Out There : Stories

Out There : Stories

by Kate Folk 

Random House, 2022. 244 pages. Short Stories 

Full of indelible characters and darkly comic twists, the stories in Kate Folk's debut collection are perfectly pitched for the madness of our modern moment. A ward for a mysterious bone-melting disorder is the scene of a perilous love triangle. A curtain of void obliterates the globe at a steady pace, leaving one woman to decide whom she wants to spend eternity with. A woman navigates finding a partner while beautiful humanoid robots called "blots" have infiltrated the dating apps of San Francisco, dispatched by Russian hackers to steal data. And in a companion piece, a woman and a blot find connection in an unexpected yet tender love story. As this debut collection explores what it means to face the void, human beings try to find their way in bizarre and dystopic settings, whether their own body, their relationships, their home, or the world at large. Imaginative, genre-bending, and oddly prescient, Out There depicts a landscape that is eminently of-the-moment, terrifying but ultimately hopeful. 

This short story collection is perfect for fans of the kooky, witty, and bizarre. I am often skeptical when a book is described to me as "laugh-out-loud funny," but despite some darker elements, this one had me cracking up! Each story is full of fictional absurdities that shed light on the human condition. The author balances expertly crafted sentences with enough wit and humor to keep the stories from feeling bogged down. I found myself taking my time with each story, savoring the writing. I especially enjoyed the minor sci-fi elements. If you're in the mood for something "out there," this book certainly delivers on its title.

If you like Out There, you might also like: 

My Murder

by Katie Williams 

Riverhead Books, 2023. 294 pages. Fiction 

 A tautly paced novel in which a young mother who was cloned and brought back to life following her own murder comes to suspect that there is more to the story of her life and death than anyone is telling her. What if the murder you had to solve was your own? Lou is a happily married mother of an adorable toddler. She's also the clone of the original Louise who, along with four other victims of a local serial killer, has been brought back to life by a government project to return the women to their grieving families. But as the new Lou re-adapts to her old life, questions remain about what exactly preceded her death, and how much to trust those around her. Understanding the truth may determine what comes next for Lou. Darkly comic and lightly speculative, My Murder offers an exploration of ideas about personal identity, domestic life, and reinvention, within a thrilling, surprising, and entertaining mystery 

Annie Bot

by Sierra Greer 

Mariner Books, 2024. 231 pages. Science Fiction 

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she's not the greatest at keeping Doug's place spotless, but she's trying to please him. She's trying hard. She's learning, too. Doug says he loves that Annie's AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie's relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself? 

Get in Trouble : Stories 

by Kelly Link 

Random House, 2015. 336 pages. Short Stories

A collection of short stories features tales of a young girl who plays caretaker to mysterious guests at the cottage behind her house and a former teen idol who becomes involved in a bizarre reality show. 

RP

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir 

By Ina Garten 

Crown, 2024. 306 pages. Memoir 

 Ina Garten, the author of thirteen best-selling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and the cultural icon whose face has launched a thousand memes, shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table. 

I’ll admit that while I vaguely knew who Ina Garten, I’d never seen her show or perused any of her cookbooks. But after reading Be Ready When the Luck Happens, I’m now completely charmed by her. She’s a born storyteller and throughout her memoir, she comes across as warm, candid, self-aware, and completely likable. She’s famous not only for her approachable take on classic recipes and her passion for entertaining, but also for her devotion to her husband of many years, Jeffrey. Both loves come through in her memoir, and I appreciated her honesty about both her career and marital struggles over the years. This was a memoir that left me craving comfort food, eager to host a dinner party, and pondering if I need to open a specialty foods store in the Hamptons. 

If you like Be Ready When the Luck Happens, you might also like: 

Taste: My Life Through Food 

by Stanley Tucci 

Gallery Books, 2021. 291 pages. Memoir 

Stanley Tucci grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the kitchen table. He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the savory recipes and into the compelling stories behind them. Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about his growing up in Westchester, New York; preparing for and shooting the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia; falling in love over dinner; and teaming up with his wife to create meals for a multitude of children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burned dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last. 

My Life in France 

by Julia Child 

Knopf, 2006. 368 pages. Memoir 

Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, Julia Child was not always a master chef. Indeed, when she first arrived in France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work for the USIS, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her newfound passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story—struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year long marriage that took the Childs across the globe—unfolds with the spirit so key to Julia’s success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of America’s most endearing personalities.

