Days at the Torunka Café by Satoshi Yagisawa

Translated by Eric Ozawa 4 stars A sweet book of interconnected stories focusing on reunions, human connections, and acceptance of the past. Follow a young woman who claims to have a unique relationship with one of the café’s workers, a man coming to terms with the end of a relationship through an unexpected new one…

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Millie of the Manor by Karina Evans

Illustrated by Andrea Bell 5 stars A sweet and engaging story about friendship, social anxiety, and pushing yourself to take risks. Amy loves mysteries. But when she’s invited to a murder mystery-themed birthday party, she’s conflicted. While she wants to solve the mystery, she worries her social anxiety will draw unwanted attention. Will she be…

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Losing Hit Points by Kristopher Mielke

5 stars A heartfelt story that is surprisingly cozy. I absolutely love the blending of fantasy and reality as we follow the characters in their D&D campaign and their personal lives in the real world. Wonderfully written. I loved the characters. This is some of the characters’ first time playing D&D so there is a…

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Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

Written by Jason Reynolds Art by Danica Novgorodoff 5 stars I loved Reynolds’ original novel-in-verse and was a little nervous about this graphic adaptation. But it really delivered. Reynolds’ words and messages shine through accompanied by Novgorodoff’s haunting artwork and stunning visuals. The watercolors perfectly capture the essence of Reynolds’ words. Absolutely stunning. A fantastic…

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enemies (Berrybrook Middle School #4) by Svetlana Chmakova

4 stars When her sister, Letty, teases Felicity about never finishing her projects, Felicity sets out to win the Pitch the Future competition. To do so, she must team up with her friend and come up with a great idea to change the world. But along the way, she has to face disagreements of ideas,…

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Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June

5 stars I went into this expecting a simple, easy-going romance read, but was pleasantly surprised. It tackled a lot of issues with insight and humor. The fabulous femme teen, Riley Weaver knows joining the Gaybutante Society will help him on his journey to podcast stardom. But when he makes a bet with Skylar, who…

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Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Audiobook)

Narrated by Guy Lockard 5 stars Another excellently crafted book from Jacqueline Woodson. Everyone has always admired ZJ’s dad, a pro football player. But to ZJ, he’s just his dad. When his father starts forgetting things and acting differently, daily life changes and ZJ must cope with the shifting dynamics, losing their shared past, and…

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Heartstopper: Volume Four (Heartstopper #4) by Alice Oseman

5 stars Another fantastic volume in the Heartstopper series. This one is heavier than the previous volumes. While the others tend to be sweet with a hint of hardship, this one really focuses on the hardships of life and relationships. It deals with some serious topics including mental health, specifically eating disorders and references to…

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You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

4 stars A powerful read about friendship and family with an emphasis on the continuous learning and action against prejudice, specifically racism and ableism. Nicely written. This book tackles quite a bit. From police shootings and microaggressions, to dissuading Deaf individuals from using ASL, to family making (intentional and unintentional) racist remarks. While it is…

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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

5 stars A powerful novel-in-verse that takes on the cycle of violence and vengeance. A non-traditional ghost story that follows Will who seeks revenge after his brother’s murder. The majority of the story takes place in the 16 seconds it takes to ride the elevator to the lobby. In that time, Reynolds grabs the reader’s…

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