Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Summer 2019 TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

There are so many interesting books coming out this summer. How many of you are also hoping to read these titles? This week I decided to only count books that will be published this summer. If no release date is noted, that book has already been released.

1. In West Mills by De’Shawn Charles Winslow

The blurb said this was a good read for people who liked The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Since I’m one of those folks, I’m hoping this tale about a possibly overly-ambitious do-gooder will be right up my alley.

2. Naturally Tan by Tan France

Queer Eye is one of my guilty pleasure shows, so I definitely want to read this memoir from one of the guys who works on it.

3. This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura

I’m especially interested in the generational tensions in this story. The main character’s grandparents were sent to a Japanese internment camp during World War II, and that experience changed multiple generations of their family in different and sometimes contradictory ways.

4. The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante

The references to the struggles that immigrants face was what first grabbed my attention from this blurb. My immigration story was quite different from this one, but I have empathy for everyone who moves from one country to the next.

5. The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu

Release date: July 2

This murder mystery sounds amazing. I especially like this genre when the killer might have been acting in self defence. The question of whether they’re telling the truth about this sort of thing makes me eager to figure out the truth.

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Arranged marriages aren’t part of the culture I grew up in, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Leila, the main character, thinks of them and if any of the dates she plans work out.

Release date: July 23

7. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Release date: July 23

Imagine going on an adventure with the gods! I’d love to try that sort of experience. It sounds like the perfect jumping off point for a fantasy novel.

8. My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva

Release date: July 30

The preteen years are when a lot of kids begin to pick up on interpersonal tensions happening in their families that they might have overlooked at a younger age, so this could be a very good read.

9. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

Release date: August 13

I’m fascinated by the idea of someone who works as a maid by day and moonlights as an advice columnist. What makes this even more interesting is that the main character pretends to be someone she’s not in order to get that gig!

10. The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

Release date: August 20

Everything about this book appeals to me, from the forbidden romance to seeing how the main character’s family will adjust when a relative who has a substance abuse problem moves back home.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2019

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Who else is surprised to realize that 2019 is almost half finished now? It feels like it began just a few weeks ago.

Here are ten books that will be released between now and the end of the year that I’m looking forward to reading.

1. Rose, Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence

Release date: July 25

Imagine needing to adjust to regular life after growing up in a cult! My childhood was unusual in certain ways, but it definitely wasn’t anything like this. I’m curious to see how the characters will deprogram themselves and learn how to enjoy their youth now that they’re safe.

2. They Could Have Named Her Anything by Stephanie Jimenez

Release date: August 1

Social class doesn’t get as much attention in fiction as I think it should, so I’m happy to see it being talked about here.  The intersectionality is wonderful, too. Social class and race both affect how someone is treated by society. I’m curious to see how these two things will affect this main character in particular.

3.  The World Doesn’t Require You: Stories by Rion Amilcar Scott

Release date: August 20

Imagine what the world would be like if one of the slave revolts in the United States had been successful. This anthology contains stories about the fictional community created by the people who won that revolt. I think it sounds like a great read.

4. I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi

Release date: August 20

Speaking of intersectionality, here’s another book that’s written about someone who is part of multiple minority groups. The fact that it’s nonfiction and about mental illness only piques my interest more.

5. Caster by Elsie Chapman

Release date: September 3

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6.  Stargazing by Jen Wang

Release date:  September 10

The friendship in this book was what appealed to me the second I read the blurb. We need more YA titles about platonic relationships. Honestly, we need more adult titles on that topic, too!

7. Slay by Brittney Morris

Release date: September 24

I love roleplaying games. As soon as I saw that the main character was into them, too, I knew I had to read this.

8. The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao

Release date: October 15

There’s an entire army of dragons in this story! I love dragons, so this is something I’ll have to keep an eye out for in October.

9. Color outside the Lines by Sangu Mandanna (Editor)

Release date: November 12

This is an anthology of stories about characters who are in interracial LGBTQ+ relationships. I don’t know much else about it yet, but I am curious to see what it will be like.

10. When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis

Release date: November 12

This sounds like such a sweet love story. The holiday season can be hard for me, so it’s exactly the sort of light, fluffy distraction I’ll need in five or six months.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Children’s Picture Books You Should Read

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

This week’s topic is Books From My Favorite Genre. Over the last few years, I’ve really gotten into children’s picture books. There are some amazing ones out there that truly seem to be written for adults as much as they are for kids.

