Family Drama – Best of Kit

written by Lan Samantha Chang, book 8 of 2022

This book is a Chinese American family drama and murder mystery set in Wisconsin. I read A LOT but rarely mysteries so my opinion is more on the story overall. I requested it from Netgalley because I’m a sucker for anything set in Wisconsin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ While I did become invested in the mystery, I felt like the plot lost some momentum by the end. I was also quite unnerved by the dog related subplot and felt like it distracted from the more central points. For me, the most compelling part of the book was the extremely fair criticism of Midwestern attitudes toward “outsiders” and the mental health consequences of not being able to live fully (due to societal or familial pressure).

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC.

Content Warnings: Emotional Abuse, Mental Health, Racism, Animal Abuse/Neglect

written by Xóchitl González, book 74 of 2021

This story has it all- humor, romance, political and social commentary. The two main characters are a set of adult siblings from NYC struggling with their relationships as a result of the radicalization and subsequent estrangement from their mother. I read a lot of novels with heavy topics and this one is no different (see content warnings). It was impossible to stop listening to this one. I’m hoping to travel to Puerto Rico in early 2022 and I was looking for something to enrich my knowledge of the territory and its history. This was it. The narration was excellent, the storytelling was rich and left me with a lot to think about. This was an unexpected favorite of the year.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ALC.

Recommended for: anyone who loves character driven novels, social and political commentary, strong female leads, or is interested in learning more about the U.S. and Puerto Rico’s complicated and important relationship.

Content Warnings: Emotional Abuse, Abandonment, Sexual Assault, Grief