The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) by Nita Prose

 The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) by Nita Prose-304 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

Molly Gray is a lowly maid at a fancy hotel where everything is not as it seems. When Molly finds a wealthy hotel guest (Mr. Black) dead in his bed her life is flipped on its head. Her normally orderly and mundane existence is suddenly upended. She becomes the main person of interest in the death of Mr. Black and must prove her innocence. Mr. Preston is the doorman and one of Molly's true friends. He helps her in her time of need and truly cares for her. It's hard for Molly (and sometimes all of us) to tell who her true friends are and what people's intentions are. The first half of the book is a bit slow going, but it really picks up in the second half and I enjoyed it overall. I really liked the ending.

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Steele

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle-213 pages

Becca moves from LA to Piedmont and starts at a posh new high school. She really wants to be normal and have normal friends. One day a simple act of kindness gets her in with the popular girls known as the Squad (Marley, Arianna, and Amanda). She starts going to parties with them and becomes friends with them. One night at a party, the Squad reveals that they're werewolves and eat "the worst guys" to satiate their hunger and replenish their energy. However, things start to go wrong after a while and the FBI is on the case when a local "worst guy" named Thatcher goes missing (Becca killed him in self-defense). Becca and Marley end up falling in love with each other and end up going to prom together. What happens to the Squad and their alpha, Arianna, in particular? I enjoyed reading this graphic novel and would give it 4 starts. 
 

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop: A Novel by Fannie Flagg

 

              The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop: A Novel by Fannie Flagg-282 pages

The story follows a little boy throughout his life.  Raised in a small town, enduring an accident that could have left him bitter.  Instead, the book focuses on the people that made a difference in his life and how he chose to rise above his disability. Heartwarming and inspirational.  Told with Fannie Flagg's humor.

I loved this book.  It was so cool to see how everyone stayed in touch over the years.  And Fannie Flagg makes me laugh out loud.

Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps #4) by R.L. Stine

Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps #4) by R.L. Stine-136 pages

Greg and his three friends, Shari, Bird, and Michael find an old camera in the basement of the scary old Coffman House near their neighborhood. They start taking pictures with it, but the pictures don't turn out right. The pictures seem to show the future because whatever they show seems to happen soon after the pictures are taken. For instance, Greg takes a photo of his family's new car and it shows the car wrecked, totaled. The day after the photo is taken, Greg's dad is in a bad wreck and totals the new car. Other similar strange occurrences happen, also. Greg and his friends begin to wonder if the camera simply shows the future or if it is something more sinister, more evil. Perhaps the camera itself is evil and causing these tragedies! One must read the book, as I did, to find out!

My Little Monster, v. 1 by Robico

My Little Monster, v. 1 by Robico - 176 pages

Haru believes he is in "love" with Shizuku.  Shizuku just wants to get back to her studies.  But when these two meet it becomes a quest for Haru to make friends.

This was an interesting manga.  I liked the two main characters.  They are a good contrast from each other.

Daytime Shooting Star, v. 1 by Mika Yamamori

Daytime Shooting Star, v. 1 by Mika Yamamori - 200 pages

Suzume moves to Tokyo to live with her uncle and go to school.  The first person she meets in Tokyo is a weird stranger that helps her in the park.  The first friend she makes is the boy that sits next to her in class that blushes furiously at her touch.  And her homeroom teacher is none other than the weird stranger . . .

I really enjoyed this first book of a new manga series.  Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait to read more volumes until they come out.  I'm looking forward to them.

Toy Story 4, Old Friends, New Friends by Natasha Bouchard

Toy Story 4, Old Friends, New Friends by Natasha Bouchard, 24 pages

Who isn't a Toy Story fan?  With the new movie coming out, this is a great book.  Introducing the new friend Forky, this book teaches kids about friendship.

Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky

Cast No Shadow by Nick Tapalansky - 220 pages

Greg is shocked when he is able to see a real ghost at the local haunted house.  Ghost Eleanor is the only bright spot in his life.  His father has moved in a new girlfriend.  The local buddy is constantly trying to get to him.  And his best friend has developed a crush on his enemy.  Then things really get bad when his shadow starts making trouble around town.

This was recommended as one of the best graphic novels from 2018.  It was definitely a different take on the topic of grief and moving on.  I would recommend this to younger teens.

Sand Chronicles, v. 1 by Hinako Ashihara

Sand Chronicles, v. 1 by Hinako Ashihara - 200 pages

Ann goes to live in the country with her mom after her parents' divorce.  While at first she hates the country, she quickly makes a couple friends.  These friends will help her through a personal tragedy that shapes her life.

I enjoyed this first volume in the series.  I'm going to have to find the following volumes to read. 

What If It's Us by Becky Albetalli & Adam Silvera

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera - 437 pages

Arthur is only in New York City for the summer when he meets Ben at the post office.  There's a connection but they both fail to get the other's name or phone number.  Luckily, they follow the clues to find each other.  But will that be enough for the universe to let them stay together?

