Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

 

Unlocked  by Karen Kingsbury  323 pages

Holden Harris is an autistic eighteen-year-old who is bullied at school. Ella Reynolds is the head cheerleader who befriends Holden but has problems of her own at home.

Very sweet story about an autistic boy who finds his "voice" again through music.  I liked the way it taught many lessons about bullying, acceptance, and standing up for others.  It touches on the controversial concept of vaccinations causing autism, not sure I agree with that and I don't think it needed to be addressed in the book.  I like the way the story started when the kids were young and how they came back into each others lives. 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters #3) by Talia Hibbert, 400 p.

"Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins a wedding, her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she's not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is always in control. The uptight B&B owner expects nothing less than perfection from his employees, so when a purple-haired tornado of a woman applies for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else entirely..."--Amazon blurb

This was spicy romance was my favorite of the series. The characters in this are developed well and the interaction between them is spicy, yet they're learn from one another. Hibbert still used her formulaic plot, so everything went exactly as expected. I enjoyed the series overall and may try more Hibbert books in the future.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

 

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, 256 p.

"Gilda, a twenty-something lesbian, cannot stop ruminating about death. Desperate for relief from her panicky mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church, and finds herself being greeted by Father Jeff, who assumes she’s there for a job interview. Too embarrassed to correct him, Gilda is abruptly hired to replace the recently deceased receptionist, Grace.

In between trying to memorize the lines to Catholic mass, hiding the fact that she has a new girlfriend, and erecting a dirty dish tower in her crumbling apartment, Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace’s old friend. She can’t bear to ignore the kindly old woman, who has been trying to reach her friend through the church inbox, but she also can’t bring herself to break the bad news. Desperate, she begins impersonating Grace via email. But when the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace’s death, Gilda may have to finally reveal the truth of her mortifying existence."--Goodreads blurb

 I adored this book. A mishap has put Gilda in the oddest situation, but it turns her world upside down. Going through Gilda's emotions with her was hard at times, exasperating at others. Mental health takes center stage in this story, and while it's not explicitly said, Gilda is obviously on the autism spectrum somewhere and we get to see her navigate life with that. Highly recommend. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, 400 p.

TW: Description of sexual assault 

"Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist."--Goodreads blurb

I really loved this book. Garmus is a new writer for me, and the cover of this was a bit of a mislead for me personally, as it almost looked like a contemporary romance. But this historical story of a woman chemist, and an autistic one to boot, was well-told, engrossing, and takes you places you didn't know it would go. 

The Maid by Nita Prose

 

The Maid by Nita Prose, 304 p.

"Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late? A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart."--Goodreads blurb

I'm so glad I gave this book that I've heard a lot of people raving about a chance. It was well-written, the characters were original and you loved who you loved and really hated who you hated! I always love seeing autism represented and written in a compassionate and respectful way and I felt like this story did that. 

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, 323 p.

"Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic..." --Goodreads blurb

This is the latest in the contemporary romance genre that I've recently started to enjoy. It was a very quick read, and while not as good as others in the genre I've read this summer, it was great to have a story with an autistic MC. Learning about the way her brain worked and watching her confidence grow was a great escape. I appreciated that the inevitable miscommunication that leads to the breakup in every contemporary romance didn't last that long in this story. 
 

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, 448 pages
 

CW: war, assault, violence

"In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war. Just beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp she calls home, a young woman speaks her wedding vows. It’s a decision that will alter her destiny…and it’s a lie that will remain buried until the next century.

Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now fifteen and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears. Where Alina used to measure time between visits from her beloved, now she measures the spaces between hope and despair, waiting for word from Tomasz and avoiding the attentions of the soldiers who patrol her parents’ farm. But for now, even deafening silence is preferable to grief.
Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of modern life, Kelly Rimmer creates an emotional and finely wrought narrative that weaves together two women’s stories into a tapestry of perseverance, loyalty, love and honor. The Things We Cannot Say is an unshakable reminder of the devastation when truth is silenced…and how it can take a lifetime to find our voice before we learn to trust it." --Goodreads blurb

This was an beautiful epic tale of war, family, and love. Many intriguing characters to follow and fall in love with, as well as some great background stories, namely the main character's son. The story became a little hard to follow at certain points, but it all came together and the story was wonderful. 

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
503 pages

"Ginny Moon is exceptional. Everyone knows it--her friends at school, teammates on the basketball team, and especially her new adoptive parents. They all love her, even if they don't quite understand her. They want her to feel like she belongs.

"What they don't know is that Ginny has no intention of belonging. She's found her birth-mother on Facebook, and is determined to get back to her--even if it means going back to a place that was extremely dangerous. Because Ginny left something behind and she's desperate to get it back, to make things right.

"But no one listens. No one understands. So Ginny takes matters into her own hands...

"Benjamin Ludwig's whip-smart, unforgettable novel is an illuminating look at one girl's journey to find her way home and one of the freshest debuts in years."  --from the publisher

Ginny is fourteen and has autism, and the book is told from her perspective.  The author and his wife adopted a teenage girl with autism, and he uses that experience to create an incredible voice to tell this story. I loved it! Ludwig sucked me in from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down.

Temple Grandin by Sy Montgomery

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery, (Foreword by) Temple Grandin -- 148 pages

Temple Grandin relates to animals a lot. They can't talk. For a long time, she couldn't either, so she couldn't express herself or tell people what she wanted. Animals pay attention to details that most people don't even notice, and so does Temple. Because she relates to animals so well, she knows exactly what might be frightening or hurting them. Temple has used her autism as a strength and as a tool, and she became perhaps the most single influential person in the livestock industry. This is a short biography on her life, and I enjoyed it very much.

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida -- 135 pages

"Why don't you talk?"
"Why do you flutter your fingers in front of your eyes?"
"Why do you wander away?"
"Why don't you look people in the eyes?"

Question by question, Naoki explains with clarity and self-awareness the struggles of having autism and why he does what he does, enlightening us to the way the autistic mind works. It's a one-of-a-kind autobiography.

"The Journal of Best Practices" by David Finch

"The Journal of Best Practices" by David Finch - 224 pages
"A  Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome and One Man's Quest to be a Better Husband.


This book is about a man who has Asperger's, a disease that is on the Autistic Spectrum.  One evening, his wife asks him questions from an internet test to see if he has Asperger's.  Those questions hit really close to home.  After getting the results from the online test and a diagnosis from a doctor, David embarks on a journey to help himself by keeping a journal.  Through making observations that most would consider normal, he learns that he can use these observations to help him rebuild his marriage, build a stronger relationship with his children and have fun.  I