The story opens with an active-shooter situation at a Mississippi abortion clinic, immediately placing the reader in a tense and emotionally charged moment. Picoult tells the story through multiple points of view, giving readers insight into the motivations and beliefs on all sides of the issue. Through this structure, she pushes readers to consider not just what they believe, but how their ethics hold up when tested in real-world circumstances.

This story thoughtfully examines the complexities of marriage, long-term commitment, and family life. At its core, it confronts an ethical dilemma: How should you respond if you learn that one person in your closest couple-friendship is being unfaithful?

This is my third novel by Young this year. She is now amongst my auto buy authors. She gets the atmosphere just right. Her stories are set in worlds I want to live in, small close knit towns. Nature is an integral charcter.

The quintessential Hallmark movie story with spicy bits. I wish we hears more from the characters in the first two books.

August begrudgingly return to Saorise Island to bury his beloved mother. When he left under suspicion of the murder of his childhood friend Lily, he never intended to return. No one seems happy to see August return. Then, chaos ensues. Perfect for spooky season. I loved this, but not as much as June Farrow.

Mandanna does it again! Loved this one as much as her first. This has it all, the cozy vibes, the lovable quirky characters, found family, and lots of magic. And I couldn't imagine a more satisfying and perfect ending.

A harrowing tale based on real atrocities. Sage Winters, 16, goes to Willowbrook “School“ on Staten Island to search for her twin who has gone missing from the institution for mentally ill children. Sage had believed her sister had died when they were 10. When she arrives they believe she is her sister Rosemary and Sage must try to find her sister and escape.

A beautiful story about friendships that span generations, varying backgrounds, and differences in faith. It's one of those stories that will stick with me because it is poignant, both sweet and sad.

Three separate timelines and narrators, during Hitler's reign in WW2, 1980s East/West Germany, and 2020 racial tensions in America. All plots dealing with the importance of resisting tyranny and the abuse of power. Bray is a master of weaving this kind of narrative and all three stories are inextricably linked by the end of the story.

Enemies to lovers trope YA edition. Sadie and Seb are competing for their school newspaper's lone staff writing position. Competition is steep. They manage to take on the school's mismanagement of funds and lack of transparency in the process. Emma Lord at her finest!

This is a delightful beginning to what I expect to be a highly entertaining YA series. The rags to riches, exiled royalty tropes done well. I can't wait to introduce this to my students.

This final in the Skyland trilogy was the best IMHO. I already loved Hendrix's character and her story did not disappoint. I love the way Ryan mixes the fantastical, think billionaire boyfriend, with the reality of difficult family dynamics, dealing with a parent's dementia. Will she write Bolt & Skipper's story?

This was a cute little romantic comedy. A little cowboy romance.

A great little graphic memoir, coming of age story. Meags shares her self-discovery and coming to terms with and learning pride in being queer.

Nothing short of life changing. This book is for everyone who wants to live more authentically into their own dreams and values, not just for those who consider themselves creative or artistic. I will read this again and again.

A delightful conclusion to this clever duology. This one must be experienced with the audiobook! The narrator is top tier. The animation in his voice couldn't be more well done. A whimsical story that deals with the most important issues of equality and human rights.

Sariyah can hear what other people need. She carries a bag of supplies so she can fulfill the needs of others which somehow keeps her migraines away. Her best friend goes missing and despite needing to care for her brother, Sariyah works hard to find her friend. A great YA mystery I'd love to add to my HS classroom library.

An enjoyable education on dryadology, and a cozy romantacy tale with characters who grow on you as you get to know them. My favourite was the Brownie that Emily names Poe.

Modern day time travel done extremely well! I had avoided this one because I was skeptical. I'm glad I finally took the plunge. Many life lessons Oona learns along the way are good ones for the reader too. All kids of good twisty twists.

I loved this historical fiction novel in verse, set to the backdrop of classical piano music. This is the story of Helena, her family, and her new romantic interest Lucas in the weeks and months proceeding the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's weird calling something I remember watching on the news historical fiction.

A quietly romantic, hopeful story about two lonely people finding connection on a long walk. Full of wit, warmth, and the beauty of second chances.

I'm not much for Historical Non-fiction and I'm not that big on graphic novels. But the topic here is something I care about. This shows the resiliency of enslaved peoples and the negative impact on their ancestors and highlights current systems of oppression.

Typical Hallmark-esque romance plot. A quick-enjoyable read. The conclusion seemed a bit rushed but there was a big twist cliffhanger that leads nicely into book two.

If you're going to read this, listen the audiobook read by Tom Hanks. It is the way to go. I loved the characters but wasn't too keen on the plot until near the end. Listening to Hanks tell the story makes up for that.

I thought I was buying a book of poetry. That's my fault for making an assumption. I read it anyway. The advice seems solid even though I couldn't determine the author's credibility to be offering this level of relationship advice.

