"Unforgotten" by Shelley Shepard Gray

Unforgotten (Nov. 5, 2024) by Shelley Shepard Gray.*

<This is the second book in a series.>

Seven years after an attempted assault and the accidental death of attacker Peter Miller, Bethanne Hostetler is taking steps forward. She’s no longer hiding in her room, and she’s leaving her parents’ home on her own. She watches as her Englischer cousin, Candace Evans, is crowned Miss Crittenden County and pops up unexpectedly at Jay Byler’s workplace. Jay was once Peter’s best friend, and Bethanne avoids him because of that connection, though it’s Jay who has always adored Bethanne and feels guilty that he didn’t know what Peter was capable of. Bethanne is slowly opening up her heart to his kindness and gentle caring, but when Candace reveals that she has a stalker, old fears come rushing in.

            Officer Ryan Mulaney is new to Marion and Crittenden County, Kentucky. A Northerner from Connecticut, his position on the police force isn’t permanent. While it seems like grunt work to be assigned to accompany Candace to her appearances around the county, Ryan finds that he would loathe any other officer accompanying her, though he tries to maintain professionalism. When Candace’s stalker endangers both Candace and Bethanne, Ryan, Jay, local law enforcement and both families race against time to save them.

            This Christian, contemporary, romantic suspense novel is also part Amish fiction. It’s a story of learning to trust and love after past trauma and holding onto faith when despair wants to set in. It’s a clean love story. It is easy to root for sweet Bethanne and considerate Jay, as Bethanne gets back on her feet, for they’ve known each other since they were kids. I did not connect with Candace’s and Ryan’s whirlwind spin to falling in love. I believe that kind of love can happen, but the way it’s written felt rushed and not genuine. The plot is fairly propulsive, and fans of the author’s work won’t want to miss this one. For me, though, it’s a 3.5/5.

            Book 1: Unforgiven

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"A Healing Touch" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

A Healing Touch (Oct. 1, 2024) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

<This is a standalone novel with overlapping Stoney Ridge characters.>

The kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is in tune with addressing her patients’ physical needs as well as their emotional ones. When newly widowed Bee Bennett, breeder of Dutch Warmbloods, is facing breast cancer, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp. Bee doesn’t think she needs to talk to anyone, especially an Amishwoman that she expects to have zero connection with. Annie Fisher is Dok’s painfully shy office assistant, but she’s got a great mind for medical information and a calm demeanor in intense situations. When Annie feels called to something else, Dok will move mountains to help her, and she’ll recruit her brother David, Stoney Ridge’s Amish bishop, to assist. Annie will also discover that there just might be a young man out there that she’d like to marry. He happens to be an Amish EMT in a nearby town. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears on the front step of her clinic one cold morning, Dok’s world takes a very unexpected turn.

            Anytime I pick up a novel by Suzanne Woods Fisher, I trust that it will be an excellent read. Yet again, this trust remains firm. The characters are endearing, if sometimes loud (Hank Lapp) or nosy (Sarah Blank, Annie’s friend), the plot is well-defined, the writing is engaging, and the setting is as charming as your most perfect day. It’s a delight to delve into this tight-knit community, strong of faith, but with very human struggles, too (e.g. extreme shyness, even a lack of faith). The author mesmerizes us with this Christian, contemporary Amish romance that encourages the soul like good medicine.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Fate Breaker" by Victoria Aveyard

Fate Breaker (Feb. 27, 2024) by Victoria Aveyard.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

All must rise to fight or be destroyed by Queen Erida and Taristan, Prince of Old Cor, and her consort. The Companions have been rent from one another and are scattered over parts of Allward. Corayne an-Amarat forges on alone until the Elders of Sirandel in The Castlewood find her. Her Spindleblade lies broken amongst the ruins of Gidastern, but she’s taken Taristan’s, now the only Spindleblade in existence. Without it, he can’t open any Spindles or end the world, but with the might of Erida’s Gallish legion, the areas they’ve conquered, the Ashlanders (now with the newly dead from Gidastern and the battle that raged there) and their demon god, What Waits, power still rages from them, and they don’t plan to burn. The Companions, unsure where the others are and assuming the worst, are, all the same, converging on one spot for the final battle: Iona, the seat of the largest of the Elder enclaves. Andry Trelland is with Valtik – she’s probably the only one everyone feels assured is alive – Sorasa Sarn, Domacridhan of Iona and Sigaalbeta “Sigil” Bhur Bhar end up captured, and Charlon Armont runs away from Gidastern in fear and cowardice, but he’s bolstered and finds new courage when he reunites with his love, Garion, an Amhara assassin (but unlike Sorasa, he’s not exiled). Who will answer the call to action? The famed and feared Countless of the Temurijon (“The iron bones of the Countless will never be broken.”)? Who will arrive in time? The realm is vast, and travel isn’t swift, especially with the monsters of other realms lurking in the seas (krakens) and in the air (dragons). The battle of a lifetime is coming, and it will wait for no one.

            Here, evil is dynamic, the villains are complex, the heroes are a diverse and unlikely group, and goodness seems more a concept than anything tangible. With the Companions scattered throughout much of the book, having multiple narrators is helpful instead of overwhelming. The ultimate novel in the Realm Breaker trilogy, despite its 625 pages, has a continual sense of urgency. The final battle is expectedly fierce, like something epic in a Lord of the Rings movie, but (POSSIBLE SPOILER) the redemption arc right near the end fills me with disappointment. My expectation that there’d be a satisfying comeuppance didn’t come to pass, hence, I suppose, the disappointment. All the same, this YA fantasy is epic, fierce and ruthless. There is nothing haphazard about Aveyard’s writing. She’s an author who knows what she’s doing.

            Book 1: Realm Breaker

            Book 2: Blade Breaker

"The Blooming of Delphinium" by Holly Varni

The Blooming of Delphinium (Sept. 24, 2024) by Holly Varni.*

<This is the second novel in a series.>

When it comes to hidden talents, Delphinium Hayes has a unique one. She’s a synesthete and knows someone’s best or worst characteristic with one whiff of a person. Only she will smell their unique floral (or herbal) scent. For example, honeysuckle means bonded with love, while petunia always indicates anger and resentment. Her parents have never understood her, and the one person who did, Annie (her grandmother), has passed away. Her nose always knows until two men flabbergast her scent-driven world. Mason McCormack, real estate lawyer, is a player who uses Delphinium’s bouquets to impress and break up with women, and she cannot smell him. That’s never happened before.

