Harmony is about the Hammond family’s move from Washington, D.C. to Camp Harmony in rural New Hampshire. Camp Harmony is a family camp for families with “difficult” children. The Hammond’s eldest daughter, Tilly, is diagnosed with PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified) and the family decides to live and work full time at camp alongside the founder, Scott. The story is told from alternating perspectives of both Alexandra (Tilly’s mom) and Iris (Tilly’s younger sister). ⁣
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I really enjoyed this contemporary fiction, family saga novel. To be honest, I have not read many books that includes characters (especially children) with behavior disorders and I really enjoyed learning about Tilly throughout the book. Alexandra’s perspective as a mother to a “difficult” child, and a wife to a husband who is equally at loss on how to best care for their family, was really well written. ⁣
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My major critique is the ending. It took an abrupt turn (that has a MAJOR trigger warning that I don’t want to disclose here, but please DM me if you have questions) that felt forced and far fetched. ⁣

“I don’t know. I’ve been having an existential crisis about my place in the world and what I’m supposed to be doing with my life and who I even am.” ⁣
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Meet Grace Porter. She’s a 20-something, black lesbian who just graduated with her doctorate in astronomy. She had a plan and she stuck with it...until she drunk-married a complete stranger in Vegas and doesn’t even know the girl’s name. ⁣
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This book was just what I needed after reading two heavy nonfiction books earlier this month (although this books still has some triggering topics like depression, anxiety and self harm). I loved the premise of a drunk night in Vegas taking a SERIOUS turn—especially for a type A character with her life planned out, like Grace. ⁣
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The characters in this book were so diverse and not just racially. Their careers, their mental health, their geographical locations...so much diversity and I was here for it. 🙌🏼⁣

Wilkerson released The Warmth of Other Suns back in 2010. It’s an epic, thick (500+), Pulitzer Prize winning, nonfiction gem! The book documents the decade long migration of black Americans who left the south and moved to northern and western cities throughout the United States. She interviewed thousands of people, but focuses on three narratives throughout the book. ⁣
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Y’all...this book taught me more about American history than anything my AP history class taught me. It opened my eyes to the realities of the Jim Crow south in the 20th century. It explained migration patterns and social-economic consequences. It detailed black American struggles juxtaposed to European immigrant struggles after WWI. I can’t emphasize how much I learned about my own country’s history by reading this masterpiece. ⁣
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I was intimidated to read this book because of its size, but now I regret waiting so long to read it. I wish I read it years ago so I could discuss it with my grandparents, who were alive throughout most of the Great Migration. I kept thinking of them and comparing their ages to those ages of the people Wilkerson interviewed. If anything, it gave me additional perspective around how slavery and reconstruction weren’t THAT long ago at all. ⁣
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This is the only book I’ve finished so far in February. It’s heavy with detail (rightfully so) and I had to Google a lot of information while I read it. I used so.many.sticky.tabs. This book def changed my reading pace for the month, but I’m totally fine with that because I learned so much.⁣

Ok y’all...this was my first short story collection...I think EVER! They’re just not my go to. BUT, now I’m ready to add some to my TBR🔥⁣
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Danielle Evan’s is a phenomenal writer. She created characters that will stick with me for a long time, even though they often appeared in under 30 pages. ⁣
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I find myself still thinking about Vera from Anything Can Happen (I don’t want to post spoilers but if you read this let’s DM about this short story!!). The novella at the end had strong The-Vanishing-Half vibes but with a major 😳 ending (again no spoilers but please DM me to discuss). Boys Go To Jupiter had my jaw on the floor and the wedding saga in Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain left me with so many questions! ⁣
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I recommend this book, especially if you’re having trouble focusing on reading. Each short story packs a punch, plus, you’re not faced with a daunting 500+ page novel. ⁣

Alright y’all...I’m not sure how to review this masterpiece. It’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me (easily). I’m happy Book of the Month offered it in January. The Prophets already made the New York Times bestseller list (as it should). It’s a novel that will be talked about throughout 2021 and I’m sure it will make end of year wrap up lists, best of lists, etc. ⁣
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The most powerful aspect of this novel (to me, as a person who identifies as a straight, white woman) is how this book was NOT written with the white gaze in mind. White people, and white women specifically, did not seem to be the target audience, when often in publishing, we ARE the target readership. The author, Robert Jones Jr, says in his acknowledgment to Toni Morrison “You said if I couldn’t find the book I wanted to read, then I must write it. So I did.” And, y’all, Jones WROTE it. It took me a while to read portions of this book, stomach the detailed descriptions of conditions on slave ships, reflect on the white characters like Ms. Ruth and James, etc

Disclaimer: I'm probably not the target audience for this book. Yes, I'm married and share a bed with my husband, however, I am an EXCELLENT sleeper. Stressed? I can sleep. Anxious? Sure, I'll nap. So, sleeping isn't a problem for me, but I was interested to learn new data surrounding couples' sleeping habits. 

Troxel writes in a way that kept me wanting to read more. For nonfiction, this was a fast read. I loved how each chapter tackled a different aspect of sleep as it relates to your romantic relationship. Each chapter also ended with a Shared Sleep Action Plan. Plans included discussion questions, activities, and/or quizzes that couples complete together. It's one thing to read about data, it's another thing to actively work through the data. The action plans were super solution oriented and I think readers who are struggling with sleep will appreciate that. 

My favorite quote was "more than anything, this book was designed to help you and your partner open the conversation about a significant and important part of your life"...SLEEP! This book did that for me. 

I am giving this book three stars because I really enjoyed it. I think a reader with young children, a sleep disorder, etc. would really benefit from reading this book and might rate it higher than me. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Hachette Books for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The review will be posted on my instagram account as well: @reeder_reads

I read this book in TWO days (super fast for me). It discusses a lot of heavy topics dealing with racism, but at the same time, it was an “easy” read for me. It felt like Acho was sitting down on my couch beside me as I read his words. 

This book covers a lot of topics in only 245 pages. It felt like the main text in a White Americans: Racism 101 college course. While I know I still have PLENTY of growth to make, I found this book to almost be too simplistic. I wanted more depth around certain topics...but I also don’t think that was the author’s purpose. My understanding is Acho set out to answer questions about racism in an approachable way and he did just that. 

One of my favorite things about the book was all of the action items Acho included at the end  of each chapter. From petition links, to GoFund me pages to additional books to read, I appreciated all of the external information Acho included so readers could continue their anti racist journey. 

This book was worth the read! 

I’m not huge into self help books, but with that in mind, I truly enjoyed reading this book. Molfino is a designer and women’s leadership expert, as well as the host of the podcast HERIONE.

In this book, Molfino breaks down five myths that women subconsciously embody due to our patriarchal society. The book includes anecdotes, meditations, journaling prompts and quizzes, sprinkled throughout, to ensure that readers aren’t JUST reading—they’re active in working through their myths.

My top two myths are: the myth of rules and the myth of perfectionism. These weren’t surprising to me. I’ve worked to free myself of them prior to this book, but I didn’t have the language to articulate my issues. Molfino puts words to feelings that I would guarantee all women have experienced at some point in their life.

My only critique is that this book didn’t really speak on the connection between socio-economic status (ie money) and the freedom that it provides women (or the lack thereof depending on how much money a woman has). I think it’s easy to give advice that women should break free from unfulfilling jobs, but actually DOING that when you rely on the income/have bills to pay/are a caretaker isn’t always a reality.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to any woman who is interested in self reflection as she kicks of 2021!