alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

This one is a great collection of Modern Love columns (plz tell me you know about this column from the @nytimes or the podcast!!) — heart-wrenching, humorous, poignant, wistful, wise, and just so, so very human. These are stories of love gained and lost and everything in between, and they are such a beautiful picture of humanity and emotions and just life. Big fan.

I nearly ran out of flags reading this one — it’s THAT good. I’ve had this one for months but it needed to be read right now, and I’m grateful for it. I savored this one (as it should be) and resonated deeply with her wise, warm way of inviting us all into a truer and better way of living, one grounded in Jesus and guided by love as we take little steps forward day by day. Hear me when I say that none of that is how I naturally live, but it is truly a gift to be reminded that such a way is not only possible, but actual doable. This book is a balm to weary and worn out souls, and it’s a gift I’ll treasure for years to come. (Chapter 8 alone was worth every penny!!)

This one felt a lot like my faaaavorite movie (The Holiday) but set in Virginia (hello, hometown Richmond references! so fun!) and Charleston — two women who are old friends reconnect in an airport and end up swapping houses for a month to both get a break from their messy lives, and you knowwww all sorts of romance and life change and cute little things happen as a result! It was such a fun read.

It’s such a rich and beautifully told story of home and place (an American family move back to the states from Ethiopia — the only home the teenage main character has known — and navigate race dynamics, integration of schools in the American south, family nuances, and so much more) — I loved it and was so engaged in the story. It felt almost like a memoir with all the incredible detail and heart, and I was so impressed by the writing and the themes. Highly recommend this one!

I resisted reading this one, because therapy is a thing I experience every week and I didn’t really think I wanted to get in that headspace even more or read about other people’s therapy experiences... but I’m SO VERY GLAD both my bookish BFFs convinced me to give it a go. This book is powerful and meaningful and rich and tender and moving and REAL and so, so, so fully displayed what it’s like to be in therapy (and what I imagine it’s like to be a therapist, too). I highlighted and marked the heck out of it, and cried at the way the stories wrapped up and the book came to an end. Oof. So, so good.

Your girl has a HISTORY when it comes to the topic of sex and sexuality, so this one both intimidated and intrigued me. When you grow up in evangelical Christian purity culture and then are sexually abused and raped, it sets you up for a whooooole mess of untangling, relearning, and rediscovering God’s heart and design for sex, what it means to be in a body and learn to love my body, how to navigate physical contact in relationships post-abuse, etc. It’s a DOOZY and I can’t say I’ve ever read a book willing to look at these types of things head on in such a frank and unfiltered way. This book takes a liberal approach at sex and sexuality that I don’t 100% agree with, but there was much about it that was freeing, healing, and encouraging for me to read. I appreciated looking at Scripture and common Christian teachings through a new lens different than what I was raised with, and I have new thoughts, questions, and prayers as a result. (Reason #7293726 why you should read widely and diversely!!!) For those who have wrestled with anything in the sex/sexuality realm, this one would be a worthwhile read, and one I feel won’t be triggering (at least it wasn’t for me) but instead provide a safe space for wondering, learning, exploring, deconstructing, rebuilding, and even healing.

What I liked about this one: it felt JUST like the vibe of the Netflix originals/movies I’ve been loving lately (think like Booksmart + To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before + Paper Towns + Dumplin’, etc). What I didn’t like about this one: it focuses on a teenager getting an abortion (and I have lots of thoughts about all of that) sooooo it wasn’t purely a fun and feel good story for me. There was also a manipulative boyfriend character who reminded me a lot of my abusive ex... so that was an added layer for me too.

WHAT DID I JUST READ.