            Then there’s Elliot Sturgis, the clean-cut, uptight-looking director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility who’s so put together that he looks like he should be her parents’ kid. He smells like violets, and those individuals exude a “high standard of loyalty and love.” His scent is so intoxicating that she too easily loses her train of thought. He likes rules and maintaining order. Some of his mature residents at The Gardens do not appreciate this. They want tater tots twice a week, and Bob would eat tapioca every day. The residents continue to hang out at Delphinium’s shop long after the A/C is fixed at The Gardens, and they no longer have to hang out in Delphinium’s floral refrigerator to keep cool. The residents claim that Elliot lets them keep coming to her shop, because he has a crush on her. Sparks are definitely flying, but Delphinium’s got more on her mind. Her shop is about to be foreclosed on. This shop is her dream, for she loves flowers, but it’s also her tie to her late grandmother. How can love bloom when she’s mired in failure?

            Moonberry Lake is a fictional small town in Minnesota, and this second in the Moonberry Lake series is overall charming. There’s one moment where Delphinium’s outburst strikes me as childish, and it read as contemporary fiction versus Christian contemporary fiction, so subtle seems the faith or even faith’s growth (it is there, though). Delphinium is spirited in her bright, floral prints, and I chuckled aloud multiple times, just as I teared up when an earthly goodbye sprouted up. It’s refreshing like a cool drink and sweet, but not toothache-inducing sweet. As a Minnesotan, I can’t help but adore a Minnesota setting, even fictional, and Moonberry Lake is exactly the idyllic town I’d love to visit. Four out of five floral bouquets!

            Book One: On Moonberry Lake

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"A Drop of Venom" by Sajni Patel

A Drop of Venom (Jan. 16, 2024) by Sajni Patel.

<This is the first novel in a duology.>

<This novel does contain a trigger warning.>

Monsters come in all forms. To 16-year-old Manisha, it’s the King’s army. Those beasts have forced her people, the naga, to flee their home in Anand. Many have died. Manisha’s sent to the coveted floating mountains at age 11 and the sacred temples there. She’s an apsara, chosen for her beauty. Visitors to the floating mountains can’t so much as touch an apsara, but far from remaining safe, Manisha is viciously assaulted, declared “defiled” by the new High Priestess who’s always hated her, and is literally kicked off the floating mountains, landing in a pit of vipers. Amazingly, she survives and emerges with power she never knew she could possess. Her blood, even her spit, can turn people to stone. All Manisha wants is to find her family. Is her mother alive? Her twin sisters, Eshani (the eldest) and Sithara?

            To 17-year-old Pratyush, the famed slayer of monsters and last of his line, monsters are what he hunts to kill. Supposedly, years are added to his life for each monster slain. Supposedly, he slays enough monsters, and he’ll gain the house and peaceful, quiet life he so desires. Though he was raised to treat women as equals, Pratyush knows men who are monsters. He’s seen it with some of the men in his group, and his beloved sister was once assaulted by her betrothed. Despite being a powerful warrior, he’s nothing but a possession of the terrible King. He couldn’t save his sister, and she died. Pratyush is sent with the worthless General and a group of men to slay one more monster. A nagin. The “monster” he seeks is the woman he actually wants to marry.

            Be brave. Be cunning. Be strong. For anyone looking for a laidback story, this is not it. Patel unflinchingly tackles misogyny, sexual assault and rape culture, the trauma that comes from those experiences and tempers it with star-crossed love, sisterhood (by blood and not) and the love of family. This is set against a backdrop of mythic monster creatures and monster men and combines the Indian mythology of the naga with the Greek mythology of Medusa. The result, while upsetting to witness, is electrifying and powerful. Told from the viewpoints of Manisha and Pratyush, this fantasy/mythology is fast-paced with fantastic world-building. This dark-yet-dynamic duology opener can “adorn the world in beauty or control the world with greed.” The stakes are high, the battles are fierce, and there will be blood. Manisha is a nagin. She is venom.

"Against the Darkness" by Kendare Blake

Against the Darkness (Apr. 9, 2024) by Kendare Blake.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Spoilers possible.>

The Darkness is coming. That makes it sound like it’s a sentient, roiling mass of dangerous, dark matter or a foreboding, probably skeletal creature with horns and poisonous claws. Instead, the Darkness consists of rogue Slayers led by Aspen, a pretty Slayer who’s killed other Slayers and trapped more in a hell dimension. Her power of persuasion is so strong that she even has Hailey’s true empathy, as Hailey otherwise plays the role of rogue Slayer/ex-Scooby. Frankie Rosenberg, the world’s first Slayer-witch, is readying to confront the Darkness and bring Buffy and the others back from the alternate dimension amidst her usual demon patrols. Her Watcher, vampire-with-a-soul Spike, and her mom, Willow, care fiercely about bringing Buffy back. Willow’s obsession is such that she is at risk of turning dark again (The Black Grimoire/Book of Wants has got to go, but will it let Willow let it go?). Jake’s having a werewolf identity crisis, made more complicated when it turns out he’s been, um, biting his lacrosse teammates, and Sigmund’s heart is torn between Hailey, the person he loves, and doing what’s expected of his goody-two-shoes self by carrying on a relationship with another Sage demon like himself. The Scoobies are a gang holding on by a thread. Strained relationships and personal issues are piling up. Can Frankie be the Scooby gang leader her friends need her to be to defeat the Darkness once and for all? And what’s going on with the super-hot underwear model (a.k.a. Grimloch, the demon Hunter of Thrace)?

With this YA paranormal novel, the Buffy: The Next Generation series is complete. The darkness that the Darkness is plotting, the possibility of Willow going dark again and the upheaval in the lives of various main and supporting characters is offset by the sarcasm and wit splashed throughout. The contemporary setting with creatures of popular legend and monsters from the original storyline set up a tempting tale for anyone who enjoys adventure, fantasy and the paranormal and isn’t only for readers who are long-standing Buffy fans. This trilogy-ender is a word burrito of flavorful protagonists and antagonists set against a New Sunnydale backdrop and slathered in familiar Buffyverse lore (for those who are well-versed, which I’m admittedly not).

