Royal Romance

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz is a fun, romantic graphic novel.

The main character is a countess who stands to inherit none of her fortune as a woman. Her father gives his blessing for her to become a man, the count, in order to keep her inheritance. She moves to a new area with her lifelong handmaid to protect the ruse.

This is when she begins falling for the Princess. But she can’t allow herself to get too close to avoid her secret being revealed. The Princess develops feelings too, but is also onto her secret which has the potential to change all their plans.

It’s been several weeks since I read the book which is why my review lacks detail. It was a light-hearted, quick read with great cheesy references throughout.

The Real Snake

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is a prequel to The Hunger Games.

Coriolanus Snow is a senior student residing in the Capitol. He aspires to attend university, success and wealth. However, his family consisting of his grandmother and cousin Tigris, are in financial trouble. They are in danger of losing their penthouse apartment and they are starving. His best meals are at school.

There seems to be hope with the upcoming Hunger Games because for the first time the students will be mentors to the tributes. The winner will receive full tuition at the University. However, Coriolanus is horrified when he is the last mentor assigned to the lowly District Twelve’s girl tribute.

But, he soon realizes that his mentee, Lucy Gray, is captivating. She has an amazing presence and sings beautifully. They begin to develop a relationship as they strategize how to win the games.

During the buildup to the games, Coriolanus has to worry about the game creator, Dean Highbottom, who seems to have a personal vendetta against him. There is also the twisted Dr. Gaul. Her experiments on animals and possibly people seems to have no boundaries.

Sejanus is a classmate and former District Two resident. Coriolanus envies Sejanus’s family money, and also can’t stand his rebellious tendencies. But he knows it’s best to keep up appearances as a friend.

Snow’s cheating during the games gets him assigned as a Peacekeeper. He chooses District Twelve in hopes of reuniting with Lucy Gray. And Sejanus ends up joining him.

Lucy and Snow reunite and seem destined to be together. However, Snow begins to realize his true nature. He cares more for acclaim and privilege than building a new life in the unknown.

There is so much more intricate detail to the story. The characters are well written and I was captivated.

The Meanwhile

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood is a beautifully written story full of emotion.

It tells Violet, Harriet and Frank’s stories which inevitably intertwine.

Violet is in jail for vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence with her boyfriend. They were running away together. The victim was Frank’s wife.

Violet is part of a book club while in jail which is led by Harriet, a volunteer and retired teacher. Harriet carefully chooses their books at a bookstore in Portland, Maine. Frank is a part time employee at this bookstore.

Each character’s background is developed with the emphasis on present time. It turns out that Frank was in the process of being divorced by his wife. Although, his grown daughter thinks it was due to his own infidelity.

Meanwhile, Violet is released but is essentially orphaned. Her mom passed while she was in jail, and the rest of her family (aunt and sister) have disowned her. They blame her mother’s death on the stress that her trial created.

Luckily, her connection to Harriet is rekindled on the outs. Harriet’s niece puts in a word for Violet to work as an assistant to an avian scientist, Misha, who is studying the intelligence of parrots. Violet is able to handle his abrupt manner and she loves the birds in their care. And she begins to love Misha too.

Eventually Frank, Harriet and Violet develop a familial relationship toward one another. There is kindness, forgiveness and a beautiful patience and love of story woven throughout.

A Boy and His Dog

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow is a 2026 high school Nutmeg nominee.

Ian has been going through a tough time. His dad left him and his mom when he was young. His grandfather who was his idol died when Ian was younger. Now he’s in high school and dealing with poverty and his mom’s addiction. His grandfather’s lessons about life and land along with his own mechanical knowledge give him strength. This is when a stray dog, Gather, shows up in his life.

A hospital visit scares his mom straight for a while. Things seem to be moving in a positive direction. They both get jobs and Ian gets a girlfriend. He’s even allowed to keep his dog. But once they get a bill for back taxes on their house and property, Ian’s mom spirals and overdoses.

Now Ian is about to be shuffled to his dad in Tennessee, forcing him to leave his home and the community he is so attached to.

He decides not to move to his dad and starts making his way back home, just him and Gather. They survive on the run until he can reach out to those in his community, his teacher and neighbors, for help.

This was a story with a strong message about community and kindness. The author did a good job with Ian’s narration; however the plot moved a bit slowly for me during the second third of the book.

Lifetime of Letters

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is a narrative built through only letters to and from the main character – a retired legal assistant named Sybil.

Sybil is a unique character. She is bold in her letters and creates many meaningful relationships through them. She writes to family (her adopted brother, her son and daughter) friends, and also a friend’s son who is very troubled, an employer at a DNA lab, several authors, and a college dean (to name some).

