What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

The past month has included red (April) books and orange (May) books. A lot of disappointing reads, honestly, but a few good ones. Here's what I've been reading!

You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney: There were a lot of challenges I had with this book, but the biggest one was that McKinney lacks a central thesis. While I loved her as host of Normal Gossip, I think this is unfortunately a case of someone who had enough name recognition that the publisher was content to sell copies on that and didn't insist it be tightened up into what could have been a really great book.

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig: I hated every single adult in this book. Even by the end there weren't really any good examples of how to interact with a traumatized, autistic teenager like Ginny; if the author was trying to only show worst-case scenarios, I'm not sure what they point of this was. The depiction of the foster care system made no sense (and not in the way the real one doesn't make sense sometimes). While I liked the unpredictability of the plot, I can't think of any reason to recommend this.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: This was a wild ride! There's a lot that I enjoyed about it, particularly the way that the book's structure (a compilation of chat/call transcripts, memos, analysis of surveillance footage, and so on) was brought to life via a full audiobook cast. I did eventually feel exhausted by the relentless near-death experiences, but I know many readers would love this for that reason!

Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 by Sarah Schulman: This was a fascinating read for so many reasons. I loved the practical takeaways and learning about the complex tensions within this activist organization. I struggled a bit with the way Schulman structured this book and think it was longer than it needed to be, but I still took a lot away from this read.

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo: This was quite the twisty feminist revenge fantasy thriller! While I saw a couple of the twists coming, the one halfway through — which possibly should have been the most obvious, in retrospect — made my jaw literally drop. While the multiple murders and the terrorizing of women meant it wasn't a story I wanted to linger in, I am duly impressed by Fargo's writing skills and would recommend this to anyone who can stomach the too-real pieces.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See: This is one of those unfortunate books where the plot is built around the author's research rather than the other way around, so the seams show through — rather than following an engaging, coherent plot whose realism is bolstered by background research, we get a plot that zigs and zags from the cultural practices of the Akha people to the complex feelings of transracial adoptees to everything you could ever want to know about the tea industry. I think it would be great for a book club discussion, but it wasn't one I personally resonated with.

Circe by Madeline Miller: Madeline Miller is a great storyteller, and Perdita Weeks an excellent audiobook narrator, which made it easy to devour this story in less than a week. While this isn't a personal favorite of mine, I can see why so many have enjoyed it and I'm glad to have finally read it.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: You Know, Sex, Dracula, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, Money for Couples, and Parable of the Talents
Five years ago I was reading: Abuelita Faith, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, Womanist Midrash, and Fun Home
Ten years ago I was reading: The Husband's Secret, The Fellowship of the Ring, Will I Ever Be Good Enough?, and The Name of God Is Mercy

Best of the Bunch (April 2026)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in April.

Of the 7 books I read this month, I didn't have another 5-star reads, but I had one 4.5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

There were elements of Listen for the Lie that reminded me of The Girl on the Train, particularly the protagonist's amnesia around the night of her best friend's murder and her apparent inability to make good decisions generally, and there were definitely other tropes that made this somewhat predictable, but ultimately none of that took away from my enjoyment. I also really liked the story alternating with podcast episodes, similar to Sadie, and like that book, it was excellent on audio. Despite one egregious consistency error, on the whole, I really enjoyed this listen!

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: You Know, Sex, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, All About Love, and The Vanderbeekers of 141 Street
Five years ago I was reading: Kate in Waiting, Womanist Midrash, and Freddie Ramos Adds It All Up
Ten years ago I was reading: The Husband's Secret, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Church of Mercy 

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

The past month has included pink (March) and red (April) books. Here's what I've been reading!

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon: This was a surprisingly entertaining history lesson on ancient Rome and the way that killing of various sorts was regarded. There are plenty of wild stories throughout, not to mention details that may turn your stomach. But whether you pick this up for the Roman history lesson or the humor, it's an interesting lesson in how the concept of "murder" varies between times and places.

We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan ed. by Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma: This was a remarkable collection. Sullivan's writing itself is clear and compelling, and I found it fascinating to accompany him so intimately on this life journey of being one of the first openly gay trans men. I appreciate the immense effort that the editors put into whittling down Sullivan's diaries into something so focused and readable.

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler: Through the story of three best friends separated by the machinations of Hitler's Europe, we see three very different experiences of that time period: the Jewish family that got away, the Jewish family that didn't, and the non-Jewish family that gained power and prestige through Hitler's regime. The characters and their stories felt real, at times painfully so, and I think Kessler does an excellent job of helping a middle grade reader understand what it might have been like to live through that period of time.

Here for It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas: This was fine. I appreciated the parts that were funny and some of his more sincere reflections on life (I truly enjoyed the play in the last chapter), and I have a feeling that, while this collection as a whole felt uneven and not my favorite, there will be distinct moments from his life story that stick with me past this reading.

Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers by Chip Heath and Karla Starr: This feels kind of intentionally like an offshoot of Made to Stick, focusing narrowly on helping people really grasp any numerical information you might be trying to convey. Although I'd heard many of the analogies (or "translations") they shared in the book, such as converting the history of the universe into a single day, having them collected in one place and their principles laid out clearly was helpful.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera: I devoured this in just a few days! There were elements of this that reminded me of The Girl on the Train, and there were definitely other tropes that made this somewhat predictable, but ultimately none of that took away from my enjoyment. I highly recommend this on audio.

