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.

My #Feminist perspective results. 💪🏻💖 Thanks for the link @Catsandbooks ! #riseupreads

This ARC felt very original to me - centered around four women, whose lives overlap in unique ways. Set in a future where men are kept in captivity because they are a believed liability and women largely rule the world.

🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ with fully fleshed out characters that feel very honest and sometimes unlikable. Dabbles in witchcraft & religion. Wild. Translated from Danish. Out at the end of April in English.

Spied a whole table of signed copies of my current audiobook read. I‘m enjoying it so far - it‘s the perfect blend of serious medical insight with personal experience.

As an almost-38 year old, I‘ve been noticing odd symptoms that lend itself to perimenopause over the last few years. Definitely think this book provides a more general introduction of what to expect. 😵‍💫

🥰💖🫣🤷🏻‍♀️💪🏻 #bnbookfest

A moment for these spooky sprayed edges bc wow. 🫣 #bnbookfest

Met Jeneva Rose today at B&N‘s “Book Fest” event. (Lots more pics to follow.)

She was lovely & hilarious. And now my TBR is even longer. Whoops. 😅 #bnbookfest

Wow. This was very fast paced YA - like whiplash fast pace. I would have appreciated a little more world building because parts of the plot felt unearned. But this felt like one long intro paragraph for a greater story potential to be told.

I shall continue into the Grishaverse soon, I fear. 😨 #AuthorAMonth

As a #kpop and music nerd, this was a fantastic quick read. While I think some specialized knowledge of the industry is required to get the most out it emotionally, Kwon touches on misogyny, racism, diet culture, suicide & mental health, and so much more - tethering her own personal life journey to the idols she‘s adored.

I get why this had its own fandom! I doubt I‘ll get to much more this month for #AuthorAMonth but I definitely think I‘d want to continue the whole series.

The Grishaverse of it all has been on my TBR for years. I initially thought to start with Six of Crows but when researching, Shadow & Bone was the recommended entry point. This prequel was alluded to having spoilers, but since I‘m going into this totally cold, I decided to start here. 💙 👤

Now on to Shadow & Bone… #AuthorAMonth

Maybe Pan is too strong but if you love solid mysteries/thrillers, this ain‘t it, henny.

This was a deflated soufflé. Solid twisty premise, then 200 pages of an obvious ending and a mopey hostage negotiator which added little to the plot, then a neat wrapped up ending. This is not my drag. ??‍♀️??‍?

I get why this author is popular -super quick page turner. But is it good? Not for me.

Leigh Bardugo is #AuthorAMonth so I‘m using this as my excuse to finally wind my way into the Grishaverse. 🩵 💙

Iffffff you want perfectionnnnnn 🎶

Just got home from seeing ‘Death Becomes Her‘ on Broadway. Just as campy and hilarious as the movie. 🍿 🤣

I was approved for this nonfiction/semi memoir about #kpop and immediately had to cue it up same day. The author uses her fandom of various groups, mostly boy bands and solo female artists, to tell the story of her journey to adulthood.

Kpop will always be special to me. My first live concert from a Korean artist was JYJ back in 2010 — one of its 3 members has already been mentioned quite a bit in this book.

This book was a treat — a super fast paced sci-fi ghost story. Elements felt a little repetitive or all talk/no show, but so much of this was lyrically delicate, super descriptive body horror. This is the author‘s first novel - I‘m really excited to see where she goes from here.

February wrap up! The tagged was my favorite read of the month by far followed by Keke‘s memoir. 💖💌

I‘ve read this & its sequel a few years back and ever since I‘ve been telling everyone I know to read it. Especially if they are against the now current Administration in the US. The story feels eerily current but also strangely comforting in that unsettling familiarity? Hard to explain.

Hope everyone reading for #WithTheBanned enjoys. 💌

This book is wild. And not for the faint of heart.

Admittedly this book is more self-help/motivational than memoir, but regardless, it was highly enjoyable. Definitely recommend. Keke‘s got a good head on her shoulders.