Today I’m going to share ten picture books you should read whether you’re three or 103 years old. If they are books that I’ve reviewed for Long and Short Reviews, the links in their titles will take you to those reviews.

1. The Lorax  by Dr. Seuss

Honestly, I don’t think this book will ever fall out of fashion. It’s a classic.

2. The Paper Bag Princess  by Robert Munsch

We need many more princesses who save themselves in fairy tales, don’t you think?

3. Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Mélanie Watt

This is the perfect thing to read for anyone who has ever felt social anxiety or worried about how to make a new friend in general.

4. Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

I can’t imagine a more perfect way to introduce a small child – or a curious adult – to Neil Gaimain’s beautiful way of describing the world.

5. Penelope Perfect by Shannon Anderson

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6. What Daddy Did Today: A Father’s Bedtime Story by Walter Wally

If only everyone’s days could be described in this style. I love the idea of taking what can be complicated agendas and explaining them so simply that even a preschooler understands them. This is a skill everyone should have.

7. This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson

Heirlooms come in all shapes and sizes. My family likes to give each other wooden cutting boards and cast iron pans of all things. It was quite interesting to see what this family passes down over the years.

8. The Most Ferocious of Creatures by Chris Sykes

What a funny, creative take on everything that can go wrong when someone makes a mistake. I often think about this tale when I’m having a terrible day and need to cheer myself up.

9. Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

What a nice way to explain grief and the cycle of life to a young child.

10. Sophie’s Squash Go to School by Pat Zietlow Miller

Yes, this is the sequel to #9! You don’t have to read them in order, but I sure enjoyed getting an update on Sophie and her pet squash.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Compiling this list was so much fun. There were years when I wanted to list thirty books and other years where it took a bit of research to find something that really stood out to me. I enjoyed the challenge of making sure every year had representation, though!

This list starts in 2019 and ends in 2010

 Internment by Samira Ahmed

Internment camps are not a new idea. Many different countries have used them to imprison groups their cultures vilified. This take on this idea felt fresh and realistic to me. I hope it never happens again, but I loved the way the author explored how prejudice against Muslims might be used in some truly awful ways against them.

Educated by Tara Westover

This is the true story of how homeschooling was used to cover up child abuse and neglect in one family. More importantly, it’s the story of how the author was able to overcome her past, get a great education, and make a happy life for herself as an adult. I always enjoy reading about people who persevere like this, and it was the best thing I read last year.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

The thought of a child being accused of a terrible crime against an infant was what first lead me to read this tale.

As soon as I got to know the main character, I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened that night. She was a likeable person who had lived a rough life in her first decade.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Seriously, how is this book three years old already? It feels like it was just published. I love Ketterdam now even more than I did when I first met it.

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This is one of those young adult novels that honestly speak just as much to adults as it does to the age group it was written for. I’ve been recommending it to people who don’t generally read the YA genre for several years now and having luck in convincing them to try other books in this genre, too.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey 

There are a lot of amazing zombie novels out there, but I think this one has done the best job so far of showing what would really happen if such an epidemic actually took place. It would be pure chaos, but humans would adapt.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I loved seeing America through the eyes of an immigrant. It was so interesting to see how someone who did not grow up there viewed things that I never would have given a second thought. The love story was well worth reading, too.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I’ve never been able to read this book without crying. Talk about a memorable tearjerker!

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Tina Fey will never stop making me laugh. Her sense of humor shone through beautifully in this memoir.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The thought of hospitals profiting from tissues and body parts they removed from poor people makes me angry. While I’m grateful that the cancer cells that were taken from Henrietta Lacks’ cervix ended up being so useful for researchers, I still wish her family could have profited from all of the money made from her body. The fact that this is something I still  think about almost a decade after reading about it makes this a must-read in my opinion.

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters That Remind Me of Myself

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Each of these characters shares something in common with me that I think of as an important part of my personality, life, or interests. I’d like to think that all of us would get along well if we were to somehow all end up in the same room together.

It’s kind of funny to me that I kept returning to certain books and a particular author over and over again for this prompt!

1. Beth March from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women

We’re shy, quiet people, especially when first meeting someone. As much as I liked her older sister Jo, I think Beth and I would have enjoyed each other’s company the most out of all four of the March sisters.

2. Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gable series.

Anne and I were highly imaginative, and we both had times growing up when our vivid imaginations annoyed or confused some of the people around us. While I wasn’t talkative or extroverted like her, I totally understood how she felt when people around her reacted poorly to the beautiful thoughts in her head.

