Litsy

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees | Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Books for moms!

Bite by Bite is going to both my mom & my MIL this Christmas.

My mom recently told me that she finally started Wintering, which I think I gifted her two years ago, and she can‘t put it down! Not to pat myself on the back but… okay, okay. I‘m patting myself on the back. She doesn‘t often make time for reading, so I‘m thrilled. I hope this one‘s a win, too!🤞🏻

TheBookHippie ♥️ 2w

Bookzombie Yay! I‘m always so tickled if a book recommendation or gift is a hit. 1w

45 likes2 comments

Ruthiella

Avenue of Mysteries | John Irving

so-so

My last #Roll100 book for 2025

I think Irving and I need to break up. After a passionate romance from about 1985-1999, we took a 20 yr hiatus and now things just aren‘t the same. This is the 2nd book published in the 21st century of his that I‘ve kinda hated. To be fair, we both have changed.

IMO this was a mess. Juan Diego is a writer in Iowa via Mexico. He remembers his past on a trip to the Philippines. Too scattered/unnecessary sex scenes.

PuddleJumper

PuddleJumper I don't even have my 2026 list yet! 2w

Amiable This was not a good one, I agree. “Queen Esther” was better, thank goodness. 2w

Ruthiella @PuddleJumper So far I have only transposed my unread 2025 books over to my 2026 spreadsheet. I‘ve still got prep work to do too! 😊 2w

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Ruthiella @Amiable I have Queen Esther on hold at the library. And The Cider House Rules connection makes it that much more tempting. He‘s trying to woo me back! 😂 2w

Amiable @Ruthiella If you haven‘t already read “Until I Find You,” you might want to avoid that one, too. 😬 2w

Ruthiella @Amiable I have not read it yet, so thanks for the heads up! 2w

Suet624 I‘m curious about Queen Esther. It sounds good. 2w

Ruthiella @Suet624 Crossing my fingers that it is. 🤞 2w

57 likes8 comments

Kristy_K

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen | Jose Antonio Vargas

pick

An incredibly brave memoir.

48 likes1 stack add

Robotswithpersonality

Never Have I Ever: Stories | Isabel Yap

pick

Add another to my list of books proving that my personal one-author-short-story-collection-is-superior-to-most-multiple-author-anthologies hypothesis is sound.
As the majority of these stories take place in the Philippines, with an appreciable sprinkling of words I've never heard of, I can't say how much of the legends/creatures featured are of the author's invention versus adaptations of existing mythologies/traditional storytelling. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? There does appear to be a beautiful imagination at play.
While the deep blue cover is a good indication of tone, there is a thread of melancholy and darkness in each story, repeated themes of loss, there are also positive, even happy representations of queerness, a couple stories that suggest demisexual characters, a couple stories that suggest gender nonconforming characters. 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? More of the collection leans fantasy than horror, with maybe one or two qualifying for a mix with sci-fi. I think every story but the first one is just the right length, first one felt like a bit of a fragment, not that I'd want it to be longer given the body horror involved. 😬 Yap is skillful at presenting a full narrative, a complete moment, in a short space, to the extent that I'm not sure what a novel by this same author would look like 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? though since I can't find one under her name, I guess I'll have to wait to find out!
Wasn't a fan of the few stories that leaned horror, with one exception.
Below are the ones I loved (which make up most of the collection).

A Cup of Salt Tears
Grief, connection with a monster?, darker fairy tale, somewhat sensual 3mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? Milagros
Future of bioengineering, food security; what is lost, denying the environmental crisis, nostalgia for youth, home, cultural traditions, celebrations

A Spell for Foolish Hearts
Queer love story -witch and magical being - classic misunderstanding but definitely HFN if not guaranteed HEA
3mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? Have You Heard the One About Annamaria Marquez
Good old-fashioned school girl ghost story playing on the kind of variants that happen when stories are told by many over time - quality chills

Syringe
An impactful five pages, shortest of the bunch. Illness of loved ones a recurring theme, sci fi elements, grief for love lost but also for futures eliminated by introduction of robots in various health care roles 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/? Asphalt, River, Mother, Child
A different version of the underworld and its inhabitants than I'm familiar with, justice more than forgiveness, a focus on what it means to do the right thing 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 9/? Hurricane Heels (We Go Down Dancing)
Haven't actually ever watched/read Sailor Moon, but I think that's where the 'magical girl transformation' thing came from? Anyways this is 'what if sailor moon type group were ambushed by a monster on th eve of one their member's marriage/bachelorette party, which sounds like a blast but it's definitely darker, slightly more reflections of traumatized veterans than bad ass women action montage 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 10/? Only Unclench Your Hand
Dealing with corrupt or ineffectual systems of justice, class system, where only some feel protected, and it's not by the law but their power, vengeance, curses and healers, cycles of violence? Also, there are bugs, *shudders* 😖

How to Swallow the Moon
Possibly my favourite, don't want to give too much away, queer love story with strong fantasy elements ♥️ 3mo

Robotswithpersonality 11/11
⚠️SA, child death, suicide attempt, body horror, child abuse, paedophilia, internalized misogyny 3mo

9 likes9 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Never Have I Ever: Stories | Isabel Yap

Sure, rip my heart out and stomp on it in one paragraph of a five page story, why not?! 🥺

5 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Never Have I Ever: Stories | Isabel Yap

😼💭

7 likes1 stack add

Eggs

When We Had Wings | Ariel Lawhon, Susan Meissner, Kristina Mcmorris

“This was their task: find a new way to survive. Hope was what kept you putting one foot in front of the other. Hope was what kept you laying down your head at night and rising from your cot the next morning.”

Starting this one soon.

#Nurse #CharacterCharm

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🤩 5mo

Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you 🪽 🤍 👼 5mo

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GatheringBooks

All about the Philippines: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids | Gidget Roceles Jimenez

#JulyJazz Day 25: Last year I visited the Philippine booth which proudly showcases the Philippine #Flag during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Husband drove us for 90 minutes (one way) so I can get the book gifted to me by a Filipina American novelist (Ninotchka Rosca) whose books were featured during the fair.

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great photo 💛 5mo

Eggs Wonderful👏🏻👏🏻 5mo

41 likes2 comments