This Was Always About Basketball by Craig Leener

This Was Always About Basketball by Craig Leener is the third and final installment in the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.  And if you are like me and highly enjoyed the adventures of the first two books, you will love this one just as much.   Leener's newest novel takes us back into the lives of Ezekiel Archer and Sherman "Lawrence" Tuckerman.  As Zeke is preparing to leave L.A. and head to Lawrence, Kansas to attend the University of Kansas, his life takes a sudden and unexpected turn.  The truck he is supposed to be driving to school the next day is in pieces and his best friend is involved.  His dad is in the VA hospital and not doing well.  And maybe worst of all, his arch nemesis, Brock seems to have altered the history of basketball.  

 With Lawrence's help (who is partially responsible for basketball's altered history), Zeke must once again dive into the world of the 7th Dimension and figure out how to fix the game he loves.  Along their journey through time and space, Zeke will not only try and save basketball, but also figure out a future that seems to always be up in the air.  With his best friend by his side, Zeke carves out a path for his life that clearly points to a future that will continue to preserve this game that has meant so much to him.

 Leener has once again given us a fun and exciting story that dives into the history of basketball and takes us back to that moment when Dr. James Naismith first established his 13 original rules of the game.  If you are basketball fan then this book, and this trilogy, is for you!

 

From Amazon: 

In this thrilling conclusion to the bestselling trilogy, teen hoops star Zeke Archer is ready to fulfill a lifelong dream: running point for the best college basketball team in the country! But on what should be the best day of his life, things take a horrible turn. Zeke’s truck has been completely dismantled, leaving him with no way to drive to a university 1,600 miles away. His on-again, off-again girlfriend has written him a letter that can only be heart-crushing. And Zeke’s father is in critical condition, hanging on by thread in the VA hospital . . .But to make matters absolutely worse, Zeke’s nemesis and archrival Brock Decker is suddenly rich and famous--and appears responsible for a most insidious plan to alter the future of basketball’s history. With barely any time to fix things, Zeke, together with his best friend Lawrence, will somehow have to break interdimensional barriers of time and space to return to the very spot where the game he loves was invented, all in an attempt to undo everything. But if the clock runs out, Zeke Archer and everything he loves will be gone!

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is the prequel to her best-selling debut, The Hate U Give.  This story takes us back and tells the story of Maverick Carter, Starr's dad, and a pillar in the Garden Heights' community.  In the first book, we got a glimpse at the man he is.  But in Concrete Rose, we get the chance to see how he got there.  From the struggles of trying to live up to his dad's reputation to helping out a mom who is doing the best she can, Maverick has to learn what it takes to take care of those he loves.  And when he suddenly finds out he is a father and then quickly has another on the way, he must decide what path he must take to create a future for himself and his family.  This is such a wonderfully told story about how we don't have to succumb to the environment we are surrounded by.  How we can find a way to thrive when the world around us expects us to fall.  It shows us how we can be that rose that grows out of the concrete. 

 

From Amazon:

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

I've been a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain for a long time now.  Watching him first on No Reservations and then on Parts Unknown, I became fascinated by the places he visited, the food he ate, and the people he met.  But more than anything, I loved the stories he told.  He let the viewer in to the history of each place, the forgotten stories that truly make the land and the people special.  He didn't hold anything back when telling these stories and you could tell in his words that he wasn't there to exploit the people, but rather to educate the viewers about so many things we didn't know.  He did this by speaking to the people in each country or city he visited, but more so did it through eating the food native to each land.  You can learn so much about the people by the food they eat.  And Bourdain was a master at learning and teaching the most important things.

 Kitchen Confidential is the story of how he got there.  It is his personal history of how he came to love food and his time in the restaurant industry.  He struggled with his demons, but worked hard to accomplish all that he did.  He didn't always do it right, but he gave it everything he had.  This book lays it all on the line and gives the reader an intimate look at the business of food.  Even though he left us way too soon, he left us the gift of his storytelling in books like Kitchen Confidential. 

