by Sara Nović Overall: This book was a great balance of fun and learning for me. Told from the perspective of several different characters, it chronicles life at the River Valley School for the Deaf over the course of about a year. Charlie, a teenage girl with a cochlear implant that has never worked correctly,Continue reading “True Biz”
Author Archives: Liz Helfrich
The Secret to Superhuman Strength
by Alison Bechdel Overall: I love graphic memoirs, and this is such an amazing addition to the genre. You may be familiar with Alison Bechdel from Fun Home, her first book, which was made into a Tony-Award-winning play. Bechdel examines her lifelong relationship with exercise in her latest book, beginning with her discovery of runningContinue reading “The Secret to Superhuman Strength”
A Sunlit Weapon
by Jacqueline Winspear A Sunlit Weapon is the seventeenth entry in the Maisie Dobbs detective series. If you like historical fiction and traditional detective stories, and you haven’t heard of this series, you are in for a treat! At this point in the series, time has progressed from the late 1920s into World War II.Continue reading “A Sunlit Weapon”
The Monsters We Defy
by Leslye Penelope Overall: A wonderful novel that creatively combines historical fiction and fantasy, The Monsters We Defy describes the adventures of Clara Johnson, a resident of Washington, DC, in 1925. Although her work as a secretary at Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s Journal of Negro History keeps a roof over her head, Clara spends muchContinue reading “The Monsters We Defy”
The Last Graduate
by Naomi Novik the second installment of the Scholomance trilogy picks up right where A Deadly Education left off. I loved the first book, and the sequel did not disappoint! El may no longer be a loner, but her problems continue. Although many of the mals (dark spirits/monsters that attack wizards to get their mana,Continue reading “The Last Graduate”
The Three Dahlias
by Katy Watson Overall: what a fun mystery! The Three Dahlias definitely fell into the “can’t put it down” category for me. A weekend celebrating the work of Britain’s literary “Princess of Poison,” Lettice Davenport (a fictional creation in the vein of Agatha Christie), at Lettice’s family home, Aldermere, goes awry when one of theContinue reading “The Three Dahlias”
56 Days
by Catherine Ryan Howard Overall: This thriller has a lot going on. Told from different perspectives, it jumps around in time, presenting the lead-up to the crime, the crime itself, and the investigation in out-of-order vignettes to build suspense. Honestly, the less you know about this one going in, the better! I’ll just say itContinue reading “56 Days”
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid Overall: This book has seen a lot of hype online, and I think it’s justified! I really enjoyed the tale of Evelyn Hugo and her seven husbands. When Monique gets the call from her editor at Vivant magazine, she’s not expecting an invitation to do a piece on Evelyn Hugo, oneContinue reading “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven
by Juno Dawson Overall: Although it’s been compared to The Craft and A Discovery of Witches (both of which share some of its fantasy DNA), the media property I thought of most reading Her Majesty’s Royal Coven was James Bond. It’s not just the title, which of course recalls Her Majesty’s Secret Service, or theContinue reading “Her Majesty’s Royal Coven”
The Trial of Lizzie Borden
by Cara Robertson Overall: A meticulously researched deep dive into the murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in 1893, The Trial of Lizzie Borden describes the crime, its aftermath, the “investigation” (if you can call it that) by the police force, the trial, and what followed. If all you know about Lizzie Borden is theContinue reading “The Trial of Lizzie Borden”
Liz Helfrich 