alexandriaslibrary's Reviews (250)

Little Rabbit follows an unnamed narrator “Rabbit” as she starts a relationship with a rich, famous choreographer almost twice her age, the first man she’s dated in a very long time. This book handles power dynamics, queerness, a competitive friendship, and sex so gracefully, by the time the book is over its revealed some larger, thrilling secret.

One of my favorite elements of the novel is the friendship between Rabbit and her lesbian best friend, Annie. Annie and Rabbit’s relationship is tense and to see how they navigate their careers and boundaries was surprisingly real and organic.

Also, this book is ridiculous hot, and this is coming from a lesbian, like some of the most erotic scenes in literary fiction, period.

You can preorder Little Rabbit now, or wait until it comes out in May, but either way this is a genius, beautiful debut from Alyssa Songsiridej ❤️
(I have the extraordinary privilege of working alongside Alyssa at Electric Literature and there are few people more deserving of this praise and recognition for their brilliance!)

A beautiful, powerful memoir about motherhood and daughterhood, of war and survival, and queerness and cultural expectations. Putsata recounts a childhood in Oregon having narrowly fled the war in Cambodia. Growing up as an outsider in America, and later an outsider back in Cambodia.

A memoir that fans of Crying in H Mart or Native Country of the Heart will love for the complications about how mothers are often the roots to our identities, and yet our toughest critics.

This is a book I know I’ll be returning to for years. Dogs of Summer follows two young girls Isora and our narrator Shit, as they spend a summer break in their town in the Canary Islands. Although technically not Latino, this story resonated so strongly to me as a Chicana from a Southern California beach town. The girls wander their town, play Pokémon, go on chat rooms and try to deduce what their own bodies mean.

It’s certainly a little gross in spots, but gross in a way that feels so real for girls about to go through//starting puberty

I cannot wait to see what this author does next :-)))

I knew from the description this had the potential to be a new favorite. Then by the end of the first few sections, I knew if nothing went terribly wrong, it would absolutely be a favorite.

This is the kind of book that makes you ache, that even though you know how good it is, you have to put it down because you’ve grown attached, the writing is too beautiful, it hurts that this is the first time you’ve read something like this.

Some things I love
- This book happens on a timeline that is simultaneous. Each short section can jump anywhere in time, but because Raul is Cassandra, the first person present narration is allowed to be future and omniscient
- A story that has an incredible premise and an incredible story/heart
- A translation from Cuba, illuminating a side of Cuba often concealed in the United States
- Brilliant prose, truly stunning writing and endless applause on the translation