Book One: In Every Generation

               Book Two: One Girl in All the World

"The Missing Sword" by Melissa de la Cruz

Never After: The Missing Sword (Dec. 5, 2023) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is the fourth novel in a series.>

<Alert: Spoilers possible.>

Filomena Jefferson-Cho’s mom, Bettina, is mysteriously ill, and it’s evil Olga’s fault. Filomena and the rest of the League of Seven (Jack, Alistair, Gretel, Byron, Beatrice and Rosie) start off to find a very famous sword. It’s in Camelot, of course, but Camelot is also Oz. Or Oz is also Camelot? There’s Arthurian legend and witches that weren’t meant to be wicked but are living up to the rumors Olga started. Avalon exists, just as the Emerald City does. There are Munchkins and evil flying monkeys, a Lady of the Lake and Merlin -- oops, Marlon. Sorry, Marlon! Filomena will be tested through the Brocéliande Forest to test if she deserves to enter Camelot. The group – not usually the full League of Seven – will follow the yellow brick road as they seek Excalibur in ruby red high heels (which are surprisingly comfortable), while carrying Dragon’s Tooth swords and overcoming very large arachnids and Olga’s ogres. Where there are quests within the main quest, tests to survive lest all quests fail, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) will be the least of the League’s troubles.

            Contemporary life and fairy tales collide in this penultimate tale in The Chronicles of Never After, a middle-grade fantasy adventure. Readers embark on an escapade that’s as fun as their favorite theme park ride with the gritty determination of anyone on a mission to save a loved one. Love is brewing between Filomena and Jack, so that tween romance does feel cringey, and it didn’t lend any value to the story. The author’s stories are made absorbing by her courageous, relatable characters, rapidly-moving plot, great diversity and creative world-building of fictional realms I’d happily visit (sans evil ogres and all unsavory types, be they human or not). This is another de la Cruz middle-grade tale that’s an overall hit.

            Book One: The Thirteenth Fairy

            Book Two: The Stolen Slippers

            Book Three: The Broken Mirror

"Into the Starlight" by Amanda Cabot

Into the Starlight (July 16, 2024) by Amanda Cabot.*

<This is the third novel in a series.>

Returning home to Sweetwater Crossing after more than a year in Europe should bring joy. Instead, Joanna Vaughn Richter’s dreams of becoming a concert pianist have shattered, as battling scarlet fever and subsequent pneumonia have left her lungs unable to withstand the exertion of a hectic concert tour, and she’s mourning the double loss of her husband of one month and her grandmother, whom she was traveling with. The thought of her childhood home sustained her return to Texas, but now that eldest sister, Emily Ferguson, has turned Finley House into a boardinghouse, her home no longer feels like home. Dr. Burke Finley arrives with Aunt Della Samuels the same day that Joanna returns. Burke is the nephew of the late Clive Finley, who built Finley House for Della, his intended. After his partner and his fiancée blame him for a patient’s death, and his former flame falls out of love with him for said partner, Burke is happy to leave the practice he’d started in Samuels, Alabama. He knows he will not return there. A two-week trek to Sweetwater Crossing seems to be turning into an extended (permanent?) stay.

            Della is looking for answers into Clive’s disappearance. She believes he died after contracting dysentery. The Vaughn sisters (two of three who are now married) and their late parents believed that he left for the war without saying goodbye and was killed in battle. Secrets are coming to light and ghosts are coming to call. Burke is drawn to Joanna and not only because her music draws him closer. Joanna is likewise drawn to him, but she wonders if she has room in her heart to love another. Will secrets from the past and Burke’s uncanny resemblance to Clive take the sweet out of Sweetwater Crossing?

            Discovered secrets and a murky history give this Christian, historical fiction romance an intriguing mystery. Cabot treats readers to a smart plot with twists to keep one guessing, world-building to make us feel as though we’re walking the streets of Sweetwater Crossing, taking tea at Porter’s, grabbing food at Ma’s and visiting Della at the town’s small-but-cozy library, and characters to captivate us. She welcomes us back to town for the third Vaughn sister’s story. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy this gracefully well-crafted trilogy in its entirety. For those who enjoy historical page-turners under a Christian umbrella with suspenseful elements, this is for you!

            Book One: After the Shadows

            Book Two: Against the Wind

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"ASAP" by Axie Oh

ASAP (Feb. 6, 2024) by Axie Oh.

<This is a sequel novel to XOXO.>

As the daughter of Joah Entertainment’s CEO (her mother) and politician father, Min Sori is no stranger to the spotlight and scandal and the pressure of maintaining a flawless, perfect daughter image. Between her mother’s stringent running of her company and her father’s extramarital affairs, Sori’s years of being a Joah trainee for her mom and her dad’s political ambitions for her, her relationship with her highly-motivated (ruthless), absentee parents is tense at best. Sori’s admitting to herself that her dream isn’t to be a K-pop idol, and her mother, surprisingly, accepts this, and she accepts her mom’s request to help train Woo Hyemi. Hyemi will be debuting with ASAP, Joah’s first female idol group. Sori’s thoughts keep straying to her ex-boyfriend, XOXO’s Nathaniel Lee (Korean name: Lee Jihyuk). Before XOXO became one of the world’s biggest K-pop groups, their whirlwind romance almost caused a scandal. Fortunately, Sori was referred to as an anonymous trainee, and her name was left out of the tabloids. But more and more are noticing their natural chemistry, and she invites Nathaniel to stay with her when he needs refuge from the prying paparazzi outside XOXO’s house. It’s hard for either to deny their feelings. Will Sori pursue a second chance at love? Or will she sacrifice her happiness for Joah Entertainment and her mother?

            “XOXO” was originally meant to be a standalone, but the popularity of that novel prompted this one, and I’m so glad, as a reader, to read Sori’s story, too. Oh’s “ASAP” is a YA contemporary romance that is a literary K-drama with K-pop elements. This dynamic bildungsroman for Sori is a charming, swoony companion to “XOXO.” It’s an approachable novel even for those unfamiliar with K-pop, K-dramas or Korea. The story is richly written and the main characters, wealthy through family money or as earned as an idol, remain surprisingly relatable. They’re characters you’d want to befriend for their goodness and defend from bullies. Should I hope that “ASAP” is popular enough that Oh gives readers another story? Perhaps Oh Sun’s?

