This Julie Soto book has been on my radar for a while and I finally read it for a summer reading bingo. I liked the two main characters and their chemistry. The side characters also added to the story and were entertaining/enjoyable. The dual narration was great. I’m not the biggest tattoo fan, but Elliot’s body ink was cool, and I loved all the floral and wedding elements in the book.

It’s a great book about mental health struggles and overcoming them

This book brings Jack and Annie to Australia. They obtain the final gift they need to help the dog Teddy and finish their four-part quest. We learned about kangaroos and there was a scary wildfire.

Very interesting book. It talks about how a girl names Sophie finds out sh is an elf, and is brought to a place called the Lost Cities. She finds out that she has multiple abilities and she gets kidnapped by a band of rebels called the Neverseen ( though she doesn't know they are called the Neverseen yet). Her human parents' memories of her get erased because the elves are super secretive against the humans because the humans betrayed them. She starts school called Foxfire (yes, a fungus) and the first friend she makes is named Dex Dizznee. The Neverseen also kidnapps him, because he just so happens to be in the cave with her when she gets abducted. 10/10 story.

Loved it!!!! Highly recommend

I didn’t like my because each page was a different story

For readers who have met New York author (and eventual resident of Maine) Lucy Barton in Strout’s other books, this is an interesting deep dive into her life. It focuses on a period in. Barton’s life where her children were young and she is in the hospital for nine weeks with a severe infection following routine surgery. Not sure if I would have enjoyed this story if I hadn’t read about Barton in Strout’s other books.

Very disappointing. I used to love this series but the last few books have not been up to par.

Have you lived through Covid 19? In this generation you probably have. If you like adventure packed story’s, or feeling guilty for another character, this the book for you. Knox lives in Hong Kong, his home, the land he is from. He has been to America but now he has to live there. To him that’s not so bad, but there’s a catch, he is leaving his one friend behind, his dad. As he moves from the land he once knew to a whole new world, to escape from the dreaded covid 19, he must embark on loneliness, secrets about himself, and his new life! Was escaping Hong Kong enough? What about his dad? Will his mom be able to take care of him, his brother, and sister? Read New From Here by Kelly Yang to find out!

I read this book with my 4.5 year old. In this story, Jack and Annie go to the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans in Plymouth. Squanto was the strongest presence but otherwise I felt this was a lot of unrealized potential.