I am reading my way through all of Alice Oseman‘s work, and I am continually impressed! Loveless is heartfelt, full of vibrant characters that you just want to give a giant hug, and YA done well - real conflict approached with an unflinching yet gentle touch, and without histrionics or overly saccharine prose.
I have read books that contain an aromantic or asexual character, but never one as the protagonist, and it was so enlightening to think of how a coming out story is so different for all LGBTQIA+ people. I believe that this one was also close to Alice’s heart, and I felt honored that she would share parts of what was probably similar to her personal experience. Highly recommend.❤️

Much like her other novel I’ve read, We are Okay, this was a quiet and melancholy story, but so lovely and captivating with an excellent sense of place and sumptuous descriptions of food. All the characters made my heart ache, they all just leapt from the page. I love how the jumps in time added drama, and the audiobook is excellent.

Ooof. Maybe it was the audio, but she sounds every bit over dramatic she admits to being! Just… Overwrought, treacly, and lacking anything truly unique in a celebrity memoir. Still love her in Crazy Rich Asians and hope to see more, just not a fan of the writing.

I had a hankering to revisit Bridgerton and I was looking forward to this installment, as I know it is a favorite for many. I wouldn’t say it was mine, though. The large ensemble of supporting characters were missing, and although happy endings are guaranteed, Quinn usually keeps me on my toes as to how she’ll get there. Everything in the story felt like I could see it coming from a mile away. Still enjoyable fare, and thoughtful story on love after loss.

I liked Great Circle, but didn’t LOVE. On paper, it’s totally in my wheelhouse: spans a large swath of time, epic (600+ pages), dual timeline, feminist themes, family drama and a deep dive on a complex character. Although, the main character (in both timelines) didn’t grab me. I felt as if Shipstead kept them at arms length. And part of that made sense for their character, it just didn’t work for me.
Funny enough, Great Circle seemed reminiscent of two of my favorite novels: if you are a fan of Evelyn Hugo - you might enjoy the Hollywood themes and love stories, and if you enjoyed Life After Life you might enjoy the beautiful brother and sister dynamic and WWII history.

“Part of  what makes grief so seductive then, is that it offers what life no longer can: an ongoing, emotionally potent connection to the dead. And so it is easy to feel that once that bleak gift is gone, the person we love will be more gone, too. That’s our strange relationship with the pain of grief. In the early days we wish only for it to end. Later on, we fear that it will. And when it finally begins to ease, it does not. Because it first feeling better feels like loss, too.”

At first, I didn’t think that this memoir was going to grab hold of me the way that I did. Starting with a deep dive into her father’s family history and Holocaust story, I thought I might be getting into a different type of book. But when Schulz delved into her feelings after his loss, I was spellbound by her lyrical prose, perfectly articulating what is so often difficult to convey (while also giving insight and context on how we use language). To then pull threads of connection in profound loss with the greatest of joys in finding true love was masterful. I was then buoyed by that joy, the recognition of having it, too.
A book hasn’t made me cry in a long time and this one did so many times, but I didn’t come away sad at all.
Clearly, I chose it for personal reasons as I am in that space after losing a parent. But I also picked it up because I tend toward enjoying Pulitzer winning writers, and this was no exception. This book was also long listed for the NBA this year.
Beautiful beautiful beautiful. I can’t recommend this book enough and I think it deserves more hype.

I read this book a couple weeks ago and can’t even remember whodunnit. I keep trying to find that awesome mystery/thriller that will win me over, and they never do. Everything seems so incredibly unlikely in this story of people forming super close attachments after hearing a scream whilst a murder is committed in a library. There was a cool epistolary element, but I don’t think it was utilized to its full potential. If you are a mystery fan, YMMV!

I finally read Alice Osman‘s first novel (that she wrote when she was 17!), and I am still in awe of her talents. It did get quite angst-y for me, but that’s probably from not reading a lot of YA. However her depiction of the inner life of an anxious teen is palpable. Probably because she was in the thick of it. I love that I got to know Tori more, and of course Nick and Charlie, and BEN! Ben is AWFUL!😁

Horror was a go-to in my tween and teen years, but not something that I gravitate toward anymore, and YA besides. But this modern day take on Stephen King’s Carrie was superb and completely won me over.
At first I thought a riff on the original couldn’t be unique enough to be engaging, as I do have a pretty good recollection of the source material. But the adaptations and parallels she makes into a commentary on racism are SO brilliant, in particular the dynamic with her father. For all the parallels, though, there are plenty of plot points that diverge from the original and a doozy at the end I did not see coming. I would love to go on about it but I do not want to give any spoilers! SO GOOD!

Such a powerful novel about the immigrant experience from a teen’s perspective. As a YA novel, it was full of angst, but actual high stakes, and it really really stressed me out. It’s gut wrenching, but so excellent and a must read, especially for fans of books like The Sun is Also a Star.