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 yellow (June) and green (July) books. This included finally having multiple 5-star reads after several months without!

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas: This was surprising, informational, and heartfelt. Vargas was sent to the United States when he was 12; he didn't know until he was 16 that his green card and passport were fake. Following this have been decades of trying to survive in the United States. I thought this was excellent and a great book for any American to read.

Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore by Patric Richardson with Karin B. Miller: This was, indeed, a joyful book about laundry! This was my Best of the Bunch for June. While it may be challenging for me to adopt Richardson's methods wholesale, I found the practical tidbits throughout to be invaluable. This is definitely a book I wouldn't mind having a hard copy of for reference in the future!

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby: As with most "humor" books, this was fine, but it wasn't really for me. There were lines here and there that made me laugh, but mostly I just wanted her to have some self-compassion, set boundaries, embrace her uniqueness, and stop doing things that made her miserable while trying to fit some mold of what she thinks a likeable person is supposed to be like.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang: I think I'm a bit too literal-minded for a book like this. To be clear, I think it's a great depiction of how discrimination and stereotyping can affect someone, as well as just being a spot-on representation of the angst of adolescence. I wish the way it all tied up worked better in my brain.

Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl: This was a lovely little book of poetic essays. Renkl alternates between stories of the natural world in her backyard and stories from her family. I'm not sure there's anything in particular that will stick with me from this volume, but perhaps if I'd read it over months, reading a chapter (which is only a page or two) each night, I would have absorbed it more deeply.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley: This was a memoir told through illustrations of Knisley's experiences growing up in a family that valued good food and having memorable food experiences on various international trips. On the whole, while there wasn't anything that really jumped out at me to make this a memorable read, it was a cute journey through Knisley's food experiences and worth the couple of hours it took to read.

Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly: Perhaps it is being a woman of a certain age, but I loved this collection of micro-memoirs. Fennelly's life may not have a single, unusual, captivating narrative to it, but it has certainly contained unusual and captivating moments, and they are no less worth sharing. And, she seems to imply, neither are ours.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca: This was cute! I flew through it in less than two days. I still don't entirely understand declaring your love for someone solely because you've flirted / made out with them, but if I accept the usual rhythms of this genre, this was a pretty good one. I wouldn't mind reading another one in this series.

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong: This was fascinating from start to finish. I adore Ed Yong's writing as well as his audiobook narration. It would never have even occurred to me to compile in one place a survey of the ways that animals perceive the world, and I haven't seen anything like this before. I was enthralled. I highly recommend this one, especially on audio!

Heartstopper: Volume Six by Alice Oseman: Every installment of Nick and Charlie's story has been pitch perfect, and this final volume is no exception. I highly recommend the entire series.

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths: The character exposition here was so clunky I almost put the book down, but I'm glad I persevered because I ended up really enjoying the mystery! This was one that kept me up late several nights in a row, which is something that hasn't happened for a while. I wouldn't have thought it when I started, but I'd definitely be down for reading another mystery by Griffiths!

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward: I keep trying and failing to enjoy literary fiction. It's not that I don't get it, or that I don't have empathy for the characters, but the characters make questionable choices, the sentences are packed full to bursting with similes, and the ending offers only small scraps of consolation for the bleakness you've just endured. I think this would be great for a book club and great for an English class, but it wasn't great for me personally.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: You Know, Sex, Dracula, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, Catfish and Mandala, and Marble Hall Murders
Five years ago I was reading: Lovecraft Country, Womanist Midrash, and A Promised Land
Ten years ago I was reading: Never Let Me Go and Philippine Duchesne: A Woman with the Poor

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 orange (May) and yellow (June) books. Most of the books were worth the read, even if they weren't a favorite!

Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen: This was a true mixed bag; I thought Hansen was funny and engaging, and he has an important message for Christians who spend their energy being outraged about things that don't affect them or even hurt anybody. However, there's a huge gap in this book when it comes to systemic injustice and personal trauma, and that means its applicability is limited.

Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman: This was a great overview of the lifecycle of a friendship, as seen through the unique friendship of the two authors. In telling their own story, they bring in research about how friendships form, how they grow, and how they weather – or don't — conflicts and ruptures.

