Book Review: "The Romance Revival" by Christina Lauren

It’s always interesting when an author that’s well-known in a particular genre decides to try something new. That’s kind of the case with Christina Lauren’s new book, which mashes up romance with a bit of sci-fi and mystery. ⁣

⁣ Emery and Luca have been inseparable since he swept her off her feet at a wedding in Las Vegas. They married just a few months later, and they’re about to celebrate their third anniversary. ⁣

⁣ The thing is, Emery, who is a scientist, is a complete workaholic. She’s busy day and night, misses dates and dinners, and often feels miles away from Luca. And her work is top-secret, so she can’t even tell Luca the truth about what she’s doing. Being secretive is taking its toll, but she knows it’s just for a little while longer.

⁣ And then the unthinkable happens: Luca is killed in an accident as Emery looks on, helpless. She cannot lose him. So she injects him with a drug she’s been working on, in order to bring him back to life. It’s a complete risk and a violation of so many laws and ethics, but it works.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ Luca wakes up and is healing nicely. The one drawback is he has no memory of Emery or their life together. But this time, she’s determined not to waste a second. She hopes Luca will fall in love with her again—and she can turn over a new leaf in the process.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ The romance aspect of the book is top-notch. Luca and Emery have intense chemistry and the second chance they’re given is so lovely. But when the book shifts into mystery mode, I felt like it lost its appeal. The action sequences seemed formulaic and implausible, and I just wanted to read their love story. ⁣⁣

Book Review: "Make Nice" by Ryan Effgen

I love dysfunctional families. (Fictional dysfunctional families.) There’s just so much fodder for drama and confrontation. Ryan Effgen’s debut novel takes one such family on vacation—what could go wrong? Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy!

The Pickford family is gathering at The Grand Hotel, a ritzy resort on an island in Lake Michigan. It’s been three months since their mother died, and their father has decided that they all should vacation together. No one is exactly sure why.

Viv is fairly sure her marriage is over, what with the recent discovery that her husband is gay. But she’s determined to pretend everything is fine, especially to her teenage daughter, Ash (don’t call her Ashley). Pete is a scientist, recently referred to as the nation’s foremost expert on gastropods.

And then there’s Corey, the black sheep of the family. Corey didn’t attend their mother’s funeral, and in fact, Pete and Viv didn’t even know their father invited him. But Corey isn’t the type of person to shrink under scrutiny—he almost seems to relish his role as family outcast. However, he’s ready to take control of his life—and he has five pounds of cocaine he plans to sell to the rich tourists, which should give him a good start.

Of course, you bring a family together, and there are always secrets to be revealed, old wounds to be reopened, and lots of emotions. Why did their father summon them to the island? Can peace and love be found amidst the fudge and ice cream shops and the horse-drawn carriages?

The book is billed as a cross between Sandwich and The Wedding People. There are certainly similarities but I didn’t feel as connected to the characters in this book as I did in those others. This was enjoyable but not necessarily unique in any way.

The book publishes 7/14.

Book Review: "Reality Bites" by Amy Mass

I love rom-coms so much. I know that when I need a book to lighten my mood or just make my heart melt, there are plenty of rom-coms out there. And this debut novel definitely hit the spot.

Grace is a scientist who has been working to save the Southern Mountain yellow-legged frog from extinction. She’s pretty focused on helping any animal that can’t help itself, and she’s always busy, so she never has time to date. And the fact is, she’s not really interested anyway.

She’s definitely an outlier from the rest of her family, who are all social media influencers. Her mother is a decorating influencer, her father has run a Power Yoga for Men YouTube channel for years, one brother is a TikTok thirst trap, and the other broadcasts on Twitch. Grace doesn’t have a social media channel.

When Grace finds out that her mother signed her up to be on the hit dating reality show Love Shack, she hits the roof. She’s never seen a reality show and has no desire to date people while the world watches. But when she learns the grand prize is enough to save her lab’s funding, she reluctantly puts on fake glasses and inhabits the role of “Sexy Scientist.”

