I finished this in a day. I struggled to put it down. Rajurkar does an amazing job telling this story of first love, of othering, of the things we overlook when we're in love. This could have been some typical story of a brown girl falling for a white guy but it was told with so much nuance.. I am obsessed. Highly recommend!

Okay. This book got me. I was having a hard time getting into it, but wasn't sure if that's because I wasn't really feeling it or maybe just in a reading slump. Around Part III I feel like I started to get into it. Really cool story and concept. There were some ways that I wish the story had more but I'm gonna give it five stars anyways because I want Luc.

I absolutely love Isabel Allende's writing! This was another book club pick, and it was a great story, beautifully told. Allende has a way of changing point of view in a way that isn't necessarily linear but flows wonderfully. Highly recommend.

This book is the lifetime of a vagina summed up in bite sized pieces of info, with body affirming language and encouragement to explore and nourish our bodies, specifically our vaginas and pelvic areas. This is a great starting point for those looking to feel empowered in their bodies and health choices, but also feeling like they have no one to turn to. Periods, fertility, sexuality can all be very taboo topics in so many cultures & this book can help diminish some of the stigma and bring us back to our bodies. I love the ‘sacred self care’ suggestions. I love that the author provides options while empowering you to make the choice that’s best for you and your body. While there might not be a lot of depth to each topic, there is a huge breadth of areas covered. Perfect for the busy schedule most people with vaginas find themselves caught up in. Along with all the additional resources and references, a reader can find reputable sources to explore the areas they are most concerned about!

Wow, what a story. I at no point knew what was going to happen next. But not in like a thriller kind of way. I struggled a little bit to get into the book sometimes. Maybe sometimes the drama just made me cringe. Some of the topics also hit way closer to home than I expected. There were a few times I felt myself wince. It definitely gave me a lot to think about, about motherhood, sexuality and gender, and I really appreciated the insight into the experiences of trans women, and I appreciate that the author acknowledged this was the experience of white trans women. I do not have the experience or knowledge to be more critical of that representation, but overall I thought this was a good book!

I read Black Futures, which Kimberly Drew co-edited, earlier this year and I was obsessed. Still am. It’s an amazing book. Reading this book in the pocket change collective series was such a treat in getting to know more about Drew. She shares her personal story with art beautifully, no surprise at all. But it was just really lovely to get some insight into the experience of someone who I think is an incredible genius. I can’t wait to see more of her work.

I really love this series and I love the optimism that Hannah Testa brings to the plastics crisis. I loved the expansion of the 3 Rs to 5. One thing I think this book was lacking was the cost of being eco friendly. She acknowledges that companies and brands need to do more, but still, most of the tips put the responsibility on individuals. Swapping what you use for more eco friendly variations can be costly and with so many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, it's not as easy as she made it seem. There was also a lot of talk about how plastics from one place can end up on the other side of the world, but I wish the book had really emphasized how the west and industrialized countries are responsible for the climate crisis while other countries deal with the majority of the cost. Overall a great, short, concise read.

I love this series and I really wanted to like this book but bleh. Maybe I have to remind myself that a lot of authors in this series are really young? Maybe I need to cut them a break? This books had a lot of positive energy and I feel weird critiquing it as an ally because who am I to do that but the first time I raised my eyebrow at the book was when the author mentioned that one of the A’s in LGBTQIAA+ stands for ally. I’m pretty sure it does not and allies should not try and insert themselves or center themselves in these spaces. At least that’s what I’ve always learned when listening to queer folks discuss what allies should and shouldn’t do. I was also disappointed that it took about 2/3 of the way through the book before the author mentioned anything about the trans community or queer people of color specifically. And when it was mentioned it seemed very brief as if a box was being checked. Overall I guess this was a pretty short book and the author seemed very kind and optimistic so 3 stars.

I really like the pocket change collective series. This book is different from all the others I've read and it's beautiful. The themes are heavy and pieces break your heart, but the prose is beautiful. The writing is amazing. I highly recommend.

I really love this series but this is the one that I had a hard time finishing, despite them all being so short.