Radical Relating: A Queer and Polyamory-Informed Guide to Love Beyond the Myth of Monogamy by Mel Cassidy: This wasn't bad, per se, but I don't think I'd recommend it to many people. For someone with experience in relationship anarchy, there's too much 101 content combined with philosophizing that's not grounded in enough practical examples. And for someone completely foreign to this approach to relationships, it's too unapologetically radical to make a good starting point.

Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg: This is a bit more pure literary fiction than I typically read, but it was good. It's definitely the kind of novel you could mine for symbolism and motifs. Reading it simply for pleasure, though, it kept my interest enough to keep reading, but I don't anticipate it will stay with me.

Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon: This book was quite the undertaking, and while I don't know that it needed to be as long as it was to make the author's point, it was a fascinating listen, read (well!) by the author. Solomon looks at "horizontal identities," those identities that children may have that are often different from their own parents. I would recommend it with the grain of salt that you need a strong stomach to get through some of the passages and you may take serious issue with the way Solomon portrays certain identities and experiences; I think it's worth reading nonetheless.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask by Anton Treuer: This is a fairly good overview of information on the indigenous peoples of the United States (and, to a lesser extent, Canada), if a bit dated. Treuer covers a wide range of topics, from tribal governments to casinos, from spirituality to the history of residential schools. At times he gets a bit lecture-y to his own community, which seems out of place in a primer for non-native people, but on the whole it's an impressively comprehensive yet concise read.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert: This is a well-researched look at the era we're currently living through, in which species are going extinct at a rapid pace, akin to five other periods in planetary history. Kolbert does a nice job of highlighting the philosophic tensions and complexities of the moment and walking the line between despair and hope, though I think she could have spent more time on concrete actions that the reader can take.

Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke: The book is relatively comprehensive for the fact that its primary aim is to answer Radke's central question: "Why do I have feelings about the way my butt looks to other people?" While I'm not sure I took anything hugely meaningful away from this read, I found it to be a well-researched and well-constructed work of nonfiction.

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay: This story of four generations of Filipino American men, each told from when they were 16, is a great novel for both young adults and adults. There are important themes and motifs that students could dig into, but they aren't heavy-handed in a way that overwhelms the reading experience, and ditto for the history lessons. I don't think I've seen a storytelling format quite like this before, and I thought it was incredibly well done.

The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister: While I'm not the target audience for this book, I found a lot of valuable content in the reflections on how to think of one's life as a whole, how to integrate past experiences into one's present, and so on. I got frustrated with Chittister's seemingly limited view of her reader (their abilities, their prior experiences in middle age), but I'm grateful for the pieces here and there that I did take from it.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: You Know, Sex, Dracula, The Name of the Wind, More Than Two, Amelia, If Only, and Black Sun
Five years ago I was reading: The Road Trip, Boy Erased, Womanist Midrash, and The Case of the Counterfeit Painting
Ten years ago I was reading: Furiously Happy, Lies We Tell Ourselves, and All the Bright Places

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

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

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

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.

My project for the year — to read books with covers of a different color each month — has started in earnest, which you'll see reflected above! (January was white, February is gray.) I've read a lot of fantastic books so far this year; here's everything I've read in the past month.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez: I appreciate what Pérez was attempting to do with this book, and she does it thoroughly: This is an unrelenting collection of the many, many ways that the assumption of the "default male" has caused harm, from the medical field to city planning to the design of uniforms and tools. Unfortunately, I also found a lot to critique about her method of laying out the issues, and the limited scope of her suggestions for fixing them, so I am hesitant to recommend this to anyone.

Ask Me About Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles by Tikva Wolf: This was a fairly quick read, a collection of comic strips about polyamory from a webcomic I wasn't previously familiar with. It was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I would hesitate to hand this to someone as a Polyamory 101 (which is what I expected from the title), but I think most of it is great for those who are polyamorous and will understand what's heartfelt and what's a joke, even if a few of the strips didn't land for me.

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin: This got worse as it went on. It suffered from two big issues: being a paint-by-numbers young adult book, complete with tropes and stereotypes, and being an example of someone writing about an identity they don't have and doing a terrible job of it. I've seen this book recommended frequently for the past decade, but I'm hoping by now there are some better options out there with genderfluid main characters.