She’s completely unprepared by the constant pressure of a reality show and having to be “on” all the time. She also can’t help stirring up trouble when she sees a cause worth championing, which puts her in the crosshairs of Andrew, the show’s sexy lawyer. The more they fight over breaking rules, the hotter their attraction burns.

I thought these characters were all so much fun, and there was more depth to them than at first glance. This was a fun book, full of banter, some steam, and lots of enjoyment and romance. Not bad for a debut novel!

Book Review: "Celestial Lights" by Cecile Pin

“I was born the day Challenger fell out of the sky, and I was born blue. At least, that is what I was told.”

Oliver was a smart, quiet, English child. His life began at a tragic moment for the world, but he was a dreamer, inspired by the things we didn’t yet know. His intellectual curiosity led him to study engineering, then to a Royal Navy submarine, and finally to a career as an astronaut.

Throughout his life, Oliver had trouble expressing his feelings, and many people found him cold. But he did fiercely love his parents, his wife, and his young son, even if his actions didn’t always convey that fact.

He is tapped to command a mission to the moon Europa, to see if the conditions there could ultimately sustain human life. It would require 10 years’ time, and during most of it, there would be no communication with Earth. Oliver cannot turn down the opportunity, even though it means he won’t be present to watch his son grow up, and the decision could end his marriage.

During the mission, Oliver thinks about the life-changing importance of what they’re doing. But as he looks back on his life and his family, he can’t help but wonder if the sacrifices will be worth it.

This was a beautifully written and profoundly thought-provoking book. Oliver is a complex character and I’m not sure I had him figured out by the end of the book, but I know that this will live in my brain for a long while.

Book Review: "Detour" by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

John Ward is a billionaire who is running as a third-party candidate for president. He’s funding a mission to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. The mission will lay the foundation for future settlements as the effects of climate change destroy Earth.

The crew of the mission is composed of three astronauts and three civilians. The astronauts are legendary and the hope is they will train the three civilians: Padma, the scientist whose research convinced Ward to form the mission; Stitch, a graffiti artist who won his seat in a lottery; and Ryan, a Washington, DC cop who helped foil an assassination attempt on Ward.

The mission will last two years. Ryan doesn’t want to leave his wife and kids for that long, but Ward promises him a $15 million paycheck which could change their lives. And although all six of the crew members are nervous about the mission, they move forward with it.

But when the ship starts circling Titan, things go wrong. The ship is rocked by multiple explosions which threaten their return home. Yet working together, they’re able to make it back to Earth and are hailed as heroes.

Upon their return, each person notices that their life isn’t quite what it was before the mission. They returned home to find things—and their loved ones—are strangely different, like they’re in the wrong multiverse. Ward has ordered that the crew members can’t talk to each other or the press. What happened on their mission? They’re not quite prepared for what comes next.

Science fiction isn’t my usual genre, but this sci-fi thriller was excellent. It’s the start of a series and I hope I don’t have to wait long for the next book!

Book Review: "The Frequency of Living Things" by Nick Fuller Googins

“I decided right there to play it safe: one full week to detox from my sisters. Because family and opioids really aren’t so different. Both can make you feel great until suddenly they don’t.”

Even though she’s the youngest, Josie has almost always taken care of her older twin sisters, Ara and Emma. Josie is a scientist, organized and levelheaded (at least when it comes to other people’s lives). Her sisters are musicians, so Josie often pays their rent, schedules their doctors’ appointments, and helps with issues related to their band.

The band, Jojo and the Twins, were once a huge, Grammy-nominated success. But their second album remains elusive, and it’s been years since they opened for famous bands. Their lack of progress in recent years is definitely related to Ara’s problems with addiction and dealing with trauma from an assault. Emma feels as if she’s to blame for the assault, so she’s essentially been enabling Ara’s addiction.

