Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

Winnie's life is about to change - in a lot of ways all at once. Like, Evan, one of the funniest guys at school, laughs at an off hand comment she makes. She know she's funny and so does her family and friends, but mostly she keeps her humor to herself. But Evan laughed at something she said!

At the urging of Evan and her best friend Leili, Winnie joins the school's improv group even though she said she would never perform in front of people again after her disastrous stand up routine at her bat mitzvah. Also, Evan may like her.

So Winnie has good things happening as the school year starts until...(did you really think everything would be rosy with 'crying' in the title?) Until she is told that her dad has been diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative disease with no cure.

Winnie's dad wanted to be a comedian until he put his career aside to stay at home with Winnie while her mother went to work. He introduced her to comedy. They trade silly responses and phrases to amuse each other (often to her mom's annoyance). Her dad is the reason Winnie wants to be a comedian, too. Now her dad has a difficult time grasping things and is unsteady on his feet.

So get ready for a ride on the roller coaster that is Winnie's life. It's a fun ride, but it has its down moments, too. It is a story that shows life does not always have answers, but can be funny all the while.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia

Zora sees dead people. Ghosts linger all around her small Indiana town of Addamsville. Some died in the coal mine. Some died of disease. And some died in the tragic fires that have put Addamsville on the map. The deliberately set fires have captured the attention of people, particularly those interested in the paranormal.

Zora's abilities come from her mother (who walked into the woods five years ago and never came back). Her mother was training her to be a hunter. A hunter of ghosts? No, ghosts mostly hang around and do not bother the living. Zora and her mother hunt firestarters, the demons actually responsible for the murders.

Many people believe that Zora is responsible for the latest fire that killed the school janitor. She was present at a big fire a few years ago (when she lost two of her fingers). Zora's mother swore her to secrecy about the firestarters, so she can't tell that she was fighting one at the time.

How does an 18 year old high schooler fight the possible return of a demon, keep her older sister for locking her in their trailer (for getting in trouble) while the whole town blames her for something she didn't do? Well, Zora has a tough time of it. Her family has always been outcasts. Her mom's behavior was strange and then her dad went to prison for conning a bunch of towns people out of their money.

In addition to the latest fire, the arrival of a television crew to film an episode of a well known paranormal show lights the fuse (if you will) for a showdown between Zora and the firestarter (and the town and her family's past). It is a tense ride sometimes with good characters and some humor thrown in. Good stuff.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Spin by Colleen Nelson

Dizzy wants to be a DJ. Her life has been surrounded by music. She lives with her dad and brother above their a vintage record store. She has been practicing her skills at the DJ stand in the corner of the store, but has never performed for an audience.

Her brother, Lou, doesn't know what he wants, but he knows it is not to spend the rest of his life working in a record store. He wishes he had Dizzy's drive, but currently he just feels adrift.

Their father, Ray, likes playing his sax and jamming with his friends. He likes the store and even though he is old fashioned in his thinking, he lets Lou start social media accounts for the store to attract new customers and to sell records online.

None of them are ready for the return of Georgia Waters, world famous singer and the mother of Dizzy and Lou. She left Ray when they were just children to pursue her career. She has only visited once in the last 12 or so years. She is coming to town for a concert. Will she even make an effort to see her grown children?

No one knows that Georgia is Lou and Dizzy's mother (outside of a few family friends) - it's the way she wanted it. And Ray has been happy not having the attention it would bring his children. Lou is angry at Georgia and doesn't care if she visits or not. Ray is indifferent, but may still have strong feelings for Georgia even though she left him to raise their children. Dizzy is curious and wants contact with her mother in hopes of getting answers.

One thing I love about this story is that we get the perspectives of Dizzy, Lou and Ray. Each get their own chapters throughout the book. We know what the are thinking and feeling. Yes, Dizzy is the center of the story, but Lou and Ray have their own parts to tell. This allows for the characters to be better developed, and the reader to be emotionally connected to them.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.