This was an excellent dual POV, queer middle grade coming of age story featuring the complicated relationship between two best friends and their time This was an excellent dual POV, queer middle grade coming of age story featuring the complicated relationship between two best friends and their time at theatre camp one summer working on a production of Wicked. I loved the disability and fat rep in this book! It was done so well and I learned a lot about Dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical coordination. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Maya plays the part by Calyssa Erb....more
3.5 rounded up - I was really looking forward to this book about Rich, a British man who gets diagnosed with a brain tumor and only has months to live3.5 rounded up - I was really looking forward to this book about Rich, a British man who gets diagnosed with a brain tumor and only has months to live. Told in alternating POVs from Rich, his wife, Ruth, their son Ollie, who is on the spectrum as well as their extended family members - this book covers a number of heavy issues as the characters deal with their grief over the loss of the man they all loved. As a brain tumor survivor myself, I really connected with Rich, especially with his love of cheese and his deep love of life and his family. What I didn't love so much about this book was how many different perspectives there were. I felt the author tried to do too much instead of focusing on just a few characters. Ruth grapples with a deep-seated depression after her husband's death (something that runs in her family), while still trying to be there for her son, who is struggling to find meaning in life after losing his dad. Rich's mother is not just trying to support her daughter in law and grandson but trying to do right by her husband who is suffering from worsening dementia and needing more care than she can give. In addition, Ruth's sister and mom are also working through their own issues and grief. It all gets to be a little much and in my opinion this book would have been stronger with a few fewer perspectives. Overall very well written and tackles hard topics but I wanted more (or rather less). Recommended for people who enjoy stories about families dealing with loss and grief in their own different ways and great on audio with a full cast of narrators. Thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy!...more
A heartwarming story about mothers and daughters, the challenges of balancing work and motherhood and finding joy in old age. I loved the premise of tA heartwarming story about mothers and daughters, the challenges of balancing work and motherhood and finding joy in old age. I loved the premise of this book set in a Florida retirement community where a group of seniors form a synchro swimming team and try to win a regional competition. With three generations of women in one family trying to reconcile their past hurts, this was a moving intergenerational story that was great on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!...more
While this wasn't my favorite of the DC Eagles Hockey series, it was still a heartwarming, feel-good, marriage of convenience romance with great neuroWhile this wasn't my favorite of the DC Eagles Hockey series, it was still a heartwarming, feel-good, marriage of convenience romance with great neurodiversity and disability rep. I love that it was two childhood friends, a single mother/pro hockey player pairing, and absolutely fell in love with team captain Ford and his giant marshmallow heart! Great on audio and highly recommended for fan of authors like Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!...more
This was an extremely emotionally charged YA romance between a Latina teen street racer and a neurodivergent aspiring astronaut. Perfect for fans of tThis was an extremely emotionally charged YA romance between a Latina teen street racer and a neurodivergent aspiring astronaut. Perfect for fans of the Fast & the Furious franchise, this book was beautifully written with gorgeous prose and magical lines that had my heart melting! It was also full of drama, found family, first love, grief, loss and lots of action. It was amazing on audio narrated by Stacey Gonzales and I can't recommend it enough!! Many thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!...more
A raw, honest look at life in the aftermath of their last viral hit book about autism and their continued struggles with anxiety, depression and beingA raw, honest look at life in the aftermath of their last viral hit book about autism and their continued struggles with anxiety, depression and being neurodivergent, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Great on audio and highly recommended for anyone looking to see themselves through the life of a fellow autistic writer/person. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!...more
WOW!! All the stars for this impressive, creative, unputdownable sophomore novel from the author of The wishing game! It's really hard to top a stellaWOW!! All the stars for this impressive, creative, unputdownable sophomore novel from the author of The wishing game! It's really hard to top a stellar debut but Meg Shaffer has certainly done it with The lost story!
A modern fairy tale with nods to The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and perfect for fans of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Fionavar Tapestry series or the television show, Once upon a time with its amazing fairy tale twists.
I loved the mix of modern and fantasy, the parallel world, the bonds of sisterhood, friendship and queer love plus the complicated, messy family dynamics of an emotionally and physically abusive, homophobic parent. There was also excellent disability rep in the form of a Schizophrenic parent who committed suicide.
Other parts I loved about this book included the chapter asides by the omniscient mysterious 'storyteller,' and the epic quest nature of the book where the characters are forced to make terribly hard decisions about life and love.
Amazing on audio narrated by Jorjeana Marie and HIGHLY recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!
