My main thought on this book: it is so FUNNY yet still has so much DEPTH. I laughed out loud many times while listening to the audiobook. But don’t let that fool you: this book tackles heavier topics, such as domestic abuse, sexism, poverty, and oppression. All of which are still daily life for people living in India. The women in this book take a stand and it is awesome! The author’s approach to these topics is so well done.

Another big theme of this book is friendship and sisterhood. The way the women in this village band together (enthusiastically and not so enthusiastically) to lift each other up and take care of their families is so cool. While not all of the characters are likable, you will looove this group of women who band together.

Another thing about this book that I really enjoyed is the folktales woven throughout. The Bandit Queen is based on a real ‘dacoit’ (bandit) that ended up becoming a member of parliament. And she was assassinated! I thought this was a very fitting icon for this book.

I also have to add an important note that there is a dog, Bandit, who Geeta rescues at the beginning of the book that adds humor to this book. Who doesn’t love a book with a dog?!
 

 

I cried my eyes out at multiple points throughout this book. I wish I could explain in this post my feelings reading this, but words are hard. I will try though! 

At First Spite has amazing fat representation. The main character, Athena, simply is fat and it’s not discussed. Her attractiveness is not debated. It just is. And I LOVED that. I also loved the insta love in this, which I am usually hesitant to accept. But Olivia mastered it.

Other things I loved about this book and need to share: 

Athena buys a spite house in this, which ends up being a fun plot point. Also - this is the second book I’ve read with a spite house and loved. Maybe this is a mini trope I am into??

I recommend this romance if you are looking for a little bit of seriousness 

 

 

In my opinion, Nightcrawling is a book that is hard to read but is important to read. This book is based on a true story of an Oakland, California (the setting of the book) case involving an underage sex worker, 28 officers, and sex trafficking. Nightcrawling focuses on the point of view of the character based on the sex worker, of the voice we don’t usually hear. The book is very well written and will keep you interested. I found it hard to read at times because I know the raw descriptions of poverty, hunger, exploitation, drug abuse, and systemic racism are very accurate. 

Throughout this story, we see how many people in Kiara’s life have disappointed her. Her parents, her brother, and her extended family. One of the beautiful things about the story is we get to see Kiara fight for her found family and fight for survival. The reader gets to see Kiara find herself in a way as she enters adulthood. We also get to see glimpses of joy in Kiara’s life in her relationship with her neighbor-turned-sorta-son Trevor and her more-than-friend BFF. 

 

 

I want to take Darius and hug him and tell him high school will be over one day and life will improve immensely after that!!

Darius is an Iranian American high school student just trying to fit in. He feels to Iranian amongst his peers, but too white and American in regards to his Iranian heritage and family. I felt so much for Darius! The way he felt left out of his own family, constantly compared himself to his sister, and just wanted to be SEEN was so relatable and understandable. 

This book follows Darius and his family as they travel to Iran, a place Darius should feel ties to, but has never visited. I love following the story of Darius getting to know his grandparents and finding himself. The self-discovery journey that Darius goes on was inspiring. This book is queer, but in a subtle way that I really appreciated. Being queer is not always about love and relationships and such, and the author does a wonderful job of incorporating that into this book. 

Also, the author alludes to Darius being plus size or not thin, and you know I love to see this, especially for a male character! 

The fact Darius is aware of his depression in high school and is medicated for it is amazing. Yay for destigmatizing medication and depression!! 

 

 

Fair warning: this is a book I did not enjoy. 

I was drawn to this book because it has a plus size female main character and it’s sapphic. But unfortunately this book was not for me. 

The main character, Mickey, returns to her hometown after being replaced at her job and having a falling out with her partner. 

Mickey was so ANNOYING to me. And not in a way that she grows throughout the story. A character who does not listen to their best friends even when they give plenty of evidence, is not a character I like!! ANd she kept making the same mistake over and over again. It was a vicious cycle of being in Mickey’s head: she would convince herself something was OK, learn it was not, convince herself to avoid it, and then suddenly repeat the cycle. It’s hard for me to enjoy a book when the character is flawed and has really no growth throughout the book. 

I do appreciate how this book highlights racism in the media and journalism worlds. The author highlights how people of color in certain industries have to work so much harder to be seen and valued. And about how much white feminism infiltrates these spaces. This made me think a lot! 

Overall, I would not recommend it. The ending was very disappointing and none of the characters really stuck out to me. 

 

 

This romance is centered around chess & two young adult chess players. And it is so fun! I had such a good time reading this. I personally have never played chess, so did not understand the moves they were making, but loved the story nonetheless. And the ending!! So cute. This one made me giggle! 

We get to see a lot of growth from the main character. Also, there are fun side character friends who will make you laugh. 

I originally classified this as insta-love, but a friend pointed out it was not really insta-love but sort of insta-want. And that made me realize why I enjoyed it more than I usually do insta-love. 

Despite really enjoying this one, I did not enjoy how much the mom puts on her 18 year old daughter. Or allows her to take on. It almost made me give up on the book in the beginning, but I am glad I stuck with it!!