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Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey and Amy Melissa Bentley (narrator)
Arf by Spencer Quinn
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
Bird & Squirrel All Together by James Burks
Castle Shade by Laurie R. King
Cat-Cat by Gertrude Hevener Gibson
Death by Café Mocha by Alex Erickson and Melissa Moran (Narrator)
Drew LeClair Gets a Clue by Katryn Bury and Devon Hales (Narrator)
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, Volume 4 by Hinowa Kouzuki and Waka Miyama (Illustrator)
Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
I Am a Cat Barista, Volume 1 by Hiro Maijima
It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
Key Player by Kelly Yang
Lost Lad London, Volume 1 by Shinya Shima
Lowriders to the Rescue by Cathy Camper and Raúl the Third (Illustrations)
Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany and Shaina Summerville (Narrator) (2022)
My Dress-Up Darling, Volume 4 by Shinichi Fukuda and Taylor Engel (Translator) (2019)
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 15 by Adachitoka
Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly and Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)
A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe and Tina Wolstencroft (Narrator)
Room to Dream by Kelly Yang
The Sound of Thunder by J. Torres and Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrations) (2014)
A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker (Narrator)
Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier and Karen White (Narrator)
Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay and Susan Boyce (Narrator)
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

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Key Player: 11/26/22

Key Player

Key Player by Kelly Yang (2022) is the fourth book in Front Desk series. Mia Tang is desperate for a good grade in PE so she can keep her spot in the journalist's camp held in San Francisco over the summer. She hopes getting an interview with the women's Chinese soccer team can push her grade from a C to an A.

It's 1999 and the women's world cup of soccer is being played in Pasadena's Rose Bowl. I only vaguely remember the excitement as that was the year that Ian and I moved from South Pasadena to Daly City.

Besides the excitement over the world cup, this volume has insight into Jason's father. When Jason wants to be part owner of the Calvista and the restaurant he's running with Hank, he ends up inviting his father back into a position of power over the Tangs and the other co-owners. This time, though, Mia and Jason are armed with the father's childhood diary where they learn how he became the money obsessed perfectionist he is as an adult.

The most fun, though, was following Mia, Jason, and sometimes Hank as they tried to track down the Chinese team. As this is 1999, finding a team isn't as easy as tracking them on social media. Instead it means a lot of phone calls from Anaheim to hotels, motels, and restaurants in Pasadena. It means legwork and some out of the box thinking.

What makes Mia's success all the more extraordinary is the fact that her life is heavily inspired by the author's own childhood. The afterword always includes photos from her life. This time it's her story how she found the team and met them.

Five stars

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