April showers bring May flowers…..and a lot of time to pick up a great book.
Michelle:
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Avery was a traditional therapist until she went rogue and lost her license. She has her own methodology now and bills herself as a consultant of sorts. Her actions have also earned her enemies, forming a subplot that runs alongside the novel’s focus: the Golden Couple. Marissa and Matthew seem to have it all, but an infidelity brings them to Avery. As their story unfolds and secrets are revealed, the consequences of Avery’s past actions begin to spill over into her work with Marissa & Matthew. This book is twisty and turny with red herrings galore! Trust me on that one: nothing is as it seems.
It’s a quick read, but truth be told, I could not stop listening to it (narrated by two great narrators: Karissa Vacker and Sarah Pekkar). I was literally squeezing in 5 minutes here or there – whenever I could – because I could not wait to find out what would happen next. Two thumbs up!
Tasha:
All my Rage by Sabaa Tahir
All My Rage is a story that doesn’t just dip its toe into what trauma can do to an individual – it dives right into the deep end. The author introduces us to three characters – two high school seniors and one of their mother’s. The mother guides the story from the past forward while the two high schoolers live in the present. The topics presented are heavy and a trigger warning for abuse is a must. Each character has depth and you really want everything to end well for them but sadness just permeates their lives. Racism follows them in the halls at school and into encounters with the authorities. As dark as this all sounds, this book is also filled with so much love – a mother’s love, the love of a son, young love and the kind of love that loyalty and shared struggle will create. You will see just how far a son is willing to go to hold onto his mother’s dreams and how desperate one can become for escape. If you crack this cover, you won’t be able to put it back down. Your heart will expand and break and hope and break again and it will all be worth it.
Kelly:
Golden Hour by Niki Smith
The Golden Hour is a gorgeous graphic novel for teens that tells the difficult story of Manuel’s experience with PTSD and the event that caused it. Manuel’s story is handled gently with beautiful artwork and a lot of kindness, silliness, and support from new friends.
Barb:
Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer
I love the whole Big Book of series by Zommer and this one gives me a new appreciation for these little buggers 🙂 Preschool and our after school teens like this one even!
Emily
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Stephanie:
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Major General Mari K. Eder (U.S. Army, Retired)
Throughout history there are silences. This book brings a voice to a generation of women who helped win WWII. Their stories are not part of official records. They fought with the Resistance in Poland, flew plans, smuggled Jews safely away from the Nazi’s, and were spies. When the war was over their contributions were not acknowledged.These are the stories that let their voices and service to our country be heard.
Devin:
Red Rising by Peirce Brown
This is one of my favorite science fiction books. There is a lot happening with regards to plot and themes, but I’d be lying if I said the laser swords and rocket boots weren’t my favorite part.