genetic cloning, and the strong, jilted wife who's out for revenge; and Sally Rooney's heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about two young people from different worlds within the same small Irish town and how they come

In Admissions, Kendra James explores race, friendship, ambition, and the absurdities and rhythm of daily life during her time at a New England boarding school. Kendra James was the first Black legacy to graduate from The Taft School, an elite boarding school in Connecticut. When she later works as an admissions officer specializing in diversity recruitment for independent prep schools, she finds herself examining her high school educational experience with a more critical eye, forcing herself to delve more deeply into aspects of her years at Taft that she largely glossed over at the time--and ultimately debating whether or not she should be advising families to pursue the same precarious path she herself followed. Digging into the past often seems a difficult undertaking, and as she looks back, Kendra James explains that her main goals when she attended Taft were not bringing to light racial injustice and leading a charge toward change, but typically teenage: to escape into role-playing video games and write fan fiction, to bond with a few classmates through watching favorite movies, and, primarily, to secure a spot in a college of her choice, then to (as is the goal for many high schoolers, for various reasons) get out of high school and get on with the rest of her life. James notes repeatedly that she felt largely unseen and unknown during her boarding school years. When she attends various Taft alumni events in the years following her graduation, they cement this same feeling. Her appearance in a Taft publication that lists her incorrect graduation year (and reunion year) grates on her as more evidence of this. The majority of page time is focused on aspects of James's boarding-school life, including its rhythms and peculiarities. James received financial aid to attend Taft, then $35,000 a year, and she then attended Oberlin for college, which, by her and her parents' design, was an admissions door likely opened more widely because of her Taft pedigree. But the book is not in large part about financial or class privilege. At times James laments the absence of frank discussions about race that she might have had with her parents, and she criticizes the lack of information she received from them on the topic. She wishes she could have learned more from them before entering Taft about the many ways she might have expected race to affect her life--especially considering the vastly white, elite circles her parents had either dipped their toes into or immersed themselves in: for example, Taft, Smith, Brown, and her father's banking job. The author notes that when she was a high schooler, in that place and time in our society, she didn't have an understanding of the power of daily microaggressions nor of blatant racism--nor did she have the language and perspective she now has to talk about such things--in order to sift through the many disturbing race-based incidents in her young life. James's evaluation of events of these years--including the racism she experienced at school; diverse, acute instances of disturbing behavior, whether race-based and class- and gender-based; and the social segregation of social groups by race--feels hesitantly explored at times as she attempts to dig into her raw teenage feelings while acknowledging her youthful lack of understanding and her early, unformed grasp of the myriad social, racial, and class issues shaping her experience. Regarding a situation in which the strict rule-follower James was accused of wrongdoing while at Taft, the author acknowledges that for years she largely glossed over not only the event, but the racial issues bubbling beneath the incident and her resulting emotional trauma, pushing all of this down until her reckoning with it in young adulthood. Late in the book, James shares select portions of a disturbing article a white student wrote for the school paper while James also attended Taft, in which the article's author largely blames the school's racial divides on the students of color themselves and mentions her discomfort about the existence of programs and events that put people of color at their center. James expresses anger and frustration at Taft's ineffective response--and at the many missed opportunities she sees before and after that event for the school to have shaped an effective approach to true inclusion. In Admissions, James offer a book that is partly a social critique, partly a recounting of the absurdities she experienced, and partly simply her unique story of living away from home and often feeling lonely and alone in her experience. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book courtesy of Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Kendra James was a founding editor at Shondaland, where she worked for two years. She has written articles for various publications and is the author of a romance novel, When Hearts Collide.

When mother and daughter head out for a weeklong visit of east coast colleges with a touring company,

What if you woke up from a coma and felt differently about almost everything, including the person you're struggling music career would someday take off, but it didn't look as though his dreams would ever come and just as he's letting his hopes soar that this might finally be his big break, Stella falls into a coma What does commitment mean when the essence of a person within the relationship changes?

hands, Annabelle must determine what she's made of and what she's willing to do to protect those in her community The book's themes have (deservedly) drawn comparisons to some of those in To Kill a Mockingbird (and

In City of Girls, Gilbert writes about a young woman's coming of age in 1940s New York City and traces

Solomon offers a sweet, romantic young adult story with emotions that feel authentic; the book showcases competition of regaining glory would be to win the elaborate seniors' game of Howl, a challenging scavenger hunt competition I was immediately invested enough in Rowan's general competitiveness with Neil that I was disappointed romantic story that celebrates many of the essential teenage touchstones: academic achievement and competition

together the beloved nightly show (there are around 8,000 episodes), hopeful contestants' sometimes wildly competitive actively trying to separate this immersive, love-filled fictional world of Rowling's with the hurtful comments straddling the kid/adult cookbook genres, ready to take on more slightly advanced techniques and more complex large percentage of dessert and sweet recipes, something we don't personally need more of--are The Complete for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes That You'll Love to Cook and Eat from America's Test Kitchen, and The Complete