Shrill: Women Are Funny, It's Okay to Be Fat, and Feminists Don't Have to Be Nice by Lindy West: The core elements that West writes about — anti-abortion rhetoric, fatphobia, online trolls, sexual assault — are certainly all still present today, and she is incisive and funny in the way she tackles these issues, and also, there are elements that didn't age well. I can see why it got such positive attention when first published, but it's probably not the first thing I'm going to hand someone that deals with any of these issues.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: You Know, Sex, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, and The Vanderbeekers of 141 Street
Five years ago I was reading: A Pocket Full of Rye, Womanist Midrash, Freddie Ramos Rules New York and Rick
Ten years ago I was reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Ragtime, and A People's History of the United States

Best of the Bunch (March 2026)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in March.

Of the 7 books I read this month, I had one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story was, dare I say, fabulous. Tobia is a delightful narrator on audio of their own story. I appreciate that they called out upfront that there is a typical, cookie-cutter "trans narrative" and that their story wasn't going to follow that at all. Instead, what followed was a real, messy, humorous recounting of their experiences from childhood through college as they grappled with societal expectations for their assigned gender and then eventually the complex journey of discovering their own gender identity and how they could best express that. Tobia's writing is alternately snarky and soulful; even at 27, they knew how to turn a phrase and then turn around and laugh at their own seriousness. They skillfully capture how their relationship with their parents doesn't fit into neat boxes of "accepting" or "rejecting." They have an absolutely must-read chapter on tokenism and their experience being accepted as a token on campus. I loved this from start to finish and would highly recommend, especially on audio.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Esperanza Rising, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, and Fearing the Black Body
Five years ago I was reading: Tess of the Road, Womanist Midrash, and How the Irish Became White
Ten years ago I was reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Under the Banner of Heaven, and A People's History of the United States

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Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for another seasonal check-in! I finished all the books on my Winter TBR. I'm still really enjoying my rainbow reading year! I'm finishing up March (pink) and planning what I'll be reading in April (red), May (orange), and June (yellow). Here are some of the books I've picked out for this season!

1. Big Friendship by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

2. Butts by Heather Radke

3. Circe by Madeline Miller

4. Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

5. Laundry Love by Patric Richardson and Karin Miller

6. Let the Record Show by Sarah Shulman

7. Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

8. Shrill by Lindy West

9. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

10. This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick

What do you plan to read this spring (or fall if you're in the southern hemisphere)?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Esperanza Rising, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, It's Perfectly Normal, and Everything Is Tuberculosis
Five years ago I was reading: Tess of the Road, Womanist Midrash, and How the Irish Became White
Ten years ago I was reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Spark Joy, Cold Sassy Tree, and A People's History of the United States

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

I'm continuing to enjoy my project for the year of reading books of a specific cover color each month. February was gray; March is pink. It's forced me to set aside preconceptions about a book or what I think I'm in the mood for and just read a wide variety within a specific parameter (though it turns out the pink books on my TBR are mostly nonfiction!). Here's what I've read in the past month.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson: There were elements of this that I really liked: the trial scenes, the mystery, the lush descriptions, the historical elements of Japanese internment and discrimination. On the other hand, there was wayyy too much in here about male characters and their penises. If this had been a shorter book with more mystery and less penis, I think I would have liked it a lot better.

Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson: Sanderson is a talented writer, and I enjoyed spending more time with these characters, even if this felt a little heavy-handed at times, like he was writing with an agenda. The central mystery was engaging, the characters are delightful, and I laughed out loud multiple times.

It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd: Through interviews and ethnographic studies of teens across the United States, along with research from other scholars, boyd looks out how teens use the social internet and what adults get right and wrong about it. I appreciate that boyd approached this topic with a scientific lens and pushed back on some of the alarmist rhetoric about kids and the internet. I think sometimes she pushes too far in the other direction, but it's nonetheless a helpful counterpoint to much of the discourse that tends to drive these conversations.

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia: Far from the cis-friendly, cookie-cutter trans narrative, this is a real, messy, humorous recounting of Tobia's experiences starting from childhood grappling with societal expectations for their assigned gender and then eventually the complex journey of discovering their own gender identity. I loved this from start to finish and would highly recommend, especially on audio.

The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend Is My Girlfriend: Advice on Queer Dating, Love, and Friendship by Maddy Court: I would not recommend this at all. There are a handful of gems throughout (mainly from the guest contributors), but mostly I was frustrated by the advice provided here. More than once I said out loud, "Did you even read the question?" It was disappointing.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib: This was good, but I wanted more from it. It was short and felt disjointed; the story of their childhood was interesting, but then we make a sudden pivot to only talking about their queerness, something not really mentioned in the first half of the book, and they elide their journey of self-discovery to get to that point in a way I found odd for a memoir.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Only Plane in the Sky, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, It's Perfectly Normal, and Killfile
Five years ago I was reading: I Shall Be Near to You, The Body Keeps the Score, and Freddie Ramos Takes Off
Ten years ago I was reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Borderlands, Cold Sassy Tree, and The Book of Mormon

Ten Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

This week's topic is book titles that have ordinal numbers in them. Here are ten that I've read or are on my to-read list that have ordinal numbers, arranged in numerical order!

1. The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins

2. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

3. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

4. Third Girl by Agatha Christie

5. Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson

6. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

7. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

8. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

9. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

10. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

What books have you read with ordinal numbers in the title?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Only Plane in the Sky, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, It's Perfectly Normal, and Killfile
Five years ago I was reading: The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Body Keeps the Score, and James and the Giant Peach
Ten years ago I was reading: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Borderlands, The Rise and Fall of the Bible, and The Book of Mormon