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adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Short synopsis: a cross between The Hunger Games, Uglies, and Lord of the Flies.
Slightly longer synopsis: A young adult dystopian novel about a place called Garner County where girls are told they have sinful magic that can lure men and drive women mad with jealousy. In order to become women and integrate into society, they are sent away for their sixteenth year to “burn off” their magic before returning to either be married or assigned to work. The story focuses on Tierney James as she prepares for and participates in her Grace Year.
I read this book in a day — I picked it up and then couldn’t put it down. It was creative, gripping, and subtle in a way a lot of YA fiction is not. The characters were believable and the plot was intricate. I was drawn to Tierney’s grit and compassion. One of my favorite fiction reads of the year to date! Would probably make a good film adaption if done right.
“When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between.”
Slightly longer synopsis: A young adult dystopian novel about a place called Garner County where girls are told they have sinful magic that can lure men and drive women mad with jealousy. In order to become women and integrate into society, they are sent away for their sixteenth year to “burn off” their magic before returning to either be married or assigned to work. The story focuses on Tierney James as she prepares for and participates in her Grace Year.
I read this book in a day — I picked it up and then couldn’t put it down. It was creative, gripping, and subtle in a way a lot of YA fiction is not. The characters were believable and the plot was intricate. I was drawn to Tierney’s grit and compassion. One of my favorite fiction reads of the year to date! Would probably make a good film adaption if done right.
“When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between.”
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A contemporary fiction story that follows a Cameroonian couple, Jende and Neni Jonga, through their experience of coming to and working in NYC. Jende gets a job working as a chauffeur for a Lehman Brothers executive, Clark Edwars, in the fall of 2007. What follows juxtaposes the Jongas’ struggles against the Edwards’ — one family being wildly wealthy and the other barely scraping by.
My rating of this book is more reflective of my experience of reading it than a critique of the writing. The book is interesting and engaging. I learned a lot about Cameroonian culture. But I found myself upset with nearly every character and found some of their choices confusing given the preceding character development. I particularly struggled with the trajectory of Jende and Neni’s relationship. Ultimately, reading this novel gave me some clarity around some of my preferences as a reader, specifically needing at least one character I can get behind, and some sort of redemptive storyline.
My rating of this book is more reflective of my experience of reading it than a critique of the writing. The book is interesting and engaging. I learned a lot about Cameroonian culture. But I found myself upset with nearly every character and found some of their choices confusing given the preceding character development. I particularly struggled with the trajectory of Jende and Neni’s relationship. Ultimately, reading this novel gave me some clarity around some of my preferences as a reader, specifically needing at least one character I can get behind, and some sort of redemptive storyline.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in Philadelphia, the story follows two sisters whose lives have diverged dramatically: one into law enforcement and the other into sex work and addiction. When a mysterious string of murders take place in Mickey’s police beat at the same time Kacey goes missing, the sisters stories are once again drawn together.
I listened to this on audio, and the narration by Allyson Ryan was excellent. It’s a slow burn sort of book, which translated well to listening. Mickey is the protagonist, so you get the ins and outs of her emotions as the plot advances. I never felt bored or like the story dragged at all, but it does spend a significant amount of time on context-building and ambience. The majority of the major action happens in the back third. I didn’t mind this, particularly in the audio format, but I may have felt different if reading a physical copy. Finally, Mrs. Mahon is the real MVP of the book. She was by far my favorite character.
I listened to this on audio, and the narration by Allyson Ryan was excellent. It’s a slow burn sort of book, which translated well to listening. Mickey is the protagonist, so you get the ins and outs of her emotions as the plot advances. I never felt bored or like the story dragged at all, but it does spend a significant amount of time on context-building and ambience. The majority of the major action happens in the back third. I didn’t mind this, particularly in the audio format, but I may have felt different if reading a physical copy. Finally, Mrs. Mahon is the real MVP of the book. She was by far my favorite character.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Based loosely on the true stories of forgers during WWII, this historical fiction novel follows Eva Traube, a Parisian Jew who flees south to with her mother when her father is arrested & deported. Using some of her artistic talents, she manages to make them convincing forged documents to aid their journey which pulls her into a role with the Resistance she never expected.
