With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago has been doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

I simply require a sequel to see where Emoni goes after high school. This book was so cute I couldn't stop reading! Despite there being no real plot, I found myself eager to keep reading. I wanted to know what Emoni cooked next or hear what 'Buela's next piece of advice would be. Sometimes it's nice to pick up a fluff book after reading depressing novels for so long. This was 100% the feel-good book that I needed.

- Emily

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Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel In this graphic novel, Lewis Hancox takes us on the path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. I loved the way this one was written with future Lewis beside his past self reassuring the reader that everything worked out in the end. It helped keep everything light and enjoyable. Too often I find myself getting sad when reading trans stories because they tend to get really dark until their transition. Future Lewis made that discomfort easier to bear. I really enjoyed the art style for this one as well. - Emily

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle Genre: Adult Fiction Where do you see yourself in five years? A question I ask myself all the time. But what if you woke up five years in the future? After spending an entire hour 5 years in the future, main character Dannie Kohan wakes up again back in the present. She cannot shake what happened even though it was presumably just a dream. Dannie, being ever the realist, is determined to ignore the experience and move on with her life...until 4.5 years later she meets the man she was with in the long-ago vision. This book was a whirlwind of emotion, friendship, and loss. The ending hit me right in the feels and I was a crying mess for the last 10 pages or so. The whole time I was reading it, I was trying to predict the ending but I was off by a lot. If you're looking for a quick read and an emotional rollercoaster - this one's for you! - Emily

All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce

All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce Genre: Horror/Historical Fiction I have never read a book like this before - serial killers on the prairie in the 1870s. All the Blood We Share is a story of the "Bloody Benders", based on the true story of this family that operated in Kansas during this time period. The point of view alternates between a few characters, including a few of the Benders and someone from the community. A pretty graphic and disturbing read, but if you like horror (and true crime), I'd recommend this one. - Bethany

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