 I think I’m good about reading the books. Less good about reviewing the books. So here’s a quick thoughts round-up about some of the books I’ve been enjoying lately!
Have you read any of these? If not, have you read any other books for fun that you really enjoyed but didn’t review? When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. A thriller about how insidiously evil gentrification can be, orchestrated by white people—wearing things like Lululemon pants, for example—who care nothing about Black communities and think Black lives & livelihood are disposable. This book is unsettling and tense, with an explosive ending. 4.5 stars, out now. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. A dark academia book that had me going “huh?,” “oh,” & “oh shit, that’s horrible,” this is a weighty, smart, & compelling read that I’m honestly still parsing. Technically I think this is a 5 ️star read—it’s so well written—but for some reason I never emotionally connect to the author’s books. Out now. The World Record Books of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar. (thanks to @grandcentralpub for the free copy; all opinions my own.) This book is a series of anecdotes drawn from the authors’ lives & their loved ones’ detailing the racism they’ve experienced (of so many different types, in so many instances) & white privilege. The book is funny, incisive, & sharp & it gave me quite a lot to think about. 4 ️stars, out now. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. Another dark fantasy that will really grip you with tension. It’s a story of a girl with a secret monster inside her. There are lots of secrets & some steam! 4.5 ️stars, out now, part of a series. The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. Starting this on audio really helped me get into this fantasy. It’s an immersive story with lots of threads & lots of possibility for danger. I have very little idea about where the series is going next bc it is so unpredictable & I love that. 4.5 stars ️, out now.
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 #postyourpill + Quick Thoughts Round-Up When I was a kid + young adult, I felt embarrassed & ashamed at different moments of my mental health struggles (to say the least) & it was really only about 8 years ago that I felt comfortable releasing some of those deepest secrets about how my brain + emotions work with someone else. So anyway, I am a HUGE fan of @justinejustreads ‘ #postyourpill posts on the first of the month. I love them for her candidness & generosity in sharing & I wanted to join in on the mental health struggles fun by showing off my own pill . There she is! (very visible on the top of my stack ). & now some quick thoughts about some recent books I read from my TBR pile! (Do you feel like you’re watching a newscast where the anchor goes from somber to excited very quickly? ;) ) Belle Calhoune’s Summer on Blackberry Beach: After having her heart put into a blender by her former fiancé, Stella Marshall enters into a brief fake relationship that turns into more with former Seal Luke who has returned to their small town. Admirable mental health rep & leads who are willing to share their insecurities are my fave things about this romance but ultimately the writing style feels a bit repetitive to me in a way that distracted and the romance just didn’t wow me. 2.5 ⭐️️. Out now. Thanks to @readforeverpub for the complimentary copy; all opinions my own. S. A. Chakraborty’s The City of Brass: the audio for this was really good & despite some earlier stalled attempts at finishing I ended up thinking this is a really great, sweeping fantasy with an ending that left me feeling intrigued & unsettled & feeling those “oh shit” fantasy series feelings . I think I would give it 5️⭐️but I’m not really sure where the second book will go with some characters…out now. Elizabeth Everett’s A Perfect Equation: this historical romance with an uptight hero & a semi-scandalous, heiress mathematician really impressed me. I stan a whip-smart heroine & like many of you, a hero who’s unsettled about his emotions . The only thing that disappoints for me is that I wasn’t jumping up & down about how the heroine’s former sexual experience is handled. 4.5 ⭐️️. Out now. have you read any of these? [ID: Jess, a white woman, wears a red flannel shirt & holds the books in front of a brown roll-top desk.] |
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