John Green

Stoked for This: September 2026 (and a small life update)

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment

So, as I’m sure you have noticed and/or have seen here on my website – I am behind on my reviews and posting. I’ve been through a couple of life changes recently and I feel like I may just now be getting on slightly more stable ground to be standing on. There was a separation, a move, school starting (I’m going back for my Masters in Library Science), and my oldest cat has been diagnosed with Kidney Disease – there’s been a lot of changes! I’m slowly put surely getting my reviews written and posted so hopefully you will see those shortly.

Thank you all those who have stuck around with me. I greatly appreciate it and hopefully I can get this website back up and running properly here soon.

Now, one of the things that has fallen so horribly into wayside is my Stoked for This, so without further ado…

September 1, 2026

When a late night at the office leads to witnessing an exorcism Brie’s life takes a very drastic turn.

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell

By: Mackenzie Reed

Three kids join together to game the Make-A-Wish foundation to get three epic adventures.

Wish You Well

By: Jamie Sumner

The follow-up to Titan of the Stars is here and I’m so excited to see where Dominic and Ren’s story go from here.

Demon in the Sand

By: E.K. Johnston

To read my review of the book before this you, you can find it here.

In this companion graphic memoir, Pedro Martín talks about family hijinks, immigration patrols, and musical daydreams in his year of youth.

Mexikid Dreams: A Graphic Memoir

By: Pedro Martín

September 8, 2026

A middle grade novel about a 12-year-old girl with OCD who finally gets the help she needs to push back.

Hijacked by Goats

By: Ann Braden

A historical fiction novel inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, an infamous Irish sea captain and folk heroine who risked everything to protect her people against the powerful Elizabethan regime?! Yes please!!

The Pirate Queen

By: Ariel Lawhon

A middle grade novel in verse about two sisters caught in a blizzard alone.

Sisters Alone

By: Shifa Saltagi Safadi

Sooo, I probably won’t read this one anytime soon because written from a cat in heaven’s perspective to their owner about always being there even after death. but I will absolutely be purchasing my own copy.

I’m Still Here: A Cat’s Purpose Forever

By: Cathryn Michon

September 15, 2026

A new Emily St. John Mandel you say?!

Exit Party

By: Emily St. John Mandel

AND a new novel in verse from Elizabeth Acevedo?!

Anger Is Only a Shadow

By: Elizabeth Acevedo

AND a new novel in verse from Megan E. Freeman?! What a blessed week we shall have!!

The Secret to Belonging

By: Megan E. Freeman

September 22, 2026

This is a really fun sounding YA about the teen daughter of an infamous serial killer must prove she isn’t the one behind recent copycat murders.

Dead Girls

By: Beck Kubrick

This novel is an exploration of grief, mothers and daughters, and the beautiful complexity of women’s lives and identities.

Female Life on Planet Earth

By: Laleh Kahadivi

John Green’s first adult novel?! Say less!!

Hollywood, Ending

By: John Green

September 29. 2026

A new book by Lois Lowry where the power of books will save the day.

Building 903

By: Lois Lowry

Tales from my favorite cozy fantasy series Legends & Lattes?!

Tales from the Territory

By: Travis Baldree

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection / John Green

/ Alisha Helms / Leave a comment 
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
By: John Green
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Number of Pages: 198
Published: March 18, 2025
Publisher: Crash Course Books
Dates Read: July 12, 2025 - July 14, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

John Green talks about tuberculosis’ history and how it’s connected to many things.

This book goes beyond statistics by putting a name to a patient, Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, and humanizing the experience of living with TB. 

Green isn’t wrong that everything is tuberculosis – is some of it stretched a little bit to make the connection? Sometimes, but for how long this disease has been around, it’s bound to be connected to everything in some way, shape, or another.

I do applaud Green for calling out big pharmaceutical companies (cough cough Johnson&Johnson) for having such high prices for medicine for no other reason than greed – because if you heal a patient, that’s one less person using your medicine. 

“What’s different now from 1804 or 1904 is that tuberculosis is curable, and has been since the mid-1950s. We know how to live in a world without tuberculosis. But we choose not to live in that world.”

But also the fact that TB becomes drug resistant because it’s constantly evolving into different strains is INSANE.

Overall, I knew I would enjoy this book – I like anything John Green writes to be honest. This is definitely a crash course in tuberculosis, but it’s an amazing starting point for people.