Sarter Villain by John Scalzi: A passel of gangsters, numerous explosions,a pod of foul-mouthed dolphins looking to unionize, one substitute teacher, and a bunch of really smart cats! Can’t even count the times I laughed out loud. LOVED this one!
The Wedding Party by Alison Espach: What to do when you’re struggling to conceive, your husband leaves you, and your beloved cat dies? Get dressed up, book a room at the fanciest hotel, order one last, special meal, and . . . inadvertently join a wedding party full of strangers. Thoughtful, uplifting, hopeful, and hilarious all at the same time!
Weyward by Emilia Hart: Three women living in very different worlds at very different times (1619,1942, and 2019), experience eerily similar circumstances, intimately connected by a history of family, trauma, resilience, and the magic (dare we say witchcraft?) of nature. This novel is as beautiful as its cover promises.
God of the Woods by Liz Moore: The very normal experience of summer camp in the Adirondacks connects several very unusual, dysfunctional, sinister, and dangerous stories that come together at the end in unexpected (to say the least!) ways. I stayed up way too late reading this one!
Famished Country by Jennifer Bohnhoff is a middle grade historical fiction series set toward the end of the Civil War. It’s an unusual glimpse into what was happening out west during that time.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundel is a non-stop fantasy adventure middle grade novel with mystical creatures galore – Word is it will be a series! Great for Percy Jackson fans!
When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman takes young readers into what Anne Frank’s life might have been like in the years before her family goes into hiding. It also gives some insight into what her sister and parents might have been experiencing. Well researched historical fiction by an acclaimed author for both adult and middle grade readers.
Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis , another middle grade novel, this one set in the mid-1980’s. Cayenne, her free-spirited parents, and infant twin siblings have been living in the family van, moving from place to place. They finally settle in Montana where Cayenne hopes to start having a ‘normal’ life. This novel, written in verse, has vivid characters and takes the reader on Cayenne’s journey to find her place and gain confidence in who she is regardless of class or circumstance.
