Navigating With You

Navigating with You
By Jeremy Whitley
Maverick, 2024. 220 pages. Young Adult Comics.

When new students Neesha Sparks and Gabby Graciana discover they like the same obscure manga series, they become friends and set out on a mission to find the remaining books in the series.

This graphic novel was so sweet! I was expecting it to be more informational about the struggles someone exploring their gender identity or experiencing ableism, but was pleasantly surprised to have the author include these elements while still focusing on the plot of the novel. The author hints at many of the answers as to why the girls are struggling early-on in the novel, however, leaves the reveal of how these things happened until near the end, creating a lovely story with beautiful character arcs.  It has full-color illustrations for the main story and black and white illustrations for the manga inserts, I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for a somewhat laid-back coming-of-age story with plenty of romance!
 
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The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich
By Deya Muniz
Little, Brown and Company, 2023. 235 pages. YA Comics.
 
Cam disguises herself as a man to inherit her father's money and estate, and though she tries to keep a low profile, she ends up falling for Crown Princess Brie.

Ready or Not
By Andi Porretta
Atheneum, 2024. 329 pages. YA Comics.
 
With senior year finally behind them, Cassie and her three best friends are on their way to what's next. Like their parents, the crew has always been inseparable. This summer is their last chance to make memories together in New York City before everyone but Cassie scatters across the globe for college--and she's determined to make the most of it. Her plan? They'll spend August playing the game of dares and risks they invented as kids! From adventurous to outrageous, these dares will definitely make for an unforgettable summer. Even better, Cassie is hopeful they'll help the group stay friends no matter what . . . because she is not ready for a future without them.

ERB

Ace

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
By Angela Chen
Beacon Press, 2020. 210 pages. Nonfiction.

An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity. What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.

Chen provides both an introduction to asexuality as an identity and commentary on how society views different types of relationships.  The tone is very conversational, trading between storytelling and late night discussion vibes throughout. I especially appreciated that the author never assumes you will know what something means.  Each new label or phrase that is brought up is explained, making this a great resource for people with varying degrees of familiarity with queer vernacular.    

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He/She/They

By Schuyler Bailar

Hachette Go, 2023. 370 pages. Nonfiction.

A life-changing, lifesaving book for anyone and everyone. Anti-transgender legislation has been introduced all across the United States in record-breaking numbers. Trans people are under attack in sports, healthcare, entertainment, school and education, bathrooms, and nearly everywhere else. He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from how being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler Bailar helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to de divisively co-opted and deceptively politicized.

Sounds Fake But Okay

By Sarah Costello

Jessica Kingsley, 2023. 160 pages. Nonfiction.

Sarah and Kayla invite you to put on your purple aspec glasses - and rethink everything you thought you knew about society, friendship, sex, romance and more. Drawing on their personal stories, and those of aspec friends all over the world, prepare to explore your microlabels, investigate different models of partnership, delve into the intersection of gender norms and compulsory sexuality and reconsider the meaning of sex - when allosexual attraction is out of the equation. Spanning the whole range of relationships we have in our lives - to family, friends, lovers, society, our gender, and ourselves, this book asks you to let your imagination roam, and think again what human connection really is.

Before We Were Trans

By Kit Heyam
Seal Press, 2022. 343 pages. Nonfiction.

Today's narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people's lives. Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance.

KJ

The Sweet Spot

The Sweet Spot

By Amy Poeppel

Atria, 2023. 394 pages. Fiction. 

In the Sweet Spot, a dive bar at the heart of Greenwich Village, three women, when a baby lands on their collective doorstep, rise to the occasion in order to forgive, to forget and to track down the wayward parents, unexpectedly finding their own happily-ever-afters along the way. 

I enjoyed this book and loved watching the relationships between the 3 women start very contentious and transform into a chosen family. Even with a large cast of characters, the writing was clear and each person unique enough that it was not difficult to follow all the intricate plot details. The men take a back seat in this story and the women are the leads. A very feel-good read that is humorous and all about misunderstandings and new beginnings.

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Family Family

By Laurie Frankel 

Henry Holt and Company, 2024 386 pages. Fiction.

