Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

“Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics.

A year ago, she could barely do a push up as she recovered from a spine surgery, one that could have paralyzed her. And now? She's made the United States' gymnastics team with her best friend, Emma, just like they both dreamed about since they were kids. She's on top of the world.

The pressure for perfection is higher than ever when horrifying news rips the team apart. Audrey is desperate to advocate for her teammate who has been hurt by the one person they trusted most--but not all the gymnasts are as supportive.

With the team on the verge of collapse, the one bright spot in training is Leo, her new coach's ridiculously cute son. And while Audrey probably (okay, definitely) shouldn't date him until after the games, would it really be the end of the world?

Balancing the tenuous relationship between her teammates with unparalleled expectations, Audrey doesn't need any more distractions. No matter what it takes, she's not going to let anyone bring them down. But with painful revelations, incredible odds, and the very real possibility of falling at every turn, will Audrey's determination be enough?”

This was a great book that centers around Audrey Lee, a gymnast trying to make the US Olympic team. Recovering from a serious injury, her world as well as those of her teammates is turned upside down when their coach is arrested for sexual assault. Enough lifting story about teamwork and personal perseverance 

Visit Jennifer Iacopelli’s website.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

 

“Edinburgh, 1817.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Hazel Sinnett dreams of becoming a doctor even though it is an occupation denied to women. She is forced to study for the physician's exam on her own. When a chance encounter with Jack Currer, a resurrection man,  leads the two of them into the middle of a gruesome mystery surrounding the streets of Edinburgh. A great historical read involving a young woman who dares to fulfill her dreams rather than to conform to society's expectations. The ending throws in a huge supernatural twist. An excellent read that I devoured in a day.

Visit Dana Schwartz’s website.

Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift (Wickery book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Cast in Firelight, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante... but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already... Now, can they save themselves?” - taken from Goodreads.

When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption, she is sent to the Dome. Devastated, Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence. I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story. Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible. Even though the story is a duology, I would have liked to have read more of the story.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

 

“A story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into what it was like to be a Chinese American teenager in San Francisco in the mid-1950s. Lily, a high school senior, dreams of going to college and working for the Jet Propulsion Lab, just like her aunt. It wasn't until she gets to know Kath, the other girl in her advanced math class, does Lily begin to question her sexuality.

A lot of world-building, family back story, and historical details make this book extremely slow in the beginning but once Lilly is seen leaving a lesbian bar, the story really picks up. Unfortunately, that was only the last 20% of the story. Not a happily-ever-after ending, but Lilly does remain true to herself 

Visit Malinda Lo’s website.

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd

 

“By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. But by night, she’s kicking virtual ass as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate.

When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. But her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a member of a rival team—Jake—recognizes her . . .” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a super cute romance between the shy guy who discovers that the smart, popular girl he has crushed on for years is also a gamer. Pushed by her parents to academically succeed, no one knows Emilia plays GLO. When her team is tapped to play in a tournament, she is shocked to discover that Jake, the boy she met at a birthday party years ago at an arcade, is on a rival team. What happens when Emilia’s cover is blown is a surprise that she never expected. 

XOXO by Axie Oh

“Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.

Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Jenny is a talented cellist whose dream is to attend a prestigious music school in New York City. Practice comes first and boys aren't in the picture. When a chance encounter with the mysterious Jaewoo in her uncle's karaoke bar turns into a night of adventure, Jenny is a little disappointed when he mysteriously disappears and she never heard from again. Fast forward several months and Jenny is in Seoul meeting her ailing grandmother for the first time. Enrolling in an elite music academy while she is there, Jenny is thrown when Jaewoo suddenly reenters her life. Even more surprising is to find out that he is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands. And he remembers her.

Just a sweet story to lose oneself in.

Visit Axie Oh’s website.

 

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

 

“When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?” - taken from Goodreads.com

As I started this book, I wasn't sure where the storyline was going. Aces begins by targeting Devon while Chiamaka is gearing up to make her senior year stellar. Once Chiamaka draws Aces’ attention, the plot line really explodes. This is a dark, twisted academic tale where the mystery of who and why Aces is plotting against Von and Chia leads the two of them to team up to uncover the disturbing truth. Incredible ending to a book that tackles some brutally harsh topics. 

Visit Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s website.