Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

4 stars Beautiful and gruesome. The horror romance I didn’t know I was looking for. It somehow manages to perfectly balance cozy and unsettling. One of those reads you just can’t look away from. Perfectly paced, it draws you in no matter how much you want to look away. I loved the way Dawson planted…

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Our Dining Table by Mita Ori

Translated by Amber Tamosaitis 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A nice, slow-paced story exploring human connections and overcoming past trauma. Yutaka has a hard time eating with other people. He isn’t close with his family and he finds it difficult to connect with others. But after a chance meeting with two brothers, their cooking sessions soon…

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Awe-samosas! by Marzieh Abbas

Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…

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Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry (Audiobook)

Narrated by Hope Newhouse 5 stars A tree, a table, and a book. Three little tales have the unexpected power of connecting the past to the present in a whole new way. Absolutely beautiful. Sophie W. is 11 years old. Sophie G. is 88. Despite their age gap, they are best friends. When the elder…

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Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter (Ham Helsing #1) by Rich Moyer

2 stars Ham Helsing comes from a long line of daring vampire hunters. After his older brother dies in a tragic wingsuit accident, he takes up the family mantle and sets out to defeat a vampire. Along the way, he encounters a ninja pig, a were-boy, a robot knight, and many more interesting characters. Figure…

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Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird by Jacqueline Chen

4 stars An absolutely adorable collection of feel-good comics told with warmth, positivity, and humor. Cute artwork featuring various animals including a motivational penguin, some positivity bunnies, and a supportive hedgehog. At the back is an index broken out by theme (positivity, self-esteem, bad day). This was a nice detail and works well for finding…

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I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle

5 stars All Joana’s dreams are coming true. She’s secured her dream job as a potions maker in London. She makes friends, finds an apartment, and explores romantic pursuits. Everything should be perfect. But something feels off. She’s tired all the time and constantly plagued with doubt. She pushes down her emotions as best she…

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