 

From Amazon: 

A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material.
 

My Favorite Reads of 2020

Here we go again.  This is such a difficult task.  During this past year I read so many good books and trying to narrow that list down to my 10 favorites (plus a few extras) is nearly impossible.  I love to take some time to look back on what I read and remember books that I didn't realize were still part of the past year.  But putting together my favorite 10 is always hard because I know I am going to have to leave out some books that I love.  These books were not all new in 2020, but most of them are. Clicking on each title will take you to my full review for that particular novel.  I would love for any of you to comment and tell me what you think of my list, thoughts on any of these you may have read, or anything else you may have to say.  Enjoy and hopefully you will find something to add to your TBR pile.  

 

1. We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

    -This is such a powerful and important book.  Sanchez has given us the unbelievable journey of       three young people who are trying to escape their lives in Central America and find a new beginning in the United States.  A really incredible novel!

2. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson  

    -Jackson is a pre-order, must read for me.  Grown is another breathtaking story from Jackson.  Ripped straight from the headlines, this novel will pull you in from the first pages.

3. Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation by Michael Powell

    -This one is nonfiction and tells the story of a high school basketball team in Arizona.  But this one is about so much more than basketball.  This really is the story of the Navajo Nation as told through an extraordinary group of young men and their dedicated coach.

4. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

    -Full of twists and turns and shout out loud moments, Dear Child will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read this terrifying story.  

5. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

    -Told in verse, this is the story of two sisters who never knew the other existed until tragedy strikes their family.  As usual, Acevedo's beautiful words tell an incredible story.

6. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang 

    -Dragon Hoops is a nonfiction graphic novel.  Yang tells us the story of the boys basketball team at the high school where he teaches while at the same time learning so much about himself in the process.  A really wonderful book.

7. Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

    -I love everything from Mindy McGinnis, and this one is no exception.  This story of survival and self-reliance will keep you turning the pages.  On another day, this one could be very near the top of this list.  

8. I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

     -I enjoy a good mystery and I Killed Zoe Spanos definitely fits the bill.  This one was so much fun and will keep you guessing as you try to figure out what really happened.

9. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

    -This is the powerful sequel to Stone's debut novel, Dear Martin.  The story is in large part about the problems in the juvenile justice system.  Dear Justyce is an important read.

10. Running with the Buffaloes: A Season with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and The University of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team by Chris Lear

    -Just an incredible story about the Colorado men's cross country team's 1998 season.  There are so many fascinating stories about the phenomenal athletes that were a part of this team and the difficulty of this memorable season.

 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by author)

Thoughts & Prayers by Bryan Bliss  

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson 

Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin 

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby 

Bye-Bye, Blue Creek by Andrew Smith

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus is a must read for me.  Since reading her debut novel, One of Us Is Lying, I was hooked.  I have been highly anticipating her latest novel, The Cousins, since it was first announced, seemingly forever ago.  And I have to say, it didn't disappoint.  McManus is such a great story teller.  She is a master of the mystery and will keep you guessing throughout.  As with her previous novels, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover all the twists and turns that this story provides.  If you like a good mystery novel, you can't go wrong with The Cousins.

This novel is the story of three cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah, who barely know each other.  Their parents come from the ultra-rich Story family, but were cutoff and disinherited by their mother many years ago, when they were all young adults.  Mysteriously, these three cousins all get a letter from their grandmother, whom they have never met, inviting them to come to Gull Cove Island and work at the Story family resort for the summer.  While the kids are all a bit hesitant, their parents insist they go.  This could, after all, get them back in the good graces (and of course the will) of Mildred Story.  But when these cousins arrive on the island, they quickly discover that they were most likely brought there on false pretenses.  Their grandmother takes no real interest in them, the family lawyer is more interested in getting them off the island, and there are more questions than answers when it comes to why their parents were disinherited all those years ago.  As the mystery unravels, the reader will be hanging on to every twist this story can throw at them.   

