What can I say? Becky Chambers has yet to disappoint.

In this deeply satisfying final book in her Wayfarers series, she once again tells an intricate story that is all at once challenging, thoughtful and hopeful. It‘s her signature move - space adventure as hopeful exploration of life in all its facets. this was the exact book I needed.

If you can, listen to it on audio. Rachel Dulude makes this great book even better.

I started this one on audio ages ago, and if my work life had not become insane, I would have flown through it.

This book is, in a word, phenomenal.

Covering the story of slavery through the dual lenses of his own experience and the locations he visits, Clint Smith weaves a story that is utterly fascinating.

This was easily one of the best history books I have read in quite some time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Checked this out on audio from Libby and it was just as good as I thought it would be. Goes deep into the life of the incomparable Notorious RBG. Her legal work was far-reaching and revolutionary for women's rights, but there was so much more to her as a person. If the prospect of a 24 hour audiobook is daunting, just bear in mind that the book itself is roughly 700 pages. :) The length is entirely warranted and an easy listen.

Excellent for word nerds! I loved this book. It bounces between two stories that take place roughly 100 years apart. The first is the story of a lexicographer in the Victorian era who feels overlooked in life and places numerous fake entries in the dictionary at the publishing house he works at. (More in the comments - I promise no spoilers) 😊

Addresses are never a thing that I gave any thought to. This book kind of echoed my experience with a book I read earlier in January - 99% Invisible City - and the reason I say that is because it made me think about not only the importance of addresses, but the relative...fluidity they can have. (continued in comments...)
#24in48 #readathon

Ruth Riechl‘s venerable memoir surrounding her days at the helm of Gourmet magazine is fantastic. The behind the scenes of Gourmet as it struggled to survive the economic crisis of 2008 is entertaining & bittersweet. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys food writing or chef memoirs in particular. Bonus: there‘s a sprinkling of recipes in the book that sound wonderful.

I first read this book in 2019, astonished and surprised that the subject matter was so...immediately relevant.

Given the events surrounding the 2020 election and the subsequent insurrection at the Capitol building - this book obviously hits different now.

See the comments for my review, since it did not fit here. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. This is a must read.

In short: this book is amazing. Brutally honest creative nonfiction conveying stories of Undocumented Americans, with the author's personal story weaved through it. This book should make you feel complex feelings at the least, and will likely make you angry in a righteous way. What a book.

Picked this up on audio ages ago after Lindsay Ellis recommended it on her YouTube Channel. I wish I had a better way of describing this book, but I agree with Lindsay Ellis‘ assessment that this book “chronicles the supervillain rise and fall of Disney CEO Michael Eisner”.

This sounds like it should be a boring book, but it is compelling to listen to the (alleged) mean girl behavior at the highest ranks of the Disney Company.

Picked this up randomly while browsing the library catalog on Libby. I love lemons (I used to have a Meyer lemon tree at a house my husband and I used to rent), and I mean...look at that beautiful cover. 🥰 But in all seriousness - this is a really interesting book about the history of not just lemons but citrus in Italy. It weaves cultural history of Italy from all over the country and even includes some recipes that sounded great!

Memoir of Grace Coddington, former creative director at large for Vogue Magazine. I picked this book up in 2012 when it was first published, after having seen the documentary film “The September Issue” in 2009. Grace has had a fascinating life, and this book was enjoyable, if a bit meandering at times. I enjoyed it 😊

Based in part on the wildly successful podcast, 99% Invisible, this book will make you take notice of design detail that most of us just pass by in any city. I have the hardcover (which is gorgeous), but I checked out the audio from the library so I could listen to the bonus episode of the podcast, plus an interview with Roman Mars. It‘s a great listen. Highly recommended!

Picked this up via recommendation from Storygraph, and I am so glad I did. I‘ve been a Star Trek fan for most of my life, and this was an entertaining and fun read. A lot of the book reads like narrative versions of the old Original Series episodes, with more depth to Kirk‘s backstory sprinkled throughout. It progresses into slightly condensed plots of the movies. While I was prone to love this as a fan, I think it is a fun read as a stand-alone.

