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Recommended for Teens

My Sister, the Serial Killer

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Recommended Book
My Sister, the Serial Killer by  Oyinkan Braithwaite
Publication/Release Date: November 20, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Adults

Here is the publisher’s blurb. I’d suggest only reading this much of it. It gives away too much of the story, IMHO. I picked this book based solely on the cover, title, and the author’s name.

Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.

“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.”

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning

I read an advanced review copy ebook from Netgalley. We call them ARC’s. If you subscribe to different services or get on publishers’ lists, you can receive ARC’s of books to review before they are released. It’s pretty cool.

I am not sure how to comment on this without giving anything away. Basically, I really like it even though I don’t like any of the characters in the book. Although I can’t really tell they are in Africa, I was glad it was a novel written by an African woman.  I was disappointed about that part. This story reads like any other story of a place I have never been in the USA; except for a few words (that I hope will have definitions in the finished publication), the traffic police, and a mention of a chief. As I read I thought they must be in Nigeria because that is where the author lives but I never could recall the name of the city. Since it’s a great character driven story, not much detail about the city/country where they live.

Korede is the older sister who enables Ayoola, her younger spoiled sister (as does the entire world cuz she is just that pretty). Right off the bat I am not that sympathetic to either of the sisters. Korede cuz she complains bitterly about Ayoola but says nothing and keeps enabling.  Ayoola cuz she is a killer and a spoiled brat. Yet I really liked this book.  It was quite thrilling in some parts and the other parts were equally fascinating.  I did read parts out of order.  The chapters titled Father intrigued me. I had a theory about his death and wanted to see if I was correct. I also read ahead because I wanted to know if Ayoola killed Korede’s crush. It’s a short read so I had already read a third of the book by the time I skipped around.  It was a great, fun read. I hope she writes more and that they get published/released in the USA as well.

Find this thriller here

 

Girls on the Line

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Girls on the Line by Jennie Liu
Publication Date: November 1, 2018
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Violating Family Planning regulations by having a child out of wedlock sounds like something from a dystopian novel. In China, it is the reality for millions.

Luli has aged out of the orphanage at 16 and is forced into the world of adulthood. She connects with her friend Yun who aged out of the system the year before. Yun helps Luli to get a job at the factory where she works and promises to show her the ropes. Yun is energetic and precarious, spending her money on eating out with her friends, going to clubs, and spending time with her older boyfriend. Luli is shy, saves her money, and hopes to one day have a family. Luli soon hears the rumors about Yun’s boyfriend. He sells off young girls and women to men in the countryside, he is a bride trafficker. Yun refuses to believe these rumors and finds herself in a position that seems inescapable. She is pregnant with Yun’s child and doesn’t have the money to abide by the Family Planning regulations; get an abortion, or pay the fines for having a child outside of marriage. Luli wants to help her friend, but can she?

Yun and Luli live in a culture where superstition and appearances are vital to success in life. These beliefs impact personal relationships and employment prospects. Add to that the government’s Family Planning regulations, and life can be incredibly difficult for women in this culture. The harrowing experiences of these two young women leads them on a journey of self-discovery, selflessness, sorrow, and friendship that is worth reading about.

Find it in the catalog

 

 

Golden Kamuy

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Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
Publication Date: June 06, 2017
Format: Graphic Novel
Who’s it for: Teens, Adults

Golden Kamuy is the exciting tale of Sachi Sugimoto, veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, who finds himself wrapped up in the hunt for a trove of hidden Ainu gold. Golden Kamuy paints an interesting picture of survivalist and Japanese society at the turn of the 19th century. Going by the moniker of “Immortal” from his war days, Sugimoto finds himself joined by a variety of allies, from the young huntress Asirpa and the cunning “Escape King”, while opposed by historical figures along the way. The map to the gold is tattooed on the skins of 24 escaped death row convicts, hunted by multiple groups tracking the treasure. Some of the prisoners are inspired by prolific American serial killers, including H.H. Holmes and Henry Lee Lucas.

