Here are a few things I've been reading lately.
Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross, adult fiction, 2025
This book was nothing like I thought it would be when I read the book jacket. Basically, a family moves to a small town in Maine from New York City. I expected adjustment, some strife, but overall, the city folks would come to appreciate the small-town life. That's not exactly what I got.
Hazel's father, a professor, gets a tenured job offer in a small liberal arts college in Maine. The family imagines the better life they can have there, financially and otherwise, and they make the move from New York City.
However, it all turns sour on the first day of Hazel's senior year of high school, when she is summoned to the principal's office. The principal, who met Hazel over the summer at the local pool, says he picks one girl every year to have sex with, and he is choosing her. He threatens her with a difficult graduation and the challenges of getting into college if she refuses. She says no!
The rest of the book deals with the fallout from that one meeting. Hazel and the principal's names are found out, and the town takes sides. Nasty things happen, and just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. It's not easy for anyone in the family, including Hazel's parents and her younger brother. Eventually, there is a turn for the positive, but that's not a straightforward good thing either. However, there is a satisfactory ending to the story for all of the characters.
I was put off immediately by the early scene with the creepy principal. This was another book where, after a few pages, I didn't think I would finish it. But I came back the next day and ploughed through. As one bad thing after another happened, I kept reading with the hope that I would finally see things getting better.
The book does a good job exploring the emotions of everyone involved in this situation, from anger to guilt, including the principal's family. It brings up many important points about situations where someone in authority takes advantage of an underling in a threatening, often sexual way.
I'm not sure if I recommend this book or not. It is well-written, but if you're in the mood for some comfort reading, this is not what you're looking for. However, the book is getting a lot of buzz and is on several "Best of..." lists.
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen, adult mystery, 2020
This is #14 in the Royal Spyness mystery series. This one involves Lady Georgiana (35th in line to the British throne) and her long-time friend Belinda. Belinda's grandmother dies, and she inherits a fishing cottage in Cornwall. She and Georgie go to Cornwall to see the cottage. Belinda spent summers in the area with her grandmother when she was a child, and runs into two playmates from that time, who are now married. Belinda and Georgie end up staying with them. A murder happens, and Belinda is the prime suspect. Eventually, Georgie helps solve the mystery, and the main characters live to have another adventure.This was a fun read. There was a lot of good mystery atmosphere with fog, rain, cold winds, granite cliffs, and secret coves, along with rumored curses and questionable deaths. The story takes place in the late 1930s in England, and class and breeding are very much a part of the story.
This could be read as a standalone, as past storylines are explained, but I would suggest reading the first few in the series to become familiar with the characters. After that, it would be easy enough to fill in the parts you may miss in a book you haven't read. This was the next in the series that I could find at the library, but there were several I hadn't read before this one. However, I didn't have any problem keeping up with character developments.
Old School by Gordon Korman, juvenile fiction (middle grades), 2025
This is a recent book from prolific children's author Gordon Korman. I pick up one of his books when I'm looking for a comfortable, easy read before bed, and this one fit the bill.Like many of his other books, this one takes place in middle school and is told from the perspective of a handful of main characters. Dexter is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his grandmother in The Pines, a retirement village. He has been there since he was six years old, as his parents' jobs have them moving frequently internationally.
Dexter has been homeschooled by the residents of The Pines, and he is very happy. That is, until one day when the truancy officer shows up and says that Dexter has to go to school. Then he starts middle school. Since he has been living with older people (his best friend is 99), he has no clue what kids his age are like, and he dresses and acts like a senior citizen. Of course, the other kids don't understand him, and at best, he is ignored, and at worst, he is bullied. I won't go into the details, but there is an incident that changes everything, and eventually, the story has a happy ending. Along the way, we see personal growth in all of the kids.
This was another feel-good Korman book, and I especially liked how the older people and the younger people eventually interacted.
Circe by Madeline Miller, adult fantasy fiction, 2018
When I worked at the library, I saw many books that were popular, but I didn't read them myself. This was one of them. Not only was the book popular with our local readers, but it was also on the NYT bestseller list and was the best book of the year in several places. Circe is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey." (New York Times)
I am sorry to say that I haven't read the Odyssey since 9th grade and don't know much about Greek Mythology, so the book was complicated and confusing at times for me. However, that did not distract from Circe's main story. She is exiled to an island as punishment and as part of a bargain with Zeus. Circe, who has never felt like she fit in with the other gods and goddesses, comes into her own, communing with nature and honing her witchcraft on the island. Even though she is in exile, she has visitors from time to time. The most prominent one is Odysseus. And when he enters the story, it really starts to gel.
I liked the book, but, wow, the gods were very violent. One reason the book received acclaim was that it offered a feminist perspective on the story. However, I didn't feel like it was a book with an agenda.
For a much better feel for the book, visit Get Lost in Literature and read the review she did. She writes very good book reviews (Definitely, more professional than what I piece together here), and her description is what put this book on my list to read.
Until next time...