What We're Reading: June 2024

In New York City, at the turn of the century, two mythical creatures find each other amidst the bustle of human activity. Chava, a golem made of clay, and Ahmad, a jinni made of fire, meet by chance and begin to help each other as they learn how to navigate the confusing human world around them. Chava takes a job in a bakery and Ahmad works as a tinsmith, and both must fight for their lives when their maker appears, seeking to hold them both in thrall for his own selfish ends. I enjoyed both books in this duology [The Golem and the Jinni and The Hidden Palace]. Chava and Ahmad are immensely interesting characters and the weaving together of Yiddish and Arab folklore set on the backdrop of early 1900s New York City immigrant neighborhoods was captivating and exciting. I would recommend this series to fans of S.A. Chakraborty and Katherine Arden. Ashley F. (Edgewater Library)

Ever since Lore was thirteen, she's lived by one rule: don't let them find you. However, when you control the magic of death that bounds you to a city filled with those looking to extend their life bit by bit with the help of illegal poisons, that is more difficult than you can imagine. The Foxglove King is a book about life, death, court politics and religion, and a slow burn love triangle surrounding an unlikely trio of characters forced to work together by dire circumstances: discover why towns full of villagers have been dying overnight, or else. With plenty of winding twists and mysteries, this book is a perfect political intrigue novel set in a world with a delightfully new look on the magics of life and death. - Gabriella N. (Busch Annapolis Library)

This thoroughly researched and well written book is also an autobiography of the author who was raised by strict Evangelical Christian parents in the 80's and 90's. McCammon talks about the impact of the movement on her and the trauma that she is still dealing with as an adult in her 40's. She discusses how the evangelical movement has intertwined with national politics, especially the rise of Trump and his strong following among evangelical Christians. She examines the cognitive dissonance between Trump's personal life and the values that evangelicals espouse, and how this has led to some focusing on just "achieving policy goals" and others leaving the movement and becoming an "exvangelical." As someone raised on the periphery of this movement in the 70's and 80's, I could relate to many of the cultural and religious references, and I found it extremely readable and interesting. - Catherine H. (Headquarters)

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Leigh Bardugo. I am a fan of hers because of the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology. I love her writing style and her characters. This latest novel is a historical fantasy standalone set in Madrid during the Spanish Golden Age. Admittedly, this is a period of history that I don't know much about, but I felt like I learned so much through Bardugo's immersive writing. The Familiar is primarily about Luzia, a scullion maid, and her milagritos, her little miracles. Performing parlor tricks for nobles quickly spirals into something dark and sinister, turning her world on its head. I really appreciated how female-led this book is. Luzia's struggle with her own power and also lack thereof was very engaging. This was especially interesting when juxtaposed with the male main character, Santángel, an immortal being that does the bidding of a particular family. Give this novel a try if you enjoy historical fantasy with some romance or female-led stories. - Abigail W. (Broadneck Library)

Starter Villain has cats that own investment portfolios spy on villains - do I need to say more? - Kelly M. (Brooklyn Park Library)

The newest book by one of my favorite children's authors is the story of Miri, a twelve-year-old Jewish girl who is separated from her family during the roundup of Jews in Paris in 1942. She escapes with a neighbor's child and makes her way out of the city. She is separated from the baby and placed in a Catholic boarding school where she must hide her identity. By necessity, Miri (now Marie) becomes part of the resistance movement. She harbors a lot of guilt about not being able to save her parents or keep the child with her, and uses helping others escape as a way to atone for her perceived failures. She learns that everyone has secrets and that no one is fully good or evil. There is a supernatural element to this book (I won't spoil it) that is a little out of place, but serves the purpose of tying the Holocaust to previous events in history, and may help savvy young readers think hard about some ethical dilemmas that face us today. This book included some historical tidbits about this time period that had me Googling if they actually happened (I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but these were new to me) -- they did, every one of them. - Stephanie P. (Headquarters)