Very much in the same style as Jenny Lawson, this collection of humorous essays discuss motherhood, trauma, womanhood, writing, friendship, love, and more. I felt personally seen in some of the essays. Gwenna has a way with words and her humorous turn of phrases or funny insight really helped this book shine. I especially loved the essay that was from the sofa's perspective, it was so sweet and heartening, and her author's note at the end was a delight as well. An excellent book of essays that will make you feel less alone and more seen.

Are you freaking kidding me?!? This book is a love letter to children's literature and is a MUST READ! It was funny, insightful, and so essential. Mac Barnett is a beloved children's book author and he decided to use his influence and platform to write a book for adults about the importance of making and reading GOOD books for children. No summary will do this book justice; Make Believe is a slim, 180 page rallying cry for authors, librarians, editors, educators, and adults who read to children. Mac talks about why kids are so amazing and why we need to make the books they WANT not the books we think they need. Kid's books are worthy and not just for kids. Kids deserve the same appreciation and care that give to adult books. Essential reading! I liked it so much, I bought my own copy after reading the library copy.

This was the cute start to an Irish cozy mystery series. I related to this book a fair bit. Not because I'm a gorgeous, talented red haired Irish beauty; but because Siobhán O’Sullivan is the oldest daughter, has six siblings, and has dead parents (I have one dead mom and that's enough, but you get the picture). Since her parent's unexpected death by a drunk driver, Siobhán has become guardian of the younger siblings, taken over running her parents cafe, and deferred her dream of going to Trinity College to stay home and make sure the family stays together. When they open up the bistro one morning and find a dead body (the brother of the drunk who killed their parents!), Siobhán knows she has to get to the bottom of it to clear her family's name and save them from financial ruin. It doesn't help that the town police has their eyes firmly set on James, the eldest brother because he was on a drinking bender the night of the murder. Full of twists and turns, figuring out who the murderer was, eluded me until the very end! I'll read more in the series for sure!

I'm annoyed it took me so long to read this! Freaking obsessed. Hell of a great start to a series. I was hooked from the very beginning. Snarky, laugh out loud funny, adventurous, gory, and fun - this has something to appeal to most everyone. When Carl runs outside in the middle of the night to rescue his ex-girlfriend's cat he doesn't expect the world to essentially end. But while he's outside in his leather coat and frayed boxers coaxing Donut down from a tree every building in the world sinks into the earth's surface killing anyone and anything that was unfortunate to be inside at 2am. Immediately after that happens, thousands of portals open up and tempt surviving humans to enter within one hour if they want to survive. Inside the entrance is a series of levels filled with insane beasts and monsters. Carl and Donut will have to take them on in order to survive. And if they do well, they can get sponsors and be featured on intergalactic tv as trillions of beings around the galaxy are tuned into the games. How deep in the dungeon can he go? And did he just become best friend's with his exe's cat (who can also talk now). So much freaking fun!

It's been a long time since I watched this episode of the Brother Cadfael series on Masterpiece Theater so I was surprised at the end. Hoodwinked again! This whole series brings me so much joy. A body was found buried in a potter's field. There didn't appear to be any foul play, but it was clear she must have been murdered otherwise she would have been given a proper Christian funeral. Brother Cadfael and Hugh Berringer must figure out who the woman is and who killed her there. There are lots of men who look guilty, so the pair will have to use all their cunning to uncover their truth. Give me more!

A middle grade novel about grief and losing yourself to anger and pain. Will's mom died and everyone seems to be handling it better than him. His older sister isn't fighting his friends, his younger brother isn't hiding in his room, his dad isn't hiding things that remind him of her. Only Will. When nowhere comes for him, he embraces it. It's an escape from reality and in Nowhere, he can embrace the black, the cold nothingness of forgetfulness. But his family and friends keep trying to pull him back and make him remember. But Will just wants to forget, it hurts less. A good novel about grief, but the concept of Nowhere and the Keeper and the Caretaker needed a little finessing. As an adult reading this novel, I had trouble following the thread sometimes.

