Latest News

Oh boy, what a time I’ve had since my last newsletter. Both my books—Forts and Cassini’s Mission—launched! Delightfully, Forts hit the USA Today best seller list for one week, so I can henceforth add “national bestselling author” to my bio.

Lest you believe the life of a bestselling author is all glamour, I got the news on the last day of a 2-week road trip as I was filling up on gas and decaf coffee, preparing to embark onto I-294 around Chicago (my least favorite of all roads ending in 94), with my two kids, half of whom had spent most of Pennsylvania sick. Of course, I am not at liberty to say which kid, but please note that Pennsylvania is a long state.

Since the books launched, I’ve been so pleased to hear all about people’s fun forts and how much they love space. It’s been truly an amazing experience. (Not the barfing. I could have done without that).

On to the Recommendations!

Lately, I’ve been drawn to books that put a lot of effort into vibes. Depending on the book, I may or may not even care if there’s a plot; I just want to feel the thing that the creator(s) wanted me to feel.

In a small attempt to be a savvy businessperson, I’ve set up a bookshop.org shop. If you buy any of the books below by clicking on the links or from my shop, you’ll be sliding a percentage of your purchase my way. Having said that, supporting your local indie bookstore or library are always lawful good choices (although idk, lately maybe public libraries are chaotic good).

On to the recommendations. All of them, 5/5 stars.

Picture Books

• Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
  Every Monday, Mabel gets to do the best part of her week: watch the garbage truck collect their trash. This is one of those books that I can't believe hadn't already been written. Simple, exciting text, simple beautiful art. It honors kids' weird interests with deep affection while giving parents something to smile and chuckle about. Perfect.

• Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat
  Part of my obsession with Don't Trust Fish is that this is Neil’s debut. What the heck was that like? To be have the illustrator convo with your editor, and they say, all casual, “hey, here’s a thought, what do you think about Dan Santat illustrating?” DAN SANTAT. I legit would have died. On my author bucket list is to win an ALA award and have Dan Santat illustrate one of my books. And that's it. That's the whole bucket. ANYWAY, I get why Dan was interested in this project because Don't Trust Fish is legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. The premise is fish are shifty creatures that, unlike mammals, birds, amphibians, etc., cannot be trusted. Are there facts in this book? Yes. Are there also a lot of lies about fish? Wellll.... are there? Time to practice some critical thinking skills.

• The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish: What Magic Lies Beneath by Chloe Savage.
  This was an unexpected find as I was researching for my own currently shelved jellyfish project. This book follows the fictional quest of a marine biologist, searching for the giant arctic jellyfish. Imagine The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, but as a picture book. The poor scientist spends the whole book looking for this jelly, which is always just out of sight. Kids will have fun spotting the, frankly, adorable jelly on each page, and rooting for the scientist to find her quarry. I also love Chloe’s The Search for Carmella, which has stunning illustrations.

• Good Golden Sun by Brendan Wenzel
  Brendan explores how the sun's lifegiving magic spreads throughout the world, from a flower to bees to bears and finally to us. The narrative is subtle and powerful, told 90% through breathtaking illustrations. IMO, if Brendan doesn’t get the Caldecott for this one, it’ll be because he’s already been honored and they don’t like to repeat.

• I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive by Leslie Barnard Booth and Alexandra Finkeldey
  What a cool eerie picture book about why crows flock for safety. It's the perfect nonfiction for the fall season. Sure, the information in interesting, but I was 100% there for the spooky vibes. Stunning illustrations from Alexandra add to the shivers.

Long PB, Chapter Books, Early Readers

• Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi
  This is a book to read to your 4-8 year old while stew simmers slowly on the stove, there’s a fire in the health, with a chilly rain falling gently outside. This is the ultimate no plot, just vibes book. Little Shrew goes to work. Little Shrew buys buns. Little Shrew eats the buns. Little Shrew’s friends come over. Then they leave. I'm not kidding, this is basically the whole book, and I want at least eight more books just like this.

• How Old Is a Whale?: Animal Life Spans from the Mayfly to the Immortal Jellyfish by Lily Murray and Jesse Hodgson
  Another find while researching the jelly book. This is one of those great picture books for older kids. It's long and chock full of facts about animals and their lifespans, but the pictures are engaging, and the text is still simple enough to feel swiftly moving. My middle school kids both loved it (the three of us may have had a little disagreement over who got to read it one evening), but I don’t see why an elementary aged kid wouldn’t also eat it up. A great book for animal lovers.

• A Day with Mousse by Claire Lebourg, translated by Sophie Lewis
  Perfect for Charlie and Mouse or Mercy Watson lovers. It follows the life of a mouse named Mousse who lives at the beach (literally—the tide comes into his living room) and has a very orderly life until a walrus moves in. Imaginative and atmospheric and the pictures are delightful.

Middle Grade

• Patina by Jason Reynolds
  This is the second book in Jason’s Track series and focuses on a different kid on the team, Patina. It's quite different from book one, Ghost, which had a more straightforward plot and was VERY tense at times. Rather than being driven by the plot, Patina explores all these various things going on in Patty’s life: trying to fit in at a new school, learning the relay at track, living with her aunt and uncle because her mom couldn't take care of her and her sister anymore. All of these subplots revolve around Patina's need to learn she doesn't have to do everything. Incredibly moving, and the last chapter blew me away.

• Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller
  Sometimes I read a book so good it makes me actually angry. It's a combination of jealousy and admiration followed by deep despair that I'll ever write anything that good. Look, I'm not proud of this; It's just a feeling that I have to work through before I can get back around to just enjoying something. Enter Magnolia Wu. Magnolia is the child of Chinese immigrants who run a laundromat in NYC. One day she meets a new friend and together they decide to sleuth out who all the lost socks in the laundromat belong to. Part detective story, part friendship story, part commentary on prejudice, part humor. It's one of the few books honored by the Newbery committee that I'd say kids would actually enjoy. Written like connected short stories, it's very accessible as a read aloud for younger kids, or kids just dipping their toes into novels... say, 7 and up.

Teen

• Dustborn by Erin Bowman
  One of the best YA dystopian books I've read since Hunger Games, and even better in a lot of ways. It's about a teen living in a dusty wasteland who has to rescue her family. The pacing is incredible, the world building is immersive without being confusing. There's even a touch of a love story with a good guy—one you actually want the main character to end up with—even before she realizes it herself. One of those books I wish I could read for the first time again.

• Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
  Oceans 11 meets Inheritance Games. A fast-paced-but-chonky thriller YA about a girl from a world-famous thieving family who enters a competition to save her mom. It's packed with a wonderful racially diverse cast, heists and twists and is just so fun. There's a sort-of romance, but trust me, this is not a cliched romance (and there’s no tiresome love triangle either). This book twists all the tropes. A must read for YA thriller fans. Unlike a lot of YA these days (which skews to late high school or even adult readers), I'd have no hesitation putting this in the hands of any middle or high schooler. HAVING SAID THAT, I haven't read the sequel yet.

Adult

• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
  Well, I'm not going to lie and say this book is uplifting, but it is short, captivating, informative, and important. It covers a brief history of the deadliest infectious disease in the history of the world and how it's impacted so many aspects of human life, both historically and still today. John explores the cures and barriers to curing patients (hint: it's capitalism). John narrates the audiobook himself, which was a treat, if that word could be used to describe such a tragic book. A heavy read, but so so worth it. Consider also checking out his podcast and book, The Anthropocene Reviewed.

• Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley
  All the found family of Thursday Murder Club without the murder mystery. A group of strangers ride the same train car every day to school or work, content to not talk to each other…and then they start to talk. They learn about each others’ lives and become close friends. That’s basically it. The gentle plot is a vehicle for the cozy vibes. It’s great.

• Just for the Summer by Abby Jiminez
  Abby doesn't need me hawking her book but here we are. Loved this fun idea of two people getting together to break a romance-related curse. More depth than the average romance. You know they're going to get together, of course, but it's a rocky road there that really tugged at my heart strings. I enjoyed the spotlight on Minneapolis, too! As for spice level, I’m a PG-13 reader, myself, and though this is slightly beyond PG-13, it wasn’t much beyond that.

• The Book of I by David Grieg
  Never would I have thought that a 150-page book about a monk, a woman who makes mead, and a cowardly Viking on the Scottish island of Iona in the 9th century would be a book that would make me read through my bedtime. This lovely novel (with a fair amount of violence, though it's presented humorously) is about love, spirituality, bravery, and dedication. The prose was so good it made me question why I even try.
  This gorgeous, gorgeous little book joins others in the highly competitive category of my favorite slim books, which also includes The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older, The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, and the Monk and Robot duology by Becky Chambers. Short books are underrated; they give you enough space to have a satisfying plot but are wieldy enough for the writer to pull off whatever odd experiment they're trying out.

Random Other Recommendation

One of my favorite things about living in the current time that we live in is stylish murder mysteries. It makes sense--it would be really really hard to beat Agatha Christie for plot turns, and lovers of the genre can spot a red herring a mile away, so modern murder mysteries have to attract consumers in a different way. Enter Netflix's The Residence.

My favorite things about this show (which is essentially Shondaland does Clue in the White House) are: 1) the captivating female protagonist who not only is the smartest person in the room, but also makes sure everyone knows she'd rather be birding; 2) the fascinating backstage look at the White House; and 3) the gutsy editing, sets, and style of the show. I haven't seen any other show that focuses on the staff--the maintenance staff, the chefs, the housekeepers--all the ordinary people who are devoted to running the house, regardless of who is in power. I can't recommend this smart, addictive mystery more. If you're a sick of politics, don't worry--although the characters are vaguely coded to be of certain parties, there's no politics in it.