3. Valancy from L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle.

Like Valancy, I also started dating later than most of my peers. It was lonely to see other people falling in love over and over again when I’d never experienced it once. I identified so strongly with her yearnings in the beginning of this novel.

4. Matthew Cuthbert from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.

As much as I loved Anne, I strongly identified with Matthew’s kind soul, bashful personality and social anxiety. (Or at least I think he probably had social anxiety based on the descriptions of him in this series).  I find big groups of people overwhelming at times, too, especially if I don’t know them well.

5. Starr Carter from Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give

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6. Neville Longbottom from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

Honestly, I think Neville had the best character arc of anyone in this series. He was awkward and unassuming in the beginning, but he turned out to be a true hero by the end. I adored seeing this transformation take place. It reminded me so much of how I’ve changed in similar ways over the years as well.

7. Scout Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

I was inquisitive and full of questions just like her when I was a kid.

8. Unhei from Yangsook Choi’s The Name Jar.

Most people can pronounce my first name okay, but my last name confuses everyone. This picture book captured what it’s like to have a name that folks struggle to pronounce and understand. I identified so strongly with this character’s love of her name as well as her frustration with people mispronouncing it all the time.

9. Veda from Padma Venkatraman’s A Time to Dance.

I used to be a dancer a long time ago. This character’s love of dancing reminded me so much of how I behaved as a teenager.

10.Corduroy from Don Freeman’s Corduroy.

When I was a small child, I used to dream about what I’d do in a store if all of the grownups went away for a while. Occasssoinally, I’d even hide in racks of clothing while my mom was shopping and imagine that I could walk down any aisle in the store I wished. I don’t know why I wanted to explore on my own so much, but I totally identify with this little stuffed bear’s urge to do the same thing.

Top Ten Tuesday: Inspirational/Thought-Provoking Book Quotes

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I had a wonderful time rounding up these quotes. I hope all of you enjoy them, too.

1. “Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.”-  Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

2. “As long as there’s life, there’s hope.”  – Tamora Pierce, Alanna: The First Adventure

3. So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible. – Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

4. “Well, we all make mistakes, dear, so just put it behind you. We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.”  – L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

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6. “The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there…and still on your feet.”  – Stephen King, The Stand

7. “But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”  – George Eliot, Middlemarch

8. “A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.”  – Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

9. “You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.”-  Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon

10. “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”  – Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Top Ten Tuesday: Outrageous Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Some of these stories are a little embarrassing, but I can’t help but to share them with you. Here are ten outrageous things I’ve done for the love of books.

1. Snooped

The interesting thing about this is that I have no desire to snoop in other people’s home in general. If you have a drawer filled with private items that you don’t want other folks looking at, I’m the last person in the world who would open it. With that being said, I’m also the first person in the world who would wander over to your bookcase to see what kinds of stuff you like to read.

2. Packed Books Before Clothes for a Vacation

I technically ended up with enough clothing for that trip, but just barely. Having extra socks or t-shirts is much less important than bringing that extra book or two.

3. Intentionally Befriended People Who Liked the Same Genres

This isn’t to say I’d refuse to be friends with someone who had no interest in science fiction or fantasy, but I’m much faster to invite an acquaintance out to do something if I know we can talk about Star Trek or similar topics while we’re getting to know each other.

4. Brought a Book to the Noisy DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)

For those of you who don’t live in the United States (or who have never needed to get a new driver’s license), the DMV isn’t exactly a peaceful place to read. You generally need to sit in a loud, bright waiting room with dozens – or even hundreds – of other people for quite a while before a clerk is ready for you.

It’s not the quiet environment I generally like to read it, but it was a nice distraction from that environment.

5. Got a Sunburn 
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One of the Harry Potter books had just came out, and I was reading it while sitting in the sun. I was so enthralled that I didn’t notice my face had burned until it was too late.

6. Taught My Brother How to Read

He was about five or six, and I thought he should be learning how to read faster than he was. I taught him to sound out words that his teacher hadn’t introduced yet, and I was quite proud when he figured out how to read slightly more difficult books than his classroom had.

7. Used Half of My Closet Storage Space for Books

It wasn’t a big closet, either, but I preferred to have a smaller wardrobe if it meant I could fit another row of books into my bedroom.

8. Formed Opinions of People Based on The Content of Their Bookshelves 

I don’t judge people based on what genres they read, but I do have a strong preference for hanging out with folks whose bookshelves are filled with some sort of books! People who buy bookshelves and leave them empty confuse me quite a bit.

