Completely fascinating and absorbing, while disappointingly minimal in the areas of Africa, the Americas, and Australia. This is an archeological perspective even though it's touted as history, so there is much dense information through that lens. Highly educational and worth the read.

Ripping good story!! Dark and creepy and gothic and sapphic and sly. Loved it.

Absolutely impossible for me to describe. Layers of story, hazy over time and space, complex characters, strange plots. Fantastic read, but YMMV.

I'm a huge fan of books that transcend genre, as this does. Part memoir, part geographical discussion, part historical discourse on race and the movement/displacement/settling of people groups over time, fully all of the above, this book is a series of essays and thought trees that lead the reader on winding paths through important perspectives of America. Fascinating and graceful, tragic and timeless.

This book is a must-read. Full of real talk and raw stories, each essay blasts away preconceptions and assumptions about life as a person who is navigating disability politics, resources, capitalism, sexism, academia, doctors and medicine, racism, sexuality, and prejudice. So important to read and hear these voices.

What an incredible book, and I mean that both in its quality and its believability. Stuffed with amazing magical realism, themes from Iranian philosophy, ghosts, djinns, and otherworldly experiences, this book is all over the place in the best way. And yet it also deals a hefty dose of sobering reality in addressing the oppressive regime after the Revolution. Powerful, shocking, even strange to American readers, (Cont in comments)

I don't know how to write a review for this book, one in which everything and nothing seem to happen simultaneously. It's a family story, a political story, a story of a woman who is lost and unable to find herself, and a story of conflict and connection. Vijay writes with a steady tension and melancholy, yet never oversteps into melodrama. Really excellent read.

Started this one today. Already completely hooked.

Truly stunning memoir. As much a history of California's Mission Indians as it is a story of Miranda's family, and of herself. Miranda is a wry, well-researched, and thoughtful writer who tackles the joys and traumas of life with clear eyes and descriptive prose. (And she makes excellent arguments for doing away with the bullshit CA mission projects for elementary schoolers.)

I grew up loving stories about magic, princesses, witches, fairy tales, and girls being strong and celebrating themselves. Little girl me would've loved devouring these wonderful stories full of black girl magic; as an adult I gobbled them up. Perfect shot of power and confidence for these distracting, distressing times.

How often do you read books that are not written for you? If you're white, probably not nearly enough. Birdie is the best kind of challenging book - one that exists to tell stories that fill gaps in our knowledge and experience, that force us to see painful truth about our selves and others. I loved how the author plays with time, and language. (Cont. in comments)

As bold and dreary, golden and dry, searching and lost, dreamy and cold, real and mythical as the California history it relates. What a marvelous book. Zhang has written a perspective missing from the Western milieu and it is necessary - full of family, stories, sacrifice, identity, home, and place. So good.

"Come off it!" This isn't the Shakespeare you read in high school, ?

A fun diversion, if a bit rambly. Will make you want to bake. 😀

Yes. Let's explore these works as frameworks, not masterpieces. "I don't really care what he might have meant, nor should you."

"So much of what we say about Shakespeare is either not true or just not relevant." Looking forward to digging into this one!

I liked this one, but it's definitely not for everyone. It doesn't really fall cleanly into a category. Zapata plays with overlapping generational narratives, treating time as something to be crossed (like a border, like a sea). The stories weave in and out and the writing is very good. A thoughtful, cerebral book of stories.

Boosting the signal on this #ownvoices #dignidadliteraria book. Unlike a previously published fictional account with massive publisher backing (and stereotypical representation of the people it supposedly meant to "humanize"), this book of actual stories from actual people is not being given wide exposure. Please consider reading this book, if you truly wish to be "part of the conversation."

I never read books about the military or war, but this family memoir caught my eye and I'm so glad. It was intriguing and sobering. Now I want to read some more about the CIA in Laos.

I don't know if it's me or the book, but I'm not into this. It portrays life so bleakly.

Since traveling is out for the foreseeable future, I've been diving into this gem. What non-self-help books are helping you right now?

I don't know what to make of this dark fantasy. I was immersed in the story, characters, and world. The writing was really good. The machinations, politics, and avarice was truthful. But it was dreadfully dark and violent, with some really dysfunctional relationships (definitely CW for mysogyny, for assault, for child abuse, for gaslighting, for suicide, and for manipulation). Read with caution and let me know what you think!

This book is a philisophical meal for your brain. It's a game-changer for me, echoing things I've considered, while bringing up issues I hadn't. I love it, particularly now, in this moment, while we have a chance to rethink everything, and while we are forced to consider how we spend our time.

