While social distancing I‘ve been trying to read books that are more uplifting, so I‘ve turned to romance. But The Right Swipe isn‘t just a romance—it also discusses heavier topics like the NFL taking care of its players through head injuries and believing women who come forward with their stories of sexual assault. I enjoyed this one.

I loved this love story! I especially enjoyed the process the protagonist went through to analyze and understand his emotions—especially for a person accustomed to structuring his life and behaving in ways that allowed him to separate his feelings from his self. This was a fun read.

The magical fantasy piece of the story was nice, but what I loved about this book was the very real story of the hard work it takes to build a career in academia—especially for a woman faculty member on the tenure track (in history), and especially for a woman on the tenure track who is pregnant.

I enjoyed this magical story about family and love. A perfect October read!

I am loving this book and letting it take me into fall.

I never find myself 100% agreeing with every parenting book, but I do think this one offers some great advice that parents can out into practice immediately. I found the advice around clear communication and setting limits before we (the parents) become agitated particularly helpful. I like that the author stressed mutual relationships, so it‘s important for parents to also understand their limits/stressors/emotions and honor those.

Reminding my self 1,000,001 times per day. #mamamantra

“What had she thought, that love was a toy, something easy and sweet, just to play with? Real love was dangerous, it got you from inside and held on tight, and if you didn‘t let go fast enough you might be willing to do anything for its sake.”

“I am India‘s most faithful voter, and I still have not seen the inside of a voting booth.”

This book is crammed with so many feelings. I think it describes so perfectly and painfully what it‘s like growing up, feeling boxed in, questioning, finding yourself, and finding your words—speaking your truth. I like the themes around religion, spirituality, guilt, and shame. I wish I had this book growing up. I will buy it for my daughter.

“I think when we get together and we talk about ourselves, about being human, about what hurts us, we are also talking about God. So that‘s also church, right?”

“...words give people permission to be their fullest self.”

“And I think about all the things we could be If we were never told our bodies were not built for them.”

“When your body takes up more room than your voice you are always the target of well-aimed rumors...”

I had high hopes for this book. This story showed the complex relationships within families and also how families come together during difficult times. However, the characters were underdeveloped. Although Lillian seemed to find her voice and her strength as she faced her past, I wanted more from Viola, Kim, and Baby Vi. I think the story may have been stronger written solely from Lillian‘s perspective.

“I keep wondering how you have compassion for your own self when you go against what‘s good in you.”

“Every time I think, ‘I am very lonely,‘ it becomes bleaker and more true. You can think things into being. You can dwell them up from the ground.”

“Let your heart lead you, do not be afraid, for there will be much to regret if reason and sense and fear are your only markers.”

Loved the movie, so thought I‘d spend a day or two on this light read.

I‘m in the mood for a new series and really enjoy historical fiction. So let‘s give this a try!

This book was fine. It was an engaging story—I think lately I‘m just a little tired of the violence against women plot line. It‘s a bit exhausting. But the story is good and I enjoy the strong female friendships.

“As the doors close, he grips the same pole I‘m holding for balance...With each lurch of the train, his grip loosens and his hand moves closer to mine. We touch and then don‘t. Touch and then don‘t. Always just barely.”

Really enjoying Dear Evan Hansen!

“A golden cage is still a cage.”

This was one of my top 5 books of 2018. I was hesitant because I wasn‘t sure how I could connect to any one character if every chapter focused on and was written by a different character. But I was blown away by this book and felt connected to every character. This is an amazing and emotional story of slavery and racism across generations—from the beginning of slave trade in Ghana to policing of people of color in the US today.

Is There There really that good? Yes, it is. So worth the hype—added to my list of top 5 reads of 2018.

I really wanted to like this one and did until the end. I thought this book had all the makings of a strong female protagonist, but the plot line (towards the end) took away all her choice. I wanted to know how the characters choice would drive the book, but that didn‘t happen.

I‘m enjoying this one so far—this is an engaging and fast read. Perfect for the weekend!

I love the stardust books for my daughter! Written by awesome, 12-year old science-author and her dad!

“Choosing to live is an act of defiance, a form of heroism.”

“He gave you a life and what did you do but build your own prison.”

“Easy is nice, but it‘s not as good as getting to be who you are or stand up for what you believe in,” said Penn. “Easy is nice, but I wonder how often it leads to fulfilling work or partnership or being.”

“You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn‘t know what she meant.”

How would you live if you knew the day you would die? This is a captivating story about the bond between siblings, the power of words and believing, what it means to live, the gray area between reality and illusion, and the things human beings do to survive: what we tell ourselves and the rituals we create to make it through the tough stuff. The message of this book is that love, feeling, and connection are what make life worth living.

“He thinks she‘s afraid of the trick when the truth is that she could give him an hour-long tutorial on P.T. Selbit and his misogynistic inventions: Destroying a Girl, Stretching a Lady, Crushing a Woman, all of them perfectly timed to capitalize on postwar bloodthirst and women‘s suffrage.
Klara won‘t be a woman who is sawed in half or tied in chains—nor will she be rescued or liberated. She‘ll save herself. She‘ll be the saw.

Those who know me know I don‘t really read happy books—but this is one of the best feel-good books I‘ve read this year (perhaps the only) and it‘s my last book read in 2018! This book discusses some pretty heavy topics: loss, violence against women, love. However, it‘s also an awesome story about women empowering women. So good, I actually laughed out loud.