            Book One: XOXO

"Some Murders in Berlin" by Karen Robards

Some Murders in Berlin (June 25, 2024) by Karen Robards.

<This is a standalone novel.>

It’s early September 1943, the Nazis have recently gained complete control of Denmark, and Dr. Elin Lund has been summoned from Copenhagen to Berlin, the last place she wants to be, to help investigate “some murders in Berlin.” Elin’s a psychiatrist with additional training in forensics and a particular interest in murder. Also referred to as Professor or the sobriquet Dr. Murder, Elin possesses a “slim, angular beauty that combines sharp cheekbones and a well-defined jawline with ice-blue eyes and honey-blond hair.” In other words, she is Aryan in appearance, but she has a six-year-old son, Niles, to protect (he’s half-Jewish). She can’t refuse to comply, and she wants to quickly solve the murders and return to her son. She last-minute brings a team consisting of Professor Jens Moller, a mathematician from the University of Copenhagen with an injured shoulder. She’s terrified that if his injury is noticed by any of the kriminalpolizei (Kripo for short), he’ll be in grave danger, as will she and Associate Professor Pia Andersen, team photographer who excels as a sketch artist.

            Kriminalinspektor Kurt Schneider, chief of criminal investigation for the Kripo before he was sent to the Eastern Front, is the rigid detective Elin and her team must work alongside. Her first impression is that Kurt’s a gangster, not helped by his grudging welcome, and the doubt in his voice pertaining to her skills. Neither trusts the other, and why would they; it’s a war, after all. Kurt has his own secrets and trauma. The pair are trapped in an uneasy partnership, and both want to find the murderer behind the gruesome deaths of multiple young, Aryan women. Evidence suggests that the killer is law enforcement or military or both, and Elin’s now on his radar. “Say your prayers.”

            Robards’ newest historical thriller has all of the elements to make it a standout: captivating characters, a riveting plot, dramatic pacing, meticulous research, cortisol-inducing danger and finding star-crossed love amidst war. This is only the second novel I’ve read by Robards, but it’s easy to see that she’s a master of storytelling. I’d listen to her TED talk, for sure. The atrocities of the story are back in the 1940s, but, scarily and sadly enough, the story has contemporary relevance. For anyone who gravitates toward historical thrillers, I highly recommend this one. It’s easy to get swept up in this theatre of conflict, such is the magnificence of her writing.

            Also by Karen Robards: The Black Swan of Paris

The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 19

 

The Positive Page-Turner’s Challenge: Take 19

Finally! We’re halfway through 2024, yet I’m only now posting my first Positive Page-turner’s Challenge of the year. I did have it ready last month, but I didn’t want it to overshadow my Reading Challenge that I completed in May, so I’m posting this over a month later.

            Keeping to my theme, $5 is the special donation for each book in this picture. With 17 books, I donated $85. I already wrote a check a week ago to my local church’s Haiti Fund.

            I know that sometimes our budgets may be stretched too thin to contribute financially to organizations, but I’d like to believe that anyone happening upon this post is someone who donates in whatever way one can at the time. Time is a donation, just as $5 or $500 or $1M is a donation. Please do what you can, and I will continue to do so, too. The world isn’t always so great, but we can help make it a little better!

"Not Your Average Jo" by Grace K. Shim

 

Not Your Average Jo (Mar. 12, 2024) by Grace K. Shim.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Compared to Bentonville, Arkansas, a place like Los Angeles should have the diversity and opportunity that Riley Jo’s hometown does not. The Korean American teen dreams of being a musician – and no, she doesn’t play K-pop – so when she nabs a coveted spot at Carlmont Academy in L.A. for her senior year of high school, she’s ecstatic. She’s made it into the contemporary band program. Her bandmate Griff Torres accepts her readily enough, but Bodhi Collins – son of one-hit 90s wonder and advisor of their group, Blake Collins – definitely does not. Blake’s incredulous reaction to “Riley Jo?” as in, You’re Riley Jo?, adds insult. Riley chooses to keep mum, even as the microaggressions add up and even when she’s pushed as backup to her own original song in the group she ends up naming: RGB. Fellow student Xander McNeil is capturing so much of this for a documentary he’s working on for his senior project. Aerie Jung and Nari Hitomi try to get Riley to report the blatant discrimination, but she never does. She chooses to make “bad choices in order to avoid worse ones,” but is she truly playing the long game? Or has she set herself up to be a pawn in a game that ignores her?

            I checked out this book after the opening paragraph caught my attention: “When you’re Asian American in an area where there aren’t many Asian Americans, there’s a cultural expectation people have of you that is clear from day one. You become the expert on all things Asian, whether you like it or not – whether you’re qualified or not.” From being assumed as every type of Asian (usually Chinese) to once getting called down to a workplace office because someone assumed I spoke Japanese to scenarios far less entertaining and high up on the creep-o-meter, those opening lines reverberated through me.

            Unfortunately, I didn’t connect to Riley’s character, and it’s not because I lack the dream of a music career that’s Taylor Swift famous. For much of the story, Riley wants to ignore the microaggressions until she finally snaps and decides to “Go There.” The 180 did not feel authentic, but that could largely be because I never connected with the character. There are powerful themes in this story resounding around cultural appropriation, race, discrimination and nepotism. It showcases Riley’s struggle within herself, wanting to speak up while also wanting to keep her head down in hopes that she’ll be part of a record deal. Music is central to the story, and Shim details a believably cutthroat music industry via an arts school setting. This is a bildungsroman. Self-discovery isn’t an easy road, made harder when there’s bias involved, and Riley reflects this. I don’t typically rate with stars, but I’d give it a 3/5.

            Also by Grace K. Shim: The Noh Family

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 4

Welcome to 2024’s “Happy Hodgepodge” post! What have you read recently that stands out?

Cat & Cat Adventures: Journey into Unibear City (Apr. 25, 2023) by Susie Yi.

Junior graphic novel fiction.

