“Standing in that temple, staring into the fire that had been burning for hundreds of years, I felt the ghosts of my family all around me. Their soft presence raised the hair on my arms and tickled at my eyelashes.”

A very heartfelt coming of age story. I loved how this book gave a look into the Bahá’í and Zoroastrian faiths in Iran. Darius felt more middle school than high school to me, maybe because of how the book avoided more than an shadowed reference to sexual attraction and puberty beyond body odor, but it didn’t impact the story or growth of the character. Getting to know far away relatives was so relatable, and I felt like I was there for many of the meals (especially with the mouth watering description of the Yazd desserts) 

 The Lord of the Rings references especially stole my heart as those were also my comfort reads as a teenager.

Weird reference of falafel coming “from Egypt or Israel or somewhere else entirely” at the beginning also threw me a bit. The rest of the book showed some beautiful solidarity between minorities in Iran, I hope book 2 expands on this beyond borders and other labels.

I get a very big ick from “pure” bloodlines “weakened by disease” where only a few now remain “chosen” no matter what setting… The romance was intriguing, but the world building fell flat because of that lore. Would die for a guy who could teleport me across the world tho 

“I feel all of my ages now, imagining those selves walking or biking along the water’s edge.”

Beautiful and strange! I loved the strong visuals and emotions evoked by Aisha Sabatini Sloan‘s writing, especially the scenery of Alaska and the paintings other artistic works referenced. It was a thrill to read about them and then search them up to see if they brought out a similar feeling in me.

“A barrier in my memory has melted and two lives have run together, yet I still don’t know what tomorrow will bring. If tomorrow wanted, it could lift my living body off night’s and bring me to it, to the worn-out pages of the day to come.”

I wish I could remember how I came across this book. I think I saw a review for a different book by Iman Mersal, but this is the one my library had on Libby. However it came to be, I remember starting it and checking the genre after just a few pages. Mersal’s writing is so beautiful, clear, and lyrical that I couldn’t believe it was nonfiction. She completely grabbed and immersed me in each place, be that modern-day searching through graveyards or early 1900s Cairo. I may never find a translation of Enayat to read beyond the clips in this book, but I was moved by both authors here. So grateful to have come across these beautiful reflections.

“She wants to remain free and weightless, unburdened by personal archive or family tree or marble headstone. For a long time it was me who was walking towards her, but from here on out, it is Enayat who will decide to whom and where she walks.”

Like pretty much everyone else said, a cozy and heartwarming read! I’m a sucker for a good romance, but I found myself far more drawn to the found family aspects of the story for a change. It was nice! I hope the rest of the series shows how the witchy world goes forward from here, though I would really love a pre-curse tale from witches across the globe as well. 

The houses were not Hamas.
The kids were not Hamas.
Their clothes and toys were not Hamas.
The neighborhood was not Hamas.
The air was not Hamas.
Our ears were not Hamas.
Our eyes were not Hamas.
The one who ordered the killing, the one who pressed the button thought only of Hamas.

THE WOUND from Things You May Find Hidden In My Ear by Mosab Abu Toha.
I am endlessly grateful to City Lights Books for making this ebook available for free. 
I started it during the #ReadPalestineWeek, but soon knew I needed to take my time with it. 
So many poems hit me exactly where I needed to feel, this book kept me from becoming desensitized to the ongoing genocide.
I often find myself wishing I was a better writer when I start to put together my reviews, and that’s never been truer than now. Thank you, Mosab Abu Toha.

A sweet and real coming of age story. It warmed my theater-kid heart. While I loved her getting the guys, I wish more time had been spent on her friends and there was a bit less of a love triangle. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

An informative and well laid out history of how parking and car dependence has shaped USA cities. While most of it wasn’t surprising, it did make me think extra about parking privileges in my own city.

Where Grabar really lost me was his fanaticism for self-driving cars. While I think those are a great solution for people who truly depend on cars, his description of an electric self-driving cars sounded like a hell-scape that would be more equitable, environmental, and pedestrian friendly if there was true re-investment in public transportation. 

“The air between them grew tight and airless. It was as though they had both taken the same potion. 

Leela felt strangely powerful, like she could conquer the world.”

Such a great romance! The longing between the two main characters gave me all the feels. While he definitely had some red flags, and the back-and-forth became a little tiresome, the depth of the supporting characters kept me from putting it down!

Wish I had read this rather than listened to it, but the audiobook was available from my library (LOVE YOU LIBBY) before the eBook. The book was read by an older white British man (Matthew Lloyd Davies/Cornell Collins), despite the two POVs being a Black British woman and a British-Indian man in their late 20s. The narrator made Rahul sound like an Indian grandpa. The Indian accent was actually offensive - not only was it pretty clear that Rahul grew up in England, but the accent was inconsistent and strange. I thought it couldn’t get worse, but then I heard how he voiced Rahul’s mom and whatever that accent was that he gave Pinal. However, I love Talia Hibbert, so I powered through and totally enjoyed the story and characters. I plan to reread as a physical or eBook in the future!
I normally take a star off for a third-act breaks up, but this one was handled so well I was almost convinced they needed it!