The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka absolutely deserves the accolades it has received, particularly the Booker Prize for 2022. I was patiently waiting for the US release to read this book when it was on the short list. When I was able to listen to the exceptionally well done audiobook through NetGalley, I was very excited. 

This book is about Maali Almeida, a mid thirties photographer who just died and has been received in a limbo area of the afterlife. Here he can stay for seven moons while he discovers why he is there and meets many other ghosts. It is a Christmas Carol retelling and while I have never read the original, I enjoyed this far more than any movie adaptation. Maali is such deep and complex character that we learn about slowly. From the beginning, the author makes you wonder what did Maali do that was so bad? And then piecemeal, we learn about Maali's sins and his love. The way this book blends a classic story with a rich and detailed Sri Lankan setting and culture is nothing short of genius. The vocal talent on this audiobook increases that richness perfectly. 

If this book was on your list to read, I think you should move it up. And if it wasn't on your radar, maybe it should be. It is a story rich with dynamic characters, political unrest, social taboos, and queer love. I think it will blow you away. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review. 

Body work is a memoir about memoir that challenges the critiques faced by women and queer people who write about their trauma. In this book, Febos shares some of her personal experiences but mostly she shares her experiences writing trauma based memoirs that relate to sexuality. In the vein of ACE, this book has a lot of say about compulsory sexuality and compulsory heterosexuality. Febos asserts that it is not "navel gazing" to write about motherhood, rape, and other stereotypically female experiences and adds a fair amount of data that shows the healing potential of writing, even writing that is in no way published. 

Calling this a memoir doesn't feel like it fits exactly, but perhaps calling it a meta-memoir does. If you've ever thought of writing your story, read this book. If you've ever felt your trauma wasn't worthy of talking about, read this book. If you want to advocate for anyone with trauma, read this book. Really, just read this book. 

A fun time was had. 

Olga Dies Dreaming is exceptional literary fiction about a Puerto Rican sister and brother living in Sunset Park, NYC. Olga, the sister, is a wedding planner by trade while her brother is the district's congressman. Their father died when they were young and their mother ran away decades ago. Both of their parents were involved in organizations that advocated for Puerto Rican freedom and an end to colonialism. 

The story is told with chapters from the point of view of both Olga and her brother, Pietro, interspersed with fiery letters to them from their mother. In their mother's eyes, neither Olga nor Pietro have done enough to challenge the status quo and liberate PR. The author deftly shows the downsides of extremely militant beliefs and of ignoring the plight of one's own people, all with grace and while allowing the reader to infer as they wish. 

Some might find this book slow, but I thought the rich character building kept it well paced and intriguing. As Pietro struggles with his suppressed identity and Olga strives to find a satisfying relationship while also dealing with her instinct for solitude in difficult times, their family ties both help and harm them. In the end, there is a realistic and beautiful form of healing, one that you must read to experience. 

This book has so much to say and for many of us, so much to teach. I learned so much about the history of PR from this book and about the systemic oppression of the people. Olga Dies Dreaming is a truly beautiful novel that I think defines what a book can accomplish both in terms of literary excellence and broadening the reader's perspective. 

Hollow Fires is a uniquely told and powerful YA thriller about a racially motivated murder. Told through the point of view of Safiya, a Muslim teenage girl, who is passionate about journalism and  Jawad, the ghost of the young Muslim boy who was murdered, we learn about the degrees of racism they live and lived with every day. When the cops mark the Jawad's disappearance as a runaway situation, Safiya decides to take the investigation upon herself. 

What follows is a disturbing but exceptionally well written thriller that focuses on the mystery and investigation as well as challenging the everyday racism in our society. Based on a true crime that occurred in 1924,  Samira Ahmed has taken history and done something truly special weaving it into a modern story that was disturbing in its reality. 

Hollow Fires is not a thriller that I will remember for shocking twists, but it is one I will remember for vivid and creative storytelling and important social commentary. I recommend this book highly. 

This is a beautiful book in verse about immigrants who are put in camps at the border. It is haunting and sad, and illustrates the atrocities we are allowing in our country. I highly recommend it if you are ready for the upsetting content. 

Easy, peasy lemon squeezy. Want a relaxing, easy read with romance characters that won't annoy you and medium spice? Like some magical realism? This book fits the bill. 

Jarvis Jay Masters has been in prison since he was a teenager and is on death row for a crime he did not commit. In this autobiography, he details his childhood, his experiences as a teenager that quickly led him to prison, and what his life has been like for his decades inside. 

This is an incredibly beautiful and extremely dark and heavy book. Please do not read it without checking content warnings if you need to. Masters is excellent at naming his feelings now and retrospectively, explaining what thought or lack thereof went into his actions. If you care about children and/or social justice and prison reform, this is a book you must read. 

It is absolutely amazing that Masters tells us his darkest stories and traumatic past and present and still manages to end this book in a way that is uplifting and positive. I cannot recommend this one enough. 

Peach Blossom Spring is a sprawling, slow moving and detailed look at a family that escapes war in China in the 1930s and 1940s only to then face the violence around Communism.  Meilin is a beautiful new wife with a young son when the story begins. In the first war, her husband is drafted and tragedy strikes. 

We follow Meilin as she struggles to protect her son and herself through horrors that I didn't know even happened. This book taught me that I am woefully ignorant of Chinese history, and it weaves in historical events with accuracy and some detail without being bogged down in too much minutia. As Meilin's son gets older, we shift to his perspective. Renshu, later going by Henry, experiences life so differently because of his traumatic childhood. And finally, we read from the perspective of his daughter, Lily, growing up biracial in New Mexico. 

If you love a multi-generational family story, this is one to pick up. It is beautiful, and Melissa Fu does an excellent job of balancing detail with letting the reader infer the feelings of the characters. My only criticism is that the beginning is very slow and it took about a hundred pages to feel rooted into and drawn to the story. Overall, this is an excellent piece of historical fiction and I recommend it sincerely.