<This is the third graphic novel in a series.>

There’s a new magical mystery in the Spirit World. The Dragon Witch’s magical artifact collection is missing, and the entire region is covered in pink slime. Cats Squash and Ginny are on the case. They are determined to find the scoundrels who are wreaking devastation, and they’ll vacuum up the slime while they’re at it. They encounter a bread mushroom that leads to a secret tunnel and meet Magnus, king of the southern region of the Spirit World. They had no idea there was such a king! There’s a slime snail controlled by a conniving new foe. The foe is draining Spirit Magic from the artifacts, which is hurting the Spirit World. Squash and Ginny need to recover those missing artifacts, pronto. And if there happens to be a task force formed with a steady supply of free snacks, then all the better!

            Unibear City is the hub of the Spirit Realm, but not much of it is seen. It would’ve been fun to get a big-picture glimpse of the city. Fortunately, that lack does not take away from the colorful, vibrant graphic novel that it is. The text is uncomplicated and so will fit a variety of readers, including emergent readers. The characters are sweet, even when trying to be fierce, and helpfulness is a theme in each of the Cat & Cat Adventures. To date, these are the only graphic novels that I’ve checked out from the library, and I’ve never bought any, not even for gifts.

            Book 1: The Quest for Snacks

            Book 2: The Goblet of Infinity

Gorgeously ME! (June 4, 2024) by Jonathan Van Ness.

   Kamala Nair, illustrator.

Children’s picture book.

“I’m perfectly, happily, gorgeously me” is the repeating line of empowerment for the nameless kids throughout the story. With varying skin tones, a girl with blue hair, a boy in a tutu and youth with their own interests, abilities and skill sets, it shows that sharing individuality with the world isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be downright scary. With consistent, every day friendship, love and support, each of these kids can be assured they’re wonderful just as they are. “Fill those around you with hope, joy, and trust. / And turn gorgeously me into gorgeously US!”

            JVN’s rhyming text is lyrical, uplifting and energizing. It sparks joy and lets us all know that we are and should be loved and cherished for being who we are and not who naysayers assume we should be. It celebrates self-love and embraces differences. Blended with Nair’s sunny, high-spirited illustrations, I rather felt that bursts of sparkly confetti should’ve been raining down upon me and a delightful dance number should’ve been included. I love this story and am so pleased that it was available at my local library for checkout. Let’s all prioritize compassion, tolerance and inclusion, not only as a teaching tool for the young, but for all ages.

The Sea of Terror (May 9, 2023) by Stuart Gibbs.

   Stacy Curtis, illustrator.

Middle-grade illustrated fantasy fiction.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

Junior knights Tim and Belinda (a.k.a. Bull, since girls aren’t allowed to be knights), Rover the fr-dog, and Ferkle, a village idiot (even though he’s actually highly intelligent), have twice foiled the villainous prince to help Princess Grace, but their quests are not ended. The Queen of Merryland’s precious golden fleece and the Mystical Protective Amulet of Merryland have gone missing. The Kingdom of Dinkum’s queen accidentally took Queen Sunderfire’s fleece home with the amulet in a pocket. This kingdom lies across the Sea of Terror, which is “filled with dangerous beasts and a great number of other perils.” Tim, Belinda, Ferkle and the knights, including their leader, Sir Vyval, must face whatever dreadful perils the Sea of Terror houses, use every ounce of bravery and intellect they possess, for they are members of the Knight Brigade of the Great and Glorious Kingdom of Merryland. If they can face off against a bargleboar, they can defeat any other terror that finds them, thus making a cliffhanger ending unnecessary, right? Right???

            Like the first two stories in this illustrated, middle-grade fantasy series, this one is silly and ridiculous, which is the appeal of it. Gibbs’ story blithely takes from ancient sources (think Scylla and Charybdis and other nautical hazards such as sirens), but works them inventively, twisting them into something new and funny. For example, the sirens don’t lure sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices, but rather the most awful, dissonant caterwauling with horrid lyrics, all singing these terrible songs simultaneously. A power ballad about filthy armpit hair overlapping a gloomy tune about maggots? Gross. Curtis’ black-and-white illustrations add pictorial comic relief and complement Gibbs’ writing as any skilled illustrations should. IQ BOOSTERs are again present. The tale is entertaining, the adventure both dangerous and hilarious. Remember that bargleboars are allergic to paprika, but stand way, way back if it sneezes or you will be covered in its snot. Ew!

             Book 2: The Labyrinth of Doom

Super-Duper Librarian (Jan. 1, 2021) by Fran Manushkin.

   Laura Zarrin, illustrator.

Early-Reader fiction chapter book.

<This is part of an unnumbered series.>

It’s a rainy Saturday, so Katie Woo decides that she and her parents should go to the library to check out books. As her friend Pedro says, going to the library is “great on any day.” There are books about so many things: dinosaurs, dragons … underwear! But is there a super-duper mystery book for Katie? Where is Miss Bliss, the Children’s Librarian, to help her out?

            While I have checked out Early-Reader (E-R) books from the nonfiction section, this is the first I’ve checked out from the E-R fiction section (likely to change as my nephew’s been starting to read books from this section). Katie Woo is a delight, and her love of books lends her an inquisitiveness that not everyone has. The story is simple, an excellent book type for young people segueing from being read to to reading on their own. The book includes a map of Katie’s neighborhood, a glossary, questions for the reader and an interview with Miss Bliss.

What Is the Story of Willy Wonka? (July 6, 2021) by Steve Korté.

   Jake Murray, illustrator.

Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.

<This is an official Who HQ book.>

What is the story of the most famous fictional chocolatier? Willy Wonka first appears in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For others, maybe they didn’t discover him until the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder or even the 2005 film starring Johnny Depp. But most seem to know something about this zany factory owner, friend to Oompa-Loompas and lover of chocolate. Willy Wonka is mysterious, whimsical, wacky and wondrous. He’s utterly fantastic, if a bit chaotic, but how could you not be, filled with pure imagination as he is? Not only featuring Willy Wonka, this slim E-R book highlights Roald Dahl and mentions his other stories, amongst other factual tidbits.

            There are over 250 titles in the WhoHQ series published by Penguin Random House LLC, yet this is only the first one I’ve read! This chapter book is for early readers and is broken down into 11 chapters, plus an introduction and a bibliography. It gives many small facts, encouraging readers to explore the broader range of information out there. For example, getting a reading taste of Roald Dahl’s time in boarding schools, especially the one near the famous Cadbury’s chocolate company, has me wanting to read Dahl’s Boy: Tales of Childhood. It brings a compact trove of information. I will definitely be reading more of these titles. For now, I will don a plum-colored tailcoat and a fine top hat, so I can twirl into a world of pure imagination!

