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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free advance copy of this book.
Conrad and Alden are both top-level players of the card game Odyssey and they do not get along. Their former professor regularly features them, along with a few other friends, on his YouTube channel "Gamer Grandpa." When their professor presents them with tickets to an upcoming Odyssey convention and the chance to play in a tournament with the prize of a slot on a pro tour, Conrad and Alden both jump at the chance, before realizing this means they've committed to a long road trip with someone they hate.
CONVENTIONALLY YOURS is both super sweet and super thoughtful. Both young men in the story are already out and in their early 20s, so rather than being a coming out novel, it focuses on post-outing life, both the good and the bad. Conrad struggles with being disowned by his family and having to scrape together rent every month, and Alden, who seemingly has it made with his two moms, struggles with people constantly misunderstanding and trying to "fix" his neuroatypical qualities.
I also appreciated that this was a hate-to-love romance where the two leads realized the error of their ways and fell in love slowly, over the course of many conversations. Though their initial physical attraction was strong, it was really the kindhearted way each showed the other they were worthy of love that made this book special.
Content warnings for homophobia, getting outed, neurodivergence, chronic poverty.
Conrad and Alden are both top-level players of the card game Odyssey and they do not get along. Their former professor regularly features them, along with a few other friends, on his YouTube channel "Gamer Grandpa." When their professor presents them with tickets to an upcoming Odyssey convention and the chance to play in a tournament with the prize of a slot on a pro tour, Conrad and Alden both jump at the chance, before realizing this means they've committed to a long road trip with someone they hate.
CONVENTIONALLY YOURS is both super sweet and super thoughtful. Both young men in the story are already out and in their early 20s, so rather than being a coming out novel, it focuses on post-outing life, both the good and the bad. Conrad struggles with being disowned by his family and having to scrape together rent every month, and Alden, who seemingly has it made with his two moms, struggles with people constantly misunderstanding and trying to "fix" his neuroatypical qualities.
I also appreciated that this was a hate-to-love romance where the two leads realized the error of their ways and fell in love slowly, over the course of many conversations. Though their initial physical attraction was strong, it was really the kindhearted way each showed the other they were worthy of love that made this book special.
Content warnings for homophobia, getting outed, neurodivergence, chronic poverty.
GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER tells the stories of 12 black British women and nonbinary people. Each chapter follows a different character, though they are all connected, whether by blood or friendship. Each traces a life from childhood to adulthood, following them as they try to find themselves and their place in the world.
This book is a joy to read. Don't let the idea of minimal punctuation deter you - it makes the book flow, echoing the feeling many of the characters have that their lives and the world are rushing by. Each chapter explores a different aspect of what it means and feels like to be black and assigned female in England today, digging deep into entrenched attitudes of racism, sexism, homophobia, and more. It is multilayered and intensely thoughtful while remaining easy to read.
My one reservation with this book is the way it's marketed as the stories of "12 women," when one character, Morgan, identifies as nonbinary and, from what we see in their chapter, has never identified as a woman. I took it to be mostly done for the sake of simplifying the jacket copy, but upon closer inspection, Morgan is the least developed and integrated character in the book. It's quite a shame, because their chapter is the only place in the book where the lines of gender are explored.
This book is a joy to read. Don't let the idea of minimal punctuation deter you - it makes the book flow, echoing the feeling many of the characters have that their lives and the world are rushing by. Each chapter explores a different aspect of what it means and feels like to be black and assigned female in England today, digging deep into entrenched attitudes of racism, sexism, homophobia, and more. It is multilayered and intensely thoughtful while remaining easy to read.
My one reservation with this book is the way it's marketed as the stories of "12 women," when one character, Morgan, identifies as nonbinary and, from what we see in their chapter, has never identified as a woman. I took it to be mostly done for the sake of simplifying the jacket copy, but upon closer inspection, Morgan is the least developed and integrated character in the book. It's quite a shame, because their chapter is the only place in the book where the lines of gender are explored.
WHITE FRAGILITY is an exploration of how and why white people use outsized emotional reactions to maintain racial inequality and protect our social positions.
This book slid a lot of things into focus for me. I want to highlight a few terms I’d never heard before that helped put patterns I’ve seen into context for me.
The first is the concept of “racial stamina,” which is the idea that generally, white people have never had to build up our capacity to withstand discomfort when discussing race. Therefore, we tend to shut down and do whatever it takes to end the situation before we really deal with the matter at hand.
The second is the idea of “aversive racism,” or the way white progressives still hold racist thoughts that surface in daily actions, yet we cannot admit to this as it breaks the mental image that we are good people.
Every white person in the United States should read this book. It can be a tough read - it’s never easy to face your own shortcomings - but we owe it to ourselves and to people of color to educate ourselves in an effort to stop perpetuating systems of oppression.
This book slid a lot of things into focus for me. I want to highlight a few terms I’d never heard before that helped put patterns I’ve seen into context for me.
The first is the concept of “racial stamina,” which is the idea that generally, white people have never had to build up our capacity to withstand discomfort when discussing race. Therefore, we tend to shut down and do whatever it takes to end the situation before we really deal with the matter at hand.
The second is the idea of “aversive racism,” or the way white progressives still hold racist thoughts that surface in daily actions, yet we cannot admit to this as it breaks the mental image that we are good people.
Every white person in the United States should read this book. It can be a tough read - it’s never easy to face your own shortcomings - but we owe it to ourselves and to people of color to educate ourselves in an effort to stop perpetuating systems of oppression.