Sone major events in Sybil’s life are understood. Most significant is the loss of her middle child, Gilbert. She also discovers that she has a sister after doing a DNA test. She receives hateful letters from someone known to her during her days in court. She is also experiencing vision loss. These life events are all explained through letters throughout the book.

I really appreciated Sybil’s character. She is strong, smart and also vulnerable. This is definitely a book I would like to read again (despite some character confusion in the beginning) as there are so many meaningful lines throughout (and it’s a tearjerker!). It is about aging, friendship, family trauma and forgiveness.

Opera Singers

The Understudy by Morgan Richter is a murder mystery taking place in NYC.

Kit is an aspiring opera singer getting ready for her first starring role in Barbarella. Her talent is exceptional but she lacks strong stage presence and sex appeal. Her understudy, Yolanda, is overflowing with these traits. The two begin a strained relationship in which Yolanda plays deadly pranks on Kit.

However, it is Yolanda who ends up dead. She is stabbed to death while Kit is passed out in the other room.

An investigation begins. Yolanda has crossed many people so there are plenty of suspects. Kit is also an initial suspect due to her own violent past. Kit begins her own investigation which sets her on a path to figure out who Yolanda really is.

Eventually, Kit figures out the killer’s identity, all while trying to stay professional and prove herself worthy of the starring role.

Controlled

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy is an autobiographical account of Jennette’s dysfunctional upbringing.

Jennette’s mom pushes her into acting at a very young age. Her Mom’s control extends over her grueling schedule, eating, bathing and basically every waking moment. The rest of her family, “father” and brothers, are uninvolved in their dynamic. Jennette follows along despite her own unhappiness. She learns to follow her mom’s requests in order to avoid her meltdowns.

Jennette eventually lands her breakout role as Sam in iCarly which later leads to a spinoff. During her fame, Jennette is stressed and battling with eating disorders, codependent relationships and a drinking problem. Her mother’s cancer relapse and death only exacerbates her mental stability through these years.

Jennette’s recovery is a long road in which she must confront her demons and come to terms with the reality of an abusive relationship with her mom.

Family Vacation

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is like reading a middle-aged woman’s diary. Had I read this ten years ago, I wouldn’t have identified. Now pushing fifty, I empathized with a lot.

Rocky is with her husband, daughter, son and his girlfriend at their cottage in the Cape for their annual summer vacation. The story takes place during the week of the trip.

It is full of the nostalgia and routines that make a family trip special. During the week, she discovers that her son’s girlfriend is pregnant. She also contemplates her own pregnancies, including two that ended in miscarriage.

Her parents visit for their usual two nights as well, which alerts the family to her mom’s health worries after she passes out at the beach.

Family dynamics are an important part of the story, but even more is the intense love and constant concern for one’s children during all ages and stages and one’s parents. All told, this is a story exploring a menopausal woman with a lot on her mind.

Into Space

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a story of adventure as well as romantic and familial love taking place during the 1980s.

Joan is a brilliant scientist and teacher. She applies to NASA and is accepted which sets her on a new and exciting path. Her goal is to be one of the first female astronauts.

Her training group includes many talented men and women. The women have additional pressure to earn their positions. Over time, Joan realizes that she has strong feelings for another woman in her training group, Vanessa.

Joan and Vanessa navigate their secret relationship. Meanwhile, Joan is also involved in caring for her niece Frances. Joan’s sister Barbara had Frances at a very young age, and is a self- absorbed mother. Joan’s role to Frances has often been a second mom.

Joan’s love for Frances was beautifully depicted. The description of love for a child as an “ache for every version…saying goodbye to the girl she used to be and falling in love again with the girl she was becoming” (68% into book) deeply resonated with my emotions around my own kids right now.

Eventually, Joan earns the opportunity to both go to space, and later to be part of Mission Control during Vanessa’s excursion. Vanessa’s mission does not go according to plan, which is the present day story throughout the book.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to and really liked Joan’s character. She is strong, smart, pure and fiercely loyal and loving.

1,059 Days

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb is a highly emotional read (spoilers ahead).

Corby is sentenced to three years in jail after backing over his two-year-old son while under the influence. The pain and horror of this moment kept me awake after reading it.

What follows is the aftermath of this tragedy. Corby’s relationship with his wife Emily is severely damaged. Once in jail, he has no contact with his remaining daughter (his deceased son’s twin sister).

Corby’s 1095 days in jail are marked by gradual friendships (bunkmate, prison librarian) and severe bullying (first bunkmate and two guards). During this time he must come to terms with his actions, his own upbringing, and figure out how to move forward.

This book was both riveting and heart wrenching. The characters (especially Corby) are so well developed. I found myself rooting for him despite his horrible mistake. Much of the advice given to him by either his first therapist and AA members is profound and pertinent to anyone going through a struggle. I really enjoyed this book’s realism albeit that it didn’t have the happy ending I hoped for.