Blood, Marriage, Wine, & Glitter by S. Bear Bergman: This was a phenomenal essay collection that found me at the right time. Bergman was able to take so many things that exist in my mind and heart and put them into concise, clear language while telling stories from his own life. If you're not queer, trans, or polyamorous, you may not resonate as much with this book — or, at least, it will be a window and not a mirror — but I found the way that Bergman approaches his relationships to be incredibly validating and encouraging.

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee: I was impressed by Lee's ability to take something so abstract (joy) and tie to concrete elements — color, light, shape, lightness, and so on — that tend to generate this feeling in humans. I wish I'd known going in that Lee is a designer, so when she takes each concept and shows how it can apply in practice, it's largely focused on architecture and interior design, and best suited to those without young kids and with money to burn.

The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion by Diana Greene Foster: This was my Best of the Bunch in January. The study design is brilliant, the book is very readable, the author didn't cherry-pick her findings, and she was very clear on what she was and was not trying to accomplish. I would highly recommend this book for all adults, but especially those who live in places like the United States where abortion is highly contested and policies are inconsistent across time and place.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman: This was an unintentional pairing with The Turnaway Study. I felt like Shusterman did a tighter job of world-building in this one compared to Scythe, and the plot was propulsive without feeling rushed. I appreciate that Shusterman did not — as far as I can tell — write this with a heavy-handed agenda. Instead, he's poking at all the complex, nuanced elements of the abortion debate through a fresh lens.

It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine: I could have used this book a while back, but I'm still incredibly grateful for it now. Devine has written a reflection of what grief is actually like, especially "early" grief (which has no timeline), without the rush to try to make the pain better or part of a greater story of meaning or growth. There's so much that's helpful here, from practical tips and validation to a chapter that's specifically for giving to the people who truly want to support you but don't know how. I'd recommend this to anyone who's experienced loss and grief, whether recently or long ago.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson: While this was longer than a short story, it had some of the same qualities that leave me wanting with most short stories. The language is poetic, capturing the experiences of loving and losing, of betrayal, of denial. It was well sketched and felt realistic, but I never got emotionally invested enough for any plot point to pack a punch.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: This was so much better than I expected going in. The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways so that it's not always clear who or what to root for, so unlike a book where there's an inevitable happy ending, it's not clear for good chunks of the book what a happy ending would actually be. The plot had my favorite kind of reveals, the ones you didn't see coming but which make perfect sense in retrospect. Overall, this was excellent and worth the investment of time.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Usborne Fifth Book of Puzzle Adventures, More Than Two, Lessons in Chemistry, and The Penderwicks in Spring
Five years ago I was reading: Do Better, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and Mr. Popper's Penguins
Ten years ago I was reading: More Happy Than Not, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Girl on the Train, and Song Yet Sung

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.

My job allows me to have two weeks off around the holidays, and once my kids went to their dad's place after Christmas I got through a lot of reading!

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May: This was good, if not exactly what I was hoping for. May explores the concept of "wintering" from a number of different angles, and while I appreciated the thoroughness of her exploration, and there were many moments throughout that were interesting or insightful, in the end it felt a bit disjointed. I think she could have either cut the memoir-ish pieces altogether or fleshed them out to provide a better anchor for the book.

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask! by Megan Anna Neff: This book was quite validating, and it was fascinating to see how, having given myself the freedom to structure my life and my living environment in a way that suits me, I've naturally landed on many of the tips that Neff proposes in this book. I'm not sure I gained many new tips, but it was still well worth the read.

Who Deserves Your Love: How to Create Boundaries to Start, Strengthen, or End Any Relationship by KC Davis: This was my Best of the Bunch for December. Just about everything in this book can be applied to any relationship in one's life, not just a romantic partnership. Davis' ability to dispense clear, accessible, non-judgmental advice in ways that are both practical and widely applicable is an absolute gift, and I highly recommend this.

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict: I was surprised by the low ratings on this; sure, the writing was stuffed with unnecessary similes, but it didn't distract me as much as it could have, and otherwise I didn't find any major issues with the writing, and it didn't require any more suspension of disbelief than your average cozy/puzzle mystery. This was exactly what I was looking for from a Christmas-themed cozy puzzle mystery, with bonus points for multiple happy queer relationships pictured.

