The Heir

This teen fantasy by local author, Claudia Klein (Nineveh, Ind.) is fast paced and full of intrigue. When  the country of Arbinad falls, princesses Kat and Lucy are separated and their father, the king, is killed. Lucy flees to an allied island country and Kat is taken prisoner when Erlingue soldiers mistake her for a soldier. Over the course of one day the sisters' lives are upended forever. 

The princes of Erlingue couldn't be more different. Eric wants to become king and conquer the continent, while Thomas just wants to keep the peace and let his father rule. When Eric murders his father and ascends the throne he wants to enslave more people and wage war; he will stop anyone who gets in his way, even if it's his own brother. Prince Thomas soon finds himself in a dungeon cell with none other than Princess Kat. She has every reason to hate him as his family and countrymen razed her country and killed her people, but they form an uneasy alliance. Can they escape? Can she get her country back? Most importantly, can she trust a prince who just waged war on her homeland? The Heir is told through multiple perspectives and is the first in a trilogy.

Sleep Psalms

I read this before bed over a span of a few months and it was a great way to unwind and get ready for bed. I definitely want to keep in the habit and will need to find another similar book soon. There were 100 psalms in this book and each psalm had a small introduction to it, the psalm itself, a prayer, meditation, and adoration. Just two small pages and one big impact. Wonderful book, I'll definitely use it again in a few months! 

The Lightning Circle

This book made me so sad that I didn't go to summer camp. Seriously. It's so nostalgic and magic and so heartfelt. This teen novel written in verse is loosely based off the author's experiences being a teen counselor at a summer camp and it's so charming. Fraught with teenage emotion and wonder - it's ode to growing up and to female friendship. Filled with little illustrations, this novel in verse is a quick read. Loved it. Sign me up for working at a sleepaway camp next summer please! 

Meddling with Mistletoe

Whitney is at a crossroads in her life. Her parents have moved away from Prince Edward Island and will no longer serve as her safety net. Whitney has lots of big ideas but no DREAM so she flits from one idea to the next. Without her parents help she has to figure out her next steps and she doesn't want to disappoint them. She is determined to save up the money for culinary school and she needs to sell some pies to raise the remaining funds but she still might be short and to make matters worse her oven has stopped working. She asks her friend at the Red Door Inn if she can use her oven over the holidays, her friend agrees on the condition that she make breakfast for the Inn's two guests each day and that she help babysit her children. Whitney readily agrees. She doesn't realize how one guest in particular will start to change her outlook on life and on the future. But to fall for him means to go back on some promises she made. Meddling with Mistletoe is about second chances and following your heart. I wanted it to like it more but it was a little slow and the characters could have been a little more developed. It was a quick holiday read though. Very clean with some light kissing.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

This book had a lot of moving pieces but was such a rich and compelling read. All of the characters had flaws of some sort, but the majority of them were good decent people. The heart of this historical novel is about secrets, why people keep them, and the unintended long term consequences of them. It's at times rip roaringly funny and other times heartbreakingly sad. There are a wide variety of poor people living on Chicken Hill, but by and large they are either Black or Jewish (with a few enterprising Italians thrown in for good measure). They are both rejected by the community of Pottstown but they form an uneasy alliance - mostly because of the work of Chona, a Jewess who extends credit to any on the hill who need it. Her generosity and happy spirit help bond the Jew and the Black folx together - which is good because soon they will face a challenge neither party ever expected. 

Middle of the Night

I love everything Riley Sager puts out and this was no exception! Middle of the Night grabs you from the first page and the premise is truly terrifying. Two ten year old boys are camping out in the backyard. In the morning Ethan notices a long cut gash in the tent and realizes his best friend Billy is gone. Where did he go? Who took him? Why? It's a question that has haunted Ethan for decades and it's something that has never left him. Where is Billy? Is he alive? After a few decades Ethan finds himself back at his childhood home when his parents downsize and move away. But some weird things start happening when he is back at the house and Ethan is sure it has to do with Billy. Creepy and filled with lots of twists (I only guessed one!). I am already ready for the next Riley Sager book! 

Wild Dreamers

A young adult novel in verse that touches on so many important and heartfelt issues. Ana and Leandro are both immigrants to California. Ana has been unhoused for a while but she dreams of living in a home with her mother some day. Leandro and his therapy dog work at a bakery, but he dreams of overcoming his fears someday and being hopeful for the future. When the two teenagers meet is is electric and they find themselves filled with hope and joy. They work through fears, realize how much they care about their environment and work together to start a rewilding club at their high school. But will things from their past come back to haunt them and the future they have started to build together? Touching and well written. It's a quick read and pages alternate between the two lovebirds.