India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actress. Armed with a stack of index cards and a hell of a lot of talent, she goes from awkward 16-year-old to Broadway ingenue to TV star. But while promoting her most recent project, a film about adoption, India does what you should never do - she tells a journalist the truth: it's a bad movie. Like so many movies about adoption, it tells only one story, a tragic one. But India's an adoptive mom herself and knows there's so much more to her family than tragedy. Soon she's at the center of a media storm, battling accusations from the press and the paparazzi, from protesters on the right and advocates on the left. Her daughter Fig knows they need help - and who better to call for help than family? Because India's not just an adoptive mom. She also had a baby she gave up for adoption her senior year of high school. That baby is now sixteen, excited to meet her birth mother and eager to help, but she also has an agenda and secrets of her own.

Pineapple Street

By Jenny Jackson 

Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2023. 304 pages. Fiction. 

Darley, the eldest daughter in the Stockton family, has never worried about money. The product of generational wealth and capitalist success, Darley renounced her inheritance when she married Malcolm, a first generation Korean American with a lucrative job in banking. Sasha, Darley's new sister-in-law, has come from more humble origins, and her hesitancy about signing a pre-nup has everyone worried about her intentions. Georgiana, newly graduated from Brown and proud to think of herself as a "do-gooder," has enough money from her trust that she's able to work for a pittance at a not-for-profit, where she has started a secret love affair with a senior colleague. But when a scandal derails Malcolm's career, leaving Darley financially in the lurch, when Sasha glimpses the less-than-attractive attributes beneath the Stockton brood's carefully-guarded fȧade, and when Georgiana discovers her boyfriend is married and still in love with his wife, they must all come to terms with what money can't buy--the bonds of love that can make and unmake a family. Rife with the indulgent pleasures of affluent WASPS in New York and full of recognizable if fallible characters (and a couple of appalling ones!), it's about the peculiar unknowability of someone else's family, about the haves and have-nots and the nuances in between, and the insanity of first love--Pineapple Street is a scintillating, wryly comic novel of race, class, wealth and privilege in an age that disdains all of it.

JK

Witch of Wild Things

Witch of Wild Things 

by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland 

Berkley, 2023. 311 pages. Romance

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown and takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company. She uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands, accompanied by the man who broke her heart in high school, Tennessee Reyes. 

 After writing several successful young adult novels, Witch of Wild Things is a triumphant first adult novel for Gilliland. Combining second chance romance, sister relationships, and magical realism, Gilliland tells the story of Sage Flores and her journey to reconnect with her family and her past. Sage doesn’t have time for romance, but Tennessee is a male lead that cannot be ignored. I loved this romance that offered a fuller tale of Sage’s life, sisters, and magical gifts. 

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The Enchanted Hacienda

by J.C. Cervantes 

Park Row Books, 2023. 363 pages. Fiction

Harlow Estrada returns to the enchanted Hacienda Estrada, a family farm in Mexico where her mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins harness the magic of charmed flowers, but when she’s chosen to watch over the farm, she panics since she, herself, is magic-less, until she opens her heart to love and creativity. 

Lost and Found Sisters

by Jill Shalvis 

William Morrow, 2017. 371 pages. Romance 

Feeling empty after the accidental death of her sister, a Los Angeles chef is shattered when a lawyer reveals a devastating family secret that prompts her to relocate to a different town, where she finds solace in simple pleasures and a kindhearted new friend. 

AB

We Used to Live Here

We Used to Live Here

By Marcus Kliewer

Emily Bestler Books, 2024. 312 pages. Horror Fiction.

As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. When Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality.

First, I couldn't put this book down, even as it was terrifying me right before bed.  Then, as soon as I finished I had to go online and look into the very rapidly growing fanbase and read all of their theories.  And now, I think about it at least once a week and am very impatiently waiting for official word of a sequel.  Kliewer did a fantastic job letting us into the mind of the main character while also making us doubt her perception of reality.  I firmly believe that any horror fans that also enjoy ciphers and hidden clues will be obsessed with this book.

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Incidents Around the House

By Josh Malerman

Del Ray, 2024. 367 pages. Horror Fiction.

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There's Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: Can I go inside your heart? When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay. Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel. But Other Mommy needs an answer. Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.

House of Leaves

By Mark Z Danielewski

Pantheon Books, 2000. 709 pages. Horror Fiction.

A young family moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story—of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

Wonderland

By Zoje Stage
Mulholland Books, 2020. 358 pages. Horror Fiction.

One mother's love may be all that stands between her family, an enigmatic presence--and madness. After years of city life, Orla and Shaw Bennett are ready for the quiet of New York's Adirondack mountains--or at least, they think they are. Settling into the perfect farmhouse with their two children, they are both charmed and unsettled by the expanse of their land, the privacy of their individual bedrooms, and the isolation of life a mile from any neighbor. But none of the Bennetts could expect what lies waiting in the woods, where secrets run dark and deep. When something begins to call to the family-from under the earth, beneath the trees, and within their minds-Orla realizes she might be the only one who can save them . . . if she can find out what this force wants before it's too late

KJ

¡Canta Tu Nombre!

