First the book presents a tale set in 1952 featuring an alternate-universe version of the Phineas and Ferb cast (a recurring bit that will be familiar to longtime fans). The boys are still their inventive selves; Dr. Doofenshmirtz is “Doof of the Dark” the local host of a schlocky monster-movie broadcast; and Candace is a cub reporter trying to get her big break. When toxic goo makes various creatures gigantic the pair head to the studio to get help—only to find that Doof of the Dark isn’t the monster expert he plays on TV. He still teams up with them when a certain monotreme starts wrecking the city—and Candace is fired after missing out on reporting the story. In the second tale set in the ordinary Phineas and Ferb fictional universe the boys left alone for the day enlist the help of Isabella Baljeet and Buford to build a giant maze in their backyard. Doofenshmirtz invents an “elong-inate-inator” hoping to finally become taller than his brother Roger. This ray of course hits the backyard labyrinth making it so enormous that even Candace sets aside her goal of getting her siblings in trouble. As the kids ride colossal grasshoppers through the maze Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus duke it out. Peterson who penned several alternate-universe episodes of the show and Pruett another of the show’s writers crafted these fine tales. As a result they feature plenty of clever jokes as when a man shouts “Oh no! My confetti!” while looking out his window at a tickertape parade. There are also appealing fourth-wall-busting hijinks as when Doofenshmirtz hits the ground with a “KUH-KRUNCH” and exclaims “That crunch was so hard it was a ‘crunch’ with a ‘K!’” Artists Angelilli Follini and Papi ace the look of the show while conjuring some terrific action sequences; the fight between Perry and Doofenshmirtz for instance is both frenetic and funny.

McLoof gathers 10 roughly 10-page stories that begin with a reference to an actual 2023 New York Times piece on Midland Park New Jersey a slow-paced multigenerational “Forever Town” an hour from New York City. The narrator reads something ominous into that description and rewinds to 1994 when at age 10 he attends his town’s Centennial carnival—an event too underfunded for real rides (“Carol Ann Mejury—our lunch lady—guessed people’s weights”) leaving only DIY attractions like a dunk tank where his father sits until on-target balls land him in the water. More troubling is the narrator’s not unfounded sense that his parents’ marriage is faltering; his mother now sleeps in a sleeping bag on his bedroom floor. Smoking is ubiquitous—his older sister Emily his friends his teachers and nearly everyone else lights up throughout the book (his mom favors Pall Malls). Teen drinking cocaine bumps divorce and a well-liked teacher who drinks before class sketch an environment of quiet dysfunction. Strong role models are all but missing. But the narrator’s love of film inherited from both parents runs through the collection as do moments of unexpected poignancy such as his mother’s disappointment when they skip watching the Academy Awards together for the first time; the decline of a local sporting-goods store whose owner refuses to embrace the internet in spite of his young staff offering to create a website for the shop; the surreal unfolding of 9/11; and the joys and embarrassments of early adulthood from a first NYC apartment shared with a good friend to lounging in the grass with a crush (seemingly unwise during cicada season). Memories of small but telling transitions—like outgrowing a favorite suit—underscore the book’s wistful tone.

It’s March but the heavy snow shows no signs of melting. Even worse winter sometimes makes her mom so sad that Blessing has to stay with other families while she recovers in the hospital. Blessing has been skipping school to avoid her bullies and one afternoon while she’s hiding in Victoria Park she meets an eccentric 627-year-old talking snowman named Albert Framlington. The new friends set out to fix “the broken weather” so that spring can return to England and Albert and the other snowmen can follow their natural cycle of melting and reappearing in a wintry part of the world. This heartwarming and hopeful story moves at a brisk pace as Blessing and Albert race to complete their mission. Stephenson gently and honestly explores bullying foster care and seasonal affective disorder (the latter two aren’t explicitly named as such in the text) through the eyes of a child in accessible language that is ideal for readers who are gaining confidence in reading longer novels. Blessing works to stop the bullying and support her mother. In a nuanced depiction of foster care her placement family is kind but no substitute for home. Brown’s charming spot illustrations show Blessing as a Black girl and Albert as stout with angular stick eyebrows bottle cap eyes a potato nose three jaunty leaves for hair and a tattered scarf.

