Managing Expectations
by Minnie Driver

Excellent autobiography!! Stories of her life. She doesn't put in every single detail and names... the stories of her life are heartleft and sometimes funny. The tribute to her mom is loving....
 
 

The Lost Apothecary
by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary is a great Historical Fiction debut by Sarah Penner. We go back and forth between 1791 and London in the eyes of Nella and Eliza. In the modern day, we have Carolina who finds herself in London due to marital struggles. Upon first glance, you may think that this story is a fantasy novel where an apothecary is run for the purpose of destroying men. In reality, it's a novel analyzing and recognizing the power of women's choices. When women take control of their lives, sometimes there are unintentional consequences to loved ones in their lives. With The Lost Apothecary, the consequences result in a confidant woman.
 
 

The Reading List
by Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List was a heartwarming love letter to readers set in London. We get to analyze great reads like Pride and Prejudice, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Kite Runner, and more in the eyes of Mukesh and Aleisha. The story wove a great intergenerational friendship between Mukesh and Aleisha through the love of reading. More importantly, it had great themes of community, activism, and heavy themes of depression and mental illness.
 
 

Lore Olympus: Volume Three
by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus Volume Three is equally addictive as books 1 and 2. The imagery is stunning. For Volume Three we got into more of Hades' insecurities and the workings of the Underworld. We also get more insight into Persephone trying to work through her background in maidenhood. Looking forward to exploring more of Smythe's retelling.
 
 

Lore Olympus: Volume Two
by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus Volume Two is a great modern retelling of Hades and Persephone. In Volume Two, we get more insight into Persephone's background and her insecurities about living in Olympus. We get to see flawed representations of the Greek Gods, which humanizes them interestingly.
 
 

The Colorado Kid
by Stephen King

This story of King’s is told almost entirely in the third person, in the form of elderly newspaper men relaying a mysterious story to their young protégé. What makes this story different from most is that while the facts of the case are revealed, they don’t lead to a solution being revealed. I think this adds to the overall story, although it would, admittedly, be frustrating if all mysteries were presented like this. The title stems from the central character being from Colorado but is found dead on a beach in a small Maine town.
 
 

Desert Crossing
by Elise Broach

A brother and sister and their friend are driving to the next state to visit their dad when, in the dark and rain, they hit something on the road. Going back to see what it was, they discover a dead girl lying in the road. This is a story about young people trying to do the right thing and also about being away from home and coming of age. Unique and important relationships are formed among them in very unexpected ways.
 
 

The Odyssey
by Homer

What I enjoyed about this book was the formality and respectfulness of the language. Even when they are very angry and threatening death, they are still respectful of their language and of their foe. The general dialogue conveys a deep respect for neighbors as well as travelers and strangers and to mankind in general. I also appreciate the dedication and loyalty the people of this time had to those they respected and those that had taken care of them. All of this was a welcome contrast to the harshness of the time and life in general, even without the cyclops and the vengeful gods.
 
 

I Will Find You
by Harlan Coben

I am a big Coben fan and this story did not disappoint. David has been convicted of killing his young son. He has been in jail 5 years when his sister-in-law comes to him with a photograph taken by her friend of a boy looks to be David’s son. David has maintained is innocence all along, but now he is ready to do just about anything to find this boy, and with the help of those who never gave up on him, he makes this happen. But the real twist in this book is what the boy’s mother had done to set off this chain of events. You won’t want to put this book down!
 
 

Afterparties
by Anthony Vesna So

This is an interesting collection of short stories that center around the life of Khmer Cambodian immigrants in this country and the challenges they face in the wake of the genocide they escaped. One aspect of this study is the generational differences between parents who escaped and children who were born here. Several stories are also told from the point of view of a young gay Khmer man, and examine the competing guilt between cultural obligations and one’s personal obligations. While I learned a lot, sadly most of the book had a sad or unhappy tone.