¡Canta Tu Nombre!
Por Jason Derulo
Harpercollins Espanol, 2024. 272 páginas. No Ficción

En su cautivante e inspirador primer libro, el legendario compositor y cantante Jason Derulo comparte sus 15 reglas para alcanzar el éxito en todo y nos invita --en particular a los artistas y creadores-- a iniciar el camino hacia la grandeza.

En 2009, un chico de 18 años, hijo de inmigrantes haitianos irrumpió en las listas del Billboard con la canción "Whatcha Say", que de inmediato ocupó el primer lugar, con su sorprendente gancho, una frase que se convertiría en una de las más pegajosas de la historia de la música pop: su propio nombre, cantado a toda voz. Desafiando todas las probabilidades, Jason Derulo se plantó una y otra vez, éxito tras éxito, como uno de los cantantes, bailarines e intérpretes más trabajadores del mundo y como una fuerza arriesgada de la naturaleza.

Esta es la extraordinaria historia del ascenso de Derulo, contada mediante los valiosos principios que lo guiaron e impulsaron hacia la excelencia artística. El compromiso de Derulo con su sueño y su dedicación para realizarlo es materia de leyenda: levantarse a las 4 de la mañana para alcanzar autobuses por Miami y poder asistir a las escuelas de artes escénicas con una beca, apuntarse en los concursos locales de canto en el centro comercial los fines de semana y escribir cientos de canciones sin siquiera haber visto el interior de un estudio de grabación. Pero fue durante su reinvención en 2020, después de convertirse en uno de los creadores más seguidos en Titok, cuando descubrió que sus reglas personales para el autodominio y el éxito aplican en cualquier lugar, para cualquier persona y ante cualquier circunstancia.

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Hija Legitima
Por Aida Rodriguez
Harpercollins Espanol, 2024. 288 páginas. No Ficción

Un divertido y conmovedor libro de memorias en ensayo de la comediante Aida Rodríguez sobre el poder de superar las dificultades y transformar el dolor en risa.

Aida Rodríguez ha vivido, por decir poco, una vida de torbellino. La historia de cómo pasó de la pobreza a la opulencia es alucinante: cuando era niña, su madre la secuestró y se la llevó de la República Dominicana a los Estados Unidos. Más tarde, un nuevo secuestro, esta vez a manos de su abuela y su tío, la dejó en Florida. Ya de adulta, escapó de un matrimonio tormentoso y terminó, junto con sus hijos, mendigando por las calles de Los Ángeles. Durante todas esas adversidades, Aida nunca perdió su sentido del humor.

Nacida con un maravilloso ingenio y un espíritu irrefrenable, Aida ha utilizado su talento y trabajado sin descanso para convertir la tragedia y el dolor en una comedia mordaz que abarca todo, desde la misoginia y el racismo hasta las redes sociales y los titulares de prensa. Con el tiempo, lanzó un exitoso especial en Max que la llevó a múltiples acuerdos de desarrollo, un logro que le ganó una audiencia nacional, le abrió puertas y la ayudó expandir la forma en que los latinos están representados en la comedia.

En este, su tan esperado primer libro, Aida dibuja sus muchos altibajos. Desde los contratiempos personales hasta los éxitos profesionales, Hija legítima es entrañable, impactante y, en última instancia, vivificante.

Dharma Para la Vida Diaria
Por Suneel Gupta
Harpercollins Espanol, 2024. 244 páginas. No Ficción

Encuentra tu dharma --tu llamado interior-- y aprende a integrar ambición, trabajo y bienestar para crear una vida equilibrada y dichosa con esta guía práctica del reconocido conferencista, autor bestseller y cofundador del Gross National Happiness Center.

Hemos sido condicionados, desde temprana edad, a creer que un día alcanzaremos un momento de "llegada". Sin importar cuánto logremos o acumulemos, no nos sentimos tan satisfechos o plenos como pensábamos que nos sentiríamos. Exhaustos, nos convertimos en profesionales agotados y cínicos que cuestionan el propósito de todo.

