skudiklier's Reviews (647)

Absolutely beautiful. I can't think of any nonfiction book I've highlighted/underlined so much in before. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time, and definitely want to read more of her work as soon as possible. 

This book was super helpful in thinking about how I want to create community in my life, and make my existing relationships closer and more intimate. Covid makes these things harder right now, but I really want to use some of the ideas in this book once I can. 

DNF'd at 10%. The library book expired but I could check it out again right now; I just have other things I need to read more urgently (I'm in five book clubs haha), and to be honest I wasn't super interested in it. I loved Munroe's book How To?, but this one just wasn't engaging me as much. I might pick it back up when I have more time, but it doesn't look that will happen in the very near future.

I went into this book with no expectations (beyond having read and loved Exit West a few years ago), and overall I definitely liked it. I enjoyed the self-help gimmick and the way the book is misleading in some ways. I found it funny and deeply emotional and beautiful. 

I loved this book! I haven't read a contemporary romance in a while, and I was honestly a little hesitant, as I've been tired of the YA ones I used to read a lot. But I genuinely couldn't put this book down. I started and finished it in the same day (and may have ignored some responsibilities in the process...). I had my ups and downs with how I felt about it, but overall the story kept me guessing and I was really happy with it.

As someone who doesn't watch reality TV or shows like The Bachelor, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that part of the romance. But the book keeps it very real in terms of how much is fake and how much Cindy is surprised by, etc. I also loved all the representation in terms of queer, gender non-conforming, and characters of color. It felt intentional without feeling forced, and definitely added to the story.

Other aspects I loved, in no particular order: the way the book treats Cindy's fatness, the good but realistic relationships Cindy has with her step-family, the way the "why didn't they just say how they felt" moments had realistic explanations that kept me from feeling too frustrated at the characters. And the little Cinderella nods and details were very clear without being too on-the-nose.

I'm really grateful I had the chance to read this book! I want to read more of Julie Murphy's work (and maybe some more romance novels) as soon as i can.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to review this ARC.* 

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has something in it for everyone—every poem or piece of encouragement may not be what you need, and so could seem trite or cliché. But the pieces that do resonate with you will do strongly, and you'll be glad you read it for that.

There were so many soft and beautiful love poems that made my heart melt. Some of them reminded me of Tyler Knott Gregson, who was the first poet I ever fell in love with. 

The poems flow together very well; at many points it seems like several pages are one long poem. The collection overall is also very aesthetically pleasing. Its style (black text centered on white pages, short lines) works well with the themes of the poems.

Some of my favorite lines were "I thought of all the things I wanted to say to you and I swallowed a sea," "there is always on my hands," and "how contagiously alive you are."

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is in love, who has been through heartbreak, who likes seeing their emotions played back for them in soft and beautiful ways.

I was looking forward to reading this before knowing much about it, but wow this book was amazing. I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Spade doesn't shy away from the issues inherent to building new ways of being and collaborating, and offers practical solutions and step-by-step guides for how to create sustainable movements and practices. I wanted to underline every word of this book, and am so glad I read it. I'm also very thankful I bought a physical copy; this is definitely a book I'll reference again and again.

I loved this book!! I'm a huge fan of everything Vanessa does, including Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, so that's not surprising. But really, this book is amazing. If you've ever wished you had something like religion without all the historical baggage and God language, or if (like me) you're out of school and missing English class, this book is the perfect way to learn how to use reading to make meaning and understand the world around us. (And no, you don't have to have read Jane Eyre to read this; I have (because of Vanessa talking about it so much haha), but she explains any relevant plot pieces so that anyone can understand the book.)

I feel like I need more time before writing a proper review, if only because I'm still reeling from the ending. But wow--this book was enthralling. I'm going to think about this story and these characters for a long time. 

CAWPILE Rating: 8.3/10

I love everything of Lyd Havens's work I've ever gotten to read, and this (micro-)chapbook is no exception! It made me feel so many things, and gave me inspiration for my own writing. My only wish is that it were longer, but goodness I'm grateful to read any poems by Lyd. (Also their list poems are amazing.)