#165. "Heartstopper: Vol. 3" by Alice Oseman

When readers last left the cast of "Heartstopper," the protagonists had broken the tension and finally became a couple publically. While this tension is where most queer young adult texts would end, Alice Oseman's desire to move forward is exciting, allowing the relationship to grow in that cute, awkward way that most romances do. The only difference is that this one features a journey overseas and allows for an expansion of the supporting cast to have their own adventures. Even if this series can at best be considered quaint or wish fulfillment, there is still something endearing about a love story that revels in the naivety of discovery without fully removing the fears of the outside world. 

#164. "Endzone" by Don Delillo

Few sports have been as essential to the American identity like football. For most of the 20th century, athletes have taken to the field to adoring fans who believe their silly rituals will be enough to get them over the hump. It's an activity that is in itself comical and few authors felt as ripe to tackle it like Don DeLillo. The mater of post-modernism took on the whole nine yards in a story that studies the masculinity and the homoeroticism underneath. It's a chance to break down every play and find the comedy within fumbled plays. Even if it fails to live up to his greatest work, those wanting a breezy sports comedy will be rewarded from an author who knows how to economically structure a sentence so that it mixes highbrow insight with lowbrow confusion. The results would be anyone else's high point, but it's credit to DeLillo's technique that it's in the middle of the huddle.

#163. "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood

Throughout history, there are figures who become mythologized without being understood. With "Alias Grace," Margaret Atwood explores the trial of one woman in the 19th century. Many would be quick to label her a pariah, or someone deserving of her fate. However, Atwood's tender eye towards subtext and grand hypotheticals, she creates a rich biography for Grace that allows her story to become more tragic, full of unfortunate circumstance and even a sense that her reputation was doomed before the inevitable downfall. While it sounds like a simple martyr story, the author's gift comes in finding her humanity and turning this piece of history into an immersive experience. By the end of the novel, the reader will come to empathize with Grace, creating a subtextual connection to contemporary gender politics that is sometimes thought provoking and others haunting.

#162. "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

Everyone likes a good murder story. In the past decade, few novels have resonated with audiences as much as  Delia Owens' "Where the Crawdad Sings." A major reason could be due to her attention to detail which brings the south to life with natural detail that makes even the air feel mysterious. As a novel, it's an immersive experience that makes the reader understand the world that she's inhabiting. Add in a murder mystery and it has an interesting moral dilemma that finds the characters slowly unwinding until a greater truth emerges. In this regard, it's a successful text that manages to present a pulpy good time. However, it's still a bit bland and unable to build much of an original enough yarn to truly stand out as something special. 

#161. "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews

By this point, there's little reason to believe that there's a new way to write a coming of age novel. While every experience is unique, there are certain formative moments that they generally share. The teen years are a magical time where people discover who they want to be. While the story may feel familiar, Jesse Andrews has found a new and ingenious angle to explore those wayward days with humor and an unexpected emotional depth. The title "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" evokes a lot of complicated emotions, ranging from quirkiness to dread. It leaves the audience wondering who these people are and why they matter. It's not even clear that this is a coming of age novel. With all that said, the mixed approach is reflective of the larger text which features traditional text alongside screenwriting technique and various dialogue pieces. This is a story about learning to overcoming your own selfishness. It's at times unpleasant, but overall it's an entertaining read that plays well, especially to young cinephiles. 

#160. "The Human Stain" by Philip Roth

In light of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Philip Roth decided to explore the complicated nature of what society can do to a person with "The Human Stain." As the story of an interracial teacher who is fired for a deceptively offensive comment, the story explores how cancel culture can impact one's life. The results are, predictably, uncomfortable but finds Roth sympathizing with a man whose life unravels in a manner that begins to make sense the longer things go on. For every philosophical tirade and effort to get his life back together, the real story is about perspective. Can controversy stain one's life forever or are there ways to move beyond it? Along with a problematic relationship that muddies his relationship with the reader, this is a novel that has a lot of big ideas. How willing one is to listen depends on how much they want to spend time listening to a chauvinistic characer who reflects an older way of looking at the world. 

#159. "Cat Kid Comics Club: Influencers" by Dav Pilkey

One of the greatest gifts that Dav Pilkey have provided to readers is creativity. The latest entry in his famous creative arts series delivers on the promise of exploring what it takes to be an influencer. For as much as Pilkey embraces the nature of being silly, he's also an expert at understanding how to speak to young readers who maybe need advice on how to make art. While the initial idea can be exciting, the effort to have it reach its full potential is more difficult. His characters make the workshop process feel effortless as he makes even the painful idea of criticism palpable.