Hi friends,

I treated myself to the latest Thursday Murder Club book, The Impossible Fortune, instead of waiting months on the library list. I’m now torn between reading it all in one go — because I love spending time with these characters — and trying to make the reading process last as long as possible. I’ve decided to reread the whole series over Christmas and New Year’s.

Also on my TBR: my pal Eman Quotah’s new book The Night is Not For You, which Publisher’s Weekly described as a “wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story.” I look forward to reading it with all the lights on in my house. If you’re in the D.C. area, you can celebrate Eman’s book launch at Solid State Books on H Street this Friday.

And, now, what to read if …

You’re Off to a Homecoming Celebration

Throwback by Maurene Goo

My neighborhood high school celebrated its annual Homecoming last weekend with a fabulous parade and a football game. It all felt very “Friday Night Lights” and reminded me of Maurene Goo’s Throwback, a YA novel starring a high school senior who travels back in time to help her mom become Homecoming Queen in the early ‘90s.

When Sam, the daughter of Korean immigrants, is nominated for Homecoming Queen, her mom, Priscilla, a former cheerleader, doesn’t understand why she has no interest in campaigning for the royal court. Sam prefers spending her time working on her boyfriend’s film project, rather than chasing clichéd high school experiences. After a blowout fight with her mom, Sam calls a ride share to take her to school. She does make it to the building — but in the 90s, when her mom was a student.

Sam’s seen enough time travel movies to know she’s been sent back to fix something and concludes she must ensure her mom wins the Homecoming crown. Stuck in an era with outdated attitudes and without the internet, Sam sets to work and ends up questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom.

I adored Throwback, best described as Joy Luck Club meets “Back to the Future.” It’s funny, big-hearted and filled with insights about the Asian American immigrant experience. It feels like a ‘90s teen movie in the best way.

You’ve Gotten into Tarot

If You’re Seeing This, It’s Meant for You by Leigh Stein

Tarot cards