Recursion

Recursion by Blake Crouch has been described as a science fiction puzzle box. 

Barry Sutton is an NYPD detective. He is currently investigating a False Memory death. Recently some people have been plagued with what feels like real memories of their lives that never happened - years of other lives suddenly in their brains.

Helena Smith is a neuroscientist studying the brain to try and solve Alzheimer's, a disease affecting her mother. She is working on a chair that can save memories that could be re-loaded into people's brains when their originals ones are not accessible. 

But her memory chair does more than that. Using a described memory, a person can be sent back to that moment. But everyone else effected - anyone in the room with you or who you met after that point - goes too. The chair tests our ideas about how time itself works.

Crouch is a great thriller and science writer. His books have been turned into movies and tv shows. This one is very thought provoking. Not since Replay by Ken Grimwood have I read a book that stays in my head for so long. Get this book from you library today!

Crouch, Blake. (2019). Recursion. New York: Crown.

Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a memoir of losing a parent and how that leads to her teaching her self to cook Korean food as a cultural pathway to her mother.

Growing up Michelle visited her mother's family in Seoul every other year. They stayed with her grandmother, two aunts and cousins. 

Michelle is most well known as the singer of the band Japanese Breakfast. Which, being Korean American, creates questions each time she is interviewed.

When she looked at her life with her mother she noticed that food was used not just as sustenance but as love. Her mom got sick quickly and did not have time to teach Michelle to cook Korean food. 

Michelle took it upon herself to learn. Using the blog Maangchi, she describes delicious food as she processes her loss and her band's growing popularity. 

Zauner has written a memoir that does not shy away from looking at herself and her family truthfully. She tells the good and bad without glossing over. This is a beautiful book of love, food and grief. 

Zauner, Michelle. (2021). Crying in H Mart. New York: Knopf.

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi is the tale of school enemies being forced together and realizing they may have been wrong about each other.

Sana Khan is a Persian/Indian high school student in Los Angeles who lives with her mom, a production designer for movies. She is going to be a doctor, is currently a cheerleader and loves movies. 

Rachel Recht is a film student at the same high school. She creates and directs movies and is running out of time to finish her senior project - which could undue her acceptance to NYU is she doesn't work fast.

When they were both freshmen, Sana asked Rachel on a date. Rachel thought it was a prank by a snooty cheerleader and has hated Sana since that day. 

When an literal run in (to each other) happens and a camera gets damaged, the film teacher tells them they will have to work together to finish the project or pay for the damaged camera. 

Safi has set Sana and Rachel up for a bumpy start to the next phase of their relationship. This is fun young adult book. Great summer read. 

Safi, Aminah Mae. (2019). Tell Me How You Really Feel. New York: Feiwel and Friends.

The Galaxy and the Ground Within (Wayfarers #4)

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers is the final book of her Wayfarers science fiction series - one of my favorite book series of any genre!

The planet of Gora has not water or life. However, it is perfectly situated at the crossroads of five wormholes that see huge numbers of ships each standard. Since people often have a wait to transmit to the next gate, inns and entertainment venues have been built on the stark planet.

Once such place is the Five-Hop One-Stop. An eclectic inn that tries to cater to all forms of life that may visit. 

With a satellite system malfunction, the three strangers who have landed will be staying for longer that they thought. The two hosts, one exiled artist, one cargo runner and a mysterious person whose species is rarely seen will all have time to get to know each other better. 

Chambers is a wonderful story teller. Her characters and species of sentient beings are well thought out and fully formed. This is one of two complete series I own. I plan on rereading it about once per year! The entire series won a Hugo Award. Get started reading it today!

Chambers, Becky. (2021). The Galaxy and the Ground Within. New York: Harper Voyager. 

Grrrls on the Side

Grrrls on the Side by Carrie Pack is a young adult punk rock tales set in 1994.

Tabitha Denton is sixteen years old. She does not fit in at her school. She needs to find new friends. 

At a punk concert she is handed a zine and invited to a Riot Grrrl meeting. 

At the meeting she finds her people. They are all different but accepting of those differences. It is also the first time meeting other queer women - including the out and proud Jackie.

Pack has captured both the Riot Grrrl scene and the feelings of being a new queer woman in our society. 

Pack, Carrie. (2017). Grrrls on the Side. New York: Interlude Press.

The Rose Code

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is about the women who broke codes for England during World War II and the person who betrayed them.

Bletchley Park recruited from anyone who might be able to help break codes - mathematicians, puzzle aficionados, men and women.

Three code breakers who were inseparable during the war are brought back together in 1947 when one of them receives a coded message in the mail - using a cypher they used to pass notes during the war. 

Osla, a German speaker is a debutante who dated Prince Phillip. Mab is from Shoreditch and took a secretarial course to get out and help her family. Beth is a master at crosswords and seeing patterns.

They are called to crack one more code - one that will save the lives of two of them. 

Quinn is a storytelling mage. Her historical fiction puts the reader right in the thick of it. Choose any of her books and you will be up well past your bedtime thoroughly engrossed.

Quinn, Kate. (2021). The Rose Code. New York: William Morrow.