This was…..fine. It’s strange bc it had all the elements of things I enjoy in books: memoir, nature writing, from a diverse perspective, musings on life. And yet…..it felt like the author didn’t lean into her own themes hard enough, especially the anti-colonial side of things. It was beautifully written prose that was very enjoyable to listen to, but also I found my mind drifting often. She would lightly mention big themes and then immediately move on so it’s not like we did an in-depth dive into any one topic. And I wanted a deep dive!! And then because the time shifted so frequently in every section in every chapter, it was very difficult to keep track. 

HIGHLY recommend NOT listening to the audiobook, it was a very confusing experience. I listen to a ton of audiobooks but this one was not like….orchestrated well. Some of that is bc the book itself drastically jumps timelines every few pages, which is not at all clearly indicated via the audio version. So every few minutes I was adrift in time and had no idea if we were discussing her grandfather’s time or hers. 

I didn’t dislike this one, I just ran out of time on my library hold and was not compelled enough to place it back on hold 🤷‍♀️

Overall I quite liked this one!! Queer historical romance is always a delight. 

The pace dragged during between 40-60% through, as not much happened over than extreme angst. Also, the angst was a bit much for me! Very drawn out and realistic for the time. It was indeed a trial for them to figure out how they could be together. I enjoyed the slight political element with the Marriage Causes Act and what it would mean for society. 

This reads very much like a debut that could’ve used tighter editing to do more “show don’t tell” vibe. It’s also proof of if you’re hot, you can do anything. 

I think a book where two couples (who are strangers from the start) are supposed to get together in only 270 pages is tough - there’s not enough time for them to work through their mutual issues and make their way into love!

Overall this is fine, but very surface-level. 

I picked this up based solely the title bc I love birds and was intrigued by hearing from Indigenous perspectives, but I didn’t anticipate this is a book by a white man who interviewed his two Indigenous friends. That’s not a bad premise but it is not what I wanted. I only made it through the intro and the entire premise was also about how important recording verbatim interviews are, and I was like “…..ok.” Perhaps I’d return to this in the future, but not for now. 

Simply perfection!!!!

Hilarious & horny & heartwarming, and a perfection conclusion to the series. 

I really wanted to like this short story collection of intertwining stories surrounding a grandmother’s 100th birthday around Christmas. I’m always on the lookout for diverse holiday romances, and o hadn’t read a Filipino version before!

But alas this didn’t work for me! I read 3 of the 6 stories and didn’t enjoy any of them. The writing felt especially awkward in all three, and, as can so often happen in short stories, the plot lines were far too rushed and unbelievable for me to be rooting for the couples. 

“In movies I’ve seen a recurring narrative: a formulaic plot rooted in the simple idea that new people come in and change some beloved space. Whether it’s a precious record store going corporate or an old farm house getting a hideously modern makeover, the villain, the new guy, comes firing in hot with big plans to change things, to erase what’s been and create something new. We see this again and again. It’s crazy to me that white people devour this tired narrative in their movies but refuse to see it in the reality of their settler status. The settlers residency on our land comes from a generational violence that is passed down through ancestry. And if this were not crime enough, what angers me is the denial of this history, and the replacement with entitlement.” 

This is either 3.75 or 4 stars for me, but leaning 3.75. There were a lot of characters to keep track of which made following the plot a bit hard sometimes, and it was a bit slow for the first 40% or so. Overall it was enjoyable, and the explanation of the book title was 10/10. 

I’ll read anything Richard Osman writes!