But when Ara winds up in jail, it throws Josie and Emma in a tailspin. Emma decides that the band will record a jailhouse album and hopes that preorders will help pay Ara’s bail. But for the first time, Ara decides she wants to kick her drug habit and her reliance on her sisters, both of which are easier said than done.

Their mother Bertie is a famous lawyer and fighter of injustice. She was too busy building a better world for her daughters than actually mothering them. When she is asked to help Ara, she has to decide whether to come back into her daughters’ lives or let them fight their own battles.

I love books about family dynamics and drama, and this one had a lot of it! It’s a powerful read that evoked a lot of different emotions in me. I felt like the book meandered a bit as it provided background into the characters, particularly Bertie, but the story really moved me.

Book Review: "All the Water in the World" by Eiren Caffall

I’m really late to the party in reading and reviewing this, but I’m so grateful to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy I received. Amazingly, this is the second piece of climate fiction I’ve read in the last few months, and it really made me think.

It’s a time after the glaciers have melted and the world is lashed by severe weather conditions, including floods. In what was once New York City, Nonie, her older sister Bix, and their father live in an encampment of sorts atop the American Museum of Natural History. The girls have been taught to hunt and grow their food in Central Park.

Their other responsibility is to try and save the museum’s collections so that work in human history and science are not lost. But Nonie has a heightened sense of when precipitation is incoming, and when a massive storm breaches the city’s flood walls, her family and their researcher friend must flee. They grab what they can from the museum, including a birchbark canoe, and travel north along the Hudson River.

The journey is a harrowing one, fraught with danger and potential disaster. Along the way they not only have to brave the elements, but they also have to face the fears and uncertainties of the people they encounter, survivors who have formed small communities. They don’t have any sense of whom to trust and whom to fear, which proves harrowing.

The characters are really beautifully drawn, particularly Nonie. She, like so many who must brave catastrophe, is wise beyond her years, but she is also tremendously kind and empathetic.

While this moved a bit slower than I was expecting, I found this to be a powerful, emotional, and eye-opening book. In addition to its depiction of a world ravaged by climate change, this is a book about grief, love, and survival. It’s also a powerful tribute to the value of museums and what they help us learn and remember, important messages given the dangers museums face in the U.S.

Book Review: "Shred Sisters" by Betsy Lerner

“No one will love you more or hurt you more than a sister.”

Amy’s older sister Ollie was everything she wanted to be. Ollie was confident, athletic, beautiful, popular, and she tortured Amy mercilessly. Yet she charmed their parents so effectively that they blamed Amy for provoking her sister, which caused her a great deal of stress.

But when Ollie’s recklessness and bravado leads to destructive behavior, she agrees to go to a psychiatric hospital rather than face jail time for her transgressions. And at that moment, everything changes: Ollie’s mental health deteriorates, their parents get divorced, and Amy is left to fend for herself.

Ollie spends several years in the hospital, but when she is released, she falls into a cyclical pattern of stability, moving in with one of their parents, then starting to fall apart again, she disappears, usually leaving with money or other valuables. Meanwhile, Amy is so desperate not to be like her sister that she throws herself into studying science and keeping everyone at arm’s length.

For anyone who has had a loved one deal with mental illness, the patterns that Ollie, Amy, and their parents fall into may seem familiar. What transpires is illustrative of how the ripples of mental illness can affect an entire family, either in response to crises or defense from them.

This is a powerful story of sisterhood and trying to find yourself when you’ve always been in the shadow of another. I don’t know that I necessarily liked the characters much, but this was a tremendously thought-provoking and emotional read. It’s one of those books you’ll want to discuss.

Book Review: "Village in the Dark" by Iris Yamashita

I’ve never been to Alaska but it’s high on my travel bucket list. Luckily, lots of books are set there, so I can visit by reading.

A year ago, Cara’s husband and young son disappeared while on a hike, as the family vacationed. Their remains were found, but Cara’s grief and anger have remained, and led to her suspension from the Anchorage Police Department.

When she finds a picture of her family on the cellphone of a dead gang member, she starts to wonder what really happened to her husband and son. And while every lead she follows winds up in a dead end, she’s determined to find the truth.