Derek Jacobi could read a phone book for all I care and I will still love it. As a child I watched Brother Cadfael with my mother and I am so glad to finally be reading the books that the PBS masterpiece theater series was based off of. Brother Cadfael is a medieval monk who always seems to stumble upon a mystery, during the annual fair a merchant is found murdered in the river, his valuables abandoned. Is this just a random act of thievery or is there something more sinister afoot? Wonderfully narrated by Derek Jacobi, this medieval murder mystery is damn good and keeps you guessing. Give me more!

This was an excellent middle grade read with truly an amazing plot that could have worked really well for an adult audience as well. Especially the ending, it was really deep! Dally Peterharrington just wants time for herself, time to explore, go on adventures, make friends. Instead her overbearing mother forces her to go to school, have a private business tutor, etiquette classes, nearly every waking moment is spent preparing to take over the family business. Her mom is concerned with being a good steward of the family fortune and legacy an there isn't time for adventure or fun. Life has been miserable for Dally until she discovers a map that leads her to a secret library. The library is filled with family secrets and soon Dally starts to learn more about her family history then she ever thought possible and it's about to change her whole life. Impressive world building, unique magic, and one hell of an adventure.

One of the more action packed inspirational books that I've ever read to be honest. Kit wakes up only to discover she has wrecked her semi, has a baby as a passenger, and is stranded on a mountain with an active volcano threatening to blow. Did I mention the bullet holes? Someone was also shooting at her. She has no recollection of the wreck or picking up a baby. When a strange man comes to her aid, she is very wary of him at first. He soon proves to her that he is a good guy and he wants to get her and the baby safely to the evacuation zone. Cullen is a former cop and knows how to take care of himself, which is good because it turns out that there are some bad man after the baby and it's mom. Nonstop action, very clean, minimal mention of religion, but still a presence. Not a bad thriller.

This slim little biography is perfect for kids. It's got large print, breaks down a big topic into simple talking points, has illustrations, and is a great introduction to the life of Gandhi. I knew the broad strokes of Gandhi's life but even I learned a lot about his early years in this book. This is very similar to the "Who Was" book series for kids and I believe there are lots of other biographies in this series.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It pulled at my heartstrings and covered so many timely topics. Kareem Between is a middle grade novel told in verse. Kareem is a Syrian American and all he wants to do is fit in and make the football team. When he is told he has to help a new Syrian student in school, he is resentful. That kid can hardly speak English, having to "babysit" him at school isn't going to help him fit in any better. If anything it will make him stand out even more. To make things more stressful, his mom is going back to Syria so she can bring her parents back with her to America. Kareem has never met them before but he has talked to them on the phone for his whole life. Things are tough when his mom leaves, but they get so much more tough when the president passes the Muslim ban and their mom can't come home. This book deals with xenophobia, bullying, family relationships, guilt, and hope. I absolutely LOVED this book.

A quick poetry collection that has depth and soul. I savored this collection one poem at a time over a few weeks. As a Hoosier, I've met Ross Ga at different literary events and he is a real nice man. I am more of an old school poetry lover and I am more used to rhymes o easy concepts. Some of these poems were really heavy and I had o re-read them to really let it sink into me. I would read more of his works.

A little French orphanage in southern France isn't filled with much hope, but it is filled with one big secret; it's full of Jewish children in hiding in plain sight. It's 1942 and the war is in full swing. Twelve year olds, Elka and Ziggy have been on the run, moving from place to place trying to stay one step ahead of the Nazis. Hitler has taken over northern France and the children are scared that he is getting closer and closer. There isn't much in the way of food an blankets at the orphanage but the children have each other and they love their teachers. Well mostly. Ziggy is convinced that their new gym teacher is a spy, and Elka is convinced he is one of the good guys. When their new teacher wants to organize a sport competition, Elka can't wait to race; Ziggy on the other hand, has his reservations. Loosely based off of a true story; this tale of courage, friendship and faith is a great middle grade read.

