These are the books I read this week. Without further ado:
The Assistants by Camille Perri: Tina Fontana is an executive assistant to Robert Barlow, a multimedia billionaire CEO. She’s living paycheck to paycheck while he rakes in literal billions. When a technical error with an expense report offers Tina a chance to pay off her student loan debt, she hesitates and then actually does it. But then other assistants start cashing in favors about their debt, too, and before Tina knows it, she’s caught up in a scheme that is completely illegal.
It’s probably best not to think about this one too hard, because it’s pretty silly, but it’s also kind of fun to read a story about a bunch of women taking down a billionaire man. I wanted it to have more depth, and I wanted the characters to have more development, but it was a perfectly diverting read.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone: Justyce is at the top of his class, on a scholarship to a prestigious prep school, and he’s definitely Ivy League bound. None of that matters when a police officer puts him in handcuffs. Another altercation with an off-duty cop puts Justyce in the midst of controversy he never wanted any part of. Turning to the teachings of Dr. King to try to find answers, Justyce has to find a way to grapple with the realities of his life.
I really liked this moving account of a black kid caught between two worlds. It’s a great readalike to The Hate U Give, which I thought had more nuance than this one, but both are definitely recommended reading. Nic Stone will be an author to watch.
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling: Harry keeps dreaming about a locked door at the end of a corridor. Dumbledore insists Harry should study occlumency lessons with Snape but won’t say why. An anti-Voldemort group called the Order of the Phoenix is hard at work but won’t let Harry know what they’re planning. A new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is making life hell at Hogwarts.
I’m still going strong on my re-listening to the Harry Potter series, and I enjoyed this one immensely. I can’t wait to get into the last two books, which I remember the least of all of them.
Hey, Library Girl! 