As she tries to investigate what happened to the other people whose photos appeared on the gang member’s phone, she steps into a very complicated web of deception and danger. Connecting with a young Native woman, they wind up traveling to a remote village called Unity, created to protect women and children from their abusers. It is there that Cara learns the truth.

As she puts herself and others at risk in order to find answers, she must also resolve her feelings for JB, a police detective she met while on assignment. He’d do anything for Cara, but will his sacrifices lead to happily ever after or grief and danger?

This is the second book in a series which in part takes place in Point Mettier, Alaska, an isolated town that can only be accessed by an underground tunnel, and where all the residents live in one large condo building. The first book, City Under One Roof, is really good, too, but you don’t have to have read that first.

I love the way Iris Yamashita writes. These books are so atmospheric I can feel the cold and see the images she creates. The fact that these books read like a movie is no surprise, considering Yamashita is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. I hope there’s a third book!!

Book Review: "Another First Chance" by Robbie Couch

“Death isn’t the end but a conclusion to a single chapter within the infinite story of us—a cosmic transfer when our essence merges with the skies above. In death, we return to stardust, forever woven into the celestial tapestry of a universe that cannot be anything but immortal.”

River’s best friend Dylan died in a car accident a year ago, when he was texting and driving. River has been full of grief, not to mention guilt, since it was his text that Dylan was responding to. Every day, River passes a billboard with Dylan’s face on it, reminding people not to text and drive, which River hates.

Since Dylan’s death, River has been a loner. No one really understands how he feels, except Mavis, Dylan’s girlfriend, who used to be River’s best friend, but she hasn’t spoken to him since the accident.

When River makes some “improvements” (otherwise known as vandalism) to Dylan’s billboard, he gets blackmailed into participating in a research study called The Affinity Trials, which is geared toward teenagers who are struggling socially. River is thrown together for a week with 19 other students, including Mavis, which makes for a difficult time.

During the Trials, River finally starts coming to terms with his grief and guilt. At the same time, several of the students, including River, are experiencing some weird things. What are the Trials really for. What’s real and what isn’t?

The book is narrated by River in the present and Dylan on the day he died. Although the book gets a little technical at times, I thought it was really moving, and as someone who lost one of his best friends 2-1/2 years ago, some of the emotions felt very real. I can always count on Robbie Couch to hit me in the feels!!

Book Review: "Christa Comes Out of Her Shell" by Abbi Waxman

Christa is a scientist, studying snails on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. It’s a quiet life, but it’s very satisfying for her, since she doesn’t have to interact with many people and she can enjoy the natural beauty around her.

Her peace is upended when she learns that her father, Jasper Liddle, once a famous television star, didn’t really die in a plane crash when she was two. Apparently, he’s alive and well and has been living in Alaska, and 25 years later, he’s ready to make amends with the family he left behind.

Christa has to come back to the U.S., and she, along with her mother and two sisters, are thrust into the spotlight. It’s not a place Christa wants to be, as she’s always had a difficult relationship with her family, and during her teen years, she caused no end of scandals in the press. But the Liddle women, thanks to the machinations of their father’s agent, are expected to play along with all of the insanity around Jasper’s reappearance.

As if that’s not enough, Christa feels a strong connection to Nate, a childhood friend, which is definitely reciprocated. Christa would like to build something with Nate, but she doesn’t want to do it in the spotlight, and she wants to go back to her snails. And when Jasper’s story appears to be not quite what he claimed, she has to figure out what to do with her whole life.

Abbi Waxman has been a favorite author of mine since The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. She creates such quirky characters and imbues them with warmth, flaws, and rich emotions.

While I enjoyed this book, it veered into zany territory more than a few times. There were lots of crazy subplots that never quite got resolved, and I don’t know if the characters were really true to themselves. But it was still a fun read.

Book Review: "The True Love Experiment" by Christina Lauren

I couldn’t have loved this more if I tried!

Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is a famous romance novelist who loses her mojo—both creative and romantic—when she realizes she’s never had the all-consuming love she writes about. Sure, she’s had relationships and some steamy, no-holds-barred sex, but she’s never truly felt love, so she feels like a fraud. And she might have shared those thoughts. Publicly.

Connor Prince is a documentary filmmaker focused on the environment. He and his ex-wife share custody of their 10-year-old daughter and he is a devoted father. When his boss tells him he needs to create a successful dating reality show in order to keep his job, he’s thrown for a loop.

But when he discovers how popular romance novels are (and particularly, Fizzy's novels), an idea is born: how about a show where the audience watches Fizzy interact with different men, and hopefully fall in love with one of them? At first, Fizzy wants nothing to do with the show, so she makes all sorts of unrealistic demands about casting and everything else. And Connor meets nearly every single one. So now she’s trapped into doing the show.

As Connor helps Fizzy get ready for the show, the two become close friends. Both find themselves wanting more, but know it could be disastrous, especially for Connor. But how can he watch her flirt with other men, much less fall in love with one?

This was another fantastic Christina Lauren book. I loved Fizzy in The Soulmate Equation, and it was so good to see her in her own book!

Book Review: "Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story" by Lauren Myracle, illustrated by Isaac Goodhart

Victor lives a solitary existence, wracked with guilt about the death of his older brother Otto, and closing himself off to the world. The only bright spot is his job as a scientist, where he hopes to make significant contributions.⁣

Nora believes in living every day to the fullest. But that’s not just a mantra: she has a terminal illness that will rob her of everything—movement, speech, memory. She’s determined not to let that get her down until it’s time, and she has a plan.⁣

⁣ Victor and Nora have a not-quite meet-cute in the cemetery where his brother and her mother are buried. Little by little, Nora’s devil-may-care attitude thaws Victor’s frozen heart. But when he discovers the secret Nora’s been hiding, he’s determined to use science to save her—but what will the consequences be?⁣

⁣ This graphic novel, beautifully drawn and full of emotion, is essentially the origin story of Mr. Freeze, who resurfaces in Batman comics (and a movie). There’s no hint of his ultimate supervillain future here, but obviously there’s a tinge of sadness along with hopefulness.⁣

⁣ I’m a fan of graphic novels, especially ones with some emotional heft to them. I really enjoyed this.⁣

Book Review: "See You Yesterday" by Rachel Lynn Solomon

As if freshman year of college isn’t bad enough, you get caught in a time loop? So is the premise behind Rachel Lynn Solomon's See You Yesterday.

Barrett had high hopes for her freshman year of college. She was hoping for a brand-new start, away from the problems that plagued her in high school. But on the first day of class, she discovers her high school nemesis will be her roommate, she gets tormented by a guy in her physics class, she screws up her interview at the school paper, and her attempt to make friends at a frat party ends in a fiery mess.

When she goes to bed that night, utterly depressed and defeated, she feels like college isn’t much better than high school. But when she wakes up, she discovers she’s repeating that day from hell. Again and again and again, no matter what she tries. And then when she runs into Miles, her tormentor from physics class, she finds out she’s not the only one experiencing this phenomenon—he’s been stuck for a long time.

Despite the fact that she doesn’t want to deal with the scientific aspects of the time loop they’re stuck in, eventually she and Miles decide to work together to try and solve the time loop mystery. But while some of the approaches are fun, none seem to succeed. The more time they spend together, the harder they start to fall for one another. But if they ever get out of the loop they’re in, will they remember what they’ve shared?

Solomon always delivers fantastic books, whether YA or adult, and this is no exception. I loved the banter between Barrett and Miles, and the relationship between her and her mother. This is so sweet and emotional and romantic, and it certainly makes me hope I never get caught in a time loop!

Book Review: "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus

In Bonnie Garmus' debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, a female chemist confronts the realities of 1960s society.

