The Six of Crows duology is the second set of books in the Grishaverse written by Leigh Bardugo. This fantastic story follows Kaz Brekker and his merry band of misfits through an impossible heist, betrayal, and the chance to keep a disturbing weapon out of the wrong hands. These books are fun, feisty, and leave you wanting more.

Alina Starkov never imagined she had the power of the sun. Once she learned she was the first Sun Summoner, she was thrown into a life of glamour, opulence, illusion, and betrayal. Her mentor, the Darkling, works with her to destroy the Fold - a tear in their home country of Ravka - until Alina learns the truth about the Darkling, the history of Ravka, and the magic trying to simultaneously hold it together and rip it apart.

As Rin tries to make a better life for herself, she encounters prejudice, classism, and outright warfare. She learns more about her heritage and the importance she has to her country’s ability to win The Poppy War.

Jamie Gray gets laid off at the start of the pandemic and finds himself unexpectedly working at KPS. KPS is tasked with studying and protecting the Kaiju in their natural habitat, which is Earth. Just not our Earth.

Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are heirs to their respective gangs in 1920s Shanghai. After five years of separation, will the burlesque and bullets of opium-trafficked Shanghai make them into the crime bosses their families desire? Or will they become the star-crossed lovers of legend?

I’m a Bookshop.org Affliate now!

Halfway through the year already! Here are the best books I read in Spring (or Q2) this year.

My bookish friends, Noah and Leslie, decided to compete for "Best Book" each month. This month, Noah and Leslie submitted “Classic by a female author” for the June book. Two wildly different books with shockingly similar themes surprised me, but ultimately, the competition wasn’t that close.

Mistakes Were Made looks at crucial moments in both past and present to understand the cognitive dissonance that plays a part in our inability to admit when we’ve made a mistake and why we double-down on being wrong.

Using her years as a researcher on shame and vulnerability, Brené Brown and her team provide the appropriate language we need to describe common feelings we experience.

When We Were Birds tells the story of two people, Yejide and Darwin, brought together by death and love. They are brought together mysteriously and dramatically while learning about themselves in the process.

An interesting look into how humanity’s view of women has resulted in data bias around the world.

If you’re looking for something delightful to read this summer, look no further than these books and series. There’s something on this list for everyone!

A rollercoaster fantasy series full of magic, mystery, mayhem, and a bit of love and redemption thrown in. A great series for teens and older!

My bookish friends, Noah and Leslie, decided to compete for "Best Book" each month. This month, Noah and Leslie submitted “something happy” for the May book. Two wildly different books with shockingly similar themes made for a close competition.

A beautiful novella about a monk and a robot and the meaning of friendship.

“Cults are not usually filled with people who can take a joke.” and “The first rule in a cult is that you don’t criticize the cult.” are just two of the fantastic quotes you’ll find in this book about what it’s like working at a tech start-up. In the six years since publication, I can say, not much has changed.

After several successful fantasy-romance series, Tricia O’Malley debuted The Wildsong Series with Song of the Fae. Set in the fictional Irish town of Grace’s Cove, O’Malley brings back a few characters from a past series for all-new adventures.

Quit while you’re ahead or read a book you don’t love? I share some guidelines on when to read and when to quit books in progress.

I’m 35 and still getting better. Here’s another birthday list of things I’ve learned.