This is a character driven novel where not much happens. Think of Seinfeld, where you watch the inanities of daily living, yet you can't stop watching. That's Come and Get It, but instead of NYC, this is centered around a woman's dorm at the University of Arkansas.  The book mostly focuses on Millie is an older Black student and an RA, and the complex relationships inside the dorm and on Agatha, a white visiting Professor, whose moral compass becomes askew. There are also a lot of details about the various residents of the dorm but they interlink the reader becomes voyeurs in their lives. This was just so compulsively readable and satisfying. This is a completely different read then Such a Fun Age but Reid's talent shines in both.

This memoir in graphic novel form was not only powerful and timely, but it was also funny. Bell's sense of humor comes out, even in such a serious topic. As a reader, I could see how Bell's perception of racism was shaped and formed from childhood to an adult and how parents' action (or inactions) contributed to how he views the world. There is a reason why Bell is an award winning cartoonist and this just amplifies his many talents.

This is a combination of essays as well as interconnected short stories from Anthony Veasna So. The short stories were fantastic and I'm so sad that we won't be able to read the finished product, Straight Through Cambotown. The characters were memorable and revolved around the event of a loved one's funeral and also explore race, class and queerness. Throughout both the essays and short stories, the lingering generational traumas from the genocide in Cambodia, and how it affects today's Cambodian American young adults and their hopes and dreams.

This is an extremely strong work of investigative journalism and narrative non-fiction about deep seated corruption and police brutality in Oakland, CA. And, despite being under federal court supervised reforms, the police resisted change for over two decades. This should be an eye opener to anyone who says, it's just one bad apple. It isn't a few bad actors, but how insidious and systemic these issues are embedded into the police force. While this book details the Oakland Police Department, that city is not the only one that has these issues. It just happens that this book, focuses on Oakland and not policing as a whole.

This is an extremely strong work of investigative journalism and narrative non-fiction about deep seated corruption and police brutality in Oakland, CA. And, despite being under federal court supervised reforms, the police resisted change for over two decades. This should be an eye opener to anyone who says, it's just one bad apple. It isn't a few bad actors, but how insidious and systemic these issues are embedded into the police force. While this book details the Oakland Police Department, that city is not the only one that has these issues. It just happens that this book, focuses on Oakland and not policing as a whole.

Loved this read about 2 long lost sisters who are reunited via DNA genealogy test. Although Gaby is skeptical, she does feel a connection to not only Isabella, but to Puerto Rico. And, as the sisters investigate Gaby's kidnapping and disappearance, the past voices weave throughout the current narrative. It's about found and chosen family but also how the past continues to haunt, in all meanings and things really aren't what they seem.
 

A fun romance centered around a Muslim Australian woman who is navigating door knock marriage proposals, friends and family relationships as well as trying to figure out her professional career. Samira is relatable to anyone who has felt family pressure (and competition) and maybe experiencing first love. Some pretty funny scenes and a bit of Princess Bride as a bonus. This is the Bridget Jones we need for today's world.

This is such an important read for people to understand what a transphobic world we live in. Schuyler Bailar, explains, in a clear and conversational manner, the importance of gender identity and how people weaponize it. He breaks down the myths that are used to fear monger and the danger that trans people have to live with, every day. This is a really approachable read and will help the reader make succinct arguments when confronted with transphobia. And, his own story, is just as compelling and effective in making his points.

Not going to lie, I am always a few steps behind in pop culture knowledge. Despite this, I really enjoyed these essays and even not really knowing who the people/groups were, I knew exactly what Aisha Harris was referencing. She examines pop culture, through a cultural lens while acknowledging how pop culture has shaped her. Super smart and sharp, this was such an engaging read.

A thought provoking read about the origins of travel and how it intersects with class, race and colonialism. Loved the term, pseudiscovery, and how it centers the white experience in "foreign" lands. Both personal and informative, Habib interweaves her life experience with her own migration and travel, with things that aren't often thought about: how travel became a thing, the origins of passports, and how discovery is in the eyes of the beholder. While this it subtitled as irreverent, it's anything but.

Take a burgeoning alchemist who can secretly raise the dead, mix with a naive but idealistic prince, throw in a lot of political intrigue filled with monsters and death, and add a soupçon of Poppy War and voila! You have the Scarlet Alchemist, a rip roaring and riveting read. Grabby hands for book 2.

Loved this book filled with intrigue, politics and magical flowers. Irinya, a flower hunter, makes a huge mistake, trusting the wrong person, betraying her closest friend and is determined to rectify that wrong and to save her people as well as the country. I could use more of this world, but this was such a satisfying read.