A husband and wife duo who were on the Amazing Race describe their experience as a person living with ADHD and a partner/caregiver and what being in tA husband and wife duo who were on the Amazing Race describe their experience as a person living with ADHD and a partner/caregiver and what being in the supportive role for someone with ADHD is like. Both personal stories and an advice book for those living with ADHD or someone who has it (a partner or child). It was good on audio and had some helpful tips. Definitely worth a read even if (like me) you had no idea who the authors were before picking up the book....more
A strong start to a workplace romance series by a new to me indie author that features a female coder brought in to help get a project under control aA strong start to a workplace romance series by a new to me indie author that features a female coder brought in to help get a project under control and the playboy coder all star who needs her help to become a better leader.
This was a fun, forbidden romance with a single mom, great Steminist rep set in Texas. There's spice, emotional depth and lots of banter between the two leads. It was also great on audio narrated by Stephanie Kay and Julio Maxwell.
Many thanks to Homecooked Books for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review! I look forward to reading more in this series and definitely recommend for fans of Susannah Nix and Ali Hazelwood....more
An incredibly moving and vulnerable collection of essays from a diverse group of disabled individuals and I am just so grateful that Alice Wong manageAn incredibly moving and vulnerable collection of essays from a diverse group of disabled individuals and I am just so grateful that Alice Wong managed to find the strength and time to compile and edit this book in the midst of her own recent health challenges.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many of these essays were written by neurodivergent authors and there was a number that cover topics such as the complex caregiver-"patient" relationship and the toll that takes on both as well as the unique level of intimacy and trust involved in such relationships (something not talked about a lot).
Other essays talk about the challenges of finding romantic partners or taking control of their sexuality in various ways to celebrate and profit from their disabled bodies. All of these essays are deeply personal and offer new insights into disabled love, desire and intimacy and I couldn't have enjoyed it any more if I tried.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this incredible book. This is a must read for both disabled and able bodied folks alike and a wonderful companion to Wong's earlier book, Disability visibility....more
This was a GREAT YA coming of age story featuring two neurodiverse teens, both volunteer at the Zoo and love aquatic invertebrates, especially the octThis was a GREAT YA coming of age story featuring two neurodiverse teens, both volunteer at the Zoo and love aquatic invertebrates, especially the octopus. I loved how the main character, Evvie identifies with the way the octopus is able to camouflage (aka "mask") to fit in with their environment.
This book does an excellent job describing what it's like to be neurotypical, the bullying and ableism that is rampant from other neurotypicals (fellow students and teachers alike). Highly recommended for fans of authors like Elle McNicoll, Jackie Khalilieh and Calyssa Erb....more
This was a super fun enemies to lovers romcom set in the author's Royal series and also takes place in London when Daisy, a LARP loving woman with extThis was a super fun enemies to lovers romcom set in the author's Royal series and also takes place in London when Daisy, a LARP loving woman with extreme anxiety takes a chance on a summer job teaching the "Knight school programme" the only problem? There's a disgraced distant royal relative, Theo who is doing all he can to get kicked out of the program and at the same time risking Daisy's place in the program.
I loved the mental health and #ownvoices Neurodiversity rep in this book and the way the two MCs finally got to know each other once they opened up about their deeper insecurities. Great on audio and another great read by Megan Clawson! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Plus the adorable pink cover was impossible to resist!...more
A delightfully quirky coming of age debut featuring a young Chinese American man living in 1990s New York City and his obsession with fi3.5 rounded up
A delightfully quirky coming of age debut featuring a young Chinese American man living in 1990s New York City and his obsession with finding meaning in numbers.
When Young Wang is told that everyone gets only 7 true loves in their lives he is put into a mental quandry contemplating that the sixth woman he falls for and believes is his "one" might not be if he still has one more to come.
Good on audio narrated by Eunice Wong, this was a well written and really interesting love story that leaves readers with three possible epilogue endings.
The book also explores choice vs destiny and the idea of “fated mates” and would make a really great book club pick sure to spark tons of conversations.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
While this one wasn't totally my style (there was a lot of stream of consciousness style thinking/dialogue) it was still a very interest3.5 rounded up
While this one wasn't totally my style (there was a lot of stream of consciousness style thinking/dialogue) it was still a very interesting read with a lot of wit and a great cast of queer and diverse characters. Told in alternating POVs mainly between two Maaori-Russian-Catalonian siblings, Greta and Valdin as they navigate life, love, sexual identity and at times less than satisfactory careers. The book has been compared to Schitt's Creek and I can definitely see that but it is also very much uniquely its own. Good on audio and worth the read if you're looking for something a bit different with great writing. I really enjoyed the New Zealand and Argentina settings and all the family drama!...more
This was a dark psychological thriller debut that deep dives into mental health, complicated mother-daughter relationships and the challenges of livinThis was a dark psychological thriller debut that deep dives into mental health, complicated mother-daughter relationships and the challenges of living with OCD. I really found this one equally captivating and at times hard to read as the main female character struggles with postpartum depression and extreme OCD. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Sandra SG Wong. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
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