One of the funniest books I've ever read, and just in time for the new Jurassic Park movie.
John
This is the 18th-century women-in-science pirate girl gang you've always dreamed of, tearing down ideas of patriarchy and colonialism as they swashbuckle their way across Europe and the Atlantic. Felicity is fierce, funny, and whip-smart. I didn't think I could love a book as much as Gentleman's Guide, but this one is just as good--and it's a companion novel, so you can pick this one up even if you haven't read the first one yet!
Kate
This book is a lovely place for your mind to rest. Enjoy.
Robin
Danny has two problems--no one knows she's transgender, and she just inherited the powers of the world's greatest superhero--which also transformed her into a body that matches her gender identity. I couldn't stop reading and picked up the second book immediately.
April
Alexander (along with Mary Rand Hess) has done it again! Swing is a coming-of-age tale that feels accessible and urgent. Covering everything from baseball to high school romance, jazz to heartbreak, Swing tells the story of two best friends longing to express themselves. Their path to becoming seen might not always feel straightforward, but what does in high school?
Caleb
On one level this tale is about honoring a beloved dog, Sascha. On a level spanning time and place, it's a book is about how people have always marked greatness with extraordinary art and monuments. Moving story and transporting art speak to young and old.
Molly
Ten-year-old Mia takes charge of the office at the motel her immigrant parents run in a debut novel that is both realistic and delightful.
Sarah
Rani Arturus just wants to win her chess tournament and maybe flirt with Gwen, the cute girl in the audience. Instead, she pulls Excalibur out of a stone and Merlin shows up wearing a space suit and now she, Gwen, and her childhood friend, Lance, must work together to protect the world from the Fae. A wonderful and unique twist on a classic tale.
Shana
A journey of faith, survival, and self-discovery in a world that would keep women down. This book is exquisite, exceptional, and awe-inspiring. Just read it.
Rebecca
If you put the Muppets in a theme park and added the heart of Steven Universe and some paranormal energy, you'd get Deadendia. It's an awesome mixture of humor, friendship, self-discovery, and drama with flawed characters you will love as much as your best friends. Heart-warming, heartbreaking, heart-pounding, and heartfelt!
Marika
With a country large and varied as the United States there likely will never be a definitive single-volume history. With These Truths Lepore gives us a largely political history though one informed by the many insights produced by changes in historical methodology over the last few decades. Lepore is always a joy to read. She keeps this book lively and entertaining by focusing on individual lives involved in some of the key dramas that illuminate the how and why of our past.
Dale
Some of the questions posed are very traditional for an advice column, but the responses are all earthy, poetic, and a little sinister. I can easily picture Baba Yaga's claws clacking away as she type up her response. I enjoy the raw, truthfulness of some of the answers, but just a reminder that Baba Yaga is not an actual therapist. (This book was featured on BitchReads' list of "11 Books to Hex the Patriarchy" last October.)
Stacey
If you've read Englander before prepare to be surprised - the writing is brilliant as usual, but unlike his previous work it's plot-driven and quite political - practically a thriller. As in his other work, the characters in the story struggle with empathy and conscience and moral ambiguity, but this time in a novel of today's Israel-Palestine with spies and generals and double crossing and informants. A compelling, non-stop read.
David
Who's job is likely to become automated, A journalist's, a lawyer's, or a pharmacist's? The answer is that all three can and chances are, so can yours.
John
If you're a fan of the Netflix shows Orange is the New Black or Manhunt then you'll love this book. Kushner's characters are all related to the justice system, and most of them are on the wrong side of it. But that doesn't make them bad people. This is a gritty portrait of people who are down on their luck.
Heather