"The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" by Sangu Mandanna

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (Aug. 23, 2022) by Sangu Mandanna.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The more witches there are, the more magic will gather, so the witches of Britain keep their heads down and don’t meet up with each other out in the wild, but they do gather on the third Thursday of every third month. 31-year-old Mika Moon loves magic, so she has an online account (@MikaMoon) where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. Primrose Beatrice Everly, the “ancient and very proper head of the group” of witches in Britain, dislikes this bit of show, but Mika is still, mostly, following the rules, and she figures no one will take her seriously. Except former actor-but-always-thespian Ian Kubo-Hawthorn does, made obvious by the email he sends her with the subject: WITCH WANTED.

            Mika travels in the Broomstick (that’s her car) to Nowhere House, where the owner witch, Lillian, is said to be on an archaeological dig. She’s never around to care for the three orphan witches she’s saved (note: all witches are orphans). Rosetta is a 10-year-old Black child with very dark brown skin and thick coils of dark hair. She was found by Lillian in London at three months old after a fire killed her parents. She is sweet and really wants to be able to control her magic in the outside world. Terracotta is an eight-year-old with peachy skin and straight, shiny black hair. She was found in a tiny Vietnamese town at one year old after a fever decimated the town’s occupants, including her parents. Terracotta likes to loudly contemplate Mika’s murder. Altamira is a vivacious seven-year-old with [often messy] light brown hair and brownish gold skin a similar shade to Mika’s. She was found in the rubble of a Palestinian hospital when she was but a few days old. The adults that actually do inhabit Nowhere House full-time, in addition to Ian, include Ken, Ian’s husband, groundskeeper of Nowhere House. Ken is the calm to Ian’s cyclone-like chaos and Ian’s fondness for flamingo pink wool. Lucie is Lillian’s longtime housekeeper and friend. And then there’s Jamie (James) Kelly. He’s a handsome, prickly librarian in his mid-30s, and he definitely thinks it’s wrong to have Mika at their place. He sees her as a threat, albeit an appealing threat. Will the residents of Nowhere House come to trust Mika? Can Mika teach the girls enough to hold off their unpredictable magic from Lillian’s solicitor? Will Terracotta off Mika in a dramatic way? Has Mika finally found the found family she’s been too scared to hope for but has actually always wanted?

            This adult fiction, contemporary fantasy romance sparkles with everyday magic, quirky characters, found family and a grumpy (Jamie)/sunny (Mika) relationship. Mandanna manages to give readers a warm, witchy story that is wonderfully welcoming (except for Jamie). The author’s writing is suffused with bright banter within her well-paced plot. The story is charming and effervescent, and I’d happily befriend any of these dynamic characters (even Jamie, if his grumpy countenance can stand to make friends). If you like magical enchantment with layers of humor and heart, give this cozy book a read!

"Lies and Weddings" by Kevin Kwan

 Lies and Weddings (May 21, 2024) by Kevin Kwan.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The legendary Gresham Trust has been so depleted by decades of profligate spending that the trust is almost a legend. The gargantuan mountain of debt is presently increasing by the millions due to all the money that the Countess of Greshamsbury, Arabella Leung Gresham, has had Francis, the Earl of Greshamsbury and her husband, dump into all of her resorts, including the one on the Big Island of Hawaii. Which erupted volcanically. For real. It’s during Augie’s decadent tropical wedding to a Scandinavian prince. Arabella’s scheming solution is to make their only son, Rufus, the Viscount St. Ives, marry a woman who’s at least a billionaire. His mom wants him to seduce Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond hair and a royal bloodline. Or Martha Dung, a tattooed venture capitalist genius “who passes out billions like lollipops” and is the “right kind of Chinese.” But Rufus, despite his chiseled jaw and washboard abs, doesn’t obsess over what he’s wearing, and the only woman outside his family that he’s comfortable talking to is Dr. Eden Tong (and he’s never actually comfortable talking to his mother; she’s always hyper-critical). Eden’s father, Dr. Thomas Tong, is the Gresham family doctor, and they’ve resided on Greshamsbury lands since Eden was a small girl. She’s the literal girl-next-door, humble and beautiful. Rufus proposed marriage to her when he was 14 years old. She declined. What schemes and downright nasty rumors will Lady Arabella cook up? Can the earldom be saved or will it fall into ruin?

            The newest globe-trotting novel from Kwan is ridiculously lavish and laugh-out-loud funny with an audacious plot, mega money thrown around like pocket change, an entertaining cast of characters and bustling settings everywhere from Hong Kong to Hawaii to London, Marrakech, Beverly Hills and Venice and other locales throughout. That people can and do live like this, in “an orgy of excess,” is unbelievable and also sickening, when, like Eden, I think of all the poverty in the world. Still, I devoured this novel with its wit, sarcasm and drama. It’s classic Kwan writing, cheeky as ever. So, hop on that private jet with your designer labels and fizzy drinks on your way to some luscious location and enjoy this escapist tale that’s a delectable diversion from daily, mundane lifestyles. Words to the wise: beware those lofty, meddling mothers and gossiping aunties. It is all too much, but it’s also never enough!

"Unforgiven" by Shelley Shepard Gray

Unforgiven (May 21, 2024) by Shelley Shepard Gray.*

<This is the first book in a series.>

Two former Amish live in the Amish community they grew up in. Seth Zimmerman is an ex-con, having served time for a death most know was an accident, in which he was fighting off Bethanne Hostetler’s attacker. These three years later, Bethanne is withdrawn from others due to the trauma. Tabitha Yoder, while not excommunicated from the church, was still shunned by many for divorcing Leon, even though her ex was so horribly abusive that she landed in the hospital with critical injuries. Their unborn baby didn’t make it. Seth has been helping Tabitha. Three years her junior, he had a crush on her as a 14-year-old schoolboy when Tabitha was their school teacher. He chops wood, drops off food and clears her driveway. He helps take care of her where others won’t. Slowly, Tabitha opens up to Seth, and an uneasy friendship emerges. Around this time, gifts begin appearing on her porch, and it’s obvious that they’re from her abusive ex. She’s fought through fire and has worked hard to maintain her freedom, and she intends to keep that freedom to live her best life.
        This is only the second story I’ve read by Gray, but I’ve already found that it’s easy to get swept up in her stories. I rooted for Tabitha and Seth right away, reading as they found happiness, redemption and forgiveness. I enjoyed the suspense element in this Amish contemporary romance novel. There is a refreshing blend of idyll and danger with the hesitancy of opening one’s heart to another and the power of faith and hopefulness. Her writing is charming and magnetic. Gray excels at her storytelling craft, and I look forward to reading more of her stories, including those in this new series set in Crittenden County, Kentucky.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"I Hope This Doesn't Find You" by Ann Liang

