Youth Group by Jordan Morris and Bowen McCurdy

Youth Group by Jordan Morris and Bowen McCurdy

256 pages

⭐⭐⭐.25/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

When Kay reluctantly agreed to join the youth group at Stone Mission Church in Orange County California, she expected the Jesus talk and the dorky singalongs and the colorful posters about dodging temptation. What she didn’t expect was to stumble on her youth group leaders, Meg and Cortland, in the middle of a read-deal exorcism. Turns out they’re both soldiers in a secret organization of demon hunters in a war that’s heating up, and even if Kay wanted to stay on the sidelines, she doesn’t have a choice – she’s a “Blight,” a human who demons can’t possess, and apparently that’s made her a target.

Will Kay find her place in a world that’s so much more God-fearing and monster-fighting than what she’s used to? Will the Stone Mission youth group find common cause with their badass peers of other faiths? Or will a pack of small-time demons use Blights like Kay as the key to starting some real big trouble?

The Girl from the Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag

The Girl from the Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag

256 pages

⭐⭐⭐.75/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.

Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore.

But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface...whether Morgan is ready or not.

Supergirl Vol. 1: Misadventures in Midvale by Sophie Campbell

 Supergirl Vol. 1: Misadventures in Midvale by Sophie Campbell-144 pages

⭐⭐⭐.75/5

A bold new era begins as Supergirl returns to her roots, but an impostor threatens to steal her life before she can reclaim it!

Kara Zor-El is ready for a fresh start, leaving Metropolis behind to rediscover herself in Midvale. But when she arrives, she finds someone else has already taken up the mantle of Supergirl! As she fights to reclaim her identity, she must also face a growing new threat, one with ties to her past, and a dangerous new ally in Lena Luthor. With a stunning new costume and an exhilarating story by writer/artist Sophie Campbell, this collection marks the beginning of a thrilling new chapter for the Maiden of Might!

Thoughts: This isn't my favorite Supergirl comic, but it's still pretty good. It's a little weird that Supergirl was known as Linda Danvers growing up instead of the usual Kara Danvers. The adventures (or "misadventures") are fun to read about even if the stakes aren't very high. It kind of reads like a couple episodes of a Supergirl show. 

Riding the High by Paisley Hope

Riding the High by Paisley Hope -- 432 pages

Her heart is wild. Only he can capture it.

When Cole Ashby is appointed Laurel Creek’s sheriff, he is determined to prove to the town, his family, and most importantly to himself that he’s the responsible choice for the job. A devoted single dad, his main goal is to lay steady roots for his young daughter.

As the daughter of a Kentucky congressman, elementary school teacher Ginger Danforth's life has always been about neat appearances. But inside she’s dying to break free from the restraints of reputation and embrace the sense of adventure that runs through her veins.

When the Laurel Creek crew heads to Las Vegas for a weekend away, long-time friends Ginger and Cole play a game of truth or dare and, after a few too many drinks, wake up the next morning having exchanged marriage vows in a Vegas chapel. With no chance of an immediate annulment, the two make a deal to stay married for ninety days in secret, until Ginger's father is re-elected and Cole is out of his probationary period as county sheriff. But when Ginger agrees to help watch Cole’s daughter for the summer and the pair are forced to spend an increasing amount of time in each other’s company, riding the high of their accidental marriage, the more it begins to feel real. Until they start to forget their marriage was ever meant to be temporary. . .

Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia

Brownstone by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia

320 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Almudena has always wondered about the dad she never met.

Now, with her white mother headed on a once-in-a-lifetime trip without her, she’s left alone with her Guatemalan father for an entire summer. Xavier seems happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. And all along, she must navigate the language barrier of his rapid-fire Spanish—which she doesn’t speak.

As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.

But time is running out for Almudena and Xavier to get to know each other, and the key to their connection may ultimately lie in bringing all these different elements together. Fixing a broken building is one thing, but turning these stubborn individuals into a found family might take more than this one summer.

The Lost Baker of Vienna

 The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman 432 pages

Synopsis: Vienna,1946: Chana Rosensweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. As she tries to balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions.

The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, while shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.

My Thoughts: While I predicted the ending of this book pretty early on, it was still a fascinating read. Absolutely horrible what Jewish people went through during this time, but it really showed life after the Camps and showed how life was still extremely bad for Jewish people. The thing I appreciate about this book is it was inspired by the experiences of the author's own family after the Holocaust and it was very heart-wrenching. I like how they had the present in the novel and then went to the past to tell the story of Zoe's family. This book was beautifully written.

THE ELSEWHERE EXPRESS by SAMANTHA SOTTO YAMBAO

 THE ELSEWHERE EXPRESS by SAMANTHA SOTTO YAMBAO (Pgs 432)

Goodreads Revies: You can’t buy a ticket for the Elsewhere Express. Appearing only to those whose lives are adrift, it’s a magical train carrying very rare and special cargo: a sense of purpose, peace, and belonging.

Raya is one of those lost souls. She had dreamed of being a songwriter, but when her brother died, she gave up on her dream and started living his instead.

One day on the subway, as her thoughts wander, she’s swept off to the Elsewhere Express. There she meets Q, a charming, handsome artist who, like her, has lost his place in the world.

Together they find a train full of wonders, from a boarding car that’s also a meadow to a dining car where passengers can picnic on lily pads to a bar where jellyfish and whales swim through pink clouds.

But they also discover that the train harbors secrets—and danger: A mysterious stranger has stowed away and brought with him a dark, malignant magic that threatens to destroy the train.

But in investigating the stowaway's identity, Raya also finds herself drawing closer to the ultimate question: What is her life's true purpose—and might Q be connected to it?

This books was so beautiful, between the cover and interior art, plus the sprayed edges, it was sometimes hard to concentrate on actually reading it! But I did, and I really enjoyed it, I do appreciate this author.