In She Gets the Girl, we follow two college freshwomen as they head to college with very different goals. Alex wants to figure out a way to keep (get back?) her sort-of girlfriend. Molly wants to get the attention of her years-long high school crush. But as they work to help each other out, they get a little distracted along the way.. It’s a sapphic enemies to friends to lovers and it delivers!

This book is cute and fun, with some serious topics covered. Alex can’t get away from having to care for her alcoholic mom. It’s so heartbreaking to see how Alex loves her mom and wants the best for her, but struggles to let go. Alex finds an understanding support system & it’s so heartwarming to read about. 

I also really enjoyed getting to see Molly grow and develop confidence. It was relatable to see her show up to college wanting a new life but not quire sure how exactly to get it. As someone who went to the same college as her brother, I loved to see Molly and her brother’s relationship and how much he supported Molly!!

One thing I did not like was how pushy Alex was with Molly and not being more understanding of Molly’s shyness. There’s a fine line between trying to get someone out of their comfort zone and trying to make them be someone they are not, and Alex really tested that at multiple points in the book. 

I recommend for my queer YA loving people. And the narration is excellent! Each narrator has a distinct voice and does an excellent job. 

 

 

Reading this book was like a look into the mind of an anxious person in a deep depression. At least, it was relatable for me. Also being inside the main character’s mind was a wild ride. Gilda has such an interesting way of thinking, which really kept me interested in the book. I really like the format of the book and the way Emily Austin wrote this as a sort of stream-of-consciousness. We followed a lot of Gilda’s though trains, which were at times funny and very WTF at others. 

As someone who grew up in the Catholic church, so many of Gilda’s moments in the church and church office made my jaw drop but also laugh at the same time. 

The murder investigation plot line of this could have used a little ~more~. It was sort of anti-climatic and I was expecting a little more investigation. I know this was not a murder mystery, but it added to the odd hilariousness of the book. 

There is a very interesting sibling relationship in this book. Gilda’s brother, who lives with their parents, is struggling with substance abuse and their parents are ignoring it. The way Gilda fights to try to get her brother help when she is struggling so much herself tugged at my heartstrings. Gilda also has a sort-of girlfriend who was one of my favorite characters of the book - she kept Gilda grounded I felt. 

Overally, enjoyed reading this. If you choose to read, know you are walking into the mind of the depressed and it’s not all sunshine. While the book is funny, it is also heavy and it can be hard to ‘watch’ Gilda try to stay afloat. 

Representation: fat and Black author, mentions of impacts to lgbtqia+ community 

I have not seen many people talking about this book and that is a shame! Because it is excellent. This book was not written for me as a white woman, but I really value this book for what it taught me about being a Black fat womxn living in today’s times. And I really felt seen in the portions that discuss fatness. 

This book’s description says, “Combatting fatphobia and racism to reclaim a space for womxn at the intersection of fat and Black.” I can’t describe it better myself. Joy dives into what it’s like being in a body at the intersection of fat and Black. The book is broken down into three sections: Belonging, Resistance, and Acceptance. Joy uses a lot of fact-based information, as well as tales from others and her lived experiences to critique diet culture and our society. 

Joy breaks the many myths around fatness and highlights how diet culture has taught us to fear fatness, as well as how society has taught us white is the default. Which should not be the case. . 

This book is important. We owe Black womxn so much for the work they have done to make space for fat folks, and this book is a reminder we can’t forget that. This is a quick read (under 200 pages of text) and I would highly recommend it for anyone. 

 

Representation: depression, sapphic, foster care, asexual-spectrum

Recommend: yes, especially if you love queer and/or sports romances

First of all, no one told me this has a plot line connected to the University of Tennessee (my alma mater!! Though I went to the Chattanooga campus, not Knoxville). Obviously I had to use this UT blanket for the photo since it’s likely the only time I will be able to use it in a photo op haha. 

This book focuses on high school basketball coach Julie who is questioning her sexual and romantic identity and Elle, who has avoided basketball since her WNBA career ended. But Elle has become a foster parent and wants to get her foster child into basketball. 

Loved this book! Anita Kelly is pretty much perfect in my mind. One of the things I loved most about the book was the asexual-spectrum questioning and discussions. Loved loved loved. The exploration and realization that while no one NEEDS labels, they can be really special and really help someone find themselves. 

Another thing I appreciated about this book was how depression is portrayed. And that it is OK to ask for help. 

Foster care is not something discussed in books I read, especially romances, so I found it very insightful to read about. It was cool to get to see the relationship Elle and her cousin formed as they navigated their new world. 

Really adored this book. It got me in my feels! If you have not read Anita Kelly yet, I definitely recommend. 

