Category: Blog

Categories
Blog Nonfiction

Life is Short

by Dean Rickles, book 93 of 2022

In Life is Short Dean Rickles makes a case for why the limitation of a short life makes living meaningful. I’m not sure who the target audience of this book would be. It’s too complicated and technical for most people to read casually, and not novel or complex enough for those who are typically interested in philosophy. I didn’t dislike reading this but compared to 4,000 weeks, another short book covering the same material, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to the audiobook in exchange for my opinion.

Categories
Blog Fiction

Something Quite Beautiful

by Amanda Prowse, Book 87 of 2022

This collection of short stories was healing for my bruised heart. Funny, smart, thought-provoking. This book is such a treat, life affirming without being too sweet. This would make a great Christmas or holiday gift for the readers in your life. Bonus, the narration of the audiobook was excellent.

Categories
Blog Fiction

Dinosaurs

by Lydia Millet, book 85 of 2022

This book is subtle, its’ depth builds up while reading chapter after chapter of mundane interactions between Gil, the protagonist, and his network of seemingly average acquaintances. This is NOT like the author’s previous book, A Children’s Bible, Millet makes a much gentler case for being a good person here. While not the most impactful work I’ve read this year, Millet achieved something notable, she made me care deeply about an extremely average independently wealthy white man.

Categories
Blog Fiction

Bliss Montage: Stories

by Ling Ma, Book 73 of 2022

Does anyone else find it hard to review collections of short stories? Some of the stories include magical realism and those I found to be the most engaging, while others fell a little flat. One about a dysfunctional childhood friendship carried into adulthood, was life affirming in a bizarre way. Others I’m still trying to wrap my head around. The tone is ominous and yet somehow playful? Overall, worth reading!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Drug Use, Domestic Violence, Racism, Abandonment, Body Horror (kind of??) involving Pregnancy

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories

Categories
Blog Fiction

In the Shadow Garden

by Liz Parker, book 72 of 2022

Gilmore Girls meets Charmed meets Once Upon a Time in this magical mystery story centered on a big matriarchal southern family. I won’t spoil it, but this is a great spooky season read for anyone who likes autumn more cozy than scary. Bonus: the audiobook narrators were lovely and added to the depth of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder

Categories: Fiction, Mystery, Multiple narrators 

Categories
Blog Nonfiction

The Gospel of Wellness

by Rina Raphael, book 69 of 2022

This is an entertaining investigation of the merits and limitations of the wellness industry. I’d recommend this to any woman who’s ever felt like there aren’t enough products in the world to solve the problems society has made for them. 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Body Image, Medical Gaslighting

Categories
Blog Fiction

The Make-up Test

by Jenny L. Howe, book 65 of 2022

This second chance romance focuses on Allison Avery, a dedicated PhD Candidate in Medieval Literature who’s just begun studying under her academic hero. Her hard work is paying off and everything is falling into place… until she discovers that her ex-boyfriend and ex-rival from college is back and causing more trouble than ever. She doesn’t have time to deal with him, especially while managing a difficult relationship with her father and feeling estranged from her best friend. While I found it a bit difficult to really get invested in the plot there were some things I loved: a plus sized protagonist, so many lit references, and real talk about challenging familial issues. 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Body shaming, Death of a parent, Grief, Emotional abuse

Categories: Fiction, Romance, Comedy

Categories
Blog Nonfiction Social Justice

What We Owe the Future

by William MacAskill, Book 62 of 2022,

William MacAskill asks a lot more questions than he answers in this lengthy read. This book describes some of the biggest threats to humankind’s long term future including AI, nuclear warfare, environmental catastrophe, and pandemics. It’s a tough journey with a lot of difficult subject matter that ultimately ends with a call to action to consider how our current societal choices will impact the many potential generations beyond the present. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading this but I will definitely be thinking about its subject matter for a long time to come. 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Nuclear War, Pandemics, Extinction, Artificial Intelligence, Animal Cruelty 

Categories
Blog Nonfiction Social Justice

Heal Your Way Forward

by myisha t. hill, book 57 of 2022

A great read for any white person who wants to re-energize their anti-racist practice. During the “Great White Awakening of 2020” many folks recognized the need to act on social justice issues but fell out of practice as time has gone by. This book is for those of us who want to sustain a long term commitment to those values, especially in between episodes of public outcry. Hill’s words and story are inspiring, practical and timely. This is not the book for a person who’s just starting to learn about white privilege and supremacy but instead fulfills a need for those who are committed to a lifelong practice. 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings:  Suicide, Racism  

Categories: Nonfiction, Anti-racism 

Categories
Blog Fiction

The Monsters We Defy

By Leslye Penelope, book 56 of 2022

This is a fun and spooky heist story set in the 1920’s. Clara Johnson, a young black woman with the power to commune with spirits, joins up with a group of talented friends to save their community from a mysterious force that causes folks to disappear. I don’t want to give away anything but I found the layers of this story to be really engaging and fun to uncover. It had high enough stakes to keep me interested but low enough not to be too stressful. A budding romance, feisty best friend, and a little magic, what’s not to like? 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings:  Racism, Police Violence, Slavery, Classism, Colorism, Abduction