Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Title: Baby Teeth
Author: Zoje Stage

Genre: Horror

What would you do if your child was gaslighting you?

Suzette has battled through a rocky childhood and debilitating Crohn's Disease, but now she is facing a much fiercer foe: her seven-year-old daughter, Hanna. Home-schooling her hellion is pushing Suzette to the brink, but when no school will take Hanna, where is she to turn?

Suzette's husband, Alex, only sees Hanna's sweet side as her much-adored dad. Believing Hanna to be gifted and misunderstood, he finds it hard to believe Suzette's accounts of Hanna's outrageous behavior.

As Suzette and Hanna vie for Alex's affections, who will come out on top? 

This is a twisted tale of an Electra Complex gone amuk and told alternatively from Hanna's and Suzette's points of view. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Baby Teeth @ the library.

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio

Title: All the Flowers in Paris
Author: Sarah Jio

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II, Romantic Fiction, Memory Loss

In this captivating novel, we follow a story that spans both our present day as well as the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. In our times, Caroline, an American, wakes up from a coma in a Parisian hospital and has no memory of her past. She knows it is a sad life that she has forgotten and that Paris has been her escape from it. In her search for clues she looks through her apartment but it is barely decorated and does not offer up much about her past. She does discover a stash of love letters in her search and it leads her to connect with people she had little time for before her accident. Little does she know that she shares more in common with the occupants of her apartment during the Second World War than she would have ever imagined. During the dark history of Nazi-occupied France, Céline, a widow, and her daughter are barely surviving the rampant antisemitism, but its terrors are starting to be felt as their flower shop is vandalized and a Nazi officer preys on them. Céline finds herself in a very dangerous position and has to draw on strength and courage to help her through. Both women show resilience in the face of challenges and you will find yourself rooting for them both all the way.

- Elizabeth

Check out All the Flowers in Paris @ the library.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fix Her Up
Author: Tessa Bailey

Genre: Romantic Comedy

If you're looking for a funny but steamy read, this book might be for you. 

Georgette Castle's family business is house renovations, but being the youngest, all the good jobs were taken. That's OK with Georgie, whose heart belongs to entertaining children as a party clown. Well, that and local baseball legend, Travis Ford. 

Travis is back in town after his professional ball career tanks and he's at loose ends. He was doing a pretty good job wallowing when his best friend's annoying little sister decides to give him a wake-up call. 

Can Georgie get her family to take her seriously while making a living doing face-painting? Can Travis get over his broken family to carve out a future for himself that doesn't involve fastballs and faster women? Grab your own sea salt caramel mocha and enjoy this fun and flirty read.

- Sarah R.

Check out Fix Her Up @ the library.

Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch

Title: Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
Author: Gretchen McCulloch

Genre: Linguistics, Language, Internet Culture, Non-Fiction

Because Internet takes a fascinating look at language and internet culture. Author Gretchen McCulloch discusses everything from the various meanings of lol (such as the difference between LOL and lol - because yes, there is one), to how using emoji is our way of expressing gestures in online conversations, to the various "generations" of internet users and how when they first came online influences their internet use and online communication style. This last one was definitely my favorite chapter. It was so fascinating to me to see these generations of Internet People laid out and to not only be able to identify myself with one, but also to see the characteristics of other generations in my family, friends, and those I come in contact with on a daily basis. The author also answers questions like why young people use so many exclamation points, why older people use so many ellipses, and how sarcasm is expressed through text.

Side note: Gretchen McCulloch is one of the co-host of the podcast Lingthusiam, "a podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics." I'd highly recommend it, especially if you are a language nerd like me!

- Sarah P.

Check out Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language @ the library.