Narrator Paul Delamare knows he’s out of his depth from the moment he sets foot on Maldemer the superyacht his friend Xéra de Sully a former patisserie owner has reserved for her post-wedding celebration. A struggling British food writer Paul suddenly finds himself surrounded by the bride and groom’s high society friends and family who are anything but his kind of people. Paul’s discomfort only grows after he’s wrongfully suspected of stealing an expensive necklace from Xéra’s stateroom. His uneasiness turns to devastation when a cake he bakes to cheer Xéra up gets linked to her sudden death a day after the theft. Seeking justice Paul makes several chilling discoveries that suggest not all is as it seems aboard the impossibly beautiful Maldemer. The yacht is way off course and heading toward a small volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic. Worse still non-British female deckhands he sees get abused by crew members live locked away at the bottom of the ship. Murrin’s deft handling of the many subplots layered into this well-crafted mystery is only part of what makes the story so readable. Quirky characters (like the ship’s eye-patch wearing chef who inspires Paul to go back into the kitchen) unexpected twists (like Paul’s email correspondence with a tarot-reading friend whose cards reveal just how dangerous his sleuthing will become) and a small collection of mouthwatering recipes at the end of the book work together to create a unique novel that tantalizes as it entertains.

Mick Mulligan was fired from his job as a Disney animator when he refused to name names to the FBI. Now that his wife has left him and taken their toddler daughter he’s hung out his shingle as a private eye. When Duke Rogowski president of the United Taxi and Limousine Drivers asks Mick to reopen the case of Harold Williams a Black communist on death row for shooting his boss cab company owner Irwin Johnson Mick’s intrigued by the call. But he has questions of his own. What possible leads can there be that the police haven’t already investigated? Why did Duke wait a year after Williams’ conviction to make this move only two weeks before his scheduled execution? And how can Mick tack between the wishes of Duke’s two vice presidents self-identified communist Sol Rosen who’s eager to see Williams exonerated and mob boss Vincent Forlini who’s firmly opposed to troubling the waters? The more deeply involved Mick gets with the richly detailed cast of interested parties—rabid anti-communists communists and socialist organizers of every stripe FBI informers and three beautiful women: Duke’s wife Cynthia; Johnson’s widow Eva; and Elena DeMarco the sister of Williams’ co-worker and friend—the more he realizes that the conflicts that led to Johnson’s murder are a lot more complicated than J. Edgar Hoover evidently assumes.

Twenty-two-year-old Vera is living with her adoptive parents the proprietors of the George and Pilgrims Hotel in Glastonbury and grieving the loss of her love Vincent whom she met two years earlier at university in Bristol. (Their blissful life together ended when he was killed four months ago in a car crash.) When a stranger comes to the hotel claiming that Vera is actually Guinevere of Arthurian lore and that she urgently needs to come back to the time of King Arthur to save the future of England her sense of self is totally upended. The stranger is Merlin; using a “a magically stabilized wormhole” he transports himself and Vera to Camelot. Arthur Lancelot Gawain and other well-known figures of Arthurian legend are present and fleshed out in charmingly modern ways. Humorous situations abound as Vera must navigate a world she knows little about: She struggles to control her swearing which is quite out of character for Guinevere; she also teaches the Knights to play poker and suggests that they use a round table. These amusing threads compellingly contrast with the pressure on Vera to be “a vessel for Guinevere’s memories” concerns about the power and loyalty of Merlin and the other mages and the chaos being incited by Arthur’s nemesis Mordred and the Frankish Kingdoms. All of this is overlaid with an engaging burgeoning romance between Vera and Arthur as Vera comes to accept herself as “broken and messy and utterly wondrously human” and learns to use the magical power she has. Debut author Lafferty successfully weaves together multiple genres in this story of King Arthur’s time as seen through the eyes of a modern-day Guinevere. Like Vera the reader does not have to be an expert on Arthurian legend to follow the story. The fresh takes on legendary characters and propulsive plot twists make this a page-turner that will leave readers hoping for a sequel.