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson: This one had a slow start, and I occasionally got distracted trying to figure out how the events of the original Mistborn trilogy had worked their way into this era's mythology, but it was an enjoyable ride on the whole. I'm glad to have decided to continue with this series.

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo: Oluo details several centuries' worth of United States history about how white men have made things worse for everyone — themselves included — through their death grip on white supremacist patriarchy. I'm not sure there was a lot here that was new or surprised me, but if you aren't already deeply familiar with the history of systemic racism and misogyny in this country, this collection is a pretty good starting place.

This Is Me Letting You Go by Heidi Priebe: The book's description makes it sound like it's about broadly being able to let people or things go, but unfortunately, it turns out that this is entirely about monogamous, romantic love. A few essays stood out to me and connected with my experiences, but on the whole I was not that surprised that this was written by someone in their 20s. If that's you, you might find this more relatable than I did.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson: I actually liked this better the second time around! The first time I was expecting a bigger twist, but this time I knew what to expect and could just sink into how deliciously creepy it all is. The audiobook narrator is fantastic, and I'm glad I got to experience it in this format a second time.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: What Clarke has done here is, I think, a different version of "What if magic?" than I've seen done before. Magic is neither widespread nor hidden; it existed long ago, and only through careful study / experimentation have two English gentlemen in the early 1800s managed to start practicing it again. I love that Clarke has thought through how this scenario would likely play out in real life and written it like a history, complete with footnotes. Highly recommended on audio with the great Simon Prebble's narration.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat: I have no doubt this is an excellent book for those who enjoy cooking and want to get better at it. However, I should have caught that key word — "mastering" — in the subtitle. Nosrat assumes a foundational level of skill that is far above where I'm starting from. If someday I do have the time, energy, and resources to scale up my cooking skills, I have no doubt this would be an excellent reference book to have in the kitchen.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Penderwicks, I Contain Multitudes, More Than Two, and Big Jim Begins
Five years ago I was reading: The Bear and the Nightingale, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and The Shell Seekers
Ten years ago I was reading: Lonesome Dove, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens, and Dancing with God

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.

This month had a very different reading pace than last month. Between holiday travel and one very long (but excellent!) audiobook, I only finished half as many books as last month. Here's what I read this past month!

Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan: I went into this wanting life lessons I could take away for myself but quickly got frustrated with how challenging I felt it was to relate to the author. But when I reset and approached it as a memoir of someone different from myself who is still dealing with many of the same Big Life Things that I am — loss and grief, parenthood and partnership — I could enjoy the read.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas: I quite enjoyed seeing how Thomas adapted the original Sherlock Holmes universe to a story in which women were the key players. Unfortunately, the plot of the central mystery fell a bit short for me.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson: This trilogy was phenomenal. I have great appreciation for an author who does their homework, and Sanderson is absolutely one of those — so many aspects of the first book were clearly well crafted to fit into a larger story arc that culminates in this third book.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: Don't let this book's slim size fool you — it packs a punch on every single page. It's not just about the way that so many American liberals have intentionally downplayed the genocide in Gaza for their own interests (though it is absolutely about that), it's about the entire system — capitalism, politics, self-interest, xenophobia, and so on — that El Akkad lays bare through his words.

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins: This had a solid core, with a lot of trappings I could have done without: the traditional self-help all-or-nothing language, dismissal of structural privileges, and assumptions about the reader. I appreciated Robbins' reminder that you can't control other people's choices, you can only ever choose your response to them; I just wish she was aware how limited her own imagination was about experiences different from her own.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed: Based on the true life story of co-author Omar Mohamed, Victoria Jamieson has created a graphic novel that is accessible to young readers and threads the needle between sharing the painful challenges of living in a refugee camp and avoiding gratuitous details of violence. Your heart will ache as Omar and his brother Hassan spend years and years in the camp, holding on to what hope they can. The celebration of community care is a beautiful thread throughout the story.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Only Love Today and The Uncommon Reader
Five years ago I was reading: Strangers from a Different Shore and The Flatshare
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, A Snicker of Magic, Lonesome Dove, The Unthinkable, and Middlemarch

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.

This past month was one of those where I was waiting for several library holds to come in so I didn't want to pick up anything too long in the interim and instead blew threw a bunch of shorter books. And a lot of them were very good! I also got through a bunch of the books on my Fall TBR (and abandoned one). Here's what I read this past month.

Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life by Amy Gahran: I appreciate how neatly Gahran has organized this book, which draws on 1500 contributions to showcase the variety of ways that people can break the script of traditional relationships, from polyamory to spouses living apart to relationship anarchy. I think this book is great reading for anybody, whether you adhere to a traditional relationship structure or not. It's a beautiful celebration of the diversity of the human experience.

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram: Khorram has yet to disappoint. His characters are incredibly real, having difficult conversations and grappling with genuine challenges and insecurities, not manufactured plot points that can be resolved by a big romantic gesture. The audiobook narrators were both stellar — I would definitely recommend it in that format! (Also, it's very open door, so be prepared for that.)

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath & Dan Heath: This was a well-constructed guide to the impact that individual moments can have on a life, whether they're carefully planned or just intentionally seized. I liked the variety of stories and the practical takeaways, and I've already been inspired to implement one new thing at work as a result. Like many books in this genre, it's a bit too neatly packaged, but as a starting point for idea generation, it's well done.

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor: This is very well done! I'm not sure I personally took away a lot of new ideas from it, but I think it's an excellent summary of both the origins of body shame and the steps a person can take to move away from that shame. I appreciate that Taylor talks about body shame not just in the realm of weight stigma but in an all-encompassing way, including race, gender identity, (dis)ability, accents, and so on. The audiobook is under 5 hours, so there's really no good reason not to pick it up.

Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander: This was quite disappointing! The writing was so terrible I literally started texting a friend all the parts that didn't make sense as I was reading. The passage of time was an absolute mess, there were blatant inconsistencies and plot holes, the dialogue was stilted, and the writing generally was just rough. I am baffled by how this not only got picked up by a major publisher but got turned into a series of many books. But I guess folks who are not me have enjoyed this!

The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: I'm generally not a fan of short stories, but I must say I enjoyed this collection quite a bit. Outside of the titular short story and the one immediately after it ("The Giant Wisteria"), which are more on the eerie/creepy side, the stories generally end with justice being served and/or people finding love and joy. Almost all of them have some kind of feminist bent. Perhaps other readers would find it dissatisfying that most of these stories tie up in an ideal way, but personally I'd love to live in this world that Gilman has imagined, where wrongs are righted and people (especially women) can accomplish anything they set their mind to.

Worth It: Overcome Your Fears and Embrace the Life You Were Made For by Brit Barron: In a nutshell, Barron is telling the story of meeting her wife (while they were both working at a non-affirming church) and eventually coming out of the closet, and she uses that as a basis from which to encourage the reader to move through fear and into freedom in whatever situation they're in. Where one might typically say a book would be "better as an article" I think this would be "better as a sermon" (Barron is a pastor) than trying to stretch it to be book-length, but I did highlight a lot of great lines.

Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler: This was a good middle grade read, with both a historical story line related to the Dutch Resistance and a present-day story line in which the main character learns about her grandmother's childhood during World War II and also learns to stand up to bullies in her own school (intended to be a parallel with the Nazis). It was sweet, and if you don't mind suspending disbelief, it's a good read.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor: I enjoyed the world-building in this middle grade fantasy novel set in Nigeria, as well as the characters and their interactions with each other. The plot itself felt a little uneven to me, and the book's climax was rushed and unsatisfying, but I would consider continuing with this series just to learn more about the world and see how the characters develop.

Dracula by Bram Stoker: Dracula Daily was a really spectacular way to revisit this book. The book can't escape its 1897 roots, and for that reason it's unlikely to ever be a 5-star read for me, but the book has creepiness, tension, action, and a satisfying amount of logical deduction. All of this was heightened by reading in this format, and I would definitely recommend it.

Do You Still Talk to Grandma?: When the Problematic People in Our Lives Are the Ones We Love by Brit Barron: This is undoubtedly one of the best books I've read this year. Barron has captured the challenging nuance of wanting to hold people accountable while still leaving room for growth and learning, and wanting to set boundaries while having clarity on when and where to draw the line. She vulnerably shares real stories of her own missteps throughout her life to illustrate the very human tendencies to either cover up or double down on mistakes. Especially for progressive Christians, but for anyone who cares about social justice or considers themself progressive, I'd highly recommend this 160-page read.