SGR

Raising Hare: A Memoir

Raising Hare: A Memoir 

by Chloe Dalton 

Pantheon, 2025. 304 pages. Memoir 

In February 2021, political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, spending COVID lockdown in the English countryside, stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she eventually brings it home, only to discover how impossible it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. We witness first-hand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and the most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them. 

Raising Hare was a beautiful, hopeful, and thought-provoking read for me. Perhaps thanks to her background in high-stakes international relations, Dalton strikes a perfect balance of capturing both the personality of the hare and her own emotions throughout the experience without ever veering into sentimentality. I especially appreciated how hard she worked to care for the hare as a wild animal rather than a pet, even as she came to love the small creature. I’d recommend this book for animal lovers, nature-enthusiasts, and memoir-readers alike. 

If you like Raising Hare: A Memoir, you might also like: 

H Is For Hawk 

by Helen Macdonald 

Grove Press, 2015. 300 pages. Nonfiction 

An award-winning best-seller from the UK recounts how the author, an experienced falconer grieving the sudden death of her father, endeavored to train for the first time a dangerous goshawk predator as part of her personal recovery. 

Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves 

by Frans de Waal 

W.W. Norton & Company, 2019. 326 pages. Nonfiction 

A whirlwind tour of new ideas and findings about animal emotions, based on De Waal's renowned studies of the social and emotional lives of chimpanzees, bonobos, and other primates. De Waal discusses facial expressions, animal sentience and consciousness, Mama's life and death, the emotional side of human politics, and the illusion of free will. He distinguishes between emotions and feelings, all the while emphasizing the continuity between our species and other species. And he makes the radical proposal that emotions are like organs: we don't have a single organ that other animals don't have, and the same is true for our emotions.

SGR

Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment

Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment 

By Arushi Avachat 

Wednesday Books, 2024. 314 pages. Young Adult 

Arya Khanna’s life takes a Bollywood turn when her sister Alina gets engaged, bringing the family together for shaadi preparations. Arya tries to put aside her resentment towards Alina, mediates family conflicts, and welcomes her future brother-in-law, despite the tension. At school, Arya’s senior year is unraveling as she deals with a breakup between her best friends and a frustrating partnership with her rival, Dean Merriweather. While balancing family and school, Arya learns tough lessons about growing up, including the changing dynamics of her family and friendships. In the end, she discovers that sometimes unexpected people can offer a glimpse of the happiness she dreams of. 

This is a charming contemporary romance full of likeable characters that plays out like a Bollywood film. I loved the rich Punjabi culture, food mentions, and a plethora of Bollywood film recommendations. Navigating relationships in high school is its own challenge, whether it’s friends or family, and the author captured that struggle expertly. If you’re in the mood for a light, contemporary romance, this is it. 

If you liked Arya Khanna’s Bollywood Moment, you might also like: 

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating 

By Adiba Jaigirdar 

Page Street Publishing Co., 2021. 345 pages. Young Adult 

Hani Khan, a popular high school student, comes out as bisexual but faces rejection from her friends, leading her to lie about being in a relationship with Ishita "Ishu" Dey, a serious and academic overachiever. In exchange for Hani's help with her popularity, Ishu agrees to pretend to be in a relationship, but the two girls begin to develop genuine feelings for each other. As their relationship deepens, they must navigate external challenges and cultural obstacles to find their happily ever after. 

Stay with My Heart

By Tashie Bhuiyan 

Inkyard Press, 2024. 376 pages. Young Adult 

Accidentally sabotaging an up-and-coming local band, music fanatic Liana Sarkar makes it her mission to secretly undo the damage she's caused, but when she falls for the lead singer, she finds it harder to hide the truth. 

ACS

A Killing Cold

A Killing Cold

By Kate Alice Marshall

Flatiron Books, 2025. 289 pages. Fiction

When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he has brought her to Idlewood, his family's isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives. Stay away from Connor Dalton. Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can't ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has with this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood. I've been here before. Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything. 

After reading Marshall’s excellent thriller What Lies in the Woods last year, I was so excited to pick this one up and it didn’t disappoint. The Dalton estate secluded atop a snowy mountain serves as the perfect setting for this isolation thriller. Marshall excels at creating not only physical isolation, but social isolation as Theodora is not a part of this family nor the wealthy world they exist within. It’s a fast-paced narrative with the stakes quickly rising as the walls start to close in on Theo. As her repressed memories begin to paint a clearer picture of her past, the danger she’s facing escalates and the Dalton family secrets start to stack up. Also, I didn’t see the twist coming which is the highest value I place on a thriller. Overall, if you enjoy themes of isolation, amnesia, and rich vs. poor immersed in a thriller with revelations around each corner that keep you guessing, you’re sure to enjoy A Killing Cold.

