A Very Large Expanse of Sea takes place just one year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Shirin, a Muslim teenager, faces discrimination from both her peers and teachers at school because of her religion. While this book is a work of fiction, this scenario was and still is a reality for many Muslims living in the United States. I appreciated the themes Mafi, the author, included in this story, but I did not think it was very well-written. I believe this title would be more appealing to tweens and younger teenagers as the characters come across as younger than their stated age. Overall, this book was just okay. I picked it up purely because I thought it would be a timely read, as this month marked the 20th anniversary of the tragedy this story follows. 

Katherine Center is an author that I will read anything from. Her characters are well-developed and relatable and I always find myself rooting for them in any situation. This book, How To Walk Away, was a little different from her other romances. Yes, there is a fantastic romance storyline, but there is also another important theme present: resilience. Without giving too much away, I will say that the protagonist, Margaret, experiences a traumatic event and instead of giving up, she gets comfortable with being uncomfortable and embraces the changes in her life. The ending of this story was just perfect and I encourage other readers to pick up this title. If you haven't read anything by Center yet, you are missing out! 

Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man is an absolute must-read for anyone looking to engage with anti-racist texts. Acho, the author, gives his readers the basics and then provides resources for further education on each topic presented. This book would be a great starting point for white readers looking to be better allies to the BIPOC community. It can be overwhelming to figure out where to start, but look no further than this title!

I almost wish the author's note was at the beginning of this book. As someone who did not have a very comprehensive understanding of the political climate of Mexico during the 1970s (when this book takes place), I was sometimes confused about what was happening. However, Moreno-Garcia does a fantastic job explaining the Dirty War and the protests in her author's note. If you are considering picking up this title, maybe do a quick google search about this time in history so you can go into the story with some background knowledge (it won't spoil anything from the book, I promise). With that being said, I just adored the two protagonists of this book. While they could not lead lives any more differently, Maite and Elvis share many personality traits. We see them tackle the issues thrown their way individually with their knowledge of what is occurring in the country and somehow end up rooting for both of them despite them being on separate sides of the conflict. While this is only the second book I have read from this author, I feel confident in praising her writing ability. I was fully engaged with this story and that is thanks to Moreno-Garcia's ability to create a scene so realistic and captivating.

Do you ever pick up a book because it has a really cute pink cover and then once you actually start reading it you realize it isn't very good? While that might be an oddly specific question, that is exactly what happened to me with this collection. The only two celebrity profiles I found to be well-written were the essays on Serena Williams and Nicki Minaj. I appreciated the commentary Peterson provided about those two women and the words commonly associated with them (strong for Serena and slutty for Nicki). The Caitlyn Jenner essay was just awful. Petersen acknowledges the privilege she has had as a white and wealthy transwoman but then goes on to celebrate her queerness and allyship to the LGBTQ+ community. I want to say that this essay has just not aged well, but I don't think Jenner ever was a true ally making Petersen's analysis just wrong to begin with. Overall, I suggest skipping this one!

Alafair Burke is one of my favorite mystery-thriller writers. She actually has a legal background so her stories are always both compelling and plausible. In this book, Burke explores two storylines: a missing teenager and a murder of a supposed art dealer. While they take place at the same time and have some similarities, they do not ever come together like I thought they would. Despite Long Gone being a suspenseful, unpredictable read, I chose to only give it four out of five stars because of that component of the story. I wish that the author had eventually connected the two storylines because then it would have been a perfect book!

If The Shoe Fits is what One To Watch, another bachelor-inspired book with a plus-sized main character, wanted to be. Murphy's writing succeeds in the mission to be both body-positive and to show that there is more to a character than what their body looks like. Cindy is fat, but guess what? She is also a person!!! (What a concept!!) Overall, this is a lighthearted, fast-paced read. I went back and forth on what I should rate this title but ended up giving it five stars because of the fun I had while reading it. I highly recommend picking up this retelling of the Cinderella story. 

While I normally enjoy Julie Murphy's books, this one was very character-driven. There is nothing wrong with this type of writing, but it is just not my favorite to read. Murphy does a fantastic job crafting each character and I did feel like I "knew" everyone no matter how small their role in the overall story was. The titular character, Ramona, is awkward and quirky, but I did like reading about her life. I am glad I read this book even though I didn't really like it because it made me appreciate Murphy's other stories more. 

I could definitely see one of the major streaming services turning this suspenseful thriller into a movie. The characters in this book are so unique and well-developed which I think would come across really well in a film. With that being said, this debut from Andrews didn't wow me. The plot kind of wanders all over the place (which I think the author was hoping would create suspense, but in actuality just caused confusion), and the ending fell flat. I could think of a hundred better endings for this book and I hope that if I am right about a movie adaptation, they will revisit that part of the story.

The Meeting Point is a lighthearted, fast-paced romance between Maya and a mystery ride share driver. After Maya travels across the country to surprise her long-term boyfriend, she finds out that he has been unfaithful to her after he leaves his phone in a Lyft. The driver unknowingly reveals the truth to her when she messages his phone. The driver and Maya continue to message back and forth throughout the day and she finds herself falling for a guy she only knows through texts. While I enjoyed this book, I thought it was kind of predictable. There is supposed to be some mystery surrounding the Lyft driver's identity, but I figured it out quickly. Overall, this one was just okay. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to others, even if they were looking for a contemporary romance title. 
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(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)