Hyman Tuchverderber was born to a Jewish family in Manchester England. He was just 13 when Germany’s invasion of Poland incited World War II. He and his family survived the devastating 1940 Manchester bombings which left the Tuchverderbers like many others financially strapped. Sixteen-year-old Hyman studied to be a wireless operator in the British Merchant Navy (he was too young for the Royal Navy). This often-dangerous wartime job at sea on Dutch and Norwegian ships took the teenager around the world. Shortly after the war (and after his father legally changed Hyman’s name to Harold Derber) the British pound dropped in value as did Derber’s already meager pay. He turned to smuggling contraband moving “surplus weapons” in Germany to the Dominican Republic. By the 1960s his business ventures appeared more legit; he bought a luxury cruise liner that he filled with slot machines as gambling was permitted in international waters. However he spent more of that decade facing off against the U.S. government: With the Bay of Pigs invasion stoking tension between Cuba and America Derber offered to transport Cuban refugees to the U.S. The government apparently believing he had a hidden agenda deemed him a national security threat and slapped him with “unclear” criminal and immigration charges. As the 1970s approached Derber returned to smuggling (this time marijuana) leading to his “invention” of a drug mothership that became a model for drug traffickers.

Tuch’s true story deftly zeroes in on Derber’s life providing equal focus on his early years his 1960s wranglings with the U.S. government and his drug trafficking in the 1970s. The author who uses an impressive number of sources makes it abundantly clear when specifics surrounding certain events aren’t entirely clarified. For example Derber while he was still with the BMN fought on Israel’s side during the Arab-Israeli War; after the conflict concluded he “lingered” in Israel where his work history was “shrouded in mystery.” Although his entanglement in the drug trade isn’t as significant (in the narrative) as the title suggests Derber’s life was truly fascinating—he committed various types of fraud and got arrested almost as frequently as he evaded authorities. His story doesn’t always involve law-breaking—Tuch also covers his serious relationship with Sari Lesley an entertainer on his cruise ship. Sari herself whose unpublished memoir provided one of Tuch’s sources was remarkable harboring such secrets as her real name and her connection to a U.S. agency. This book’s prose is a refreshing blend of detail-oriented writing and more colorful passages: “Without warning a patrol boat roared through the waves aiming straight for the Nana. With a sharp twist of the wheel Derber swerved barely avoiding a collision. Passengers screamed clutching the railing as the boat tilted cold spray hitting their faces.” Photos also appear throughout including pictures from Derber’s school days in Manchester and some captured moments with Sari.

Although she’s dreamed of getting her pilot’s license for years Beth has been too busy waitressing in a diner outside Arlington so she can pay for her mom’s medical bills and the mortgage on their fixer-upper house. When her beloved wealthy brother arranges for his friend George Bunsen to give Beth a flight in his plane she’s thrilled to be up in the air until engine failure leads to George having to execute an emergency landing. Beth is terrified by the situation but turned on by his composure. She’s shocked to find that she’s crushing on a man who actively tries to ignore her most of the time and when he offers to teach her to fly—for free—she can’t say no. She tries to balance her time between flying and work but she also worries about the ticking countdown to when she’ll have to admit a secret she’s been keeping from her brother. Also her libido is out of control around her stoic instructor and the closer she gets to him the more enamored she becomes. Go-getter people-pleasing Beth is relatable as she tries so hard to keep everything under control and provide for her loved ones while also yearning to pursue her dreams. Her desire for hot pilot George is entertaining but the driving conflicts in this story don’t feel plausible and it’s frustrating that the tension relies on secrets that could easily be hashed out through open conversation. Connolly thoughtfully handles elements of class and gender and the sibling relationship is adorable; however there’s not enough push-pull in the central romantic relationship to make it feel fully formed.

