The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean: This was a painfully accurate rendering of a fifth-grader's diary, if that fifth-grader was dealing with incest and being trans on top of all the usual friend drama and feeling awkward and lonely. The result is a kind of unrelenting heaviness that I found hard to get through. This may be valuable if you've never read a trans memoir or #ownvoices novel with a trans character, but it wouldn't be my first rec.
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee: On the whole, I really liked this post-apocalyptic YA sci-fi story with an authentically diverse cast. The plot was quite predictable, but if you're down to embrace the tropes of sci-fi and superhero stories with a queer Asian twist, then I'd recommend it.
Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee: I still loved the characters from the first book, but the plotting was rough on this one. The first part just retells the first book from a different perspective, and then the protagonist repeatedly seeks out trouble for no apparent reason. All that said, I still enjoyed the diverse representation, the character dialogue, and the interesting plot developments.
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie: I liked this one, even though I picked out the culprit early on and not all of the plot points totally add up. This one showcased the skill of Miss Marple's particular brand of detecting (being a chatty old lady who can ask nosy questions without suspicion) better than some others.
Drinking the Rain: A Memoir by Alix Kates Shulman: I read this over the course of almost a month, mostly because it begs to be read slowly, in the same way that Shulman lived on her island retreat — carefully and methodically learning what was edible and how to prepare it and spending large parts of each day collecting, preparing, and eating that day's meals. At times the detail was a little too much, but on the whole I really appreciated her reflections.
Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman: This book is just pure queer joy. Nick and Charlie are both adorable cinnamon rolls and the relationship between them is amazing. Near the end I legit giggled with tears running down my face because everything was too precious for words.
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram: Khorram's YA books are unlike anything else I've read, and I'm so grateful he's out here telling new and authentic stories. Hunter has to grapple with being a queer teen in the public eye after the band he formed with his friends in high school skyrockets to international fame, and everyone (represented through pitch-perfect news articles, emails, blog posts, tweets, etc.) has an opinion about who he should be and how he should act.
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch: This book was so much fun! I'm not sure it would be quite as enthralling for some who doesn't live at the intersection of comm major and data analyst like I do, but I found it fascinating and engaging from start to finish. I learned a ton and laughed out loud many times, which for me makes this a top-notch nonfiction pick.
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior: This was an engaging and highly validating book on parenting told through a combination of interviews and studies that have been done throughout the years. Rather than focusing on "how to" parent, Senior is more concerned with how we do parent and what meaning we make of that. Recommended for both current and aspiring parents!
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: A Pocket Full of Rye, Rick, and Freddie Ramos Rules New York
Five years ago I was reading: The Bees
Ten years ago I was reading: The New Brain
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