I read this after reading another book by Becky Albertalli.  Unfortunately, I did not like this book as much.  It relied way too much on coincidence and luck to advance the plot line.  Still, I think teens would enjoy the story.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli - 343 pages

Leah feels as if she doesn't fit in.  Her family is just her mom who is obsessed with Leah and her friends high school experience.  Her friends are paired off into couples making her always feel like a third wheel.  And she can't seem to let anyone know that she is bisexual . . . especially Abby the girl she's had a crush on for a couple years.

This is the sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.  It focuses on Leah and Abby, two of Simon's best friends.  While I did enjoy this story, I didn't like it as much as the first story.  This is probably because Leah just isn't as likable a character.  She's very awkward and uncomfortable in her skin.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - 303 pages

Simon is being blackmailed. 

Simon has been communicating through email with another closeted boy at his school.  He has quickly fallen in love with him even though he only knows him by the alias Blue.  They email each constantly.

Now Marty has accidentally discovered these emails and is blackmailing Simon into hooking him up with Simon's best friend Abby . . . .


I really enjoyed this book.  Simon was a very likable main character who was trying hard to make the best of several bad situations.  The secondary characters were also well developed and drew you further into the story.  I picked this book up after catching the movie version on tv the other night and I'm glad I did.

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus by Kiyohiko Azuma

Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma - 675 pages

This compilation contains all three volumes of Azumanga Daioh, a manga about the three years of high school for a group of friends and their teachers.  I enjoyed this manga.  It was simple and sweet.  It would be a great choice for those who enjoy everyday life manga stories.

Yotsuba, v. 6-13 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Yotsuba&!, v. 6 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 7 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 8 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 9 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 226 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 10 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 11 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 12 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 13 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages

The story of Yotsuba, her dad, the family next door, and their friends continues.  I really like this series.  It's great for all ages - kids, teens, or adults.  I would highly recommend this series.

Yotsuba&!, v.1-5 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Yotsuba&!, v. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 232 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 2 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 200 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 3 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 184 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 4 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 192 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 5 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 216 pages

Yotsuba is an energetic, excitable girl that has newly moved to a new town.  She immediately makes friends with the family next door.  This manga series tells everyday stories of Yotsuba, her dad, their friends, and the family next door.  It's a cute, fun series to read.  I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Flying Witch, v 2-5 by Chihiro Ishizuka

Flying Witch, v. 2 by Chihiro Ishizuka - 160 pages
Flying Witch, v. 3 by Chihiro Ishizuka - 160 pages
Flying Witch, v 4 by Chihiro Ishizuka - 160 pages
Flying Witch, v 5 by Chihiro Ishizuka - 168 pages

Makoto continues her witch training while living with her cousins. 
I am really enjoying this series.  It's fun and quick to read.  The characters are interesting to get to know.

Fruits Basket Another, v. 1 by Natsuki Takaya

Fruits Basket Another, v. 1 by Natsuki Takaya - 194 pages

Sawa Mitoma keeps her head down and doesn't interact with anyone . . . until her first day of high school when she meets Mutsuki and Hajime of the Sohma family.  Now they're doing their best to open her up and include her in their crazy family activities.

This is a sequel series to the popular Fruits Basket manga.  I was very excited when I heard about these as Fruits Basket was the first manga I read and I loved it.  I enjoyed this book -- especially figuring out how the new Sohma characters are related to the original Fruits Basket characters.  I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Devils Within by S.R. Henson

Devils Within by S.F. Henson - 395 pages

Nate was 8 years old the first time he stabbed someone.  He was 11 years old when he earned his red laces for spilling blood for his father's "cause".  He was fourteen when he murdered his father, the leader of the white supremacist group The Fort.  Nearly two years later, he's being sent to live with his uncle who hates him in a town that ignores him.  Then he meets Brandon, a person The Fort taught Nate to hate on sight.  Brandon can never know Nate's past.

This was a very interesting book to read.  It was difficult to read the hate speech spouted by some of the characters -- even knowing that the main character himself didn't believe it and actually despised it. 

Kamisama Kiss, v. 21 by Julietta Suzuki

Kamisama Kiss, v. 21 by Julietta Suzuki - 200 pages

Mikage takes Tomoe to Izuma to be changed back into a human from a fox.  Nanami follows behind but encounters some trouble along the way.
We're starting to really get into the history between Tomoe and Akura-Oh with this volume.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo-182 pages

I watched the movie a few years ago, so I decided to read this book since this month is books about animals. Opal Buloni goes to a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Naomi, Florida where she has just moved and meets a mischievous, friendly stray dog who she claims is hers and names Winn-Dixie after the grocery store. Because of Winn-Dixie she meets and befriends Franny Block, who runs the Herman W. Block Memorial Library. Additionally, she meets and befriends Otis, who runs a pet store. Opal also becomes friends with Amanda, the Dewberry boys, Gloria Dump, and Sweetie Pie Thomas. She makes all of these friends because of her dog Winn-Dixie. Opal also reaches an understanding about her mom leaving her and her dad, the preacher. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, although I was disappointed that the grammar was not better. There are many examples throughout the book of improper grammar usage (i.e. I seen, I brung, etc.). I understand that Opal is 10 and many of her friends are kids, also, but I would like to see more proper grammar.