This is simply excellent science fiction that includes diverse, rarely seen in literature, representation. I cried during this book. I empathized with Binti, I judged her, I loved going on this 3 book adventure with her. The audio book performance is suburb and adds to the novels.

This was a charming and fun plane read. She shares just enough that you feel like you get to know her but you’re still pretty clearly held at arms length as far as pivotal or deeply personal moments in her life - which is absolutely fine by me, celebrities are allowed those levels of privacy. I note it because this is not an intense and deeply personal memoir but rather an amusing group of essays talking about certain areas of her life particularly focused on comedy and career. I would say her first book resonated with me a little bit more but that might’ve been because I was at a place in my life that was more relatable. I would look forward to a third one from her that included discussion of pregnancy or childbirth.

These are early reader classics for a reason. My first grader is hooked on these simple mysteries. Not hard to share as a read aloud either.

Full disclosure: I read most of this book during some of the most exhausting and unpleasant air travel of my business traveling career, which may have tainted some of it? This book is... long, with lots of rambling story telling and “will they won’t they” cliches. That said the male lead being the noble virgin and she being the experienced, unashamed pleasure seeker (in a world desperate to shame her) was a nice change. I also liked the triangle - in love with one, blood tied to another, badass in her own right. I’d read the second installment.

I picked this up because the art really appealed to me and I loved it! The story was pretty confusing without the blurb on the back, but I liked enough that I’d check out the next volume.

This book is hilarious and so charming! We couldn’t stop giggling reading it together. Perfect for a first grader and fun for parents too.

That was every bit a “romance novel” but with witchy elemental powers. So, fine then.

This was my first time reading one of these “Hollywood personality’s collection of personal essays” books where I didn’t have a strong previous interest or connection to the actress. I’m a big Parks and Rec fan so I was familiar with Retta but wasn’t otherwise aware of her. This book is charming and funny.

My son can read these entirely independently and they always have him rolling on the floor in laughter. We like to start our evening reading with him reading one of these books to me before we jump into the more complex chapter books I read aloud to him.