Thoughtful memoir that opens a window on a part of the country I know nothing about. I found this read poignant and hopeful.

Breathtakingly original and a fantastic ride. Nobody writes like Jemisin. Brilliant.

It's such a relief to find fantasy that isn't yet another version of eurocentric medievalness. And when the characters are complex and nuanced and human, while living in a magical world? And when there's true diversity (age, gender, sexuality, personal history and backstory, ethnicity and culture, voice,etc)? And when the story is so good? Blown away.

Loved it and dog-eared it and am a better person for reading it.

This book is sacred ground. Read with respect.

I don't think I've ever read anything so completely, nakedly, tragically, honest and searching and real. Yet. Gay asks not for pity, but for consideration and space. Good grief, this woman can write.

Just what I needed. Quirky and imaginative and funny.

Fascinating discourse about trails, from multiple perspectives. Reminiscent of Susan Orlean's work. A must read for serious walkers.

Between a pick and a so-so for me, ultimately a pick because it's beautifully written and I cared deeply about the characters. Melancholy bordering on a bit morose, I found Muriel's and Julius' stories sweetly sad and slightly tragic. This book is slow- paced and full of secrets and backstory. A little bit like a cross between Steinbeck and Obrecht in style. Interesting read and also a #queerbook.

Finally home, errands done, laundry folded, groceries put away, lunch eaten. Time to nest. First up is a Giant Days marathon! I love this graphic novel series about British Uni students. It's hilarious and fresh and real. #stayathome24in48

Time for the #stayathome24in48 readsthon! I'll be getting a late start because we have to go out and do laundry. But here's my plan for the next couple of days!!

Quarantine book haul! Support your local independent bookstores. Mine is still shipping orders. ❤️

I don't read these kinds of books at all so I'm not sure how to rate them, but I'm going with a pick because I found myself thinking about the main characters and wondering how they were. This is not an action-packed thriller; it's more of a quiet tension that keeps you engaged. Very slow in parts, but to me that was like I was experiencing time alongside the characters. Interesting era, as well.

A little gentle humor for all my book people. Sending love and good health to all of you, regardless of how this virus affects you and yours. ❤️📚

Delightful diversion for difficult times. In the flavor of Julia Quinn and Jane Austen, but easy to read and very innocent - perfectly acceptable for a younger but advanced reader.

#StayHome24in48 is coming!

Powerful book. Marcelo Hernandez Castillo has ripped his heart out and written the pages with his pain, hope, loss, love, disorientation, displacement, struggle, and movement. This is a real memoir of immigration and it's worth your time.

Super fun palate cleanser - exciting, nonstop caper with great characters. A bit thin on plot, but who cares?! Enjoy the ride.

There's a small Goodwill storefront in my town that sells books and cds. Every now and then I stop in to see what's new. Found this one and thought I'd give it a try.

Fantastic and fantastical! I loved it. Orcs, revenants, Magic, blood, power, strange portals, weird old religions/cults, and creepy Lovecraftian monsters. What a blast this was to read.

Powerful memoir on living, loving, losing, nature, and isolation. Content warning for dysfunctional/abusive families, death, natural disasters, fire (more details in spoiler comment). I sobbed, and I rarely cry at books.

Such a sweeping story; I got thoroughly wrapped up in the comedy and tragedy of the lives of the characters. Fascinating to read even a fictional account of history I never learned in school. Sobering to read echoes of our current era in the fascist past. Allende writes with such matter-of-fact and tender assurance. Her books are a delight to read.

Deeply personal journey, profoundly insightful suggestions. This book made me think and think and think. Highly valuable. Highly recommend.

Excellent SciFi story. Layers of narrative interweave and echo each other: humanity, choices, time, music, corporations, research, societies, and the cost of progress. But mostly, about love. So so good, and I'm not a huge science fiction fan. Would be a great book club pick. 👥📚

This is very well written and researched, and fairly addresses the complexities of war without glorifying it. I skimmed a lot because I'm not into military history and really just wanted the story of the Wrens - which was fascinating.

Snarky and funny as all hell. I loved this gentle roast of Harry Potter. I loved the characters, the subversion, the matter-of-fact queerness and awkwardness of adolescence. So so good.

Overall this is a pick. Epic, brutal, dark, tragic. So many horrible things keep happening to the protagonist (hence this quote). My quibbles- there were some rough spots in the pacing, and the flavor of the romance felt very teen-drama whereas the rest of the story was much more mature. But an excellent addition to YA fantasy. For older teens.