 

From Amazon: 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

So this book came to me on a recommendation from Andrew Smith.  As a general rule, if Andrew says so, I read it.  And as expected, Dear Child by Romy Hausmann did not disappoint.  This story is terrifying in all the right ways.  It will keeping you guessing throughout, trying to figure out who you can trust and who you can't.  If you love those WTF?!?! moments in a book, this one will definitely deliver.  It was just unfortunate that I had students in my room when I read one of those parts.  I really wanted to yell out loud, but I restrained myself.  If you are looking for a read that will keep you on edge and take you on a roller coaster of emotions, look no further than Dear Child.  This one will for sure be on my list of favorite books of 2020!

 

From Amazon: 

“[A] tantalizingly disturbing debut…As enthralling as it is thought-provoking.” -New York Times Book Review

Bustle Best Books of Fall 2020
Publishers Weekly Top 10 Mysteries & Thrillers of Fall 2020
She Reads Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2020

A woman held captive finally escapes―but can she ever really get away?

Gone Girl meets Room in this page-turning, #1 internationally bestselling thriller from one of Germany’s hottest new talents

A windowless shack in the woods. A dash to safety. But when a woman finally escapes her captor, the end of the story is only the beginning of her nightmare.

She says her name is Lena. Lena, who disappeared without a trace 14 years prior. She fits the profile. She has the distinctive scar. But her family swears that she isn’t their Lena.

The little girl who escaped the woods with her knows things she isn’t sharing, and Lena’s devastated father is trying to piece together details that don’t quite fit. Lena is desperate to begin again, but something tells her that her tormentor still wants to get back what belongs to him…and that she may not be able to truly escape until the whole truth about what happened in the woods finally emerges.

Twisty, suspenseful, and psychologically clever, Romy Hausmann's Dear Child is a captivating thriller with all the ingredients of a breakout hit.

“Chilling, original and mesmerizing.” ―David Baldacci

All the Pretty Things by Emily Arsenault

All the Pretty Things by Emily Arsenault is a delightful mystery novel that may also have you devastated as the truth comes to light.  While a mystery, this story is all about family and friendship and what exactly those things mean when they don't always fit together.  The main setting for this story is an amusement park, Fabuland, and all that goes along with it.  This setting makes for a fun place to be as Ivy tries to unravel the mysterious death of Ethan, a coworker and classmate, who appears to have fallen off a bridge walking home from work one night.  Ivy was out of town at the time, but her best friend Morgan is the one who found Ethan's body.  This discovery has shaken Morgan to the core.  As Ivy begins to ask questions about the night of Ethan's death, she soon discovers there is more to Morgan's fragile mental state than just her gruesome discovery.  Ivy now has to figure out what role her father, the owner of Fabuland, has played in all the strange things that have been going on with the employees at the park.  Arsenault keeps the read on edge throughout this enjoyable novel. 

 

From Amazon: 

"A skillfully plotted mystery, bursting with the glare and feverish energy of its summer amusement park setting." --Holly Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

For fans of Sadie and The Cheerleaders comes an all new thriller about a boy who turns up dead under suspicious circumstances and the one girl who may be the key to solving the mystery of his untimely death.

For Ivy, summer means roller-coaster season, spinning cotton candy at the Fabuland amusement park, and hanging out with her best friend, Morgan. But this summer is different.

One morning, Morgan finds a dead body. It's their former classmate and coworker Ethan. To make matters worse, Morgan is taken to a hospital psych ward only days later, and she's not saying much--not even to Ivy.

The police claim that Ethan simply took a bad fall, but Ivy isn't convinced and realizes it's up to her to get answers. What she finds is unsettling--it's clear that some people aren't being honest about Ethan's last night at Fabuland. Including Morgan. And the more secrets Ivy uncovers, the closer she gets to unraveling dark truths that will change her life forever.