I went into this with a bit of trepidation because I love WWII historical fiction, but the genre is a bit saturated. I was pleased that this book ended up feeling gripping and new and not trite. I particularly enjoyed it having recently read The Woman of No Importance which gave me a bunch of context for Free Zone France during the war. The characters are dynamic and believable and the plot moves at a steady clip.
My only two critiques: I found the “twist” pretty predictable and the tension with Eva’s mother really wore on me. I wanted even a brief moment of familial reprieve for them both! Otherwise, I found it enjoyable and would recommend.
I went into this with a bit of trepidation because I love WWII historical fiction, but the genre is a bit saturated. I was pleased that this book ended up feeling gripping and new and not trite. I particularly enjoyed it having recently read The Woman of No Importance which gave me a bunch of context for Free Zone France during the war. The characters are dynamic and believable and the plot moves at a steady clip.
My only two critiques: I found the “twist” pretty predictable and the tension with Eva’s mother really wore on me. I wanted even a brief moment of familial reprieve for them both! Otherwise, I found it enjoyable and would recommend.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Layla Saad writes with such clarity and conviction and precision. At every step I knew what I was learning and why, and was challenged to sit with the discomforts that arose. I took forty pages of notes in my journal and expect to return to it regularly.
I worked through this 28-day guide with a friend. We discussed our reactions, our hang-ups, and our commitments going forward. If you decide to dive in, I really recommend having a buddy to do it with. It makes the work feel more communal, and you can help each other re-frame and process in order to proceed.
If you are white and committed to practicing antiracism, I urge you to pick up this book. Layla Saad’s teaching is both kindhearted and uncompromising, a particularly powerful combination in this work.
I worked through this 28-day guide with a friend. We discussed our reactions, our hang-ups, and our commitments going forward. If you decide to dive in, I really recommend having a buddy to do it with. It makes the work feel more communal, and you can help each other re-frame and process in order to proceed.
If you are white and committed to practicing antiracism, I urge you to pick up this book. Layla Saad’s teaching is both kindhearted and uncompromising, a particularly powerful combination in this work.
informative
medium-paced
A fascinating look at the 2008 crash / housing crisis as delivered by Ryan Dezember who was both reporting on real estate for the Press-Register and experiencing the roller coaster first-hand as a homeowner on the Gulf Coast. Interspersing a well-researched report with personal anecdotes, Dezember paints a thorough picture of both the speculation frenzy and the devastation of the crash on Average Joe homeowners.
Honestly, after I finished this, I had a hard time sleeping because it was upsetting to realize just how much control Wall Street investors and banks have over situations like this one. The final few chapters talk about new research that shows the blame for the crash has been misattributed to overstretched home buyers when in reality it was investors and flippers who strategically foreclosed that were responsible for the scale of the crash. He also covers the new “Wall-Street-as-landlord” paradigm coupled with Silicon Valley-backed AI for finding suitable listings and y’all, it was wild (and terrifying, to be honest).
I learned a ton and the book was very well-written. My only (mild) criticism is that there were a few chapters that were particularly dense on technical details of loans and bonds and other financial concepts that was a little hard to follow, but I’m also no economic expert, so it may have just gone over my head.
Honestly, after I finished this, I had a hard time sleeping because it was upsetting to realize just how much control Wall Street investors and banks have over situations like this one. The final few chapters talk about new research that shows the blame for the crash has been misattributed to overstretched home buyers when in reality it was investors and flippers who strategically foreclosed that were responsible for the scale of the crash. He also covers the new “Wall-Street-as-landlord” paradigm coupled with Silicon Valley-backed AI for finding suitable listings and y’all, it was wild (and terrifying, to be honest).
I learned a ton and the book was very well-written. My only (mild) criticism is that there were a few chapters that were particularly dense on technical details of loans and bonds and other financial concepts that was a little hard to follow, but I’m also no economic expert, so it may have just gone over my head.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
A memoir about a tumultuous life, Filthy Beasts is focused mainly on the destructive force of the author’s alcoholic mother and his own journey of coming to terms with his sexuality. After a posh and privileged childhood, Kirkland and his two brothers move to Bermuda with their mother after their parents’ divorce. What follows is a portrait of a highly dysfunctional family and how Kirkland was personally scarred by it.
