MADreads

Though Ann Leckie's new novel involves larger issues of political intrigue and is set in her Imperial Radch universe, the story is a more intimate one of self-determination and how identity is formed.

I'll say up front that this Mary Balogh isn't going to work for everyone. It's a slow-build, slow-burn romance between a pair of guarded, reserved adults who come to their HEA in small, careful steps. Doesn't sound like a barn burner does it? But for this reader it was a nearly perfect read that let me settle in and savor each moment.

This adorable picture book series is about feeling like you are one thing when you may look like another. Kitty is sweet and little and fluffy and pink and feels like a unicorn. Nobody else thinks Kitty looks like a unicorn and this makes Kitty very sad. Until she meets a unicorn who thinks they look like a kitty! And so begins a friendship of mutual respect, understanding, and support about recognizing each other for who they are and seeing each other for what they want to be.

Also in this series:

Told through the perspective of various family members Calling for a Blanket Dance follows the life of Ever Geimausaddle. Cherokee, Kiowa, and Mexican, Ever negotiates the many identities and perspectives in his family. From his father’s brutal beating at the hands of police to the quilts his grandmother hand sews to show her love, Ever learns to navigate a legacy of cultural trauma as he struggles to raise a family of his own. Oskar highlights native voices in this thoughtful and moving debut novel.