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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
April is National Poetry Month and you can celebrate by reading some poetry. I know poetry isn't everyone's cup of tea, but as with a lot of genres, sometimes it's just a matter of finding the one that works for you. So check out some of the new and upcoming poetry books listed below and let us know if you find one or have some to recommend.
Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee are four inseparable cousins growing up on the Windy Lake First Nation. Nicknamed the Mighty Muskrats for their habit of laughing, fighting, and exploring together, the cousins find that the best mysteries are the ones that are solved through teamwork by loving families.
I felt like shrieking more than a few times while reading The Teacher. Here's the deal: there's a student at Caseham High who was involved with a teacher last year in a way that drew suspicion from parents, other teachers, and administrators at the school. Nobody seems to know what happened, but the teacher resigned in disgrace and the student, Addie, earned a reputation for being troubled. It's not clear if Addie is truly troubled or if she's a victim of circumstance. What is clear is that she's a school pariah and being bullied by mean girls.
I have mentioned in the past how I enjoy the grumpy/sunshine trope in romances (or really any genre), so how could I resist a book titled When Grumpy Met Sunshine? It's all right there in the title. Add to that the hero is an ornery ex-footballer (soccer player on our side of the pond) who bears more than a bit of a resemblance to Roy on Ted Lasso (looks and personality) and the heroine is a sunny, but competent, ghostwriter? I'm in. And I'm so glad I was. This is a heartwarming read with likable protagonists in a funny, sometimes bittersweet, story.
Also available in Spanish as ¿Qué te pasó?
It's Seollal (Lunar New Year), and Sohee can't wait to prove how much of an eonni (big girl) she is! To celebrate Seollal, everyone eats tteokguk, a delicious soup. For every bowl one eats, they get a year older, and Sohee wants to eat as many bowls as she can! But as she helps prepare for the celebration, responsibilities keep getting in the way of eating her delicious tteokguk. This fun book includes a recipe at the end for how to make tteokguk.
After an investigation into political corruption in Paris, Capitaine Roger Blanc has stepped on a few too many toes, and is transferred from Paris to the South of France far away from political power. Or is it? Blanc, now the new boy, is assigned to the new case of a burned man at the dump in what looks like a routine drug deal gone wrong. But appearances are deceiving.
Makiia Lucier wowed me a few years ago with a book I've re-read many times. Her Year of the Reaper was set in a fully realized fantasy world and featured a flawed, but honorable, protagonist facing impossible choices with much grace and compassion. Since reading it, I've been eagerly waiting for Lucier's next. And here it is.
Jane's world changes the instant she meets Thalia. Both young women are waiting in line for a bus that will take them to their prestigious Oxford Creative Writing program and for Jane, the experience is heady and intoxicating. Thalia is beautiful and confident. She's smart and talented. She's wealthy and knows how to act. She has everything going for her and is beloved by all. Jane is plain and socially awkward. She's barely scraping by financially and in all aspects of her life.
Cha's story features twin brothers Doki and Kebi, Korean magical Goblins who couldn't be more different. Doki loves reading and secretly performing acts of kindness, while Kebi is happiest when exploring or playing tricks on people. This spooky tale explores their adventure to find a new haunted house in the United States. Although it’s not spooky season, this fun tale has a surprise ending that will delight adults and children alike!
A helpful author’s note explains the prominence of dokkaebi in Korean mythology, art, and history.
--reviewed by Melissa