Enough: Heal Your Relationship with Food and Body Using Attachment Theory by Tiffany North, RN, BSN: I think this is a stellar and very needed book. North does a great job being both compassionate and practical in discussing how attachment and trauma play into behaviors related to eating, with tangible ways to address underlying issues that may be contributing to difficulty eating in an intuitive and supportive way. I believe this book could be beneficial to a wide range of people, and I'd love to see it gain a broader audience.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Only Love Today, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, The Fourth Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures, and It Takes Two to Tumble
Five years ago I was reading: The House of the Spirits and Truth & Beauty
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, A Snicker of Magic, Lonesome Dove, Justice, and Sula

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.

This reading month was a mixed bag for me, with some great reads and some that were disappointing. Here's what I read this past month.

Master Your Attachment Style: Learn How to Build Healthy & Long-Lasting Relationships by Scott A. Young: The best thing I can say about this book is that it was earnest. It reads very much like a college student took a Psychology 101 class and learned how to read peer-reviewed research articles and is now very eager to tell you everything they know about attachment theory. It was pretty rough.

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse: Roanhorse's world-building and character interactions kept me engaged throughout this trilogy, but ultimately I felt the pacing of this final book was too uneven, the characters' decisions too incomprehensible, and the book generally too dark and gory for my taste.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: This was a delightful read that combined several of my favorite things: found family, adorable sibling relationships, excellent banter, crisp world-building, and a stellar audiobook narrator. There's a grumpy/sunshine romance, the development of which felt earned, and things all tie up with a bow in the end, but in a way that didn't feel rushed or entirely implausible.

You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth: I think everything Silverberg and Smyth put out is stellar — well researched, inclusive, accessible, and honest without being overwhelming. In addition to covering the facts about puberty, reproduction, and so on, Silverberg places a big emphasis on communication, respect, autonomy, trust, justice, and all the other aspects of relationships that get glossed over in traditional sex ed.

Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman: As with his first book, I appreciate Burkeman's practical approach to the finitude of life and embracing the present moment. This time around I bristled at the number of (incorrect) assumptions he made about me as a reader, though ultimately I still think Burkeman has a gift for laying out the realities of time and space and encouraging the reader on ways to use these limits to create a good, fulfilling life now.

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson: I am in awe of Sanderson's ability to layer so much into a single book's plot. The plot twists in this book were perfect — unexpected, yet logical in retrospective. As with the first book, this one contains its own plot arc while also being just a piece of a larger story. Absolutely nothing is guaranteed here — not who will live or die, and not who will gain, hold onto, or lose power. It's a mind-blowing series so far.

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman: This was exactly what I needed right now. Bregman argues that how we view humanity as a whole becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and that our collective belief that humans are inherently selfish actually doesn't hold up to the evidence. Even if not watertight, I appreciate having a solid collection of evidence that having trust, hope, and faith in humanity is not naïve.

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera: This book is another example of commitment to an agenda coming at the expense of an immersive story. It's a beautifully written book that covers every possible angle of the Sri Lankan civil war, but it covers so much in so few pages that the ability to care about any one character is diluted and the overall plot meanders along with the agenda. It's good for learning and good for beautiful sentences, but I can't recommend it for character development or a strong plot.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Excuse Me, Sir!, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, and Light from Uncommon Stars
Five years ago I was reading: The Vanishing Half, Ace, and Sabriel
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, A Snicker of Magic, David Copperfield, and Death in the Andes

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.

It was a good reading month! While not every book was a home run, there was a great variety, and the audiobooks in particular kept me company through a very busy month.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: There are multiple levels to this story: There's the suspense of what's happening in the present-day story, there's the sprawling tale of one man's life as he lives by the skin of his teeth from childhood through university, and there's the myth-making aspect, as you see how one man — who is, in fact, remarkably clever and talented — becomes a supernatural legend through the power of storytelling and rumor. I'm looking forward to the next installment of his story!

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse: This was very much a middle-of-a-trilogy book, but that's not inherently a bad thing. The characters are trying to grapple with the fallout from the events of the first book, figuring out who their allies are and where their loyalties should lie, and traveling around the world as needed to advance the plot. Here's hoping she sticks the landing in the final book.

