ashleyholstrom's Reviews (1.38k)

A supermodel and wife of a rock ‘n’ roll musician, Susan Holmes McKagan has lived through much of the madness. In The Velvet Rose, her first novel, she writes about Scarlet, a model living in New York City in the ’90s who dates the singer from an up-and-coming band, The Westies. What follows is her messy days of dating a rock star, partying every day, and also furthering her fashion career. It’s a fun page-turner about sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll… and fancy clothes.

From Books That Kill: What to Read After Watching The Dirt at Book Riot.

This book is so cute and fun! Katie Vaz has given us a fun little how-to guide for all those moments when we’re trapped in a situation with *gasp* another human, and have to find a way out without socializing. It’s a wonderful addition to the introvert cartoon collection.

From Comics to Get Through a Reading Slump at Book Riot.

Rukhsana and Ariana have been dating for a while now, and things are great. Except for when they’re in public and have to pretend they’re not a couple. Anyone could see them—more particularly, anyone in Rukhsana’s mother’s circle could see and spread the word to the Bengali community. It’s difficult for Ariana to understand, and even more difficult for Rukhsana to explain. But then Rukhsana’s mom catches them making out, calls them horrible names, kicks Ariana out of her house, and swiftly comes up with a plan to whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh to find a nice boy to marry. Once there, she bonds with her grandmother, who shares her diary with her, giving her the perspective she needs to be true to herself and get through this awful season.

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali is incredible and I had every feeling imaginable while reading it. Trigger warnings (that I wish I’d had before reading): extreme homophobia, islamophobia, domestic violence, sexual assault.

From The Best Books We Read January–March 2019 at Book Riot.

Teresa Wong writes this graphic memoir as a letter to her daughter, chronicling the hours, days, weeks, and months after her daughter’s birth and how hard it was on her (and her husband). It’s moving and honest and beautiful. A must-read for all humans, especially those who think women can bounce back into normal life after giving birth.

From Comics to Get Through a Reading Slump at Book Riot.