Un experto en la felicidad y el trabajo, Suneel Gupta, sostiene que por mucho tiempo la sociedad ha estado obsesionada en el "futuro del trabajo" y ha ignorado el "futuro de la riqueza". Hemos segmentado el trabajo y el bienestar, e ignorado el hecho de que ambos son esenciales para mantener el éxito. Hemos asumido que el éxito exterior lleva al bienestar, a pesar de que la historia nos muestra que nunca ha sido así.

En este libro, Suneel nos ayuda a romper este ciclo negativo. Con su fascinante capacidad narrativa, entreteje experiencias personales, historia, ciencia, filosofía occidental y modalidades orientales en este libro iluminador y prescriptivo. Comienza por ayudarnos a identificar nuestro dharma, la esencia de lo que somos. Cuando estás en tu Dharma, te sientes seguro, creativo y empático, con un sentido de propósito, y todo eso resplandece en tu vida y tu trabajo.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No Ficción, Biografía

Nicked

Nicked

by M.T. Anderson

Pantheon Books, 2024. 220 pages. Historical Fiction

The year is 1087, and a pox is sweeping through the Italian port city of Bari. When a lowly monk, Nicephorus, is visited by Saint Nicholas in his dreams, he interprets the vision as a call to action. But his superiors, and the power brokers they serve, have different plans. Enter Tyun, a charismatic treasure hunter renowned for "liberating" holy relics from their tombs. The seven-hundred-year-old bones of Saint Nicholas rest in distant Myra, Tyun explains, and they're rumored to weep a mysterious liquid that can heal the sick. For the humble price of a small fortune, Tyun will steal the bones and deliver them to Bari, curing the plague and restoring glory to the fallen city. And Nicephorus, the "dreamer," will be his guide. What follows is a heist for the ages, as Nicephorus is swept away on strange tides—and alongside even stranger bedfellows—to commit an act of sacrilege.

Perhaps due to his roots as an award-wining YA author, Anderson does a great job of balancing what could be dark topics with a light-hearted tone. This is a book about a heist, after all! There's also a sense of light magic and mysticism about the book. For example, one of the characters is a dog-headed man. While the time and setting are distant enough that I couldn't understand everything that was going on—especially the short mentions of church rituals and political intrigues of the 11th Century—the light tone and fast pacing allowed me to go along for the ride. This was refreshing historical fiction read.

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The Familiar

by Leigh Bardugo

Flatiron Books, 2024. 385 pages. Historical Fantasy

In the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position. Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath.

Baudolino

by Umberto Ecco

Harcourt, 2002. 522 pages. Historical Fiction

Born a simple peasant in northern Italy, Baudolino narrates the story of his life, from his adoption by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and his education in Paris to his arrival in Constantinople during the turmoil of the Fourth Crusade.

MB

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

By Holly Jackson
Random House, 2021. 389 pages. Young Adult

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger. This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a twisting and turning murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. Pip is a lovable character who I admired and rooted for throughout the story. She bravely fought for a worthy cause in a town that was content with an incomplete resolution to a murder case. I particularly appreciate stories that champion the underdog and strive for justice, and this one certainly delivers on that front. Once you're done reading you can go check out the TV series based on the book on Netflix!

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The Black Queen
By Jumata Emill
Delacorte Press, 2023

When Nova, Lovett High School's first black homecoming queen, is murdered the night of her coronation, her best friend, Duchess, finds an unlikely ally in her search for the killer--her prime suspect, Tinsley, the white rival nominee for queen.

One of us is lying
By Karen McManus
Delacorte Press, 2017

When the creator of a high school gossip app mysteriously dies in front of four high-profile students, all four become suspects. It's up to them to solve the case.

The Only One Left

The Only One Left

By Riley Sager

Dutton, 2023. 382 pages. Fiction.

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume 17-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End. It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her 70s and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer, "I want to tell you everything.” As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought. 

An excellent Gothic thriller with twists and turns in true Riley Sager fashion. The decaying Hope’s End made for a perfectly eerie setting and created a sense of true urgency in the final moments of the book. Sager’s Kit McDeere is one half unreliable narrator and one half a relatable mess, but either way, I was rooting for her to find out the truth from beginning to end. Overall, if you love a suspenseful read with light horror elements, you are sure to love The Only One Left.

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Daisy Darker

By Alice Feeney

Flatiron Books, 2022. 338 pages. Mystery

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker's entire family is assembling for Nana's 80th birthday party in Nana's crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows. Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

The Family Upstairs

By Lisa Jewell

Atria Books, 2019. 340 pages. Fiction

Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of Southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London. It's happening, says the message. The baby is back. Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now 25, she's astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London's poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now, it's hers. As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?

BW