Oscar a bespectacled round-bodied long-legged bird with cartoonishly big eyes is desperate to keep love away. He feels it coming on so he makes preparations putting up “No trespassing” signage and donning protective armor and camouflage. Finally he gets a ferocious guard dog—a fuzzy little brown pup named Brutus. Brow furrowed Brutus barks growls and chases off interlopers but slowly after treats and games of fetch the two form a bond. Just when Oscar feels certain love won’t find him Brutus disappears and there’s no one to protect him from love. When the pair are finally—and lovingly—reunited Oscar realizes he never had anything to worry about; love was a goal worth attaining. Kousky has populated his forest setting with adorable squirrels trying their best to love Oscar. Sweet scenes depict bird and pup snuggled up in bed clad in matching nightcaps taking a dip in the duck pond together—in short loving each other. Kousky’s muted mixed-media illustrations portray a forest full of trees with textured bark dotted with red berries under a brush of watercolor-esque sky. The author/illustrator authentically captures the slow build of love and friendship between resistant Oscar and gruff-looking but ultimately sweet Brutus. The pacing tight storytelling and well-matched illustrations make this a worthy read-aloud.

Australian stuntperson survival expert and TV personality Furneaux draws on her own bushcraft experience to offer an engaging guide to survival in the outdoors that’s at once comprehensive and compulsively readable. Organized into manageable sections the book covers core outdoor survival principles including shelter water and fire. Each section presents a historical example to learn from explains the topic’s importance (with scientific context) provides detailed yet approachable instructions shares helpful tips and tricks and offers hands-on activities so readers can safely practice their skills. The final chapter is a lengthy quiz that allows budding outdoorspeople to further cement their knowledge. From showing how to tie knots to catching and preparing small animals to eat demonstrative photos and detailed line drawings help readers effectively visualize techniques. The text debunks common bushcraft myths while offering fun facts (you actually can eat most slugs and snails—but avoid the brightly colored ones!); at the same time Furneaux doesn’t shy away from the serious nature of the topic and the dangers inherent to wilderness excursions. While she encourages adult supervision throughout the book some of the practice activities—like starting a fire using a battery and steel wool—feel unsafe for the intended audience. The outdoorspeople who appear in photos appear white.

After moving from Portland Oregon to France for her father’s job Tosh grows increasingly fond of Paris even if her language skills need some work. Her sweet American neighbor Nick takes her on fabulous quirky tours and introduces her to new friends who share her curiosity about the world; former debate team member Tosh loves doing research. They also inspire her with their interests in particular street artist Noor who uses her paintings to empower women. This message is more important than ever now that someone is attacking and biting women throughout the city stirring memories in Tosh of a bad experience with Cole a boy whose sexual aggression led her to quit debate. As the danger creeps closer and mentions of vampires crop up everywhere Tosh will have to confront a literal and metaphorical predator in order to keep the new life she loves. The story begins as a Parisian summer romp before shifting to become a creepy vampire horror story that creates a disturbingly apt parallel between vampirism and misogyny while critiquing very real sexism in our world. Banks balances Tosh’s struggles with gender bias with the affection and support of her new friend group to land a genuine and sympathetic tone throughout. Tosh and Nick are coded white and Noor is cued Muslim.

The author compares resilient people to willow or palm trees simultaneously rooted and flexible and grief as unexpressed love for something or someone lost. The book goes on to put grief into three categories: physical only (loss of objects) emotional only (loss of opportunities) and physical and emotional (death divorce). The author reassures readers that “it’s okay to live with grief and to keep living.” Compassion she says bridges the gap between oneself and others and it’s comprised of four components: perspective-taking sympathy empathy and care. Energy is divided into two categories—kinetic (active) and potential (dormant); it affects one’s ability to put the best self forward and engage with the world the author asserts. She encourages journaling actively giving thanks and practicing reflection to make feelings of gratitude more reflexive. The book also presents karma as a “Universal Law” of cause and effect; its patterns can be healed through prayer mantras and blessings Faulkner says. The work concludes by contrasting “life by design” with “life by default” and encourages readers to live actively and deliberately. Overall this is a thoughtful book that effectively invites readers to work toward greater self-awareness. The consistent chapter structure with each involving “Who What When Where Why and How” sections makes the material easy to follow. The language can be convoluted at times (“A person who desires to be resilient and isn’t willing to do the work will end up in a constant cycle of chasing resilience which ultimately undermines any resilience they may have already had making it the one way resilience can actually fade or fail”); at other moments it’s oddly stilted (“Grief is most commonly expressed through tears”). That said Faulkner does offer some empowering lines along the way such as “Who you choose to become is up to you” and readers navigating loss will find concepts like “The Grief-Life Ratio” relatable and reassuring.