9. Turned Scary Books into Small Talk

A few years ago, I read a sci-fi book about an alien who wore what was essentially a human suit in order to blend in on Earth as she collected human men for nefarious purposes. I loved that story so much that I explained it in great detail to someone I’d just met. She wasn’t as excited about it as I was, but it did make for an interesting conversation.

10. Quoted Books to See How Others Reacted

If I quote one of the less well-known passages of something like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings and you catch that reference, I’m automatically going to be just a little more interested in hanging out with you.

Game Review: Hungry Hearts Diner

Review of the free restaurant simulation game Hungry Hearts Diner: A Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers by GAGEX.

Review by Astibe.

Hungry Hearts Diner is a lighthearted game set in a small diner in Japan shortly after the end of World War II. The diner is owned and operated by a woman whose husband recently had serious health problems that are preventing him from working or even leaving their home.

While he recuperates, your job as a player is to keep her busy making the various dishes that will attract customers to the shop. Their money will enable the main character to buy more food and improve her restaurant, and their stories about their lives will eventually offer something else as well.

The atmosphere of this game was relaxed. While I did want to make sure that customers always had a variety of food to order, there was no time limit on how long they were willing to wait. The only real limit in playing had to do with how much energy the protagonist had. She could only do so much cooking and serving before she needed to rest for a while.

I really enjoyed the process of keeping her customers happy and gradually making improvements to the family restaurant. It was a tiny place that only had room for two customers in the beginning, so it was exciting to see that change as the main character earned enough money to buy things like additional tables or a fridge.

It was also exciting to get to know the customers and gradually realize what their favorite foods were! Everyone had a dish or two that they’d eagerly order first, and there was a special signal in the game showing their happiness if you happened to have that dish available when they showed up.

The Second Layer to the Story

A busy morning at the diner.

As you might have already guessed, making food is only one part of this game. There are also a few mysteries to uncover about the lives of certain customers and of the main character herself.
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For example, Ol’Tokei was a grouchy neighbour whose clock-repair business was failing. One of the long-term objectives in this game was to figure out why he was always in such a terrible mood and if there was anything your character could do to help.

There were about a half-dozen other characters who had their own dilemmas to solve, and I enjoyed seeing how all of those stories unfolded over time. They made the world they inhabited feel three-dimensional.

The main character must also solve her own family problems in the midst of trying to help others. Not only was her husband not doing well, their estranged adult daughter was having serious health problems during her pregnancy. It was the player’s job to gradually uncover why the relationship between them and their daughter broke down and whether there’s anything the protagonist can do to fix it.

As much as I enjoyed the short-term goals of making sure the diner had food that appealed to every customer, the best part of this game was seeing how all of the characters handled the problems in their lives. Would they find solutions to their problems?

Some of them were dealing with serious issues that had been plaguing them for years. None of their problems were things that could be fixed with a rice ball or a cup of ramen soup, but they were all a little more willing to discuss what was bothering them after their stomachs had been filled with good food.

Final Thoughts

Hungry Hearts Diner is a game I’d wholeheartedly recommend to older kids and adults. There are some mature themes in it that wouldn’t be appropriate for younger viewers, but I appreciated the nuanced approach it took to the complex ways people respond to conflict and loss.

It felt quite emotionally realistic to me. That’s something I wasn’t expecting to find when I first began playing, but it did make me keep coming back for more until I’d solved all of the mysteries!

Hungry Hearts Diner can be played on Android, iOS, and PC devices.

Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make Me Pick Up a Book

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Oh, this week’s prompt is a fun one. Obviously, I don’t expect every book to fulfill all of these wishes, but they more they can hit the better.

Here are the things that will make me pick up a book instantly if I know they’re included somewhere in the plot:

1.  Is Told from the Third-Person Perspective.

I’ve been a reviewer for Long and Short Reviews for seven years now. While I have occasionally bent this rule, I generally prefer to read stories that use pronouns like he or she instead of you or I. When I read something like “she rode a horse down Main Street at high noon,” it feels like an old friend is telling this story to me. I want to lean in and absorb every last word of what happened on Main Street and how the horse reacted to any cars that might have also been there.

2. Has a Clever Title

If a title makes me laugh, I become much more likely to pick it up. In fact, I’m kind of infamous among the LASR staff and volunteers for requesting silly titles. Books also get bonus points from me if they have a humorous pun.