If you liked A Killing Cold, you might also like:

Beautiful Ugly

By Alice Feeney

Flatiron Books, 2025. 306 pages. Fiction

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver's door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can't sleep, and he can't write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible -- a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. Wives think their husbands will change but they don't. Husbands think their wives won't change but they do. 

The Family Game

By Catherine Steadman

Ballantine Books, 2022. 319 pages. Fiction 

Harry is a novelist on the brink of stardom; Edward, her husband-to-be, is seemingly perfect. In love and freshly engaged, their bliss is interrupted by the reemergence of the Holbecks, Edward's eminent family and the embodiment of American old money. For years, they've dominated headlines and pulled society's strings, and Edward left them all behind to forge his own path. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. It was only a matter of time before they were pulled back in . . . After all, even though he's long severed ties with his family, Edward is set to inherit it all. Harriet is drawn to the glamour and sophistication of the Holbecks, who seem to welcome her with open arms, but everything changes when she meets Robert, the inescapably magnetic head of the family. At their first meeting, Robert slips Harry a cassette tape, revealing a shocking confession which sets the inevitable game in motion. What is it about Harry that made him give her that tape? A thing that has the power to destroy everything? As she ramps up her quest for the truth, she must endure the Holbecks' savage Christmas traditions all the while knowing that losing this game could be deadly.

BW

The Night of Baba Yaga

The Night of Baba Yaga
By Akira Otani
Soho Press, 2024. 206 pages. Mystery.

Tokyo, 1979. Yoriko Shindo, a workhorse of a woman who has been an outcast her whole life, is kidnapped and dragged to the lair of the Naiki-kai, a branch of the yakuza. After she savagely fends off a throng of henchmen in an attempt to escape, Shindo is only permitted to live under one condition: that she will become the bodyguard and driver for Shoko Naiki, the obsessively sheltered daughter of the gang's boss. Eighteen-year-old Shoko, pretty and silent as a doll, has no friends, wears strangely old-fashioned clothes, and is completely naive in all matters of life. Originally disdaining her ward, Shindo soon finds herself far more invested in Shoko's well-being than she ever expected. But every man around them is bloodthirsty and trigger-happy. Shindo doubts she and Shoko will survive much longer if nothing changes. Could there ever be a different life for two women like them? Akira Otani's English-language debut moves boldly through time and across gender, stretching the definitions and possibilities of each concept. Rendered in a gorgeous translation by International Booker-shortlisted Sam Bett, this lean, mean thriller proves that bonds forged in fire are unbreakable.

This is another bite-sized read, which makes it a great introduction to mystery or translated novels.  The characters were a bit surface-level due to the length, but I still found myself rooting for them and found their inner dialogue humorous.  The story was fast paced with an atmosphere of sweetness that I associate with sapphic novels even among the violence and gore of the yakuza aspect.  I read this book in one sitting and at first it felt a little off (possibly due to the nature of translation), but the ending came together in a way that was unexpected and lovely.  

If you like The Night of Baba Yaga, you might also like: 

The Plotters

By Un-Su Kim

Doubleday, 2019. 291 pages. Fiction.

Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want? Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.

Fortune Favors the Dead

By Stephen Spotswood

Doubleday, 2020. 321 pages. Mystery.

New York, 1942: Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation. Three years later: Will and Lillian are on a case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home; her body in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before - in a locked room. The case involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins - daughter of the deceased. When Will and Becca start a relationship, Will discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.

Razorblade Tears

By S.A. Cosby
Flatiron Books, 2021. 319 pages. Fiction.

A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance. Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid. The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah's white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss. Derek's father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed his father was a criminal. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy. Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys.

KJ

Gather

Gather
By Kenneth M. Cadow

Candlewick Press, 2023. 325 pages. Young Adult Fiction.

A resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.

This is a first person narrative that quickly acclimates the reader directly into the life and story of young Ian. You see first-hand how he thinks and processes event after event, sometimes awkwardly or a bit out of hand--as you would expect of a young teenager--but always with reason. A moving and beautiful story about the resiliency of a teenager.  

