- Mar 24
Review of Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road #1) by Rachel Hartman
Rachel Hartman's young adult story follows irresistible, hardheaded, wonderfully faulted Tess as she breaks from rigid medieval gender...
- Feb 18
Review of Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
This peek into a childhood in Kabul and a lifetime of searching and yearning is luminous and vivid in Hashimi's hands. What will this...
- Feb 8
Review of My Heart Went Walking by Sally Hanan
Hanan's 1980s Irish coming-of-age story is full of angst, secrets, life-and-death danger, youthful determination--and the feeling that...
- Jan 26
Review of Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School by Kendra James
In Admissions, Kendra James explores race, friendship, ambition, and the absurdities and rhythm of daily life during her time at a New...
- Jan 12
Review of Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
Betty is based on the author's family stories of difficulties, abuse, tragedies, and a hardscrabble life in the Appalachian foothills of...
- Nov 23, 2021
Review of Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
In Blau's gleefully 1970s-set novel, Mary Jane doesn't merely shift from emotional innocence to young adulthood, she comes into her own,...
- Sep 28, 2021
Review of Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
In this memoir, Ford shares how she navigated an unforgiving childhood and complicated relationships with her volatile mother and her...
- Aug 31, 2021
August Wrap-Up: My Favorite Reads of the Month
My very favorite books from August! These are the books I most loved reading during the past month. The list skews toward light fiction,...
- Jul 28, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 7/28/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading The People We Keep, Allison Larkin's upcoming novel about a young protagonist shaping her life...
- Jul 1, 2021
Review of Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
ICYMI: thirteen-year-old Frank Dunn experiences crises of faith during the unforgettably complicated and tragic summer of 1961 in his...
- May 18, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 5/18/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a brand-new romance-and-music book that's gotten lots of buzz; a beautiful modern classic from a...
- Apr 15, 2021
Review of Normal People by Sally Rooney
The connection between Marianne and Connell is the beautiful, haunting, swirling source of misery, heartache, and joy and fulfillment in...
- Apr 14, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 4/14/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading (actually listening to, which I recommend in this case) an offbeat, captivating celebrity memoir by...
- Feb 25, 2021
Review of I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman
Waxman offers a nice dose of feminism, realistically fraught mother-daughter interactions, and laugh-out-loud funny moments. Jessica is a...
- Jan 21, 2021
Review of Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
A book I loved, in case you missed it! I loved this post-World War II book about bravery and rural life for middle-grade readers....
- Jan 13, 2021
Review of City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Young Vivian's carousing in 1940s New York City is entertaining, sexy, and an interesting burst of feminism and freedom in the era. In...
- Jan 11, 2021
Review of Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Solomon offers a sweet, romantic young adult story with emotions that feel authentic; the book showcases competition, honesty, youthful...
- Nov 6, 2020
Six More Great Fiction Titles I Loved This Year
01 Where the Forest Meets the Stars Joanna is feeling adrift after her mother's death, and she disappears into the constant attention her...