Opal by Maggie Stiefvater: I might have liked this interstitial novella more if I'd listened to it immediately after finishing the Raven Cycle series, when I wanted just a few more minutes with those characters. At the end of the day I'm not sure that it told us anything we didn't already know, though I didn't mind spending an hour and a half in this universe again with Will Patton's narration.

Queer Windows: Volume 2 Summer by Cay Fletcher: I liked this volume more than the previous one, though this too could use a thorough copyedit, which remains distracting for me. But the stories are very sweet, and the varieties of "queer" and "love" remain expansive.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper: This was a sweet coming-of-age story about a Black girl in North Carolina in 1932. Draper manages to show transparently the very real discrimination and danger faced by Black communities in 1932, but does it as part of the everyday experiences of an 11-year-old girl whose life also involves love and pride and joy and chores and schoolwork and friendship.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: I had hopes for this going in after recently reading and loving Ness' A Monster Calls, but this just wasn't for me. I found the plot repetitive and the characters' decisions difficult to understand at times, and as usual, my nitpicks about world-building got in the way of my reading experience.

Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper: This book is much quieter than Out of My Mind, following Melody as she travels to a summer camp for kids with disabilities and other special needs. It's all very sweet and wholesome and interesting to see how different activities can be made accessible, but it also wasn't super engaging, especially if you're expecting something similar to the first book.

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis: While Davis does offer what she calls "gentle skill building" — practical tips for specific care tasks — she spends much of the book breaking down assumptions and cultural messages that feed shame and make care tasks more difficult. She is relentlessly focused on function over aesthetics or appeasing some imaginary judge or taskmaster. I would highly, highly recommend this read!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Delusions of Gender, and I'll Have What He's Having
Five years ago I was reading: The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rebecca, and Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Blankets, Caddie Woodlawn, and Uncle Tom's Cabin

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've had a busy reading month! A good variety of reads, long and short, on audio and ebook, plus wrapping up a hardcover book I've been working through all year.

The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood: This would be a good airplane read. It's sweet and sad and a little bit funny and includes Life Lessons and characters with complicated feelings. I don't have any major complaints, but I also don't think it will stick with me much.

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz: Once again, Horowitz has written a compelling murder mystery inside a compelling murder mystery, and I was here for the ride. The audiobook narration, with the dual narrators for the two stories, was excellent yet again, and I'd definitely recommend the series in that format.

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective ed. by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor: This was a valuable read for learning more about the Combahee River Collective and the particular moment in history when they existed. Unfortunately I couldn't separate my reading experience from the less-than-ideal audiobook format, which is not the format I'd recommend for this.

More Than Two, Second Edition: Cultivating Nonmonogamous Relationships with Kindness and Integrity by Eve Rickert and Andrea Zanin: This was my July Best of the Bunch. Although it's specifically focused on the needs and challenges of non-monogamous relationship configurations, I think much of the book could be applied to any kind of relationship or would even be valuable for single monogamous folks to read. I highly recommend it.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister: This was a great listen as a multi-narrator audiobook. I'm not sure I took away anything profound from the book — it's not news to me that one book affects multiple people, each in their own way! — but I thought she did an excellent job conveying how most lives are made up of small moments, and what seems like an insignificant detail can have a profound impact.

Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham: I'm glad to have finally read this memoir, which has beautiful writing and valuable reflections on identity and culture, though I was frustrated by missing details and inconsistent verb tenses, not to mention formatting issues with the ebook version.

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson: This was a little more self-help-y than I prefer, in that people are divided into a binary "emotionally immature" or "emotionally mature," but I do appreciate the detail with which the behaviors of each group were identified, though it took quite a long time to get to the "so what do you do about this" part of the book.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness: This is a beautiful book about grief and anger. It's about being afraid to look the truth in the face and how opposing truths can exist at the same time. You could write essays on the symbolism or hold book discussions on the complex, challenging characters who populate the book, but for all that it's a very fast read, told in a cinematic style interspersed with actual illustrations.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi: This is a thoroughly researched and well written tome looking at the history of the United States through the lens of ideas about race. Although most of the historical figures and events Kendi discussed throughout the book were not new to me, this was an interesting lens through which to see all of them.

