The Last Russian Doll is a masterfully plotted historical fiction novel that while reads a bit heavy like Russian fiction tends to do, will suck you from the start. Once you allow yourself to glide over Russian names (and not get so fixated on keeping everyone straight) this book will pull you in - by layering past and present, the author keeps you captivated, leaving you to want to piece it all together as you form attachment to the well-developed characters. For me, this was also a chance to learn more about a country I admittedly have read little about (other than some heavy hitting Tolstoy novels). This was much more digestible. The different storylines come together in a seemingly effortless way - though very evidently through tremendous thought. This was a much needed and unique addition to more recently published historical fiction.

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer is a masterfully descriptive novel detailing the epic adventure of a runaway enslaved woman reconnecting with the ones she loves the most. The author has a powerful way of using words to place you into the scene of each chapter as it unfolds. You can feel the wind on your cheeks, hear each sound of the street or forest around you as the hair stands up on your arms due to her incredibly detailed and powerful descriptions. She layers the details in such a way, keeping them each relevant and never pedantic, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the story. Though the character development does fall a bit flat, the descriptive imagery permits the reader to be along for the journey, each step of the way.

Each story was like a tiny sip of of ice cold water on a scorching hot day - but just a sip. Enough to refresh you but leave you wanting more. Kathryn Harlan has managed to sew together a collection of unique short stories all with a common thread - the author seems to be inside of each of the main characters enough to know them at an almost shocking/embarrassing level. They have managed to unveil the most human - and often times ugliest - pieces of human flaws, psyche, and rawness. At times, the subtleness of the humanity displayed is ironically profound. What you are left with is a set of stories leaving you feeling vulnerable not only for yourself but for the characters within.

What was likely a well intentioned and overarching take on heartbreak, this book read more like a divorce memoir than the expected non-fiction book with anecdotes. I have never experienced traumatic heartbreak or a divorce and therefore found most of the specifics irrelevant or uninteresting. And this book was very divorce focused whereas I think "heartbreak" is much more relatable and broad. While the author did a nice job structuring the chapters with various elements (quotes, anecdotes, dialogue with a bit of plot) the "science" piece was severely lacking. It felt more like a stream of consciousness than a structured "scientific journey". That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed many relatable aspects of the author's personality which shined throughout the book.

Take My Hand is a gut-wrenching fictionalized account of the almost unbelievable Relf v. Weinberger case – a modern nightmare bathed in racism, sexism, elitism, and ableism. The government was funding the sterilization of young women, some minors, primarily BIPOC, and mostly without their explicit consent under the guise of public good. The story is told through a first person account of a wealthy black nurse, new to her career, and utterly horrified by what she witnesses on the job.

The author, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, wrote such a compelling narrative that at times you forget who the first-person voice is because you feel what each character must be feeling so deeply. She has developed a thorough cast of characters to give a voice to this United States' atrocity. Her descriptions are raw, real and devoid of sugar-coating.

This is a novel that you will not be able to put down. This is a novel that will make you sick to your stomach. This is a novel that will make you cry. It will keep you up at night. Take My Hand is as beautifully written as it is heartbreaking.

The Sunset Route was a grueling memoir recounting the troubled life and travels of a young woman. The childhood trauma and descriptions of her journeys were both raw and honest. That being said, there was little to no plot (was not always sure where I was in the grande scheme of her life) and the stories were sometimes so pedantic that they were too boring to want to finish.

A Million Things is an emotional and thoughtfully poised novel from the POV of a 10 year old girl. I wasn't expecting the author's ability to really describe and give experiences from a child's eye and mind but the perspective and storyline captures your attention almost immediately and then proceeds to tug at your heart all the way to the end.

A slightly fictionalized historical account of the fascinating and scandalous life of Marion Greener who, in order to contribute her expansive knowledge and talent of literature and art had to live a false life - passing as white during a time in American history where her true self was denied based on race alone. Serving as JP Morgan's personal librarian, confidant and friend, Belle da Costa Greene's story shows the struggles that American BIPOC had to endure. The story is well-written, researched and paced. Stories like these are the hidden threads of history that weave together the truth of our past as a nation and it is so important they are shared.

Big Girl, Small Town is a quirky, raw, believable and humorous story that takes place in a small Northern Ireland town during the Troubles. The main character, Majella, is a surprisingly lovable protagonist after you sift (or trudge) through the crude grit of her painfully honest and unique personality. The author, Michelle Gallen, finds a way to draw you into Majella's exceedingly boring routine of living in squalor with her alcoholic mother and working at a grease pit of a chip shop. You will find yourself drawn like a moth to the flame to Majella's painfully sad and mundane life formed on a shaky foundation of abuse, neglect, poverty and addiction. Once you get into the swing of reading in a phonetic Irish diction, the story oozes ahead and you won't be able to put it down.