An unnamed protagonist dons a special khaki vest and borrows Grandma’s camera before heading out of a house to look for butterflies. They’re pursued by a much younger child and the second-person narration recommends that “if trouble follows you embrace it.” (Both characters are portrayed with pale skin.) As the older child continues to look for butterflies the toddler pretends to be a mermaid a pirate and a shark. Each time the protagonist keeps the younger one entertained: offering the shark Goldfish crackers for example and telling the pirate where to find secret treasure. The pair hide out in lilac bushes but only find snails and caterpillars until finally “one butterfly two butterflies more butterflies flutter up up up into the sea-blue sky” as they look on. Mackey’s text is engaging yet sparse offering tantalizingly few details about the kids which effectively invites the reader to ask questions about their backstory: What are their names? Are they siblings? Where are the grown-ups? Couët’s watercolor-style illustrations drive the story offering beautiful sweeping landscapes of butterflies flying over a body of water and endearing close-ups of the children examining insects.

Got no time for ashrams and gurus but still want to understand your true purpose on this planet? Maybe you’ve already consumed enough self-help material to fill your own library and want something more portable? Melson has you covered with this cogent and concise collection of workaday wisdom that puts practicality and utility squarely at the forefront and drops it all in the palm of your hand. The author sets a galloping pace from the outset seamlessly moving between topics impacting our daily lives including self-identity social interaction and money. The result is a compelling mixture of the esoteric and the utilitarian; for every foray into the philosophical and theoretical the author includes enough hard-and-fast to-do lists affirmations and writing exercises to make readers feel they haven’t lost their heads in the clouds. “The best way to positively feed your subconscious mind is through emotions of gratitude” Melson writes. “Gratitude comes into anyone’s life who speaks positive words and who gives thanks.” The author gets granular as well suggesting that readers use audiobooks as “fuel for [their] success” and restrict their spending to “no more than seventy percent of [their] annual net income.” Melson’s discussion of what he calls the “Wheel of Values” is a highlight of the book—it serves as a nifty survival guide all on its own. Consisting of 10 sections (Family Appearance Friends Attitude Finances Career Fellowship Health Direction and Recreations) each part of the wheel is assigned a number value ascending up from the hub. The further out from the hub one progresses the smoother the wheel—and life—will roll. Many readers may have difficulty relating to the billionaires (Sam Walton Warren Buffet and the like) that Melson holds up as aspirational figures but those who stick with his text will surely find much here to appreciate and incorporate into their own inner journeys.

The story charts the disappearance and death of 7-year-old Jacob Hawkins and the subsequent accusation of his 13-year-old brother Dominic. Readers follow the case chronologically beginning in the frantic early hours when sheriff Tommy Blumhagen mobilizes a community search. Later dark revelations regarding the seemingly upright Hawkins household emerge. Attorney Mason Mitchell reluctantly drawn into the case serves as the narrative’s conscience as he uncovers layers of institutional failure including teachers who ignored warning signs clergy reluctant to intervene and law enforcement officers who accepted too many convenient explanations. As Mason works to prevent Dominic from being tried as an adult the story explores the corrosive effects of religiously-rationalized physical abuse and the community’s unwillingness to confront its own complicity in allowing it. Themes of shame authority and children bearing the sins of their parents culminate in a wrenching courtroom sequence that questions Dominic’s guilt and the moral responsibilities of every adult who failed him. As a novel of crime and legal proceedings Allan’s yarn is straightforward well-paced and soberingly plausible. The author maintains tight control over the procedural elements and legal wrangling. The main characters’ emotional states are conveyed via crisp dialogue that also gives a sharp edge to the legal maneuvering without tipping into melodrama. Mason and the other characters like legal assistant Lori Bedford are drawn economically but effectively their flaws and misjudgments lending the story moral depth. Details about the setting of off-season Door County Wisconsin the “Cape Cod of the Midwest”—its wintry rural landscapes hardboiled heavy-drinking culture and small-town political dynamics—feel relevant and lived-in. The narrative occasionally leans on coincidence but the book’s emotional force and procedural authenticity make it a compelling and thoughtful work of contemporary crime fiction.

