I'm not sure how this happened exactly, but somehow we're in the last month of 2023. Crazy! Things around here start moving in fast forward once Halloween is over, making for a lot of holiday busyness. I hope you're surviving your end-of-the-year-chaos and even finding some time to relax with a good bookish book. 

My November reading was focused on books I needed to read in order to finish out my 2023 reading challenges. Surprisingly, that included these six bookish books, which I've listed in order of most liked to least liked (links will take you to my reviews on Goodreads, since I've been a complete slacker this year about posting them on my actual book blog):

  

I'm a little late to the party today, but I didn't want to miss my favorite weekly meme so here I am! Today's prompt is perfect for the new year: Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2023. Other than reading 200 books (my Goodreads goal) and completing the reading challenges I've taken on, I really don't have any reading/blogging resolutions to speak of. I'm just going to keep doing what I do and not stress about something that's supposed to be fun, you know? I enjoyed last week's topic—Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023—so much that I'm going to keep it going this week. In case you missed it, here's my Shiny New Releases, Part One. 

If you want to get on the TTT party bus (and you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

- in order of publication date - 

3. Finally Seen by Kelly Yang (available February 28)—I enjoyed New From Here, Yang's 2022 middle-grade novel about a Chinese-American family's experiences in California during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I'm excited to read this one, her newest. It's about a 10-year-old Chinese girl who moves to Los Angeles after living with her grandmother in Shanghai for five years. Lina is excited to be reunited with her parents and younger sister after so long, but America is not exactly what she expected. Has she made a huge mistake? Should she have stayed in Shanghai, even if kids there made fun of her? If she doesn't fit in in either country, where does she belong?

4. The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green (available March 14)—I enjoyed Green's Windy City saga, but I wasn't aware that she had a new book coming out until I saw it on several TTT lists last week. Set in the 1920s, her latest features Egyptologist Lauren Westlake. When a detective investigating a string of art forgeries approaches her for aid, Dr. Westlake can't help but be intrigued by the puzzling mystery. 

5. Lone Women by Victor LaVelle (available March 28)—Horror isn't something I read a lot of these days, but when I saw this book mentioned on numerous TTT lists last week, I knew I needed to read it. It concerns a woman who sets out for the Montana wilderness in 1914 to take advantage of the government's offer of free land. Leaving trouble behind her in California, she drags along a mysterious trunk that must always remain locked, inside of which is a secret that ensures there will be plenty more trouble to come.

6. The House Is On Fire by Rachel Beanland (available April 4)—Have you heard about the 1811 fire at a theater in Richmond, Virginia, that killed 70 people, including Virginia's governor? I hadn't. This novel explores the tragedy from several different viewpoints, examining the actions and inactions that make all the difference in the literal heat of the moment.

7. A Wealth of Deception by Trish Esden (available April 18)—The second installment in Esden's Scandal Mountain Antiques Mystery series, this one has Edie Brown—a Vermont antiques and art dealer—discovering an unsettling collage with a mysterious provenance. As she and her colleagues investigate the piece, they find themselves getting too close to a dangerous art underground where criminals will kill in order to protect their profitable scams.

8. Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See (available June 6)—Tan Yunxian is a physician in 15th-Century China who is devoted to providing the best care she can to her female patients. She forms a fast friendship with Meiling, a miwife-in-training, who shares her passion for helping people. When Yunxian is forced into an arranged marriage, she is forbidden by her mother-in-law to continue her medical practice and ordered not to see Meiling. Being a "proper" wife is a soul-sucking occupation that does not suit Yunxian. How can she break free and return to her real life's purpose?

9. What Remains by Wendy Walker (available June 13)—When Detective Elise Sutton unwittingly walks into a deadly situation in a department store, she's forced to make a split-second decision. To save one life, she takes another, a choice that has her neighbors lauding her as a hero. She certainly doesn't feel like one, especially when she connects with the man she saved and begins to realize he's not who he says he is. Did Elise make a terrible mistake?

10. The Only One Left by Riley Sager (available June 20)—I don't know about you, but I can't resist a new Sager book and this one sounds especially tantalizing. It's about a notorious murder that took place in Maine in the 1920s in which one sister killed another. The accused was never charged with the crime. In the six decades since it happened, she has become a recluse, never leaving her family's mansion. When she offers to tell her home health aide everything, it becomes obvious that there's a lot more to the story than anyone ever imagined.

There you go, another ten new releases I'm looking forward to reading. Do any of these look appealing to you? Which up-and-comers are you highly anticipating? What are your bookish goals for 2023? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT! 

Happy New Year! I've been working hard over the past few days to transition everything on my blog from 2022 to 2023. 2022 was kind of a ho-hum reading year for me. I'm hoping for better in 2023. May all of us find some great books to enjoy this year and share with each other.

For today's TTT topic, we're looking back at our favorite reads of 2022. I didn't read a lot of five-star, A-grade books last year, but I did manage to come up with ten that I loved. We'll get to that in a sec.

Before we do that, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our lovely hostess, Jana, some love. While you're there, get all the details about TTT so you can join in the fun!

Today's TTT topic is a nostalgic, walk-down-memory-lane type deal, but my memory is just not up to the task! If yours is good enough, then you might enjoy listing the Top Ten Books I Read On Vacation (bonus points if you can tell us where you were). Me? I'm going to twist the topic around a bit. I toyed with some vacation-y spins and finally decided to steal an idea from Wendy over at The Bashful Bookworm. A couple weeks ago, she made a TTT list of book covers with vehicles on them. I thought that was a fun topic and since vehicles mean travel, it works well for today. 

