Enjoy one of our favorite recent reads with the beautiful fall weather.
Michelle:
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
Devin:
Parenting is Weird by Chesca Hause
It’s hard not to delight at all these honest, hilarious, parenting stories.
Isabelle:
The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg
One of the Maine Student Book Award nominees for 2025, The Night Raven was originally published in Swedish (and I am already reading the only other book in the series that’s been translated to English so far). In 1880 Stockholm, winter is harsh, and it’s harsher still for 12-year-old Mika and the other residents of the orphanage. Many mysteries run parallel in Mika’s story: first, a newborn baby is left at the orphanage by a mysterious boy. Mika grows fond of the baby, and sees herself in the baby’s story – or lack thereof. Mika was similarly left at the orphanage with no knowledge of her biological family. She doesn’t even know her own last name. But Mika is sharp, with an exceptionally keen eye for details, and a detective approaches her to help him investigate a murder that may or may not be related to serial killer the Night Raven who was executed four years prior. What develops is a weird and wonderful friendship between Mika and Detective Hoff as they move through Stockholm to solve some very puzzling mysteries. The content is dark, downright Dickensian at times, but also manages to remain sensitive and character-focused. I am very much looking forward to more Mika mysteries.
Erin:
Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer