The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray

This is a book I don’t talk about often, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a contemporary novel about a group of sisters who return home after their parents are arrested. There’s drama, there’s heart-wrenching emotion, and there’s a lot to unpack. It’s all told in such a tender way, though, that you can’t help but love it.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

I ended up giving this book five stars because it was absolutely incredible. And yet it took me months to read it! Sure, most of those months I wasn’t actively trying to read it. I got distracted by blog tours and review copies. Once I buckled down and devoted my attention to this book, though, I knew it was something special. Definitely worth a read!

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Gwen Proctor is probably one of the more badass characters I’ve read recently! I suppose, in the end, she doesn’t do everything by herself, but for most of the book she is struggling to keep herself and her kids hidden and safe all on her own. It’s freakin’ intense! I think Gwen would relate to this song on a deep, personal level, haha.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

This is the beginning to an African-inspired fantasy series that had me captivated! I don’t talk about it nearly enough on my blog for how much I loved it. I will say, it is quite a gruesome read, so check trigger warnings before picking it up. Still, I loved the character study that is Tau’s journey from the beginning to the end. It’s a fantastic read!

The Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman

Don’t get me wrong. Heartstopper is pretty light and fluffy most of the time! There are definitely some more difficult topics that are tackled, though, and they will hit you in the feels. Volume 3 was an especially rough one for me because of the discussions of eating disorders and loving someone with an eating disorder. There were tears but I loved it.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

If Eve and Jacob weren’t made for each other, then the entire concept of ‘soulmates’ is dead. I adore Eve and Jacob! They deserve all the happiness and cute (and steamy 🥵) moments. All the couples in the Brown Sisters trilogy are pretty great, but these two are absolutely top tier. Of course, I’m also a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine mashup, so I was bound to love them.

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

After the events at the end of Raybearer, Tarisai not only has to rebuild some relationships, but build entirely new ones from scratch! Half the book is about her trying to form her own council, which is a little like a family in this world. I loved that aspect of the book and watching her work to generate friendship a myriad of people.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

This was a five star read for me and one of my favorite aspects of this book was how immersed I became in the world! The writing is so vivid and lush that the culture threaded throughout this story comes to life. It was part of the reason why it was so easy to lose myself in the pages. Thankfully, that vividness continues in the second book in the series!