August 2025

August is always a chaotic month, figuratively and literally. With school starting back up, that adds to the literal chaos, and with school starting back up, that adds to the mental chaos, too. Hours of back-to-school setup, device distribution, platform rostering... all that leaves less time for reading than I'd like. Somehow I still managed 17 books, including eight ARCs and some fantastic, out-of-my-genre reads as well! I'm at 12 non-fiction books, too, which means I've kept up with my goal of at least one non-fiction book a month! Go me!

5 stars:
The Freedom Seeker by Rucharia Gupta

4.5 stars:

Ollie In Between by Jess Callans, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandana

4.25 stars:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn

4 stars:

Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz by Diana Harmon Asher, The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall

3.75 stars:

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

3.5 stars:

The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes, The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats, Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive, Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight, Where Did Everybody Go? by Don Martin, Confessions of a Junior Spy: The Mean Girl Mission by Rosaria Munda, Disney High by Ashley Spencer, Pasta Girls by Taylor Tracy

For reference, here is my ratings explanation. I'm also going to add that I think The Freedom Seeker and Ollie In Between are on track for some big things in the future - awards, recognition, you name it. They were incredible reads!

Ollie in Between by Jess Callans

Read: August 2025

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: audiobook

When I first started reading Ollie in Between, it felt like I was eavesdropping on a tween's scattered, internal thoughts. It was a little messy and, at times, hard to follow, but the more I read, the more I was completely drawn in by Ollie's raw honesty. Not since Judy Blume's Margaret has an author so perfectly captured the inner workings of a young mind navigating the complex world of middle school.

Meet Ollie, a twelve-year-old living with their dad and older sister, Lila, after the death of their mom. Ollie finds solace and a way to connect with their mother by sharing their deepest thoughts with a special tree, much like how Margaret had her diary. But middle school brings new challenges, and even Ollie's two best friends are struggling to understand what's going on with them.

In their stream of consciousness, Ollie reveals an inquisitive, curious mind with a deep knowledge of nature, especially mushrooms and fungi. Ollie's reflection that "fungi are way cool, too" is a powerful moment, showing that while some people may "bloom," others have their own unique, beautiful way of growing. Once I adjusted to the book's rhythm, I fell completely in love with Ollie and their journey.

Ollie's story is a powerful exploration of a child questioning their gender and finding themselves. From the awkwardness of receiving a dress they don't want to the struggles with daily life, readers, especially those who may be on a similar journey of self-discovery, will find a friend in Ollie.

Ollie in Between is a book that needed to be written and deserves to be read by every tween and teen. It provides a compassionate look into the challenges of questioning one's identity, offering understanding to some and a sense of belonging to others.

A solid 4.5 stars for Jess Callans' amazing Ollie!

National Book Lovers Day!

I love special days, especially days that involve celebrating reading and celebrating dogs!

For today's celebration, I've decided to list some of my favorite 5 star reads from 2025.

Here they are, in alphabetical order by title.

Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King
Middle Grades/YA

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Grown-up Read

The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta
Middle Grades/YA

Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
Middle Grades

Notorious by Gordon Korman
Middle Grades

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
Grown-up Read

I'll try to remember and come back at the end of 2025 and add any additional 5 star reads!

The Free State of Jax by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Read: July 2025
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format: ebook

I am a huge fan of Jennifer A. Nielsen, she writes incredible historical fiction for middle grade and YA readers. When I saw The Free State of Jax pop up in an upcoming Nielsen book, I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did!

The Free State of Jax is new territory for Nielsen, as she usually focuses on YA books, and this is geared toward younger readers - I recommend this for fourth grade and up. In fact, if this book was around when I taught fourth grade, it would have been the read-aloud for the government unit I taught.