Or maybe it will whet your appetite for the beautiful books that might be coming your way? is a decade-by-decade look at Seinfeld's favorite notes from his career in stand-up comedy, featuring If that's your giftee's cup of tea, this book offers small doses of Lewis' comfort and wisdom that can Milk Street puts recipes and flavor combinations through an exhaustive testing process, so you know you Lewis's book) and/or books related to a specific interest of my giftee's (cooking, comedy, science).

adrift after her mother's death, and she disappears into the constant attention her ornithology research commands On certain days she finds her own way to the community center where she and other young adults with challenges Wilson's story stars combustible children and the low-key, unambitious misfit who sticks with them, making it’s a romance, but it’s really a story about loyalty and devoted friendship without easy or saw-it-coming

#comingofage, #heartwarming, #faith, #nordic, #fourstarbookreview

Word of the Day, and follows highly structured routines—on certain days she finds her own way to the community She uses Old Norse words in her speech and thoughts; she frequently mentions bravery, combat, wisdom, becomes caught up in sketchy business of her brother’s, Zelda finds that her situation is a lot more complicated than sorting out her love life with Marxy from the community center, playing matchmaker with Gert and #comingofage, #siblings, #uniquePOV, #Vikings, #heartwarming, #fourstarbookreview

The book explores the complicated implications of perception as reality when it comes to race and its Blacktop Wasteland is a fantastic blend of realistic complications, mistakes, adjustments, and spunk. #comingofage, #heartwarming, #faith, #nordic, #fourstarbookreview What have been your favorite books What should I add to my completely unmanageable master Greedy Reading List of books to read?

world over a framework of the imagined point of view of Wolfgang Mozart’s real but largely unknown composer #fantasyscifi, #historicalfiction, #siblings, #youngadult, #comingofage, #threestarbookreview

Recently I've been enjoying mysteries featuring complex, delightfully seasoned characters. I loved the women's complicated bonds, their crafty planning, their fights for justice, and their ability Her coping mechanisms, which we come to understand, are wrapped in shocking truths. As the truth comes out about Marshall's activities and his final evening, it becomes clear that each rather than writing a book she felt compelled to put out into the world.

whether due to embarrassment, an unexplained inability to shift plans, or what seems to be a mysterious compulsion The final section of the novel was the most compelling, poignant, and beautiful for me.

England, offering unapologetic ambition, genius manipulation, revenge plots, dark arts, and drastic comeuppances She arrives at the court of Henry V hoping to simply marry well despite her common upbringing and lack

She's soon enlisted for a well-compensated ten-year period of heavily regulated pregnancy conditions and tasked with a goal of seven births, all so that the company's executives can build families without She is prickly and greedy, not particularly introspective, and not inclined to consider complex issues The commune is strange and irresistible; what feel like naive approaches to community existence begin There is nowhere to hide in any sense, and after trying to avoid productivity despite the commune's rules

Gregory It's 1420 and Eleanor Cobham arrives at the court of Henry V hoping to marry well despite her common

mystery structure, French explores privilege, interconnectedness, and the many shades of gray that complicate Nathan and Bub come together to grieve the loss of their brother Cam. The story is as much about the varied cast of characters, the closed-off community, and the vivid sense This was a really compelling mystery/thriller—with a smart underlying commentary about gun ownership, Panowich offers a story about a complicated family and sense of duty, with ruthless mountain gangsters

I was completely hooked on the imagined details of the life of Irish folk heroine and female pirate Grace Grace's final moments were incredibly poignant; I loved her reflections on her very full, complicated

Meanwhile Jude is coming to terms with the implications of her history in this town, and she's regretting Slaughter offers her signature layered mystery, buoyed by character depth and interpersonal complications

Slaughter offers her signature layered mystery, buoyed by character depth and interpersonal complications I'm completely hooked on this story. John Kenney is coming to speak at an upcoming Friends of the Library event; I can't wait to attend!

were the Bossy five-star read All the Light We Cannot See; The Women in the Castle, which includes a complicated past), and she's making initially hesitant attempts to reclaim love, the joy of music, independence, community Vera and Edith are such a complementary partnership, and I loved spending time with these strong young island of Malta, Everyone Brave Is Forgiven illustrates how everyday triumphs, failures, and concerns come Human behavior is comprised of ulterior motives, of gray shades.