3. Discusses the Lighthearted Side of Illness

One of my parents works in the medical field, so I grew up hearing all sorts of interesting stories about illnesses, injuries, and surgeries when I was growing up.

We obviously never heard any identifying information about the patients, just funny anecdotes about how hospitals actually work behind the scenes, things that go wrong with the human body, and stuff like that.

4. Talks About World War I

There are approximately five billion stories out there about World War II and only three about World War I. (Okay, so I might be exaggerating a little there). I’m always interested in learning more about this time in history. It was the first modern war, after all.

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If I’m reading a story set in a world where magic exists, I always appreciate it when the author comes up with a coherent set of rules about how magic works, what it’s capable of, and what no spell will ever able to do in that universe. It’s a lot easier to suspend disbelief when you know exactly where the boundaries are for wizards and witches.

6. Has an “Unlikely” Protagonist 

Give me protagonists who are 70-year-old grandmothers, or who have a disability, or who are also single parents raising a couple of small children on their own. I’m hungry for far more stories about people who break the traditional mold when it comes to who and what audiences expect heroes to be.

7. Includes an Open-Ended Final Scene

As long as my most important questions about the plot and characters are answered, I really like it when books leave a few dangling strings. It’s cool to have a few minor plot points left up to the reader’s imagination so us fans have something to discuss and debate for years to come.

8. Makes the Food Sound Delicious

I’ve read quite a few fantasy novels over the years.  One of the things they all seem to have in common are their descriptions of glorious feasts.

Reading about the delicious meals that hobbits, elves, and other creatures eat has taught me to expect other genres to put just as much effort into describing what humans eat when they’re celebrating.

9. Has a Happy Ending

Occasionally I’ve been known to flip ahead to the final page of a book before starting it just to make sure it ends in a cheerful place. I can handle a lot of dark material, but I do need to be reassured that the characters will survive those scenes and go on to get whatever it is they were hoping for.

10. Fights Stereotypes in General

I love it when characters are written as well-rounded individuals whose hobbies, interests, or personality traits might not necessarily fit what society assumes someone of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other label is actually supposed to be like.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Spring 2019 TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are a few of the many books I’m hoping to read this spring. The only way I could narrow it down to ten of them was if I only chose titles that are going to be published sometime between now and the summer solstice!

1. The Tradition by Jericho Brown

Release Date: April 2

Why do I always get the urge to read poetry in the spring? Does that happen to any of you as well? This collection’s focus on how history has repeated itself over and over again is grabbing my attention already.

2. When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll

Release Date: April 16

I’ve never read a gothic horror graphic novel before, but this one is going to make me break that streak. The thought of someone going to live in a castle without having any idea what dangers lurked there is quite interesting to me.

3. Cannonball by Kelsey Wroten

Release Date: April 30

It’s been my experience that a lot of people are hesitant to talk honestly about the things in their lives that aren’t going well, so I’m quite curious to see how this character broaches the topic of possibly having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

4. Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination by Brian Jay Jones

Release Date: May 7

Honestly, who didn’t love Dr. Seuss when they were a kid? I know almost nothing about his personal life, so it’s probably going to be eye-opening to get to know one of my childhood heroes.

5. Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad by Gordon H. Chang

Release Date: May 7

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6. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Release Date: May 14

After two young sisters are kidnapped, the various narrators in this book show all of the different ways the characters react to such a terrible event. I think this sounds like a very interesting premise!

7. Hybrida: Poems by Tina Chang

Release Date: May 14

I really like poetry in general. This collection about raising a multiracial child sounds like it’s going to be a good read.

8. Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football by John Urschel, with Louisa Thomas

The stereotype that jocks can’t be intelligent or interested in academics has always rubbed me the wrong way. I’m really looking forward to learning why Mr. Urschel decided to switch from playing football to earning his Ph.D. in mathematics.

Release Date: May 14

9. Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene

Release Date: May 14

The author of this memoir lost his two-year-old daughter in a freak accident. After she died, he wrote what sounds like will be an amazing book about love, grief, and how to move on with your life when the unthinkable happens. It feels a little disrespectful to say I’m looking forward to reading this due to how heartbreaking the subject matter is, but I am curious to see what he’ll have to say.

10. The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull

Release Date: June 18

As soon as I heard that this was about a race of super advanced aliens coming to Earth to perform some sort of research, I knew this was something I’d want to give a try.