Partners Josie and Derek are no strangers to the many manifestations of grief: Derek suffered a childhood weighed down by the death of the older brother he never got to meet while Josie inherited from her grandmother the gift of spirit communication. Both are now struggling to keep their New Orleans-inspired restaurant Miss Sylvie’s afloat in the competitive Manhattan scene. Derek struggles with Josie’s insistence that a table in their restaurant be set aside for spirits he doesn’t even believe in; Josie bumps against Derek’s pessimism for their prospects of keeping Miss Sylvie’s afloat. At the encouragement of a therapist they decide to hire a manager and soon land on Stephanie. Derek is wary about her competence and character (“I’m not sure. Something felt off”) but Stephanie is enthusiastic and promises to bring the business to life with weekly happy hours and live music. This enthusiasm is misplaced and Stephanie soon proves to be as much of a threat as rising rent prices. In the midst of all this Josie meets with her absent father and is forced to accept that he will always prioritize Josie’s stepmother over her. When spirits convey the message that Derek’s mother is dying the pair must reckon with their histories. Buchwald’s story is one of making peace with the past embracing the complexities of grief and fighting to move forward. It is refreshing to find a narrative featuring ghosts that doesn’t give into the tropes of horror and that works to fully characterize each and every spirit who appears. There are points where the tone of the writing fails to match the more intense stakes of the story and more could be done to make the protagonists active agents—the novel’s strengths are its most sentimental moments and the characters readers will come to root for.

Matalina "Mattie" Redgrave an introverted freelance writer is forced to quarantine for 14 days in an Aotearoa New Zealand hotel during the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. However Mattie calling herself “M” has fun corresponding via letters with another hotel guest who signs his missives “R.” Soon R is revealed to be the film star Raphael “Raph” Callan. Desperately evading an ex-girlfriend and a repulsive book (That Scarlet Beating Heart) slated for film adaptation Raph’s frayed nerves are soothed by M’s correspondence. The budding relationship develops rapidly encouraged on Mattie’s side by Daphne and friend Rin Butcher and on Raph’s by his “best mate” Luke Maston. After the quarantine ends and Mattie and Raph test negative for Covid they can finally meet in person. But crises loom: Mattie is guilted into attending her brother’s wedding as a bridesmaid paired to a groomsman who bullied her in school while Raph’s former lover Edie Everette thinks that lies will win him back. Can the mischief-making team of Daphne Rin and Mattie again pave the way for love? Spears deftly uses letters emails and texts ranging in tone from witty to wise to illuminate various facets of the characters. In a group chat Rin teases “Mattie’s so thirsty she’s ready to fall in bed SORRY I meant in love after four letters…” But later Rin and Daphne fiercely contradict Mattie’s self-deprecating texts. Letter-writing levels the playing field between Mattie and Raph enabling them to find similarities such as insecurity about their own bodies. Spears promises in an author’s note that "there will be kissing" and she delivers but the usual graphic sex for the genre is humorously subverted when Mattie garbed in "Victorian widow" clothes has so many layers on that Raph can’t even feel her skin at first. The intriguing New Zealand setting though is neutralized by its timeframe as Covid-related lockdowns are strongly enforced in the country.