--and strange, out-of-this-world occurrences puzzle Ari for years to come. Neither is presented as more desirable than the other; both existences for our characters are complicated Mandel's novel feels like a gray, quiet atmosphere; the surface may feel calm, but complex genius, evil

None of them is particularly likable, but each of their stories felt compelling.

period of heavily regulated pregnancy conditions and tasked with a goal of seven births, all so that the company's

Torian just has to convince her sister to come along...and get her centuries-abandoned, moss-covered story's details of the time and the setting are fantastic, the plot twists are intriguing, and the complicated Add to the complicated situation that Bridget's mother is said by the untrustworthy rowboat operators various reasons abandon social acceptability as they aim to find fulfillment, solve a mystery, discover compatibility Cash commits her protagonists to unsympathetic behavior and uses their out-of-bounds acts and words to

--and strange, out-of-this-world occurrences puzzle Ari for years to come.

songs, performing, and the musician and band dynamics that keep it all wonderfully unpredictable and complicated But Jimenez offers an excellent setup for a romantic comedy with enough heartache that your teeth don't behind-the-scenes peek at the music business, songwriting, and the pressures of fame, layered with complications interviews) of the meteoric rise of a 1970s band, their mesmerizing lead singer Daisy, the group's complicated thought the interview format might possibly get tiresome, but Reid skillfully builds the story, the complex

But as she settles into a new community, she is fascinated by an inexplicable glowing apparition in the Up to this point, I was completely hooked on the story and the mystery of the Arc as well as the past time in a Benjamin-created, unique world in which they grow younger and everything moves backward as compared disappointing; as I read this hefty, 512-page book I had actively cheered on the outrageously ambitious, complicated

This is a coming-of-age novel that is immersively set amid the delectable food, steamy weather, and bustling

Reichl comes across as incredibly appealing and unassuming. that up, but she is a big food fan) and unfailingly celebrating the deep joy that good food, friendly company to be Jordanian-American, and through recounting her own journeys as well as her father's life, she comes less farms, and who may looking to live vicariously through the details of her experience but also come

heartwarming, sometimes funny moments as an unlikely pack of allies set out on a journey of discovery, complete Greed threatens to overwhelm belief; authority threatens pure hearts; but those who try to assert their command

And will each of the people Holmes cares about survive this complicated revenge quest? story's details of the time and the setting are fantastic, the plot twists are intriguing, and the complicated

the Suffolk witch trials of 1645 and builds a link between one of the accused and a modern-day woman coming

heartwarming, sometimes funny moments as an unlikely pack of allies sets out on a journey of discovery, complete But as she settles into a new community, she is fascinated by an inexplicable glowing apparition in the

with the team, which includes her mother and the rest of her family, plus many others involved in the complex Divya has crafted strong female main protagonists who navigate the sometimes dark, always complicated Humanity around the world is reliant on homemade and commercially manufactured pills--for health, for His personal situation is complicated by his grief for his recently deceased daughter, and he aims to How High We Go in the Dark combines linked elements that wind through the book.

Torian just has to convince her sister to come along...and get her centuries-abandoned, moss-covered

the golf prodigy turns to all the wrong places while trying to cope with her grief, and her affluent community He is older and has been through war, doesn't drink or use drugs, and doesn't seem to have a savior complex

Add to the complicated situation that Bridget's mother is said by the untrustworthy rowboat operators Her formidable, fearsome presence looms from afar, and Ig dreads the possibility that she might come outrageous interruptions to his status quo, and the building power of change, leading to the eventual complete

Beekeeper's Apprentice; and I'm reading Sara Nović's memoir which explores her experiences in the deaf community She just has to convince her to come with her...and get her centuries-abandoned, moss-covered ship in could hear, she learned American Sign Language, met other deaf people, learned about the vibrant deaf community hearing and an adopted child who is deaf, she mothers them within her own context and within the deaf community

I appreciate an unflinching reflection of our nation's complex history--which includes the atrocities plotline concerns Lurie, a man who has adventures and challenges with his surprising, loyal, exotic companion She grapples with the stories she's been told as compared to the reality she experiences as she makes missteps, her soaring hopes and deep connection to the stark mountains, and a sometimes-scathing social commentary Her wonder-filled fascination with the flora, fauna, and characters she encounters in the west combined

In this perfect summer read, Harrison explores 1950s life for three women facing complicated personal Their lives intersect in their small community, and they reluctantly become vulnerable with each other

various reasons abandon social acceptability as they aim to find fulfillment, solve a mystery, discover compatibility Cash commits her protagonists to unsympathetic behavior and uses their out-of-bounds acts and words to

outlandish events, together lead to Fred's being accidentally folded into the life of a nearby retirement community Fred enjoys the shelter, three meals a day, and especially the company and new friendships, and he knows revelation about Bernard's past very much affects Fred's present, and Fred's situation becomes far more complicated

And with the oddities of time on the island, would she be giving up her predictable yet comfortable future When she is unable to do so, she doubts whether she should have come at all. Yet when it comes to Clay and Ellie, his fondness for his wife is clarified as having been simply companionship I felt repeatedly surprised that Ellie didn't miss more creature comforts; she mentions only a few aspects Ellie makes some seemingly flippant comments about the hypothetical rejection of everyday life, and it's

of outlandish events lead to Fred's being accidentally folded into the life of a nearby retirement community

work and motherhood, the crushing societal judgment of unwed mothers, the widespread destruction and complicated book that some version of a happy ending would be delivered after the heartache and loss, and that did come

They cannot keep straight faces, they discuss incriminating facts where others might hear them, compound far more damning; and one is related to the ultimate punishment for the snowballing crimes the family commits