This was wild, chaotic, confusing, and very funny in a nonsensical way. Plot? There kinda isn‘t one. And yet you come away rooting for Wala & Co. 🤪🤯

A fever dream-like intro this author indeed. 😅 #AuthorAMonth

One you get into the tone…this book flies and it‘s very funny. #AuthorAMonth

If you have even the smallest interest in the beginnings of Mattel/the launch of Barbie, this was highly enjoyable. My only caveat would be it‘s a “novelization” - so it‘s unclear just how much was invented for the story. (A central character, Stevie, is totally fictional.) Definitely humanized an American behemoth in my opinion.

And now to tackle my last May bucket list item: #AuthorAMonth !

James has been on my TBR since it came out so I‘m hoping to finish that as well after this. 🤘🏻😍

Elements if this felt like a solid YA-style mystery. But the more adult elements of the romance felt misguided and a little silly, especially during a shockingly obvious murder investigation with a high body count. I feel like this is the type of drama style that‘d work as cheesy television, not as a book. 😅🤷🏻‍♀️🦊 #RiseUpReads

Took a little bit to warm up to this one but it‘s proving to be fun. 🫣😅 #RiseUpReads

I definitely get the hype here - this was emotional with a lot of (sometimes heavy handed) metaphor regarding climate change. While the set up was strong, some of the plotting felt awkwardly placed and I don‘t love how mental illness was handled.

I‘d give this a 3.75 out of 5.

This months #botm box (including the limited edition book!) got a lil wet on the way here. Grateful a neighbor (or maybe the mailman?) left it on the heater in our lobby. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Miraculously I saw no damage to the actual books. 🥹🤕

Started in on the tagged on my audiobook walk today getting groceries.

Espresso martini (frozen) is from last night. 🥰

A third in and I totally get the hype around this book. 🥹

That was dark.

I feared the lyrical poetry style would grate on me at first but overall I think it ultimately added to the frenetic decent described. Looking forward to the discussion here. #WithTheBanned

I think I wanted this to be something it just wasn‘t. But considering I guessed the ending by page 25, I gotta Pan. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It‘s a definite speed read - but I wasn‘t wowed by the writing.

Bonus points for the clever cover and myriad of late 90s/early 00‘s references, though!

What a solid twisty lil thriller! I flew through this ARC, out 5/27!

Unreliable narrators, wild accusations, possessive needs for acknowledgment. The toxicity is everywhere - set against a backdrop of NYC during 9/11. If you liked the pace/tone of Yellowface or Luckiest Girl Alive, this might be for you.

My thanks to Hyperion Avenue for this ARC! 💖

Truly a sucker for sprayed edges lol 🤪

Fingers crossed this is the Romantasy that finally *clicks* for me. #botm

Clear case of Middle Book in a Trilogy syndrome at play here. The back half of this crawled in terms of plot with a ton of focus on YA willful dramarama.

No longer Team Mal…but I‘m not sure I want to be on Team Alina either. 🤷🏻‍♀️🫣 Nikolai was the best part of this book by far. ☀️ 🏴‍☠️

The love! The whimsy! The heels! 🥹

Such a cute lil coffee table book. Also would make for a solid lil gift. 💝

When YA fantasy also kind of feels relevant to real life… 🫣🤷🏻‍♀️

Words I live by, tbqh 🤘🏻🫣😅

Happy Indie Bookstore Day!

Yes, I‘m on a Book Buying Ban but made an exception for today for my local store. 💖🫣

Only 40 pages in and I already see another contender join the ring of this Love Triangle? Bardugo playing 3D Chess. Will I come out of Part 2 still playing for Team Mal? 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️🫣

Hmm. Intensely atmospheric. I felt like I could smell the wilderness when reading.

The lack of plot here leads me to docking points. But despite this being more of a love letter to Alaska rather than a “beauty & the beast” style story, I found myself caring about all of the characters, even through their shocking mistakes.

Sometime shortly, I shall delve back into the Grishaverse as promised. 🥹👋🏻

Soft pick. Layered with metaphor. The type of poetry you‘ll need to sit with a bit.
#RiseUpReads

Well. I flew through this. The plot is maybe a little obvious but the entire ensemble cast of characters - esp the narrator - are so emotionally fleshed out, it‘s forgivable. I can picture this story as a movie or a play. It‘s heart-wrenching.

Snagged this from the library today - looking forward to it! #RiseUpReads

I went into this ARC from the title alone, thinking I wasn‘t familiar with the authors podcast but…quickly realized I‘ve seen quite a few clips come along my social feeds. After reading this book - which felt like a gab fest about life, obstacles, and reality, I‘ve fully subscribed to their (admittedly political bent) podcast. While I think being a fan will lead to getting the most out of this book, it was just as enjoyable going in mostly cold.

Happy Cozy Sunday! I was dreaming about this spicy hollandaise from one of my fave local spots all week so I indulged.

I like that more and more books are including a preface about potential triggers, normalizing compassion. This world needs it.

