it in with that genre of novel though.

Even though this is a quick read, there is such a punch that gets delivered. I can see this helping younger readers with their grief of a passing loved one. We can’t stay in the denial land (or lalala land) forever and it’s important to have the space to heal and accept in our own time.

This novel is guaranteed to stick with me for a long time, if not forever.
*Thank you Rocky Pond Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A Man and His Cat, Volume 1 / Umi Sakurai

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A Man and His Cat, Volume 1
By: Umi Sakurai
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 148
Published: February 11, 2020 (1st Published February 22, 2018)
Publisher: Square Enix Manga
Dates Read: June 13, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

A kitten lives unwanted and unloved in a pet shop. His price drops every day and no one spares him a glance unless it’s to call him names. Imagine his surprise when an older gentleman comes into the store and takes him home! Come follow the cat’s and his new human’s life as they start off on this new adventure together.

First off – I want to know who is calling Fukumaru ugly, because I will fight them. He is adorable and I fell in love with him on the first page and I am so glad his Dad found him.

Secondly, this story will give you all the feels. Not only has this cat been alone for so long, but his Dad is needing his own healing (though it hasn’t been said outright, you make the connection what he needs help healing from pretty quickly).

This story is about longing, and hope, but most of all, it’s about love.

If you have a soft spot for cats, this manga is definitely for you.

Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir / Pedro Martín

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Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir
By: Pedro Martín
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
Number of Pages: 320
Published: August 1, 2023
Publisher: Dial Books
Dates Read: June 10, 2024 - June 13, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito – a Mexican Revolution crime-fighter! But, that doesn’t mean he’s excited for him to join their already crowded house – between his eight brothers and sisters and his parents, there’s barely enough room now. Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring his abuelito back to America. What follows is a trip of a lifetime.

I loved reading about the family dynamic in this novel – with that many brothers under one roof there is a tone of teasing and arguments. I also liked how the author talked about the divide between the older siblings who were born in Mexico and the younger siblings who were born in the United States; which ones were more Mexican or American, and the difference in milk tolerance (which I never knew!).

The art of this graphic novel was amazing and engaging – even if the author had a hard time drawing hands. The pages were always filled with the scenes, panels, and dialog. Some of that helped with showing the chaos of the trip and other times it kept you engaged in the scene. 

Though this is targeted towards younger readers, there are plenty of reminiscences of adolescence (bad haircuts, teasing siblings, what you spend your allowance on, etc.) that adults will thoroughly enjoy this as well. The author shares his childhood stories as an adult – so plenty of older readers will also enjoy this.

An Immense World / Ed Young

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An Immense World
By: Ed Yong
Genre: Nonfiction, Science, Nature
Number of Pages: 464
Published: January 1, 2023 (1st Published June 21, 2022)
Publisher: Random House
Dates Read: May 25, 2024 - June 9, 2024
Format: Hardcover

In An Immense World, author and science journalist Ed Yong challenges us to think beyond our own senses to perceive the world around us through the eyes (and senses) of animals and insects alike.

Shoutout to my first ever nonfiction science book that wasn’t assigned to me for a class (yes, I’ve been out of school for nine years…).

This definitely made me think about animals and not only their place in the world, but mine as well. I still think about the amount of smells my dogs are experiencing every time I let them outside to use the restroom – it gives me a little patience, even if I’m in a time crunch and they’re smelling everything.

There was a lot of information that was given throughout this book. I had to take this in chunks and read another book alongside it – which I don’t usually do and will read one book from front to cover before picking up the next one. I knew I would get “annoyed” with just reading information upon information. I’m glad I broke it up because it did help me enjoy it more. That, and marking fun facts that I enjoyed (another thing I don’t do).

I really enjoyed the footnotes that the author included within the pages, to me, that made the information a little more personal and felt like a friend was giving me fun facts from their field. I may not understand everything, but those footnotes helped a lot.

Everyone should try and read this. It’ll open your eyes to seeing the world in a whole new way! If nonfiction, or science isn’t your thing, trust me, I know, break this up into chunks. Ed Yong breaks up the chapters into sections that are only a few pages at most, and just read those here and there.

Just some of the fun facts I learned or, that I have continuously thought about, since finishing this:

  • Ants are essentially a group of highly specialist wasps that evolved.
    • This explains why I don’t like looking at ants up close – I hate wasps with a passion.
  • How “quiet” is the world now that there aren’t massively big animals roaming around?

The Other Side of Disappearing / Kate Clayborn

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The Other Side of Disappearing
By: Kate Clayborn
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 373
Published: March 26, 2024
Publisher: Kensington
Dates Read: June 1, 2024 - June 6, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger half sister, Tegan, after their mother ran away with a boyfriend she’d only known a few months. Jess has also been keeping a huge secret – the boyfriend her mother ran off with, was an accomplished con man who was also the subject of a wildly popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.

Right before Tegan hits her eighteenth birthday, Jess figures out her sister’s plan to do what she’s always feared – go on the search for their mother. But she’s not doing it alone, instead she’s accompanied by the host of the podcast and her producer, Adam Hawkins. Unwilling for her sister to go alone, Jess reluctantly joins them.

Together, the four make their way across the country, uncovering pieces of the mystery as to where her mother and her boyfriend disappeared to and why.

So first off, I don’t know how I missed this being a romance, because it’s not like it’s not marketed as romance. I think I was more focused on the true crime podcast aspect of it over everything else. And, to be honest, I don’t think the novel needed the spicier scenes to it. I totally understood and felt Jess and Adam’s connection, no need for the horniess. But, maybe that’s just me being a reader who doesn’t read much romance above a two spice level, so don’t take my opinion on this bit too personally.

I loved the mystery of this novel and the adventure the group went on – but I still didn’t care for the romance of it. I also had a bit of a hard time connecting with anyone. Everyone had a lot of feelings that were deeply explored, but I didn’t feel as much connection as I do with others.

Overall, I can see people still enjoying this. Just because I didn’t care for the romance bit of it, doesn’t mean the story itself wasn’t still good!
*Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review