Good Reads & Views

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
YA Fiction

What it’s about: The coming of age of Salvador Silva. Adopted at a young age by Vicente, a homosexual artist living in Texas, Salvador struggles with his identity. Just before his senior year of high school, he receives a letter from his deceased mother and starts becoming more aggressive at school. He wonders about his biological father, and if these feelings of anger are coming from a man he has never met. Intertwined with these feelings of self-discovery are his relationships with best friend Sam, a misunderstood classmate Fito, and his beloved grandmother, Mima.

Why you might like it: Saenz, having published poetry before publishing novels, writes in a way that makes reading enjoyable. His characters are complex but also universal. Everyone in this world can relate to feelings of anger and doubt, uncertainty and hopelessness, but also closure and pure joy. He conveys such emotions effortlessly.

Further reading: If you liked this, you will absolutely love Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, also by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

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The Wait: Love, Fear, and Happiness on the Heart Transplant List by Jennifer Bonner
YA Nonfiction

What it’s about: Jennifer Bonner was born with severe heart defects and eventually needed a heart transplant to survive. In her diary at the time, she wrote about her passion for art, her hopes for love and for the future, and her quest to live each day fully. Author Susan Cushman fills in the gaps about Jennifer’s life in and out of the hospital and the advances taking place in heart surgery at the time.

Why you should read it: I went to college with Jennifer Bonner and knew a few of the people she writes about, but her story is larger than that. Jennifer’s voice leaps off the page here as she shares intimate thoughts of a life that may have been hampered by her health but that didn’t dampen her remarkable zest for life. She is funny, profound, passionate, and deserves to be heard.

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Goliath by Tom Gauld
Nonfiction

What it is: A retelling of the classic David and Goliath story, with a twist. In this graphic novel, Goliath keeps a low profile as the Philistines bookkeeper, doing mainly paper pushing for the king, and has no interest in fighting. He gets forced into provoking the enemy camp across the valley simply because of his size. After 40 days, he meets David.

Why you might like it: Most people know how Goliath is portrayed in the bible, but if you’re looking for a new perspective that will make you feel and care for the Giant, this is for you.

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With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Emoni Santiago is a senior in high school and a wonderful mother to her young daughter, which means she has a lot of responsibilities. Emoni works hard to provide for her daughter, but how can she teach her daughter to follow her passion if she won’t follow her own dreams of becoming a chef and finding love?

Why you should read it: This is a delicious read in terms of language and the included recipes! Emoni has a gift in the kitchen, and her friends and teachers find ways to encourage her to follow her dreams and do what she hadn’t imagined for herself. The story was much more hopeful than I thought it would be, and I liked how the main characters changed over the course of the story and learned to find space for pursuing their dreams. The audiobook is read by the author, and I especially enjoyed the conversations between Emoni and her "Buela."

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Earth Girl by Janet Edwards
YA Fiction

What it’s about: In a universe where most humans can portal between planets, Jarra is stuck on Earth. She longs to show the “exos” that a “nean” (short for Neanderthal) like her is just as good as they are. So she enrolls to study history, the subject she loves, through Asgard University, knowing her first year studies will be on Earth, so she can pretend to be an “exo.”

Why you should read it: Jarra is a strong female character who wins the admiration of her classmates because of her knowledge of Earth pre-history (before portals) and of archeological digs into the ruins of abandoned cities like New York. It was cool to get a glimpse into this future culture through her eyes, and to see how her own world view must change as she gets to know her classmates.

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Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
YA Nonfiction

What it’s about: Eric “Biddy” Bittle begins his college hockey career at Samwell University. Problem is, he’s a former figure skater who has never had to deal with being checked before, and it’s causing him major anxiety. Thankfully, his attractive team captain, Jack Zimmerman (son of hockey great Bob Zimmerman) is helping him cope. And Eric bakes pies as a form of therapy. A LOT of pies.

Why you should read it: This is a breezy look at the world of college hockey. Eric keeps a vlog where he talks about his teammates, and although there is a bit of drama, it didn’t take the turns I expected and stayed fresh and funny throughout.

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Royals by Rachel Hawkins
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Daisy works at a Florida grocery store, but her sister Eleanor is dating the Crown Prince of Scotland. When Eleanor’s engagement is announced, Daisy is strong-armed into going to Scotland for the summer and is swept into the world of the royal entourage, where she witnesses plenty of royal misbehavior by the prince’s brother and sister and is talked into a fake romance with the insufferable Miles…who becomes more sufferable the more she gets to know him.

Why you should read it: I’m a sucker for breezy royal romances, and this one took some fun turns without getting too steamy. Daisy’s narrative voice and her washed-up rocker dad’s comments made me laugh out loud a number of times. If you like this one, there’s a companion book called Her Royal Highness, about Princess Flora’s romance with her boarding school roommate.

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To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo 
YA Fiction

What it’s About: As a vicious retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid, To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo is a swashbuckling adventure through the eyes of a Siren and the Prince she wants to kill. What makes a devilishly handsome prince even more swoonworthy? Make him a pirate prince--A romantic love/hate tale between a snarky young man and a young woman that wants to rip his heart out. Definitely the most fun I’ve had with a book so far this year, I loved the dark fantasy notes that weren’t afraid to go there. A little bit of grit, a little bit of blood, this story is The Little Mermaid with bite.

You Might Also Like: The Alice in Wonderland retelling, Splintered by A.G. Howard, or the Beauty and the Beast retelling, The Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah H. Maas: both dark retellings of famous fairy-tales.

 

Hunted by Meagan Spooner
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Hunted by Meagan Spooner is a Beauty and the Beast retelling in which Yeva—our Beauty—is a skilled hunter and the youngest of three loving sisters. When her father is killed deep in the woods by the legendary Beast, Yeva sets out to seek revenge for his murder. This novel descends gently from reality to fantasy with a level-headed, but passionate female lead. If you’re looking for a young adult Beauty and the Beast that sticks relatively close to the source material, but not so much as to become stale, you’ve found it in this “tale as old as time.”   

You Might Also Like: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

 

 

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
YA Fiction

What’s it about: Willowdean Dickson isn’t ashamed of who she is or what she looks like. As a proud, fat, Dolly Parton lovin’ Texas teen, she’s got it all figured out. That is, until she meets Bo, the fry-cook at her after school job. This cute, all-American private school boy is a teenage dream boat, and--guess what!--he’s totally into her, too! With her first boyfriend ever, doubt digs into her self-confidence and her best response is to show her hesitant mother she can do anything a skinny girl can, even compete in the Miss Blue Bonnet beauty pageant. My favorite part about Willowdean is her authenticity. Julie Murphy didn’t write this under-represented character type as a perfect angel; Willowdean can be mean, she can screw up, she can apologize. Dumplin’ is a sweet novel with a lot of character, both with and without sequins.

Book Buzz: Recently adapted into the Netflix feature: Dumplin’, featuring Jennifer Aniston and some amazing Dolly Parton drag queens!

Series Alert: Puddin’ is the next book in this duology.