Children’s books

“The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy,”

by Anne Ursu

Anne Ursu is among the finest authors of middle-grade fantasy, and her newest, “The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy,” is a cause for celebration. Marya has always been a square peg in a round hole. Nothing she does pleases her parents, and she and her brother engage in a long-running spiteful tit for tat. A series of calamities lead to an invitation for Marya to attend the Dragomir Academy, a school dedicated to the reform of troubled girls, where she will learn “discipline, guidance and purpose.” When she leaves her village the very next day, she begins a journey toward mystery, mayhem, magic and, most importantly, self-esteem for Marya.

“Playing the Cards You’re Dealt,”

by Varian Johnson

Realizing your parents are human, flawed and just downright wrong sometimes is a rite of passage for every child. It can often be heartbreaking or, at best, just another phase in their evolving relationship with their parents. Ten-year-old Ant Joplin thinks his father hangs the moon and his mother and older brother have always protected that façade to shade him from his father’s past. Joplin men excel at the card game spades, and Ant doesn’t want to let his father down in this year’s tournament the way he did last year. When the cracks in his father’s façade start to show and break wide open, Ant has to decide what sort of person he is going to be, while still not giving up on his father. Award-winning author Varian Johnson has written an honest yet hopeful story about failure, growth and love.

Teen books

“The Woman All Spies Fear,”

by Amy Butler Greenfield

What was it like to be a female code breaker in the 1930s and ’40s? It all started at the Newberry Library, when after talking to a librarian about the First Folio of Shakespeare, Elizebeth Smith Friedman took a job working for millionaire George Fabyan. Was Friedman any good at cracking ciphers and codes? She was the best. From one of Friedman’s favorite days appearing on NBC radio to her most dangerous days decoding gangster and mobster secrets, this biography uncovers the mysteries of a prolific code breaker. She was a strong woman, an author, a mother, a wife, a pioneer feminist, a spy listener, a code builder and a powerful cryptanalyst. Readers of all ages will appreciate this engaging story about her accomplishments during World War I and World War II. Samples of codes, images and detailed descriptions are provided throughout the book.

“Don’t Hate the Player,”

by Alexis Nedd

Emilia Romero plays Guardians League Online secretly — that’s to protect herself both as a female gamer and so her parents will think academics are her only passion. Emilia, who also plays hockey and is running for school vice president, excels in her real and online worlds. That is, until someone discovers her double life. Can she continue to balance school, family and friendships? When Jake reappears at her high school after moving away with his family years ago, will they reconnect? Does she remember him from the fourth-grade birthday party at the arcade? What will happen when everyone finds out she’s on the gaming team? The high-stakes esports championship match will surprise everyone, including YA readers. Written in alternating chapters between Emilia and Jake, Nedd creates an interactive gaming connection between chat rooms, school experiences and romance. She captures each gaming experience with fun interactions, competition and collaboration. It’s an emotionally honest new book, a perfect weekend read and comes with a full glossary of gaming terms.

Adult books

“The Waiting,”

by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

In beautiful, stark, black-and-white ink drawings and sketches, Keum Suk Genry-Kim brings emotion to life. Fear, joy, sadness and longing are called forth by the constrained movements of her line work. The world she explores is a fictional tale based on her life in South Korea. Told in two time periods, we watch as a family flees south during the Korean War before being separated by the 38th parallel that splits the two countries. In the present day, we watch as family attempts to make contact with people left behind in North Korea, now almost impossible to access. Will her the mother win the lottery that allows her to meet her left-behind father and children? A moving and masterful graphic novel by the author of the award-winning “Grass” that helps us understand the human cost of the Korean War.

“Constance,”

by Matthew FitzSimmons

What would you do if you woke up one day and learned you were a clone? What if the only way you could wake up as a clone is if the original you was murdered? This sci-fi thriller sets itself above the crowd through its fluid writing and interesting concept. Can a clone solve its own murder if it doesn’t remember the last 18 months? And what if the world doesn’t believe a clone counts as a real human? The clone of Constance finds herself on the run and looking for answers as she is attacked from all sides. Rabid anti-clone activists want to kill her, friends shut the door in her face, and billionaires want what is inside her brain. Constance must find out the answers in order to live, and you won’t be able to put down this novel until you too know the answers.