The book is very well-written and bitingly honest. Parts are funny because the family is so aggressively sarcastic it’s hard not to laugh. It’s a very sad book, though, because of the wide-ranging misery that follows in the wake of the Hamill family, brought on almost entirely by the irresponsible and harmful choices of the parents. As a reader, you feel so much for Kirkland and the weight he carries in the face of scorn and diminution. I can’t call it an uplifting story. Most everyone touched by the chaos is left worse for the wear. Kirkland emerges, but the cost is very high.
The book is very well-written and bitingly honest. Parts are funny because the family is so aggressively sarcastic it’s hard not to laugh. It’s a very sad book, though, because of the wide-ranging misery that follows in the wake of the Hamill family, brought on almost entirely by the irresponsible and harmful choices of the parents. As a reader, you feel so much for Kirkland and the weight he carries in the face of scorn and diminution. I can’t call it an uplifting story. Most everyone touched by the chaos is left worse for the wear. Kirkland emerges, but the cost is very high.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This gorgeous book is written in verse (which is why I listened to it on audio -- it was great to hear it performed) and follows the stories of Camina and Yahaira after a plane traveling between NYC and DR crashes, killing their fathers.
This book is technically billed as YA, but I don’t think it need be confined to youthful readers. The poetry gives melodic voice to the emotions each girl feels, and the tensions each experience as their respective worlds break open. I was struck by the nuance, the prescience, and the candor with which Acevedo writes. There were a number of lines that took my breath away.
This book is technically billed as YA, but I don’t think it need be confined to youthful readers. The poetry gives melodic voice to the emotions each girl feels, and the tensions each experience as their respective worlds break open. I was struck by the nuance, the prescience, and the candor with which Acevedo writes. There were a number of lines that took my breath away.
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Set in an tiny town in East Texas, this novel follows Darren Mathews, a Texas Ranger, as he investigates a pair of homicides that he suspects are racially motivated. Wrestling with his own restrictions as a Black law enforcement officer as well as the skewed application of justice in Shelby County, Darren unearths the intertwined stories of the townsfolk as tensions come to a head.
This was my first book by Attica Locke and I thought it was great. The story is well-written and engrossing, gripping without being frenetic. In some ways, Darren reminded me of NCIS’s Jethro Gibbs, justice-oriented and yet dealing with his own demons.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Freeman’s memoir covers her life as a fugitive after burning draft cards in Chicago to protest the Vietnam War. The title works as a double meaning, referring both to her flight from court on the day of sentencing and her subsequent life of split identities and hidden sexuality.
I often struggle to rate memoirs because who am I to evaluate the story of someone’s life? That said, it was an interesting story that reads like a novel, almost one with an overly-stereotyped main character — except she is a real person! I went in expecting it to be more about resistance in the seventies and eighties, but the focus was far more narrow and personal, with emphasis on Freeman’s struggle of living as a fugitive and lesbian.
While her life is punctuated by pain, she also had the good fortune of intersecting with some truly wise and generous people who served as guides, comforts, and confidants. It was because of this that I struggled with her expressed frustration and loneliness. I can only imagine what fugitive life is like, but at many points in the book, she rounds off a section about her social life with something to the effect of “I felt numb/broken/incomplete,” without much more additional explanation. At times, it made it hard to empathize with her. Occasionally, her attitude struck me as privileged and ungracious. All that to say, it was a good read with a story unlike any I’ve ever read.
I often struggle to rate memoirs because who am I to evaluate the story of someone’s life? That said, it was an interesting story that reads like a novel, almost one with an overly-stereotyped main character — except she is a real person! I went in expecting it to be more about resistance in the seventies and eighties, but the focus was far more narrow and personal, with emphasis on Freeman’s struggle of living as a fugitive and lesbian.
While her life is punctuated by pain, she also had the good fortune of intersecting with some truly wise and generous people who served as guides, comforts, and confidants. It was because of this that I struggled with her expressed frustration and loneliness. I can only imagine what fugitive life is like, but at many points in the book, she rounds off a section about her social life with something to the effect of “I felt numb/broken/incomplete,” without much more additional explanation. At times, it made it hard to empathize with her. Occasionally, her attitude struck me as privileged and ungracious. All that to say, it was a good read with a story unlike any I’ve ever read.