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Book Reviews
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It’s kind of a funny story
by Ned vizzini
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This is a really heartwarming novel about depression and strength. If you like be more chill or dead Evan Hansen, you will enjoy this book.

Kin
by Tayari Jones
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You know how with some books you are so engrossed in them that don't want to put them down -- well for me this was not one of them. I found this story, despite all the glowing reviews, just okay and a bit of a slog. Perhaps my expectations were just too high for this story of two childhood neighbors and friends and their divergent journeys through their lives.

The Sisters of Book Row
by Shelley Noble
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This novel is based on an interesting piece of New York City history that I knew nothing about. It's 1915 and citizens of NYC are under constant threat of arrest due to the Comstock Act. It might not be every citizen in danger, but one never knows when those that uphold the law will deem that you are in violation. Of course, I had to do a deeper dive and discovered this is a zombie law -- still on the books, but not acted upon. In the state of our country now, I wonder if someone will decide to take it off the inactive list and decide to enforce it. Have I peaked your curiosity and are you now going to look up what the Comstock Act is?

The vanishing cherry blossom bookshop
by Takuya Asakura
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This is such a heartwarming novel, I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a cozy book about life and loss. It is a quick read and very well written.

Giovanni's Room
by James Baldwin
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While this is not my genre and while I did not love this book, It does do an excellent job of portraying the conflicts and challenges faced by gay men in the 1050’s in France. Baldwin’s central character brings to life the dichotomy of emotions faced as he struggles to come to terms with his undeniable attraction to men while harboring an understanding of society’s expectations for traditional marriage and family. A well written and thoughtful narrative.

Heart of a Stranger
by Angela Buchdahl
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What a beautiful memoir of Rabbi Buchdahl. I have heard her sing as a cantor & listened to many of her sermons. It is a powerful & meaningful book about being a Korean Jew. The book is about faith, identity & belonging.

Montauk
by Nicola Harris
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Overall a good book. The beginning is a bit dry with focus on the lives and habits of the rich people who come out from the city to summer at Montauk, but as the book continues you see beneath their superficiality. One woman, Beatrice initially driven by her own unhappiness and later by her true love of the people of Montauk and of one person in particular, begins to assert herself and make real changes both in life and in the community. The ending is great and is unexpected.

Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 1
by Gege Akutami
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A good read for any fan of the anime. It’s nice to relive the story in its original form.

This is How You Lose the Time War
by Amal El-Mohtar
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First off, I am not a fan of the Sci-Fi genre or anything futuristic so my thoughts can be taken with that in mind. This is a story about two semi-humans(?), Red and Blue. It seems that they are on opposite sides of some sort of combat, but by writing to each other, they begin to have feelings(?) for each other. My issue is that there is SO much going on here and nothing is elaborated on or explained. It’s like coming in at the middle of some weird movie. But I will say that some of the thoughts, feelings and observations described in their letters are really beautiful and enriching to the story. While this is categorized as a book told through letters, that really only comprises about half of the book. I would give this a rating of “Maybe” is you are a diehard Sci-fi fan.

The Other Side of the Mountain
by Jean Craighead Gregory
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Sam, from the 1st book in the series, has been lliving on his mountain for years-now with his sister in her own house. The land has been improved with a new water mill. People come to visit for extended periods. During one of his sister's trips away, Sam's falcon goes missing. When Sam searches, he finds his sister with the falcon. Their debate is whether to free the bird or keep her with Sam to help him hunt. And how to preserve the land that has given them so much. As before, all ends well after many adventures.
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