Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth: Welcome, reader, into a brilliant world where horror and humor are intricately bound into a commentary on sapphic love, humanity, the power of story, the patriarchy, Hollywood, and East Coast private school privilege. This is a mischievous celebration of the indomitable spirit of women, their love for each other, and their endless desire for simple agency. Well, and perhaps it is best mentioned here, the sometimes rather horrific means they will go to achieve that agency. Brilliantly written, terrifying, and hilarious, I finished it wanting to simply start again. I suspect Plain Bad Heroine societies will be popping up because of this book, quietly humming. Xe Sands narrates on Libro.fm and the performance is perfection. - Linda

A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton: Fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction lovers explore worlds found, for now, in the minds of the creative artists who reveal them, but for too long these worlds have been limited by the narratives of the dominant culture. This book opens worlds where people of color, people with non-traditional gender identities roam. There are tales of love that expand possibility and intent, a cautionary tale about truth and love, a tale of prisoners a world apart but locked in the same injustice, fairy tales that question the traditions previously assumed to be true. This is a book of possibilities and beauty, a book that reveals our world through the fantastic, the magical. Savor each story and recognize the worlds that speak truth to our own.

-Linda

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff: A ghost story, a coming-of-age story, a story celebrating the immensity of the power of family love. Bug is heading into middle school after summer, and Bug’s best friend, Mo, is looking to middle school as a big change: make-up, BOYS, asking to be called Moira, all those changes that confuse and define puberty. But Bug is grieving the death of Uncle Roderick and his ghost is desperately trying to communicate with Bug. There are other ghosts in the house, always have been, but none have such a desperate mission. It’s difficult to explain why you should read this book, but you should. Traci Sorell says, “’Be yourself” – the simplest of phrases and yet the most profound, as Bug experiences firsthand during a summer of loss, change, ghosts and, ultimately, connection. -Linda