Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC of Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe in exchange for an honest review. This book is a fast-paced contemporaryThank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC of Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe in exchange for an honest review. This book is a fast-paced contemporary retelling about sisters who turn into snakes in Chinese mythology. I enjoyed reading this book because it's funny and glamorous. While I found it a bit middle-of-the-road, it was still a lot of fun to read. I expect that changes will be made once the final book is published later this year but I'm sure it'll be well-liked by audiences. There were times when things were unnecessarily wordy and borderline mundane which took me out of the story but the good moments were great. It sags a little in the middle but being able to read about these sisters and the things they go through in their day-to-day lives was interesting. Emerald was suffering in New York and her sister Su was suffering as well in Singapore. When they came together, I felt a spark but I also liked the invisible strings that bound them. All in all it's a pretty solid book but I don't know how memorable it will be for me....more
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of You're Embarrassing Yourself by Desiree Akhavan in exchange for an honest review. This Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of You're Embarrassing Yourself by Desiree Akhavan in exchange for an honest review. This memoir consists of funny and highly relatable stories that further validate my belief that we might never figure out what our purpose is in life and that's fine. I've been a fan of Desiree Akhavan for a while so I am excited to pick up a copy of this memoir. As a creative writer and aspiring filmmaker, I can relate to having ideas crushed by the obsession with making money. Being in that space between wanting to be creative and not wanting to be homeless is a tough spot. I felt seen in many of these stories but most importantly, I appreciate Desiree Akhavan's honesty and takes on life. It's painful but funny—a little nihilist but also hopeful. It's not the most organized but it's relatively easy to follow! It's more like a 3.5 for me!...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler in exchange for an honest review. This book takes on modern femThank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler in exchange for an honest review. This book takes on modern femininity, art, relationships, and mental illnesses in a relatable and darkly funny way. Nearly every character in this book is unhinged and I was thoroughly entertained. While I wish it could be stronger in some areas, I was immediately swept away. This is another millennial narrative, but I don't mind it that much as a millennial. I'm from the South and I understand what it's like to be in one of the big cities on the coast. You feel like you're constantly on the go and the things you tolerate tend to build up over time until you lose it. The writing is sharp, witty, and hilarious. I'm just starting this new decade of life but I've already had so many "at this point I just have to laugh" moments and I expect that to continue. Your 30s are weird. People are either still acting like 20-year-olds or they are full-fledged adults. Half of your friends are married with kids and a mortgage and the other half are still on Hinge and getting drunk every weekend. I think that's beautiful and this book describes that. ...more
Thank you to Netgalley and The New Press for the ARC of The Miracle of the Black Leg: Notes on Race, Human Bodies, and the Spirit of the Law by PatricThank you to Netgalley and The New Press for the ARC of The Miracle of the Black Leg: Notes on Race, Human Bodies, and the Spirit of the Law by Patricia J. Williams in exchange for an honest review. I feel awkward giving this a rating because it's honestly a 3.5 for me and I don't want this to seem like a bad book because it's not. These are well-written and researched essays on the human body, law, and race. I learned so many interesting and crazy things in this book. So much of the insane laws on the human body can go back to slavery which proves that American Slavery is a necessary subject to teach students in school because it reveals a lot about law enforcement, society, race, and science. This loses me because it feels like reading a textbook and it's not that entertaining. For someone who likes to read for enjoyment while also learning new things, that's an issue for me. It's a 3.5 because it could easily go between a 4 and a 3. It's not something I would recommend for a casual read or if you're curious. It's a handy book if someone is studying Critical Race Theory though. ...more
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC of Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant . . . and Completely OvThank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC of Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant . . . and Completely Over It in exchange for an honest review. I liked this! I'm a big fan of Lester Fabian Brathwaite, I think he's such a brilliant writer and I'll read his opinion on just about any topic. Rage is a collection of ten essays that detail his observations on Blackness, queerness, race, sexuality, society, and culture. His views on America and the obsession with white supremacy in an almost cult-like way are opinions that I agree with and see daily. The chapter "Gifted" stuck out to me because what does it mean to be young, Black, and gifted in America anyway? What do we get out of it? I enjoyed the book's second half more than the first, which explains this rating. It's not that I thought the first half was bad, it was heading for a "DNF" and I cannot forget that. Ultimately, this is a 3.5 read for me. Some of the more personal views and preferences are where I disagree with him and it took me out of it but his analysis of the world as a whole is so sharp, witty, and on point. ...more
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of Butter by Asako Yuzuki, translated from Japanese by Polly BartThank you so much to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of Butter by Asako Yuzuki, translated from Japanese by Polly Barton. When I read the premise of this book, I was so excited to pick it up because it sounded wildly entertaining and interesting. Unhinged and complicated women in literary fiction are my favorite characters to read about. I couldn't believe that I could get a copy of this because it sounded like the book of the summer. However, when I read this book I realized that it was not what I imagined. I see that a lot of other people are mentioning the translation and I have to agree with them. Once I realized what type of book I'd get, I lowered my expectations and had a good time. It's a more intimate perspective of Japanese women navigating societal norms. It wasn't as unsettling as the blurb promised but I enjoyed the descriptions of food and the obsessive detail of preparation and plating. I don't recommend reading this when you're hungry. ...more
First of all, thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Swans of Harlem by KFirst of all, thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby. This was an expansive account of Arthur Mitchell and the foundation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem which included five Black ballerinas; Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin. Before Misty Copeland became the first Black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, these women were touring the world and bringing the idea of Black classical ballerinas to people who couldn't even imagine it.