⁣ ⁣ Elizabeth Zott is a chemist with a bright future. But not as a chemist, because as a woman in the 1960s, her intelligence and ambition aren’t appreciated or encouraged. She confronts indignity after indignity, and although she gets a position at the Hastings Research Institute, her contributions are not welcomed, even though she’s the only one who actually knows anything.⁣

⁣ At Hastings she encounters Calvin Evans, a brilliant, famous scientist known for holding grudges and his obsession with rowing. After an awkward (and messy) encounter at the opera, the two fall for each other. And although Calvin loves Elizabeth as much for her mind as everything else, their relationship only serves to further denigrate her in the minds of her colleagues.⁣

⁣ Somehow, a few years later, Elizabeth is now the host of a television cooking show, “Supper at Six.” (Cooking is chemistry, after all.) But despite the network’s wishes, she’s not quite the happy housewife on television—she’s telling women about covalent bonds and adding sodium chloride (salt) to their food. At the same time, she’s teaching women that they’re not JUST housewives, but they’re capable of so much more. And while that makes her popular, it also makes her a target.⁣

⁣ This was just absolutely fantastic. Elizabeth is a remarkable character—funny, stubborn, brash, and yet remarkably sensitive. This is a beautiful story about love and family and standing up for what is right, but it’s also about the unfairness of society towards anyone who doesn’t fit a specific mold, particularly in the 1960s. And Six-Thirty was the absolute best! (IYKYK)⁣

⁣ I won’t forget this book anytime soon.⁣

Book Review: "The Temperature of Me and You" by Brian Zepka

Brian Zepka's debut novel, The Temperature of Me and You, is a bit of a fantasy novel with a crazy love story at its core.

He wanted a boyfriend. He never imagined this.

Dylan is the only out guy in his junior class, which makes dating close to impossible. Then one day, Jordan walks into the Dairy Queen where he works. Dylan has never seen Jordan before, but he is immediately smitten…and then Jordan makes a Blizzard explode. Literally.

Clearly Jordan is hiding something, and he’s afraid to tell Dylan the truth. He supposedly just moved here from Arizona to live with his aunt and uncle, but what's the story there? And why is Jordan always so hot—temperature-wise? Even though there are lots of questions left unanswered, the two grow closer, but when Dylan starts coughing flames himself, Jordan begs him to keep his symptoms a secret for their safety, which means causes Dylan to start withdrawing from family and friends.

Can this fiery love sustain itself? Can Dylan and Jordan have a normal relationship without the use of fire extinguishers? I thought this was a sweet story with an interesting twist—you thought all relationships had drama? You don’t know the half of it.

Thanks so much to Disney/Hyperion and Storygram Tours for inviting me on the tour for The Temperature of Me and You and providing a complimentary advance copy of the book!

Book Review: "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir

Andy Weir's latest book, Project Hail Mary, blinded me with science.

I've been waiting to read this for a few months now, since I really enjoyed The Martian. So many friends have raved about it, and the book has appeared on a number of friends' year-end lists.

A man wakes up on a spaceship. He can’t remember his name or his mission, and somehow he’s the only one on the spaceship who survived. What happened? What’s his mission?

Little by little, it comes back to him. He’s Ryland Grace, a science teacher, and he was drafted into a multinational effort to save the world from a being that threatens the existence of humanity. He’s been asleep for a long time, and the window for him to act is rapidly closing.

It’ll take all of his scientific bravado plus help from one of the most unlikely of sources to save humanity. Will he prevail? Can the threat to our world be stopped?

Andy Weir is an excellent storyteller. This is definitely a story with heart and emotion and, of course, you’re hopefully rooting for Ryland to save the day. The thing is, however, this book has so much science that it made my head hurt.

Sure, you can skim some of it and some of it you can figure out, but after a while it just reminded me that there’s a reason I didn’t go to medical school and become a doctor, thus contradicting the requirement in the Torah that the oldest Jewish son practice medicine. (I kid.)

Book Review: "In the Wild Light" by Jeff Zentner

Jeff Zentner's latest YA novel is a powerful, poignant story about family, friendship, heritage, love, and finding yourself.