Before we get to my list, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give Jana, our hostess with the mostest, some love!

1. New From Here by Kelly Yang—It's hard to see, but the cover of my current read features an airplane flying through the title. The book is about a Chinese-American family living in Hong Kong who decides to flee to their summer home in California to escape the coronavirus. It's told from the point of view of 10-year-old Knox, whose struggles with ADHD are exacerbated by missing his father (who stayed behind to work), going to a new school, sharing a bedroom with his annoying older brother, and dealing with prejudice against Asian people (who are being blamed for bringing the virus to the U.S.). I'm only a few chapters in, but this middle grade novel is already proving to be a powerful, impacting read. 

2. All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes (available December 13, 2022)—I love this gorgeous cover with its Venetian gondola! The story is about a baby who's discovered floating in a basket along the canals of Venice. Taken in by a guild of artisans, he's raised as their own, although he still wonders about his mysterious origins. One hundred years later, a translator comes to the city to procure a rare book. Within its pages, he'll discover an intriguing story about a floating infant...

3. Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare—Lena Aldridge lives a gritty, unfulfilling life as a lounge singer in London, where she must hide her mixed-race heritage and pass as white. When she's offered the opportunity to sing on Broadway, she eagerly boards the RMS Queen Mary, excited to begin a new life in America. Her hopes sink when she finds herself embroiled in a murder onboard that puts all her dreams—not to mention her life—at risk.

4. Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves—This World War II mystery sounds interesting. The titular character is the owner of a flock of racing pigeons which she hopes will be requested by the National Pigeon Service to help with the war effort. A duo do come calling, but they're intelligence officers asking Olive to aid in a covert operation against the Germans. Soon after they arrive, a local woman is found murdered outside Olive's pigeon loft. Just what has Olive gotten herself into?

5. The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris—Similar to the above, this WWII novel features an illusionist's assistant who specializes in creating spectacular escapes to thrill audiences. When British military intelligence asks her to use her expertise to help them win the war, she's eager to help. It soon becomes clear, however, that her mission is much more dangerous than she ever imagined it could be.

6. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen (available March 17, 2023)—I enjoy Nielsen's historical fiction for middle graders as well as books about the Titanic, so I'm very excited for this one. It's about a young stowaway with big plans for her new life in America who gets caught up in an intriguing mystery and a desperate struggle for survival.

7. Simmer Down by Sarah Smith—This rom-com featuring dueling food trucks on a Maui beach sounds fun. I was an exchange student in the Philippines during high school, so I can't wait for all the Filipino food talk. Yum!

8. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower—I love this charming cozy mystery series. This installment, book seven, has Bailey King providing sweets for a big Thanksgiving event in town. When a man dies from an allergic reaction after eating her desserts, she's shocked. Once again, she finds herself investigating a puzzling murder.

9. The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh—Speaking of carrier pigeons, this novel revolves around a woman who joins the Women's Royal Naval Service (aka, the "wrens") and becomes a motorcycle dispatch rider tasked with delivering the birds to the front during World War I. Two decades later, she's called back into service at the beginning of another world war.

10. Better Off Read by Nora Page—Desperate to save her town's storm-damaged library, Cleo Watkins hits the road in her bookmobile to drum up support in her small Georgia town. When a potential benefactor ends up dead and her best friend stands accused of his murder, Cleo must play Nancy Drew to figure out whodunit. 

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When 10-year-old Mia Tang arrives in Anaheim, California, her head is filled with the same visions as any other kid—screaming happily on a roller coaster at Disneyland, splashing in the cool water of a hotel pool, and basking in the brilliant sunshine, warm and content.  That's not exactly what she gets when she lands at the Calivista Hotel.  For starters, she's not a guest.  She's living there because the room comes with her parents' housekeeping/hotel management jobs.  Also, the mean owner has banned employees from using the pool.  As for Anaheim being a happy, joyous place?  Apparently, that doesn't apply to Chinese immigrants whose English needs a little help.  Anaheim might be the setting for other people's dream vacations, but it's not turning out so dreamy for Mia.

Then, Mia starts working the front desk when her parents are too busy to manage that and room cleaning.  Suddenly, she has a purpose.  As she organizes the office, takes care of guests, and gets to know the hotel's permanent residents, Mia's gloom starts to dissipate.  She still has to deal with the greedy, dishonest hotel owner and his snooty son; worry over her parents' secret hiding of illegal immigrants; and deal with demanding guests; but at least she has a purpose.  Will her growing skills be enough to help her family survive in a hostile new environment?  Will she be able to keep the Calivista Hotel running?  Or will the Tangs be forced to start over once again or, worse, turned over to the authorities?  

Inspired by her own experience working at a California hotel with her immigrant parents, Kelly Yang's Front Desk is a bright, engaging book about using your talents to help people.  It's got plenty going on to keep readers engaged and wondering how everything is going to turn out.  While I enjoyed the story overall, I had trouble believing a 10-year-old would be giving as much responsibility as Mia had or that adult guests would trust a child with handling money, fielding complaints, and dealing with check-in/check-out.  I realize that Yang was an exceptionally bright 10-year-old (she entered college at 13, started Harvard Law School at 17, and graduated at 20), but still ... Mia talked and acted like no 10-year-old I've ever known.  That major suspension of disbelief tainted the book for me.  Still, Front Desk is an appealing story that young readers will find entertaining and empowering.  I didn't love it, but that's okay.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other MG books about immigrant families trying to find their way in America, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I borrowed a copy of Front Desk from the library at my child's elementary school.