As a Greek mythology nerd, I had high hopes for Lore, described as Greek Mythology meets "Hunger Games." Every seven years, nine banished Olympians are hunted by mortals, raised to kill these gods and absorb their immortality and other powers. Even though the premise was exciting, the story didn't live up to the hype. Hence, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped for a nearly 500-page read.⁠

⁠Originally published in 1979, The Bloody Chamber is a collection of fairy tale retellings, such as Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. Carter's prose is gruesome but beautifully captivating. In Carter's version of these stories, females are much more than helpless damsels in distress; they are strong, clever, sexual, and in some cases, brutal. I strongly recommend this story collection.⁠⁠

In a desperate attempt to avoid getting married, Addie LaRue sells her soul. The Faustian deal gives her a life of freedom and eternal youth. The catch? Nobody remembers Addie.
I enjoyed poetic descriptions of this book. Although the plot was relatively slow, the ending was quite pleasant.
Lesson? - don't sell your soul to the devil. If you do, please carefully consider every word of the agreement because, umm, the devil is in the details.

If anyone needs to see an example of exquisite character-building, give them this book.
The talent of Yaa Gyasi is boundless and beyond impressive. Not only is her writing plain but effective, she brilliantly illustrates the mind of a Ghanaian immigrant who deals with loss, pain, and parental neglect as she tries to understand herself and her family through the lenses of religion and science.

Yaa Gyasi brings us the tales of half-sisters Effia and Esi and their descendants for multiple generations. Each chapter focuses on a new main character and could be read as a stand-alone short story. Some are heartbreaking, some thought-provoking, yet all together they display the range of humanity.

This is such a well-written book. For some reason, I really liked how O'Farrell never mentioned the name of Agnes' husband, the most famous playwright in the 1500s who also happens to be the father of Hamnet, Judith, and Susanna. Instead, she focused on Agnes and the children.

Part memoir, part essay, part fiction, entirely brilliant. Yet, I admit I can't be impartial; as a Muslim-born American woman, I have seen or lived some of the experiences illustrated in this book.

I think I had different expectations. This book felt like a long magazine article. Also, I wouldn't consider most people portrayed in this book as weird, but maybe misfits. The author reintroduced some characters in later chapters, and more than once, I've found myself trying to remember who those people were.

A very fitting book for today...

I loved Oluo's previous book (So You Want To Talk About Race) and this book was also great. I kept nodding throughout.

This book reminds me of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale but with a magical spin: a religious society located at the edge of an enchanted forest and governed by powerful prophets with multiple wives, some of whom are in their teens. I thought the protagonist was well-developed, and the story was persuasive.

Between “pick“ and “so-so“ for me. I read this because it's a Pulitzer finalist playing out in a climate change-related dystopia. I knew it had biblical undertones, and that's okay. The writing was generally fine too. Yet, I had a hard time connecting with the protagonist or any of the characters, to be honest.

I really wanted to like this book. I grew up in Istanbul, where the Armenian genocide is still taboo. I appreciate Shafak's courage to pen the untouchable but the book wasn't well-crafted. It seems she wrote with a thesaurus nearby to sound impressive but her word choices didn't always fit and the prevalence of meandering backstories made the book clunky. I think she needed a good editor.

The novel is about a plus-sized fashion blogger as the bachelorette. The writing was good, and I liked that the protagonist was plus-sized. But the rest wasn't for me. I never had any interest in the bachelorette (or any reality show or TV competition), and I don't think I'll ever watch it. Also, I don't like the fashion industry, have zero interest in fashion, and it's hard for me to connect with a fashionista. It's not the book, it's me.

Everyone feels a poem differently. A poem that makes my eyes teary can make someone else yawn. Hence, what worked for me might not work for you. For me, this collection had a bunch of poems that evoked powerful emotions. Some were okay. Overall, I thought many of her poems were beautiful. Needless to say, I loved the Plasticene section.

Memorable characters, great dialogues, enjoyable writing. Although the pacing might be slow for some, I thought it allowed the stories to intertwine without confusing the reader. In fact, I quite enjoyed the layered storytelling in this book, seeing the same event through the eyes of a host of characters.

Beautiful runaway twins Desiree and Stella are inseparable - until Stella vanishes to pass as white. Although genetically identical, they lead completely different lives: Desiree returns home and works at a diner and Stella lives far away with her white family, opportunities, and privilege. Yet, Stella's new life keeps crossing paths with her past. This book has many layers about identity, colorism, gender, and mother-daughter relationships.

Anne is my favorite Bronte sister. The psychological depth of her characters, her realist approach to relationships, and a hint of feminism are the ingredients that make this book a great read.

Hello, 911? Is it okay to ignore the laundry mountain because I want to keep reading?
Hello, 911? Can you send someone over to walk the dog?
Hello, 911? What do people do after finishing this book?

This book about books does have some good points and suggestions. However, so many books should've made it to 100+ books to “read and reread“ but were left out. Moreover, it doesn't have a definite organization. Although some (but not most) books with similar themes are presented together (in a single chapter), in general, the reviews jump from fiction to nonfiction to written historical work with no cohesive connections.

Cat ✅ Dog ✅ Book ✅

I preside over the board of directors of a small grassroots climate education nonprofit and get asked now and then for book recommendations about climate change. This book is an eye-opening compilation of essays from some of my favorite The New Yorker writers such as Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert. I definitely recommend it!

Who doesn't have regrets or wonder how their lives would have turned out if they made different choices? Nora Seed is the protagonist of The Midnight Library, who gets to experience many lives in this tale of finding self. Matt Haig's style is a bit eclectic and whimsical but also somewhat nerdy with a pinch of physics and a dash of philosophy.

Do you want to see the behind the scenes of how Stacey Abrams helped flip Georgia? Read this book.

Published in 1899, The Awakening is about a privileged yet unhappy mother/wife who develops feelings for other men. It is somewhat similar to Madame Bovary but I think Kate Chopin captured the psyche of her protagonist a bit better.

Samantha Irby writes about growing up, work, health, relationships, and heartbreaks. Her style is humorous but coarse.

Mikel Jollett‘s memoir starts with him escaping from a cult with his mom he barely knew and focuses on growing up poor in a dysfunctional family.

I requested this book from the library a long time ago. Finally, it is here!

I understand why many people love Miller‘s Pulitzer-winning play. I really do. I like it's criticism of the American dream and appreciate that it's still applicable today. However, the plot was predictable and the dialogues felt somewhat unnatural. Lastly, the women came in two flavors: the dedicated loving housewives and the gullible sluts. I understand that in the 1940s such stereotypes were normal but it doesn't mean I have to like them.

Brandon Taylor took me back to grad school and let me experience a weekend through the eyes and mind of Wallace, a gay black student from Alabama in a midwestern city. Real Life contains authentic characters who have baggage, and the relationships between partners, friends, and coworkers are complicated.

If I could pick anyone as my writing instructor, I'd pick Jason Reynolds. Right of the bat, he says this is not a history book. He's right; unlike many history books, Stamped is neither dry nor bores the reader with trivial information. Instead, Reynolds manages to present Ibram X Kendi‘s longer work in a conversational style that is easily digestible by the YA audience.

Extremism has been propagating in the dark web as more and more sympathizers get entrenched in it's narratives. Most of us have no idea what takes place in the corners of the dark web. In Culture Warlords, Talia Lavin is unapologetically unafraid to dive into several online far-right communities to give us a glimpse of behind the scenes of radicalization.

Finished my yearly challenge and then read some more!