Started in on this today. #BOTM has it early - it‘s on shelves 4/22. It‘s sucked me right in.

ARC: out 4/29

As a horror nerd, this one just didn‘t hit for me. A mix of ‘Haunting of Hill House‘ (Netflix version) & ‘IT‘ - but got bogged down by repetition, hollow central characters that veered on vapid, and horror that just felt childish and goofy.

If you don‘t already like horror (like expletives, gross images, etc), this off the table won‘t be for you, regardless.

A 2.5/5 for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had high hopes.

Smaller group this go round for Book Club - but average was around around an 8 out of 10 for the tagged book. (I gave it a 6 🤷🏻‍♀️.)

Pick - while the plot is a bit slow/steady - the women at the center of the story & their friendship is just so lovely and wholesome. I‘d read more about their lives if I could. I definitely think Quinn is an author for me (& her coauthor on this Chang as well!). #AuthorAMonth

Photo is of the kingfisher bird feathers from Google central to the headpiece prop in the story. Not partial to birds - at all lol - but they are quite pretty.

This right here is why these abortion laws cropping up scare me and why it‘s never been clearer these laws *arent* about protecting babies or women.

Abortion is simply healthcare. 👋🏻

Latest #BOTM (or as my work friend who also subscribes calls it “bottom” lol) has arrived!

Early release - it‘s out at the end of this month. I think I‘ll tackle it first after my current reads & an ARC from NetGalley out around the same time.

Whether or not you‘ve worked with divas in the arts, this is pretty hilarious…and right on the mark. 😅 #AuthorAMonth

Starting the month with #AuthorAMonth 👑

Thanks again to @Soubhiville for running this challenge and for my prize. This title was what I was planning to read for April all along. 💖

March wrap up! Not pictured: Naomi Watts‘ memoir/health book on menopause & a table book on Coco Chanel. Tagged was my fave of the lot but Womb City & Eleven Percent came pretty close.

Also couldn‘t *not* share this heartbreaking section on the “birth” so to speak of gynecology.

I need to find this plaque in Central Park. 😭

Phew. Reading this a little bit at a time bc damn. A notepad at my side to make notes but admittedly it‘s a lot of “wild! Can you believe this 💩?!”

Glad this is immensely reader friendly and doesn‘t feel like a textbook. As a result, I‘m “learning” so much to back up my obvious personal feelings regarding deciding what the hell goes on in my own body (a concept!!).

Preliminary April TBR — audiobooks not included obvi. 💖🤘🏻 📚

#AuthorAMonth - the tagged
BOTM titles from Feb & March - need to catch up 😅

One of my goals this year was to read more educational nonfiction so picked this up at the library to peruse a little bit each day. Wasn‘t expecting it to be this thicc. 🤕

Someone take away my wallet! 😅

Other than BOTM, I‘m on a strict book buying ban til my birthday in June at least. I need to shrink this TBR before my bf throws me out of our apt. 🤪🫣

But given all of the chatter, I couldn‘t not pick the tagged up…and spied this lil Octavia essay for a later #AuthorAMonth. 😍

Have reached the halfway point in the tagged book and feeling…indifferent?

I get why so many people like this author because she really paints an evocative picture but in terms of plot…it just feels soapy? I think I want it to feel denser.

Points for the focus on the hardworking women during the horrors of the Vietnam War. I wish that was more the overall focus rather than the flimsy love stories.

Shifting gears and queuing this up - my next in person book club pick and my first Kristin Hannah novel. So many friends wax so poetic about her writing.

I think I‘m ready to cry. Wow me, Kristin! 😅

Solid buildup, shockingly quick read despite how emotional it all is. I will admit, the ending felt too abrupt…and dare I say too easy?

Like many have said, this felt less like a sequel and more like a coda/epilogue. But certainly a timely one. 🍊

I really don‘t need to add more books to my already crazy TBR but I saw this in the #LFL and couldn‘t resist Rainbow Rowell. I haven‘t read the first book this is sequel to though, so that‘ll have to come first.🫣 I loved Fangirl so much and these fanfic characters were in the background, correct?

🌈💖🥰

Pretty silly lil coffee table book of Dolly quotes. Most were pretty shallow rather than heartfelt but many made me chuckle.
👙 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

Like…not to sound alarmist but…

This feels like the MAGA end goal, no? Reading this as they attempt to dismantle the Dept of Education this very week.

Sigh.

The struggle with these kinds of dystopia stories is…this absolutely feels familiar. This absolutely feels like it‘s already happening. So is it really ✨ dystopian ✨ ? 🫣 Sigh.

#WithTheBanned is reading Handmaid‘s - and since I rarely re-read, now is the perfect time to get the sequel off my shelf and read. 🫣💖💪🏻

Soft pick. I enjoy Naomi‘s charm & humor but I found this to be lacking on much of the research I was expecting. This was a solid overview - but doesn‘t offer much in terms of nitty gritty regarding menopause.

It does offer a fab new idiom though: “must-erbation”. Feeling like you “must” do things even when over extended.