Admittedly, I've never read the first novel in this middle grade series, but that didn't impede my reading or understanding of this at all. Bree Boyd follows a young Black girl trying hard to make her father and family proud all while trying to be there for her friends, stay happy, and be true to herself. It's a story that everyone can relate to. To make matters worse though, Bree has started getting these weird tingles in her hand when she is upset or anxious. The tingles always proceed some kind of magical calamity and she has no idea how to control it or stop it. It keeps popping up at the most inopportune times though. And the pressure is only mounting as her father's political campaign takes shape, the spelling bee approaches, and her friends ask her for a big favor. What's a girl to do? Relatable and fun, this wholesome book is great for middle grade students.

This was the first book that I had read in the series. I'm not sure what order the books go in, but this might be the third? This is a cute, although overly punny, middle grade read. Katz Pajamas is a feline detective who has to work on his most unique case yet. A tiny little cat knocks on his office door and declares that Santa Claws has sent him to whisk Katz back to the North Pole to solve a mystery. According to the little elf cat, Santa's magic toy bag and the naughty and nice list have been taken! Katz Pajamas is honored to take the job and goes up north. He is overtaken with holiday cheer and happiness when he arrives. The North Pole is all he ever imagined and more. But now to find the culprit. This is a super quick read and kids will enjoy it. The formatting is a little unique, but it makes for quick reading.

This was an exceptionally well done and thoughtful middle grade read. Dive follows Kass, a middle school student who has recently transferred to a private Catholic School so she can join their dive team. She's grateful for the opportunity, but she really misses her old run down public school, her best friend, and fitting in. She's an outsider, and a poor one at that. Her new classmates probably never have to hear their parents whisper arguing at night about money and worrying about business. Her parents own a restaurant and money is tight, she feels guilty that her parents are sacrificing so much to send her to a school she doesn't love. One day while waiting at the bus stop she meets, Miles. A high school drop out digging through the dumpster. The two form an unlikely friendship and soon he is showing her the ropes on scavenging and helping her realize, that there is someone always worse off then she is. Kass is convinced that no one will understand her relationship with Miles so she keeps him a secret and starts lying to her parents and skipping dive practice to hang out with him and dumpster dive. Sooner or later though, the truth will come out. Dive touches on a lot of timely topics and is a great read for kids!

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but I found this memoir to be both braggy and with an agenda. On the whole, I still like the man and I can't deny the positive success he has had in California. I have no doubt he will be running for president. This book made me realize HOW connected Newsom is. To the Gettys, Pelosis, the tech giants, politicians, celebrities, etc. Even though he grew up with divorced parents and a mom who struggled to make ends meet, his family's legacies and friendships afforded him insane opportunities. From dining with royalty, partying with celebrities, studying polar bears in Alaska and so much more. This book feels like it was made just to silence his critics, to say, "Yes, I know all these people, they opened doors for me and helped me out, but I struggled as a kid! I didn't get where I got JUST because of my connections." And really, that is the crux of the book. As a reader you have to decide how much of Gavin Newsom's success came from his hard work and perseverance and how much came from the sphere that surrounded him. I do think it is a mix of both and I still admire him. I just got tired of all the name dropping.

This was a sweet little memoir about practicing dentistry. Author, Sarah Akard Wilson, treats readers to stories about the day to day realities of cleaning teeth, shares funny stories about mishaps and misunderstandings, and pulls back the curtain on what really goes on in a dentist's office. Not quite a linear story, this memoir is more of a collection of short essays about different aspects of dentistry. It's humorous, eye opening, and intriguing. This book is very short and easy to read in one sitting. It's a fun glimpse into what really goes on at the dentist.

A little slow to get into, but worth the wait. This charming middle grade read is about a found family of misfits living in a small town Ohio orphanage. Most are truly orphans, but a few, like Kacey, have been abandoned by their parents. Primarily told through the eyes of eleven-year old, Willa, this story is one of friendships, the family you make, rising from the ashes, and of course there is a little mystery at the heart of it all. Willa discovers that Mercy (the manager of Southern Ohio Children's Home) is hard pressed for money and looking for a way to keep the orphanage running. That's when they discover that there is an old boys school practically in their back yard. It's neglected and falling apart and Mercy owns it. Will she sell it to make ends meet? What happened there and why will no one talk about it? Orphanland deals with a lot of meaty issues; opioid addiction, losing your parents, consent, injustice, losing your parents, gender identity and more. I was so impressed with how topics were respectfully discussed without being too preachy. Orphanland is a great book for kids to read and then start asking questions of their own. The cover and title is awful, if it were re-branded I think this book would go gangbusters!