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar: The book description says this book "tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity," and that's exactly right. If you're the kind of person who immediately tries to find a "reasonable," non-racist explanation for situations that Black people tell you are racist, I dare you to come out of this book with that instinct intact.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, How You Get the Girl, We Are Okay, and Nimona
Five years ago I was reading: The Color of Law and Still Life
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Nervous Conditions, The Princess Bride, Madame Bovary, and Mr. Popper's Penguins

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.

This was a decent reading month! Not many 5-star reads, but a nice mix of genres and topics and nothing too terrible.

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: Despite the abrupt cliffhanger, I liked this book that defies an easy good/bad binary among its characters. Roanhorse doesn't give the reader an easy place to perch, which makes the story challenging and engaging, not to mention the beauty of rooting it in a world based on diverse indigenous cultures.

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli: I love everything Albertalli writes, and I especially enjoyed being back in the world of Imogen, Obviously with a well-crafted commentary on parasocial relationships. Although I saw the major plot developments coming from a mile away, I still greatly enjoyed the journey getting there.

The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth After Trauma by Soraya Chemaly: I appreciated what I think is Chemaly's main point in this book, that what actually helps people survive and thrive in difficult times is not individual toughness but tangible support, and I think a better-organized, better-edited version of this book could have been something I recommended widely. Unfortunately, I found this to be scattered and hard to follow much of the time.

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson: I kept waiting for this to coalesce into something that would bring all the different pieces together, but it never really did, but that doesn't mean that the pieces themselves weren't worth reading. I'd recommend this if you're interested specifically in the topic of what the subtitle calls "the madness industry" — essentially, how money is made on categorizing and diagnosing and treating individuals — but it's not one I'd go out of my way to recommend otherwise.

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski: This was exactly what I was looking for, a sweet middle grade read about kids making a difference. It can be a bit heavily didactic at times, but if the book itself is aimed at raising awareness about non-binary identities (much as Jamie and their friends try to do within the story), then I can forgive a bit of monologuing.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater: Maggie Stiefvater is very good at atmosphere, and she's very good at sentence-level writing, and yet she puts so much energy into immersing the reader in this West Virginia hotel in 1942 that the story is ultimately secondary to the atmosphere. No matter how well constructed the story is and how believable the characters are and how clever the little plot twists are, it lacked a driving force to propel me through the story.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, and Crooked House
Five years ago I was reading: The New Jim Crow and Killers of the Flower Moon
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Clockwork Angel, The Woman in White, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

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 was back on the reading train this past month after my little reading break at the end of April. It was a pretty good reading month, with a couple excellent reads and the rest solidly good.

Money for Couples by Ramit Sethi: I'd recommend for any monogamously married couple who shares a home (of any kind), especially those who are solidly middle class or above. I think Sethi struggles to envision what life is like for anyone outside of that model, but within it, he has concrete advice for talking about and using your money wisely to create the life you want.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler: This sequel to Parable of the Sower is centered primarily on the reality of growing a new religion, which made it more like a thought experiment or extended world-building than a compelling plot.

The New Bottoming Book by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy: This definitely gave me a much better understanding of what people get out of kink (which was my goal in reading it). I'm not sure it's the best general intro to kink as that's not exactly its intent, but if you already experience interest in anything that could fall within the category of "bottoming" but aren't personally experienced in kink, this would probably be a good book for you.

Dream More by Dolly Parton: This was a sweet little audiobook narrated by Dolly Parton herself, an extension of a commencement address she previously gave, so it's framed as inspirational life advice, but it's primarily a collection of autobiographical stories grouped into four main themes. I liked the memoir-ish aspects of it; I struggled a bit with her downplaying her minimal need for sleep (and not being a parent/caregiver) as contributing to her accomplishments on top of her determination, commitment, etc.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson: This was just fantastic. The heist-like plot was compelling, the world-building was stellar, and the plot twists were satisfying. The story's tragic moments had a purpose, and the climax felt earned. I'm really happy I gave this one a shot.

Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski: This affirmed my love of Emily Nagoski and her ability to translate science into a compassionate, conversational tone. Everyone should read this.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Tiny Beautiful Things, and To Night Owl from Dogfish
Five years ago I was reading: Sadie and Women, Race, & Class
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Angle of Repose, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, The Tale of Despereaux, and Little House on the Prairie