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You (Feb. 6, 2024) by Ann Liang.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Just as she looks on paper, Sadie Wen is perfect. She’s a school co-captain at Woodvale Academy, is on her way to becoming class valedictorian and is a model student and daughter, tirelessly helping her mom at her bakery. Her face hurts from the ever-present, model-student smile she keeps plastered on it. She manages this by channeling all of her frustrations into her email drafts. Take that Julius Gong, fellow school co-captain with annoyingly gorgeous, soft-looking hair! And you, power-tripping English teacher, and you, vainglorious classmate who claimed her science fair project as one’s own! No one will ever see them except her. She has a deeply ingrained need to be liked, accepted and forgiven. But then the day comes when the emails are sent out. (How??) Now everyone knows what Sadie really thinks of them, including Julius. The one person she’s sworn to hate may be the one person who appreciates the “real” Sadie, who doesn’t hide behind fake smiles, perfect grades and overachieving.

            Two Chinese Australian seniors take center stage in this contemporary YA novel filled with the awkward, dramatic romance that encompasses the teenage years. The novel is a lively, snarky one (with the occasional cuss word) that shows vulnerability in Sadie, Julius and even Sadie’s best friend, Abigail Ong, and includes underlying themes of perfectionism, academic stress, parental abandonment and the pressures of being a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. This bildungsroman is chaste (kissing is the extent, for concerned parents/readers), and I applaud Sadie for realizing that she doesn’t always have to be a people-pleaser. For anyone who enjoys a YA rom-com, I hope this book finds you.

2024 Reading Challenge - Update 8

 With the posting of Spare comes my eighth and final 2024 Reading Challenge Update! As it's a book featuring the life - thus far - of someone actually born into a royal family, it easily fits the "A Book That Features Royalty" tile. Hooray!

        I completed the self-created Challenge in the fifth month of the year. Subtracting $48 for the first four months in which I did not complete the Challenge, I donated $96 to my local church. Last Sunday, a check went into the Offering plate as a donation to the General Fund.

        Overall, this was a fun Challenge. At the outset, I felt gung-ho about making this an annual thing, but I've now changed my mind. As fun as it was, it added a layer of stress that I didn't need. Yes, it forced me to read books that I might never have read, but I also sometimes felt stressed reading library books to fulfill tiles when I have a full TBR shelf. Since this is undue stress that I can control, I don't plan to create a 2025 Reading Challenge.

        For the initial 2024 Reading Challenge post, click here.

"Spare" by Prince Harry

Spare (Jan. 10, 2023) by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.

It’s easy to relegate Prince Harry to the role of second son, the Spare, the once lost-looking young boy trailing along at his mother’s funeral procession, growing up to act out. But he’s much more than how the media and tabloids have painted him. He’s always a son, a brother, later an uncle, a husband and a father. He’ll always be part of a royal bloodline, a veteran of the British Army and an advocate for social causes. Parsed into three parts, we see a carefree Harry who’s close to his adoring mother, the late Princess Diana, and the dramatic turn when she’s tragically gone, and he’s struggling at school, at life. There’s his time finding his place in the military and awakening his passion for social advocacy. And then he finds Meghan Markle, whose beauty strikes him “like a punch in the throat.” Their love story is a whirlwind fairytale filled with nightmare thorns.

            Full admission: I am guilty of growing up thinking of Prince Harry as a bad boy, up to no good. In comparison to my goody-two-shoes self, he actually was a bad boy. But he’s also had to live in a spotlight that I never will, and I can’t begin to imagine what that’d be like or how horribly I’d handle it, what vices I might turn to, to try to cope with such celebrity.

            Harry’s memoir is refreshingly insightful, compelling and harrowing. From doing his own laundry to drinking and controlled substance usage to PTSD, from his late mother to now-wife, from military service to racist and misogynistic attacks on Meghan and her family, and the vulture-like media and infernal paps (paparazzi), Harry leaves no stone unturned. One cannot blame him for wanting to share his story, and I appreciate his transparency. He can be disparaging, even toward members of his own family, but it’s no secret that there’s been a rift. There’s self-doubt and self-assurance, vulnerability and strength. This autobiography is intimate and authentic, as Harry details his adventurous road of highs and lows, from grief and panic to healing and love. Maybe you want to pick this up because of the hype or the spilling of royal tea, but I hope you stay for the candor.

            Since I empathize with sweating easily, these lines made me chuckle: “I wasn’t sure I could endure this kind of hot. The Australian Outback had a climate I didn’t understand and which my body couldn’t seem to accept. ... I wilted at the mere mention of heat: how was I supposed to put up with an oven inside a blast furnace inside a nuclear reactor set on top of an active volcano?” (p. 85)

"The Memory Thieves" by Dhonielle Clayton

The Memory Thieves (Sept. 26, 2023) by Dhonielle Clayton.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Welcome back to the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors (ATI). This year, the great sky school is hovering above the Norwegian Sea. Please pack your wardrobe accordingly for the wintry elements.

Ella Durand, Brigit Ebsen and Jason Eugene are now Level Twos at ATI’s Lower School. This is the year they can wield stapiers (“a universal channellor to channel light”) and try out for the Marvel Combat teams. Since putting a stop to Gia Trivelino’s (the Ace of Anarchy) master scheming last school year, Ella’s found some celebrity. Unfortunately, not everyone back home in her New Orleans Conjure community supports her choice to return to the ATI. In their eyes, Ella and Aunt Sera Baptiste (who’s teaching at the Arcanum) are giving away Conjure secrets to the Marvellers. Ella and her friends want Conjurors and Marvellers alike to understand and accept the role of Conjurors in the creation of the school. She discovers the involvement of a Conjuror architect who also happens to be a many-greats grandfather. The blueprints would be a piece of history that’d prove to everyone that Conjurors have always belonged. The architect’s memory-cask would help, too, if anyone could find it. Digging deeper is put on hold when a mysterious, magical illness sweeps through the Arcanum, causing nosebleeds and fuzzy marvels. Is Gia somehow behind this illness? Why does new Level Two student Noémie Lavigne behave the way she does?

