I walked out of a childhood friend‘s funeral and into the bookstore and stared at the shelves with no makeup left and the feeling that I existed adjacent to the rest of the world, looking for a distraction. I saw Icarus on the shelf, recognized the cover and bought it without looking much further than the paragraph on the back. Then I devoured it in many different sittings, carrying it around with me for a month and a half like a security blanket.

A unique idea about seeking out and holding onto the feelings we think will make us feel a certain way, and learning that emotions don‘t always work the way we expect them to.

Moving to a new place is such a relatable story to so many people, but it‘s not often I encounter a story where someone moves to the other side of the world! Ruth‘s experience reminded me of making new friends and missing old ones, but I was lucky enough not to also have a language barrier and leaving a sibling behind. Ruth‘s family is right: you need courage, perseverance, and patience in life.

Lost at Windy River is the amazing true story of the nine days the author‘s grandmother was lost by herself in the wilderness of Alberta in the 1940s. Isle was thirteen at the time and it was, of course, winter. She was incredibly resourceful and used Traditional Indigenous Knowledge to survive. This book is also an opportunity for her to reclaim and tell her own story after it became well known and was shared by someone else.

I adore Lando and Bastian and Kara and ***** and this wholly unique world full of magic that is unlike any I‘ve encountered before. I suspected everyone of wrongdoing until the last reveal and I was entirely satisfied with how it resolved. I would love to read their next adventure, but I also think this is a good place to leave them.

A fun, supernatural romp featuring a haunted keyboard, a ghostly pop star from the 80s, and creating for yourself (not anyone else!). Margot‘s desire to gain followers (and therefore attention) is relatable, but her emotional growth was a lesson well learned.

I freaking loved Mila‘s rage towards her mom, towards the sheriff, towards the reverend and the hypocrisy of the church. Give me all the angry women burning down corrupt institutions! Horror isn‘t my usual genre and I struggled with the gory descriptions and with my inability to read at night lest I never sleep again, but I was drawn back again and again by Mila and Roe and Agnes and the need to know what would happen.

My friend wrote a book! And it‘s good! I am not a horror fan, but the story has kept me reading anyway! If you like horror/romance, bogs, religious trauma, or deep sibling bonds then SBtB is for you! 💀

Wow! I haven‘t read a book like this…ever! It takes place in a world that, at first, seems normal, but as time passes becomes more and more strange. I LOVED the twist that dawned on me only immediately before it was revealed, and found the adventure extremely entertaining! I‘ll be thinking about Kess and her Museum of Unnatural History for a long, long time.

While my favorite Goldy books are unhinged off-the-wall masterpieces, this was also really well done and funny! Maya learns some valuable friendship lessons while solving the case and building relationships both in her family and outside of it. I loved how all the pieces came together and how Maya turns a phrase; I legitimately laughed out loud a few times. Thanks to PRH Audio for the audiobook via their librarian/industry program.

I struggled with the first half. I probably could benefit from putting in the work to declutter my mental space, but I feel like I can‘t even begin to think about that until my physical environment is under control. So to me, things were addressed backwards. That changed once I got to the second half. While I didn‘t find anything earth shatteringly new, it is always helpful to hear how others do it and to pluck out the pertinent tidbits.

This is so fun! I need more feminist knights asap!

What a fun little adventure! The story is fun and funny and smart, and the illustrations are adorable and whimsical! I can‘t wait to see what Brume, Hugo, and Hubert get up to in the next volume! 🧙‍♀️

It took me longer than usual to get into, but once I made it to that 50% mark I couldn‘t put it down and reading more was all I could think about. I loved Lucretia‘s experience moving to Candle Island and making her place among the residents there. Her descriptions of the world around her are so beautiful and I appreciated how her perception affected her artwork.

Nothing makes me glad to live in the 21st century like reading about life in medieval times. Yikes. Also sad to see how much has really not changed since then. That being said, I loved Viviana and Rebis‘ story as they built a life together! The artwork is beautiful and the story kept me on the edge of my seat (mostly in fear that something awful was about to happen)!

Our reading of this book was pretty disjointed, but enjoyable nonetheless! Helvetica continues to be my favorite character (with Dolores a close second) and Butterscotch is adorable.