If you like Gather, you might also like: 

Everything's Not Fine

By Sarah J. Carlson

Turner Publishing Company, 2020. 304 pages. Young Adult Fiction.

When seventeen-year-old aspiring artist Rose Hemmersbach finds her mother dying on the kitchen floor from a heroin overdose, she is forced to put her art school dreams aside and help piece her family back together.

And Then There Was Us

By Kern Carter

Tundra Books, 2024. 223 pages. Young Adult Fiction.

A mother's death forces a teen girl to reevaluate their tumultuous relationship.

RBL

How to Baby

How to baby : a no-advice-given guide to motherhood
by Liana Finck
New York: The Dial Press, 2024. 254 pages. Biography

How do you know if you're ready to have a baby? How do you know if you might be pregnant? And how do you deal with peeing all the time and being hungry all the time and fielding well-meaning but kind of insulting advice and finding a doula and being dropped by your old friends and learning why it's called mom brain and not dad brain and spending half your life on hold with your insurance company and the tyranny of the milestones you're not meeting and negotiating boundaries with in-laws and realizing that your heart now exists outside of your chest and in the body of this tiny little being whose entire existence depends on the quality of your care? To tackle these questions and many others, award-winning cartoonist and memoirist Liana Finck began illustrating her early years of motherhood, sharing her joys, fears, and insecurities with her many fans.

If you're weary of picture-perfect parenting guides that offer step-by-step instructions on what to do, How to Baby by Laura Finck is the book for you! It presents pregnancy and parenthood in their raw, unfiltered reality—highlighting the struggles and challenges that are often glossed over. Finck shares her personal journey, and while it may not mirror your own, it offers a sense of solidarity for anyone facing the ups and downs of parenthood. While some might interpret this book as a collection of complaints, I view it as a candid reflection of the shared human experience. It's a reminder that you're not alone in this journey.

If you liked How to Baby, you might also like: 

Proxy Mom: my experience with postpartum depression
by Sophie Adriansen
New York : NBM Graphic Novels, 2024. 144 pages. Graphic Novel

Marietta and Chuck, madly in love, are expecting a baby. But childbirth marks the end of the fairy tale. Zoe's birth didn't go as Marietta imagined, and the maternal instinct is slow to manifest itself. While she no longer recognizes her body, Marietta feels herself losing her footing in the face of this vulnerable baby for whom she is now responsible. Will she manage to feel like a mother? To love her baby? To stop thinking that a proxy mom would do better than her? A humorful but realist viewpoint on a problem experienced by a significant number of new mothers, with an insight on how to overcome it.

Kid gloves: nine months of careful chaos
by Lucy Knisley
New York: First Second, 2019. 247 pages. Graphic Novel

If you work hard enough, if you want it enough, if you're smart and talented and "good enough," you can do anything. Except get pregnant. Her whole life, Lucy Knisley wanted to be a mother. But when it was finally the perfect time, conceiving turned out to be harder than anything she'd ever attempted. Fertility problems were followed by miscarriages, and her eventual successful pregnancy plagued by health issues, up to a dramatic, near-death experience during labor and delivery. This moving, hilarious, and surprisingly informative memoir not only follows Lucy's personal transition into motherhood but also illustrates the history and science of reproductive health from all angles, including curious facts and inspiring (and notorious) figures in medicine and midwifery. Whether you've got kids, want them, or want nothing to do with them, there's something in this graphic memoir to open your mind and heart.

Go to sleep (I miss you): cartoons from the fog of new parenthood
by Lucy Knisley
New York: First Second, 2020. 177 pages. Graphic Novel

Lucy Knisley is one of the great memoirists of the graphic novel format. Following the completion of her pregnancy memoir Kid Gloves (and the birth of her baby), Lucy embarked on a new project: documenting new motherhood in short, spontaneous little cartoons, which she posted on her Instagram, and which quickly gained her a huge cult following among other moms.

BWW

All the Water in the World

All the Water in the World
by Eiren Caffall
St. Martin's Press, 2025. 294 pages. Fiction

In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister, her parents, and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History (Amen for short). The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city's flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality, but they remain determined to build a new world that honors what they’ve saved.

This book has a very unique tone, mixing lyrical, meditative writing with the urgency of a survival novel. The story is told in flashbacks, covering both the family's early days of making Amen a home, and following them as they search for a new home once Amen is destroyed. As the narrator, Nonie starts the story as a young girl with a childlike sense of wonder, but she spends most of it as a teenager coming to grips with the dualities of reality. While the overarching story is dark, the themes of the importance of both found family and the value of knowledge help brighten the message. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.

