Tough Guy by Rachel Reid, 300 pages

 Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.

Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.

Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.

What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama, 300 pages

 What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark, 300 pages

 Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg by Barry Williams, 300 pages

Think you know everything about Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Mike, Carol, Alice and the people who played them? Think again! From drunken golf-cart races across the Paramount lot to make-out sessions in Tiger's doghouse and Cindy's near-drowning in Hawaii, Barry WiIliams tells the real Brady story, previously hidden behind the carefully groomed facade of TV's favorite family.This collector's edition of Growing Up Brady is packed with first-hand memories, newly published photos, and updated information on the cast, crew and creators of "The Brady Bunch". Its the most detailed documentation or one of television's most popular shows, as told from the inside. Forget about the rumors and find out the real stories of inter-Brady dating, behind-the scenes battles, and the real people behind the Bunch.Think you know everything about Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Mike, Carol, Alice and the people who played them? Think again! From drunken golf-cart races across the Paramount lot to make-out sessions in Tiger's doghouse and Cindy's near-drowning in Hawaii, Barry WiIliams tells the real Brady story, previously hidden behind the carefully groomed facade of TV's favorite family.This collector's edition of Growing Up Brady is packed with first-hand memories, newly published photos, and updated information on the cast, crew and creators of "The Brady Bunch". Its the most detailed documentation or one of television's most popular shows, as told from the inside. Forget about the rumors and find out the real stories of inter-Brady dating, behind-the scenes battles, and the real people behind the Bunch.Think you know everything about Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Mike, Carol, Alice and the people who played them? Think again! From drunken golf-cart races across the Paramount lot to make-out sessions in Tiger's doghouse and Cindy's near-drowning in Hawaii, Barry WiIliams tells the real Brady story, previously hidden behind the carefully groomed facade of TV's favorite family.This collector's edition of Growing Up Brady is packed with first-hand memories, newly published photos, and updated information on the cast, crew and creators of "The Brady Bunch". Its the most detailed documentation or one of television's most popular shows, as told from the inside. Forget about the rumors and find out the real stories of inter-Brady dating, behind-the scenes battles, and the real people behind the Bunch.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, 300 pages

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy, 300 pages

A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness

Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother has dies in childbirth, and Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife: cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh.

In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world is Aunt Elizabeth “Izzy” Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world.

Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the small-town reality of life at Green Gables.

Prick With a Fork by Larissa Dubecki, 300 pages

Before she was one of Australia's restaurant critics, Larissa Dubecki was one of its worst waitresses. A loving homage to her ten-year reign of dining-room terror, Prick With a Fork takes you where a diner should never go. From the crappiest suburban Italian to the hottest place in town, what goes on behind the scenes is rarely less fraught than the seventh circle of hell. Psychopathic chefs, lecherous owners, impossible demands and insufferable customers are just the start of an average shift.
As a former server myself, this was an entertaining read.

Mary Russell's War and Other Stories of Suspense by Laurie R. King, 300 pages

With this collection, nine previously published short stories and one never-before-seen Sherlock Holmes mystery are brought together for the first time. Following an "Appreciation" by noted Sherlockian Leslie S. Klinger, Laurie R. King blends vivid historical settings with narrative sleight-of-hand, from a novella composed of Mary Russell's teenage diaries to the story of how, in her nineties, Miss Russell came to send her Memoirs to Laurie R. King, and from Mrs. Hudson's own investigation to a tale of young Russell's beloved Uncle Jake-and, a Christmas investigation by Sherlock Holmes and his very young assistant.
I'm a big fan of the Mary Russell books, so I enjoyed getting to see her and Sherlock's first meeting through his eyes, the story of their wedding, and her early days.

Villains, Scoundrels, and Rogues by Paul Martin, 300 pages

This was a fascinating review copy I got to read, featuring some of the worst of the worst in American history. Slave traders, outlaws, and even the cop who deserted his post as Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard are featured. The book was well-written and entertaining, with many characters chosen that I'd never heard of before. I finished the book with a craving to learn more about the characters featured.