The girls have enjoyed it, too, and we‘re hoping there‘s a fourth book in the future! 🪄

This graphic novel is just the right length and is packed with real facts about a little-known octopus AND heart-felt emotions. I learned so much and was constantly showing people around me the pages. Informative and fun!

Listen, I stalled nearly halfway through just because I wasn‘t in the mood for it. Expected to dnf or at least skim the end, but the joke was on me! As soon as I cracked it open again I was pulled right back. Ended up reading for hours until it was finished. I enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed this story of a kiddo stuck between two worlds in all sorts of ways (geographically, linguistically, between family members, etc.). I only wish there‘d been more resolution with their younger brother, that storyline ended on a sour note, and the entire story ended rather abruptly for my taste. However, I can still appreciate the growth Ave experienced throughout the book.

Jella‘s story was captivating and she was tenacious! I very much enjoyed her habit of “forgetting” a key part of a process (usually asking permission) and just doing the thing anyway, if it was for the benefit of children. After all, as author Katherine Paterson points out: “Perhaps all accomplished women throughout history have at some point in their lives been labeled ‘difficult to work with.‘l

I loved a lot of things about Trouble. Finn's sarcastic sense of humor (the automatic text message made me laugh every single time), the juxtaposition of an emotional burden with a daunting physical endeavor, and how things came together in unexpected ways were some of my favorites.

Alex‘s POV of a student ready to branch outside of his self-contained classroom isn‘t one I‘ve come across before. Alex suddenly has to navigate the fallout from an old friendship, changing expectations in the classroom, and his parents‘ preconceived notions on what his education & future will look like. The story was a window into Alex‘s life and I found myself cheering for him as he learned to ask for what he wants and to stand up for himself.

Read this while walking around my local library. The colors and story are bleak to begin, though small changes bring positivity to the children‘s existence. I loved that the ending bucked typical expectations. I feel like there‘s a message in here for blended families, as well.

While laugh-out-loud funny in several places and with unique characters I haven‘t met before (a feat in a book of princesses/princes pulled from fairy tales), this story struggles with a predictable storyline.

Yunho and Myunghee‘s escapes from North Korea were harrowing to read! The descriptions of their existences in North Korea and while on the run were horrible and so difficult to read. Stories like these are so important to remind us that kids (people) in this world live lives much different than ours.

(I had an issue with how Christianity was presented as a miracle, but was able to overlook it.)

Aubrey Hartman is quickly equaling Natalie Lloyd in my mind of being an auto-listen because her worlds are so wonderfully, uniquely magical. Clare‘s journey through grief and acceptance was beautiful to witness, and Gingersnipes‘ growing acceptance of what she is capable of was heartwarming and hopeful. I adored their time together and would love to see what comes next, but it‘s also set up in such a way that it isn‘t necessary.

Bad Badger really is a love story: to ourselves, to each other, and to the world. Its slower pace and offbeat characters (with beautiful grayscale illustrations) make for a reading experience that is just different from most others‘. I enjoyed the character growth, lessons learned, and sweetness of the story. 🩵

While a bit slow to start I ended up enjoying this more the further I got. In a lot of ways this felt like Hunger Games with dragons, but with more camaraderie from the beginning. There was definitely more murder than I anticipated, but it upped the stakes in a satisfying way.

I adored the way A.M. Woody wrote the characters in THEO, so I knew I had to get my hands on this one regardless of its plot. And you know what? I was right! Cameron and Mason were not who I expected. Their life experiences were not what I expected. But I love them so much that that honestly doesn‘t even matter. I feel like I can‘t say much because the book won‘t be out until October, but I adore these characters and their sweet relationship. 🩵

Well, I just read this in one sitting. 😂 There were some problematic character flaws (mainly any and all forgiveness of terrible people), but Grace is just so kick-ass that she smooths over most of them for me. I very much enjoyed the final altercation and was glad that Grace continued standing up for herself.

A sweet ghost-human love story with character growth, loss, a snarky reaper, and new adventures on the horizon. I enjoyed it and the feeling of abundant life in the midst of so much death.