This one is for the graphic novel and sci fi fans!

I picked this up because I saw someone (I can’t remember who!) recommend this for the queer and fat rep. This is about two non-binary kids who meet and stay in touch into their teen years across universes and throughout a war. Their friendship prevails despite being on opposing ‘teams.’ 

I enjoyed the graphics in this a lot! And the self acceptance of the characters, and the way they accept each other. Everything else was kind of meh. I didn’t really follow the worldbuilding and plot all that well. I didn’t understand the politics of the war super well either. The rebellion and the side that just wanted to live in peace felt relatable for today’s time. It makes you think about oppression and violence, and what is worth fighting for. 

Overall, I enjoyed the vibes of this! Even if I did not understand it entirely.

 

In this Much Ado About Nothing retelling, sworn enemies Bunty and Bobbi are forced to work together on their best friends’ wedding. While also dealing with a shaadi saboteur and fighting their growing feelings for each other. There’s a strong friend group, meddling aunties, a lot of food talk, and family drama. 

I had so much fun with this book! It was very cool to learn more about Desi culture and weddings while falling in love with Bunty and Bobbi. The characters were so lovable & the enemies to lovers was well done IMO. The book is funny and entertaining. Tastes Like Shakkar also discusses the pressures from parents, especially in Desi culture, to be loyal to the family and follow the path that has been set for you. Getting a peek into what that pressure can feel like was very insightful. 

Bobbi is a plus size character and you all know I appreciated that! The plus size rep was so well done. Bobbi was not made to apologize for her size or appearance. 

This book is the second in a series, but it works as a standalone! I did not read the first and did not feel like I was missing anything. 

 

“I think you’ll find your real ending once you stop looking for it.” 

I’m going to be honest: it took me a minute to get into this. But once I did, I was into it. 

Martyr! Follows Cyrus as he tries to find the point of living and a reason to live, after becoming sober. Cyrus’s mother was in a plane that was shot down when he was just a baby and his father left shortly after Cyrus went to college. Poetry, different POVs, and past memories are mixed in throughout the book, providing a good background for how Cyrus got to where he is.

Cyrus’s feelings of loss, grief, and aimlessness will be relatable to many people. The way the author portrays grief in this book is so unique, yet so accurate. We see grief in Cyrus and other characters in different ways throughout the book, and it’s amazing to me how the author could do that. 

This is a book you should really know very little about going into. Know that it is a little weird, there is a lot of talk about death and martyrdom, and it is so gripping once you get into it. It seems like there is no plot at first, but it reveals itself in a beautifully-written way.

 

 TL;DR is that the book spoke to my inner teenager soul and gave her a big hug. I love this book. If you enjoy YA, read it. If you enjoy queer stories, read it. 

“I just want who I am to make sense.” yes, Imogen, yes. 

This book follows when Imogen goes to visit her pansexual BFF at college and to hang with her mostly-queer friend group. Imogen can’t put a finger on why she is so nervous, but as the weekend unravels, she has a little bit of an awakening. 

This story was fun and so sweet, with some fun hijinks and college life mixed in. The story focuses on finding our true selves independent of those around us. I love how the author built this amazing support system around the main character, but was also able to show a not so great friend and why it’s OK to let go of people we once loved as we change. 

While I am not bi, I feel (and reviews have corroborated this) that Albertalli did a great job of showing casual and overt bi-phobia. And how the characters respond and work through that is just amazing. 

I highly highly recommend reading this. And gifting it to a teen in your life!  

 

 From the first chapter, I was mesmerized by the beautiful writing style of this book. The words were almost musical. This book has such an interesting plot and, while I did like it, I didn’t love it. The plot was a little slow paced and I felt like nothing was happening at times, then too much was happening at others.

The symbolism the author uses with the mother and daughter passing by changing the colors of the skin to represent race was brilliant. This story is about the struggles of familial ties and finding yourself, how music can be transformative, and exploration. It really is well written!

I’ll be reading more from this author. 

If I didn’t know before going into this, I would have guessed there were multiple authors to each of these short stories. Each one has its own unique voice, but they all flow so well together. This book felt like eavesdropping on a group of ladies in the restaurant after Sunday church. The stories contain themes of love, family, hate, religion, and loyalty.

The ladies in each story are so different. Across 4 generations, there’s married women and single women. Queer and straight. In love and anti love. One common theme was infidelity. It was especially interesting to see how infidelity appeared to be common in the church circles. I really appreciated how the author’s tone was not judging or condemning, just telling stories.

Even though I don’t usually reach for short stories, I really enjoyed this book. While I did want more from some of the stories, I felt content once I finished the book.

The audiobook is so well narrated!