Actually Kate who’s married to DCI Tom Mallory has two possibly three murders to solve: two in the present the other from the 14th century. An archeological dig has discovered a woman so well-preserved that the searchers can tell that her eyes were blue. Kate and her colleague Ivor Tweedy have been asked to examine the grave goods including a magnificent pearl which are being stored at an estate called Ravenswyck Court on whose grounds they were found. They’re invited to dinner at Finchley Hall home of Kate’s friend Lady Barbara Finchley-fforde to meet the archeologists from the University of East Anglia. Their leader Dr. Simon Sinclair is a brilliant backstabber willing to do anything to advance himself. The rest of the team includes Barbara’s adopted niece Dr. Celia Whybrew; Dr. Niall Nevin; and two Ph.D. candidates Mark Lambe and Tamzin Oliver. The owner of Ravenswyck Court is wealthy entrepreneur Alex Belcourt whose wife Carrie Holgate disappeared years ago. He hires Kate to discover the truth about Egemere Woman in honor of his beloved wife. The site is picketed by people opposed to disturbing the dead—even though the dig had already been suspended—and everyone is shocked to discover Sinclair lying dead in one of the trenches apparently murdered. Tom is well aware of his wife’s talents when it comes to murder investigations but his ambitious new DI Amy Cartwright is looking for credit herself. As the police check the alibis of the obvious suspects Mark Lambe finally gets his wish to investigate a nearby plague pit where the pregnant corpse of Carrie Holgate is found. With Tom busy on another case Kate has her hands full.

When the author was 8 years old she developed bleeding in her brain stem that required surgery. Though the surgery was successful she was left partially paralyzed on her left side; she had to re-learn how to walk and talk with therapy and carried a lack of self-confidence with her into adulthood. As Goodson entered her 30s she was eager for love but still hadn’t found the serious romantic relationship she wanted. With the help of life coaches and friends she realized that her disability wasn’t the thing holding her back—it was her mindset. After years of frustration the author began working with Londin Angel Winters an intimacy coach who helped her to stop judging herself for her disability and lack of sexual experience (“I was judgmental of my history because I thought it was wrong. I thought it wasn’t how I was supposed to be doing life”) and start celebrating her differences. In this book Goodson shares the insights she has gleaned and frames them for all readers both disabled and not who believe that certain parts of their identity are “dating deal-breakers.” In the last section of the book the author summarizes the principal takeaways from her experience for readers to use on their own journeys. The tone of this book is empathetic and warm; like a good therapist Goodson instantly puts the reader at ease. As the author shares the lessons she’s learned they register as authentic because she doesn’t describe them as cure-all solutions that fix everything overnight. (She did not instantly gain a boyfriend but she did increase her confidence in how she presented herself to the world which was the real goal.) Often it feels like Goodson’s stories could be expanded upon to yield deeper insights—for example she describes the first and one of the last sessions with Londin but not much of their work in between. Still the overall message is bright and encouraging.

Aria Nguyen is barely staying afloat balancing college classes in Washington D.C. with caring for her ailing Aunt Thu and managing the mounting medical bills. As the anniversary of her mother’s disappearance approaches Aria receives a voicemail from the Les Eaux Police Department with new information turning her longing into anxiety. By contrast Aria’s identical twin Caliste Ha leads a life of affluence as a Los Angeles fitness influencer. Her father Paul Ha owns a Vietnamese food empire. Despite her privileged background Caliste is worn down by the artificiality that surrounds her. Shocked to meet in Les Eaux the sisters investigate their mother’s disappearance and uncover secrets that shaped their family. They soon find themselves drawn into a town that’s haunted by mysterious deaths. Aria’s and Caliste’s alternating perspectives propel the novel punctuated by occasional chapters from the point of view of the Ghoul. As the story unfolds weaving in supernatural elements inspired by Vietnamese folklore the author’s detailed character development gradually reveals the connections and contrasts between the sisters. However her heavy focus on backstory often sidelines the central mystery slowing both the novel’s opening and its overall momentum.