Golden Kamuy has recently received an anime series, and has proven to be a surprise hit. What really drew me to it was the fantastic interplay between characters, as well as the interesting subject matter. The characters really develop interesting relationships with each other, and sometimes antagonists have surprising moments of depth which really add to their interactions with our heroes. There’s a lot of detail to the hunting aspects prevalent in Ainu culture, and teaching quite a bit about utilizing all of the parts of an animal that I didn’t know about. Golden Kamuy starts as a thrilling hunt for lost gold but quickly becomes more than that, the stories of numerous characters quickly entwining themselves and creating a number of memorable moments and personality clashes. See you in the wilds! Find it in our catalog now.

Dumplin’

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Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Format: Book, Audio Book
Whose it for: Adults and Teens

Willowdean Dixon introduces self as “cashier, Dolly Parton enthusiast, and resident fat girl.”  She doesn’t consider her weight and stature to be a nuisance as some might think. “I mean, if it were 1642, my wide birthing hips would be worth many cows or something.” But in Clover City, Texas, football stars and beauty pageant queens reign supreme. Despite this, Will (nicknamed ‘Dumplin’ by her former beauty queen mom) has never struggled to love herself and her body… until she meets Bo Larson aka “Peach Butt” whose attention and affection give Will a whole new sense of self-doubt.  This insecurity is amplified when her best friend, Ellen, makes new “twiggy” friends, who make no secret of what they think of Will, her weight, and her friendship with Ellen.  In order to regain her confidence, Will does the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant.  Motivated by Will’s bravery, some other unlikely candidates join the cause and gain help from a few unconventional sources.

This book focuses mainly on the theme of body image, but touches on relationships, family life, and grief.  Dumplin’, though adorable and hilarious, teaches about body positivity and self-love, not only for the ample-bodied, but for anyone who views themselves as an obstacle rather than an asset. Find it in the catalog.

Honor Among Thieves

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Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Anne Aguirre
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Zara Cole has endured a painful past and finds herself in rehab because of her antisocial behavior. Her past is the reason she chooses to live her life in the dangerous Zone and not moving to Mars with her family, balking at the thought of living the rest of her life inside of a dome.

Then she commits a crime that has her running in terror. Instead of receiving the punishment she’s certain she’ll get, she is instead recruited into a space exploration team, the Honors. Treated like super stars, Honors are an elite team chosen by sentient alien ships. With Nadim, Zara’s ship, and Beatrix, her fellow Honor, Zara begins to open up and discover who she is for the first time. Her bond with Nadim grows deeper than any she’s ever had but it becomes apparent there are many things he’s hiding about the mission, himself and his people.

Zara has spent most of her life protecting and fighting for herself. Now she is faced with doing the same for others she’s only just met.
Honor Among Thieves is a fun read with a main cast of likeable characters you’ll find yourself rooting for.
Find it in the catalog.

 

The Girl with No Name

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The Girl with No Name by Diney Costeloe
Format: CD Book
Who it’s for:  Adults and teens

Lisa is a thirteen year old Jewish girl escaping Nazi Germany after her family has been driven from their home.  She was sent to England with other children and eventually arrived in London, lonely, scared and unable to speak English.  A childless couple took her in and cared for her.  Lisa attended school with many other refugee children and she gradually learned English.  When the Nazis bombed London Lisa escaped to a bomb shelter but she was injured.  She lost her memory and couldn’t recall anything about her previous life.  She was transferred to a children’s home until it also became a target of the attacks.  Another evacuation forced her to find a new home in the country with a kind spinster woman.  If you are a fan of historical novels, listen to this captivating story by Diney Costeloe.  This is the first book in the series.  The next one is The Married Girls.

The narrator, Anna Bentinck, has a wonderful speaking voice and makes this story come to life.  She is a British actress and producer who has done hundreds of broadcasts on BBC, was the voice for an animation series and has narrated many audiobooks.  The author, Diney Costeloe, writes historical novels and also writes romantic novels under the name of Diney Delancey.

Find it in the catalog