Five kids band together to help someone, but have to fight against prejudice and an evil lunch lady every step of the way. I liked the story, but wished for more resolution for each of the kids. Recommended to me by a kiddo in my Bookworms book club for our next group read.

Adorable! Loved the character growth as Ben figured out a little more about what he wants to do with his life. The food descriptions made me hungry and Ben & Liam‘s adorkable connection made me giggle.

We get a lot more into the world-building and Sunny‘s backstory in this one. The demons are truly scary and I still have no idea what‘s going on. 😅 Can‘t wait to read more!

Picked this up after a patron recommended it. Definitely get some Supernatural vibes with the angels and the demons, but there‘s a lot more religion and politics of churches in here. The world is fascinating and I‘m looking forward to learning more! Plus, you know, I‘m a sucker for an epic fight scene.

I enjoyed this world and its characters a lot! There were so many moments that made me laugh out loud. I am immediately going to find this series online so I can keep reading. 🩵

The romance is sweet, but the FRIENDSHIP between Lancelot, Tristan, and Morgan is my favorite! Magic, adventure, knight/Queen Gwen, and turning some of the original story on its head was super fun. 🗡️

I was impressed by how the author dealt with such heavy topics as seeking asylum, domestic abuse, implied sexual abuse, terminal illness, and infidelity of a parent in ways that were appropriate and approachable for middle schoolers. It was heavy, but stories like these are real and we need to be reminded of them, especially in the world today.

I can see why this won the 2025 Printz! I LOVE this family! The artwork and text twist together in a completely organic way and I adore both. Almudena‘s summer living with her father and slowly expanding her friends and family is masterfully woven into the renovation of her father‘s brownstone. All of the characters are unique and have their own moments of growth on and off page. I love all of them.

I enjoyed following along with Grady as he searches for a long-lost treasure with clues hidden in an embroidery sampler for hundreds of years ago, a diary, and stories from the library, the museum, and the people of the town he lives in. The stakes aren‘t exactly low; one townsperson on has already died as part of the search, and Grady and his dad are about to lose their home to foreclosure.

My good friend Teagan‘s book is being published this September! Her writing is always amazing and I can‘t wait to get my hands on it!! 🤩

Finally got my January #bookspinbingo board put together! They‘ll stay black and white until they‘re read.

A focused memoir written by an 18-year-old woman who grew up with an incarcerated parent. Most of the story takes place once he‘s been released. I wished for a little more fleshing out of the story around the specific topic of her dad teaching her to code and building Photo Patch, but it is a memoir, so it‘s technically not necessary. I‘ve honestly never thought about this subject before, so it was eye-opening in a lot of ways.

This wordless painted graphic novel is stunning in every sense of the word. The illustration is truly breath-taking and the story is quietly transportive. I spent my time both trying to solve the mystery of what happened here while also taking in this strange new world reclaimed by nature in alien ways. It‘s given me a lot to think about. (I also think it‘s fun that the artists have known each other since middle school.)

The perfect start to the year! I love happy queer romances and E.L. Massey does them the best! Matts and Sydney are adorable and nerdy and the best partners to each other. I loved the music (the lyrics!) and how it wove through the entire story. Finished this today with a giant smile on my face.

I enjoyed this sweet look at the life of Emily Dickinson, snippets of her poems, and the most beautiful illustrations. They are so dainty and breathtaking. This was my 100th book of the year! 🥳

The Gumluck books are so adorably silly! The character names, shenanigans, and culmination of story are perfect. 😍

I really liked that all the stories in this anthology were connected. It helps me to enjoy them separately and as a whole. The stories with a more emotional hook were my favorites. I definitely learned a lot about South Asian American culture and the hurdles they continue to face.

I found the story interesting enough without hair as the connecting piece throughout. Every time her hair was referenced I felt pulled back out of the story. But the rest was fun (and relatable).

For as long as I put this off (I have to be in the right mindset to read about WWII) I thoroughly enjoyed it! I would put it with my favorite books of the year. Max‘s adventure is just this side of Lemony Snicket over-the-top ridiculous, without trivializing the overall conflict. I‘ll be watching for the sequel!