I keep hearing There There by Tommy Orange described as important and eye-opening. I agree with those things. It’s also well written. But... I just never got fully invested or absorbed by the stories.

There There follows a large cast of Native American characters as their lives converge towards the Oakland Powwow, where you know an act of violence will unfold. The characters here are “urban Indians” and demonstrate that though they’ve been disenfranchised and repeatedly stolen from, they are not all the same and they are not a stereotype. The chapters all focus on one character, and kind of read like short stories. I had heard it could be hard to keep track of who was who because of this, so I paid extra attention and didn’t find it too difficult to remember and could just flip the pages back if I forgot something.

I’ve posted a lot about how I struggle with short stories, and feeling connected to or moved by them. I think that’s why I never fully felt invested in each character in this book, or overly concerned about their fate. The short story-esque style made this book less enjoyable for me - I honestly felt bored at times and just wanted to get to the next character, and I feel bad saying that.

The way the stories come together at the end is masterful, but I felt like I missed a big emotional impact because of the way the chapters jump around from person to person so quickly.

My favorite parts of the book were in Orange’s own voice in the prologue and interlude. He writes straightforwardly and unflinchingly about the history of Native Americans, from his perspective, and those parts were truly eye opening and compelling to me. I’d be inclined to read a nonfiction book of essays or something by him.

Overall, I wish I could say that I loved this one. Although it wasn’t my favorite, I do think it’s a well written book about people we don’t get to hear much about. I would encourage people to read it for themselves, at least for the history and different perspective it brings.

This was my first graphic novel, ever. Also my first Paul Auster. A friend let me borrow this book and I had no clue what I was getting into.

This book made me feel confused and sad. Where did Quinn end up? Why did he go mad? What happened to Peter? What happened to Quinn's family?

I should probably go read something more lighthearted now.

Phew, what a wild ride that was! To say this is thrilling is an understatement. So twisty and so many turns, I truly never predicted any of them. This was my first Dennis Lehane book and I might be hooked, except that my heart is racing and I'll probably have trouble sleeping. If you like thrillers, this is definitely a good one.

This book is a combination of psychological thriller and slasher horror movie. It was exactly what I wanted to read - a quick book that I wouldn't want to put down. I was guilty of thinking I had it all figured out early on, but the ending still managed to take me by surprise.

This book follows Quincy Carpenter, one of three "Final Girls": three girls who are the only survivor of a massacre. Quincy's claim to fame is known as the Pine Creek Cottage Massacre, where she lost all of her college best friends. Quincy can't remember the details of that night, and has done a pretty good job of moving on. She runs a successful baking blog and lives with her boyfriend.

One day, another Final Girl commits suicide, which deeply affects Quincy. Right after, the third Final Girl, Sam, who has been in hiding for years, shows up at Quincy's apartment to "help her". Sam starts having a sort of bad influence over Quincy, while Quincy starts remembering bits and pieces of the night of the massacre.

I thought Sam's character was unlikeable and unbelievable from the beginning, and it wasn't realistic to me that someone like Quincy could be so easily influenced by someone she just met, regardless of what they have in common.

Aspects of this book were predictable. However, the ending caught me off guard. Despite my qualms with some of the characters and the believability of how people behave, I still enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down. Also I'll probably have nightmares so the horror aspects were also effective.

Update: downgrading to two stars after finding out that the pseudonym is for a man. For some reason a man writing about the intimacies of this toxic female friendship really rubs me the wrong way.

Like the name suggests, this book is an emotional read for sure. I read it mostly in public and definitely had to hold back my expressions of true feelings (aka tried not to sob). This book has a classic "carpe diem" message that packs an emotional punch.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera is set in what seems like the present day, with one major difference: a company called DeathCast notifies you on the day you're going to die. Lots of industries have sprung up around "Deckers" (people who will die that day) that offer last minute experiences. One of these new companies catering to Deckers is an app called Last Friend, where you can meet, well, a last friend. Two teenagers (17 and 18), Rufus and Mateo, get the call on the same day and become each other's last friend.

The story follows Rufus and Mateo through their death day as they share final meetings with friends, visit Mateo's comatose father in the hospital, eat at their favorite places, and adventure through New York City together. Rufus inspires Mateo to break out of his shell while Mateo makes Rufus want to be the best version of himself.

I enjoyed this book, but it felt very YA, which is not really my favorite. The middle felt a bit slow plot-wise, and I liked the characters but didn't feel super emotionally attached. I think they could have used a bit more development. I did really enjoy the addition of chapters showing vignettes and perspectives of other characters.

Despite having some qualms with this book, the ending did get me right in the feels. I mean, I'm not heartless, and the title doesn't lie. If you're a fan of YA and want an easy but emotional read, this might be the book for you!

One spoiler-y thing to add (so stop reading now if you want) - I felt like Rufus and Mateo's one day love story was out of the blue. It felt pretty unbelievable and rushed, and I didn't really feel like it added to the story.

4-4.5 stars. I really loved this book. I read it in just over a day.

Korede is a nurse, and her sister Ayoola keeps killing her boyfriends (three so far) and calling Korede to help her clean up the mess. She claims self defense, but Korede has her doubts. Korede also has a crush on a doctor at the hospital she works at, so is bummed and concerned for many reasons when he asks for Ayoola’s number.

There is more to this book than the storyline - smart commentary about the experience of an average (or maybe even below average) looking person versus that of someone who is stunningly beautiful, of what some men really want, and of how far someone will go to protect their family. A complicating factor is Korede and Ayoola’s upbringing - it becomes clear that they suffered violent abuse at the hands of their now dead father.

I liked that this quick read also brought social media into the story. Ayoola foolishly almost posts to Snapchat right after the “disappearance” of her boyfriend - clearly, not appropriate behavior for someone grieving. The internet references were never overbearing though, which I appreciated. I sometimes find it weird to read novels where Facebook and Snapchat are a thing, but this one was well executed.

Overall, I really couldn’t put this book down. I wanted to know what would happen and felt deeply invested in Korede’s story. It’s darkly funny and completely bingeable. Highly recommend

3.5 stars. White is for Witching follows the Silver family, who live in an old family house in Dover that has been converted into an inn. Miranda and Eliot are twins who live with their dad after their mom died suddenly. Miranda has pica and eats chalk, and all of the previous generations of Silver women were afflicted with an insatiable hunger. The house is a huge player in this novel, as it is “alive” in some ways, and even narrates parts of the book. This is sort of a coming of age story, as it follows Miranda and Eliot as they apply for and go away to college.

This book was unsettling and a little bit spooky. It just gave me all the creepy vibes and let me carry on those Halloween feelings for a little longer (though you could read it at any time). I was rooting for Miranda to get well and recover from her mental illness but she’s in very deep and the house and actual ghosts are working against her. The writing in this book is bewitching and kind of strange but also lovely. There’s also some social commentary about immigration and racism weaved in.

I was a big fan of my first Oyeyemi, and I definitely plan to read more of her work. I’d recommend this book to you if you like books with supernatural elements, old haunted houses, uneasy mildly disturbing vibes, and great writing.