A captivating story that shows the reality of show business through one young actress' experience and early retirement. And her beautiful and ordinary family life that follows, told to her adult daughters during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The audiobook, performed by Meryl Streep was a masterpiece.

If graphic novels aren't your thing, this collection of five haunting tales might help change your mind. The writing is accessible and the artwork is captivating. I took myself to my localibrary yesterday for the first time in years and sat there and read this from cover-to-cover.

Vivian was a character so far removed from me and her story was so different from my own. Yet, I grew to like and appreciate her as she grew to like and accept herself. The whole story is told to an unknown person named Angela, this kept me from enjoying the story as much as I could have. But, I did like the way Angela was revealed in the end.

I marked so many pages to return to and poems to share with my students and my friends. This was inspiring as a woman, a writer, and a friend. Love, love, love!

This one has been on my list for a long time and I'm so glad I finally read it. If it's on your list, don't wait. Dual narrative and I could decide which MC I liked more. Such an important story of love, grief, and forgiveness.

This book captures the triumphant feeling of learning something new and gaining independence.

Jeremy reminds us all that it is often those who have little who are the most generous.

A story that rhymes fruit in a fun way. You end up rooting for the neglected orange

I think I've read everything by Emma Lorde. This is the first adult romance and wow! It uses the fake dating trope, but does it in a fresh and fun way. I found myself connecting to the main character's grief over losing her sibling. I really enjoyed this.

A good storyline, but if book one was NSFW, book two was really NSFW. I skimmed some of the more spicy scenes. I would have like a little more of Rowan and Sloane's continued story thrown in. Not sure I'll read book three. Anyone who has read these have thoughts?

Her poetry makes me want to write. This was relatable and existential in all the best ways. I typically don't reread, but I know I will reread this many times.

This was such a cute story. The fluff that palate cleansers are made of. A spicy Hallmark-esque story. New girl moves from the city to a small town to run her aunt's cafe and meets sexy farmer, romance ensues.

I had avoided this book because it wasn't sure I'd like the graphic nature of a serial killer story. Somehow the author humanized the characters and writes a fantastically funny and engaging plot without the reader becoming too horrified. I'm going to read the sequel, and for me, a serial first book reader, that's a compliment.

Babel puts a magical spin on 19th-century British colonialism. In this world, silver bars engraved with words from two languages that don‘t perfectly translate can create powerful magic. But at its core, the novel makes it clear that racism is the driving force behind England‘s colonization efforts. This was a heavy and thought-provoking read that should come with a trigger warning for racism, sexism, violence, and suicide.

I cannot recommend this enough. This is everything I look for in a book. Told through three POVs in three different timelines, these three Weyward women are all strong female protagonists. Historical fiction at its finest with a touch of magical realism; mwah! Chef's kiss!

I love the dual narratives, dual timelines and the parallels between the two female protagonists. I knew of the controversy surrounding the authenticity of Shakespeare's authorship but I learned so much reading this.

It's easy to see why this book appeals to such a wide audience. Tova, Cameron, Marcellus, Ethan, all lovable characters. This book will stay with me for a long time. A sentient octopus that understands humans better than humans can understand them? Totally works!

I love a good fantasy that feels like historical fiction. This uses the orphan girl turned heroine trope. The world building is intricate. I loved how each chapter began with a rhyme. However, this book cannot stand alone; it ends on a cliffhanger making the second book in the duology an must.

This lives up to the hype. Push it to the top of your TBR. Martha Ballard is a strong female character/historical figure who you'll want to meet. This will make me look to read Lawhon's other books. DO NOT skip the author's note at the end!

Cherry reminds me a bit of Eleanor Oliphant. I love the way the multiple story lines co-exist and come together. Except for Cherry, I think Ethan's character and storyline was my favourite. This book has much to teach us about grief and acceptance. We don't learn the protagonist's name until we're 20% through the book and that made it more difficult for me to connect to the story at first, but I ended up loving it.

I like this book a lot. I devoured it in just two days. I wanted to love it, but didn't. I think it Iwan's character that seemed a bit too good to be true, the time slip element not developed well enough, I'm not entirely sure. Still glad I read it.

This is the second novel I've read from Kirsten Miller and it will bump her up to an automatic buy author for me. If you understand that banning books, even monster erotica, is stupid, this book is for you.

Gratz has a talent for writing the truth of difficult situations. He weaves several plots together, making the reader care about each. It makes me want to host a refugee family. The audiobook was a great road trip listen.

Half the book is narrated by a sentient fig tree. This book isn't for everyone, but the poignant prose kept me hooked. 16-year-old Ada Kazantzakis in 2010s London, grappling with grief and cultural identity, and her parents, Defne and Kostas, navigating their forbidden love during the Turkish-Greek conflict in 1970s Cyprus.