Bill and I have always talked about books a lot. And ever since we started our Book Club strips, we do it more than ever.

We talk about the plot, sure. But we’ve evolved a shorthand that captures our essential experience of a book: why I picked it up (I was in a cabin in the woods and it was the only book there), why I finished it (the paper smelled of elderberries), and who I’d give it to next (my great aunt, who also smells like elderberries).

We like to hear these things in short order — we need to quickly decide whether or not we need to read the book, or if we know someone else who should. Saves time for reading the next book. For the same reason we skip the books we didn’t like.

We hope you like hearing these things, too. That’s why, starting today, we’re adding book reviews to the Unshelved Book Club. We’ll have some every Friday along with the our comic strip book talk. We’ve asked friends and family, including a few teenagers and children, to share their opinions, too. (Click on the reviewer’s name to find out more about each of them.)

Click through for this week’s book recommendations