See, Jax (also known as Jack from his crazy cousins, the Grimmitz's, whom he does NOT want to live with) has decided, that since he is no longer able to live with his grandmother (who has Alzheimers) and is being forced to live with the Grimmitz's, he is going to leave and declare his own country. Interestingly, he stakes his country's claim in the middle of Mr. O'Keefe's pond. Who's Mr. O'Keefe, you ask? Oh, just the recluse of a neighbor who has been accused of murdering his brother. (Aren't you glad you asked?!)

Unlike Nielsen's historical fiction, that vividly paints pictures of pivotal moments in history, the Free State of Jax sucks readers into his world, where he clings to his ever-evolving knowledge of some treaty that meas Jax can declare himself president of his micronation, along with a bunch of other legal garbldy-gook, empowers Jax to stand up for himself against his cousins, who sound like a pretty rotten bunch to live with.

What makes this story so endearing is the way the community comes together to support Jax in his quest for independence. While Jax is set on doing this alone, he realizes, thanks to some local kids from his school, that sometimes asking for help is actually harder than accepting help. And everyone deserves help.

Among the twists and turns of the founding of the Free State of Jax, readers will learn a lot about government, a bunch about teamwork, and oodles about learning to trust again. Mr. O'Keefe, the murderer, becomes a surprise ally for Jax as he battles (quite literally) with his cousins on his fight for freedom. 

I think readers will really enjoy this adventure with Jax, Mr. O'Keefe, Alicia and her mom, Officer Pressman and his wife, and even Aunt Helga and Uncle Clive and the whole Grimmitz crew. Each character adds a little something to this special story, where readers will find themselves eagerly devouring each chapter, while wishing the story never ends!

A Note: My Ratings System Explained

I've had a few people ask me why I have so few five star reads in my lists, so, let me explain my rating system.

5 stars: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 

A book that gets a 5 star rating from me means I absolutely loved the read. I will definitely be rereading the book, AND purchasing it to add it to my collection (95% of my books come from the library!)

4 stars: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 

This was a really good book, highly recommended. I may or may not reread it, and I may or may not add it to my collection, but I definitely really enjoyed the read!

3 stars: 🌟 🌟 🌟 

This was a good read! I liked the story and enjoyed the read. I will recommend it to others as well, as an enjoyable read.

2 stars: 🌟 🌟 

The book was eh. Not my cup of tea. Doesn't mean it isn't a good book, it just means it wasn't one that I'll hold on to in my mind. Potentially may not finish unless I'm invested in knowing the conclusion.

1 star: 🌟 

I rarely end up with a 1 star book, because these are usually books that I don't finish, so they become DNF books instead.

Also, because I use The StoryGraph, I get to use quarter and half star ratings to fine tune things a bit!

I saw someone post on one of the book groups to which I belong, that it's wonderful there are SO many books out there! Just because I love a book, doesn't mean everyone needs to love that same book. Just because someone else does not finish a book doesn't mean I won't like it. It's nice to know there is something in the publishing world for everyone!

The Read a Book Card by 5kcoach on Shirt Woot

Westfallen II: Into the Fire by Ann Brashers and Ben Brashers

Read: July 2025
Rating: 4 stars
Format: ebook

Last summer I was introduced to Westfallen, the first read in a new series by Ann Brashers and Ben Brashers. That story hooked me by the third chapter, and I couldn't put it down. When it finally ended, I cringed at how long I'd now have to wait for the second book. Finally, that book is here.

Into the Fire, Westfallen II, picks up where readers were left, with Artie, Alice, and Lawrence freaking out about the little changes they made in 1944, and how drastically those changes impacted the present day. How do they know those changes impacted the present day? I'm so glad you asked.

That magical radio that Henry found when he, Frances, and Lukas dug a grave for their old class pet (read the first book, trust me, it's fantastic) opened some sort of portal to the past, connecting them to Artie, Alice, and Lawrence in 1944, in the exact same house that Henry lived in present day. Sounds like fun, right? I'm sure it would have been, if that little change the trio in 1944 made didn't completely change the outcome of World War II, making the present day a N*zi state instead of America.

