My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, 221 Pages

I've never been huge into Graphic Novels, but I've been really trying to broaden my horizons so I can be a better asset in the reader's advisory department of this job! I have to say, I really enjoyed this! It was a fast read (which I loved for the reading challenge I set for myself,) and it was absolutely creepy! It is actually based off of true events, as the author was friends with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. It almost (ALMOST!!!) makes you sympathize with Dahmer a little bit, hearing how rough his last years of "normalcy" were. I definitely recommend this to any true crime lovers out there!

The Broken Ones by Sarah A. Denzil, 284 Pages

This was a short, fast paced read that I really enjoyed. It genuinely creeped me out, and I had a hard time reading it at night after everyone went to bed. 

Sophie knows she is being watched. She has plenty of "suspects", including the man she recently met online, her ill mother or maybe the nurse who takes care of her mother. She even begins to question if her mother is actually sick. She is forced to face her dark, extremely abusive past in order to uncover what is actually happening around her. And some of the stuff she finds out will change her life forever. 

Strange Weather by Joe Hill, 432 Pages

Strange Weather is a collection of four short novels that mostly fall in the horror/thriller genre. The author is Joe Hill, who is actually Stephen King's son! I found their writing pretty similar, and I enjoyed this book. I will say... I found the novel "Loaded" difficult to read, but the rest of them were okay. Overall, I would recommend this one to patron's that are interested in the horror genre, and are fans of King!

The Last Halloween by Abby Howard 448 pages

Oh, man, this is an awesome book!  I love the artwork and the story.  This started as a web comic that got published as a glorious book I can hold in my hands.  It makes me so happy.  Young Mona has a big problem, primarily a giant monster that calls on her Halloween night.  This leads her to run for help, but she finds more kids...who turn out to be monsters, also.  Well, things aren't looking great, especially since Mona gets tagged to try to stop humanity from being destroyed by monsters since the entity that was keeping it all in balance has disappeared.  This has a great energy and the white on black illustration is just gorgeous.  I can't recommend this more highly!

Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar 307 pages

To carry on with my India fiction for children, I read Ahimsa.  This takes place during one of the most brutal, but fascinating periods of time in India's history.  I've read several other stories set around the time that Pakistan was established as a separate country from India, but they were always for an adult audience.  This book was set before the split, when India was still under British rule and tensions were running high.  It follows a young girl, Anjali, as her family joins the peaceful resistance started by Gandhi.  If you're interested in historical fiction, I highly recommend this one.  Ahimsa means peace, and this book gently reminds us that one voice can have a huge impact. 

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani 161 pages

I love graphic novels.  I'm not a fast reader, but graphic novels let me feel like I am.  I also love India.  I love historical fiction about India, I love Indian art, music, clothing...yeah...is Hindiphile the right word?  Anyway, this was a really cool book for a younger audience to just be introduced to not only some cool Indian terms and a visual (if cartoon-y) trip to India, but also a glimpse of what one child's life as an Indian-American might be like.  Ultimately, I love the feeling of 'it's okay to be who you are, that's as awesome as it gets' that the book conveys.  So much story can be told in pictures and I think Chanani did a beautiful job capturing the color and warmth, and sometimes frenetic energy of India.  The pashmina being an integral instrument to tell different parts of the story was a cool touch, because the use of color to transport the reader was so clever.  I really liked this book!

Too Many Cooks: a Nero Wolfe Mystery by Rex Stout 179 pages

Not much can get Nero Wolfe out of the only chair that will fit him or his daily routine, but when he is to be the guest speaker for a group of gourmands, he can hardly say no.  Traveling by train with ever-entertaining Archie Goodwin is only the start of the fun.  Of course, there has to be a murder to go and spoil the whole thing.  Don't worry, though, Wolfe will figure out a way to make it all work to his advantage...that's what geniuses do.  This is one of my favorite Nero Wolfe mysteries.  It is very funny, but it is set in a time and area where racial tensions were high.  Some language is certainly offensive, but characteristic of its time and the characters who use it. 

I listened to the audiobook read by Michael Prichard, who did a spectacular job capturing Archie's voice, as always.

Ruby and Olivia by Rachel Hawkins 240 pages

When Olivia takes the fall for a crime her twin sister committed, she knows she has to live with the punishment she shouldn't have been given.  Spending her summer cleaning a creepy old house that has a tree growing right up through its center is bad enough, but she has to serve time with an old enemy, too.  This book had just the right amount of creepiness, while not making that the main story.  I loved Ruby and Olivia, they were both believable and the fact that each chapter was told from the other girl's perspective was a great way to be able to connect with them both.  This is a fun, quick read to hand to someone who likes realistic stories with just a touch of supernatural intrigue. 

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, 204 Pages

I finished this one today, and I'm glad I read it. This was another one that I didn't love, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. This poetry by Kaur was definitely more sad than The Sun and Her Flowers,  but it is so neat to read as the author goes through her healing process. 

"We are all born so beautiful. The greatest tragedy is being convinced we are not."

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter, 396 Pages

Let me start off with a warning: this book is extremely dark and disturbing. I love psychological thrillers/horror, all that stuff... but this was a tough one to get through. 

That being said, I absolutely loved this book. I was reading this constantly, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. Karin Slaughter has quickly taken over as my favorite author in this genre. 

Sisters Claire and Lydia haven't spoken in over a decade, and are living completely opposite lives with one thing in common; both are still absolutely devastated about the disappearance of their older sister that took place over 20 years ago. Lydia is a struggling single mom and recovering drug addict. Claire is the typical "trophy wife", living an "ask and you shall receive" life. They are reunited when Claire's husband is brutally murdered. The sister's are forced to put their differences aside when they have to work together and dive into their past to help uncover some extremely painful, shocking truths.