A really refreshing collection of essays, each revolving around an animal, insect, plant, weather event or fruit which is then intertwined with a memory from the author. Topics covering climate change, humans impact on wildlife, racism, and family.
It sounds like it’d be a bit serious, and although the book was sad at times, the book made me feel more hopeful than anything. I love how the author views the world and nature, and I feel like it’s really inspired me to want to learn more about nature in my free time.
The writing was great, and you can definitely feel that the author is a poet. I loved how she connected facts about the animals/nature from her essays and connected them to events in her life. There is so much nostalgia wrapped up in this short book, and it brought up so many good memories from my childhood as well.
A great nonfiction that I would recommend everyone read. 

Really enjoyable for the most part but I had some issues with the pacing, and a lot of the characters other than our main two felt very distant. The writing did its job but wasn’t anything too special. The story was very black and white, so if that’s something you dislike just go into it with those expectations.
Loved the trans and autistic rep, and Benji was a very sweet MC. When he would talk about wanting to be good :,)
And I really liked Nicks character as well, I was really not expecting to get his pov.
Overall, very queer and very gorey, with a lot of religious trauma. A solid read!

I knew from the first chapter that this would be a new favorite, and I was definitely right. Beautiful writing and story, lovable characters with realistic progression, and fascinating relationships. The gaming aspect was so much fun and felt so nostalgic.
One thing I will say about the characters is that you’re not always going to love them, which is fitting for the story and one of my favorite aspects.
This book felt so personal for me and I definitely fell in love. Made me bawl my eyes out multiple times lol.
Beautiful disabled, biracial and gay representation.

Edit Nov 2023: People have been pointing out the Israeli character, and although I'm ashamed to say I didn't notice it at the time of reading, looking back on it there's definitely some Zionist themes throughout the book concerning the Israeli character and his relationship with Sadie. There are also some views on cultural appropriation in this book that I highly disagree with. I will no longer be supporting this author due to their Zionist views. Free Palestine!

Managed to finish this book in one sitting but I guess with its short length that’s not really impressive lol.
The first half was pretty average and didn’t stand out, but the second half of the book blew me away with its emotional tale.
I loved the mythology aspects and reading from the whales perspective was definitely interesting, but it did get pretty repetitive, especially in the first half. Koro being sexist, whale pov, koro being sexist, whale pov, and then there’s a part of the book where the narrator leaves to Australia? 
Thankfully, once the narrator returns, the book picks up a lot. Around halfway through is when Kahu is older and actually becomes a main part of the story, and the change does the book wonders. The second half is just magical and very effective, there was even a part that made me tear up a bit.
Would recommend.

This book is definitely always going to hold a special place in my heart. This is the first book I’ve ever read where the main character has the same name as me. Representation matters! I remember preordering the book and when it arrived I cried when I opened it lol.
Now about the actual book, I loved it! Filled with wondrous myths and tales, beautiful and tender relationships, lovable characters, a brave female MC, and a great plot and ending.
This is such a romantic book, not just within the actual romance but in the descriptions of the world and the beautiful setting and myths.
I really have no complaints! The writing is a bit simple but it’s YA so that’s not a problem for me.
Would absolutely recommend!

This was a fun, campy cozy fantasy. Definitely more of a day to day/slice of life story, and although I did overall enjoy it, it did drag at times. At first I thought this was going to be a 5 star read, but unfortunately the book was just way too long. I think it would’ve benefited being about 2 and an half hours shorter. There wasn’t enough story to justify the length.
If you’re going to read this book, I’d highly recommend doing so via audiobook. The narrator is fantastic and fits the tone of the story so well.
I enjoyed the characters and I have to shout out the realistic teenager. I work with kids so one of my biggest book pet peeves is when the children don’t act their age lol. The talk/use of vampire tropes was funny and original.
The timeline could be confusing, especially via audiobook. Louise would randomly reminisce and there wouldn’t be much warning, so there were a few times where I would have to rewind.
Overall a fun story, albeit a bit too long.

You ever read a book and you’re not quite sure why you liked it as much as you did?
Objectively, this is a pretty average book but it’s a fun and quick read. I’ve been in quite a reading slump recently, and this definitely got me out of it. There was just something about this book that was so unserious and I found it to be ridiculous and funny at times lol. 
This book is riddled with misogyny and very much written by a man. Personally, I didn’t feel a lot of the tension or the build up. I think this is a book that would be a lot better going in blind. I don’t think I enjoyed the book in the way that I was supposed to…..but I actually did end up liking it in an odd way and idk the book was kinda camp lol 3.5 stars. 

This was a really enjoyable slow burn dystopian. I loved the setting and the culture really makes the book shine.
We watch the day to day life of the Anishinaabe tribe as they are slowly consumed by the panic of the “apocalypse”. Heads up, you never find out what’s actually happening so if that will bother you, I wouldn’t recommend it. I personally really liked that aspect and the ending, as the heart of this book is it’s characters and culture. 

If you were looking to start reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I think this is a great book to start. This is one of her first novels, and throughout the book you can see her writing improve and evolve into her style that she uses in her later books. 
I loved how expansive and diverse the vampire lore is. You can tell that the author put a lot of time and research into this book. That being said, the first 25% of the book is pretty info dumpy. It’s all interesting, but it made it hard for me to connect to the story at first. Once I got to around 40%, the story really started to kick off for me.
I loved Atl, Domingo, and Bernardino. I just wanted to give Domingo a hug lol.
This is a fast paced, gorey, and fun read. 
I wasn’t a big fan of the ending, which brought the rating down a little, but I do think it made sense.
Overall, would definitely recommend.

This felt like it was a therapeutic writing experience for the author, and was intended for herself most of all. This book explored all different aspects of grief and her own experience with losing her mother, and the disconnect that brought with her identity.
As a biracial Korean-American just like Michelle, this book had many moments where I felt so seen and I thank her for that.
As for my rating, the writing was pretty plain and there were some parts that felt disjointed. Would recommend if it interests you.