I am not shy about reading about Black history. I am well aware of the fact that there are many Black trailblazers whose stories have been lost to history or white-washed so I've read many books and accounts about people like this. I am very familiar with the Dance Theatre of Harlem so it was easy for me to get an idea of who these women are and I quickly understood their stories. The book starts like most biographies about lesser-known figures. I was more interested in how they got into ballet and their lives after they retired from dancing. The middle is where the book sags for me. Again, it's not lost on me that Black people have to be spectacular and perfect. Nothing mentioned in this book about racism, misogynoir, and colorism taught me anything new about either of those things and so when the book begins to focus more on that, it was difficult for me to read through it. Not because those topics are painful, but because I am used to talking and thinking about them. I wanted a bit more of these women's stories and this book did a great job of breaking down these five Black ballerinas and giving a historical account.
It's great for people with little to no knowledge of ballet culture or Black history, but it can feel repetitive for those who are fully invested in both. This is more like a 3.5....more
I will write a much longer review on this whenever the weather permits but thank you so much to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC of Didion and BabitI will write a much longer review on this whenever the weather permits but thank you so much to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC of Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik in exchange for an honest review. Like most literary communities, I am enamored and intrigued by Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. Joan's work fell into my lap more naturally as a girl who grew up wanting to become a journalist. "Creative nonfiction" is a genre that has swept me away for most of my life. I came across Eve Babitz a bit later and in my mind, they have always been in that realm of LA writers who could capture the city's essence. I have to be honest, I am not usually interested in the personal lives of writers that I admire because I believe it's like meeting a hero, I don't care to know about their less-than-admirable qualities. I fear that knowing makes me enjoy their work less but I'm slowly getting out of that. So, I went into this relatively blind. I did not read Lili Anolik's "Hollywood Eve" book before this but I wish that I did because this book references it a lot. I knew a bit more about Joan Didion's personal life through a biographical sense because of the documentary "The Center Will Not Hold" directed by Griffin Dunne, her nephew (and the iconic actor). With Eve, I knew nothing besides some of her semi-autobiographical work so this was my first introduction to Eve Babitz the person.
Here, I learned that she idolized Marilyn Monroe and had ambitions to be an artist. I was able to understand why she felt inspired and betrayed by Joan Didion and Didion's alignment with masculinity to protect herself. Human beings are complicated and these were complicated and thoughtful women. Lili Anolik fleshes out these iconic women and her connection to Eve Babitz through hundreds of interviews helped me better understand where Eve could have been coming from. I felt like I knew a lot about Eve Babitz after this. I gravitate more towards Joan Didion and her sensibilities because I've read more about Joan and she died as the most iconic American woman writer. So, it's no surprise there. Lili did not have the same access to Joan (did anyone?) and so it felt like Joan and Dunne popped in and out of focus throughout this book. I didn't mind that at all though because I was able to see a different side to her that isn't just praise. I feel myself rambling so I'll end it here for now....more
First, a huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for the ARC of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors in exchange for First, a huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for the ARC of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors in exchange for an honest review. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year after I unexpectedly fell in love with Coco's debut Cleopatra and Frankenstein and immediately knew that I'd add her books to the list of authors I'll always check out. Blue Sisters focuses on three sisters; Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky who are all navigating life after the loss of their sister Nicole. Each of the sisters is trying (and failing) in different ways to move on. Avery lives in London and experienced extreme lows with drug addiction before overcoming and becoming a lawyer. Avery lives with her wife and she's the oldest of the sisters who seems to have it together. Bonnie is a bodybuilder and the second oldest of the sisters who embraces her childhood trauma and guilt by welcoming physical pain to her body. Finally, Lucky lives in Paris and is a model. Lucky has many self-destructive tendencies and as the baby of the family, she was raised by Nicole. Besides Nicole, their mother is a force in their lives even though she doesn't appear in the book.
This book feels strangely intimate and tender. While it's not as juicy as her first book, it is a portrait of sisterhood and family scars. I am close with my sister and I wholeheartedly agree with the opening of the book that mentions that sisters are part of each other before we even realize it. She's more than a friend to me and I spend a lot of my time thinking about her. I love reading about intimate relationships between women and a group of sisters hit close to home. To some, this might seem like another book about a complex family but it's startlingly mature and written with a lot of heart....more
I gotta be honest. In the two years since reading Fevered Star my love affair with fantasy books ended. It's mostly due to the publishing industry thoI gotta be honest. In the two years since reading Fevered Star my love affair with fantasy books ended. It's mostly due to the publishing industry though, a lot of these fantasy books are drawn out into series that outgrow the plot and interest. I planned to just never finish this series but since it's the last one, I decided to pick up Mirrored Heavens. To put it as simply as possible, I am giving this three stars purely on the writing, worldbuilding, and my prior interest in these characters. I guess you could say this book earns a star for each thing.
The numerous negatives are outlined in the average to negative reviews. The main thing for me is the god-awful pacing. I kid you not, nothing happens in this book until we are roughly 35 chapters in. I saw a review that mentioned how nothing happened until we are 500 out of almost 600 pages overall and that is a fair assessment. Narampa and Xiala are nearly unrecognizable compared to how cool they were in the first book. Serapio's character arc is the most cohesive of the main three characters.
The writing and worldbuilding are as excellent as ever. I enjoyed the descriptions of the culture and I can tell that Rebecca Roanhorse has a clear vision of this Pre-Columbian world. I don't agree with some of the choices made here. Ultimately, it was a lot and a long reading experience that missed the mark for me. The last 100 pages were page-turners but unfortunately, that does not make up for 500 pages of slog.
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