Category: books and reading

Title: Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success

Author: Jessica Parra

Genre: YA

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Super cute story of Rubi who loves baking but her parents expect her to be a lawyer. Though they are bakers and are proud, they want more for their only child. But Rubi is great at baking. Like really great. So when her town offers a “Bake Off,” Rubi can’t help but join.

The story follows Rubi trying to navigate her parents’ expectations, her love of baking, balance all her classwork, being captain of the Debate Team, and finding a new math tutor who might also be her boyfriend.

This book was so fun. Rubi is a great main character who knows what she wants but cares so much about her parents that she doesn’t want to let them down. She stands her ground at times, and you can’t help but cheer for her. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Title: Locust Lane

Author: Stephen Amidon

Genre: mystery

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This story, told from multiple perspectives, follows three families after a young woman, Eden, is murdered. Her mother is shocked, but the families know their teenagers, who were with Eden, are hiding something.

The families intertwine with friendships, relationships, and affairs. And just who the murderer is… well, that’s not an easy answer. This book does a great job of illustrating the differences between cultures, social status, and showcases every person’s faults.

I thought this book was well-written and would say it’s more of a family drama/mystery than a thriller. Even though most of the characters weren’t great people, I was still interested to see what happened.

Title: My Father, the Panda Killer

Author: Jamie Jo Hoang

Genre: YA

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Great coming-of-age story about Jane, born in America to Vietnamese parents, who balances being a typical teenager with the expectations of her father. However, the alternate storyline is of her father traveling to America as a child.

Jane is a great character who struggles with her Vietnamese culture, especially the abuse she suffers when she steps out of line, and can’t wait to go to college. But she struggles with that because she would leave her little brother behind.

You also see the struggles her father goes through with his travels from Vietnam to America: pirates, starvation, and yes, the murder of a panda. I enjoyed this story, and I can imagine how it will resonate with Vietnamese-American teenagers.

Title: Incidents Around the House

Author: Josh Malerman

Genre: horror

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m a Josh Malerman superfan. I’ve read just about everything of his. See my reviews for Spin a Black Yarn, Daphne, Pearl, Goblin, Malorie, Inspection, A House at the Bottom of the Lake, Unbury Carol, Black Mad Wheel, and Bird Box. And I’m pleased to say this one is his finest work since Bird Box. I absolutely loved this one.

Bela lives at home with her Mommy, Daddo, and Other Mommy, who lives in her closet and wants Bela to let her into her heart. When Mommy and Daddo finally believe Bela that Other Mommy is real, they attempt to get OM to leave Bela alone. They try leaving the house, trying to get an exorcism, and driving far away, but nothing works. OM seems to be able to follow Bela everywhere.

This book is terrifying. There’s nothing gross or gory about it. But it’s so suspenseful from beginning to end. OM is so scary in how Bela describes her. The parents trying to protect Bela but continually failing is heartbreaking. But this book will stay with me for a long time.

Title: Most Ardently

Author: Gabe Cole Novoa

Genre: historical romance

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This book was a delight. One book in the “Remixed classics” series, this story takes Pride and Prejudice and makes Elizabeth Bennett, the traditional heroine, into a transgender man, Oliver. Sadly, not many people know who Oliver truly is and still refer to him as a woman, who he most certainly isn’t.

Thankfully, a few great people in Oliver’s life know who he really is, but when he meets Mr. Darcy as both Elizabeth one day and Oliver the next, Oliver worries that Mr. Darcy will only know who he is required to be, not who he truly is. The back-and-forth between Oliver and Mr. Darcy is a lot of fun and Oliver is just as wonderful is Elizabeth in the original book.

After hearing about this series, I’ll be reading more of them. A lot of fun and important for young adult readers!