Every Variable of Us by Charles Bush 

Every Variable of Us by Charles A. Bush

After Philly teenager Alexis Duncan is injured in a gang shooting, her dreams of a college scholarship and pro basketball career vanish in an instant. To avoid becoming another Black teen trapped in her poverty-stricken neighbourhood, she shifts her focus to the school’s STEM team, a group of nerds seeking their own college scholarships. Academics have never been her thing, but Alexis is freshly motivated by Aamani Chakrabarti, the new Indian student who becomes her mentor (and crush?). Alexis begins to see herself as so much more than an athlete. But just as her future starts to reform, Alexis’s own doubts and old loyalties pull her back into harm’s way. 

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Racism & racial slurs
  • Homomisia
  • Transmisia
  • Islamomisia
  • Classism
  • Hate crime
  • Disownment
  • Substance addiction
  • Gun violence
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

An exquisitely moving portrait of an elderly man’s struggle to hold on to his most precious memories, and his family’s efforts to care for him even as they must find a way to let go. With all the same charm of his bestselling full-length novels, here Fredrik Backman once again reveals his unrivalled understanding of human nature and deep compassion for people in difficult circumstances. This is a tiny gem with a message you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Dementia
  • Grief & loss depiction
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her. When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Lesbomisia (d slur)
  • Cheating recounted
  • Parental abandonment, off-page
  • Emotional abusive relationship & gaslighting mentioned
  • Toxic relationship with step-parent
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Grief & loss depiction
  • Death of a father from an aneurysm recounted
  • Death of a mother from cervical cancer recounted
  • Death of a spouse from cancer mentioned
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Noelle: The Mean Girl by Ashley Woodfolk 

Noelle: The Mean Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

There are only three things that matter to Noelle Lee: her family, school, and the cello. She doesn’t care if people see her as selfish or mean, because she knows she has her priorities in order. That’s why when her dad loses his job, she doesn’t hesitate to work more hours at her grandparents’ Chinese restaurant. Seeing her girls and dealing with her ex-boyfriend have to take a backseat so she can help her family and prepare for her school’s fall showcase. But things get even more complicated for Noelle when she realizes she can’t stop thinking about Tobyn, one of the other Flyy Girls. With all of these distractions, Noelle starts to wonder if working hard even matters, especially if she can’t keep her life from falling apart around her.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Cheating
  • Chronic illness
  • Panic attacks
  • Bullying
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Micah: The Good Girl by Ashley Woodfolk 

Micha: The Good Girl by Ashley Woodfolk

Micah Dupree had always liked being the “good girl.” She was happy painting, going to church, and acing her school projects. After all, she had a perfect older brother to live up to. But when he unexpectedly dies, Micah’s world is turned upside-down. With her anxiety growing, a serious boyfriend in the picture, and new feelings emerging, Micah begins to question what being the “good girl” really means…and if it’s worth it, anyway.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Homomisia
  • Slut shaming
  • Anxiety & panic attacks
  • Death of a sibling
  • Car accident
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk 

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk

It’s been twenty-seven days since Cleo and Layla’s friendship imploded. Nearly a month since Cleo realized they’ll never be besties again. Now, Cleo wants to erase every memory, good or bad, that tethers her to her ex–best friend. But pretending Layla doesn’t exist isn’t as easy as Cleo hoped, especially after she’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor. Despite budding new friendships with other classmates—and a raging crush on a gorgeous boy named Dom—Cleo’s turbulent past with Layla comes back to haunt them both.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Bullying
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Hold Me Down by Jacqueline Woodson

Hold Me Down by Jacqueline Woodson

Talia Benson has always been independent, unafraid to go after what she wants, regardless of setback, injury, or failure. But between her father’s conditional tuition payments and her mother’s nagging concern over her emotional state, Talia’s suffocating. So when Talia meets doctoral student Sean Poole, she can’t figure out why she wants him to control her. Why she wants him to boss her around. Why she wants him to hurt her. Talia learns the hard way that not all control is created equal, and sometimes submitting is the most empowering thing in the world.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism mentioned
  • Antisemitism mentioned
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone’s hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he’s as beloved to the neighbourhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately, life at ZJ’s house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ’s mom explains it’s because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that–but it doesn’t make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Physical injury
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Running into a long-ago friend sets memory from the 1970s in motion for August, transporting her to a time and a place where friendship was everything—until it wasn’t. For August and her girls, sharing confidences as they ambled through neighbourhood streets, Brooklyn was a place where they believed that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant—a part of a future that belonged to them. But beneath the hopeful veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where.… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism
  • Misogyny
  • Fatmisia & body shaming
  • Rape
  • Sexual assault
  • Adult-minor relationship
  • Alcoholism
  • Suicide
  • Self-harm
  • Overdose mentioned
  • Pregnancy
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy—the best magic school in the realm—even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met. Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Child abuse, off-page
Support Us at Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com