so-soThis was undeniably cute and steamy, but a few aspects got under my skin in the end. Sure, acting like lovesick teenagers is cute, but practical foreplay in front of Michael's family? Also, after Philip James forcibly kisses Stella, Michael's response is... to insist she kisses him? Nice ownvoices rep of ASD and a fun story overall, but those icky bits overshadowed the rest for me.
I would never know where I am in this book without @xicanti, which would be a shame because I'm learning a lot! It's making me think more deeply about learning and cognition issues and making me think about my own struggles with attention, memory, and addictive behaviors in a whole new light.
It's a pretty demoralizing time politically to be reading BEHOLD THE DREAMERS, but Mbue's characters make it all worth it.
so-soI'm so torn on how to review this. It was a completely solid read, perfect for fans of psychological horror, alternating viewpoints, and fic in translation. Still, parts of it dragged, and I just don't know that it's going to stick to with me. This really *just* falls short of being a Pick for me.
Waiting on Jai to get his luscious locks cut and cozying up with a trilogy I've been meaning to get to ever since discovering Jemisin. Thank goodness he has long hair.
Some ARC and bookstore loot from my trip to Minnesota. @OutlandishLit spoiled the bejeezus out of me.
pickPretty sure I blew through this in 90 minutes, and I plan to do it all again on my plane ride home tomorrow. The tension and strangeness here reminded me so much of another favorite (ALL THE BIRDS, SINGING). Don't read anything about it before going in, and prepare to bite off every nail during this single sitting read.
bailedThis is my third try with this one, and I just can't sink into it. The writing isn't bad, but the pacing is far too slow. If you're into dark fantasy and toy shop themes, give it a go, but more straight-up horror fans can pass.
My reading buddy isn't too fond of pictures. I can forgive her since she still hangs around during the scary parts of the book. Gettin' summertime creepy with today's pick.
It's almost time for the #Readathon! Who else is participating on Saturday?
I'll be carving out some time to read DEADLINE by Mira Grant. I finally finished FEED this week, and I nearly tripped over myself to grab the second installment in her Newsflesh series. (Yes, even though it's an ebook. I am that clumsy.)
Starting a new project! It might take months to finish (thanks, grad school), but I love the feeling of cracking open a brand new novel.
pickHarking back to James Baldwin's searingly honest but hopeful pair of essays, THE FIRE THIS TIME picks up where he left off. Ward collected essays, articles and poetry to examine where black Americans have been, where they are now and where they hope one day to be. Two standouts are Claudia Rankine's piece on black mourning and Garnette Cadogan's essay on walking while black. Easy? No. Vital? Oh yes.
Post-run drink and a post-run read. This is the school wide book at my graduate school this year, and I can already tell it's going to hit hard. Thank goodness for beer.
I miss being able to post pictures on Litsy, especially since I got a new book yesterday that I want to show y'all!
Have you picked up any new books this weekend?
"In short, ladies and gentlemen, he is a legitimate contender to hold the highest office in our nation, as well as being the man who seems most likely to escalate the unending conflict between us and the infected into a state of all-out war."
Can we talk about the fact that I'm basically reading about Trump and zombies rn
I've got coffee, there's a gentle but persistent rain against the windows, and I'm ready to settle in for a long morning of reading. Happy weekend! What's on YOUR stack today?
P. S. I can't remember the last time I flew through such a long book so quickly! Mira Grant is a treasure.
"The task of resisting our own oppression does not relieve us of the responsibility of acknowledging our complicity in the oppression of others."
?☝️?
Also, my new doctor just recommended I read COME AS YOU ARE, so it's safe to say I love my new doctor.
Feeling like a zombie at the doctor's office with reading material to match.
My fancy new Android 7.0 update broke my ability to post Litsy pics, so stand by!
so-soI had such high hopes for this one - an alternate history in which the Civil War never happened and undercover free men hunt down runaway slaves sounded amazing. It wasn't a bad read, but just OK + seemingly clueless white author = 😕. (He did eventually give credit where it was due to his black literary influences, but not soon enough.) If you're on the fence, you can pass.
#fiction #review
🙌🙌🙌 Georgia Mason 🙌🙌🙌
#fiction #currentlyreading
"Before them, blogging was something people thought should be done by bored teenagers talking about how depressed they were. Some folks used it to report on politics and the news, but ... [t]he blogosphere wasn't threatening the traditional news media, not even as it started having a real place on the world stage. They thought of us as 'quaint.' Then the zombies came, and everything changed."
Journo-horror? Already sold.
#fiction #horror
pickThere ain't enough horns in the world for this one. Unbelievable writing and world building, queer folk up the wazoo and an ending that left me flailing helplessly for more. Listen to Robin Miles's stellar narration if you can!
#fiction #fantasy #favorites #review
pickI started this on my way home from BEA '16, and it remains the best book I picked up there. Luminous gets thrown around a lot, but if you think you can find a book that better fits that bill, fight me. I'm floored that this is Dennis-Benn's debut and can't wait to see what she does next.
#fiction #review
"The particular combination of racism and classism in many communities of color is life-threatening. Nonetheless, when I, the middle-class Black mother of two sons, read another story about a Black man's unlucky encounter with a White police officer's deadly force, I am reminded that racism by itself can kill."
20 years old and still painfully relevant.
#nonfiction
