_lia_reads_'s Reviews (757)

Deacon King Kong takes place in the projects of Brooklyn during the late 1960s. It loosely follows Deacon King Kong aka Sportcoat. Sportcoat is an elderly drunk Black man, cobbling together a series of small jobs to make a living and keep himself busy. One day, he gets drunk and shoots Deems, the young local drug dealer, in the head. This sets off a chain of events that are at times hilarious and slapstick and at other deeply profound.

This book reminded a bit of Olive Kitteridge with its slightly unlikable protagonist who comes and goes in a variety of other characters’ stories. However, unlike Olive, there is strong plot line that runs through the story, bringing these characters together. There are a lot of characters, and many have funny nicknames, but that adds levity to a book that could have been super serious. I enjoyed McBride’s ability to switch between tongue-in-cheek jokes and powerful prose commenting on poverty and race in the projects. This book was so unique and not what I was expecting going into it, which made it all the more enjoyable. I can see why there have been rave reviews and why Oprah picked it as her next book club read!

The premise of this book was really promising but it felt short in execution at times. The developing friendship between the two main characters was the biggest strength of the story; it was nice to see them lifting up each other as the story unfolded. The overall themes of women's strength and the influence of the #metoo movement were nice touches as well, that were interesting in a book about corporate America.

The plot about their mutual ex, however, was less strong and became pretty unbelievable by the end. I also struggled a bit with the pacing of the book. There is a lot going on the story but there were moments that the story's pace slowed down too much and I began to lose interest. This was particularly the case in the beginning of the book, before the ex-husband/fiance's drama really kicked in.

I can definitely see how Lainey based this story on her own experiences in corporate America (though hopefully nothing nearly as bad happened to her!) but I think the book struggles a bit with trying to include too much into one story. Overall, it was an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.

Thanks to Wild Rose Press and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: sexism; sexual assault; infiedelity

This book was spectacular and I cannot wait to see where the second book in the series goes!

Malik is a quiet boy, working on handling his anxiety and panic disorder while also trying to find a better life for himself, his two sisters, and their family. They arrive in the city of Ziran on the eve of the Solstasia festival, hoping for jobs and a new life. However, his sister Nadia strikes an unfortunate deal with a spirit and is captured. Malik's only hope to free her is to kill the Princess Karina.

Karina, stricken by grief and struggling with chronic migraines, doesn't ever want to be queen. She would rather travel through the kingdom and have her freedom. A death in her family causes her to dig into dark magic in the hopes of salvaging the kingdom and her freedom. She risks everything to try to change her fate (and is totally awesome in the process)

Inspired by West African folklore, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is a brilliant story with strong protagonists. While the competition that underlies the Solstasia festival feels a bit like the Hunger Games, Brown makes it into something unique to Ziran. The world-building in general was well done, not feeling oppressive but also not feeling too sparse.

I loved the mental illness representation with the main characters, particularly with Malik and his panic attacks. The descriptions of his coping mechanisms and his strength in the face of his mental illness were inspiring. It was great to read two main characters struggling with these conditions who are also being amazing people and saving the day. I also appreciated how Brown easily wove in conversations about refugees and immigrants into the story.

While the initial premise of this book might be cliche (enemies to lovers), the story itself felt unique and much needed in the YA fantasy world. Highly recommended.

What an odd little book! This was my first book by Scheweblin but it certainly won't be my last.

In the world that Schweblin creates, the kentuki craze has hit. Remember Furbies? Now imagine a slightly larger Furby that has a camera in it. And imagine that some random person somewhere in the world has paid for the privilege to use that camera and 'inhabit' the kentuki that you bought, essentially living in your house without really being there. That is the bizarre premise of this book.

The story alternates between different POVs--which end up feeling like interwoven short stories--that take you all over the world and focus on both the keepers of these "pets" and the people that inhabit that. It is a fascinating study of human psychology, exploring what motivates people to want to be a keeper or a kentuki itself.

From the first chapter, you know this isn't going to turn out well. Not at all a spoiler: allowing strangers into your home through virtual reality is going to lead to some really messed up situations. There are definitely some cringe-worthy and unsettling moments in this book. But it ultimately is an interesting look at voyeurism and the things people will do when they think they are anonymous. This weird little book is one that is going to stick with me for awhile.

TW: Pedophilia; sexual content; extortion; implied sexual violence

This book. I don't even know where to begin reviewing this one. This was my first book by Emezi and I cannot wait to read the rest of their backlist.

At its heart, The Death of Vivek Oji is a tale of grief. This is to be expected from the title and the summary of the story. You know from the beginning that Vivek is dead, and the story explores the other characters--especially his mom--grappling with Vivek's death and its unknown circumstances. But it is also a story about life and love, and trying to figure out your sexuality and gender identity within a community that is not wholly supportive of people who transgress beyond the 'norm'. Vivek has a secret and his friends are keeping it for him, making the circumstances of Vivek's death even harder to explain.

It took me a minute to get into this book. Emezi's prose is gorgeous but it also felt as though the characters were being held at an arm's length. But then you get further into the book and you realize this is purposeful, this is part of the secrets that are being kept by each character. I loved how the voices alternated between Vivek--from before his death and beyond the grave--; Osita, Vivek's cousin; and third person narratives of Vivek's family and members of the community. This switch in voice and narrative style gave the story layers of nuance that made it all the more powerful. By the middle of the book, I was hooked and the ending just destroyed me.

I've read that this book is much more 'accessible' than Emezi's other work, and for that I am glad. Everyone needs to read Vivek's story and I am so glad that this book exists in the world.

Thanks to Riverhead for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review

TW: homophobia/transphobia; sexual violence and assault; violence; death

This was an odd little book. I started out really enjoying the little vignettes but by the middle, it was a bit too disconnected for my tastes. I appreciated the commentary on climate change throughout.

This was a powerful update to the history that I was taught in school. Some of the things in this book were familiar but many of them were new to me. I found myself appalled at all the racists things that have occurred in the past, even by well-meaning people who would probably consider themselves to not be racist. In this way, it was an enlightening look at how members of American society perpetuate racist stereotypes in everyday life, with important implications for how we act in today's society. I look forward to reading more of Kendi's work as I become more conscious of these biases in society.

Jhumpa Lahiri is an excellent writer and this, her debut, is no exception. Each one of the stories examines the experience of being Indian or Indian-American in the US. She’s also interested in relationships in all forms. The opening story follows a young couple as they try to reconnect during the nightly power losses in their neighborhood near Boston. The title story, focuses on a different relationship, with an Indian taxi driver/medical interpreter wondering about his Indian-American clients’ marriage. He is as fascinated by them, and especially the wife, as they are by the culture they see on their trip to India.

Lahiri’s prose beautifully explores all the emotions that her various characters feel, pulling you in deep to the different stories she has crafted. I can see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize when it came out. It is one I highly recommend!