"Yeah. I miss her, too."

And this is where the tears came.

I don't know what to say about this book other than it came at the right time for me and I think I will re-visit it again and again and again.

When you know by page 15 that a book will break you.

Been waiting for the right time to read this one. Think that time is now.

"It is not enough to blindly flee pain or danger. It is not enough to escape from an irredeemable enemy. Heartache comes from glimpsing over one's shoulder, the yearning for Thanksgiving, the persistent memory of the sweetness. Breaking comes from knowing exactly how it could have been."

This book is getting me in the feels.

On a self-help kick this week.

Not usually much for these kind of books but it keeps getting recommended so im diving in.

Originally, the project was designed to be geared toward the dystopian, and after careful conversations, we decided to queer it toward the utopian . . . For, as we know, we have already survived the apocalypse—this, right here, right now, is a dystopian present.

I was ready to like this one as easy escapism but it turned into a weirdly pro-capitalist, pro-cop read with two dimensional white woman feminism. The pandemic was unrealistic from the science to the politics and all the characters seemed somewhat interchangeable in how they spoke and thought aside from over explained personality traits. Interesting premise, initially interesting world building, poor execution.

Started The End of Men with expectations that I feel will be crushed. This has a certain trashy contemporary fiction for white women vibe that I usually hate but is captivating enough that I'm going to keep reading it. Willing to reserve (further) judgement until I am farther along and also willing to enjoy this as an escape read (i recognize the weirdness of a novel about a pandemic being escapism during a pandemic but here we are).

Bestiary by K-Ming Chang is my hot tub vacation read. Already hooked by the prose which reads like myth and poe in an urban setting. Tells the stories of several generations of women, queer love, and controlling your own destiny.

Another brilliant novella from Nnedi Okorafor that explores grief, growing up, and the interplay between culture, technology, and corporations.

This book made me hungry for everything....slow cooked food, sensual sex, reconciliation with family, desire, music in queer night clubs, baking, a sequel. I sobbed through the last several chapters, in part because I couldn't handle that the end was approaching. Butter Honey Pig Bread is a delicious and devestating read that might require me to cook one of the recipes contained within to get some closure.

This book keeps popping up on lists of must read books so I'm going for it. Got home from working at the library and immediately got into my adult sized kiddy pool to read in the garden.

This was the absolute cutest 😍😭 big Becky Chambers vibes - feel good, relationship based, conflict resolved respectfully and with care, pleasurable read with strong moral streak. I started it after work yesterday and couldn't put it down - had to read it straight through. I wish it was longer. I will probably return to this as a comfort read and will be encouraging my teen to read it next. I love how cozy this felt.

Books like these are making me realize I might need to revise my "not a fan of contemporary fiction" stance to "not a fan of contemporary cishet fiction" because I couldn't put this down. I keep seeing reviews from folks saying they learned a lot but didn't find the funny or compelling and I wonder if they have never spent time in queer spaces before. The ending left me desperate for more. I need a sequel.

Not what I expected but fantastic so far.

Second book up in reading the Women's Prize shortlist. The book begins with a pregnant 18 year old about to give birth which instantly pulled me in. It has been a long time since I have been a pregnant 18 year old and I so, so rarely pick up books that feature teenage mothers. I am not far in enough to see if she will be featured I suppose, but I am looking forward to seeing how this one unfolds.

Brought a hammock and four books on my two night camping trip like a big nerd. Wasn't sure what I would be in the mood for but started The Vanishing Half and was immediately interested. I decided to read the shortlist for the Women's Prize to branch outside my normal reads - this is my first one on the shortlist and I'm already pleased I am doing this.

It is a two book kind of day and I am down a Casey Plett hole.

It's been a while since I found a book I couldn't put down

This was one of those books that took me a little while to get into and then suddenly grabbed me and demanded it be finished. I am going to have to sit with the ending for a while.

Hooked into The Mermaid's Daughter by Ann Claycomb, a sapphic urban fairy tale telling the story of the great, great, great, great granddaughter of the little mermaid, cursed with terrible pain every step she takes and a longing for the sea.

Taking advantage of the sun to lounge with fruit salad and start a new book. I can't remember why this ended up on my to read list but it was the only one I could borrow immediately without waiting for a hold 😜

Spring break reading with kids, cats, and rabbits. 🐰😻

I have my sunny weather reading space set up for lunch time reading and couldn't be happier. Grad school has been burning me out on reading but I have finally gotten into Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson which I bought on the release date in November and left on my bookshelf until I had the will to read again.