The return to the fantasy adventure world in the Conjureverse series is wonderfully, culturally diverse. This is a captivating sequel novel that enriches all who read it. In addition to a diverse cast, the story itself is immersive, inclusive, clever and thoughtful with dashes of mystery and plenty of magic. I absolutely want to live in this world! My sweet tooth does, too. Let me try Marveller-bars and caramel Paragon coins, cinnamon starbread and tornado tea with hiccupping honey. A word of advice that you eat the halo-halo within 20 minutes, otherwise your dessert will attack you! Good marvelling to you all!

            Book One: The Marvellers

A Poem: "April's Adventures Through Books"

Photo by Jonathan Borba via Pexels

April’s Adventures Through Books
It’s time for April to draw to a close.
There’s been adventure enough, I suppose.
A milestone birthday passed with quiet fanfare.
That night brought music and fancy plastic flatware.

I met Onasander Octagon, genius-recluse,
But I had to watch out; there were YAKs on the loose.
I traveled to Paris in 1944.
D-Day’s approaching in the second World War.

I rooted for Channi against the Demon Witch
And stayed right there through the heartbreaking pitch.
I paused for a spell at Hope Harbor’s Sandcastle Inn.
Charley’s fish tacos were devoured for the win.

I brushed up on the Ancient World’s Seven Wonders.
Only one stands, the rest plundered, fallen asunder.
I recapped the Salem Witch Trials, too.
What an awful blame game hullabaloo.

Adventures through books are a great way to traverse,
To meet characters who are richly diverse.
With imaginations, who knows what you will find

From the workings of an authorial mastermind!

Poems: Presenting Haiku Poetry 2

Photo by Thought Catalog via Pexels

Haiku on demand
National Poetry Month
My favorite month

The moon hides the sun.
There was a solar eclipse
On April the eighth.

It was cloudy here
The path of totality
Did not include us.

It’s my birthday month
A month of celebration
No aging here, ha!

Delivering hope
Through musical fundraising
The Night of Music

What is writer’s block?
Have you experienced it?
Write down your story.

We all have stories
Some small, some fantastical
Take charge. Write them down.

Find your ray of light
Project it onto others
Appreciate you!

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 3

My second chapter books compilation of 2024 is already complete. My first set of chapter books for this year featured Mindy Kim, and this set features twins Astrid & Apollo. I checked all of these out from my local library.

Astrid & Apollo and the Awesome Dance Audition (Aug. 1, 2022) by V.T. Bidania.
   Evelt Yanait, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

The spark is lit after Astrid & Apollo Lee watch their cousin Lily in a winning dance competition performance. Lily tells her dance instructor, Teacher Yang, that Astrid & Apollo want to try out for the Number One Dance School. The twins aren’t actually sure they do, though Astrid enjoys dancing and Apollo likes gymnastics. They attend rehearsal so they can learn the routine they must perform for the audition that’s only a week later. Apollo faces a setback and has to make a split-second decision, even as he knows Teacher Yang doesn’t like surprises. Will his creative quick-thinking be the ticket or cost him his chance to be on the dance team?
        These stories are not in the order in which I read them. I continue to appreciate the positive vibe of these stories as well as the cultural traditions it incorporates so seamlessly. The energy in this story is effervescent, the writing is strong, and the plot is easy to follow along with and perfect for emergent chapter book readers. Yanait’s illustrations are vibrant, and the attention to detail on the Hmong costumes is beautiful. It’s a dynamic tale.
        Also in the series: Tae Kwon Do Champs

Astrid & Apollo and the Brilliant Book Report (Aug. 1, 2023) by V.T. Bidania.
   César Samaniego, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

Twins Astrid & Apollo are big readers. When their teacher, Mrs. Lor, assigns her students a book report, Apollo knows which book he’ll pick for the assignment. Then he discovers that Kiran, his best friend, has chosen the very same book! Mrs. Lor told the class that she “will give extra points for originality.” Apollo takes this to mean that he can’t choose the same book as his classmate, so he scrambles to find another, going so far as to checkout 25 books from the family’s local library! How will Apollo’s book report turn out?
        I know I’ve been gravitating toward stories with Asian/Asian American main characters because those stories weren’t around during my childhood, but these stories are very age-appropriate. I remember being in elementary school having to write book reports (and yes, I loved being assigned book reports). Bidania’s writing is fairly uncomplicated and would be strong choices for chapter book readers to try (they may need help with unfamiliar words like bánh mì). The text is accompanied by colorful illustrations by Samaniego, and the story as a whole is full of energy.

Astrid & Apollo in Concert (Aug. 1, 2021) by V.T. Bidania.

   Evelt Yanait, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

The solo isn’t a solo, but a duet! Astrid & Apollo are overjoyed to have been chosen to play a duet at their school’s recorder concert. They’ve put in a lot of practice, especially in the two weeks leading up to the concert, but their little sister, Eliana, keeps getting in the way. She thinks to create music like her older siblings with her paper party horn, but her music isn’t so lovely. It’s clear that she wants to be included. On show night, there’s double the disaster. The show must go on, but what will the twins discover?
        For anyone who’s ever had a younger sibling who’s wanted to do what you’re doing and have felt annoyed by it, this story will be relatable. Eliana’s choices garner negative attention, but it still resulted in the family, particularly Astrid & Apollo, noticing her. That Bidania used it as a gentle teaching moment is something to value. Yes, there’s frustration and upset, but after time has passed and awareness enters the twins’ minds, it opens up understanding and inclusivity of their little sister. That’s a sweet moment. The story overall is as dynamic as the others, and now I’ve been craving pho gao (“steamed rice rolls made from rice flour and water and filled with ground meat, onions, and other seasonings”).
        Challenge: The recorder song titles are based on real songs. Do you know which classic children’s songs they’re based on?

1. ‘Sparkle, Sparkle Giant Moon’
2. ‘Cold Round Rolls’
3. ‘Mario Had a Huge Sheep’
4. ‘The Icky, Biggy Buggy’