Morning in this Broken World
Katrina Kittle
Grieving but feisty widow Vivian Laurent is at a late-in-life crossroads. The man she loved is gone. Their only daughter is estranged and missing. And the assisted-living facility where her husband died is going into quarantine. Living in lockdown with only heartache and memories is something Vivian can’t bear. Then comes a saving grace.
Luna, a compassionate nursing assistant and newly separated mother, is facing eviction. Vivian has a plan that could turn their lives around: return to her old home and invite Luna and her two children to move in with her. With the exuberant eleven-year-old Wren in her hot-pink motorized wheelchair and Wren’s troubled older brother, Cooper, the new housemates make for an unlikely pandemic pack, weathering the coming storm together.
Now it’s time to heal old wounds, make peace with the past, find hope and joy, and discover that the strongest bonds can get anyone through the worst of times.
The Weight We Carry
Christina Consolino
Marissa Raffaelo-Moretta is used to shouldering the burden. As the middle child, she's played the mediator role for longer than she cares to admit. As a mother, she's taken on the exhausting task of primary caregiver. And as a daughter and nurse practitioner, she's spent her adult life being responsible for her parents' physical and mental health.
When her stubborn and impulsive father, Frank, falls and refuses to stay at rehab, she and her brothers bring him home, and Marissa upends her life: she temporarily moves into her parents' house, which takes precious time away from her two sons and jeopardizes her job. Soon, Marissa recognizes that life as they've all known it is about to change: while Frank's ineffective legs are worrisome, her mother Angie's memory issues might be a more urgent dilemma.
A heartbreaking and emotional story of the toll that health crises can have on an entire family, The Weight We Carry reminds us of the fine line between reliance and independence, tending and mothering, and love and obligation.
Heather Martin—Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
“I would say this is one of the most fun books I've read in the last few years. I loved it because it's a science fiction/quantum-physics-creates-alternate-timelines book that messes with your head in the best way. Blake Crouch is really good at keeping the focus on the characters, whose challenges just happen to be the perils of time travel.”
Christina Consolino—The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
“The word Anthropocene used to fall into the category of ‘words that I know but often still need to look up.’ I think it has to do with the fact that it was first used, according to Merriam-Webster, in 2000. It’s not a word I grew up with or looked up in dictionaries, and an occasion to utter the word? Those didn’t come up frequently in my world. Now, thanks to John Green, I’ll remember the word forever.*
Green is a bestselling and award-winning author of several young adult novels, but he’s also a podcaster, and he adapted podcast episodes to create The Anthropocene Reviewed. And by reviewed, he means it: he uses the classic five-star scale to review different aspects of our “human-centered planet.”
Like every other John Green production, the book doesn’t disappoint. With this collection of essays, Green once again wows readers with his wit, charm, intelligence, insight, and vulnerability. He reminds us of the fragility of the planet and the importance of human connection, and of course, I give the book five stars.”
*Not sure what Anthropocene means? Here you go: “the period of time during which human activities have had an environmental impact on the Earth regarded as constituting a distinct geological age.”
Katrina Kittle—Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
“Holy moly, it's great. Huang says the book is ‘...in large part, a horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive business.’ That business is publishing, and this is a brutally honest sendup of that crazy industry. It's also about creativity, white privilege, writing, social media, lies, and secrets. It made me squirm with discomfort and I couldn't get enough! Plus, just look at this amazing opening line: ‘The night I watch Athena Liu die, we're celebrating her TV deal with Netflix.’ “
Darren McGarvey—North by Brad Kessler
“This book beautifully pairs three characters from very diverse backgrounds and throws them together to confront one the most controversial topics to face our time. The novel unfolds slowly and is so full of atmosphere, character, and heart that it’s hard not to let this book move and impact you deeply. I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to share this book with other readers!“