Hotel Cuba by Aaron Hamburger

[Tricia]

Hotel Cuba is a fascinating new historical fiction novel that tells the story of sisters Pearl and Frieda Kahn. After fleeing their shtetl in the wake of the pogroms and the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and World War I, the sisters board a ship to join their older sister in New York City. However, during the course of their journey the U.S. immigration laws change to restrict the entrance of Eastern European Jews to the U.S. The sisters are instead sent to Havana, Cuba where they find an unexpected small community of Yiddish speaking immigrants in a similar situation. While some see it as a temporary stop-over, i.e. Hotel Cuba, others establish new lives for themselves in Havana. Pearl is a wonderful character – strong and capable and older than her years, having largely raised Frieda herself, and survived the horrors of war. While Freida is desperate to get to her fiance in New York, Pearl finds a certain freedom in Havana, designing clothes, wearing trousers, and discovering new ways of living. The book is based on the real life experiences of the author’s grandmother, and it is a rich story of survival and self-discovery.

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

[Crystal]

Do you love fantasies full of political intrigue? The kind where you never know where a character’s true loyalties lie?  Then The Foxglove King is for you!  Set in a dark fantasy realm full of poison runners and dominated by a religion fueled government, this book had elements reminiscent of the Game of Thrones series.  Set in Auverraine, this realm is ruled by The Sainted King and a religious order called The Presque Mort.  The Sainted King and his ancestors were named rulers of the kingdom by a God called Apollius the Blessed, who defeated the Goddess Nyxara, ruler of the night.  Her final resting place bleeds out something called Mort, which is deadly for humans.  Only the order of the Presque Mort and (now illegal) Necromancers can view Mort, and wrangle is back to its tomb.  This is where our narrator comes in, Lore.  Lore is a poison runner with a strange and mysterious history.  Poison is used like a drug, but also as a tool to extend life; making the job of a poison runner dangerous work.  While working a mission, Lore is busted and forced into a deal with the church and the king.  She must act as a spy and infiltrate the court of The Citadel to discover what is truly lurking beneath the shining veneer.  Lore is an engaging character, thrust into a world she is deeply uncomfortable in.  Along the way, she is forced to work with a Presque Mort monk, and with the wry and charismatic Sun Prince.  Lots of twists, turns, and rich storytelling make this a compelling fantasy.  The detailed world building, especially with regards to the church makes this a very original realm.  There is the possibility for a romantic subplot lurking underneath, but it never takes center stage, and the story is better for it.  I couldn’t put this book down, and will eagerly be awaiting the next in the series!

All The Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

[Heather]

At the beginning I thought All the Dead Lie Down, the new Young Adult horror novel by Kyrie McCauley, had very The 13^th Tale by Diane Setterfield vibes. Even though I wasn’t totally wrong, this book has a lot of other elements happening in it, too! Marin, who has just lost her mother, goes to Maine to work for a woman who is—maybe—a childhood friend her mother never mentioned having before. Alice Lovelace has offered Marin a lifeline while she figures out what she’ll do next, so how can she say no? A horror writer who lives in one of the creepiest houses on the Maine coastline, Alice is pretty strange. But the two children Marin is supposed to care for while their mother stays locked in her study writing another best-selling horror novel are even stranger. Things start to get really weird after Evie, the oldest of Alice’s daughters, flunks out of school and comes back to Lovelace House too. When weird becomes potentially and problematically supernatural, Marin isn’t sure what to do. She just knows she can’t leave Wren and Thea alone in this house. And she definitely can’t leave Evie. But is what’s going in in Lovelace House a curse like everyone in town says? Or is it a gift, like Alice says? Gothic and atmospheric with a main character that is desperate to overcome her own anxiety after the worst has actually happened to her, this YA novel is a fun read for teens and for adults alike who love a mysterious setting, supernatural elements, and a few unexpected twists and turns. Maybe you’ll see the first twist coming (I did), but I definitely didn’t see the second one coming until it was right up next to me! 

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

[Crystal]

Set in a vaguely Middle Eastern inspired fantasy realm, This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi is a slow build.  Book one in a NY Times Bestselling YA series, this is for anyone who enjoys being thoroughly immersed into a new world via character development.  Set in the fictional kingdom of Ardunia, we first meet Alizeh, a Jinn living hidden in a world that barely tolerates her.  She has hidden herself away as a lowly servant, even though she is the secret heir to the Jinn’s dynasty. The humans in this novel, or “Clay” as they are referred to, are the leaders in this world, and after centuries of war with the Jinn, have only recently come to relative peace through a treaty called The Fire Accords.  Alizeh is a compelling character, deeply sympathetic, and engaging.  Her descriptions of her life, emotions, and memories weave an engaging tapestry of this fictional world that feels very real. The other first person narrative we hear from is Kamran, the heir to the Ardunian throne.  Kamran is brash, privileged, and set in his ways.  He cares little about the pomp and frivolity of being a prince, and would rather be back with his military garrison.  Though he is a less sympathetic character, he is an important part of the plot, and much of what is revealed about the empire is through his eyes. The plot in this narrative is slow to come together, revealing itself more like a jigsaw puzzle, but once it does, the pace picks up speed and comes hurtling towards an epic conclusion.  There is a strong romantic subplot between Alizeh and Kamran which could turn some readers away or reel others in.  I also suspect that there is a budding romantic love triangle headed our way in book two (These Infinite Threads) of the series!  I would recommend this book for anyone who loves Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorn and Roses series or the City of Brass series.  Lots of magic, political intrigue, and romance to keep the reader engaged. A strong start on what looks to be an engaging series!  

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

[Tricia]

All My Rage is a tender, raw, National Book Award winning Young Adult novel about two lonely Pakistani-American teenagers growing up in a small town in the California desert. Salahudin helps his parents run their motel, trying to cover for both his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s failing health, while navigating high school A.P. classes and trying to have a social life. Noor lives with her Uncle, a difficult and bitter man. She works in his liquor store while secretly filling out college applications in the hope of getting away and starting a new life. Salahudin and Noor have been friends since early childhood, bonding over their shared heritage and their outsider status in this mostly white community. Aside from each other, the one person who has given them unconditional love and support is Misbah, Salahudin’s mother, a lovely character whose story we get in flashbacks to Pakistan. Salahudin and Noor have each endured tremendous loss and trauma, and you sense the deep frustration of being minors who are powerless to control their lives in the face of neglect, debt, loss, racism, and abuse. But there is also love and hope in the book, and a rich depiction of Pakistani-American culture. The book is intense, moving, and at times quite lovely.