This was just excellent! Zentner is one of my absolute favorite YA authors, and this book was another reminder why.

“I’ve seen that life is filled with unimaginable horror. But it’s also threaded through with unimaginable wonder. Live through enough of the one, maybe you’re due some of the other.”

Cash lives in the tiny rural town of Sawyer, Tennessee, raised by his beloved grandparents since his mother died from opioid addiction. He’s content for his life to consist simply of going canoeing on the river, mowing people’s lawns, and spending time with his best friend, Delaney.

When she makes a remarkable scientific discovery locally with Cash’s help, it gets Delaney a full ride to a prestigious Connecticut boarding school, where she’ll finally be challenged academically. She convinces them to award the same opportunity to Cash, since she can’t imagine undertaking this adventure without him.

Cash doesn’t want to ride Delaney’s coattails, and with his grandfather’s emphysema worsening, he fears leaving Tennessee for a life he never imagined. But the thought of Delaney struggling all alone is also too much to bear.

How do you make the choice between those you love? How do you know if going after something you never thought you’d have is worth the risk of losing what you know? How do you find the courage to let people in?

I loved everything about this book. I went to bed with puffy eyes from crying but it was just so good. (And if you love this, definitely read The Serpent King, if not all of Zentner's other books.)

Book Review: "Bewilderment" by Richard Powers

The newest book by Richard Powers, Bewilderment is a gorgeous and poignant meditation on the world around us and the relationship between father and son.

Theo is an astrobiologist. But of all the mysteries of the world he has studied, there’s no greater mystery than his nine-year-old, neurodiverse son, Robin. Robin is fiercely passionate and intelligent, he craves the knowledge his father gives him. But sometimes he cannot handle the jumble of emotions he feels at once, so that is manifested in outbursts, tantrums, even violence.

When Robin hits his classmate in the face, the school gives Theo an ultimatum: medicate him or they’ll intervene.

“My boy was a pocket universe I could never hope to fathom. Every one of us is an experiment, and we don’t even know what the experiment is testing.”

With no real choice, Theo enrolls Robin in an experimental neurofeedback treatment to help his emotional controls. It actually involves training Robin on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain, who died when he was younger. Is this the right course of treatment? What are the risks?

This is such a beautiful, emotional, evocative book. It’s a little science-heavy at times but skimming over those passages didn’t dampen the book’s strength. It’s at once a book about the fragility of our world and the fragility of our hearts, about the fierce love of a father for his son.

Richard Powers is one of those prolific, well-respected authors I’d never read before except short stories. Bewilderment really blew me away.

Book Review: "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood's new rom-com is just what the science lab ordered!!

Some people are good at spur-of-the-moment decisions. Not Olive. Despite her brilliance, she does some crazy things under pressure. That’s the only reason why she would’ve randomly kissed the first guy she saw in an effort to convince her best friend she was dating someone.

Of course, nothing is ever simple. It turns out that the guy she kisses is none other than Dr. Adam Carlsen, who happens to be the most hated professor in Stanford’s biology department. Strangely enough, even though his reputation as a complete ass is warranted, he doesn’t really object to her kissing him. And in fact, he even agrees to be her fake boyfriend.

Fake dating is actually more fun than either imagined (and boy, is he handsome), although it’s hard to negotiate the way her fellow PhD candidates treat her when they think she’s dating someone who shreds people’s self-esteem. But with her, Adam is surprisingly gentle, kind, and supportive—and he surprises her with his willingness to support her, even when professional crises threaten to come between them.

The thing about fake dating, though, is it rarely feels fake for long. As someone who never believed romance could last, Olive suddenly has to examine her hypothesis—but what does that mean for a real future with Adam?

This was straight-up adorable, sexy, and just so much fun. Like every great rom-com there are elements of predictability, but with the added component of the struggles faced by women in STEM, it just worked on all levels. A lot of people listed this as one of their favorite reads of September and I can surely see why!