What We’re Reading in November 2022

Last month at my book club, I was handed a title that I knew nothing about. Since I'm not in charge of choosing our monthly selections, I'm usually ignorant about the novels until cracking them open. 

While I was not familiar with this particular book, I did recognize the name of the author. She had written a middle-grade fiction a few years ago that had garnered multiple awards from the ALA (red flag #1--I don't let my kids read most modern award winners.) Her second title was also a middle grade and one that I had decided against when vetting it for my other book club, a tween/teen group I lead for my son and his friends. If memory serves, it included inappropriate language and lots of cultural name-dropping (red flag #2).