The Good Sister

 The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth 352 pages

Synopsis: There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.

When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.

Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

My Thoughts: This is the second book by this author that I have read and it was also a great book! I enjoyed the twists and they took a while to figure out. I loved reading about a neurodivergent librarian (as I am one) and was able to feel validation of how she perceives the world, in many ways, like me. The book does go into some heavy themes, but the ending is perfect.

Rites of the Starling

 Rites of the Starling Bk 2 by Devney Perry 500 pages

Synopsis: Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

​I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe.

​It’s my turn to become the Guardian.
​Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

​Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?
​What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?
For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.
​It’s time to discover the monster within.​

My Thoughts: The author did it again. The 2nd book was just as fantastic as the first, and I cannot wait until the 3rd book comes out! We have a dual timeline in this book, and the reader discovers more about the mystery and history surrounding the plot. Amazing book series so far!

Are You Mad at Me? How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You

 Are You Mad at Me? How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You by Meg Josephson 304 pages 

Synopsis: Are you constantly worried about what people think of you—if they like you, if they’re mad at you? Do you overextend yourself, avoid conflict, or find yourself over-apologizing, only to feel resentful afterward?

In her “instant self-help classic” (Ada Calhoun, New York Times bestselling author), Josephson explores fawning, an instinct learned in childhood to stay safe by becoming more appealing, agreeable, and helpful to perceived threats. Over time, this instinct disconnects us from who we are, what we want, and what we prefer.

With “lucid prose and smart mix of clinical expertise, personal disclosure, and pertinent case studies” (Publishers Weekly), Are You Mad at Me? shows you how to:
- Identify all the roles you might play—from peacekeeper to performer to caretaker to lone wolf to perfectionist to chameleon—that keep you far from yourself.
- Stop fearing your thoughts and emotions, even if they’re unpleasant.
- Rethink conflict and boundaries as an opening for deeper connection.
- Practice “leaning back” in relationships.
- Recognize when people-pleasing is actually necessary (with your chaotic boss) and when it’s not (with your close friends) and stop self-loathing when you slip into old patterns.
- Shift away from the familiar chaos, anxiety, and resentment you’re used to as you move closer to yourself and a life that no longer depletes you—but brings you joy.

Josephson offers a path out of people-pleasing—transforming your relationships so you can stop focusing on what others think and start honoring your own needs. No more wondering: Are you mad at me?

My Thoughts: This book is so incredibly helpful with tips and tricks for how to soothe your mind. It showed me how much I've fawned my entire life and how to get myself out of that trauma response. I am excited to re-read this book to soak in even more knowledge and implement even more of her teachings into my life. 

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows -- 384 pages

Millie was never one to take the expected path. She's an entomologist who loves her job as a natural science curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It's her dream to take a larger role in the planning of her department, so when a director position opens up, she is determined not to let anything distract her from her goals. Especially her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and nerdy astronomy ties.

. . . Not that she’s spent much time noticing any of those things.

Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can't afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn't need anything more on his plate. Millie literally stumbling into him with her bright smile and sunny optimism, is the last thing he needs. They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it's one thing when a job is on the line. It's quite another when it's her heart.

My Hero Academia, Volume 34

My Hero Academia, Volume 34 - 192 pages

Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

Something about this one irked me a bit.  We're introduced to what could have been an amazing character with connections to All Might, and a unique and powerful Quirk, too.  She's made all but irrelevant barely halfway through this volume.  On a narrative level, I can understand the circumstances that might have led to these events, but I'm of the opinion that this wasn't very well-executed.  The lack of significant reaction from the main characters - especially All Might - along with the actual events and the "consequences" thereof, make her actions feel next to meaningless at this point.  Introducing her earlier might have done her better justice.  

Dark Knights of Steel Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 by Tom Taylor

 Dark Knights of Steel Vol. 1 by Tom Taylor et al.-176 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Swords! Sorcery! Superheroes! A brand-new DC Universe is born from writer Tom Taylor ( DCeased, Nightwing) and artist Yasmine Putri.

An entire medieval world will be forever changed when a spaceship crash-lands from a doomed planet. Years later the El Kingdom reins and Jefferson Pierce, the head of the Kingdom of Storms sees their family as a threat and gathers allies to challenge them. Monarchs will die, kingdoms will rise, and what seemed like the end of the world for many…was only the beginning! An epic high-fantasy story set in a DC Universe where nothing is what it seems…

Dark Knights of Steel Vol. 2 by Tom Taylor et al.-208 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thoughts: I was intrigued by Batman and other DC characters being put into a medieval world with sorcery and swords and this short series did not disappoint. I enjoyed seeing all of the characters (even many side characters) have a role to play in the story. 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes #1, 480 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.