Another compelling collection of Stephen King short stories. I might have liked this audiobook better with a different narrator, but I eventually got used to his "expressive" voice. This collection is a mixed bag and had a little bit of everything, some of this I wouldn't even classify as horror and others are truly gruesome and gory. As always, King is a master at creating compelling characters and captivating circumstances in no time flat - his ability to set the scene and get the ball rolling on a story is insanely impressive. Some stories that I really enjoyed include: The Graveyard Shift, Quitters, Inc, Sometimes They Come Back, and Strawberry Spring. This wasn't my favorite Stephen King short story collection, but I still really liked it. He is just so dang good!

A short collection of heartfelt and meaningful poems written over lifetime. Penned by a central Indiana author, this collection of poetry is melodic and deep. From motherhood to childhood - this poems will resonate with readers. Each poem is accompanied by a picture or an image that adds to the beauty of the collection. Charming and sweet, this is definitely a collection that I will read again!

This was more than a survival story, it was about forgiveness, hope, and looking toward the horizon. When two strangers find themselves on a charter flight over the mountains, they never suspect that they will soon crash and have to brave the horrible winter alone after their pilot is killed. Stuck high in the mountains, Ashley has a broken leg and Ben has broken ribs. Fortunately for her, Ben happens to be a doctor and has some survival skills. He sets her leg, but they will need to find food and shelter if they want to make their way down the mountain. They are in a nature preserve with no roads or buildings for miles and the altitude isn't helping their healing or breathing. The two must find hope and companionship if they want to stay alive. They may even find more than that high in the mountains. I was mad for the first half of the book, caught on to a potential twist (I was right) and pretty much predicted the end. I still enjoyed it though!

This devotional has been an amazing start to my morning over the past few months. This is either my second or third devotional from Thomas Nelson and I love it. I love that each day there is a beautiful scripture quote, a relatable story to go along with it, a prayer, and a beautiful photo. The daily devotionals are truly relatable and not too deep or introspective. It gives you something to think on all day to really let the message sink in. I also love the ribbon bookmark. I need to see if there are more of these devotionals in the series!

This was such a fun and educational book. As someone who grew up near Chicago and spent a decent amount of time in the city, this book made me stop and appreciate the architecture so much more. I've been on an architectural tour of some of the big buildings in the Windy City, but never learned anything about the homes. This book focuses solely on the evolution of homes in the city, from log cabins up to WWII bungalows. There are wonderful hand draw sketches of a variety of house houses and they are so well done. The illustrator deserves major props! The accompanying text was also interesting without being too dry. It blended history, architecture, and culture into one. An eye opening read and not just for architects, if you ever want to walk the streets and appreciate the beauty of the buildings around, then this book is for you!

This was a fun blast from the past. I listened to the audiobook, but also have the book as well. The book is fun to have because it has lots of photos and pictures of the book covers (hilarious). As a millennial this book was a blast from the past and it was so fun. Gabrielle Moss talks about all the big hits (Babysitter's Club, Pony Club, Sweet Valley High, etc) as well as some other B-hits that I had never heard of. Each chapter explored a theme of books from the 80s and 90s - friendship, jobs, boys, clubs, horror, and more. It was a lot of fun and filled with witty dialogue. There was a good opening, but there was no ending. It was talking about horror books and just abruptly ended with no conclusion. Still, it was a fun romp through memory lane and it makes me want to pick up some of my old teen reads!