Now that you're paying attention, Into the Fire picks up where readers left, with Lucas in some sort of work-camp for Jews, Frances living the high life as Francy, daughter of two N*zi well-to-doers, and Henry, a mischling, or mixed race lower class citizen of Westfallen. The two trios, 1944 and present day, have one goal, and that's to restore the past so that it no longer changes the present.

Along the way, Henry, who works at the local home for Incurables, is determined to showcase Lukas's baseball skills at a county event, so that he doesn't get sent away at 13 like the rest of the Jewish children do. Frances (who we learn hates being called Francy) is trying to figure out how her status can help Henry, Lucas, and the whole community survive the brutalness of their current world. And Lukas? The longer he stays away from the shed in Henry/Lawrence's backyard, the further away from their old reality he gets.

The authors, once again, take you on a twisting adventure, full of historically accurate tidbits, while also being laced with spies, N*zis, and murders. From second chances, to first impressions, once again, I can not wait for the next book to arrive! I highly recommend this series for any upper-middle school and high school classroom and library!

Influenced by Cindy Otis and Sarah Darer Littman

Read: July 2025
Rating: 4 stars
Format: ebook

I read Influenced blind, and was pleasantly surprised to discover it wasn't the thriller I'd mistakenly heard it was. Instead, Cindy Otis and Sarah Darer Littman deliver a powerful and heartfelt YA novel about navigating the world of teens today. A world where teen lives are often driven by TikTok trends and other social media melodramas.

The story is told in alternating voices, we meet Lainey, half of a set of twins, who is painfully shy and describes her anxiety as an elephant on her chest (totally relatable to many with anxiety) and adores her brother Aiden, partly because he always includes her in his social adventures, and partially because he's her brother in twins-against-dad-destroying-the-family when he divorced their mom, moved across the country, and remarried.

Then there is Bliss. Bliss is a theatre nerd who loves to sing, and also happens to have cerebral palsy. Bliss lives in New York City with her parents, who are always fighting about money (they don't ever have enough) and her younger brother. Bliss is determined to get the lead in the school musical, despite being only a sophomore, like Lainey. Bliss also wants to be a social media influencer to showcase her musical theatre chops on her quest to get to Juliard.

We also meet Elizabeth. Elizabeth is Bliss's real persona, the person behind the screen. The one who struggles with her parents financial issues, has to deal with the real, daily challenges of living with cerebral palsy, and the ins and outs of being a student at a fine arts high school.

Along the way we meet some friends - Lainey's best friends Mia and Shula, as well as her step-mom, Marissa. We meet some of Aiden's friends, mainly Rafe, and we meet three of Elizabeth's friends - Sonia, Kaitlin, and Raven. Each plays a role in the unraveling of the story, where one teen is determined to become a social media influencer, and another teen is determined to avoid the spotlight at all costs.

Influenced strikes a chord because it is a glimpse into the reality so many teens are experiencing today; that desire to become social media famous, to be an influencer, it's a dream so many young people want to accomplish. As we watch Bliss navigate the highs of reaching 100,000 followers, and the higher highs of hitting a million followers, readers are given a backstage pass into the intense efforts that go into the job (yes, being an influencer is basically a full time job) of being an influencer with a massive following, and the income that goes along with the responsibilities.

Influenced also shares the darker side of social media, something that is rarely shared with public eyes. The idea of parasocial interaction, which is basically when followers think they are actually friends with the influencer's persona, and mix up reality a bit in the process.

Both Bliss/Elizabeth and Lainey work through some incredibly intense experiences in this powerful read, a book that I think belongs in every middle school and high school library, along with the shelves of social worker and counselor's offices everywhere. Authors Littman and Otis do an incredible job taking a very sensitive topic with limited mainstream knowledge and bring it alive in a way that readers can learn from, and hopefully, grow with both Elizabeth and Lainey.