This one is a bit of a slow burn, but I enjoyed it. Mix of personal stories and stories/history of lighthouses. It‘s a lovely read.

First book of 2021 that I could literally not put down. It follows the story of a broken family that unfolds slowly at first and picks up in the latter half of the book. It centers on a 12 year old girl named Caitlin, longing for an extended family while being raised by her single mother. CW: intense but brief physical abuse, as well as emotional abuse. The story is still beautiful and the resolution at the end is intensely cathartic.

Excellent collection of hilarious, yet touching personal essays. I loved this on audio. I had read Wow, No Thank You in paperback, but now I kind of want to revisit it on audio.

In any case, highly recommended! 👍

History of the Aztec (Mexica) people told using primary sources from the Mexica people. I studied Latin American History in college, so this was right in my wheelhouse. Very dense, but well-written and fascinating. Recommended for anyone interested in this topic.

The opening essay, “SantaLand Diaries” is genuinely funny. However, despite my being a Sedaris fan, and understanding that his whole schtick is humor by way of shock value and offensiveness; the subsequent essays were a slog. It is safe to say that many of these essays...did not age well.

Listened to the audiobook (narrated by Kenneth Branagh). I had never read this (yeah, I know), but I wanted to finally get to this before the movie comes out - hoo boy this book did not disappoint.

The reveal was bananapants in the best way, and I loved it sooo much!

Emmeline Pankhurst. 👸🏻🤘🔥🔥🔥

This is a beautifully written, fascinating and heartbreaking read. Spanning multiple decades and generations of a Korean family in Japan, this story deals with unconditional love, obligation, and perseverance in the best and worst of times. I flew right through this book. ❤️

#riotgrams Day 7: Well Loved Reads. The only title I left out is Anne of Green Gables because my original copy got lost when I moved last year. 💔

#Riotgrams Day 6: Number Titles. I thought I had way more than just these two, but I did a massive donation to the library last year and now I really have no clue what I still have. 😁📚

#Riotgrams Day 5: Something Magical. Quick story: I suffered a medical emergency in 2009, and I read this book during my recovery. It sparked my interest in Anthony Bourdain's writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Any book that functions as a gateway - that is pure magic. ❤️📚@BookRiot

Equal parts fascinating & troubling, with just a hint of memoir. I have always been a fan of grocery stores, and my love for them deepened with age. Ruhlman brings his unique voice to bear on the intricacies of the grocery business, using the long-running Cleveland grocery chain Heinan's as the entry point. If you're into cooking or generally interested in the food/grocery industry of the U.S., this book is for you. 👍

Dense, intensely interesting with a few tantalizing peeks at her personal life. I wouldn't classify this as an easy read per se, but it is worth the effort. Can't wait for the biography. 😊

Full review on my blog: https://missbookishgirl.com/2017/04/29/book-review-my-own-words-by-ruth-bader-gi...

Hells yes, Beatrice. 👸🏻 #HappyBirthdayShakespeare

Read this years ago, but I absolutely loved it. Traces the influence that the Watergate scandal has had on the presidency. Would be interesting if he ever decides to revisit this idea...

One of the most fascinating memoirs I have ever read. Picked it up on a bit of a whim, and was taken by surprise. 👍#GIVEAWAYTHETRUTH

Margaret George does not disappoint in this newest book. I thoroughly enjoyed her reimagining of the life of Nero told from his perspective. 👍

My full review of this book is on my blog: https://missbookishgirl.com/2017/04/16/book-review-the-confessions-of-young-nero...

To be continued... 📚😊👏

This is next in my TBR pile. ;)

In my case there is another distance, another schism. I don't know Bengali perfectly. I don't know how to read it, or even write it. ...As a result I consider my mother tongue, paradoxically, a foreign language too.