Thanks to PRH Audio for the free copy of this book.

 - THE YEAR MY LIFE WENT DOWN THE TOILET is soooo precious. I adored Al and her friends in all their queer, chronically ill glory.
- Al talks repeatedly in this book about how embarrassing it is to have a body, never mind a body with a bowel disease. And I love that in a middle grade book - anything to show kids they aren’t the only one who wants to just be a brain in a jar!
- I read this via audiobook, and narrator Krystal Hammond does a fantastic job of bringing Al to life. I really felt all her feelings, from joy to fear to anxiety to love. 

Too gory for me :(

Thanks to Tor Dot Com Publishing for the free copy of this book.

 - THE PARLIAMENT is two books in one: a claustrophobic horror novel with a YA fantasy novel tucked inside.
- The imagery in this book is truly terrifying, and the sense of creeping panic in both stories was excellent. Also, the story within the story felt like it could have been a real YA novel from the ‘90s-‘00s.
- Unfortunately, beyond the atmosphere a lot of this book fell flat for me. The younger characters in the library were mostly interchangeable. Similar events repeated themselves multiple times without much new information coming from them. And the main character spent most of the book keeping a “big secret” that very obviously wasn’t going to be a big deal. 

Thanks to Doubleday Books for the free copy of this book.

 - I’m going to be honest, I’m torn about MORE: A MEMOIR OF OPEN MARRIAGE. On the one hand, I’m glad this book is out there, talking about alternative marriage and relationship structures, and how to think outside the norms we’ve been raised with. However, a lot of this book is practically a guide for how not to do nonmonogamy.
- Over half of this book is the author making a series of bad decisions and not really exploring why she wants to do this at all aside from her husband pushing it. Which, fine, I don’t expect someone to just jump perfectly into problem-free open marriage. But she does no research, no seeking out of poly spaces, people, or ideas (someone has to give her a copy of The Ethical Sl*t) and then she wonders why she’s repeatedly unhappy. Her husband is a jerk about a lot of it, too, I can’t even get into that here because he made me so mad.
- On the other hand, what a fabulous example of the benefits of therapy this book gives us!
- Also, I do feel bad being so judgy. This was her experience and she’s just relating it to us. I guess I’m glad this book exists - I feel like for mainstream publishers to put out books on this topic we have to get through the rich straight white people doing it badly memoirs first.