I immediately hated the cover of this book and went into this book annoyed. It looks like AI slop, even though the author is white, he could have had an indigenous author design the cover or used a photograph of the casino. Cover bashing aside, I really did enjoy this book and learned a lot and Indian gaming. I know a lot of people (white people mainly) that get up in arms about the unfairness of casinos on tribal ground, but personally it's never bothered me because it's the LEAST we can allow them to have. Hasn't the US stolen enough from them? The New Buffalo is a great look at what it took to allow gaming on tribal land; from bingo halls to video games of chance, and the opposition from businesses, Vegas, and the government. It showcases the movement spearheaded by Leonard Prescott in Minnesota on a very small reservation, their tiny group was under national scrutiny as it proved what tribes could do if allowed economic independence. This book examines the life of Leonard Prescott (in detail at the beginning of his life and then it tapers off to politics only) and his influence on his tribe and on the national stage. This book was very biased in favor of Prescott and not his rival, and I'm sure some people have beef with that. A very interesting and enlightening book and a must read for anyone who wants to complain about tribal gaming. A final note, I was surprised by the lack of footnotes or sources at the end. There was a lot of research poured into this book and show more nothing to back it. show less

Clint Smith's newest novella is eerie, forbidding, and deliciously dark. Cecil Mears has questions and it's past time for his father to come clean about that long ago summer back at Blackgum Lake. For most of Cecil's youth, the cozy little lakefront cabin was filled with good memories and laughter. But over the years it's fallen into disrepair and only gotten worse as his parent's marriage has disintegrated. One fateful teenaged summer, Cecil and his father go to Blackgum lake alone to salvage what they can of the cabin. While restoring the cabin, Cecil starts to learn more about the lake and the secrets it holds. Did Dillinger really dump bodies here? Is his elderly neighbor seeing things, or is she really being visited by her dead husband at night? And worst of all, his father, who is he calling at night? There is something far worse than secrets in the deep dark water. Something far more powerful and menacing awaits in the murky depths. One fateful summer at Blackgum Lake will change everything. This novella is perfect for those looking for a quick, dark read with local color. Clint Smith is an Indianapolis author and culinary arts educator in Greenwood.

This should have been such a fascinating book, but sadly it was a slog and a half. Jessica Clark compiled 200 oral history interviews taken in the early 2000's for the Dakota Memories Oral History Project and attempts to combine them all into a narrative on what it was like growing up German-Russian on the Northern Plains. Rather than being filled with lots of anecdotes and stories, it's written as "many children enjoyed playing games such as...." and it is SO SO REPETITIVE!! The same thing will be said in four different ways. Also the word "German-Russian" appears at least 20 times per page. The author could have saved at least 20 pages of manuscript had she just abbreviated it to GR or something. The best parts of the book were the photographs and the sprinkling of anecdotes that were included (it wasn't near as many as it should have been with 200 interviews). A slog. And the cover.... awful. I hate to be a hater, because again, this should have been so interesting, but it was too repetitive to bear.

This middle grade fantasy novel is perfect for kids who like folk and fairy tales. When Soledad hears her mother's awful visions, she is determined to not be a part of them. She steals her mother's magical flute and runs into the mountains. Over the course of a year, three plagues befall her village and she is helpless to assist them. All she knows is that she cannot fall into the hands of the Phoenix otherwise she will be used as his pawn to create further chaos. Even while isolated high in the mountains, Soledad has fallen victim to one of the plagues, she has a wound on her leg that will not heal. She can prevent it from spreading further only if she keeps bathing it in the healing waters by her former village. It's getting more and more dangerous though. The ruin dwellers and the Phoenix's men are down there and one of these days they are going to catch her. When she runs into an old friend, she thinks that everything might be ok, but that interaction sets off a chain of events that will end everything once and for all. Solid, but some of the events seem out of order or not needed.

People have told me that this was the scariest Stephen King book they have ever read and while I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I wasn't all that scared. It could be because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator wasn't very suspenseful, or maybe it was because I went into it thinking I was going to be scared stupid, whatever the reason it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought Pet Semetary was. Salem's Lot is Stephen King's take on the Vampires and Dracula, but set in a small, sleepy Maine town. When some out of town folks buy the creepy old Marsden house, things in town suddenly start getting bad. People are scared to go out at night and people are disappearing. Told mainly through the eyes of Ben Meers, an author staying in the town boardinghouse while he writes a novel, and through the eyes of various townsfolk. I liked the multiple town people perspectives because it showed the slow progression of wrongness taking over the town. Another great Stephen King novel, but I don't know if this one makes it in my top 10.