The Velvet Knife - Maureen Johnson

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆

Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"She's gone through a breakup and is falling apart. In a bid to clear her head and fix her life, she goes with her friend Nate to New York City over the winter holiday break. Just a nice quiet time with two friends, writing and reflecting, recovering.

Well,  until one of the neighbors asks Stevie a very strange question about murder. And cults. And then dies.

Why does death seem to follow Stevie around? There has to be a reason for that. She'll work it out, just as soon as the murders stop. Oh, and maybe she isn't so broken up after all?

Why do we believe what we believe? Are omens real? And does anyone join a cult?"

Only two months left!

We've officially made it to Holiday Season™, and I am still so behind! I did chip away at my list of books still waiting from previous challenges and finish Worst-Case Scenario and Does My Body Offend You, and I'm VERY close to being done with Free Verse Society as well. Progress, but dubious progress, particularly since two of those books were for challenges I'd already completed. Still, dubious or not, progress is still progress. I'm also going to take Daughters of Nri off my list because I cannot find it ANYWHERE, so...bummer, but it is what it is.

Anyway, that leaves me basically breaking even, as far as how many books are on my "I'm so behind, I need to read these" list, because I'm taking four off and then adding the four from October that I never had a chance to get to! Yaaaaaay for equilibrium! 

Updated list of books I still need to read:

• Algorithms of Oppression (August Challenge #18 - maybe shaming myself by reminding myself how long it's taking me to get to some of these will serve as motivation?)
• The Heirs (September Challenge #23
• Deaf Utopia (October Challenge #11)
• On the Bright Side (October Challenge #11)
• Under the Banner of Heaven (October Challenge #17)
• Going Clear (October Challenge#17)

Mystery Read - Infinity Son by Adam Silvera

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆

Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers - a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own - one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be. Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed."

Worst-Case Scenario - Ray Stoeve

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆

Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Sidney has one goal for their junior year. Well...two, if they're being honest. Number one: become president of their school's Queer Alliance club. And number two: keep their self-diagnosed anxiety in check so their grades don't tank like they did last year.

But when the election results in a tie with none other than Sidney's arch nemesis, the class clown Forrest, the two are forced to share the presidency until a revote at the end of term. Sidney expects Forrest to be insufferable, but it turns out that working together is...kind of nice?

As surprising feelings for Forrest emerge, Sidney's techniques for managing their anxiety stop working. With the reelection approaching and assignments starting to pile up, will all this pressure be too much for Sidney to handle on their own?"

Last One Picked - Audrey Meeker

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆

Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Annabeth has the perfect plan for the summer after eighth grade: volunteering at her local library and lounging at home re-reading her favorite books ever, the Warrior Princess series. But when her mom decides to sign her up for volleyball camp - worse, the same volleyball camp her ex-best friend Serena is going to - those plans go out the window. Annabeth is immediately out of her depth, with no experience, no friends, and no kneepads, and the volleyball girls are all tall, athletic, and extroverted...unlike her. Then Serena shows up at the library as a new volunteer, and everything goes from bad to worse.

But it turns out that maybe volleyball isn't the worst thing ever, and Annabeth slowly starts to gain confidence and the support of her teammates, while Serena's bad attitude begins to override her skill on the court. As tryouts approach, the girls make a deal: Annabeth will intentionally fail during tryouts so Serena can have her spot on the team, and in exchange, Serena will let her take her job as a volunteer for the library's upcoming Warrior Princess author event. It seems like a win-win scenario...but suddenly giving up the chance at playing volleyball doesn't sound as great as Annabeth thought it might."

Getting into a hard reading groove, I guess

Guess who finally finished Uncommon Grounds?! It took forever, but it was a great read. So much fascinating history. I also FINALLY started Warrior Girl Unearthed! Victory! I'm about 3/4 of the way through and I love it so much. It's heartbreaking but hopeful and just making me feel so many things. 

I also finished reading Pakistan (my first ever interlibrary loan!) and Third Culture Cooking, although I have not been able to get my hands on a copy of Zaatari (I am realizing now that I could probably have done an interlibrary loan request for that one too...I requested my library buy a copy, so we'll see). I've got a bunch more recipes saved to try, but for now, since I always make pasta salads on Sundays to take to work for the week, I've tried out a pasta salad recipe from Third Culture Cooking and really loved it. I've included the recipe (not exactly as written, since I'm adding it from my notes, but if you want to see the recipe exactly as written, check out the book!) at the end of this post.

Books I still have to read and hopefully will soon:

• Worst-Case Scenario (this one especially, because I think I'm out of renewals for it)
• Does My Body Offend You 
• Algorithms of Oppression
• Daughters of Nri
• The Heirs
• Free Verse Society

Mystery Book Review - Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆

Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.

When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There's just once catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

The competition is cutthroat, and Maia's job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them..."