The Front Porch prints book reviews by local librarians, rotating to a different library each month. December book reviews are by Kristi Harder and Kelly Wright from the Sam Gary Family Branch Library. Librarians interested in writing book reviews can email Madeline@FrontPorchStapleton.com.
Adult Fiction:
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Georgie McCool has been so focused on her career that her marriage has taken a backseat. She still loves her husband, and he loves her, but they have still managed to drift apart. Georgie is supposed to go to Omaha with her family for Christmas, but has to stay behind in L.A for work. Over the holiday Georgie finds an odd way to communicate with Neal in the past. Can she fix her marriage? Or would it be better if it had never happened at all? A fun and heartwarming book for those who love romantic comedies.
Vicious by V.E Schwab
Victor and Eli first met as college roommates. They had a lot in common: brilliant, lonely and pompous. They start researching how adrenaline affects near-death experiences—is it possible such a thing causes someone to have super powers? They go from researching this phenomenon to experimenting, and something bad happens. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, bent on revenge. This is a wonderful action-packed story about what it means to be a superhero or a super villain.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
The main character owns a small bookstore and has just lost his wife. Grief stricken he is nasty to everyone until one day a baby named Maya is left at the store. He ends up adopting her and his life changes completely. But there are secrets about Maya’s past that are slowly revealed. This book explores the questions of life, death and the power of love to transform and bring meaning to life in a realistic, non-gag-inducing manner. It is also a love story to the power of reading, books and the need for bookstores, and I would add libraries!
Young Adult:
The Glass Sentence (The Mapmakers Trilogy) by S.E. Grove
Sophie lives in Boston after the great disruption. For some unknown reason, past, present and future ages have become jumbled together. Her parents are missing in a different age, and she lives with her famous mapmaker uncle. He’s been kidnapped for his skills and Sophie teams up with Theo, a boy from another age, to try and find him. They are pursued by people searching for the map that can supposedly reset time and return the world to a known order. My favorite action-packed young adult read this year.
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Isla attends the School of Americas in Paris and has had a crush on Josh since her first year. She runs into Josh over their summer break in Manhattan, and it seems romance between the two is inevitable. Back in Paris we see Isla and Josh’s relationship and love grow, along with all the trials that come with first love. This is a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door—a delightful trilogy filled with laughter, love and wit.