Weekend Reads

Shadow and Bone by Leann Bardugo

Oh the trilogy - the preferred format for so many fantasy YA writers. Leann Bardugo's entry into this vast field is definitely worth a read. Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, an orphan who always stands in the shadow of her best friend Mal. Mal is strong and popular, while Alina is frail and reserved. The children live in a manor and are cared for, alongside other orphans, by a wealthy Duke of a remote estate. Alina is unremarkable. She is plain, she does not have any special talent and she blends in perfectly with her surroundings - until she doesn't. In Ravka (a Russian region where the book is set), there is a group of people known as the Grisha who have some special talent. Grisha can create fires, manipulate the wind, heal injuries or control water. Under duress, it is revealed that Alina's gift is the rarest of all - she can summon the light of the sun. This is especially important since Ravka is separated from the rest of Russia by the Fold - a shadowland where monsters lurk waiting to attack and devour humans who try to cross. Alina's singular power not only makes her a magnet for the attention of powerful men, but also helps her to become a better version of herself. 

Find it in Fiction under F BAR

The Way Home Looks Now by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Set in Pittsburgh in the 1960's, Shang's book tells the story of the Lee family. They immigrated from Taiwan and share a love of baseball, even traveling from Pittsburgh to Williamsport, New York to see Taiwan take on the United States in the Little League World Series. When they are suddenly faced with the loss of one of their own, each family member reacts in a different way. Peter, the youngest son, hopes to bring them back together through the one thing they all had in common: baseball. This heartbreaking story resonates with readers thanks to Shang's characters and the way she weaves the ideas of grief and loss into a story that is ultimately about coming of age and healing.

Find it in Fiction under F SHA

Three More Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Three More Words is a follow up to Ashley Rhodes-Courter's first memoir, Three Little Words, which follows Ashley from her childhood through her graduation from high school.  While her first memoir details her experience with abusive families (and foster families) and a tough-to-navigate foster system through her eventual adoption, Three More Words picks up as Ashley begins her adulthood. The story is heart wrenching throughout, but when she begins to talk about the foster children she and her husband decide to take into their home, the true injustices of the foster care system impact readers deeply. This system, in which Ashley spent her childhood, can negatively impact the birth families, the foster families and especially the children that exist within its bureaucracy. Her clear and direct style makes it easy for readers to understand her internal and external struggles, and the message is an important one: children are vulnerable and need the protection responsible and caring adults can give them. Ashley uses her platform to advocate for these most vulnerable citizens and the system they sometimes seem trapped in.

Find it in Biographies under B COURTER