The Crossover (2014) by Kwame Alexander won both the Newbery and Coretta Scott King awards that year, along with many other awards. I am very late to this classic, but I was looking for a short, quick read by an author of color, and this one came up on Libby. I love a novel-in-verse andContinue reading “The Crossover”
Tag Archives: contemporary fiction
How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House
How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe is a sweet, fat positive YA paranormal romance. I reviewed three of Howe’s previous books, all adult fat-positive contemporary romances (On the Plus Side; The Make-Up Test; and How to Get a Life in Ten Dates) and I enjoyed this one as well! AsContinue reading “How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House”
How To Read a Book
How To Read a Book (2024) by Monica Wood was recommended by someone in my book group and I highly agree with her recommendation! The book follows three characters in and around Portland, Maine. Violet Powell is a 22-year old woman in jail because she was driving drunk, crossed the double-yellow line, and the accidentContinue reading “How To Read a Book”
The Twilight Garden
I was a big fan of Sara Nisha Adams’ The Reading List (2021) and so when I saw she had a new book, The Twilight Garden (2023), I knew that I had to read it, and I was glad that I did. Sometimes you just want a book that takes you somewhere else into someoneContinue reading “The Twilight Garden”
Sex On Murder Island
Sex On Murder Island (publication day June 30, 2026) is Jo Firestone’s second Luella van Horn mystery. Luella is the private investigator alter ego of former Staten Island social worker Marie Jones. PI jobs have been slow to come by. She can’t afford her rent, so she has to move in the middle of summer,Continue reading “Sex On Murder Island”
Long Island Girls
Long Island Girls (publication day June 23, 2026) is Gabrielle Korn’s first foray into historical / literary fiction from her previous two novels, The Shutouts and Yours for the Taking, which were speculative, near-future, fiction. The novel primarily follows 17-year old Susan, beginning in 2005, where she and her best friend Katie live on LongContinue reading “Long Island Girls”
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (2024) is Shubnum Khan’s first novel published in the U.S., but she also has published an earlier novel and a memoir. Set along the coast of South Africa among the Muslim Indian community there, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is delicious, heartbreaking, gothic historical literary fiction that hasContinue reading “The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years”
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency (publication day June 2, 2026) by Lev AC Rosen is a funny mystery/ thriller featuring four friends in New York City who get involved over their heads in a situation and have to pull together to get out alive. This is my first Rosen book, and I will probably tryContinue reading “The Disaster Gay Detective Agency”
A Grandmother Begins the Story
A Grandmother Begins the Story (2023) by Michelle Porter is an inventive, beautifully-written book that tells the story of five generations of Métis women and the bison and the land they live on. The audiobook is read by a full cast of 16 different actors, who read the chapters written from the perspectives of theContinue reading “A Grandmother Begins the Story”
The Library of Flowers
The Library of Flowers (publication day May 3, 2026) by L.C. Chu (aka Lily Chu) has a little bit of everything. This hard-to-categorize, enjoyable fantasy/historical/ romance/family drama/coming of age features Lucy Hua, the latest in a long line of Hua women perfumers who can create perfumes that can affect emotion or even summon true love–calledContinue reading “The Library of Flowers”
Reading While Fat 