The Geography of Lost Things

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jessica Brody

Young Adult, Young Adult Romance

458 pages

Published October 2, 2018 by Simon Pulse

After Ali’s father passes away, he leaves his one and only prized possession—a 1968 Firebird convertible—to his daughter. But Ali doesn’t plan on keeping it. Not when it reminds her too much of all her father’s unfulfilled promises. So when she finds a buyer three hundred miles up the Pacific coast willing to pay enough money for the car to save her childhood home, Ali can’t wait to get going. Except Ali has no idea how to drive a stick shift. But guess who does?

Ali’s ex-boyfriend, Nico. And Nico has other plans.

He persuades Ali that instead of selling the car, they should “trade up” the items they collect on their trip to eventually reach the monetary amount Ali needs. Agreeing with Nico’s crazy plan, Ali sets off on a unique adventure that is unlike anything she ever could have expected.

And it’s through Ali’s travels, through the strangers she meets and the things that they value—and why they value them—that Ali eventually comes to understand her father and how his life may not have been as easy and carefree as she previously thought. Because just like the seemingly insignificant objects Ali collects, not everything is exactly as it appears.

My Thoughts:

Oh this was a good one!! It’s not newly published, but it was new to our middle school library. The cover is beautiful, caught my eye and made me want to pick it up. Don't be scared off by the page count. I read this in hardcover and the font size was pretty big. 

I started it while eating breakfast and stayed up late the same day to finish it. When I first started to read I had my doubts. Sometimes I can’t get the adult (and mom) in me to be quiet and when Ali talks about her scholarship I had one of those moments. I wasn’t sure if my inner teenager would be able to surface and connect with her and her story. But I kept going and I was so glad I did. I got lost in her story, her relationship with Nico, her father, and the journey they go on. 

This is age appropriate and I will be recommending it to others. In fact, I've already recommended it to 2 students. 

We have 7 other books written by Jessica Brody in our collection and I definitely am interested in reading more from her.

Miss Janie's Girls

 

⭐⭐⭐

Carolyn Brown

General Fiction / Romance

300 pages

Published July 28th by Montlake

A bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.

Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls…

It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need.

When a private investigator—who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew—tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them.

With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.

My Thoughts:

This was enjoyable and quick to read while I traveled. A lot of it was about perspective, how our past can shape us, hold us back, or propel a person forward. The chains of the past are pretty heavy for Teresa and Kayla. They come home reluctantly, and embarrassed, about where life has led them and the choices they’ve made. It’s Miss Janie’s, the only positive mother figure they have ever known, dying wish to have her girls home again. We journey with them as they discover truths about themselves, their past and find the courage to trust again. A light, clean read with a happily ever after ending. 

Dead Heat

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Patricia Briggs
Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

324 Pages

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal--or at least it starts out that way...
Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire. 

My Thoughts:

I love the world of Anna and Charles so much! This is the 4th book in the Alpha & Omega series and Ms. Briggs is so talented at pulling you into their world from the very first sentence. Even though this is the second time I have read this book I couldn't go to sleep last night until I had finished. There is so much good about their relationship, the give and take, consideration they have for each other. The friendship between Charles and Joseph just melts my heart. The lesson Charles learns at the end of the book just goes to show that it doesn't matter how old you are, there are still things life can teach you.