If you like All the Water in the World you might also like:

After the Flood
by Kassandra Montag
William Morrow, 2019. 417 pages. Fiction

After years of slowly overtaking the continent, rising floodwaters have obliterated much of America, leaving nothing but an archipelago of mountaintop colonies surrounded by a deep expanse of open water. For seven years, Myra has grieved the loss of her oldest daughter, Row, who was stolen by her father after a monstrous deluge overtook their home in Nebraska. Then, Myra suddenly discovers that Row was last seen in a far-off encampment near the Artic Circle. Throwing aside her usual caution, Myra and her youngest daughter Pearl embark on a perilous voyage into the icy northern seas, hoping against hope that Row will still be there. On their journey, Myra and Pearl join forces with a larger ship and Myra finds herself bonding with her fellow seekers who hope to build a safe haven together in this dangerous new world.

The Dog Stars
by Peter Heller
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. 319 pages. Fiction

Surviving a pandemic that has killed everyone he knows, a pilot establishes a shelter in an abandoned airport hangar before hearing a random radio transmission that compels him to risk his life to seek out other survivors.

 

MB

We Called Them Giants

We Called Them Giants
By Kieron Gillen
Image Comics, Inc., 2024. 104 pages. Young Adult Comic.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She's thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when They arrive.

With stunning visuals, a moving plot, and an open ending, We Called Them Giants is such a fun graphic novel!  I liked the themes of found family, trust, and communication across barriers.  Lightly dystopian and somewhat post-apocolyptic, We Called Them Giants is a book I would recommend to everyone!
 
If you liked We Called Them Giants, you may also like:
 

I Kill Giants
By Joe Kelly
Image Comics, 2014. 232 pages. Graphic Novel.
 
Tells the story of Barbara Thorson, an acerbic fifth-grader so consumed with fantasy that she doesn't just tell people that she kills giants with an ancient Norse warhammer -- she starts to believe it herself. This book reveals the reasons for Barbara's troubled behavior, as she learns to reconcile her fantasy life with the real world.

Akira Book 1
By Katsuhiro Otomo
Kodansha Comics, 2009. 363 pages. Graphic Novel.
 
In Neo-Tokyo, built on the former site of Tokyo after World War III, two teenagers are targeted by agencies after they develop paranormal abilities.

ERB

The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder

The Garden Maker’s Book of Wonder 

by Allison Vallin Kostovick 

Storey Publishing, 2023. 256 pages. Nonfiction 

Each season in the garden brings new joy and fresh inspiration for connecting with the wonders of the natural world. In The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder, gardening lifestyle influencer Allison Vallin Kostovick (Finch + Folly) invites fans of cottagecore, gardening, and nature-based living to share her journey as she crafts, cooks, dreams, and creates. Drawing on decades of gardening experience, and illustrated with vibrant photography from her own home and garden, The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder offers sage advice on growing bountiful harvests of favorite vegetables, herbs, and flowers. All levels of gardeners, from dreamers to the experienced, will delight in the variety and creativity of Kostovick's projects, activities, and recipes for enjoying the magic and whimsy of the natural world—no matter what season. From planting a pollinator playground to building a rustic trellis from tree branches, cooking with freshly picked peas and mint to making a sweet viola tub soak, and growing a bird seed mix to crafting one-of-a-kind jewelry beads from the husks of the Job's Tears plant, the inventive ideas in this rich treasury are sure to make it a favorite to keep and to give to anyone who aspires to a more nature-connected lifestyle. 

This is a lovely book containing useful gardening tips and ideas of crafts and recipes for living seasonally. The pictures in the book are beautiful and it’s ideal for browsing through on a quiet afternoon in the sunshine. This book is recommended for people interested in gardening, cottagecore, living a slower life, or living seasonally. 

If you like The Garden Maker’s Book of Wonder, you might also like: 

The Cottage Fairy Companion 

by Paola Merrill 

Yellow Pear Press, 2022. 166 pages. Nonfiction 

The Cottage Fairy Companion is your accessible and beautiful guide to mindful living. It teaches the fundamentals of cottagecore style through the practices of The Cottage Fairy’s daily life. Use mindfulness for healing and fulfillment. Paola Merrill, author and creator behind the popular YouTube channel The Cottage Fairy, left a hectic life in the city for the rural mountains in search of a deeper connection to herself and the world. She learned that nature is the biggest teacher of all—if we open our eyes to its wisdom. Mindful living can be applied in most walks of life, and Merrill’s writing encourages you to find healing and fulfillment, wherever you are. Inside this enchanting book on mindful living, you’ll find: Insight to creating a cozy and inspiring space, living in alignment with natural cycles and seasons, and gardening and making tea. Original illustrations and breathtaking photos of the author’s cottage, crafts, and the countryside. Calming, meditative prose to promote tranquility and stillness in a hectic world. 

