Sweet Blood by Lola Glass

Sweet Blood by Lola Glass -- 522 pages

A werewolf showed up to investigate a murder in my office building—then bit me, and accused me of being the killer. When I'm proven innocent, he admits the truth: We’re soulmates. Unfortunately for both of us, I’m a vampire. Our people are mortal enemies, so we have no choice but to ignore the connection we share until it eventually fades. The only problem? His instincts won’t let him walk away, and he isn't trying to fight them. When I’m nearly offed by the murderer myself, all bets are off. My werewolf will take out the killer and make me his… or we’ll both die trying.

Snotgirl Vol. 4: Make It Make Sense! by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl Vol. 4: Make It Make Sense! by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl #16-20, 144 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Everyone's favorite queer, messy girl with terrible allergies is back in the fourth volume!

The hit Image Comics series returns! Fashion disaster Lottie Person is finally dating the girl of her dreams, but is she ignoring red flags? Romance, mystery and comedy collide in this thrilling continuation of cult hit SNOTGIRL!

Snotgirl, Vol. 3: Is This Real Life? by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl, Vol. 3: Is This Real Life? by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl #11-15, 136 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The biggest fashion disaster in comics is back! Fashion blogger Lottie Person just wants to live up to her flawless online persona -- but why is real life so much harder?

Snotgirl, Vol. 2: California Screaming Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl, Vol. 2: California Screaming by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl #6-10, 136 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Lottie Person is a glamorous fashion blogger living her best life in L.A. — at least that’s what she wants you to think. CALIFORNIA SCREAMING finds Lottie putting the past behind her and trying to make the best of a bad situation — her life! Lottie’s new bestie is an emotional roller coaster: first she died, and then she killed someone. Who will Caroline hurt next, and what is her brother Virgil doing here? What secret is Detective John Cho seeking in the desert? Why did Cutegirl ghost her sister? Is Normgirl really going to marry Ashley? And what in god’s name did Sunny ever see in Charlene? These questions and many others may possibly be answered in SNOTGIRL, VOL. 2: CALIFORNIA SCREAMING!

Snotgirl, Vol. 1: Green Hair Don't Care by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl, Vol. 1: Green Hair Don't Care by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung (Illustrator)

Snotgirl #1-5, 136 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Lottie Person is a glamorous fashion blogger living her best life—at least that’s what she wants you to think. The truth is, her friends are terrible people, her boyfriend traded her up for someone younger, her allergies are out of control, and she may or may not have killed somebody!

The Holdout by Graham Moore

 The Holdout by Graham Moore

322 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Summary (from Missouri Evergreen):

It's the most sensational case of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar real estate fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher Bobby Nock, a twenty-five-year-old African American man, is the prime suspect after illicit text messages are discovered between them--and Jessica's blood is found in his car. The subsequent trial taps straight into America's most pressing preoccupations: race, class, sex, law enforcement, and the lurid sins of the rich and famous. It's an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed. Until Maya Seale, a young woman on the jury, convinced of Nock's innocence, persuades the rest of the jurors to return the verdict of not guilty, a controversial decision that will change all of their lives forever. Flash forward ten years. A true-crime docuseries reassembles the jurors, with particular focus on Maya, now a defense attorney herself. When one of the jurors is found dead in Maya's hotel room, all evidence points to her as the killer. Now, she must prove her own innocence--by getting to the bottom of a case that is far from closed. As the present-day murder investigation weaves together with the story of what really happened during their deliberation, told by each of the jurors in turn, the secrets they have all been keeping threaten to come out--with drastic consequences for all involved.

My thoughts: This was a page-turner. I really like anything with courtrooms and law involved, so this was a great read. I especially liked that the main character's actions felt believable. It got me thinking about the justice system - most fascinating to me was the truth is not always the best defense strategy in court. I was not super happy with the ending, but after thinking about it for a few days, it was pretty clever on more than just one level.

A Rebel Without Claws by Juliette Cross

A Rebel Without Claws by Juliette Cross -- 320 pages

After yet another bar fight and arrest, bad boy Ronan Reed leaves Texas to live with his uncle Shane, alpha of the Blood Moon pack. Since werewolf cage fighting isn’t illegal in Louisiana, Ronan makes big plans to lead his own team in the ring. But when he sets eyes on sweet Celine Cruz, his whole world stops and she becomes a tantalizing distraction he doesn’t need.

As an Aura witch, Celine always wants to help heal the broken. She knows all too well what it’s like to battle anxiety, and so she’s dedicated her life to helping those in need. But the second she meets Ronan, she knows she’s in trouble. He’s everything her close-knit family would hate: a werewolf with a hot temper and a sinful grin to match, who runs with a dangerous crowd. So why can’t she stay away?

Ronan thinks she’s a good girl. Little does he know, all Celine wants is to do wicked things with the bad boy werewolf, who revels in breaking all her rules. But as their forbidden romance becomes too tempting to resist, Ronan notices that the wolves are circling . . . and they’re coming after his mate.