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When Women Were Dragons (2022) by Kelly Barnhill is a fabulous and moving coming-of-age novel…with dragons! We watch pre-teen Alex Green grow up through her experience with and repercussions of the mass dragoning of over 100,000 women in 1955.

If you’re looking for a fun and fast read, Lovers and Liars (2024) by Amanda Eyre Ward is the perfect book for a long summer afternoon.

T. Kingfisher is back with another quirky and creepy tale, and I am here for it!  

I recently saw American Fiction. The film was well-reviewed, and I understand why. In fact, enough time has passed since my viewing, that I find myself wanting to re-watch it. Not only was the movie enjoyable and the acting terrific, the story really left me thinking.

Stella Gibbons wrote 32 books over the course of her life, but she is most known for her first novel, Cold Comfort Farm (1932). Published in 1932, when Gibbons was still in her twenties, Cold Comfort Farm became wildly popular, received stellar reviews, and some very prestigious prizes.

Dwellings by Jay Stephens is a graphic novel that blends cute and cartoonish art with dark and disturbing tales of horror set in a fictional Canadian town. Despite its whimsical appearance, each of the 6 stories packs a punch, giving us a peek into the eerie depths of the human (cartoon?) psyche.

25-year-old Queenie Jenkins, a Jamaican British woman, is having a rough go. Her longtime boyfriend wants a break, leading to struggles at work, a depressing living situation, and questionable life choices. While this synopsis might indicate a light read, Queenie (2019) is a smart story of a strong woman coming to terms with a traumatic childhood, dealing with microaggressions and outright racism, and bolstering her self-worth.

In Tara Isabella Burton's Here in Avalon (2024), Rose lives her life being responsible and stable after a tumultuous upbringing by her bohemian mother, but her world is upended when her wild sister Cecilia vanishes into the enigmatic cabaret troupe known as the Avalon, leading to a mesmerizing journey through New York's hidden underworld.

Horror Movie (2024) by Paul Tremblay is my favorite book of the summer, but I'm biased as I'm a dedicated fan of his and got to meet him and have him sign my copy in June. (He left with a WPL pen).

If you like reading adventure or survival fiction, this is the book for you! If you despise intense word visualizations, you can ignore this. Although I really enjoyed this book, it actually is super intense. 

Walk Two Moons is an unbearably sad but extremely inspiring story of a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca Tree Hiddle. She goes on a journey, from moving to a small Ohio town, meeting the most peculiar Phoebe Winterbottom, discovering who the real lunatic is, going on a road trip on time, and discovering where her mother actually is.

The Westing Game is a weirdly captivating cozy mystery/page turner.

This book is so clever, with bombs, bookies, burglars, 16 heirs, and most of all: dead(or is he?) Samuel W. Westing and his will. This is so fun because of the action!

5 out of 5 stars.

-Noelle C (Teen Reviewer)