The Little Book of Cottagecore 

by Emily Kent 

Adams Media, 2021. 256 pages. Nonfiction 

Returning to the simpler life has never been easier. If you're craving the aroma of freshly baked bread, spending more time in nature, or seeing the sunlight filtering through homemade curtains, then cottagecore is for you! The Little Book of Cottagecore helps you make simple living a reality with delightful cottagecore activities you can enjoy no matter where you live. Whether you're interested in baking pies from scratch, basic sewing and cross stitch, gardening, beekeeping, or making candles and soaps, this book is full of fun, hands-on activities that make it easy and enjoyable to unplug from modern life. Full of step-by-step instructions and homegrown inspiration, you'll find fun, practical ways to enjoy rustic and relaxing cottagecore activities in your everyday life. 

Joy in Your Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Gardening 

by Joy Bossi and Karen Bastow

Cedar Fort, 2010. 336 pages. Nonfiction

Joy in Your Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Gardening contains loads of encouragement for novice and experienced gardeners. Joy Bossi and coauthor Karen Bastow have compiled all the information that newbies or novice gardeners will need to find success in their gardens. And more experienced gardeners will find new applications for old gardening traditions, plus enough humor to keep them 'digging' through the ups and downs of gardening in any yard.

Banned Together

Banned Together
Edited By Ashley Hope Pérez 
Holiday House, 2025. 294 pages. Young Adult Fiction

This book of short stories, Banned Together: Our Fight For Readers' Rights, is a call-to-action for young people living in a country where banning books is a reality. It spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read; fifteen diverse, award-winning YA authors from across the country offer their stories and their advice. It's part memoir, part graphic novel, part fiction, and all heart. From moving personal accounts to clever comebacks aimed at censorship, these authors/illustrators confront the high-stakes questions of what is lost when books are kept from teens. I read this book all in one sitting because it was captivating, gut-wrenching, and gave me that wonderful feeling of knowing I'm not alone in my worry.

If you like Banned Together, you might also like: 

You Can't Say That!
Edited By Leonard S. Marcus
Candlewick Press, 2021. 220 pages. Nonfiction 

What happens when freedom of expression comes under threat? Thirteen prominent authors of children's and young adult literature talk about one thing they all have in common: All have been the targets of attempts to ban or remove their work from schools and libraries. Beginning with an introduction that traces the history of censorship back to attempts at "regulating moral behavior" in ancient Greece and Rome, the book reveals many little-known historical facts about censorship. It really comes to life, however, when the authors discuss why their books have faced censorship - both blatant and "soft" - how the challenges have or haven't affected their writing, and why some people feel they have the right to deny access to books.

Banned Book Club
By Kim Hyun Sook
Iron Circus Comics, 2020. 198 pages. Young Adult Graphic Memoir

In 1983 South Korea, Kim Hyun Sook is a college freshman, determined to get the education her mother resents but her father, thankfully, supports. When she accepts an invitation to attend a seemingly benign book club that turns out to focus on banned books, she learns to navigate the university, but also political activism. As she learns the truth about her country's oppressive fascist political environment, she becomes closer to the other book club members and authorities grow increasingly desperate to identify and punish student dissidents. A tribute to young people's resistance in the face of oppression.

On Censorship
By James LaRue
Fulcrum Publishing, 2023. 130 pages. Nonfiction

In On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US, respected longtime public librarian James LaRue issues a balanced and reasonable call-to-action for citizens. The dangers of book banning and censorship in public and educational spaces are highlighted, while examples of past efforts at censorship and its dangerous impacts ask the reader to reflect on how those times are not so different from today. This book believes in free expression, supports libraries, and cherishes the central freedoms that American democracy represents. 

Our Stories, Our Voices
Edited By Amy Lynn Reed
Simon Pulse, 2018. 288 pages. Young Adult Nonfiction

This collection of essays is Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America - and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. The diversity of perspectives will likely provide window and mirror moments for a wide range of readers. 

LKA